Manuscripts published by the Irelands in 1795, a forgery by the younger of these gentlemen, which engaged much of the public attention for three or four years, and furnishes not less than nineteen articles in the last and most complete list of Detached Publications relative to the poet. Gross and despicable, however, as was the fraud, it had the incidental merit of eliciting much curious information on the history, costume, and manners of the Elizabethan era; nor can the "Inquiry” of Mr. Malone, the chief detector of the imposition, or the "Apologies for the Believers" by Mr. Chalmers, be read without feeling respect for the skill, ingenuity, and unwearied patience with which these laborious critics carried on their researches.

Retreating, however, from the thorny paths of controversy, I pass on to take a brief notice of those who, either as annotators or glossographers, have endeavoured, by occasional separate works, to illustrate and explain our bard. Grey and Heath, who have already been mentioned as the oppugnors of Warburton, possess great acumen in this department; the former especially, as contesting perhaps with Capell the merit of first pursuing the plan of illustrating Shakspeare through the medium of contemporary usage and literature. Previously, though with inferior tact, had appeared the Notes, Observations, and Remarks of Peck, Upton, and Whalley, commentators with whom, if we set aside the classical erudition of Upton, may be arranged, as of approximating worth, the names of Davies,

Chedworth, Seymour, and Jackson; the latter, however, being entitled to peculiar notice, as having. thrown fresh light on the state of the early impressions of Shakspeare from a skilful application of his professional knowledge as a typographer, tracing to their source, and correcting several, errors which had originated solely from the incorrectness of the printer."

There are not wanting, moreover, in this branch of Detached Publications on Shakspeare, some names of first-rate celebrity as annotators; for, instance, those of Tyrwhitt, Monk Mason, Whiter, and Douce, the last gentleman in particular

The work of Mr. Jackson is entitled, "Shakspeare's Genius Justified; being Restorations and Illustrations of Seven Hundred Passages in Shakspeare's Plays," 8vo. 1819. If it. must be granted that Mr. Jackson has occasionally allowed himself to imagine more blunders than ever really sprang from the source he contends for, he has yet most assuredly detected, in frequent instances, errors evidently arising from the ignorance or carelessness of the printer, and consequently many of his emendations must be pronounced at once striking and correct.

Mr. Whiter's production, which is entitled "A Specimen of a Commentary on Shakspeare," consists of two parts. 1. "Notes on As You Like It. 2. An Attempt to explain and illustrate various passages on a New Principle of Criticism, derived from Mr. Locke's Doctrine of the Association of Ideas."

This second part, which, as the author tells us, is "an endeavour to unfold the secret and subtile operations of genius from the most indubitable doctrine in the theory of metaphysics," exhibits a most ingenious, and, not seldom, a very con- vincing train of reasoning and illustration, though the basis on which it is built cannot but occasionally throw open the most cautious commentator to the delusions of imagination.

having, in his Illustrations of Shakspeare and of Ancient Manners, exhibited, in the form of notes and occasional disquisitions, an almost unparalleled wide range of research with a fulness of information, a richness of recondite lore, and an urbanity of manner, which are truly delightful.

I shall close this section with the mention of the highly useful, and, in one instance truly interesting, labours of the glossographers on Shakspeare. The Indices of Ascough and Twiss are copious and correct, and can scarcely be dispensed with by those who wish to study Shakspeare with philological accuracy; whilst the "Glossary" of Archdeacon Nares, adapted not only to the works of our great dramatic bard, but to those of his contemporaries, superadds to the verbal wealth of a dictionary a vast fund of the most entertaining and instructive illustration in relation to the manners, customs, and superstitions of the reigns of Elizabeth and James. It is a work, indeed, which will ever be considered as a necessary companion to the study of the poetical and miscellaneous literature of these periods, and may be deemed, with respect to Shakspeare, as superseding much of the commentary which now so frequently, and often so inconveniently, loads the pages of our favourite author.

The last division of Detached Publications exclusively appropriated to our poet, comprehends, according to the arrangement which I have adopted, that species of criticism which, from its continuity

and style, may be termed the Dissertative, and which, if not more useful than a well-conducted series of annotation, is, at least, from the extensive field it is capable of embracing, biographical, historical, moral, and philosophical, and the scope which it yields to ingenuity and talent, calculated to be much more pleasing and interesting.

It has accordingly been productive of a large portion of valuable disquisition, and one of the earliest attempts in the department will bear ample testimony to the truth of the affirmation, namely, the "Essay on the Learning of Shakspeare" by the Rev. Dr. Farmer; a work which, from the perspicuity of its arrangement, the liveliness of its style, and the strength and adroit application of the evidence it adduces, has nearly set the question at rest; though it must be allowed, I think, that he has carried his depreciation of the scholarship of the poet somewhat too far.

This was speedily followed by the celebrated "Essay" of Mrs. Montagu, "on the Writings and Genius of Shakspeare, compared with the Greek and French Dramatic Poets," and including a very satisfactory defence of the bard against the misrepresentations of Voltaire; a production which, notwithstanding the sneers of Dr. Johnson, is justly

• Vide Boswell's Life of Johnson, vol. 2. p. 82. As a counterpoise to these sneers, the opinion of Cowper, a very competent judge, may be satisfactorily quoted. Speaking of her "Essay" to a correspondent, he says:. "the learning, the good sense, the sound judgment, and the wit displayed in it, fully

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entitled to all the praise that has been bestowed it. The section, in particular, on the Præternatural Beings" of our Dramatist, is written not only with great taste, but with great powers of eloquence, and great beauty of expression.

Passing over two or three publications of little moment, our attention becomes fixed by Professor Richardson's "Essays on Shakspeare's Dramatic Characters." Of these the first portion was published in 1774, a second in 1784, and a third in 1788; and the whole were re-printed together in 1797, and again with additions in 1812. The characters commented on are those of Macbeth, Hamlet, Jaques, Imogen, Richard the Third, Falstaff, King Lear, Timon of Athens, and Fluellen. To which are added, "Essays on Shakspeare's Imitation of Female Characters;" "On the Faults of Shakspeare;" "On the chief Objects of Criticism in the Works of Shakspeare;" and "On Shakspeare's Representation of National Characters."

This work, written in that spirit of philosophical criticism for which our northern neighbours are so justly celebrated, is a well-executed attempt to unfold the ruling principles which appear to bias and govern the mind and actions of the principal characters in the dramas of Shakspeare, and to demonstrate that they are in strict conformity with

justify not only my compliment, but all compliments that either have been already paid to her talents, or shall be paid hereafter."-Hayley's Life of Cowper.