The first lines in the above selection, will be a fine fituation to paint the animation of Portia-and they will admit of the paffions of Shylock being advantageously introduced-as well as the spirited retaliation of Gratiano. The other characters who compofe the court, will be in the fame fituations as at the laft felected lines.

If she is drawn in saying:-Why doth the Jew pause ?—(which will be a truly fine fituation to draw him from) his countenance should then, I think, be rather altered.

In this fame page another fituation is offered :

Shy. Shall I not barely have my principal?

Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,
To be fo taken at thy peril, Jew.

Shy. Why then the devil give him good of it!
I'll stay no longer question.

I select thefe lines for the purpose of introducing Shylock; who may either be drawn as fpeaking the first of them; or the last line but one.

H 2

Each

Each fituation will be fpirited. All the other characters will appear as at the former lines. I will not prefume to fay from which of these selected paffages an artist might choose the best point to draw the whole of the characters who compofe the trial fcene from-as that must be left to the fancy and judgment of each artist, aided by his familiarity with the ftage and dramatic effect.

Tail-Piece.

THE print of Shylock which is in Bell's first edition, poffeffes a good deal of merit; and I cannot but recommend it for the Tail-piece; and though it is drawn from the fame lines that the print which I have recommended for p. 225 is taken from-yet it cannot be displeasing to preserve two defigns of Shylock, which are fo well executed. An ornament might be thrown round this print, fomewhat fimilar to that very happy one which graces M. de Loutherbourg's Vignette fcene-print. It certainly must not be the fame, but yet it may be allufive to the play. A finall, but by no means an imperfect hint towards it, may be seen in the cut to Lowndes's edition to this play.*

*A lift of fuch Prints as have been published from this play. I have feen all the Prints, except that in Pope's edition.

1. Bell's two editions.

2. Hanmer.

3. Theobald.

4. Rowe.

5. Lowndes.

6. A cut in an edition in 8 vol. 8vo. printed for Tonfon, 1735.

7. Mortimer's head of Shylock, from his etchings of characters from Shakespeare.

8. Taylor's publicati on.

9. Night

9. Night, a Landscape, engraved by C. Taylor, from after Smirke. It is taken from the lines

of: How feet the moonlight, &c.

10. A print of Shylock, mentioned for page 225.

11. Mr. Macklin in Shylock, from after Kitchinman, an oval, 1784.

12. Mr. Macklin in Shylock, from Smith's 24 Characters of the stage, in 12mo.

13. Mr. Clark, in the character of Anthonio, from the fame.

14. Mr. Macklin in Shylock, from the Westminster Mag. for October 1775. This is copied from a print by Lodge, of the fame size.

15. Pope.

LOVE'S LABOUR LOST.

In the wild extravagant notes of Shakespeare, you every now and then encounter strains that recognize the divine compofer.

In his moft negligent hours he could never fo totally diveft himself of his genius, but that it would frequently break out with aftonishing force and fplendour.

Vignette.

THEOBALD.