The Sun.
London, England, 1822-01-17 00:00:00

67'4'
V4441.!,-1

THURSDAY. JANUARY 17, 1822

SNIIRKE'S SHAKESPEARE.
In the course of Publication,
LLUSTRATIONS of SH A fiESPEARE,
from Pictures Painted expressly tar this WORK, ny
ROBERT SMIRKE, Esq. R.A. and Engraved in the finest .
style by the most emitrent Historical Engravers.
A celebrated German critic has. said, that. the fame of
Shakspeare, " forcenitnies to come, will continue to gather
strength, like an Alpine avalanche, at every period of its de •
scent." Certain it is, that any work connected with Shah-
speare's name, and which has fur its object the illustration of
his irtimitable productions, may confidently rely on finding
favour with the world. His fame- is tl .t cause of fame
in others. Commentators innumerable ,are been permit-
ted to inscribe their otherwise veris. Ale names on the
eternal rock of his genius ; and ev :" Players have for
yearsacquired opulence and popularit• ,by happy portraitures
of his- living characters. In announcing, therefore, a serifs
of engravings, intended as embellishments for any edition of
Shakspeare's Plays, it is unnecessary to offer an argument. to
vindicate, or an apology treexeuse, the undertaking.
The spirit of poetry, which haunts every scene of the Plays
of Shakspeare, beckons to her sister art to wander with her,
and thus " make society the sweeter welcome ;" and it will
now, it is hoped, be seen that she does nut call in vain. In
the•whole range of the draMa, there ate no wt' ks its which
' characters so striking and various, or situations so romantic:
and delightful, present themselves, to invite the illustration,
and inspire the emulation, of painting.
The editions of our'Poet's plays have for the most part been
published without embellishments, or encumbered with en-
gravings so indifferent, as to make their. possessors consider
them " when unadorned, adorned the most. It is chiefly
to supply such editions that the Proprietors of the present
Work have undertaken- it. Each Play will furnish subjects
fur five elegant Engravings, in addition to a Vignette ; the
aggregate number, therefore, of the plates will be Two Hun-
dred and Twenty-two.
The name of the Artist from whose hand the Paintings fur
this Work are to proceed, may fully justify, and will donbt-
less ,not deceive, the most sanguine expectations. The Ga
nun of Sinirke has successfully displayed its power in his
U.
Instrations to Gil Blas, the Arabian Nights' Entertainments,
and the late Edition of Don Quixote ; and the varied scenes
Of pasSion and humour, in the Plays of Shakspeare, will afford
a still
,more ample scope for the extraordinary skill and
beauty of his pencil.
The ProPrietors, refraining front the usual promises and
flatteries of a.prospectus, content. themselves with referring
the public to the tillinhers already pubiished of this Work, as
a fair specimen of the care and ability with which the whole
will regularly be produc6d.
MODE OF PUBLICATION •

1. The Work will be comprised-in Thirty-seven Numbers ;
each Number containing. Fire Illustrative Engravings, and
Vignette.
ii. A Number will be published every Two Months, till
completed. • 8. d.
India paper, proofs, 4to 1 10 0
French paper, proofs, 4to • 1 5 0
Imperial Bvo 0 18 0
Royal Bro 0 14 0
*4* For the accommodation of those who may be desirous
of posiessine a beautiful and cortect Edition of Shalispeare,
it is intended to publish one in Octavo, (without Notes,) from
the last corrected text of Johnson and Steevetts; and the Play
illustrator; will be published at the same time with the Em-
bellishments, price Three Shillings each Number. • A limit-
ed number of copies will be printed on Imperial Octavo,
price Six Shillings each Number.
The Numbers already published are as follow: •

1. The Tempest.
'Diming of the Shrew.
111. Merry Wives of Windsor.

• • • • •
IV. Twelfth• Night, (in February 1822.)
V. Measure for Measure, (in April.)
VI. Romeo and Juliet, (in June.)
VII. Henry the Fourth, Part I, (in August.)
• VIII. Midsummer Night's Dream, (in October.)
IX. Two Gentlemen of Verona, (in Der..emher.)
ViTritetl'lor tteatwell and Martin, Bond-street
sold by Colnaghi and Co. Coekspur-street, and the pritieip
Booksellers in the United Kingdom.