INTRODUCTION.

Having once submitted to the public" An Historical Account of the Stratford Monument of Shakspeare," I am induced, from the general satisfaction that little work excited, to offer a few observations tending to prove the originality of some pictures of the immortal Bard.

That such a discovery must be interesting to the world at large, and to the lovers of the drama more particularly, is a fact which cannot be disputed; and, I trust, from the force of the evidence I have been able to produce in the following pages, that even the most sceptical will be convinced of their originality.

When we call to remembrance that the Writings, of Shakspeare have excited so much interest in the literary world, as to have been deemed worthy of adding, amongst a host of commentators, the names of such men as Warburton, Pope, Warton, &c. &c. I presume that some attention is also due to an

attempt to establish the resemblance of such a poet, which has hitherto been so long obscured in mystery, and to show as 'twere, the mirror up to nature.'

1

The inducement which excited me to the undertaking of this work, was to expose falsehood and calumny, with the view to establish TRUTH, which, as Johnson says, is the basis of all excellence." Professing myself a lover of the Poet's works, I naturally must esteem his likeness, one of which I had the pleasure of seeing, and also reading an account of, as given by the late George Steevens,* Esq. For some further information on the subject, I next had recourse to Mr. James Boaden's Book of Inquiry, but instead of finding proof of its originallity, the account was derogatory both to the portrait and the commentator.

By presuming to criticise on the opinions of Malone and Steevens, some upology may be necessary. I have only to remark, that every professional man must be the most competent judge of his own profession; and though he may not have those literary acquirements to embellish with so refined

Shakspeare's Works, in 21 vols. 1813.

a language, he is, nevertheless, the most capable to aver what is incongruously stated by any other person upon it..

Mr. Steevens has candidly given to the world his opinions, that the Felton picture, of all the portraits called Shakspeare, had the fairest chance of being a genuine likeness of the author, and which account I have given in full, at the end of this introduction. The owner of this picture, at the present time, is George Nicol, Esq. of Pall Mall; I had the pleasure of waiting on this venerable gentleman, who received me with every mark of kindness, he permitted me to make a drawing from the picture, and assisted me with some information, valuable to my undertaking, which I beg to lay before the public, in vindication of its claims and merits, after the flippant attempts Mr. Boaden has made to decry so valuable a production.

The six engravings which accompany this work, are as correct as can well be made, and owing to the resemblance they bear to each other, I have shown the bust in the same view as the other five, in order to give every individual an opportunity of judging how far I am correct.

In consequence of the frequent and gross impositions which of late years have been practised upon, the connoisseurs as Portraits of the Poet, some account will be given. At the end of the work also will be added, what may be considered as a characteristic description of all the engraved heads that are worthy of record, and as near as can be ascertained, the year in which each, and from what picture done; together with the principal monuments, making in the whole a complete Inquiry into the Shakspeare Portraits.

In Re-printing my Account of the Monumental Bust of Shakspeare, I think it necessary to state, that at the time of publishing my first pamphlet (1825), I had but a slight knowledge of the various pictures and prints of the poet. Iwas first shewn the print, by Martin Droeshout, by Mr. Wheler, at Stratford, and from the great resemblance it bears to the bust, it caused me to remark, "that no other portrait could be like him,” this being so different to all that I had seen before, but as I have since been so much engaged in completing this book on the preceding pictures, which also have some resemblance to the above, I flatter myself, the little knowledge I had of them at that time, will be received as satisfactory.