se, entitled _The Watchman_, with the motto, "that all might know
the truth, and that the truth might make us free." He watched in vain!
Coleridge's incurable want of order and punctuality, and his philosophical
theories, tired out and disgusted his readers, and the work was
discontinued after the ninth number. Of the unsaleable nature of this
publication, he relates an amusing illustration. Happening one morning
to rise at an earlier hour than usual, he observed his servant-girl
putting an extravagant quantity of paper into the grate, in order to
light the fire, and he mildly checked her for her wastefulness: "La!
sir," replied Nanny; "why, it's only _Watchmen_."

* * * * *

IRELAND'S SHAKSPEARE FORGERIES.

Mr. Samuel Ireland, originally a silk merchant in Spitalfields, was
led by his taste for literary antiquities to abandon trade for those
pursuits, and published several tours. One of them consisted of an
excursion upon the river Avon, during which he explored, with ardent
curiosity, every locality associated with Shakspeare. He was accompanied
by his son, a youth of sixteen, who imbibed a portion of his father's
Shakspearean mania. The youth, perceiving the great importance which his
parent attached to every relic of the poet, and the eagerness with which
he sought for any of his MS. remains, conceived that it would not be
difficult to gratify his father by some productions of his own, in the
language and manner of Shakspeare's time. The idea possessed his mind
for a certain period; and, in 1793, being then in his eighteenth year,
he produced some MSS. said to be in the handwriting of Shakspeare, which
he said had been given him by a gentleman possessed of many other old
papers. The young man, being articled to a solicitor in Chancery, easily
fabricated, in the first instance, the deed of mortgage from Shakspeare
to Michael Fraser. The ecstasy expressed by his father urged him to the
fabrication of other documents, described to come from the same quarter.
Emboldened by success, he ventured upon higher compositions in prose and
verse; and at length announced the discovery of an original drama, under
the title of _Vortigern_, which he exhibited, act by act, written in
the period of two months. Having provided himself with the paper of the
period, (being the fly-leaves of old books,) and with ink prepared by a
bookbinder, no suspicion was entertained of the deception. The father,
who