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which he owed to the School. And if we may allow a Poffibility of this, confidering that, when he quitted the School he gave into his Father's Profeffion and way of Living, and had, 'tis likely, but a flender Library of Claffical Learning; and confidering what a Number of Tranflations, Romances, and Legends, started about his Time, and a little before; (most of which, 'tis very evident, he read;) I think, it may easily be reconciled why he rather schemed his Plots and Characters from thefe more latter Informations, than went back to thofe Fountains, for which, he might entertain a fincere Veneration, but to which he could not have fo ready a Recourse.

In touching on another Part of his Learning, as it related to the Knowledge of Hiftory, and Books, I fhall advance fomething, that, at first fight, will - very much wear the Appearance of a Paradox, For I fhall find it no hard matter to prove, that, from the groffeft Blunders in History, we are not to infer his real Ignorance of it: Nor from a greater Ufe of Latin Words, than ever any other English Author ufed, muft we infer his intimate Acquaintance with that Language.

A Reader of Tafte may eafily obferve, that tho' Shakespeare, almoft in every Scene of his historical Plays, commits the groffeft Offences against Chronology, Hiftory, and Ancient Politicks; yet this was not thro' Ignorance, as is generally supposed, but thro' the too powerful Blaze of his Imagina

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tion; which, when once raifed, made all acquired Knowledge vanish and disappear before it. But this Licence in him, as I have faid, muft not be imputed to Ignorance: fince as often we may find him, when occafion ferves, reafoning up to the Truth of Hiftory; and throwing out Sentiments as juftly adapted to the Circumftances of his Subject, as to the Dignity of his Characters, or Dictates of Nature in general.

Then to come to his Knowledge of the Latin Tongue, it is certain, there is a furprifing Effufion of Latin Words made English, far more than in any one English Author I have feen; but we must be cautious to imagine, this was of his own doing. For the English Tongue, in his Age, began extremely to fuffer by an Inundation of Latin: And this, to "be fure, was occafioned by the Pedantry of thofe two Monarchs, Elizabeth and James, both great Latinifts. For it is not to be wondered at, if both the Court and Schools, equal Flatterers of Power, fhould adapt themfelves to the Royal Tafte.

But now I am touching on the Queftion, (which has been fo frequently agitated, yet fo entirely undecided) of his Learning and Acquaintance with the Languages; an additional Word or two naturally falls in here upon the Genius of our Author, as compared with that of Johnfon his Contemporary. They are confeffedly the greateft Writers our Nation could ever boaft of in the Drama. The firft, we fay, owed all to his prodigious natural Genius;

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and the other a great deal to his Art and Learning. This, if attended to, will explain a very remarkable Appearance in their Writings. Befides thofe wonderful Masterpieces of Art and Genius, which each has given us; they are the Authors of other Works very unworthy of them: But with this Difference; that in Johnson's bad Pieces we do not difcover one fingle Trace of the Author of the Fox and Alchemist: but in the wild extravagant Notes of Shakespeare, you every now and then enCounter Strains that recognize the divine Compofer. This Difference may be thus accounted for. Johnson, as we faid before, owing all his Excellence to his Art, by which he fometimes ftrained himfelf to an uncommon Pitch, when at other times he unbent and played with his Subject, having nothing then to fupport him, it is no wonder he wrote fo far beneath himfelf. But Shakespeare, indebted more largely to Nature, than the other to acquired Talent, in his moft negligent Hours could never fo totally diveft himself of his Genius, but that it would frequently break out with aftonishing Force and Splendor.

As I have never propofed to dilate farther on the Character of my Author, than was neceffary to explain the Nature and Use of this Edition, I shall proceed to confider him as a Genius in Poffeffion of an everlasting Name. And how great that Merit muft be, which could gain it against all the Difadvantages of the horrid Condition in which he has hitherto appeared! Had Homer, or any other ad

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mired Author, first started into Publick fo maimed and deformed, we cannot determine whether they had not funk for ever under the Ignominy of fuch an ill Appearance. The mangled Condition of Shakespeare has been acknowledged by Mr. Rowe, who published him indeed, but neither corrected his Text, nor collated the old Copies. This Gentleman had Abilities, and fufficient Knowledge of his Author, had but his Industry been equal to his Talents. The fame mangled Condition has been acknowledged too by Mr. Pope, who published him likewife, pretended to have collated the old Copies, and yet feldom has corrected the Text but to its Injury. I congratulate with the Manes of our Poet, that this Gentleman has been fparing in indulging his private Sense, as he phrafes it; for he, who tampers with an Author, whom he does not understand, muft do it at the Expence of his Subject. I have made it evident throughout my Remarks, that he has frequently inflicted a Wound where he intended a Cure. He has acted with regard to our Author, as an Editor, whom LIPSIUS mentions, did with regard to MARTIAL; Inventus eft nefcio quis Popa, qui non vitia ejus, fed ipfum excidit. He has attacked him like an unhandy Slaughterman; and not lopped off the Errors, but the Poet.

When this is found to be the Fact, how abfurd muft appear the Praises of fuch an Editor? It seems a moot Point, whether Mr. Pope has done most Injury to Shakespeare as his Editor and Encomiast; ;

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or Mr. Rymer done him Service as his Rival and Cenfurer. They have both fhewn themselves in an equal Impuissance of fufpecting, or amending, the corrupted Paffages: and tho' it be neither Prudence to cenfure, or commend, what one does not underftand; yet if a man muft do one when he plays the Critick, the latter is the more ridiculous Office: And by that Shakespeare fuffers moft. For the natural Veneration, which we have for him, makes us apt to swallow whatever is given us as his, and fet off with Encomiums; and hence we quit all Sufpicions of Depravity: On the contrary, the Cenfure of fo divine an Author fets us upon his Defence; and this produces an exact Scrutiny and Examination, which ends in finding out and difcriminating the true from the fpurious.

It is not with any fecret Pleasure, that I fo frequently animadvert on Mr. Pope as a Critick; but there are Provocations, which a Man can never quite forget.. His Libels have been thrown out with so much Inveteracy, that, not to difpute whether they should come from a Chriflian, they leave it a Queftion whether they could come from a Man. I should be loth to doubt, as Quintus Serenus did in a like Cafe,

Sive homo, feu fimilis turpiffima beftia nobis,
Vulnera dente dedit.

The Indignation, perhaps, for being reprefented a Blackhead, may be as ftrong in us as it is in the

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