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Copyright, 1898,

By A. S. BARNES & Co.

University Press:

JOHN WILSON AND SON, Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A.

PREFACE.

Ir is the object of this book to present in convenient and accessible form what has been done best in the English drama from the time of Goldsmith to the present. For this purpose six plays, all of which still retain a place on the stage, have been selected, and, that the usefulness of the book might be increased, a number of notes have been added. The texts are given complete, including dedications, prefaces, prologues, and epilogues. Only one expurgation has been made and that is indicated in its proper place.

For Goldsmith I have used the biographies by Prior, Irving, Forster, Black, and Dobson; for Sheridan those by Watkins, Moore, Sigmund, an Octogenarian, Mrs. Oliphant, Sanders, and Rae. Of Knowles no life has been written except that by his son, Richard Brinsley Knowles, which was printed privately and limited to twenty-five copies. To it I have not had access. The only biography of BulwerLytton is by his son, Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton. It comes down however only to the year 1831, and consequently does not cover the period of his dramatic authorship. Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus have been drawn upon for Virginius, and Le Clerc, Voltaire, Anquetil, Petitot, Martin, Duruy, Guizot, and Kitchin for Richelieu.

A number of annotated editions of the plays have been consulted, a complete list of which is given in the bibliography on page xix. This bibliography, which for conven

ience of reference is put into a tabulated form, includes only such books as I have examined; a few annotated editions which I have failed to see do not appear. I wish to express here my indebtedness to the editions given in this list. The English editions, such as those of Gibbs, Littledale, Dobson, Matthews, and Aitken, have been especially helpful. The foreign editions, prepared as they are for school use, have less interest for the English reader, yet some of them have given considerable aid. Making then this general acknowledgment for material assistance, I have not considered it necessary to make specific acknowledgments in the body of the notes except in the case of direct quotations, all of which are indicated. In the preparation of the Introduction I have consulted the usual authorities.

The notes, intended for several classes of readers, have been made as short and concise as is consistent with the

purpose of the book. Those of each play are as nearly independent of the others as could well be, cross-references being avoided wherever space would allow. The desire to make each play independent of every other will account for a few repetitions which occur in the volume. The authors' notes are indicated by asterisks, daggers, etc.; the editor's by numbers. The Appendix contains matter of a historical or critical nature too long to be included in the foot-notes.

It is my hope that the material for the study of each play will be found sufficient for all ordinary purposes, and that the book may do something to increase the interest in this field of English literature.

NASHVILLE, TENN., May, 1898.

CALVIN S. BROWN.