The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-07 00:00:00

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

" Men have acquired reputation by a single emendation of Shakespeare; learned editors have
exeeedingly plumed themselves upon a few successful hits ; the best critics have dote but little,—
here we have a book that at ' one fell swoop' knocks out a thousand errors, for the most part so
palpable, when once pointed out, that no one can deny their existence, and substitutes outside.
lions so clear that we cannot hesitate to itecept them. In our judgmeitt, this is a result which may
well be esteemed fortunate and ham, a subject of congratulation to every one conceived iu it."
—Athena-ant, Jam $, 1853.

" The volume bcforo lie is sufficient to show what we should have possessed in the way of added
beauty, and escaped hi the way of tedious conjecture, had Shakespeare been his omit editor, sq•
found some congenial fiend to undertake for him the tusk of passing his works through the press.
The corrections which Mr. Collier has here given to the world are, we venture to think, of more
value than the labours of nearly all the critics on Shakespeare's text put together."—Literory
Garotte, Jan. $, 1853.

" It is not for a moment to be doubted, we think, that in this volume a contribution has been
made to the cletumess and accuracy of Shakespeare's text by far the most quportaut of any offered
or attempted since Shakespeare lived and wrote."—Ecaminer, Jan. 29, 1653.

The volume has, of course, produced an unexampled sensation, and the corrections Lave been
submitted to the severest senttiny. The character of its contents would at once have stamped
them with authenticity. Some of tho new readings are to admirable, others so ingenious, and
there is so much skill, adroitness, and apprehension in the mode the text has been treated, that it
must be clear to any one capable of appreciating such labours that the corrector has either en-
joyed the advantage of acquaintance with the Shakespearian plays at the time when they were com-
paratively new, or is some master critic who has gone over n field In which the first minds of the
notion have toiled for a century."—Monary Chronicle, March 2S, 1853.
"We could easily multiply instanees of the value of these ' Notes and Emendations' We trust
that we have made every lover of Shake:Team sufficiently acquainted with the importance of Mr.
Collier's book. Those who possess it will Lave a truly Shakespearian treasure, and one the
p niance of which for obtaining a right appreciation of the author's mind and intention must t 4
oil time be pronounced invaluable."—Bell's Nesse/I:ice, l'eh. 5, 1853.

" In the volume before us Mr. Collier give; the public the larger and more valuable portions of
these annotation'. All the painful labours of all the connnentators, from the days of Rowe down.
wards, shrink into absolute nothingness—all the ingenuity and learning hitherto exhibited is mere
blundering and blindness—in comparison with the labour and sagacity of this single and anony
300118 hand. He must have had accoss to authorities long inc lost to the world."—Northantplon
Mercury, Feb. 12, 1853.

" Mr. Collier's publication has been warmly weleonted. and cannot fail to be considered a great
Shakespearian movement in the true direction. It will torn henceforth an inseparable pendant to
the received editions. and must undoubtedly tako the lead over Pvcry other compilation of ' Note*
nod Emendation. ' It is not going too far to pronounce that in intrinsic value it is fairly worth all
the rest.''—Dublin rrarosity 3lttgo.:;ne. March. 187):!.

" From the specimens which we have selected, our readers nre t:ow in a position to form for
themselves some ides of tho nature and value of the newly-discovered emendations. Some of
them, it will be acknowledged. are so eertaia. Ink 4 at the same time so divergent from the received
test, that they must have been derived from the original manuscript Mr. Collier's discovery
has revealed to us a depth of corruption in the printed test which no one had insagined."—Frazer's
.Ifogarinc, March, Ig3.

3111. COLLIER'S NEW TEXT OF SHAKESPEARE.

Now neatly, in One Volume, snpera•oyal BYO., 21s. cloth gilt, 4.2%. in morocco, by Hayday
hanbomely printed in a clear readable type, with Portrait, Vignette, and Facsimile,

THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE
The Text regulated by the Old Copie;. and by the recently-dicovered Folio of lei 2;
..ontaining Early Manuscript Emendations.

Edited by JOHN PAYNE COLLIER, Esq., F.S.A•

WHITTAKER & CO., AVE MARIA LANE.