Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 2.djvu/84

 collections which was not accessible in modern reprints. The Roxburghe and Bagford collections of ballads in the British Museum were published (1868-99) by the society, together with illustrative pieces of popular literature of the sixteenth century.

Now that Furnivall's researches had reached the sixteenth century he proceeded to apply to Shakespeare's work the methods which had already served the study of Chaucer. In 1873 he founded the New Shakspere Society, with the object of determining 'the succession of his plays' and of illustrating his work and times. Many distinguished scholars became vice-presidents, and Robert Browning was induced to act as president. Furnivall organised reprints of early texts and of contemporary illustrative literature. To a translation of Gervinus's Commentaries on Shakespeare (1874) he prefixed an essay entitled 'The Succession of Shakspere's Work, and the Use of Metrical Tests in settling it.' There he laid a stress on the metrical tests, which became characteristic of the society's labours and evoked the ridicule of aesthetic critics (cf. [] Furnivallos Furioso, 1874). Much controversy ensued. Swinburne, who at first treated Fumivall's learning with respect, was moved by the society's mechanical methods of criticism to satirise its proceedings in a skit called 'The Newest Shakespere Society' which appeared in 'The Examiner' in April 1876. Subsequently Swinburne denounced Furnivall and his friends as 'sham Shakespeareans.' Furnivall rephed with heat (Spectator, 6 and 13 Sept. 1879). When Halliwell-Phillipps accepted in 1880 Swinburne's dedication of his 'Study of Shakespeare' Furnivall brought Halliwell-Phillipps as well as Swinburne within the range of his attack. In 'Forewords' to the facsimile of the second quarto of Hamlet; dedicated to Gladstone (1880), he dubbed Swinburne 'Pigsbrook,' and Halliwell-Phillipps 'H-ll-P.' In Jan. 1881 Halliwell complained to Browning of this 'coarse and impertinent language' ; but Browning declined to intervene, and Halliwell-Phillipps privately printed the correspondence. Furnivall retorted in even worse taste in 'The "Co." of Pigsbrook & Co.' (1881). Fumivall's conduct had little to justify it. Many of the distinguished vice-presidents of the society resigned, and the society was thenceforth heavily handicapped. Nevertheless, it continued its work imtil 1890. Many of its publications were useful, notably its editions of Harrison's 'Description of England' (1877-8) and Stubbes's 'Anatomic of Abuses' (1879), which Furnivall himself prepared. By independent work outside the society, Furnivall also, despite his imprudences, stimulated Shakespearean study. In 1876 he wrote an elaborate preface to 'The Leopold Shakspere,' a reprint of Delius's text, which the publishers, Messrs. Cassell, dedicated to Prince Leopold, duke of Albany. The preface was re-issued separately in 1908 as 'Shakspere — Life and Work,' the preliminary volume of the 'Century' edition of Shakespeare. With a view to facilitating accurate textual criticism Furnivall supervised, too, the issue between 1880 and 1889 of photographic facsimiles, prepared by William Griggs [q. v. Suppl. II] and Charles Praetorius, of the Shakespeare quartos in 43 volumes, to eight of which he prefixed critical introductions by himself. One of the off-shoots of the New Shakspere Society was the Sunday Shakspere Society, which was founded 18 Oct. 1874 as the outcome of an address given by Furnivall to members of the National Sunday League when on an excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon.

Three other literary societies were due to Furnivall's initiative. In 1881 he founded the Wiclif Society for the printing of the reformer's Latin MSS., and in the same year, at the suggestion of Miss E. H. Hickey, a devoted admirer of Browning, he inaugurated the Browning Society for the study and interpretation of Browning's poetry. Furnivall had read Browning's poetry with appreciation, and had come to know the poet, whose personality attracted him (cf., How the Browning Society came into being, 1884). The first meeting of the new society was held on 28 Oct. 1881, and excited much ridicule. But Furnivall and his fellow-members were undismayed, and their efforts greatly extended Browning's vogue. The poet was always grateful to Fumivall for his aid in popularising his work. Furnivall compiled an exhaustive 'Browning Bibliography ' in 1881, and arranged for the production on the stage of several of Browning's plays, among them 'In a Balcony' (6 Dec. 1884), 'The Blot in the 'Scutcheon' (30 April and 2 May 1885), 'Return of the Druses' (26 Nov. 1891), and 'Colombe's Birthday' (19 Nov. 1893). In 1887 Fumivall became president of the society, which lasted till 1892. The final society which Furnivall founded was the Shelley Society, which lasted from 1886 to 1892. Besides reprinting many original editions of Shelley's