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PREFACE.

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a variety of editions, and innumerable comments can be fuppofed to perfect and correct the inaccurate text of a celebrated author, fufficient, one would think, has been done to leave that of Shakspeare without a blemish. So flow, however, or fo inefficacious, is the progrefs and exertion of verbal criticifm, when moiling in the dust and cobwebs of antiquity, fo much is to be demolifhed, fo much to be rebuilt, that it will not, except to thofe who place implicit confidence in the interested and unqualifyed affer tions of every publisher, be a matter of much furprise to learn, that, after all that has been done by the labour of Shakspeares numerous editors and commentators,-after all that has been urged or affumed in favour of the laft

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edition, as much more ftill remains to be done to bring his text back even to the state of correctnefs in which it was left by his firft editors. A reader of hesitation and reflection will hear this with perfect calmnefs; he will be no stranger 16 to the fluctuating ftate of former editions"; "he will have noticed the boldnefs and affurance, the legislative and dictatorial manner in which every fucceeding editor has ufhered hisfelf into 'the world; and will not eafyly forget the con fidence of each of each in affuring the public that' 'thing' further could poffibly be done to l author:Is not this t Is not this the language of Rowe, and Pope, and Theobald, and Warburton, and And where are they

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now? Where even dr. Johnfon and mr. Steevens may, in the course of a few revolving years, be sent to accompany them :-the regions of oblivion or disgrace.

The chief and fundamental bufinefs of an editor is carefully tobcollate the original and authentic editions of his author. It is otherwife impoffible for him to be certain that he as giving the genuine text, because he does not know what that text is. There have been no lefs than eight profefsed editors of Shakspeare; and

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yet the old copies, of which we have heard fo much, have never been collated by any one of them: no, not even either of the two first folios, books indifferently common, and quoted by every body. And yet, strange as it may feem, not one of the eight but has taken the credit of, or actually afferted, his having collated them. One may be well allowed to pafs by the pretenfions of those prior to dr. Johnfon without particular notice; their falfehood is fufficiently apparent in the margin of the late edition. Surely,, men who thus proudly expofe and feverely reprobate the crimes of their neighbours fhould effectually guard theirfelves against fimilar accufations

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"I," fays dr. Johnsen, "collated fuch copies as I could procure, and wifhed for more (1):" "I collated... all [the folios] at the beginning, but afterwards ufed only the firft (2)." He must be very hardy, indeed, that dares give a flat contradiction to fuch pofitive affertionis as these from fo refpectable a cha *racter. But the caufe of Shakspeare and truth obliges one to fay that the learned writer is certainly mistaken. The text of his own edi

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(1) Preface, p. 59.

A 2

(2) Ibidem, p. 49.

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tion, the notes of mr. Steevens, and, in fome refpect, the remarks in the following the will 11 prove thatine that he never collated any one of the folios, no not for a fingle play, or at

leaft that of his collations he has made little or

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no ufe. That he picked out a, reading here and ysiq signi

there from the old editions, is trug; all his predeceffors did the fame; but this is not collation. So much for dr. Johnfon, -91 1990 1

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With regard to the laft edition, mir. Steevens explicitly tells us that it has been conftantly compared with the moft authentic, copies, whe ther collation was abfolutely neceffary to the fenfe, or not (3).” "Would not any one, from this declaration," to ufe the ingenious critics own words, " fuppofe, that he had at saan viismM DILD

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But he has been deceived, no, dou

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leaft compared the folios with cach other (4)¦ no doubt, by the perfon employed in this laborious, but neceffary work. What an abufe of that confidence, and credit which the public naturally place in air editor of rank and character, to tell them, that blo.ad to coUNDE 31 ZHORE

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by a diligent collation of all the old copies hi¬

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therto discovered, and the judicious, restoration

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