216
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
sary, all the papers relating to which he bequeathed to his "friend
"David Garrick, esquire, of Adelphi Buildings," directing,
by his Will, that they were to be published and the profits, if
any, applied to a fund for decayed actors. In a codicil, how-
ever, he left the papers absolutely at Garrick's disposal and gave
£40 to the decayed actors' fund.
A translation of Plautus next engaged our author's attention
when a verse translation, two volumes of which appeared in
1766, was announced by Bonnell Thornton. In the Preface
Thornton writes :—
" In consequence of my having advertised this design, I had
"a still further incitement to proceed in it ; as a gentleman
"[Note : Richard Warner, of Woodford Row, Essex, esquire.
"This gentleman had translated several of our author's plays
"into prose, and had begun one in verse, the Captives, which
"is inserted in the first volume of this work] to whom I was
"then a stranger, was pleased to decline all thoughts which
''he had before conceived, of prosecuting the same intention.
"To him I am indebted for his assistance in one play, as well
"as for communicating to me whatever he thought might
"be of service in the undertaking, with that heartiness which
"endears him to all who have the happiness of being acquainted
"with him. The same gentleman also took upon himself the
"trouble of translating the life of our author from Petrus
"Crinitus."
On Thornton's death, in May 1768, Warner added to this
Preface an address, "To the Reader," signed "Richard Warner,
"Woodford Row, Essex, July 15th, 1769," in which he says,
"This second edition, in regard to the memory of my deceased
"friend, I have undertaken to revise and correct," and, speak-
ing of long-continued indisposition which kept him in the country,
announces a continuation uniform with the original, which forms
volumes 3, 4 and 5 of the work and is entitled "Comedies of
"Plautus translated into Familiar Blank Verse, By the Gentle-
"man who translated the Captives." Volumes 3 and 4 were
issued in 1772 and volume 5 in 1774. Volume 3 contains a
preface, dated August 1st, 1772, by Warner and the following
dedication:—"To David Garrick Esquire this translation
"with notes and illustrations of the remaining Comedies of
"Plautus being a continuation of a work successfully begun