ILLUSTRATIONS

OF

SHAKSPEARE.

OF

SHAKSPEARE,

AND OF

ANCIENT MANNERS:

WITH

DISSERTATIONS

ON THE CLOWNS AND FOOLS OF SHAKSPEARE;

ON THE COLLECTION OF POPULAR TALES ENTITLED GESTA ROMANORUM;

AND ON THE ENGLISH MORRIS DANCE.

BY FRANCIS DOUCE.

THE ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD BY JACKSON.

A NEW EDITION.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR THOMAS TEGG, CHEAPSIDE;

R. GRIFFIN AND CO., GLASGOW; TEGG AND CO., DUBLIN; ALSO J. & S. A. TEGG, SYDNEY AND HOBART TOWN.

PRINTED BY RICHARD KINDER, GREEN ARBOUR COURT, OLD BAILEY.

PREFACE.

THE practice, and also the necessity of explaining the writings of Shakspeare, have already been so ably defended by former commentators, that no other apology on the part of those who may elect to persevere in this kind of labour seems to be necessary than with regard to the qualifications of the writer: but as no one in this case perhaps ever thought, or at least should think, himself incompetent to the task assumed of instructing or amusing others, it may be as well, on the present occasion, to waive altogether such a common-place intrusion on the reader's time. It is enough to state that accident had given birth to a considerable portion of the following pages, and that design supplied the rest. The late Mr. Steevens had