a 
593 Retrospect of Domestic Literature—Ifiscel, 
* Another work of merit has appeared in 
“© Stories af Old Daniel; or, Tales of 
Wonder and Delight :” told in the spirit _ 
of a benevolent, loquacious man. 
© Phe Krights; Tales illustrative of 
re marvellous ;” are less amusing than 
fy, Datuas’s former produciton of ** The 
Morlands;” less nataral im the charac- 
ters, and less elegant in the language, 
though still entitled to a share ef eur 
praise. 
Miss BarReww’s {f Riches and Pover- 
ty,” a tale, may rank among the best 
books of its kind. It is short, simpte, 
and impressive, artiessly told, and likely 
to be useful. 
““¢ Monks aja Robbers,* and “ The Atro- 
tities of a Convent,” are titles which 
bave long ceased to wet the appetite of 
our curiosity, The former, is in two 
volumes; the latter, in three. 
We have also, ‘ Memoirs of Female 
PRilosophers” by the author of Caroline 
ef Litebfcld,” translated from the Ger- 
ynon; and “ Characters at Brightoz,? in 
tour volumes. 
WISCELLAN EES. 
A more valuable work, in the miscel- 
Ianeous class, thayegny we have of late 
had an oportunity Of mentioning, will be 
found in the “ zHustrations of Shekspeare 
and of Antient Manners: with Disserfa- 
tions en the Clowns and Fools ef Shaks- 
peare; on the Collection of Popular Tales, 
entitled Gesta Romanorum; end en the 
English Marris Dance ;” by Mr. Douce, 
im two volumes, octavo. 
Some excuse, Mr. Douce observes, 
may seem necessary for obtruding on the 
yeader so mapy passages from what Mr, 
Steevens somewhere culled “ books too 
mean to be formally quoted.” And yet 
the wisest among us may be often bene- 
fited by the meanest productions of hu- 
man intellect, if, like medicinal poisons, 
they be adininistered with skill. It had 
escaped the recollection of the léarned 
and accomplished commentator that he 
had himself condesvended to examine a 
multitude of volumes of the above class, 
and even to use them with advantage to 
his readers ii the course of his notes. 
“With respect to what is often ab- 
surdly denominated black letier learning, 
the taste which prevails in the present 
times for this sort of reading, wherever 
true scholarship and a laudable curiosity 
are found united, will afford the best 
reply to the hyper-criticisms and impo- 
tent sarcasms of those who, having from 
imdolence or ignorance negleeted to cul- 
tivate so rich a field of knowledze, exert 
e mes : 
Sa 
¥ 
AERTS. 
the whole of their endeavours to depre. 
ciate its value. Are the labours of our 
countrymen, and especially the copious 
stores of infermation that enriched the 
long and fousishing: reign of Elizabeth, 
to be rejected. because they are recorded 
In @ particular typography ? 
“ Others again have complained cf the 
redundancy of the commentators, and of 
an aifected display of learning to explain 
terms and illustrate matters of obvious 
end easy comprehension. This may 
sometimes have been the case, but it 
were easier to show that too little, ang 
not too much, has been attempted on 
many of these occasions. AN eminent 
critic has declareu that. ‘ if every line of 
Shakspeare’s plays were accompatied 
with a comment, every intelligent reader 
would be indebted to thé industry of him 
who produced #.’ Shakspeare indeed is 
not more obserrg than contemporary 
writers; but he is certainly mueh better 
worth iffustrating, Phe above objee- 
tors, affectedly zealousto detect the errors 
of other men, but more frequently be- 
traylng their own self-suifiereney and over- 
yeening importance, seem to forget that 
comments and illustrations are designed 
for the more ignorant class of: readers, 
who are’always the most numerous; and 
that very few possess the happiness and 
advantage of being wise or learned.” 
To give # full account of a work, so 
-multifarious in contents, would be im- 
possible. It is enough to say that no 
“commentator has taken more pains, or 
been more successful in his illustrations, 
One design of these volumes, says Mr, 
Douce, ‘has been to augment the know- 
ledze of our popular customs and anti- 
quities, 1 which respect alone the writ- 
ings ot Shakspeare have suggested better 
hints, and furnished ampler materials 
than those of any one besides, 
As examples we shall quote two or 
three which rank among the more impor- 
taut ilustyations of particulag passages. 
TEMPRST. 
Act L Sc. 2..p. 28. 
4ri, ¢ From the still vext Bermmotbes.* 
“ The voyage of Sir George Sommers 
to the Bermudas, in the year 1609-11, has 
been already noticed with.aview of ascer= 
taining thetimein which the Tempest was 
writtén ; but the important particulars 
of bis shipwreck, from which it is exceed 
ingly probable that the outline of a con- 
siderable part of this play was borrowed, 
has been unaccountably overlooked. Se-= 
veral.contemporary narratives of the above 
event were published, which ee 
; migh 
