PREFACE

THE editor hopes that he has performed a real service for students in thus bringing together, in one volume, the most notable utterances of Shakespearean criticism during the eighteenth century.

The young reader is forever happening upon allusions to the opinions of Johnson, of Pope, of Theobald, etc., without being able to locate the references. The originals of these elusive comments are scattered through many editions of the poet's works, and have never been available for the average reader, save in the form of prolegomena to expensive publications, usually either beyond the purse, or otherwise inaccessible to the great majority of readers.

That this body of criticism and interpretation should be within reach of students both young and old, I have long been convinced, and it has been a labour of love to collect and illustrate the contents of this volume. The biographical and explanatory notes have been made as brief as is consistent with clearness and accuracy. The portraits are reproductions of old engravings gathered from many sources. Search has been made in vain for prints of Heminge and Condell, as well as of Sir Thomas North, the translator, whose work was used by Shakespeare in the construction of the Roman plays. The introductory essay is an attempt to estimate the critical value of these famous prefaces and to indicate the special contribution of their several authors to Shakespearean interpretation.

xi