it; upon which he made ufe of Falstaff. The prefent offence was indeed avoided; but I do not know whether the author may not have been fomewhat to blame in his fecond choice, fince it is certain that Sir John Falstaff, who was a knight of the garter, and a lieutenant-general, was a name of distinguished merit in the wars in France in Henry the Fifth's and Henry the Sixth's times. What grace foever the queen conferred upon him, it was not to her only he owed the fortune which the reputation of his wit made. He had the honour to meet with many great and uncommon marks of favour and friendship from the earl of Southampton, famous in the hiftories of that time for his friendship to the unfortunate earl of Effex. It was to that noble lord that he dedicated his poem of Venus and Adonis. There is one inftance fo fingular in the magnificence of this patron of Shakspeare's, that, if I had not been affured that the ftory was handed down by Sir William D'Avenant, who was probably very well acquainted with his affairs, I fhould not have ventured to have inferted, that my lord Southampton at one time gave him a thousand pounds, to enable him to go through with a purchase which he heard he had a mind to; a bounty very great, and very rare at any time, and almost equal to that profufe generofity the prefent age has fhewn to French dancers and Italian fingers.

What particular habitude or friendships he contracted with private men, I have not been able to learn, more than that every one, who had a true taste of merit, and

B

could.

could diftinguish men, had generally a juít value and esteem for him. His exceeding candour and good-nature muft certainly have inclined all the gentler part of the world to love him, as the power of his wit obliged the men of the most delicate knowledge and polite learning to admire him.

His acquaintance with Ben Jonfon began with a remarkable piece of humanity and good-nature. Mr. Jonfon, who was at that time altogether unknown to the world, had offered one of his plays to the players, in order to have it acted; and the perfons into whofe hands it was put, after having turned it carelessly and fuperciliously over, were juft upon returning it to him with an ill-natured answer, that it would be of no service to their company; when Shakspeare luckily caft his eye upon it, and found fomething fo well in it, as to engage him first to read it through, and afterwards to recommend Mr. Jonfon and his writings to the publick. Jonfon was certainly a very good fcholar, and in that had the advantage of Shakspeare; though at the fame time, I believe, it must be allowed, that what nature gave the latter was more than a balance for what books had given the former; and the judgment of a great man upon this occafion was, I think, very juft and proper. In a converfation between Sir John Suckling, Sir William D'Avenant, Endymion Porter, Mr. Hales of Eton, and Ben Jonfon; Sir John Suckling, who was a profeffed admirer of Shakspeare, had undertaken his defence against

Ben

Ben Jonson with some warmth; Mr. Hales, who had at ftill for fome time, told them, That if Mr. Shakspeare Sad not read the ancients, he had likewife not ftolen any hing from them; and that if he would produce any one toDick finely treated by any one of them, he would undertake o fhew fomething upon the same subject, at least as well written, by Shakspeare.

The latter part of his life was spent, as all men of good sense will wifh theirs may be, in ease, retirement, and the conversation of his friends. He had the good fortune to gather an estate equal to his occafion, and, in Chat, to his wifh; and is faid to have spent fome years before his death at his native Stratford.

He died in the 53d year of his age, leaving three daughters, of which two lived to be married; Judith, the elder, to one Mr. Thomas Quiney, by whom the had three fons, who all died without children; and Sufannah, who was his favourite, to Dr. John Hall, a phyfician of good reputation in that country. She left One child only, a daughter, who was married, first, to Thomas Nafh, Efq. and afterwards to Sir John Bernard of Abbington, but died likewife without iffue.

B 2

A

SELECT COLLECTION

OF

The BEAUTIES of SHAKSPEARE.

SWEET

ADVERSITY.

OWEET are the uses of adverfity;

Which, like the toad, ugly and venemous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in its head.

As You Like It, A. 2. Sc. 1.

ANGER.

Anger is like

A full hot horfe, who being allowed his way,

Self-mettle tires him.

K. Henry VIII. A. 1. Sc. 2.

ART