a distance from it. I do not, however, pretend to judge very decisively on it for that reason.”
Soon after the publication of the supplement to Shakspeare in 1780, he saw cause for various emendations, and followed it up by an appendix. In the spring of this year (1783) came out A Second Appendix to Mr. Malone’s Supplement to the last Edition of the Plays of Shakspeare. This extends to nearly seventy pages: reference is always made to “Mr. Steevens’ last excellent edition of 1778;” and it is introduced by a passage from Roscommon, whose critical advice seems to have been ever present to his mind—
There sweat, there strain; tug the laborious oar;
Search every comment that your care can find:
Some here, some there, may hit the poet’s mind.
When things appear unnatural and hard,
Consult your author with himself compared.”
The fact communicated to him by Steevens himself of having ceased to be a commentator, led to the wish of supplying the vacant place. Such necessity he probably conceived to exist some time before, but about this period the design was finally formed. In August he had occasion to write to Mr. Nichols, the zealous and intelligent editor of the Gentleman’s Magazine, on other literary points, and requests that he may be announced as “preparing a new edition of Shakspeare, with select notes from all the commentators.” He adds—“I am just preparing to set out for Ireland for a few months. My address there is Baronston, Mullingar.”
No details of this journey, which we have seen was
