D FOUNDED ON.h THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKSPEARE, MASSINGER, SHIRLEY, ROWE, MURPHY, AND ON THE COMEDIES OF STEELE, FARQUHAR, CUMBERLAND, BICKERSTAFF, FOR SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. 1822. PREFACE. "GOOD wine needs no bush!" exclaimed the authoress, when asked for a Preface" and bad wine is made worse by apologies!"-The Publishers, however, cannot permit this little work to go forth to the world, even on its own merits, which they trust are not scanty, without a line of explanatory introduction. It has been much the practice to dramatize Tales-yet there must be, at least, novelty in the attempt to restore, or to change, the acted Drama to the more popular form of narrative, for the purpose of rendering the real beauties of the British stage more familiar, and better known to the younger class of readers, and even of extending that knowledge to family circles where the drama itself is forbidden. The publishers do not, indeed, venture to touch on the objections which well meaning Christian sects make to the Stage; but truth and good morals are not the less amiable when put in an attractive point of view, and they therefore the more readily adopted the plan here executed by one, who, from her literary as well as histrionic pursuits, could not fail to be qualified for the task. |