of the name of Maddox, who was a Clerk in the Lord Chamberlain's office under Charles Duke of Grafton. This was probably on the mother's side. Edward was, I think, of Catherine Hall, though he left his MSS. and Books relative to Shakespeare to Trinity College*. His brother was a Fellow (a Senior) at the time: but that was not the reason of such bequest. The former College was, in his opinion, too obscure a place for such a deposit; for nothing but his industry could exceed his vanity. More than twenty years of his life were spent in preparing the Text of Shakespeare for the press. He must at the same time have attended to his Notes, Glossary, and the "School of Shakespeare," which he did not live to publish; though not more than two or three sheets were left unprinted; so that, in fact, 33 years of his life were absorbed in these Workst: for he did little else; though he preserved the languages in a more or less degree to the last. He was no mean classical scholar, and to the dead languages had added the French and the Italian the last of which was necessary to him in his post of Deputy Inspector of the Plays, including the Operas, which were sent to him untranslated. ; "In the Critical Review, vol. XLIX. is a list of his MSS. and printed books, which he gave to Trinity College, Cambridge; and, from a note on one of these, there is some reason to suspect that he was, in a considerable measure, the author of a defence of himself, entitled "A Letter to George Hardinge, Esq. on the Subject of a Passage in Mr. Steevens's Preface to his Impression of Shakespeare, 1777," 4to; unless, indeed, the gentleman to whom the Letter was attributed, the Rev. Mr. Collins, was disposed to flatter him beyond all reasonable bounds, and at the expence of his own sense and taste." Biog. Dict. 1813, vol. VIII. p. 201. The Letter-writer asserts, that Mr. Steevens, who decried Mr. Capell's "Illustrations," dishonourably condescended to avail himself of the critical labours of that Rival Editor. "If it be true, as we are elsewhere told, that he transcribed the Works of Shakespeare ten times with his own hand, it is no breach of charity to add, that much of a life that might have been employed in more valuable purposes was miserably wasted." The offices of Inspector and Deputy Inspector of the Plays, &c. were erected in consequence of an Act of Parliament, 1737, which allows no Plays to be performed without the license of the Lord Chamberlain *. In the first of these posts William Chetwynd, Esq. was placed; and in the second Edward Capell, Esq. both presented by the Duke of Grafton, Lord Chamberlain, in whose patronage they were t. On the decease of Mr. Capell, the Earl of Hertford, then Lord Chamberlain, conferred the post on James Trail, Esq.; though in the year 1782 it was abolished, in the general reform that took place in consequence of Mr. Burke's Bill. Mr. Capell held likewise, under the Lord Chamberlain, the place of a Groom of the Privy Chamber, in which he was likewise put by his Grace of Grafton, 1745, vice John Parsons, Esq. and in which also he was succeeded by Mr. Trail. The nett produce of these two appointments was, communibus annis, very nearly worth £.300. It was to these two appointments that Mr. Capell alludes in the Dedication of his Edition of Shakespeare's Plays, wherein he tells Augustus-Henry, then Duke of Grafton, that" Your illustrious * For the manner of licensing Plays before this Act passed, see the "Biographia Dramatica," art. Massinger. † Mr. Chetwynd died in 1778, and was succeeded by John Larpent, jun. Esq. on the appointment of the Earl of Hertford. This Mr. Capell justly thought a hardship, taking it in a manner for granted that he should succeed Mr. Chetwynd, as Lord Hertford usually favoured the appointees of the late Duke of Grafton, having married his Grace's daughter. But Mr. Capell, who did not ask it, was passed over. It is but justice to add, that Mr. Larpent never solicited Lord Hertford for the post, and was surprised at the offer of it, voluntarily made by his Lordship. A composition is allowed for it to Mr. Trail for his life. § In this year, as Mr. Capell informs us, shocked at the licentiousness of Hanmer's plan, he first projected an Edition of Shakespeare, of the strictest accuracy, to be collated and published, in due time, ex fide codicum." In 1768 he "set out his own Edition, printed at the expence of the principal Booksellers of London, who gave him 300l. for his labours. Grand Grandfather* vouchsafed to call mine his friend, and always spoke of him with pleasure: he honoured me early with his patronage, and to him I owe the leisure that has enabled me to bestow upon this Work the attention of twenty years."-It may be asked, what was Mr. Capell's Vocation from which the Duke's favour withdrew his attention? I answer, the Bar, to which he had been called, I presume, with a view to the practice of the profession of the Law. These appointments, added to his patrimonial estate, or at least his expectations, gave him that otium cum dignitate which enabled him to pursue the bent of his inclination. No one can judge of his abilities as an Advocate, though I should not suspect they were considerable; so that his Grace of Grafton was not only his Patron, but, perhaps, his best Client. It cannot be allowed that Mr. Capell had any genius, by which I mean wit or invention; for nothing original is known to have been written by him. Once indeed he shewed to a friend a bald, ill-written, and unpointed Epigram, leveled at his persecutors, which he himself chuckled at as a happy thought. Neither had he any tincture of what is called taste. He had not even pretensions to the intermediate rank of an Antiquary (for he held them rather in contempt), though he of necessity met with so many passages in Shakespeare relative to ancient customs and manners. These he seems to have overlooked in search of various readings, for which I need but refer to his Notes, wherein he is much more busy in comparing Editions than in elucidating his Author. He is so far rather a Commentator on the old Editors than on the Poet himself; a task hardly worth the pains of a German Grammarian, considering how loosely Shakespeare has been printed in the first impressions. Dr. Zachary Grey gives into it a little; but Mr. Capell, it * Charles, Duke of Grafton, Lord Chamberlain 1742-1757. † Printed, it is believed, in the St. James's Chronicle. must must be confessed, adheres to it in the most frivolous instances. The Poet wrote with so little regard to posthumous fame, that even the first Quarto publication, which appeared in his life-time, one would think (from the careless manner it seems to have been edited) hardly underwent his own correction, at least with any tolerable degree of attention. Had it been otherwise, subsequent copies could scarcely have suffered so much mutilation, and called forth so many Commentators. The Second Edition (the first Folios as they are called) were, no doubt, mangled by the fanciful wantonness, or ignorance, of the Publishers. Thus much for Mr. Capell's Notes: -but as to the Text, I confess to think it as faithfully given, if not more so, than by any of his antecessors, or contemporaries. The passages which he has restored, by transposition of words, lines, and even speeches (though I think he has overlooked some that still want it) have rendered the Author more intelligible, and his own Edition most eligible to read, by those at least who would wish to see the Poet in his native dress. He piqued himself, and not without some justice, in having purged and reclaimed his Author's Text; insomuch that, being complimented with the title of the Restorer of Shakespeare by a Literary Peer (1 think Lord Dacre) he was known to have wept whenever he read the Letter. His vanity, it must be allowed, was a little aided in this weakness by the irritable state of his nerves, occasioned by a sedentary and secluded life. This appellation was the maximum of his wishes; the misfortune was, that it was said in a private Letter, and not to the world, with which he was undesignedly at war. I do not know that ever he wrote any thing to draw down the indignation of the world upon him: but his contemporary Editors are represented as inimical to him, and as having thrown out insinuations to his prejudice, though he was a harmless Editor of Shakespeare, who religiously prayed to die in the service, at the the hazard of his literary salvation*. Certain it is he sought no profit; for Tonson's property in the Author prevented it, and the expence rested solely on Mr. Capell + Mr. Capell's style, it cannot but be confessed, is turgid to a great degree; and every trait of him, be it found where it may, betrays a fondness for singularity, which prevailed over him in every thing. His Introduction to the Dramas of Shakespeare is a sample of his manner of writing: the very type of the Work is pedantic, by his avoiding the compound letters where he can: and, I believe, the paper was made on purpose, without the wire-mark. His Notes, &c. being printed in columns, has frequently obliged the compositor to divide monosyllables contrary to all rule, which had been avoided by long lines:-but this would have been doing like other people. When asked why he did not print the Notes under the Text, he urged deformity of his page, and thought it was more agreeable and convenient to read the text in one book, and the notes in another. That is as every one shall judge for himself: but how is it to be done in the case of the Work before us;-while the pure text came out 1768;-the Notes to Nine Plays, together with the Glossary, not till 1774;-and the rest of the Notes, with the "School of Shakespeare," in 1783. Here, according to Mr. Capell's idea, is an interval of fifteen years before the Text and the Notes can be read in concert. This place affords an opportunity of remarking Mr. Capell's liberality on occasion of his publishing the first part of his "Notes and Various Readings. This was done in one thin volume (price 16s.) * Mr. Capell was severely treated by more than one of his contemporary Commentators: there was a determination among them not to suffer a Brother too near the Throne; and Mr. Capell had not fair play. But the contending parties are now all removed; and impartial Posterity will appreciate their several merits and pretensions very justly. † Mr. Capell had only a few copies allowed to give to his literary or intimate friends. quarto, |