versy the title of this gentleman to a considerable property, deeds of which the gentleman was as ignorant as of his having in possession any of the MS. of Shakespeare; that in return for this service, in addition to the remarkable circumstance of the young man bearing the same name and arms with the person who saved Shakespeare's life, the gentleman promised him everything relative to the subject which had been or should be found either in town or at his house in the country. He then produced some MS. It is singular that the father should have lent so credulous an ear to the tale of his son, and should have become his tool; still more so, that so many men of high character and acknowledged talent should not have been able to discover the deception. It seems, from the young man's confession after the discovery, that he learnt to imitate the signature of Shakespeare from the facsimile in Steevens' edition, and by the assistance of a book written in the days of Elizabeth he was enabled to produce something which bore the resemblance to a play written about that period. It is to be regretted that he did not bestow his ingenuity and his assiduity upon a better cause. Had he done so, he would not have been characterised as a forger, but as a man of high talent. A worthy magistrate for London had once said that hanging a man for forgery is an infringement of the privilege of writing; Ireland thought the privilege of writing in imitation of those who are dead was no infringement upon the rights of any one. Men of the highest condition crowded to Norfolk Street; all were in raptures at what they saw; Dr. Parr fell on his knees to thank Heaven he had lived to see the autograph of Shakespeare,

Dr. Warton and others were equally pleased. The commentators on the great bard, however, were not so easily duped-Malone, Steevens, and Boaden pronounced the documents forgeries.

A goodly folio appeared at the price of £4, 4s., containing miscellaneous papers and legal instruments, under the hand and seal of William Shakespeare, including the tragedy of "King Lear," and a small fragment of "Hamlet," from the original MS. Malone wrote a letter to Lord Charlemont, proclaiming these forgeries. An original play, entitled "Vortigern," was taken to Sheridan, who, like the late Lord Byron, was not so enthusiastic in his admiration of the great dramatist as have been all the leading men of literature for the last two centuries; that, however, he was well acquainted with the writings of the bard, may be judged by an observation which he made whilst perusing it, upon coming to one line: "This is strange, for, though you are acquainted with my opinion of Shakespeare, he always wrote poetry." On reading a little further he laid down the play, observing, "There are certainly some bold ideas, but they are crude and undigested. It is very odd, one would think that Shakespeare must have been very young when he wrote the play. As to the doubting whether it be really his or not, who can possibly look at the papers and not believe them ancient?" The general excitement on the subject fully justified Sheridan in determining to bring out the play at Drury Lane; and a negotiation was entered into for its purchase, which was at length concluded by the payment to Ireland of three hundred pounds, and an agreement to divide the profits of the performances for sixty nights. An immense assemblage was col

lected on the 2nd of April, expectation was on the tiptoe, a handbill was circulated at the entrance doors complaining of a violent and malevolent attack upon the MS., promising to produce an answer to the most illiberal and unfounded assertions in Malone's Inquiry, and "requesting that the play of 'Vortigern' may be heard with that candour that has ever distinguished a British audience." The appeal was not in vain. The prologue, which gave Shakespeare as the author of the play, was read by Mr. Whitfield, who was too flurried to speak it. Kemble appeared anything but satisfied with his part; he, however, went through it until the audience, provoked by the poverty of the play, began to express loudly its dissatisfaction. Kemble came forward, about the beginning of the fourth act, begging for a candid hearing. This was granted, until he pronounced some bombastic lines, which he seemed himself to feel to be ludicrous. The house bore it no longer; Mr. Barrymore attempted in vain to give "Vortigern out for repetition; its fate was sealed, and the stamp of ridicule was attached to all those who had signed a document expressive of their confidence in the genuineness of the forgery, at the head and front of which stood forth the name of Samuel Parr.

During the greater part of this session the leaders of the Liberal party took little or no interest in the proceedings of the House of Commons. They found that with their small minority it was useless to attempt to oppose the ministerial measures, and that the country was sufficiently alive to passing events without having their attention directed to them. On the 14th of December Sheridan and Fox were for the first time present, and were received with an ironical

speech from Mr. Yorke. It was briefly noticed by Sheridan, in a speech in opposition to a motion of Mr. Pitt's that the bill for raising a sum for the supplies of the year by an increased assessment of taxes be read a second time. Finding the minority only 50, and the majority 175, he retired from further discussion for the session.

The following session was not allowed to pass by without the display of his varied knowledge and of his political principles. On the 4th of January he delivered an address worthy his great talents. It is ingenious, classical, worthy a statesman. The views on the condition of France and of England show that he had allowed none of the great occurrences of the day to pass without anxious examination and reflection. Some observations on libels were delivered by him on the 4th of April which breathe much sound constitutional doctrine, and in which he states that the rights and liberties of the people owed more to Erskine than any lawyer; but on the 24th of April he made a great impression by the avowal of his dread of French ambition, by an eager desire to show that he was no longer an advocate of that government. A message was brought down from his Majesty stating that he had received information that great preparations were making for the invasion of England, and that the enemy was encouraged by correspondence and communication with traitorous and disaffected persons. He dwelt upon the dangers which threatened the country as of no ordinary magnitude, and wished to rouse and stimulate the nation into exertion, to provide every means of resistance to the insolent menaces and attempts of the enemy. The same evening he expressed his entire disappro

bation of a bill, brought into the House by Mr. Pitt, to suspend again the Habeas Corpus Act. He considered the nation's great and best privilege was trial by jury. Any successful attempt to check its attributes or diminish its virtues he regarded as the death-blow to the vitality of constitutional liberty.

No one who reads these speeches can for a moment doubt the genuine patriotism which animated the speaker. It is manly, just, and virtuous, when danger from a foreign foe threaten the subversion of our native land, to forget how great may be the differences of opinion which may exist between parties; to think only of opposing peril, but not wantonly to suspend the liberties of the people, because suspicion is engendered and doubts as to the honesty of some few may exist. Sheridan's opinions were hailed with delight by the great mass, and though amongst those with whom he acted the doctrines he promulgated were not so favourably received, and, indeed, shook his influence with many, he gained a higher degree of popularity than he had ever reached. He had carefully watched the tide of events, and had trimmed his bark in so skilful a manner as to have escaped the rocks and quicksands which threatened his brother Whigs. On the 18th of June he again made a brilliant speech. The subject was one admirably adapted to his powers-"The state of Ireland." With this concluded his efforts during this exciting period. The following year he principally devoted his energies to oppose the means which were taken to bring about the abolition of the Irish Parliament under the specious name of a Union. His principal object was to have the free consent and approbation of the two Parliaments then sitting, and to prevent the Govern