merely cover, the hand, whereas it was the glove, and not the proportions of the hand, that was made most conspicuous in Shakespeare’s day. In January of this year I received from Mr. Horace Howard Furness, of Philadelphia, the eminent Shakespearian scholar, the following letter:-- SIR,--In a review of your admirable book in the _Spectator_ for November 24, 1883, mention is made of a pair of Shakespeare’s gloves now in the possession of Miss Benson, which the reviewer states you incline “to consider genuine relics.” (I quote the review and the reviewer, because I have not yet seen your book. I ordered it from London through my bookseller some time ago, but it has not yet arrived.) Am I too bold in asking you to be kind enough, sometime at your leisure, to send me some of the grounds on which you have reached the conclusion that these gloves are those which were presented to Garrick in 1769? For several years past I have flattered myself that I was the fortunate owner of these gloves. The pedigree of mine will be found-- First, in the letter of John Ward to Garrick in 1769. (See Garrick’s “Correspondence, &c.,” vol. i. p. 352.) Second, Mrs. Garrick’s bequest of them to Mrs. Siddons in her will dated 1822. See Campbell’s “Life of Mrs. Siddons,” p. 369, where is also to be found the formal note of Mrs. Garrick’s executors to Mrs. Siddons, requesting an interview, for the purpose of presenting these gloves to her. Third, Mrs. Siddons’ bequest of these gloves to her daughter Cecilia, Mrs. Geo. Combe, of Edinboro’. Fourth, Mrs. Combe’s bequest of them to her cousin, Mrs. Fanny Kemble. Lastly, the gift of these gloves in the very box in which Mrs. Siddons kept them, with her writing on the cover, “Shakespeare’s Gloves, left by Mrs. Garrick to Sarah Siddons,” and by my dear and venerated friend, Mrs. Kemble, to their present possessor. At any rate these gloves of mine were once Garrick’s, Mrs. Siddons’, and Mrs. Kemble’s. I am almost content to rest there. Should it interest you, I will send you a photograph of them. Before proceeding further, let us bring in evidence the extracts adduced to establish the authenticity of these gloves. (_Private Correspondence of David Garrick_, vol. i. p. 352.) MR. JOHN WARD[22] _to_ MR. GARRICK. _Leominster, May 31st, 1769._