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MEMORY of my beloved the AUTHOR,

. Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR,

And what he hath left us.

To draw no envy (Shakespear) on thy Name,
Am I thus ample to thy Book, and Fame:
While I confefs thy writings to be fuch,
As neither Man, nor Mufe can praife too much.
'Tis true, and all mens fuffrage. But thefe wayes
Were not the paths I meant unto thy praife:
For feelieft Ignorance on thefe may light,
Which, when it founds at beft, but ecchoes right;
Or blind Affection, which doth ne'er advance
The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chance;
Or crafty Malice might pretend this praise,
And think to ruine, where it feem'd to raife.
These are, as fome infamous Baud, or Whore,
Should praife a Matron. What could hurt her more?
But thou art proof against them, and indeed
Above th' ill fortune of them, or the need.
I therefore will begin, Soul of the Age!
The applaufe! delight! the wonder of our Stage!
My Shakespear rife; I will not lodge thee by
Chaucer, or Spenfer, or bid Beaumont lye
A little further, to make thee a room:
Thou art a Monument without a Tomb,
And art alive ftill, while thy Book doth live,
And we have wits to read, and praise to give.
That I not mix thee fo, my brain excuses,
I mean with great, but difproportion'd Muses:
For if I thought my judgment were of years,
I fhould commit thee furely with thy Peers,

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And tell how far thou didst our Lily out-fhine,
Or Sporting Kid, or Marlow's mighty Line.
And though thou hadst small Latin and lefs Greek,
From thence to honour thee, I would not seek
For names; but call forth thund'ring Eschylus,
Euripides, and Sophocles to us,

Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead,
To live again, to hear thy Buskin tread,
And bake a Stage: Or, when thy Socks were on,
Leave thee alone for the comparison

Of all, that infolent Greece, or haughty Rome
Sent forth, or fince did from their afbes come.
Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to show,
To whom all Scenes of Europe homage owe.
He was not of an age, but for all time!
And all the Mules, ftill were in their prime,
When like Apollo he came forth to warm
Our ears, or like a Mercury to charm!
Nature herself was proud of his defignes,
And joy'd to wear the dreffing of his Lines!
Which were fo richly spun, and woven jo fit,
As, fince, he will vouchsafe no other wit.
The merry Greek, tart Ariftophanes,
Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please ;
But antiquated, and deferted lye,

As they were not of Nature's family.
Yet must I not give Nature all: Thy Art,
My gentle Shakespear, must enjoy a part.
For tho' the Poet's matter Nature be,

His Art doth give the Fashion. And, that he
Who cafts to write a living line, must sweat,
(Such as thine are) and ftrike the fecond heat
Upon the Mufes Anvile; turn the fame,
And himself with it) that he thinks to frame;
Or for the Lawrel, he may gain a scorn,
For a good Poet's made, as well as born.
And fuch wert thou. Look how the Father's face
Lives in his Ifue, even fo the race

Of

Of Shakespear's mind and manners brightly shines
In bis well torned, and true filed lines:

In each of which he seems to shake a Lance,
As brandifh'd at the eyes of Ignorance.
Sweet Swan of Avon! what a fight it were
To fee thee in our water yet appear,

And make thofe flights upon the Banks of Thames,
That fo did take Eliza, and our James!

But ftay, I fee thee in the Hemisphere
Advanc'd, and made a Conftellation there!
Shine forth, thou Starre of Poets, and with rage,
Or influence, chide, or chear the drooping Stage,
Which, fince thy flight from hence, bath mourn'd like night,
And defpairs day, but for thy Volume's light.

BEN. JOHNSON.

A

TABLE

OF THE

Several Editions of Shakespear's Plays, whether separate or together, made ufe of, and collated for this Edition by Mr. Pope and Mr. Warburton.

R. William Shakefpear's Comedies, Hiftories and Tragedies, publifh'd according to the Original Copies. the firft Edition in Folio, 1623. The fecond Impreffion in Folio, of 1632.

The Third Impreffion in Folio, of 1664.

A Midsummer Night's dreame. As it hath been fundry Times publikely acted, by the Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his Servants. Written by William Shakespeare. Imprinted at London for Thomas Fisher, and are to be foulde at his Shoppe at the Signe of the White Hart in Fleetstreete, 1600. (Quarto.)

The fame. Printed by James Roberts, 1600. (Quarto.)

A moft pleafaunt and excellent conceited Comedie of Syr John Falstaffe, and the merry Wives of Windfor. Entermixed with fundrie variable and pleafing humors of Syr Hugh the Welch Knight,

Juftice

Juftice Shallow, and his wife Coufin M. Slender. With the fwaggering Vaine of Auncient Piftoll, and Corporall Nym. By William Shakespeare. As it hath bene divers times acted by the right Honourable my Lord Chamberlain's Servants: both before her Majeftie, and elsewhere. London: Printed by T. C. for Arthur Johnson, and are to be fold at his Shop in Powles Churchyard at the Signe of the Flower de Leufe and the Crowne, 1602. (Quarto.)

A most pleasant and excellent conceited Comedy of Sir John Falstaffe, and the Merry Wives of Windfor, with the fwaggering Vain of Ancient Pistol and Corporal Nym. printed for Arthur Johnson, 1619, Quarto.

The Merry Wives of Windfor. With the Humours of Sir John Falstaffe; as also the swaggering Vaine of Ancient Piftoll, and Corporal Nym. Written by William Shakespeare, newly corrected. London: Printed by T. H. for R. Meigben, and are to be fold at his Shop, next to the Middle Temple Gate, and in St. Dunstan's Churchyard in Fleetftreet, 1630. (Quarto.)

Much adoe about Nothing. As it hath been fundrie times publickly acted by the right honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his Servants. Written by William Shakespeare. London: Printed by V. S. for Andrew Wife and William Afpley, 1600. (Quarto.)

The excellent Hiftory of the Merchant of Venice, with the extream Cruelty of Shylock the Jew toward the faid Merchant, in cutting a juft Pound of his Flesh, and the obtaining of Portia by the choice of three Caskets. Printed by 7. Roberts, 1600, Quarto.

Another Edition of the fame, printed by 7. R. for Tho. Heyes, in the fame Year (the 36th of his Age.)

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