TWELFTH MEETING. Friday, Jan. 8, 1875. F. J. FURNIVALL, Esq., Director, in the Chair. THE Minutes of the last Meeting were read. The names of the following new Members were read: The Rev. Alfred Ainger. Prof. C. Raddatz. Wm. Taylor. Bolton Public Lib. and Musm. Geo. Doe. W. W. Ward. C. Rennick. J. S. Philpotts. On the motion of the Director it was resolved unanimously : That the best thanks of the Members of the Society be offered to H. R. H. Prince Leopold, one of the Vice-Presidents, for the gift of the Parallel-Text Edition of Romeo and Juliet,' made by his Royal Highness to the New Shakspere Society. It was then further resolved:-That the cordial thanks of the Members be presented to P. A. Daniel, Esq., for the care and diligence which he has bestowed upon the Texts of Romeo and Juliet,' edited by him for the New Shakspere Society; the value of Mr Daniel's services being enhanced by the personal sacrifice he has made to remain in England in order to carry out his work for the Society. A vote of thanks was also unanimously passed to Dr C. M. Ingleby, for the gift of 370 copies of his work entitled 'The Still Lion,' and to Mr Furnivall for 500 copies of his "Introduction to 'Gervinus'," for distribution among the Members. The Director reported that Part II., completing the 'Transactions' for 1874, was now at press, and that the reprints of Henry V., edited by Dr Nicholson, would go to the printer's next week. The Paper for this evening was, "On the Two Quartos of Hamlet, 1603, 1604," by the Rev. E. A. Abbott, D.D., and was read by the Author. The thanks of the Meeting were voted to Dr Abbott, and he was unanimously requested to prepare his Paper for printing in the Society's Transactions, although he had not originally intended it to be printed. The speakers upon the Paper were :— The Director, Mr Simpson, the Rev. F. G. Fleay, Mr Pickersgill, Dr Nicholson. This being the first Meeting in the new year, it was moved, seconded, and resolved: "That the Director, the Members of Committee, and other Officers, be requested to accept the best thanks of the Society for their services during the past year." a THIRTEENTH MEETING, Friday, Feb. 12, 1875. F. J. FURNIVALL, Esq., Director, in the Chair. THE Minutes of last Meeting were read. The following list of new Members was read: The Income and Expenditure Sheet for the past year, which had been audited by Mr H. B. Wheatley and Mr H. Smart, two of the Members, was presented on behalf of the Treasurer, and was read to the Meeting. The thanks of the Meeting were voted to the Auditors. (Such Income and Expenditure Sheet will be found at page vi.) The Director reported that at the next Meeting, instead of Dr Nicholson's Paper on 'King John,' the Scratch Night would be held, and that Mr Hales would speak in favour of an early date (before 1601) for the Play of Julius Caesar; that Mr Simpson had promised a short Paper upon 'Evening Mass;' and that Dr Nicholson would also contribute other short papers. Mr H. C. Hart having been unable to finish his promised Paper for this evening (owing to his appointment as Botanist to the Arctic Expedition), a Paper was read by Mr Rd. Simpson upon the Comedies of Mucedorus and Fair Em. The thanks of the Meeting were voted to Mr Simpson. On the Committee asking Mr Simpson to print his Paper in the Society's Transactions,' he stated that he would rather defer doing so until he could prepare a general account of the pseudoShaksperian Plays which he had in contemplation. The following Papers (sent at very short notice in response to requests from the Director) were also read : A letter to the Director on a New Metrical Test (that of the mid-line end of speeches) for ascertaining the Chronology of Shakspere's Plays,' by Prof. J. K. Ingram, LL.D. The thanks of the Meeting were voted to Prof. Ingram. 'Notes on German Shakspere Literature,' by Prof. E. Dowden, LL.D. A vote of thanks was passed to Prof. Dowden, and to the Director as reader of this and the preceding Paper. On behalf of the Committee, Mr Furnivall stated that Prof. Dowden would be asked to prepare his Paper for publication in the 'Transactions.' (It is to appear in the Quarterly Review.) Extracts from a Lecture on Characteristics of Ben Jonson,' by E. H. Pickersgill, Esq. The thanks of the Meeting were given to Mr Pickersgill, as writer and reader of this Paper. Mr Simpson, Dr Nicholson, and the Director, took part in the discussions upon the above Papers. FOURTEENTH MEETING. Friday, March 12, 1875. TOM TAYLOR, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. THE Minutes of last Meeting were read. The following names of new Members were read: The Director announced that Mr Halliwell was endeavouring to arrange for a search being made in the house inhabited by Lady Barnard, Shakspere's granddaughter, as a last chance of any papers belonging to Shakspere being discovered. The Director also stated that at the next Meeting Mr Spedding's Paper on the "First Quarto and Folio Edition of Richard III." would be read instead of the Paper by Prof. Leo, previously announced, and that Mr Spedding's Paper would, for convenience, be printed in advance, so as to be in the hands of the Members while being read. A Paper in favour of an early date (not later than 1601) for the Play of Julius Caesar was read by Mr J. W. Hales, and the thanks of the Meeting were voted to Mr Hales for this Paper. In the Discussion thereon the following Members took part, viz. : Messrs Tom Taylor, Furnivall, Simpson, and Dr Nicholson. Papers were then read as under: By Mr Simpson-On Shakspere's correct use of the expression "Evening Mass in Romeo and Juliet. sea By Dr B. Nicholson-Shewing that the word " " in the phrase "Sea of troubles" (in Hamlet) was used literally and not as a metaphor. The thanks of the Members were given to Mr Simpson and Dr Nicholson for their Papers. FIFTEENTH MEETING. Friday, April 9, 1875. A. J. ELLIS, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. THE Minutes of last Meeting were read. The Hon. Sec. reported that the following new Members had joined the Society since the last Meeting: A Paper was read by Miss L. Toulmin Smith, pointing out that the "pound of flesh" incident (in the Merchant of Venice) was to be found in the 13th-century English version of the "Cursor Mundi," and tracing the story through other parts of Early Literature. The thanks of the Meeting were given to Miss Smith for her Paper. A Paper by Prof. Delius, V.P., "On the Quarto and Folio of King Lear," was taken as read. A Paper by Mr Jas. Spedding, "On the corrected edition of Richard III.," was then read by the Director. This was followed by Mr F. D. Matthew giving an account of a Paper on the same subject by Prof. Delius (who was present at this evening's meeting)." The thanks of the Members were voted to Mr Spedding, Mr Furnivall, and to Prof. Delius and Mr Matthew respectively. In the Discussion on the "Richard III." Paper, the following Members took part, viz.: Mr Furnivall, Dr Nicholson, Mr Pickersgill, and Mr W. Aldis Wright (one of the Editors of the "Cambridge Shakespeare," to whose views those of Mr Spedding were opposed). The Director announced that Dr Nicholson had consented to edit a Parallel-Text edition of Richard III., after finishing Henry V. and The Merry Wives. SIXTEENTH MEETING. Friday, May 14, 1875. F. J. FURNIVALL, Esq., Director, in the Chair. THE Minutes of last Meeting were read. The Chairman reported that Mr J. O. Halliwell had presented to the Society 600 copies of an Essay by Mr A. H. Paget, entitled "Shakespeare's Plays: a chapter of Stage History," and that the thanks of the Society had been expressed to Mr Halliwell. |