DOUCE. FRANCIS, was born In 1762. He was the youngest son of Thomas Douce, who was one of the Siz Clerks of the Court of Chanoery. Francis was sent to school at Richmond in Surrey, where he learnt Latin and some Greek. lIe afterwards held a situation in the Six Clerks office. His father died In 1799, having previously resigned to him his lucrative office as one of the Six Clerks. The bulk of his father's property, which was very considerable, was bequeathed to his elder brother, and the rest was loft to himself and his eaten. A very large aeld*tion was made to his property in 1823, 1 y Nollekens, the sculptor, who made him one of hie executors, and left him nearly one-half of the fortune which he had accumulated. (Nouzzraa.) Donee was a Fellow of the Antiquarian Society, and was in habit. of constant Intercourse, both personal and by corn. spondenee, with almost all the leading antiquarians of his time. Ile was a great collector of scarce books, prints, coins, medals, and all kinds of curious antiquities. Ile died at his residence in Gower street, London, March 30, 1S34.
Douce published in 1807 Illustrations of Shakepeare and Ancient. Manners,' 2 vols. 8vo, London. The book was roughly treated by some of the reviews, and the author was greatly offended. Ho also published, about tho beginning of 1834, The Dance of Death, exhibited in elegant Engravings on Wood, with a Dissertation on the several Representatious of that Subject, hut more particularly of those ascribed to Member and Hans Holbein, by Francis Douce, F.A.S.,
Esq.,' 8vo, London. The substance of the dissertation had appeared about forty years before, in illustration of Holler's etchings, published by Edwards, of Pall Mall, London. The engravings, of which there were forty-nine, were executed by Bonner and Byfield, two of the best engravers on wood then living. There are the only works which Douce published separately. Ile has some essays In the Archreologia, ' and there are many communications by him to the ' Gentleman's Magazine.' Douce was a mere antiquarian without any largeness of view even in antiquarian matters. As a critic on Shakspere, his remarks are of little value when true, and they are frequently erroneous, though sufficiently arrogant. As an illustrator of ancient manners, he has been somewhat more successful Douce left his valuable collection of printed books, prints, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, coins, and medals, to the Bodleian Library, Oxford. His miscellaneous antiquities he left to Dr. afterwards Sir Samuel Meyrick, of Goodrich Cloth, Wales. The manuscripts of his own writing, together with all his correspondence, he directed to be inclosed in a strong box, and sealed up, and given to the Britian Museum, with this inscription on the box, "Mr. Douce's Papers, to be opened in the year ]900." If the British Museum refused to accept the box on these terms, it was then to bo given to the Bodleian Library.