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chapman or pedlar. But the dealing in garters and such trivial articles not suiting his superior genius, he soon converted his little stock into books, and for some years went through the country, and attended at fairs as an itinerant bookseller. It appears that he engaged in this new species of traffic more with a view to the improvement of his mind than for any pecuniary emolument. Formed by nature for literature, he acquired languages with amazing facility. Totally untutored, he first applied to the study of the Hebrew and the Greek; and, by the quickness of apprehension and vigour of application, soon rendered himself, WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE, so much master of these languages, as at sight to translate into English any part of the Hebrew Bible and Greek Testament. At this time he did not know one word of Latin; sensible that acquaintance with Latin Grammar would facilitate his intimate knowledge of philology and other branches of literature, he at length applied to the parish schoolmaster for instruction. Not long after, the able and learned Principal Tulideph, who resided, in the vacations, at Kilmux, his country-seat in the same parish, advised him to prosecute his studies at St. Andrews University, promising him his patronage. An unexampled proficiency in every branch of literature confirmed the Principal in his high opinion of Jerome, and procured him the esteem of the other Professors; while an uncommon fund of wit and pleasantry rendered him the favourite of all his fellow-students; of whom, those who are now alive speak of him with the most enthusiastic respect and admiration.

About this period, some very humorous poetical pieces of Jerome's composition were inserted in the Scots Magazine. Before. he had finished his third session at St. Andrews, on an application to the college by Mr. Cornfute, the Rector of Dunkeld school, for an assistant, Mr. Stone was recommended as the best qualified for that office, and about two years after, the Rector being removed to Perth, Mr. Stone, by the interest of James Duke of Athol, a man of vigorous abilities, and encourager of literary merit, who entertained a very high opinion of Mr. Stone, was promoted to the rectorship.

When he went to Dunkeld, Jerome entertained an unfavourable opinion of the Gaelic language, which he considered as a barbarons gibberish. But wishing to investigate the origin and descent of the ancient Scots, he applied to the study of their primitive tongue. Having, with his usual assiduity, endeavoured to master its grammatical difficulties, he set himself to discover its true genius and character; he collected a number of ancient poems, the productions of Scotch and Irish bards, and which he said were innocer

passioned, bold, and energetic. Some of these he translated into English verse, which several persons still alive have seen in MS. before the publication of Ossian. Soon after his promotion at Dunkeld, the settlement of several fellow-collegians in the neighbourhood, and one of them for genius and learning very highly respected by him, rendered his residence peculiarly agreeable. His preceptorial abilities and success were every day becoming more evident, and his literary character rapidly rising. The brilliancy of his genius did not preclude patient and dispassionate investigation. He now employed himself in preparing for the press An Enquiry into the Original of the Nation and Language of the ancient Scots, with Conjectures about the Primitive State of the Celtic and other European Nations; an idea that evinced no ordinary powers. In this treatise he proves, from the clearest arguments, that the Scots drew their origin, as well as their language, from the ancient Gauls. The work, which many competent judges have perused in manuscript, discovers immense reading, indefatigable industry of research, justness and force of reasoning, enlivened by all the powers of genius. He opens a plain and short path for leading us through the before unexplored labyrinths of antiquity: while he was raising this monument of literary exertion, he, in 1757, the 30th year of his age, was seized with a malignant fever, which soon put a period to his life. He left in manuscript, ready for the press, the well-known and highly esteemed allegory, entitled The Immortality of Authors.' This production, published, and often reprinted after his death, remains as a lasting specimen of the taste, judgment, and fancy, of which the world was so prematurely deprived.

This extraordinary character possessed a heart worthy of his head; was beneficent to his utmost power, and exemplary in the various duties and relations of life. His aged mother he supported as soon as he could support himself. That amiable and accomplished lady, Jane, the Dutchess of James Duke of Athol, bestowed on Mrs. Stone, during life, an annual pension, as a testimony of her respect for her

son.

The Editor has had opportunities of hearing the character of Mr. Stone from various men of talents and literature; and from their concurring testimony and judgment, is convinced that, by the premature death of this self-educated gentleman, Scotland was deprived of a son, who would have been one of her brightest ornaments, in an age when so many of her children did her such honour. We trust we shall be able to present to our readers some of his fugitive pieces, which, we doubt not, will justify our opinion.

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No circumstance proves more incontestibly the exalted powers of Shakspeare, and establishes his fame on a more firm and lasting basis, than this, that amidst the various and extraordinary changes we every day witness in public taste, his works are a theme on which all unité and continue their praises: we are jealous of his fame, as forming part of our national character; and a very recent instance (we allude to the forged MS.) has occurred to evince, that, as guardians of it, we resent with indignant scorn any attempt to mar the unblemished character of this idol of our admiration. But justice will ever draw a strong line betwixt the innovator and the commentator. The one class consists of those who, by interpolations, abridgements, and the like, would detract from the fame of an author, to establish a short-lived credit of their own; while the latter consists of those, who, by liberal observation, pave the road to just discernment, and point out those beauties or errors, which it most behoves us to commend or reject. As the labour of the artist purifies the metal from the dross, so is truth most firmly established when it flows through the wide extensive channel of investigation; and in like manner have the rigid votaries of Shakspeare nothing to fear from a host of commentators ten times more numerous than have yet appeared; for his beauties will 'ever shine more bright, as they become progressively distinguished from those faults and errors from which no human performance is exempt. He who supposes Shakspeare perfect is his greatest enemy, as the rancorous zealot has ever been the worst member of his sect.

"The tragedy of King John, though perhaps one of our author's best plays, being of rather an unpopular cast, has now and then experienced a cold reception from the critic. "Its interest has been said for the most part to flag; and the poet has been charged with making up, by dint of noise and uproar, for a dearth of incident. Were we obliged to admit the truth of these premises, yet we might certainly

VOL. I.

urge in extenuation, that historical tragedy does but seldom admit of that variety of incidents so easily provided in works of fancy but as we resist the objection altogether, we shall meet it in a different strain. That drums may sound too loud, if beat too hard; and trumpets, too shrilly, if blown with too much vehemence; that a charge may be continued too long, and a skirmish exaggerated, cannot be denied: but as an author's reputation can never be thrown thus upon the mercy of a prompter or a trumpeter, such objections can have no weight with a reader, who, as well as a commentator, has nothing to do with errors of stage representation.

There are five characters in this play, John, Arthur, the Bastard, Hubert, and Constance, each varying most materially from the rest, on which the author has been lavish in point of strength and discrimination. If then the performance be thus stored with characteristic excellence, and the author has not swerved from historical truth, surely his play acquires a degree of credit impenetrable by the attacks of such censure as the foregoing. That its political grounds are of a sombre nature, not even the pretensions of Arthur, heightened by the captivating earnestness of his mother, can palliate. The spirit of our national character, refining as men's minds expand, is much changed, not only since the days of King John, but of Shakspeare; and we are too jealous of our independence, to admire even Justice forced upon us by the sword of France. We reason on such an occasion, as the old Trojan did against the reception of the wooden horse, Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes;' which may account for the objections made to the principles of this play: though the utmost sense in which that can affect the writer is, that it proves he has founded his drama on an unfortunate fact.

The scene between John and Hubert, where the former commissions the other to murder Arthur, can be only equalled by that between the Prince and Hubert, when the latter is about to execute his horrid purpose. The hesitating guilt of Jobn, the writhings of conscience in Hubert, and the innocent convictive reasoning of Arthur, are drawn so forcibly from nature, as to rivet our admiration; and, although the purpose avowed by Hubert may at first appear rather too agonizing to the imagination, yet that only serves to heighten our interest in its overthrow. Arthur's throwing himself from the wall, might have been better told than represented; nor would it by this means lose any of its effect, that of attaching suspicion upon John, and defeating his ultimate intentions of justice, produced not by any change of nature, but of situation.

Constance is one of Shakspeare's best heroines. She possesses a well preserved dignity throughout; and her wrongs are uttered in terms of animation highly appropriate.

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The introduction and mediation of Pandulph, and the King's sur render of his crown into his hands, and receiving it from him again,

as holding of the Pope,' is one of those fine satires on Papal supremacy, which the author was so fond of wielding against the infallibility of his Holiness.

The character of the Bastard, Fauconbridge, though possessing a fair claim to originality, is rather an ebullition of the fancy, than a master-stroke of genius. His introduction is abrupt, and his language and conduct often disgusting. His making his mother criminate herself, is an inconsistency and indelicacy which no circumstances or humour can justify. His behaviour to Austria is more that of a wit than a warrior; and though he rises in our estimation towards the close of the play, yet he is rather, upon the whole, a caricature than a genuine picture: and, indeed, it is not unlikely but that Shakspeare may at first have intended him as a satire on some popular character of his time, and finding him mend under his hands, has given him an interest and consequence in the play, not originally designed him.

REMARKS

ON

OTWAY'S VENICE PRESERVED.

THOUGH every one may not have made the observation, yet it must have occurred to the majority of readers, that public and domestic tragedy require very different powers in the writer. The author of Agamemnon could not have written the Gamester; nor could the writer of George Barnwell have penned such a tragedy as Themistocles, But Otway seems to have surpassed even Shakspeare in this particular; for while the one has, by his Orphan and Venice Preserved, established an equal claim to eminence in each species, Shakspeare seems either to have wanted the ability for, or to have considered domestic tragedy as beneath his talents. Certain it is, that were we called upon to discriminate between the usefulness of the two, many conclusive arguments might be found to confer the superiority upon tragedy founded on public events.

It may be observed of Otway, that he is rather too prone to sport with the feelings; that is, he often arrests the attention, and works

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