THE LIFE AND THEATRICAL TIMES OF CHARLES KEAN; F.S.A. INCLUDING A SUMMARY OF THE ENGLISH STAGE FOR THE LAST FIFTY YEARS. BY JOHN WILLIAM COLE. "Orator ad vos venio ornatu prologi: Sinite exorator ut sim.- Quia sciebam dubiam fortunam esse scenicam, Spe incerta certum mihi laborem sustuli."-TERENTII HECYRA. RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. My work, published at the close of the London Season, has reached a Second Edition much sooner than my warmest hopes could have anticipated. For this success I am entirely indebted to the indulgence of the public, and the highly complimentary tone of a great majority of the leading papers which have honoured me with their notice. To the latter, however, there have been a few remarkable exceptions. I pass these over without comment, being on all occasions an advocate for freedom of opinion, and feeling, in the present instance, abundantly satisfied with the general result. LONDON, November, 1859. 1 JOHN WILLIAM COLE. |