The gift of the Misses Malone to the younger Boswell, accounts for the dispersion of much of their brother’s correspondence and of other literary papers known to be in his possession. In the sale of the former gentleman, May 1825, we find two hundred and eighty-seven letters addressed to the critic by various correspondents—Burke, Windham, Farmer, Tyrwhitt, Steevens, the Wartons, Burney, Kemble, and many more.
So likewise were disposed several of his transcripts and notes upon books. These, which in intervals of leisure he took the trouble to make more or less complete, were no doubt destined to future use; some to illustrate other pieces; a few for new editions. Among them were Kempe’s Nine Days’ Wonder, Sayings of Hobbes, Extracts from Spence, with manuscript notes, afterwards printed; Milton’s Letters of State, 1649–59, annotated; interleaved copy of Johnson’s Poets, with Notes. Among others with which he amused himself were—A folio volume of autograph collections in illustration of Shakspeare, with papers by Steevens and Boswell; a quarto volume of extracts from old household books of Baptist May, Privy Purse to Charles II., with items of losses at play of his Majesty and Lady Castlemaine; Diary of Philip Henslowe in Dulwich College of theatrical companies, with notes and corrections; a memorandum book from Dodsley’s papers, illustrative of literary history, and notes upon Shakspeare. And others doubtless exist of which no record is preserved.
One, however, must not be forgotten. It is a collection of “Tracts,” above seven hundred in num-
