If we give into this opinion, how many low and vicious parts and paffages might no longer reflect upon this great Genius, but appear unworthily charged upon him? And even in those which are really his, how many faults may have been unjustly laid to his account from arbitrary Additions, Expunctions, Tranfpofitions of scenes and lines, confufion of Characters and Perfons, wrong application of Speeches, corruptions of innumerable Paffages by the Ignorance, and wrong Corrections of 'em again by the Impertinence, of his firft Editors? From one or other of thefe confiderations, I am verily perfuaded, that the greatest and the groffeft part of what are thought his errors would vanish, and leave his character in a light very different from that disadvantageous one, in which it now appears to us.

This is the ftate in which Shakespear's writings lye at prefent; for fince the abovementioned Folio Edition, all the rest have implicitly followed it, without having recourse to any of the former, or ever making the comparison between them. It is impoffible to repair the Injuries already done him; too much time has elaps'd, and the materials are too few. In what I have done I have rather given a proof of my willingness and defire, than of my ability, to do him juftice. I have discharg'd the dull duty of an Editor, to my beft judgment, with more labour than I expect thanks, with a religious abhorrence of all innovation, and without any indulgence to my private fenfe or conjecture. The method taken in this Edition will fhow itself. The various Readings are fairly put in the margin, fo that every one may compare 'em; and thofe I have prefer'd into the Text are conftantly ex fide Codicum, upon authority. The Alterations or Additions which Shakespear himself made, are taken notice of as they occur. Some fufpected paffages which are exceffively bad, (and which feem Interpo

lations

lations by being fo inferted that one can intirely omit them without any chafm, or deficience in the context) are degraded to the bottom of the page; with an Afterisk referring to the places of their infertion. The Scenes are mark'd fo diftinctly that every removal of place is fpecify'd; which is more neceffary in this Author than any other, fince he fhifts them more frequently and fometimes without attending to this particular, the reader would have met with ob fcurities. The more obfolete or unufual words are explained. Some of the moft fhining paffages are diftinguish'd by comma's in the margin; and where the beauty lay not in particulars but in the whole, a ftar is prefix'd to the fcene. This feems to me a fhorter and lefs oftentatious method of performing the better half of Criticism (namely the pointing out an Author's excellencies) than to fill a whole paper with citations of fine paffages, with general Applaufes, or empty Exclamations at the tail of them. There is alfo fubjoin'd a Catalogue of those first Editions by which the greater part of the various readings and of the corrected paffages are authorised, (most of which are fuch as carry their own evidence along with them.) Thefe Editions now hold the place of Originals, and are the only materials left to repair the deficiences or reftore the corrupted fenfe of the Author: I can only wish that a greater number of them (if a greater were ever published) may yet be found, by a fearch more fuccefsful than mine, for the better accomplishment of this end.

I will conclude by faying of Shakespear, that with all his faults, and with all the irregularity of his Drama, one may look upon his works, in comparison of those that are more finish'd and regular, as upon an ancient majeftick piece of Gothick Architecture, compar'd with a neat Modern building: The latter is more

elegant

elegant and glaring, but the former is more strong and ✓ more folemn. It must be allow'd, that in one of these there are materials enough to make many of the other. It has much the greater variety, and much the nobler apartments; tho' we are often conducted to them by dark, odd, and uncouth Paffages. Nor does the Whole fail to ftrike us with greater reverence, tho' many of the Parts are childish, ill-plac'd, and unequal to its grandeur.

SOME

SOME

ACCOUNT of the LIFE, &c.

O F

Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR.

G

Written by Mr. ROW E.

T feems to be a kind of refpect due to the memory of excellent men, especially of those whom their wit and learning have made famous, to deliver fome ac

count of themselves, as well as their works, to Pofterity. For this reafon, how fond do we fee fome people of difcovering any little perfonal ftory of the great men of Antiquity! their families, the common accidents of their lives, and even their fhape, make, and features have been the subject of critical enquiries. How trifling foever this Curiofity may feem to be, it is certainly very natural; and we are hardly fatisfy'd with an account of any remarkable perfon, till we have heard him defcrib'd even to the . very cloaths he wears. As for what relates to men of letters, the knowledge of an Author may fometimes conduce to the better understanding his book: And

tho'

tho' the Works of Mr. Shakespear may seem to many not to want a comment, yet I fancy fome little account of the man himself may not be thought improper to go along with them.

He was the fon of Mr. John Shakespear, and was born at Stratford upon Avon, in Warwickshire, in April 1564. His family, as appears by the Register and publick Writings relating to that Town, were of good figure and fashion there, and are mention'd as gentlemen. His father, who was a confiderable dealer in wool, had fo large a family, ten children in all, that tho' he was his eldest fon, he could give him no better education than his own employment. He had bred him, 'tis true, for fome time at a Free-school, where 'tis probable he acquired what Latin he was mafter of: But the narrownefs of his circumstances, and the want of his affiftance at home, forc'd his father to withdraw him from thence, and unhappily prevented his further proficiency in that language. It is without controverfy, that in his works we fcarce find any traces of any thing that looks like an imitation of the Ancients. The delicacy of his tafte, and the natural bent of his own great Genius, (equal, if not fuperior to fome of the best of theirs) would certainly have led him to read and study 'em with fo much pleasure, that fome of their fine images would naturally have infinuated themselves into, and been mix'd with his own writings; fo that his not copying at leaft fomething from them, may be an argument of his never having read 'em. Whether his ignorance of the Ancients were a difadvantage to him or no, may admit of a difpute: For tho' the knowledge of 'em might have made him more correct, yet it is not improbable but that the regularity and deference for them, which would have attended that correctnefs, might have restrain'd some of that fire, impetuofity, and even beautiful extravagance which we admire in Shakespear:

And