Scott's style in many sages is strongly colored by the influence of Shakspere.] [Footnote 135: Introduction by Lang to _The Fortunes of Nigel_.] [Footnote 136: It is possible that among the various jobs of editing undertaken by Scott with a view to keeping the Ballantyne types busy, were certain collections of dramas.

_Ancient British Drama_, in three volumes, and _Modern British Drama_, in five volumes, published in 1810 and 1811, are sometimes attributed to Scott in library catalogues, but on what authority it seems impossible to discover.
There is almost no commentary in the _Ancient British Drama_, but the _Modern British Drama_ contains three brief introductions which I believe were written by Scott.

They show a striking likeness to some parts of the _Essay on the Drama_ written several years later, and it is not probable that Scott took his criticism ready-made from another author.

In the preface to the _Ancient British Drama_ we find this statement: "The present publication is intended to form, with _The British Drama_ and _Shakspeare_, a complete and uniform collection in ten volumes of the best English plays." The Shakspeare here referred to is doubtless that of which Constable the publisher afterwards spoke in his correspondence with Scott as "Ballantyne's Shakespeare," and Scott had no hand in the editorship.

(_Constable's Correspondence_, Vol.