Another of the Sexagenarian’s meditated works, was one or more Dissertations upon Emblems, a species of literature which at one period greatly occupied the attention of the curious, upon which the exalted talents of the first poets and artists were formerly exercised, and of which there are many specimens of extraordinary rarity and beauty. He had evidently revolved the subject much in his mind, to which he was induced by the consideration, that nothing of the kind had ever appeared in the English language. Such a work certainly might be made a vehicle of great and various entertainment, by a judicious introduction of literary anecdotes, and by well-chosen specimens from the different performances.
It also appears that a work of some extent on the present state of literature, and literary men, in this country, had been nearly compleated. It was written in the administration of Mr. Pitt, and was inscribed to the Right Hon. W. Windham. The idea originated, in what was perhaps a misconception, that literature was on the decline among us, from the want of patrons. As he advanced in life, he was probably convinced that he was in error, for the work was never published, and as it should seem, never finished.
Our friend had also prepared for publication, some notes on two plays of Shakspeare. He, somewhere in “the Recollections,” confesses, that he was prompted to this, by a wish to exercise the irritable curiosity of George Stevens. He first began with intimating in some Morning Paper, the intention of examining the edition of Shakspeare by Malone, then recently published, with the hint that the critical attention of the author would also be extended to all the other annotators. Several columns were accordingly filled with notes on the Tempest. The bait took, Mr. S. ever restless and impatient where Shakspeare was concerned, used every effort in his power to discover the author, and even condescended to reply to some of his observations, through the same channel of communication with the public. But he did not succeed; the work, however, became, in its progress, so very amusing, that annotations on two plays were ready for publication. Something more serious, in all probability, diverted his attention from this lighter employment, which he seems to have laid aside altogether.
Preparations were also made for a publication of a facetious kind. He proposed to give an account of the witty publications of earlier days, and had taken as a motto,
Jest and youthful jollity,
Quips and cranks and wanton wiles,
Nods and becks and wreathed smiles,
Sport that wrinkled care derides,
And laughter holding both his sides.
The following books formed part of the stores from which he intended to have extracted his materials.