ing his lifetime, with the name
of Shakespeare as their author. It is remarkable, if these plays were
not at least revised by Shakespeare, that no record of a contradiction
of their authorship should be found. It is not improbable that many
plays written by others were given to Shakespeare to perform in his
capacity as a theatrical manager, requiring certain alterations in order
to adapt them to the use of the stage, which were arranged by his
cunning and skilful hand, and these plays afterward found their way into
print, with just sufficient of his emendations to allow his authorship
of them, in the carelessness in which he held his literary fame, to pass
uncontradicted by him.

"There is a copy of an old play of the period, with manuscript
annotations, and the name of Shakespeare written on the title-page. It
is either the veritable signature of the poet, or an admirably imitated
forgery. Mr Burton inclined to the opinion that the work once belonged
to Shakespeare, and that the signature is genuine. If so, it is probably
the only scrap of his handwriting on this continent. This work is not
included in the list given of Ireland's library, the contents of which
were brought into disrepute by the remarkable literary forgeries of the
son, but stands forth peculiar and unique, and furnishes much room for
curious speculation."--(148-51.)]

The descriptions of a remorseless investigator like this have a fresh
individuality not to be found here, where our habitual reserve prevents
us from offering or enjoying a full, true, and particular account of
the goods of our neighbours, unless they are brought to the hammer,--and
then they have lost half the charm which they possessed as the household
gods of some one conspicuous by position or character, and are little
more estimable than other common merchandise. It would be difficult to
find, among the countless books about books produced by us in the old
country, any in which the bent of individual tastes and propensities is
so distinctly represented in tangible symbols; and the reality of the
elucidation is increased by the sort of innocent surprise with which the
historian approaches each "lot," evidently as a first acquaintance,
about whom he inquires and obtains all available particulars,
good-humouredly communicating them in bald detail to his reader. Here
follows a sketch--and surely a tempting one--of a New York interior:--

"Mr Burton's library contains nearly sixteen tho