ABSTRACT
From the Gray’s-Inn Journal (1753-4). The textual history of this journal is complex: apparently, fifty-two of the essays originally appeared in the Craftsman: or Gray’s-Inn Journal between 21 October 1752 and September 1753. Murphy wrote another fiftytwo for the Gray’s-Inn Journal as a separate publication between 29 September 1753 and 21 September 1754: the essays selected here all come from this second set. The essays were reprinted in a twovolume edition in 1756, and again in Murphy’s Works, 7 vols, 1786 (vols V-VI). In these reprints Murphy made large and small alterations, and changed the dates of the original essays: for this reason I have given to the essays here reprinted the titles which he added to them in 1756 and 1758. The first essay printed here on Macbeth was not reprinted in full, perhaps because it plagiarized Dr Johnson, with whom Murphy later became friendly. Apart from this item the text reprinted is from the last version revised by Murphy, that of 1786. The best study of the textual problem is R.B.Botting, ‘The Textual History of Murphy’s Gray’s-Inn Journal’, Research Studies of the State College of Washington, xxv (1957), pp. 33-48.
