Illustrations of Shakspeare, and of Ancient Manners: / with Dissertations on the Clowns and Fools of Shakspeare; on a Collection of Popular Tales Entitled Gesta Romanorum; and on the English Morris dance.

Annotated commentaries on Shakespeare's plays combine explanatory notes, historical and antiquarian research, and woodcut illustrations. The compiler clarifies obsolete words and customs, supplies critical emendations, and includes specific essays on comic personae such as clowns and fools, the influence of the medieval Gesta Romanorum on one drama, and the English morris dance. The preface reflects on the aims and methods of commentary and earlier editors; the notes range from linguistic glosses to cultural digressions intended to illuminate stage practice and popular sources while occasionally settling disputes between critics.