clearer, or argued more clofely than this immortal Bard. But his Superiority of Genius lefs needing the Intervention of Words in the Act of Thinking, when he came to draw out his Contemplations into Discourse, he took up (as he was hurried on by the Torrent of his Matter) with the first Words that lay in his way; and if, amongst these, there were two Mixed-modes that had but a principal Idea in common, it was enough for him; he regarded them as fynonimous, and would use the one for the other without Fear or Scruple. -Again, there have been others, fuch as the two laft Editors, who have fallen into a contrary Extreme; and regarded Shakespear's Anomalies (as we may call them) amongst the Corruptions of his Text; which, therefore, they have cafhiered in great numbers, to make room for a Jargon of their own. ”. This: hath put me to additional Trouble; for I had not only their Interpolations to throw out again, but the genuine Text to replace, and establish in its ftead; which, in many Cafes, could not be done without fhewing the peculiar Sense of the Terms, and explaining the Caufes which led the -Poet to fo perverfe an ufe of them. I had it -once, indeed, in my Defign, to give a generalalphabetic Gloffary of thefe Terms; but as each of them is explained in its proper Place, there feemed the lefs Occafion for fuch an Index. 2. The Poet's hard and unnatural Conftruction had a different Original. This was the Ef•fect of mistaken Art and Defign. The Public Taste was in its Infancy; and delighted, (as it always always does during that State) in the high and turgid which leads the Writer to difguife a vulgar expreffion with hard and forced conftruction, whereby the fentence frequently becomes cloudy and dark. Here, his Critics fhew their modefty, and leave him to himself. the arbitrary change of a Word doth little towards difpelling an obfcurity that arifeth, not from the licentious ufe of a fingle Term, but from the unnatural arrangement of a whole Sentence. And they rifqued nothing by their filence. For For Shakespear was too clear in Fame to be fufpected of a want of Meaning; and too high in Fashion for any one to own he needed a Critic to find it out. Not but, in his best works, we must allow, he is often fo natural and flowing, fo pure and correct, that he is even a model for ftile and language. 3. As to his far-fetched and quaint Allufions, thefe are often a cover to common thoughts; juft as his hard conftruction is to common expreffion. When they are not fo, the explanation of them has this further advantage, that, in clearing the Obfcurity, you frequently discover fome latent conceit not unworthy of his Genius. III. The third and laft fort of Notes is concerned in a critical explanation of the Author's Beauties and Defects; but chiefly of his Beauties, whether in Stile, Thought, Sentiment, Character or Compofition. An odd humour of finding fault hath long prevailed amongst the Critics; as if nothing were worth remarking that did VOL. I. a not, not, at the fame time, deferve to be reproved. Whereas the public Judgment hath lefs need to be affifted in what it fhall reject, than in what it ought to prize; Men being generally more ready at fpying Faults than in difcovering Beauties. Nor is the value they fet upon a Work, a certain proof that they understand it. For 'tis ever seen, that half a dozen Voices of credit give the lead And if the Publick chance to be in good humour, or the Author much in their favour, the People are fure to follow. Hence it is that the true Critic hath fo frequently attached himself to Works of established reputation; not to teach the World to admire, which, in those circumstances, to say the truth, they are apt enough to do of themselves; but to teach them how, with reafon to admire: No easy matter, I will affure you, on the fubject in queftion: For tho' it be very true, as Mr. Pope hath obferved, that Shakespear is the fairest and fulleft fubject for criticism, yet it is not fuch a fort of criticism as may be raised mechanically on the Rules which Dacier, Rapin and Bou have collected from Antiquity; and of which, fuch kind of Writers as Rymer, Gildon, Dennis and Oldmixon, have only gathered and chewed the Husks: nor on the other hand is it to be formed on the Plan of thofe crude and fu perficial Judgments, on books and things, with which a certain celebrated Paper fo much abounds; too good indeed to be named with the Writers lafte mentioned, but being unluckily mistaken for at Model, because it was an Original, it hath given རཱུས་ rife rife to a deluge of the worft fort of critical Jargon; I mean that which looks moft like fenfe. But the kind of criticism here required is fuch as judgeth our Author by thofe only Laws and Principles on which he wrote, NATURE, and COMMON-SENSE. Our Obfervations, therefore, being thus extenfive, will, I prefume, enable the Reader to form a right judgment of this favourite Poet, without drawing out his Character, as was once intended, in a continued difcourfe. : Thefe, fuch as they are, were amongst my younger amusements, when, many years ago, I used to turn over these fort of Writers to unbend myself from more ferious applications: And what, certainly, the Public, at this time of day, had never been troubled with, but for the conduct of the two last Editors, and the perfuafions of dear Mr. POPE; whofe memory and name, Jemper acerbum, Semper honoratum (fic Di voluiftis) habebo. 、 He was defirous I fhould give a new Edition of this Poet, as he thought it might contribute. to put a stop to a prevailing folly of altering the, Text of celebrated Authors without Talents or Judgment. And he was willing that his Edition fhould be melted down into mine, as it would, he faid, afford him (fo great is the modesty of an ingenuous temper) a fit opportunity of confeffing his Mistakes *. In memory of our * See his Letters to me... a 2 Friend Friendship, I have, therefore, made it our joint Edition. His admirable Preface is here added ; all his Notes are given, with his name annexed; the Scenes are divided according to his regulation ; and the most beautiful paffages diftinguished, as in his book, with inverted commas. In imitation of him, I have done the fame by as many others as I thought most deserving of the Reader's attention, and have marked them with double commas. If, from all this, Shakespear or good Letters have received any advantage, and the Public any benefit, or entertainment, the thanks are due to the Proprietors, who have been at the expence of procuring this Edition. And I fhould be unjust to feveral deferving Men of a reputable and useful Profeffion, if I did not, on this occafion, acknowledge the fair dealing I have always found amongst them; and profess my. fense of the unjuft Prejudice which lies against them; whereby they have been, hitherto, unable to procure that fecurity for their Property, which they fee, the rest of their Fellow-Citizens enjoy. A prejudice in part arifing from the frequent Piracies, (as they are called) committed by Members of their own Body. But fuch kind of Members no Body is without. And it would be hard that this fhould be turned to the difcredit of the honeft part of the Profeffion, who fuffer more from fuch Injuries than any other men. It hath, in part too, arisen from the clamours of profligate Scriblers, ever ready, for |