but he has presumed to alter the economy of the scene by superfluous incidents.”* King Richard II. The first alteration of this play was by Tate, intitled, "The Sicilian Usurper." It was prohibited from being performed, on which account it was published by the author in 1691, with a preface, in which he protests against such prohibition. In 1720, an alteration of it was published by Theobald. It was performed at the Lincoln's InnField's Theatre, with tolerable success. King Richard III. I know of no other alteration of this play than Cibber's, on which I purpose at some future time to make some observations more at length than the present brief sketch will allow. A play, called the "English Princess, or the Death of Richard III." written in 1666, was acted at the Duke of York's theatre, but it does not seem to be much borrowed from Shakspeare. King Henry V. A tragedy with this title was published by the Earl of Orrery in 1672; but as I have never seen it, I cannot say how much the noble author was indebted to Shakspeare. In 1723, Aaron Hill published a tragedy under the title of Henry V. or the Conquest of France, the plot and ́ language of which are in many places borrowed from Shak. speare. Henry VI. the First Part. Crowne, in 1681, published a tragedy under this title, which was acted with some success, till the Roman Catholic party at court had interest enough to get it suppressed. Henry VI. the Second Part. A play under this title, which, like the foregoing one, was very much indebted to Shakspeare, was published also by Crowne in 1680. Nearly a century before had appeared an alteration of Shakspeare's play, which was published without the author's name, and was called The Contention between York and Lancaster. In 1721, Theo. Cibber printed a new edition of this play, but I believe it was never acted. Timon of Athens has been twice altered. The first alteration was published by Shadwell in 1678, the second by Cum berland. Both these authors have taken considerable liberties * Dramatic Miscell. Vol. I. p. 52. with the plot, but what they have added serves only as a foil to what remains of Shakspeare's. Coriolanus. Of this play three altered editions have been published. The first was by Tate in 1682, under the title of The Ingratitude of a Commonwealth; the second by Dennis in 1720, and the third by Thomas Sheridan in 1755. In both the last plays the original title was preserved, but not one of them at present is remembered. Mr. Kemble too, in 1806, attempted to adapt Coriolanus to the stage, but as I occupied two or three pages in a number of the Cabinet, with pointing out the defects of this alteration, I shall here simply content myself with mentioning it. Julius Caesar, with considerable additions, was divided by the Duke of Buckingham into two plays. The first beginning as Shakspeare's does, and ending with the speech of Mark Anthony to the people. The scene of the second is laid at Athens for the two first acts, and at Philippi, during the remainder of the play. It begins the day before the battle of Philippi, and ends with it. The few remaining plays of Shakspeare, which are still to be noticed, I shall reserve for another letter. Norwich, Dec. 5, 1809. T. ILLUSTRATIONS. TROILUS and CRESSIDA, act 3, sc. i. "Pandarus. He! no, she'll none of him; they two are twain. Helen. Falling in, after falling out, may make them three." See this illustrated by the article "Arithmetic," in the present number. Act 4, sc. ii. "With sounding Troilus, I will not go from Troy." Comment.-Steevens proposes to leave out 66 go, which roughens this line ;" and to read elliptically, "I will not from Troy." This is forced and unnecessary. Read-" I'll not go from Troy. See in the next scene, "And is it true that I must go from Troy ?" ** ORIGINAL POETRY. HORACE IN LONDON. BOOK II. ODE XI. Quid bellicosus &c. TO HARRY ———, ESQ. CEASE, cease, my dear Harry, to trouble your brain, Ere he or his arms can give trouble to you. Our youth, like a rainbow, soon loses its charms, Soft sleep, love, and pleasure, are scar'd from our arms, The spring and its roses soon bend to the blast, Dear Hal, if thou lov'st me, (as Falstaff would say) Bid him bring you a bottle of Château-Murgaud. Then let him, when Bacchus and pleasure combine The bibbers of water are drunkards, not we, Let Lydia, the lovely enchantress, appear, Then cease, my dear Quidnunc, to groan at the news, But if you must study, Oh study to lose, In this day's enjoyment the thought of to-morrow. H. In the concluding stanzas of this ode, Horace in London has availed himself of the privilege reserved in his introductory, dialogue, and has presumed to alter the form, which he could not becomingly embellish. BOOK I. ODE XXXIV. Parcus Deorum cultor et infrequens, &c INVEIGLED by Hume from the Temple of Truth, I laugh'd and I sang, a mere reprobate youth, But now thro' a crack in my worldly wise head, And back with the speed of a zealot I tread, Of late through the Strand as I saunter'd away, For O in that curricle, spruce as the day. Majestic as thunder he roll'd thro' the air I gaz'd like the pilgrim in Vanity-fair, When Faithful was snatch'd into Heaven. Loud bellow'd the monsters in Pidcock's abyss, The Puritan rises, Philosophy falls, When touch'd by his Harlequin rod, The beardless reformer leaves London behind, The Pilgrim of Bunyan felt wiser alarms, His darling at home could not bind him, 'Twas Death and the Devil when lock'd in her arms, 'Twas Heav'n-when he left her behind him! ODE BOOK I. ODE XIX. Mater savu Cupidinum, &c. DAME Venus, who lives but to vex, And Bacchus, the dealer in wine, J. |