face of Comedy, and we may very readily inscribe, this does

surpass

All that was ever writ in brass."

It is very evident, from the four first lines, of Jonson's verse, (see p. 21,) a conjecture may be formed, that Droeshout was himself the master of this portrait, for it might have been first drawn from the life by him, on the plate, and then engraved, without the aid of any thing else but nature; as many instances of the kind, have been done, from the earliest period of engraving; but, the exact time when it was engraved, cannot be told, as its first register is in the folio edition of 1623.

Mr. Boaden in his criticisms on the above plate, remarks," that it is made to furnish out a portrait of the poet in the edition of 1623; in that of 1632, in which it continued very tolerable; and in the two latter folios of 1664 and 1685, when I confess it to have become, what it has frequently been called, "an abominable libel upon humanity."

The three first of the above folios, I have carefully examined, in the possession of Mr. Nicol, and those, also, in the British Museum, but the edition of 1685, I have never seen; Mr. Boaden is certainly under a mistake, as to the plate being in a bad state in the third edition, for Mr. Smith, of the Museum, and myself, compared them together, and only con

sidered it not well printed, and as a proof that it was so, we referred to the book of the various portraits of Shakspeare; there is an impression of this plate of the edition 1664, quite equal to what is seen in the first folio, and superior to what is in the second. I have since seen an impression of the above plate, with the lines by Ben Jonson under it, in imitation of the edition 1664, but the plate had been re-touched, and evidently worn out; yet, in this ghostly appearance, it was valued at three guineas; this, very likely, might belong to the edition 1685.

The plate, in the first folio, is printed with the following words over the portrait :-" Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. Published according to the True Originall Copies." Under the portrait, at the corner of the plate, is (Martin Droeshout, Sculpsit, London.) Under which is, "LONDON, Printed by Isaac laggard, and Ed. Blount, 1623."

The second edition, and which is also in the Museum, has some variations, as follows: "Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. Published according to the True Originall Copies. The second impression." Under the plate, is "London, Printed by Tho. Cotes, for Robert Allot, and are to be fold at his shop at the signe of the Blacke Beare in Pauls Church-yard 1632." Mr. G. Nicol has an edition with the above date, with a different publisher, and is thus, "London, Printed by Tho. Cotes,

for John Smithwick, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard, 1632." At the end of this edition, it also states, that various publishers have their names printed on the title pages, "William Aspley, Richard Hawkins, and Richard Meighen."

In the third edition, there are still further alterations, the plate is printed much higher on the paper, in order to admit Ben Jonson's ten lines of poetry, which are signed B. J. Those lines have always before been printed on a separate sheet. In the first folio the initials are B. I. What I have given (at page 21) is from the folio 1632.

Mr. Boaden tells us, page 13, that "some ten years ago, I was shown a picture, which appeared to be painted by the very artist who supplied Droeshout with the likeness of Shakspeare. The figure is a half-length. The dress of the person is like that of Shakspeare, the ruff is in form the same. On the left hand, at the top of the canvas, is painted anno 1602, ætat. 25. On the right, in the taste of the Shepherd's Calendar, is this quibbling-emblem, sperando, ferendo, vivo, vinco. He wears, moreover, a seal-ring, probably of his grandfather's," the arms on which are plain enough for a herald to interpret."

The above story is so unaccountable, that the author's mind seems to overflow with imaginations, inconsistent with realities, for according to the above dates, Shakspeare was thirteen years older in 1602,

being born in 1564. And it would also appear by the picture, that the poet would have been bald at twenty-five years old. After this, what is to become of all other portraits of this poet, that have hair on the top of their heads? is he not,

"A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!”

As I have been in the habit of employing many engravers, of late years, I flatter myself to have some knowledge of that art, and am aware of what engravers are subject to, through the caprice of their employers, for, in very few instances, can I show an engraved portrait, from my own drawing, precisely like it, and for this reason, a new thought occurs, that I might have improvements in the plate, either in the dress or general effect, which I suggest to the engraver, and is almost always done. Therefore, as Mr. Boaden has taken every trifling means to decry the Felton picture, and in a very irrevelent manner, said, it cannot be the portrait, either Droeshout or Marshall engraved their plates from, owing to the picture being, in some respects, different from the above two engravings, (not as to the head in particular,) but more as regards the dress, therefore, in this author's idea, that circumstance is sufficient to convince him, that Droeshout had no reference to that portrait. But, only observe, this contradictory part, his allowing Marshall's print to be like Droeshout's, at the same time it is different in dress and attitude. As a proof that heads and draperies have heen frequently borrowed, ac

cording to people's fancy, I refer my readers to an engraved print, of what is called, by Mr. Malone, the Stratford monument, engraved by G. Virtue, where is substituted, instead of the original head of the bust, that of the Chandos picture, and which, it seems, has escaped this discerning critic's notice; for he states, "the above monument was engraved by Virtue, and in mezzotinto, by Miller;" I have not been able to learn, that Miller ever engraved any other monument of Shakspeare, than that in Westminster Abbey, which is in mezzotinto, of the folio size, one of which is in the illustrated Shakspeare of Thomas Wilson, Esq. and very rare, therefore, should an engraving differ, in point of dress or other trifling matters, from a picture it was supposed to be done from, it ought not to be discarded on such a misapprehension, and more especially, where the most important parts, so closely resemble each other.

Exclusive of all I have as yet said, it is a very common practice at the present time, to transfer the head of a theatrical portrait, to a dress in another character, for instance, witness many of the Kemble's, Mrs. Siddons, Mr. Kean, &c. &c. none of which they have ever sat for; therefore, I must confess, that I think such evidence as Mr. Boaden's, "trifles light as air." I have yet in reserve, an authority from the pen of Mr. Steevens, that the Chandos pictures' have been engraved, twelve different times, and "no two of these