ever equalled by any Writer, whether his Aim was the Ufe, or only the Entertainment of Mankind. The Notes in this Edition, therefore, take in the whole Compass of Criticism.

I. The first fort is employed in restoring the Poet's genuine Text; but in thofe Places only where it labours with inextricable Nonsense. In which, how much foever I may have given Scope to critical Conjecture, where the old Copies failed me, I have indulged nothing to Fancy or Imagination; but have religiously observed the fevere Canons of literal Criticism; as may be seen from the Reasons accompanying every Alteration of the common Text. Nor would a different Conduct have become a Critic, whofe greatest Attention, in this part, was to vindicate the eftablished Reading from Interpolations occafioned by the fanciful Extravagancies of others. I once intended to have given the Reader a body of Canons, for literal Criticism, drawn out in form; as well fuch as concern the Art in general, as thofe that arife from the Nature and Circumftances of our Author's Works in particular. And this for two Reasons. Firft, To give the unlearned Reader a juft Idea, and confequently a better Opinion of the Art of Criticifm, now funk very low in the popular Efteem, by the Attempts of fome who would needs exercife it without either natural or acquired Talents; and by the ill Succefs of others, who seemed to have loft both, when they came to try them upon English Authors. Secondly, To deter the unlearned Writer from wantonly trifling with an Art he is a Stranger to, at the Expence of his

own

own Reputation, and the Integrity of the Text of established Authors. But these Ufes may be well fupplied by what is occafionally faid upon the Subject, in the Course of the following Remarks.

II. The fecond fort of Notes confifts in an Explanation of the Author's Meaning, when, by one, or more of these Caufes, it becomes obscure; either from a licentious Ufe of Terms; or a hard or ungrammatical Conftruction; or laftly, from far-fetch'd or quaint Allufions.

1. This licentious Use of Words is almost peculiar to the Language of Shakespear. To common Terms he hath affixed Meanings of his own, unauthorised by Ufe, and not to be juftified by Analogy. And this Liberty he hath taken with the nobleft Parts of Speech, fuch as Mixedmodes; which, as they are most fufceptible of Abuse, so their Abuse most hurts the Clearness of the Discourse. The Critics (to whom ShakeSpear's Licence was ftill as much a Secret as his Meaning, which that Licence had obfcured) fell into two contrary Mistakes; but equally injurious to his Reputation and his Writings. For fome of them obferving a Darkness, that pervaded his whole Expreffion, have cenfured him for Confufion of Ideas and Inaccuracy of reasoning. In the Neighing of a Horfe, (fays Rymer) or in the Growling of a Maftiff there is a Meaning, there is a lively Expreffion, and, may I fay, more Humanity than many times in the tragical Flights of Shakespear. The Ignorance of which Cenfure is of a piece with its Brutality. The Truth is, no one thought clearer,

clearer, or argued more closely 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 Difcourfe, 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 cashiered 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 so perverse an use of them. I had it once, indeed, in my Defign, to give a general alphabetic 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 Effect of mistaken Art and Design. The Public Taste was in its Infancy; and delighted, (as it

always

For

always does during that State) in the high and turgid: which leads the Writer to disguise 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 obscurity that ariseth, not from the licentious use of a fingle Term, but from the unnatural arrangement of a whole Sentence. And they rifqued nothing by their filence. 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 stile and language.

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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 Obscurity, 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 spying 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 thofe circumftances, 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 those crude and fuperficial Judgments, on books and things, with which a certain celebrated Paper fo much abounds; too good indeed to be named with the Writers laft mentioned, but being unluckily mistaken for a Model, because it was an Original, it hath given

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