mentators, artists, antiquarians, philologers, printers, paper-makers,

and others, than perhaps all the dramatic productions of the world besides. In place then of expatiating on the merits of works so-widely known and appreciated, we shall conclude this short sketch with some account of the editions of these writings, which were published either before the poet's death or within a century afterwards.

Works published separately during Shakespeare's lifetime—"Venus and Adonis" (poem), 1593; "Lucrece" (poem), 1594; "King Henry VI.," Part second, printed as "The First Part of the Contention betwixt the two famous Houses of Yorke and Lancaster," &c., 1594; "King Henry VI.," Part third, printed as "The True Trajedie of Richard, Duke of Yorke," &c., 1595; "King Richard II.," 1597; "King Richard III," 1597; "Romeo and Juliet," 1597; "Love's Labour Lost," 1598; "King Henry IV.," Part first, 1598; "The Passionate Pilgrim" (poem), 1599; "King Henry IV.," Part second, 1600; "Much Ado About Nothing," 1600; "A Midsummer Night's Dream," 1600; "Titus Andronicus," 1600; "King Henry V.," 1600; "The Merchant of Venice," 1600; "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (first sketch), 1602; "Hamlet" (first sketch), 1603; "Hamlet" (enlarged), 1604; "King Lear," 1608; "Troilus and Cressida," 1609; "Pericles," 1609; "Sonnets," 1609; "A Lover's Complaint" (poem), 1609. The first collective edition of the dramas was published in 1623, seven years after the poet's death, and contained all the plays by common consent assigned to him, except "Pericles." This is by far the most important collected edition of Shakespeare's plays extant; and although not what is called a very rare book, is so valuable that a copy in the finest condition would probably realize from £500 to £700.

The next collective edition is a reprint of the former. With some corrections of the blunders of its prototype it unhappily contains many misprints of its own, and is not looked upon as an authority of much value for the settlement of the text. This edition was published in 1632.

The third folio possesses a particular interest from its containing no less than seven plays not found in the previous folio editions, namely, "Pericles," "The London Prodigal," "The History of Lord Cromwell," "Sir John Oldcastle," "The Puritan Widow," "A Yorkshire Tragedy," and "The Tragedy of Locrine." With the exception of "Pericles," however, no one of these seven plays affords much claim to the distinction of being the production of Shakespeare. This folio was published in 1664, and, owing to a large number of copies having been destroyed by the fire of London in 1666, is now extremely scarce. The fourth folio is merely a reproduction of the second, but of less critical importance, since, in addition to the errors of its predecessor, it abounds with typographical inaccuracies of its own. It was published in 1685. For nearly a hundred years subsequent to the author's decease, the above formed the only collected editions of his dramas. In the beginning of the eighteenth century, however, a new impulse to the study of these immortal works was given by the editions of Rowe in 1709 and 1715. These were followed in rapid succession by those of Pope, Theobald, Hanmer, Warburton, Johnson, Capell, Johnson and Steevens, Reed, and Malone. Since then the editions which have issued from the press of this and other countries would "dizzy the arithmetic of memory" to tell; and yet, wonderful to say, the demand keeps pace with the supply, and apparently would so keep if a new edition of worth were published every twelve months.—H. S. SHARP, Abraham, an English mathematician, was born at Little Horton, near Bradford in Yorkshire, and died there on the 18th of July, 1742. He became an apprentice to a merchant in Manchester, but abandoned that business to undertake the occupation of a teacher of writing and mathematics at Liverpool. His great ability in the latter study having become known to Flamsteed, obtained for him the appointment of assistant to that famous astronomer at Greenwich observatory, where, amongst other proofs of extraordinary skill, he graduated the mural quadrant (erected in 1689) with a degree of accuracy unknown before. He drew the maps of the stars which illustrated Flamsteed's Historia Cælestis. He prepared logarithmic and trigonometrical tables, which surpassed all previously existing tables of the kind in extent and accuracy; and amongst other calculations he computed a series of logarithms to sixty-one places of decimals, and the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle to seventy-two places of decimals. He was the author of various papers of much value on geometrical subjects.—W. J. M. R. SHARP, Granville, the youngest son of Dr. Sharp, archdeacon of Northumberland, and grandson of an archbishop of York, was born in 1734. Educated for the bar, apprenticed to a linen draper on Tower Hill, he afterwards obtained an appointment in the Ordnance office, but resigned it at the commencement of the American war, of the principles of which he did not approve. At this period of his life he resided in the Temple, where, free from every domestic incumbrance, he applied his mind to the study of the law and to the pursuit of general knowledge. The following accidental circumstance caused his name to become a household word throughout the civilized world. A poor West Indian negro named Somerset, having fallen sick, was abandoned by his master in the streets of London, either to die or gain a miserable support by precarious charity. The wretched creature, sinking under exhaustion, was seen by Sharp, who had him removed to Bartholomew's hospital where he soon recovered. He was not heard of again for two years, when his benefactor received a letter from him, stating no cause of his committal to the Poultry compter, but entreating his assistance in averting a greater calamity than even the death from which he had before rescued him. His old master had reclaimed him, and after some preliminaries Somerset was brought before the lord mayor, and successfully defended by Sharp. An appeal was made to the twelve judges, who unanimously concurred in the opinion that the master had acted criminally. The happy issue of this case encouraged Sharp to institute the Society for the Abolition of Slavery, as president of which, contending against a vast mass of opposition, the downfall of "the greatest of all human abominations" was at length effected. Similar principles led him to use his endeavours to restrain the practice of marine impressment; and a citizen of London having been carried off by a press-warrant, he obtained a habeas corpus from the court of king's bench to bring him back from a vessel at the Nore, and by his arguments obliged the court to liberate him. An excellent linguist, well read in divinity and the Greek and Hebrew scriptures, warmly attached to the established church, and perfectly orthodox in his belief, he was yet free from aught like bigotry. He recommended an episcopal church in America, and introduced the first bishops from that country to the archbishop of Canterbury for consecration. A great amateur in music, he devoted every Sunday evening to the harp; the Psalms of David, sung in Hebrew by himself, were the constant accompaniment of his instrument. An enlightened politician, he advocated the cause of parliamentary reform, which in his time required many strong supporters. He died July 6, 1813, and was buried in the family vault in Fulham churchyard.—E. B. L. SHARP, James, Archbishop of St. Andrews, was born in May, 1618. His father was sheriff-clerk of Banffshire, but he was come of a good family. He was educated for the church at the university of Aberdeen, where he is said to have been a distinguished student. On leaving college he spent some time in England. On his journey homeward he accidentally met with Lord Oxenford, who was so greatly charmed by his insinuating manners and conversation that he invited the youth to his house. There he met with the earl of Rothes, on whom he seems to have made an equally favourable impression. This powerful nobleman procured him a professorship of philosophy at St. Andrews, and soon after, the earl of Crawford appointed him minister of Crail, where his affability and pleasing manners made him a favourite among his parishioners. In August, 1651, Sharp was one of a number of ministers who were seized by order of Monk and sent off prisoners to England; but by some means or other he ingratiated himself with Cromwell, and obtained his release, while his companions were left in confinement. He was subsequently sent by the resolutioners or moderate party in the church to plead their cause before Cromwell against the protesters, who were represented by the celebrated James Guthrie. The Protector, it is said, bestowed marked commendation on his address and management. Sharp seems to have enjoyed the confidence of Monk, and when that general marched to London in 1660 the presbyterians sent Sharp along with him to attend to their interests. He had acquired the complete confidence of his party, who regarded him as a very worthy, pious, mild, and diligent young man. He was afterwards deputed by them to wait upon the king at Breda, to induce his majesty to confirm the presbyterian government in Scotland. After the Restoration he remained for some time in London; and if his own letters may be