THOUGH not with equal genius, we tread this fairy fcene with equal reverence, and with as true devotion, as was breathed by the late Mr. Thomas Warton, in the following elegant and well imagined lines:

"Whom on the winding Avon's willow'd banks "Fair fancy found, and bore the smiling babe "To a close cavern: (ftill the fhepherds fhew "The facred place, whence with religious awe "They hear, returning from the field at eve, "Strange whifp'ring of sweet music through the air.) "Here, as with honey gather'd from the rock, "She fed the little prattler, and with songs "Oft footh'd his wond'ring ears, with deep delight "On her foft lap he fat, and caught the sounds."

UPON entering the town of Stratford, a feeling, I truft, fomething more elevated than that of mere curiofity, naturally directs the steps of every admirer of our divine Poet towards that spot which gave birth to the most extraordinary genius this or any other country

country has ever produced: of whom Ben Jonfon, a rival wit and a contemporary, nobly fays,

"Triumph, my Britain! thou haft one to shew,
"To whom all fcenes of Europe homage owe.
"He was not of an age, but for all time;
"And all the Mufes ftill were in their prime,
"When like Apollo he came forth to warm
"Our ears, or like a Mercury to charm.
"Nature herself was proud of his designs,
"And joy'd to wear the dreffing of his lines."

As it is avowedly the intention of this work to give pictorial representations of objects that may in any degree illustrate either the history or biography of our country, it must be with peculiar pleasure that we lay before the public the representation of any thing that is nearly connected with the life and history of our matchlefs Bard. As fuch we shall conduct them to the humble cottage in which

A a 2

which he first drew breath, on the 23d of

April, 1564.

THE annexed sketch of it was made in October, 1792.

PART of these premises, which belonged

to Shakspeare, are ftill occupied by a descendant of Joan Harte, fifter to our Poet, who

pursues