_The Lamentable Tragedy of Locrine_ has been ascribed to Shakespeare, Marlowe, Peele and Greene. The two former ascriptions are clearly uncritical, and the two latter present many difficulties. According to Symonds, "The best passages of the play ... are very much in the manner of Greene." In this opinion joins Brooke, the editor of _The Shakespeare Apocrypha_. With certain portions of the argument associating _Locrine_ with Greene we are in harmony. The play was issued by that Thomas Creede who had published Greene's _Alphonsus of Arragon, A Looking-Glass_, and _James IV._ In flashes of poetry, in classical allusion, in high-sounding phrases, the play is sometimes astoundingly in the temper of _Orlando Furioso_ and _Alphonsus of Arragon_. We care little for the evidence that is deduced from literal parallels. More often than not these were purposed copyings or imitations, or involuntary reminiscences of lingering refrains. But there is such a thing as an author's peculiar verbal coin, which is stamped with his sign, and can be paid out by him alone. One who knows his author well cannot but be struck with the frequent occurrence of Greene's own turn of phrase, a style that is clearly to be distinguished from the style of any other poet of his time. Brutus' salutation to his followers at the beginning of the play is much after the manner of Marsilius' welcome to the princes who were come to woo Angelica. Trumpart's imprecations by "sticks and stones," "brickbats and bones," "briars and brambles," "cook shops and shambles," remind one of Orlando's equally ludicrous "Woods, trees, leaves; leaves, trees, woods." The lyrical clownery of Strumbo is often strikingly like that of Miles in _Friar Bacon_. The senile revenge motive of Corineus resembles that of Carinus in _Orlando Furioso_. The use of the capital founded by Brutus, Troynovant, is repeated in _Never too Late_.[22] So also Guendoline's pleas for the life of her faithless husband--"his death will more augment my woes"--are quite in the spirit of Dorothea's pity for her sinning husband in _James IV._ Strumbo's use of his plackets to hide food in while Humber is starving resembles in comic intent Adam's same expedient in starving Nineveh. Certain verse propositions seem to ring with Greene's own timbre: