bered the Tale of Hamlet in plain English Profe, which the Criticks have now to seek in Saxo Grammaticus.

His English Hiftories he took from English Chronnicles and English Ballads; and as the ancient Writers were made known to his Countrymen by Verfions, they supplied him with new Subjects; he dilated fome of Plutarch's Lives into Plays, when they had been tranflated by North.

His Plots, whether Hiftorical or Fabulous, are always crouded with Incidents, by which the Attention of a rude People was more eafily caught than by Sentiment or Argumentation; and fuch is the Power of the Marvellous even over those who defpife it, that every Man finds his Mind more strongly seized by the Tragedies of Shakespeare than of any other Writer; others please us by particular Speeches, but he always make us anxious for the Event, and has perhaps excelled all but Homer in fecuring the firft Purpose of a Writer, by exciting restless and unquenchable Curiofity, and compelling him that reads his Work to read it through.

The Shows and Buftle with which his Plays abound have the fame Original. As Knowledge advances, Pleasure paffes from the Eye to the Ear, but returns, as it declines, from the Ear to the Eye. Thofe to whom our Authour's Labours were exhibited had more Skill in Pomps or Proceffions than in poetical Language, and perhaps wanted fome visible and difcriminated Events, as Comments on the Dialogue. He knew how he should most please; and whether his Practice is more agreeable to Nature, or whether his Example has prejudiced the Nation, we ftill find that on our Stage fomething must be done as well as faid, and inactive Declamation is very coldly heard, however musical or elegant, paffionate or fublime.

Voltaire expreffes his Wonder, that our Authour's Extravagancies are endured by a Nation, which has feen the Tragedy of Cato. Let him be answered,

I 4

that

that Addifon fpeaks the Language of Poets, and Shakes fpeare 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 faireft 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 Addison.

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, interfperfed 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 Diverfity. 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 Incruflations, debased 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 fmall Latin, and no Greek ;' who, befides that he had no imaginable Temptation to Falfehoood, wrote at a Time when the Character and Acquifitions of Shakespeare were known to Multitudes. His Evidence ought therefore to decide the Controversy, unless fome Teftimony of equal Force could be opposed.

Some have imagined, that they have difcovered 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 Converfation, 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 pleasing Dream, fays, I cry'd to fleep again, the Author imitates Anacreon, who had, like every other Man, the fame Wish 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 easily 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 Itahan; but this on the other Part proves nothing a gainst his Knowledge of the Original. He was to copy, not what he knew himfelf, but what was known to his Audience.

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

That much Knowledge is scattered over his Works is very justly obferved by Pope, but it is often fuch Knowledge as Books did not fupply. He that will understand Shakespeare, must not be content to ftudy him in the Clofet, he muft 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 ve ry diligent Reader, nor was our Language then fo indigent of Books, but that he might very liberally indulge his Curiofity without Excursion 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 Englib Writers; and Poetry had been cultivated, not only with Diligence, but Succefs. This was a Stock of

Knowledge

Knowledge fufficient for à Mind so capable of appropriating and improving it.

But the greater Part of his Excellence was the Product of his own Genius. He found the English Stage in a State of the utmoft 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. ShakeSpeare 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 utmost Height.

By what Gradations of Improvement he proceeded, is not easily 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 leaft perfect Works; Art had Jo 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 display Life better, as he knew it more, and inftruct with more Efficacy, as he was himself more amply inftructed.

There is a Vigilance of Observation and Accuracy of Distinction which Books and Precepts cannot confer; from this almoft 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