“May the Writer premise a suspicion, which from internal evidence, he has long entertained, that Shakespeare was a Roman Catholic. Not one of his works contains the slightest reflections on Popery, or any of its practices; or any eulogy of the Reformation. His panegyric on Queen Elizabeth is cautiously expressed; whilst Queen Catherine is placed in a state of veneration; and nothing can exceed the skill with which Griffith draws the panegyric of Wolsey. The Ecclesiastic is never presented by Shakespeare in a degrading point of view. The jolly Monk, the irregular Nun, never appear in his Drama. Is it not natural to suppose, that the topics, on which at that time, those who criminated Popery loved so much to dwell, must have often solicited his notice, and invited him to employ his muse upon them, as subjects likely to engage the favourable attention both of the Sovereign and the subject? Does not his abstinence from these justify a suspicion, that _a Popish feeling_ with-held him from them. Milton made the Gunpowder Conspiracy the theme of a regular Poem. _Shakespeare is altogether silent on it._” * * * * * The Editor of the Morning Chronicle has given a short comment on the above Paragraph: “We will only oppose” says he, “a single observation to Mr. Butler’s suspicion. Shakespeare was buried _at his own desire in a Protestant Church_, with this rather curious Inscription, which we recommend to Mr. Butler’s perusal: _Good Friend for Jesu’s sake forbear_ To dig the dust inclosed here. Blest be the man that spares these stones, And curst be he that moves my bones.” The Editor of the Morning Chronicle does not give his authority for stating that Shakespeare was buried _by his own desire_ in a Protestant Church. The poet, in his will, does not express any _desire_ about being buried in any particular place, and being buried in a Protestant Church, neither proves one thing nor another respecting his religion. It is no proof that he was a Protestant because he was buried in a Protestant Church, even if it were clearly shewn that it was by his own desire; neither is it any proof that he was not a Roman Catholic because he was buried in a Protestant Church. Let us ask the Editor of the M. C. where the Catholics of Shakespeare’s time could bury their dead but in Protestant Churches, or in consecrated ground belonging to Protestant Churches? The inscription which the Editor of the M. C. mentions to have been placed upon Shakespeare’s tomb, certainly does not prove any more respecting his religion than does his being buried in a Protestant Church. It has been observed with a high degree of probability that the inscription in question alludes to the custom which was then in use of removing skeletons after a certain time, and depositing them in Charnel Houses. Similar execrations are found in many ancient Latin Epitaphs.