P 151

P R O P O S A L S

FOR PUBLISHING

A NEW AND IMPROVED EDITION

O F

SHAKSPEARE ILLUSTRATED.

BY

CHARLOTTE LENNOX.

AT a very early period of the Author's life this Work was written, and publifhed with all the vivacity and confidence of youth: Elated by difcovering that she had traced from whence the immortal dramatic Poet of our nation had borrowed many of his plots, and fond of displaying her critical fagacity in flewing that he made use of the old transla- tions of CYNTHIO, BANDELLO, and ARIOSTO's Tales and Novels, and not of the originals, of which she gives a new translation in this Work, she was thought by fome to have treated SHAKSPEARE with lefs reverence than might have been wifhed. Nevertheless the Public was pleafed to fee fo much merit in the performance, that it was received with very general favour, and was honoured by fuch marks of attention, as not to acknowledge would argue rather arrogance than modelfty. The learned Professor GOTSCHED of LEIPSIC translated her remarks into the German language, and the illuftrious Dr. JOHNSON adopted fome of them in his edition of SHAKSPEARE. He prefented her book to the University of Oxford, depofiting it in the Bodleian library; and quoted it as one of the authorities in his Dictionary.

Now, when the fame of SHAKSPEARE has had confiderable acceffions by the labours of various commentators, and when, by a wide diffusion of good taſte, his works juſtly enjoy a popularity ſo extenſive, that the world is ready to afford the moſt liberal patronage to correct, elegant, and ſplendid editions of them, ſhe is willing to flatter herſelf that her friends are not miſtaken in thinking that her book, entitled, SHAKSPEARE ILLUSTRATED, may now advantageouſly be produced in a more reſpectable form, and with the improvements which, at a mature age, ſhe trusts ſhe can give it: She therefore propofes to publifh it on the following

## CONDITIONS.

I. THE Work to be elegantly printed in Two Volumes octavo; the price to Subscribers to be Twelve Shillings in boards.

II. The Work to be put to the pefs as ſoon as there is a ſufficient number of Subſcrib- ers; and it is to be hoped it will be ready for delivery in January 1794.

SUBSCRIPTIONS received at Mr. CADELL's, in the Strand; Mr. DILLY's, in the Poultry; Mr. HOOKHAM's, in Bond Street; and Mr. BECKETT's, in Pall-mall.