TALES OF THE DRAMA.

SHAKSPEARE, MASSINGER, SHIRLEY, ROWE, MURPHY,
LILLO, AND MOORE,

AND ON

THE COMEDIES

OF

STEELE, FARQUHAR, CUMBERLAND, BICKERSTAFF,
GOLDSMITH, AND MRS. COWLEY.

BY MISS MACAULEY.

Good unexpected-evil unforeseen

Appear by turns, as Fortune shifts the scene.

Some, raised aloft, come tumbling down amain:
Some fall so hard-they bound and rise again.

LANSDOWN.

CHISWICK:

PRINTED BY C. WHITTINGHAM,

College House;

FOR SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES,

PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.

1822.

PREFACE.

"GOOD wine needs no bush!" exclaimed the authoress, when asked for a Preface" and bad wine is made worse by apologies!"-The Publishers, however, cannot permit this little work to go forth to the world, even on its own merits, which they trust are not scanty, without a line of explanatory introduction.

It has been much the practice to dramatize Tales-yet there must be, at least, novelty in the attempt to restore,