Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/90

 84

NOTES AND QUERIES. [ns.x.

" ([produced) " on p. v is altered to " ([pro- duces)." These readings appeared as above in every one of the dozen or more copies that I have seen. I shall be grateful for additional data. These changes might have "been made in the process of printing a single edition ; or, on the other hand, and more probably, the type might have been left standing and the corrections made prior to publication of " the third edition." We have the further difficulty that I have not yet been able to locate any copy of a second edition.

There was an edition of the work in Dublin,

1782, according to the ' D.N.B.'

The epilogue was reprinted in The Uni- versal Magazine, November, 1781 (69: 269).

The play was also reprinted in Mrs. E. Inchbald's 'The Modern Theatre,' 1811; 4 The London Stage,' 1824 ; ' The Acting Drama,' 1834 ; ' The British Drama. Illus- trated,' 1864 ; and Dicks's * Standard Plays,' No. 131, 1883.

The play was cut down to three acts and revived at Covent Garden Theatre, as ' The Mask'd Friend,' 6 May, 1796. I have found no record of a printing in this form.

1783. " Shakespeare and Voltaire. By Mr. Hoi- croft."

In The British Magazine and 'Review, August, 1783 (3: 140). A twelve-line epi- gram, evidently mailed to the editor from Paris. It appears in the ' Memoirs ' (p. 107) as part of a note sent to the Count de Catuelan the same summer, 24 June. It was reprinted as ' Epigram IV.' in the April, 1784, number of The Wit's Magazine (1: 156), which was then edited by Holcroft, and issued by the same publishers, Harrison & Co., No. 18, Paternoster Row. 1783. " Epigram. By the Same."

In The British Magazine and Review, August, 1783 (3: 140).

1783. Contributions to ' The English Review.' In The Monthly Mirror for December, 1799 (8: 326), there appears in a list of Holcroft's writings :

" All the Criticisms and Remarks on the Drama in the early numbers of The English Review."

I therefore list the following articles as Holcroft's :

-" THEATRE. A State of the London Stage, during the last Season. With an Account of the new Tragedies, Comedies, Operas, and Farces, which were Represented at the Theatres Royal of Drury Lane and Covent Garden, from September 1781 to May 1782." (Issue for Jan., 1783, 1: 72-81.)

" THEATRE. A View of the Performers, Tragic and

Comic, of the London Theatres, and of their

respective Powers and Abilities." (Issue for

Feb., 1783, 1: 171-8.) " THEATRE." [The above continued concerning

Mrs. Siddons.] (Issue for March, 1783, 1: 259-

267.) " THEATRE." [The above continued concerning

the comic actors at Drury Lane.] (Issue for April

1783, 1: 349-56.) "THEATRE." [The above continued concerning

the comic actresses at Drury Lane.] (Issue for

May, 1783,1: 438-44.)

The last of these five articles concludes with : "We shall defer our critical remarks.... till the ensuing season, when we shall again renew the subject." But this division of the Review headed ' Theatre ' was not continued at all, even in the autumn after the opening of the houses for the new season. A ques- tion arises if Holcroft did not write the detached criticisms of printed plays which appeared in later numbers, but I think any assumptions to that effect would be unwarranted.

We must next establish the authenticity of this ascription by The Monthly Mirror. In connexion with the biographical sketch in that magazine, there appeared " A Por- trait of Thomas Holcroft, Esq. Engraved by Ridley, from a Painting by Drummond." The following, from the ' Memoirs ' (p. 228), shows that the printing of the sketch pro- bably had his approval, though from the sketch itself I should say that it did not have his supervision, for there are several minor errors, and the tone is of flamboyant lauda- tion. (He might, however, have submitted a list of his writings) :

''March 5th. Went after breakfast at ten, and sat to Mr. Drummond, Carlisle-street. Soho, at the request of the proprietors of The Monthly Mirror. Taken in crayons, size of life

"6th. Went a second time and sat to Drum- mond."

Then, to increase further the probability of Holcroft's authorship of these articles, I find in the " Catalogue of the Library of Books, the property of Thomas Holcroft, Esq. (Deceased). .. .Sold by Auction. .. .Tues- day, Oct. 17, 1809," the entry of a single year of this magazine in the following item :

" 391. English Review. 1783." He probably saved the copy because it contained contributions of his own. I do not know whether to assume that this item included but one volume, Jan. -June (the number of volumes was indicated in the other items listed), or that it included the whole year, Jan.-Dec. I suppose we never shall be able to tell.