tal Shakspeare, "fo divine in reafon! and "in faculties fo infinite, the paragon of "the world!" would alone have been fufficient to induce the author to have afpired at being its historian.

IF in the pages of this volume he may be thought in the fmalleft degree to have elucidated any circumftance of Shakspeare's life, or any paffage in the noble effufions of his more than human mind, his utmost pride and wish is fully gratified; and the author can truly affirm, that long fince he had committed this expreffion of his feelings to paper, he has had the fingular felicity of obtaining a treasure, which had not rewarded the refearches of thofe who have been moft affiduous and active in tracing the fources of our earliest literature.

To

To this pursuit he has not himself been indifferent; yet neither to the present moment had his own enquiries been completely fuccefsful: He may say,

"Quod optanti Divûm promittere nemo

<< Auderet, volvenda dies en attulit ultro."

ÆN. 9. 6.

Ir is enough to add that he has the means, and it is his intention, fo foon as opportunity shall ferve, to lay before the public a variety of authentic and important documents respecting the private and public life of this wonderful man: one of his most affecting and admired Tragedies, written with his own hand, and differing in various particulars of much curiofity and intereft from any edition of that work now extant; and at a future day to present a picture

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picture of that mind, which no one has yet ever prefumed to copy, an entire Drama! yet unknown to the world, in his own hand-writing. This general information on a fubject that, it is prefumed, cannot but prove acceptable to every reader of taste and refinement, the author feels it a duty here to disclose, as it is nearly connected with the intention of the prefent undertaking

-a History of that river on whose banks nature has in a happy and propitious hour teemed forth her proudest work.

To explore this gentle river, together with the various others fo greatly conducive to the health and fertility of our island; to delineate their many picturesque beauties, and to become (however unworthily) their historian, had very early been

the

the favourite object, and has for several years been the avowed purpose, of the author of this work: in this aim he has fo far fucceeded as to have received the approbation of a liberal public, teftified in the course of this purfuit by a rapid demand of his publications. The idea of becoming their hiftorian, which originated with the author, and which he conceived with a view to his amusement alone, has proved, in its progrefs, a fource of the most rational pleasure and improvement.

THE mind, thus occupied, receives its gratifications without alloy, while new images and unthought of views of things present and impress themselves, and fatigue is loft in the double fatisfaction arifing from the

en

enjoyment of the scene before him, and the reflections that are fuggefted by it.

THE drawings for this work were all made by the author in the fummer months of 1792 and 1793; in these he profeffes to give real portraits, without facrificing truth to effect, or striving to give to nature those fanciful, adfcititious ornaments, which fo often load and encumber her, and which fo rarely grace, or fit eafy upon her natural shape. In that light may be confidered the many elegant effays, with which the refined ear of the public has of late been so much fascinated on the fubject of the picturesque and beautiful: thefe, how high foever their claim to merit, whatever fuperiority may be discovered in the style and taste of their

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