that Addison speaks the Language of Poets, and Shakefpeare of Men. We find in Cato innumerable Beauties which enamour us of its Authour, but we fee nothing that acquaints us with human Sentiments or human Actions; we place it with the fairest and the nobleft Progeny which Judgment propagates by Conjunction with Learning, but Othello is the vigorous and vivacious Offspring of Obfervation impregnated by Genius. Cato affords a fplendid Exhibition of artificial and fictitious Manners, and delivers just and noble Sentiments, in Diction eafy, elevated, and harmonious; but its Hopes and Fears communicate no Vibration to the Heart; the Compofition refers us only to the Writer; we pronounce the Name of Cato, but we think on Addifon.

The Work of a correct and regular Writer is a Garden accurately formed and diligently planted, varied with Shades, and fcented with Flowers; the Compofition of Shakespeare is a Foreft, in which Oaks extend their Branches, and Pines tower in the Air, interspersed fometimes with Weeds and Brambles, and fometimes giving Shelter to Myrtles and to Rofes; filling the Eye with awful Pomp, and gratifying the Mind with endless Diversity. Other Poets difplay Cabinets of precious Rarities, minutely finished, wrought into Shape, and polished unto Brightnefs. Shakespeare opens a Mine which contains Gold and Diamonds in inexhauftible Plenty, though clouded by Incrustations, debafed by Impurities, and mingled with a Mafs of meaner Minerals.

It has been much difputed, whether Shakespeare owed his Excellence to his own native Force, or whether he had the common Helps of fcholaftick Education, the Precepts of critical Science, and the Examples of ancient Authours.

There has always prevailed a Tradition, that Shakefpeare wanted Learning, that he had no regular Education, nor much Skill in the dead Languages. John

fon, his Friend, affirms, that he had small Latin, and no Greek;' who, befides that he had no imaginable Temptation to Falsehoood, wrote at a Time when the Character and Acquifitions of Shakespeare were known to Multitudes. His Evidence ought therefore to decide the Controversy, unless some Teftimony of equal Force could be oppofed.

Some have imagined, that they have discovered deep Learning in many Imitations of old Writers; but the Examples which I have known urged, were drawn from Books tranflated in his Time; or were fuch eafy Coincidencies of Thought, as will happen to all who confider the fame Subjects; or fuch Remarks on Life or Axioms of Morality as float in Conversation, and are transmitted through the World in proverbial Sentences.

I have found it remarked, that, in this important Sentence, Go before, I'll follow, we read a Tranflation of, I præ fequar. I have been told, that when Caliban, after a pleafing Dream, fays, I cry'd to fleep again, the Author imitates Anacreon, who had, like every other Man, the fame Wifh on the fame Occafion.

There are a few Paffages which may pafs for Imitations, but fo few, that the Exception only confirms the Rule; he obtained them from accidental Quotations, or by oral Communication, and as he ufed what he had, would have used more if he had obtained it.

The Comedy of Errors is confeffedly taken from the Menæchmi of Plautus; from the only Play of Plautus which was then in English. What can be more probable, than that he who copied that, would have copied more; but that those which were not tranflated were inacceffible?

Whether he knew the modern Languages is uncertain. That his Plays have fome French Scenes proves but little; he might eafily procure them to be

written;

written; and probably, even though he had known the Language in the common Degree, he could not have written it without Affiftance. In the Story of Romeo and Juliet he is obferved to have followed the English Tranflation, where it deviates from the Italian; but this on the other Part proves nothing against his Knowledge of the Original. He was to copy, not what he knew himself, but what was known to his Audience.

It is most likely that he had learned Latin fufficiently to make him acquainted with Conftruction, but that he never advanced to any eafy Perufal of the Roman Authours. Concerning his Skill in modern Languages, I can find no fuflicient Ground of Determination; but as no Imitation of French or Italian Authours have been difcovered, though the Italian Poetry was then in high Efteem, I am inclined to believe, that he read little more than Englih, and chofe for his Fables only fuch Tales as he found tranflated.

That much Knowledge is fcattered over his Works is very justly obferved by Pope, but it is often fuch Knowledge as Books did not fupply. He that will underftand Shakespeare, muft not be content to ftudy him in the Clofet, he must look for his Meaning fometimes among the Sports of the Field, and fometimes among the Manufactures of the Shop.

There is however Proof enough that he was a very diligent Reader, nor was our Language then fo indigent of Books, but that he might very liberally indulge his Curiofity without Excurfion into foreign Literature. Many of the Roman Authors were translated, and fome of the Greek; the Reformation had filled the Kingdom with theological Learning; moft of the Topicks of human Difquifition had found Eng lish Writers; and Poetry had been cultivated, not only with Diligence, but Succefs. This was a Stock of Knowledge

Knowledge fufficient for a Mind fo capable of appropriating and improving it.

But the greater Part of his Excellence was the Froduct of his own Genius. He found the English Stage in a State of the utmost Rudeness; no Effays either in Tragedy or Comedy had appeared, from which it could be difcovered to what Degree of Delight either one or other might be carried. Neither Character nor Dialogue were yet understood. Shakefpeare may be truly faid to have introduced them both amongst us, and in fome of his happier Scenes to have carried them both to the utmoft Height.

By what Gradations of Improvement he proceeded, is not eafily known: for the Chronology of his Works is yet unfettled. Rowe is of Opinion, that perhaps we are not to look for his Beginning, like thofe of other Writers, in his leafi perfect Works; Art bad fo little, and Nature fo large a Share in what he did, that for ought I know, fays he, the Performances of his Youth, as they were the most vigorous, were the beft. But the Power of Nature, is only the Power of ufing to any certain Purpose the Materials which Diligence procures, or Opportunity fupplies. Nature gives no Man Knowledge, and when Images are collected by Study and Experience, can only affift in combining or applying them. Shakespeare, however favoured by Nature, could impart only what he had learned; and as he muft increase his Ideas, like other Mortals, by gradual Acquifition, he, like them, grew wifer as he grew older, could difplay Life better, as he knew it more, and inftruct with more Efficacy, as he was himself more amply inftructed.

There is a Vigilance of Obfervation and Accuracy of Distinction which Books and Precepts cannot confer; from this almost all original and native Excellence proceeds. Shakespeare must have looked upon Mankind with Perfpicacity, in the highest Degree curious and attentive. Other Writers borrow

their Characters from preceding Writers, and diver

y them only by the accidental Appendages of prefent Manners; the Drefs is a little varied, but the Body is the fame. Our Authour had both Matter and Form to provide; for except the Characters of Chaucer, to whom I think he is not much indebted, there were no Writers in English, and perhaps not many in other modern Languages, which fhewed Life in its native Colours.

The Contest about the original Benevolence or Malignity of Man had not yet commenced. Speculation had not yet attempted to analyse the Mind, to trace the Paffions to their Sources, to unfold the feminal Principles of Vice and Virtue, or found the Depths of the Heart for the Motives of Action. All thofe Enquiries, which from that Time that human Nature became the fashionable Study, have been made fometimes with nice Difcernment, but often with idle Subtilty, were yet unattempted. The Tales, with which the Infancy of Learning was fatisfied, exhibited only the fuperficial Appearances of Action, related the Events but omitted the Caufes, and were formed for fuch as delighted in Wenders rather than in Truth. Mankind was not then to be ftudied in the Clofet; he that would know the World, was under the Neceffity of gleaning his own Remarks, by mingling as he could in its Bufinefs and Amusements.

Boyle congratulated himself upon his high Birth, because it favoured his Curiofity, by facilitating his Accefs. Shakespeare had no fuch Advantage; he came to London a needy Adventurer, and lived for a Time by very mean Employments. Many Works of Genius and Learning have been performed in States of Life, that appear very little favourable to Thought or to Enquiry; fo many, that he who confiders them is inclined to think that he fees Enterprise and Perfeverance predominating over all external Agency,

and