Preface, general craving for a study of his surroundings, which shall be faithful without being tedious, and historical without being ordinary history. A ccordingly, we present here a companion volume to more elaborate works as well as a guide to the study of Shakespeare himself, and a substitute, wherever it may be desired, for the prickly controversies which must always mark textual criticism and transcendental research. Possibly, to some persons the result may seem base, common, and popular. But care has been taken to supplement the results of acknowledged authorities with the fruits of independent study ;and the absence of foot-notes and references ought not to alarm the critic, and will certainly not displease the reader. In handling such a mass of minute details it is hardly possible that the method adopted will always satisfy the possessors of what Bacon calls over-delicate learning ;at the same time the author hopes they will recognise the general aim of the work, and the spirit in which he has endeavoured to execute it. (Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don"t occur in the book.) About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology. Forgotten Books" Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org