tion, were to be expected (c). Of all others, he ought not to accuse those, whom he has himself led to the tranfgreffion: He ought not, in this equitable court, to take advantage of his own wrong, in moving for an information against them; who, in forming their judgment of the authenticity of the Mifcellaneous Papers, which were offered to their tranfient infpection, as the genuine writings of Shakspeare, only drew a fair deduction from the previous arguments of the public accufer: He had diligently fhown (d) that, in the archives of Shakspeare's defcendants, fome of his fragments may yet be found; and from this information, the believers inferred, that thefe might probably be the expected fragments: The public ac (c) The candour of Mr. Malone began to flumber in the fixth page of his Inquiry. By fuppreffing the qualifying words of the Prefacer to the " MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS," namely, "As far as he has been able to collect the fenti ments of the before-mentioned men of tafte, antiquaries, "and heralds," the public accufer has given that qualified aflertion of unanimity an untrue direction; and thereby mifreprefented the Prefacer, and confequently injured the men of tafte, antiquaries, and heralds, who had inípected the papers, and had delivered their fentiments, with a greater, or a lefs, degree of referve. (d) Shakl. Edit. 1790, vol. i. p. 41. cufer cufer had actually publifhed the declaration of faith of John Shakspeare, which had been difcovered in the houfe of (e) Shakspeare; and the believers, when they beheld Shakspeare's profeffion of faith, naturally concluded that, in a religious age, a pious poet might have followed the example of his fathers. Mr. Malone fill (f) infifts, that fragments of Shakspeare may even now be found; because every circumstance about that illuftrious poet has been discovered, either by the efforts of diligence, or by the accidents of chance: Yet, he scoffs at those "profound scholars, antiquaries, and heralds," who are fo credulous as to believe upon his predictions; and, however disappointed by his declarations, and retractions "Yet hope, would fain fubfcribe, and tempt belief.' The literary world had not been troubled with the fcoffs of Mr. Malone, had his candour of inquiry, and powers of ratiocination, been equal to his activity of research; because he would have feen, that the facts, which he had, with diligence, afcertained, led inquifitive men to infer from them, that much was still (e) lb. vol. ii. p. 298. (f) Advertisement, annexed to his Inquiry. to be found, with regard to Shakspeare, by fimilar diligence, and lucky accidents. The active editor had thus fhewn, that Shakfpeare died, at the age of fifty-two, on the 23d of April 1616; leaving his daughter Sufanna, and her husband, Doctor John Hall, his executors: Now, the will demonftrates, that he died poffeffed of baubles, gewgaws, and toys to mock apes. Doctor Hall died, on the 25th of November 1635; leaving a nuncupative will, whereby he bequeathed his library, and manufcripts, to Thomas Nash, who had married his daughter, Elizabeth: Here, then, is fufficient proof, that Doctor Hall, the executor of Shakspeare, left a library, and manuscripts, behind him. Sufanna, the widow of Doctor Hall, and the daughter of Shakspeare, administered on his eftate, and lived to the 11th of September 1649. Thomas Nafh, who married Elizabeth, the daughter of Doctor Hall, died on the 4th of April 1647, without iffue, by the granddaughter of Shakspeare; but appointed her his executrix, and residuary legatee. After marrying Sir John Barnard, Elizabeth Nash died at Abington, about the 17th of February 1669-70, in full poffeffion of Newplace, her grandfather's dwelling; Sir dwelling; and left her kinfman, Edward Bagley, fole executor of her will. John, who feems not to have been very proud of the honours of his unfruitful marriage with Shakspeare's grand-daughter, died in March 167; and dying without a will, administration was granted on his eftate the 7th of November 1674, to Henry Gilbert of Locko, in the county of Derby, who had married his daughter Elizabeth, by a former marriage. In this fatisfactory manner, has Mr. Malone traced down, from the public records, the legal tranfmiffion of the perfonal property of Shakspeare's defcendants, including his books and papers, to a recent period (g). And from this accurate hiftory, he reasonably infers, that amongst the defcendants of Bagley, or of Barnard, fome fragments of Shakspeare may even yet be found, if curiofity would prompt diligence to fearch the repofitories of concealment. Thus fuccefsful was Mr. Malone, in awakening attention, and raising hope. When the believers look back upon the past, and forward to the future, they may (g) Vid. Mal. Shakl. 1790. vol. i. p. 123-139, in the Notes on the Life of Shakspeare, obferve, with Shakspeare, on the fcore of expected fragments; The reft, "That are within the note of expectation, From the appearance of Mr. Malone's Shakspeare, in 1790,— "Every moment was expectancy of more arrivance." In fact, discovery fucceeded discovery, with the natural re-production of the seasons. Every admirer of Shakspeare was ambitious to poffefs fome relick. Mr. Malone, with the good fuccefs, which generally attends best endeavours, obtained documents enough to fill a folio. Meantime, a painting of Shakspeare was found; the very painting, as it seems, that enabled Droefhout to engrave" the fi 66 gure of Shakspeare," which was prefixed to the folio editions of his dramas; and of which Ben Jonfon affirmed, that, -the graver had a ftrife "With nature to outdo the life." The oaken board, whereon the gentle Shakfpeare is pourtrayed; the infcription of the poet's name, by a contemporary hand; the correfponding likenefs between the original painting and the existing print of Droefhout; the corroborating evidence of Ben Jonfon, who |