vi attention to the writings of Breton, Churchyarde, Decker, Greene, Harvey, Lodge, Nash, Rowlands, Ryche, &c., which are curious and worthy of preservation for the following reasons. 1. The old Language. 2. The talents, invention, and caustic humour of their authors, both in prose and verse. 3. The manners and customs of our ancestors, which may be learned better from them, than from graver or more elaborate writers, and 4. The illustrations they afford to contemporary authors, more especially to Shakespeare, who seems to have been a great reader of these tracts, and to have been indebted to them, sometimes for hints as to the plots of his plays, sometimes for peculiar expressions and forms of speech. The earliest editions are to be preferred, as being in all probability the most correct and most ancient in phraseology, and orthography; and it may also be said that every reprint of modern times, which has been compared with the original has proved to be full of great errors of omission and commission. In this sale will also be noticed some important additions from Mr. Heber's Dramatic Library, including a unique copy of the old Play of The Taming of a Shrew, 1594, which Pope once mentions, but which disappeared from that time. until Mr. Collier procured the use of it for his "History of English Dramatic Poetry." Such an opportunity as the present, which cannot occur again for many years, will, it is to be vii hoped, bring forward some new collectors, and induce those already in possession of many of the works here enumerated to make their poetical libraries more complete; and, if they find among them any specimens of Early English Poetry not described in this Catalogue, they may be certain that their value will be much increased by the rare distinction of having been wanting to the Heber Collection. 81, Pall Mall. J. T. P. |