art and design. The publick tafte was in its infancy; and delighted (as it always does during that state) in the high and turgid; which leads the writer to difguife a vulgar expreffion with hard and forced conftruction, whereby the fentence frequently becomes cloudy and dark. Here his criticks fhew their modefty, and leave him to himself. For the arbitrary change of a word doth little towards difpelling an obfcurity that arifeth, not from the licentious ufe of a fingle term, but from the unnatural arrangement of a whole fentence. And they rifqued nothing by their filence. For Shakespeare 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 critick 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 ftile and language.

3. As to his far-fetched and quaint allufions, these are often a cover to common thoughts; just as his hard conftruction is to common expreffion. When they are not fo, the explanation of them has this fur ther advantage, that, in clearing the obfcurity, 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 ftile, thought, fentiment, character, or compofition. An odd humour of finding fault hath long prevailed amongst the criticks; as if nothing were worth remarking, that did not, at the fame time, deferve to be reproved. Whereas the publick judgment hath lefs need to be affifted in what it shall reject, than in what it ought to prize; men being generally more ready at fpying faults than in difcovering beauties. Nor is the value they fet upon a work, a certain proof that they understand it. For it is ever seen, that half a

dozen

tlozen 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 critick hath fo frequently attached himself to works of established reputation; not to teach the world to admire, which, in those circumftances, to say the truth, they are apt enough to do of themselves; but to teach them how, with reafon to admire: no eafy matter, I will affure you, on the fubject in queftion: for though it be very true, as Mr. Pope hath observed, that Shakespeare is the fairest and fulleft fubject for criticism, yet it is not fuch a fort of criticifm as may be raised mechanically on the rules which Dacier, Rapin, and Boffu have collected from antiquity; and of which, fuch kind of writers as Rymer, Gildon, Dennis, and Oldmixon, have only gathered and chewed the hufks: nor on the other hand is it to be formed on the plan of thofe 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 rife to a deluge of the worst fort of critical jargon; I mean that which looks most like fenfe. But the kind of criticifm here required, is fuch as judgeth our author by thofe only laws and principles on which he wrote, NATURE, and COMMON-SENSE.

Our obfervations, therefore, being thus extenfive, will, I prefume, enable the reader to form a right judgment of this favourite poet, without drawing out his character, as was once intended, in a continued discourse.

Thefe, fuch as they are, were amongst my younger amufements, when, many years ago, I used to turn over these fort of writers to unbend myself from more ferious applications: and what, certainly, the publick, at this time of day, had never been troubled with, VOL. I.

[K]

but

but for the conduct of the two last editors, and the perfuafions of dear Mr. Pope; whofe memory and

name,

femper acerbum,

Semper honoratum (fic Di voluiftis) habeba.

He was defirous I fhould give a new edition of this poet, as he thought it might contribute to put a ftop to a prevailing folly of altering the text of celebrated authors without talents or judgment. And he was willing that bis edition fhould be melted down into mine, as it would, he faid, afford him (fo great is the modesty of an ingenuous temper) a fit opportunity of confeffing his mistakes 2. In memory of our friendship, I have, therefore, made it our joint edition. His admirable preface is here added; all his notes are given, with his name annexed; the scenes are divided according to his regulation; and the most beautiful paffages diftinguifhed, as in his book, with inverted commas. In imitation of him, I have done the fame by as many others as I thought moft deferving of the reader's attention, and have marked them with double commas.

If, from all this, Shakespeare or good letters have received any advantage, and the publick any benefit, or entertainment, the thanks are due to the proprietors, who have been at the expence of procuring this edition. And I fhould be unjuft, to feveral deferving men of a reputable and useful profeffion, if I did not, on this occafion, acknowledge the fair dealing I have always found amongst them; and profefs my fenfe of the unjuft prejudice which lies against them; whereby they have been, hitherto, unable to procure that fecurity for their property, which they see the rest of their fellow-citizens enjoy. A prejudice in part arifing

2 See his Letters to me.

from

from the frequent piracies (as they are called) committed by members of their own body. But fuch kind of members no body is without. And it would be hard that this fhould be turned to the difcredit of the honeft part of the profeffion, who fuffer more from fuch injuries than any other men. It hath, in part too, arisen from the clamours of profligate fcriblers, ever ready, for a piece of money, to prostitute their bad fenfe for or against any cause prophane or facred; or in any scandal publick or private: thefe meeting with little encouragement from men of account in the trade (who, even in this enlightened age, are not the very worst judges or rewarders of merit) apply themfelves to people of condition; and fupport their importunities by falfe complaints against bookfellers.

But I fhould now, perhaps, rather think of my own apology, than bufy myself in the defence of others. I fhall have fome Tartuffe ready, on the first appearance of this edition, to call out again, and tell me, that I fuffer myself to be wholly diverted from my purpose by these matters lefs fuitable to my clerical profeffion. "Well, but (fays a friend) why not take fo "candid an intimation in good part? Withdraw your"felf again, as you are bid, into the clerical pale; "examine the records of facred and prophane anti

quity; and, on them, erect a work to the con"fufion of infidelity." Why, I have done all this, and more: and hear now what the fame men have faid to it. They tell me, I have wrote to the wrong and injury of religion, and furnished out more handles for unbelievers. "Oh! now the fecret is out; and

you may have your pardon, I find, upon eafier "terms. It is only, to write no more."Good gentlemen! and fhall I not oblige them? They would gladly obftruct my way to thofe things which every man, who endeavours well in his profeffion, muft needs think he has fome claim to, when he fees them given [K 2]

to

to those who never did endeavour; at the fame time that they would deter me from taking those advantages which letters enable me to procure for myself. If then I am to write no more (though as much out of my profeffion as they may pleafe to reprefent this work, I fufpect their modefty would not infift on a fcrutiny of our feveral applications of this prophane profit and their purer gains) if, I fay, I am to write no more, let me at leaft give the publick, who have a better pretence to demand it of me, fome reason for my prefenting them with these amusements; which, if I am not much mistaken, may be excufed by the best and fairest examples; and, what is more, may be juftified on the furer reafon of things.

The great Saint CHRYSOSTOM, a name confecrated to immortality by his virtue and eloquence, is known to have been fo fond of Aristophanes, as to wake with him at his ftudies, and to fleep with him under his pillow and I never heard that this was objected either to his piety or his preaching, not even in those times of pure zeal and primitive religion. Yet, in refpect of Shakespeare's great fenfe, Ariftophanes's best wit is but buffoonery; and, in comparison of Ariftophanes's freedoms, Shakespeare writes with the purity of a veftal. But they will fay, St. Chryfoftom contracted a fondnets for the comick poet for the fake of bis Greek. To this, indeed, I have nothing to reply. Far be it from me to infinuate fo unscholarlike a thing, as if we had the fame ufe for good English, that a Greek had for his Attick elegance. Critick Kufter, in a tafte and language peculiar to grammarians of a certain order, hath decreed, that the history and chronology of Greek words is the most SOLID entertainment of a man of letters.

I fly then to a higher example, much nearer home, and still more in point, the famous university of OXFORD. This illuftrious body, which hath long fo justly held, and with fuch equity difpenfed, the chief

honours