LTHOUGH a portion of the materials of these
volumes has appeared in the pages of "Temple Bar," this work claims to be much more than a mere reprint. Detached Essays have been linked together so as to form a chronological history of actors and acting from Shakespeare to Macready. Some of the Essays which have appeared have been considerably expanded, others have been relieved of irrelevant matter, and a number of new sketches have been introduced.
As it was necessary to draw the line somewhere, however arbitrarily, I have omitted, with very few exceptions, the names of all actors whose stage career extended beyond Macready's. Many admirable actors are thus unmentioned who well deserve a place in every history of their profession; but besides want of space I have no desire to enter the arena of contemporary criticism. Neither must this work be regarded as a Biographical