Samuel Ireland

“ Malone has extended the theory nothing surely can be more ridiculous than the use of words without ideas; and until any thing of the sublime and beautiful be discovered in the prose of that gentleman, the good sense and taste of the world will condemn the use of words which are utterly destitute of a meaning; especially when they are employed on a subject of reasoning and demonstration. ”

“ I shall have rescued the understandings of the public from the dominion of a critic, who, relying on the bulk of his labours, and the ponderous mass of his researches, has attempted to give laws on all topics of literature and criticism. ”

“ For in literary contests there is scarcely any appeal to any passion. They can neither provoke the hopes, nor vibrate on the fears of mankind, to any considerable degree. It must, therefore, be a satisfactory reflection to those, who have remarked on the history of the human mind, that the mutual hostility, and bigotry, which once deformed the writings of critics and philologists, is at this moment, with few exceptions, totally extinguished. ”

“ I have shewn that the manner in which the artifices, of which I complain, have been conducted, is of so mean and pusillanimous a nature, that the malice has been of so low and so contemptible a species, as to reflect very serious dishonour on him, who has condescended to make use of it, because it may naturally be imagined, that a person calling himself a scholar and a gentleman, might have had recourse to worthier and more dignified weapons of controversy. ”

“ One Waldron likewise, has waded into the controversy, a bad actor and a worse critic. These are men, on whom I shall not animadvert. They who mistake their vanity for their capacity, and suppose that they are qualified to perform what they have presumption to attempt, are a tribe, on whom admonition will be wasted, and rebuke will be superfluous.
But I have confined my reasoning to Mr. Malone; because, as he is known to the world by what may be emphatically called his literary labours on other occasions, so has he distinguished himself by the bulk of his criticisms on this. ”

“ Fortified as he is with the opinion of the unprejudiced and the intelligent, the editor will not allow that it can be presumption in him to say, that he has no doubt of the truth and authenticity of that which he lays before the public. ”

“ But these were not all by which my conduct was governed in this transaction. I invited to my house all who wished to gratify their curiosity, by an inspection of the papers. Of these, the greater part consisting of the most celebrated literary characters this age has produced, expressed their opinions, not in the phrase of mere assent, but in the unequivocal language of a full and overflowing conviction. Some were even desirous of subscribing without solicitation, their names to a certificate, in which their belief might be formally and permanently recorded. ”

“ Malone are solid, or unfounded, whether he is entitled to any degree of reputation, as a philologist, or critic, by the publication of his enquiry, are questions of which the discussion will be postponed, till my answer appears before the public. At present I am merely claiming the attention of the reader to those topics, which relate to my own personal agency in the transaction. With regard to the manner in which my own character is attacked, it will unquestionably be expected that I should speak fully and amply. It is true Mr. Malone deals only in insinuations ”

“ This is surely very ample testimony, which my son has adduced, to establish my innocence of the imputed forgery. I corroborate this testimony by some further quotations from several letters, written by Mr. M. Talbot, already mentioned to myself and my family, of which the originals are preserved in my possession.
Dublin, 15th April, 1796. So much do I lament the unfortunate predicament in which Mr. Ireland is involved, that I must do every thing in my power to extricate him from it, consistent with my own honour, and oath. ”

“ Talbot during my acquaintance with him, placed him in my judgment beyond even the possibility of suspicion, his fairness and honesty in the transaction appeared invariable. A father is not very eager to entertain surmises, that affect the moral credit of one so dearly connected with him as his only son, and when the same declarations were made by him in the most solemn and awful manner, before crouds of the most eminent characters, who came to my house, I could not suffer myself to cherish the slightest suspicion of his veracity. The testimonies here adduced it were difficult to resist. ”

“ I thought it absurd and could not prevail on him to mention his reasons; tho’ from some trifling unguarded expression, I was at last induced to believe that one of his ancestors was a cotemporary of Shakspeare in the dramatic profession; that as he H. was a man somewhat known in the world, and in the walk of high life, he did not wish such a circumstance should be made public; this suspicion was, as it will presently appear, well founded. Whilst I was in Dublin, I heard to my great joy and astonishment, that Sam had discovered the play of Vortigern and Rowena, the MS of Lear, &c. ”

“ The play of Henry 2d I never have seen, nor the manuscript of Vortigern, nor any thing relative to it, till I was in London, long after the latter was in Mr. Sheridan’s hands. I must therefore depend on the veracity of others, as to their coming from the same source as the few manuscripts I saw before I left London the first time.
Mr. Ireland has desired my opinion respecting a plan he proposes of making two gentlemen of respectability acquainted with every circumstance, who are to vouch to the world for the authenticity of the MSS. This will not be consistent with our promise and oath. ”

“ The arrogance of schoolmen without their learning, the rancour of controversy without the wit by which it is embellished, must at the present period, demand the severest, and most exemplary animadversion. Mr. Malone has acquired, it may be said, some degree of literary reputation. ”

“ Whether it be the instinctive property of dulness to be dark, and bewildered, in proportion to the efforts it makes to be bright and perspicuous, or that though he has much reading, he has not enough for the office he has arrogated, it is certain that his book abounds with so many blunders, and overflows with so much presumption, that it seems a sort of mixed animal, engendered be-47tween a persevering dulness on one side, and an envious mind on the other. ”

“ I proceeded to prove as well as I could the folly of its concealment, when he produced a deed of gift, which he himself had just found in the closet, just before my departure from London, in January last, but which I had never seen before. By this deed William Shakspeare assigned to John H—— who it seems was really an ancestor of our friend H. every article contained in an upper room. ”

“ Besides these evils, I have reason to complain of the low tricks, and artifices, that have been resorted to, in order to excite the public prejudice against the MSS. I allude to the steps that were taken to preclude the Play of Vortigern from an equitable, and candid hearing. In support of this assertion, let me refer the reader to the following advertisement, published by Mr. Malone, nearly three months before his enquiry made its appearance.
Spurious Shakspeare MSS. Mr. Malone’s detection of this forgery has been unavoidably delayed by the engravings having taken more time than was expected ”

“ Ireland’s possession, with the signatures of Shakspeare and Hemynge to the deed in Mr. Wallis’s hands, as well as with the published Fac-similes of the autographs of Shakspeare to his last will and testament, and to a deed dated 11 March, to Jac. I. which came to the hands of Mr. Wallis, about the year 1760, among the title deeds of the Rev. Mr. Fetherstonehaugh, and from the character and manner thereof, we declare our firm belief in the authenticity of the autographs of Shakspeare, and Hemynge, is the hands of Mr. Ireland. ”

“ But insinuations may be troublesome, and even noxious; because the dullest being alive may at length, by reiteration and importunity, in some measure, atone for the bluntness and impotence of the shafts with which he assails you. ”

“ Posterity, when they read the works of Salmasius, or Bentley, will be perplexed, even in finding motives for a spirit so intolerant, and a zeal so intractable on matters of such light, and trivial import. ”

“ But our labor was rewarded by finding a few more relating to Shakspeare. These we took away, but never without H’s permission. At last we were so fortunate as to discover a deed, in which our friend was materially concerned. Some landed property, which had been long the subject of litigation was here ascertained, and H’s title to it clearly proved. H. now said in return for this, whatever you and Mr. Ireland find among the lumber, be it what it may, shall be your own (meaning those things which we should prize for being Shakspeare’s) Mr. ”

“ Now this deponent farther maketh oath that he this deponent’s father, the said Samuel Ireland, hath not, nor hath any one of the said Samuel Ireland’s family, other than save and except this deponent, any knowledge of the manner in which he the said deponent, became possessed of the said deeds or MSS papers aforesaid or any part thereof, or of any circumstance, or circumstances relating thereto,
S. W. H. Ireland. ”