she has several suitors-when any one of them proposes to marry Rachel, Jaques suspects that he has smelt out the gold-in the 4th act the gold is stolen -Jaques is enraged to the last degree-at the conclusion, Jaques has a prospect of recovering his gold -Paulo marries Rachel-this is on the whole a good C., but Jonson has introduced some low characters who are not very entertaining-it would perhaps have been better if he had borrowed more from Plautus-Gifford says-"this play should have stood "at the head of Jonson's works, had chronology only been consulted-it was first printed in 1609, "but must have been written 10 or 12 years before." The rest of this vol. consists of Entertainments, &c.

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Masques at Court.

Vol. 7.

Vol. 8.

Masques, &c.

Epigrams.

The Forest contains the well known song to Celia"Drink to me only with thine eyes," &c.

Underwoods-Jonson in his poem on Shakspeare

says

"Soul of the age!

"The applause! delight! the wonder of our stage!

"My Shakspeare rise! I will not lodge thee by

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Chaucer, or Spencer, or bid Beaumont lie

"A little further off, to make thee room:

"Thou art a monument without a tomb, "And art alive still, while thy book doth live “And we have wits to read, and praise to give."

Soon after follows the most material line

"And though thou hadst small Latin and less "Greek."

-this line is passed over by Gifford without any observation on it-if he had given us a good note, we should have been much obliged to him.

Vol. 9.

Underwoods, Translations, &c.

Discoveries Jonson says of Shakspeare, "I "remember, the players have often mentioned it as "an honour to Shakspeare, that in his writing he "never blotted out a line-my answer hath been, "would he had blotted a thousand-which they thought a malevolent speech-I had not told pos

terity this, but for their ignorance, who chose that "circumstance to commend their friend by, wherein "he most faulted-and to justify mine own candour, "for I loved the man, and do honour his memory, on "this side idolatry, as much as any."

English Grammar-and Jonsonus Virbius.

The Public is greatly indebted to Gifford for what he has done --but all his labours will hardly revive a taste for Ben Jonson-the excellence of the Fox, the Alchemist, the Silent Woman and Every Man in his Humour, is universally acknowledged-as to the rest of his dramatic works, they may be perused with delight by particular persons, but the generality of readers would probably derive more pleasure from the plays of Fletcher, Massinger, or Shirleya Gentleman pretty conversant with the Drama observed, that he never sat down to read Jonson's inferiour plays, except as a task, and because he was ashamed to acknowledge himself ignorant of the works of so eminent a writer-this, Gifford would have called stupidity, but in matters of taste surely every one has a right to judge for himself.

Shadwell, who was a professed admirer and imitator of Jonson, in the Prologue to the Virtuoso, after mentioning good Comedy, adds

"A thing we have not seen since Jonson's days, "And but a few of his were perfect plays.'

James the 1st, in consideration of Ben Jonson's services, conferred on him, by letters patent, a pension for life of a hundred marks-in courtesy this has been termed creating him Poet Laureateand, perhaps, it was so-hitherto, the laureatship appears to have been a mere title, adopted at pleasure by those who were employed to write for the court, but conveying no privileges and establishing no claim to a salary-occasional gratuities were undoubtedly bestowed on occasional services-but an

annual and determinate sum seems to have been issued, for the first time, in favour of Jonson-the nominal laureate or court poet, when Jonson first came into notice, was Daniel, who was long the favourite of Elizabeth and ber ladies-on the regular appointment of Jonson, Daniel withdrew himself entirely from court-Charles the 1st raised Jonson's salary to £100 and added a tierce of Canary, (Jonson's favourite wine) which has been continued to his successors-Jonson died in 1637-(Gifford)— and was succeeded by Davenant-Davenant died in April 1668-Dryden succeeded Davenant as Poet Laureate, but his Letters Patent were not passed till Aug. 18 1670—with respect however to the emolument of this office, and that of Historiographer Royal (which was also granted to him) the patent had a retrospect, and the salary, which was £200 a year during pleasure, to be paid quarterly, commenced from the Midsummer after Davenant's death-on Aug. 29 1689 Shadwell succeeded Dryden as Poet Laureate and Historiographer-to Shadwell, Tate succeeded as Poet Laureate Dec. 23 1692, with the usual present of wine and an annual pension of £100 only-Rymer was made Historiographer -Dr. Johnson says" at the accession of King "George, Rowe was made Poet Laureate-I am "afraid by the ejection of poor Nahum Tate, who "(1716) died in the Mint, where he was forced to "seek shelter for extreme poverty "-in the B. D. Tate is said to have died Aug. 12 1715—Malone tells us that on the death of Tate in 1716 Rowe succeeded him-Rowe died in Dec. 1718 and was succeeded by Eusden-Eusden died Sep. 27 1730 and

was succeeded by Colley Cibber-Cibber died in 1757 and was succeeded by Whitehead-Whitehead died April 14 1785 and was succeeded by Wharton -Wharton died May 21 1790 and was succeeded by Pye-(Malone chiefly)-Pye was succeeded by Southey in 1812.

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D. L. 1816-1817.

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Sep. 7. School for Scandal. Sir Peter Munden: Charles Rae: Joseph = Wallack, 1st time: Sir Oliver Dowton: Sir Benjamin Harley, 1st time: Crabtree= Knight, 1st time: Moses Oxberry, 1st time: Lady Teazle Mrs. Davison: Mrs. Candour Mrs. Orger, 1st time :-previous to the play a Monody, to the memory of the late Rt. Hon. R. B. Sheridan, will be spoken by Mrs. Davison-repeated 5 times.

14. Lovers' Vows.

Baron Wildenhaim = Ben

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gough from Bath, 1st app.: Agatha Mrs. Knight from York, 1st app.

21. New Way to Pay old Debts. Sir Giles Overreach Kean: Lady Allworth Mrs. Knight :—with Critic. Puff Harley, 1st time: Don Ferolo = Oxberry, 1st time.

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