TO

THE LOVERS OF SHAKSPEARE,

THESE VOLUMES,

INCLUDING A NARRATIVE WHOSE

PRIMARY OBJECT HAS BEEN

TO UNFOLD ITS AUTHOR'S CONCEPTION OF THE

MORAL AND DOMESTIC FEELINGS OF

THE BARD OF AVON,

ARE INSCRIBED,

BY ONE, WHOSE ADMIRATION OF

THE PRIVATE CHARACTER OF THE POET,

FAINTLY AS IT HAS BEEN SHADOWED OUT BY

TRADITION,

IS SCARCELY TO BE EXCEEDED

BY THAT WHICH HE ENTERTAINS FOR THE

DEPTH AND UNIVERSALITY OF HIS

GENIUS AND TALENTS.

1

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

PAGE

No.

I. Introductory. The Sheltered Solitude of a Sum-

mer's Noon, favourable to the indulgence of

fancy and meditation

1

II. Montchensey, a Tale of the Days of Shakspeare 18

III. The Same, continued

59

IV. Observations, Critical and Miscellaneous, on an

Anonymous Version of “ Les Jardins,” par M.

l'Abbé De Lille. Preliminary Remarks 101

V. Observations, Critical and Miscellaneous, on the

First Book of the Anonymous Version of “ Les

Jardins,” par M. l'Abbé De Lille

125

VI. Montchensey, a Tale of the Days of Shakspeare, ·

continued

155

VII. The Same, continued

- 203

VIII. Notices, Biographical and Critical, of Two once

celebrated Poets, Natives of Hadleigh in Suf-

folk - William Alabaster, D.D. and Joseph

Beaumont, D.D.-ALABASTER.

242

IX. The Same, continued ; - BEAUMONT, Criticisms

on, and Extracts from, his Psyche

259