Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 56.djvu/127

 tification to be supplanted’ by Colley Cibber (Letter to Warburton, December 1730;, Illustr. ii. 617). In the following year (1731) he had an opportunity of proving his claims to Greek scholarship. Jortin, with the assistance of two of the most eminent scholars of that time—Joseph Wasse [q. v.] and Zachary Pearce [q. v.], the editor of Longinus—published the first number of a periodical entitled ‘Miscellaneous Observations on Authors Ancient and Modern.’ To this Theobald contributed some ingenious, and in one or two cases very felicitous, emendations of Æschylus, Anacreon, Athenæus, Hesychius, Suidas, and Eustathius; and Jortin was so pleased with them that he not only inserted them, but asked Theobald for more.

It seems that as early as 10 Nov. 1731 Theobald completed an arrangement with Tonson for bringing out his edition of Shakespeare, for which he was to receive eleven hundred guineas. But two laborious years passed before it was ready for the public. Meanwhile a pantomime, ‘Perseus and Andromeda,’ almost certainly from his pen, was produced (1730) at Lincoln's Inn Fields, and next year appeared at the same theatre ‘Orestes,’ described as a dramatic opera, but really a tragedy. In 1733 Pope's attack was followed by one from the pen of Mallet in the form of an epistle to Pope, entitled ‘Verbal Criticism.’ ‘Hang him, baboon!’ exclaimed Theobald, in the words of Falstaff; ‘his art is as thick as Tewkesbury mustard; there is no more conceit in him than in a Mallet.’

At last, in March 1733–4, the long-expected edition of Shakespeare was given to the world in seven volumes, dedicated to Lord Orrery. A long list of influential subscribers, including the Prince of Wales and the prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, shows that no pains had been spared to insure its success. It would not be too much to say that the text of Shakespeare owes more to Theobald than to any other editor. Many desperate corruptions were rectified by him, and in the union of learning, critical acumen, tact, and good sense he has perhaps no equal among Shakespearean commentators. (For the general character of Theobald's work as an editor, and for a detailed exposure of the shameful injustice done him by succeeding editors, see the present writer's essay, ‘The Porson of Shakespearean Criticism,’ in Essays and Studies, 1895, pp. 263–315; cf. introduction to the Cambridge Shakespeare). In spite of the incessant attacks of contemporaries and successors, Theobald's work was properly appreciated by the public. Between 1734 and 1757 it passed through three editions, while between 1757 and 1773 it was reprinted four times, no less than 12,860 copies being sold (, Illustrations, ii. 714 n.) Theobald's net profits from his edition appear to have amounted to 652l. 10s., a large sum when compared with the receipts of other editors for similar work.

But poverty still pursued Theobald, and he was driven back to his old drudgery for the stage. Between 1734 and 1741 he produced a pantomime, ‘Merlin, or the Devil at Stonehenge’ (1734); ‘The Fatal Secret,’ a tragedy, which is an adaptation of Webster's ‘Duchess of Malfi;’ two operas, ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ (1740) and ‘The Happy Captive’ (1741), founded on a story in the fourth book of the first part of ‘Don Quixote,’ and he also completed a tragedy, ‘The Death of Hannibal,’ which was neither acted nor printed. But misfortunes were now pressing hard on him, and in the ‘Daily Post,’ 13 May 1741, appears a letter from him announcing that the ‘situation of his affairs from a loss and disappointment obliged him to embrace a benefit, and laid him under the necessity of throwing himself on the favour of the public and the assistance of his friends;’ and from another part of the paper we learn that the play to be acted for his benefit was ‘The Double Falsehood.’ Next year he issued proposals for a critical edition of the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher, ‘desiring the assistance of all gentlemen who had made any comments on them.’ He was engaged on this when he died; and in 1750, six years after his death, appeared the well-known edition of Beaumont and Fletcher's plays in ten volumes, ‘edited by the late Mr. Theobald, Mr. Seward of Eyam in Derbyshire, and Mr. Sympson of Gainsborough.’ From the work itself we learn that Theobald had completed the editing and annotation of ‘The Maid's Tragedy,’ ‘Philaster,’ ‘A King and No King,’ ‘The Scornful Lady,’ ‘The Custom of the Country,’ ‘The Elder Brother,’ the first three acts of ‘The Spanish Curate,’ and part of ‘The Humorous Lieutenant’ (see vol. i. pref.)

Of Theobald's death an account has been preserved written by a Mr. Stede of Covent Garden Theatre (printed in Nichols's ‘Illustrations,’ ii. 745 n.): ‘September 18th, 1744, about 10 A.M., died Mr. Lewis Theobald. … He was of a generous spirit, too generous for his circumstances; and none knew how to do a handsome thing or confer a benefit when in his power with a better grace than himself. He was my ancient friend of near thirty years' acquaintance.