C28 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



and Cymbeline, Dub. 1793. Dur- 

 ing his residence in London, the 

 theatre engaged much of his atten- 

 tion, and his passion for that ele- 

 gant amusement grew with his 

 years. " He followed the best per- 

 formers from tlieatre to theatre, 

 and studied the best dramatic wri- 

 ters. From an admirer he became 

 a critic. Idohzing Shakespeare, he 

 often lamented that his dramas had 

 suffered in their structure, from the 

 ignorance or carelessness of the first 

 editors. This determined him to at- 

 tempt a transposition of the scenes, 

 in a few places, from the order in 

 which they have been handed down 

 bysuccessiveeditions. This,"hecon- 

 tinues in the modest preface to his 

 edition of Lear, ♦' will doubtless be 

 thought by many a hard}- innova- 

 tion, but if it be considered in what 

 a disorderly ar.d neglected state this 

 author's pieces are reported to have 

 been left by him, and how little 

 certainty there is that the scenes 

 have hitherto preserved their origi- 

 nal arrangement ; the presumption 

 with which this attempt is charge- 

 able, will admit of much extenua- 

 tion, and it vvere, at least, to be 

 wished that no privilege of altera- 

 tion more injurious to Shakespeare, 

 had ever been assumed by any of 

 his editors.'' What he attempted, 

 he has accomplished with great in- 

 genuity and much taste in his edi- 

 tions of the following plays ; — Lear 

 and Cymbeline, Dub. 1795, and 

 the Merchant of Venice, Dub. 

 1805.* To each play he has as- 

 signed a separate volume, contain- 

 ing, not only notes and illustrations 

 of various commentators, with re- 

 marks by the editor, but the several 



critical and historical essays that 

 have appeared at different times, 

 respecting each piece. To Cymbe- 

 line he has added a new translation 

 of the ninth story of Second Day 

 of the Decameron, and an origi- 

 nal air, which accompanies the 

 words of the elegy on Fidele's 

 death, composed on purpose for 

 his publication, by Sig. Giordani. 

 These editions will yet be consider- 

 ed as a valuable accession to the 

 critical labours of the commenta- 

 tors of oui' immortal bard. Ac- 

 cording as they are better known, 

 they will rise in estimation. The 

 praise bestowed on them, by the 

 author of an Essay on the revival of 

 the drama in Italy, note 8, p. 270, 

 is only justice to their merit. " As 

 you like it,' was prepared for the 

 press upon the same plan, but it 

 sleeps with the editor, to whom we 

 shall now return. His person was 

 tall, well proportioned, and majes- 

 tic. His countenance beamed bene- 

 volence. His manners were soft, 

 easy, and polite. His mind was 

 richly stored with classic lore, and 

 every moral virtue. His conversa- 

 tion was a stream of elegant in- 

 formation, occasionally enriched 

 with just criticism and solid argu- 

 ment. Graced with every accom- 

 plishment himself, his family be- 

 came highl}' accomplished under 

 his direction. Of the fine arts, 

 music, (which he has so ably de- 

 fended in a note on the " Merchant 

 of Venice," p. 236, 239,) was his 

 favourite. Accordingly it was par- 

 ticularly cultivated in his family, 

 who seems to inherit not only his 

 accomplishments, but his virtues. 

 To this slight sketch of his charac- 

 ter. 



" All these piiHicatimis api.eared nnonvmously. 

 London liv LackingSon and Allen, and Longman and R 



Tliev- were published in 

 ees. 



