circumftance is mentioned, left fuch accidental coincidences of opinion, as may be difcovered hereafter, should be interpreted into plagiarism. It may occafionally happen, that fome of the remarks long ago produced by others may have been offered again as recent difcoveries. It is likewise abfolutely impoffible to pronounce with any degree of certainty, whence all the hints, which furnish matter for a commentary, have been collected, as they lie fcattered in many books and papers, which were probably never read but once, or the particulars which they contain received only in the course of common conversation; nay, what is called plagiarism, is often no more than the refult of having thought alike with others on the fame fubject. The dispute about the learning of Shakespeare being now finally fettled, a catalogue is added of thofe tranflated authors, whom Mr. Pope has thought proper to call The claffics of an age that heard of none. The reader may not be displeased to have the Greek and Roman poets, orators, &c. who had been rendered acceffible to our author, expofed at one view; efpecially as the lift has received the advantage of being corrected and amplified by the Reverend Mr. Farmer, the. fubftance of whofe very decifive pamphlet is interfperfed through the notes which are added in this revifal of Dr. Johnson's Shakefpeare. To To those who have advanced the reputation of our Poet, it has been endeavoured, by Dr. Johnfon, in the foregoing preface, impartially to allot their dividend of fame; and it is with great regret that we now add to the catalogue, another, the, confequence of whofe death will perhaps affect not only the works of Shakefpeare, but of many other writers. Soon after the first appearance of this edition, a difeafe, rapid in its progrefs, deprived the world of Mr. JACOB TONSON; a man, whofe zeal for the improvement of English literature, and whofe liberality to men of learning, gave him a just title to all the honours which men of learning can bestow. To fuppofe that a man employed in an extenfive trade, lived in a state of indifference to lofs and gain, would be to conceive a character incredible and romantic; but it may be juftly faid of Mr. ToN SON, that he had enlarged his mind beyond folicitude about petty loffes, and refined it from the defire of unreasonable profit. He was willing to admit those with whom he contracted, to the juft advantage of their own labours; and had never learned to confider the author as an under agent to the bookfeller. The wealth which he inherited or acquired, he enjoyed like a man confcious of the dignity of a profession subfervient to learning. His domeftic life was elegant, and his charity was liberal. His manners were foft, and his converfation delicate: nor is, perhaps, any quality in him more to be cenfured, than that referve which confined his acquaintance to a fmall number, and made his example lefs ufeful, as it was lefs extenfive. He was the laft commercial name of a family which will be long remembered; and if Horace thought thought it not improper to convey the Sosi to pofterity; if rhetoric fuffered no dishonour from Quintilian's dedication to TRYPHO; let it not be thought that we difgrace Shakespeare, by joining to his works the name of TONSON. ANCIENT ANCIENT TRANSLATIONS FROM CLASSIC AUTHORS. T HOMER. EN Bookes of the Iliades into English out of French, by A. H. Lond. by Ralph Newberie, 4to. 1581 The Shield of Achilles from the 18th Book of Homer, by Geo. Chapman, 4to. Lond. 1596 Seven Books of the Iliades, by ditto, 4to. Lond. 1596 1598 1600 The whole Works of Homer, by d°. printed for Nath. Butter no date The Crowne of all Homer's Workes, Batrachomyomachia, &c. thin fol. printed by John Bill no date MUSEU S. Marloe's Hero and Leander, with the first Book of Lucan, 4to. 1600 There must have been a former Edition, as a second Part was published by Henry Petowe 1598 Mufæus's Poem of Hero and Leander, imitated by Christopher Marlow, and finished by Geo. Chapman, 8vo. Lond. 1606 EURI EURIPIDES. Jocafta, a Tragedy, from the Phoeniffa of Euripides, by Geo. Gafcoigne, and Mr. Francis Kinwelmerfhe, 4to. Lond. APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. 1556 The Hiftorie of Jafon; touching the Conquefte of the Golden Fleece.-Printed by Caxton. This Work like Caxton's Buke of Eneydos) was tranflated from the French of Raoul Le Feure*. PLATO. Axiochus, a Dialogue, attributed to Plato, by. Edm. Spenfer, 4to. 1592 DEMOSTHENE S. The Three Orations of Demofthenes, chiefe Orator among the Grecians, in Favour of the Olynthians, with thofe his fower against Philip of Macedon, &c. by Tho. Wylfon, Doctor of theCivil Lawes, 1570 4to. ISOCRATES. Hocrates's fage Admonition to Demonicus, by R. Nuttshall, 8vo. Lond. 1557, 12mo, and 1585 Ifocrates's Doctrinal of Princes, by Syr Tho. Elliot, $ Y!* 1534 Ifocrates's Orat. intitled Evagoras, by Jer. Wolfe, 8vo. 911 250 1581 Three Orations of moral Inftructions, one to Demonicus, and two to Nicocles, King of Salamis, tranflated from Ifocrates, by Tho. Forreft, 4to. Not having feen this Book, I am by no means certain that it is an abfolute Tranflation of the Greck Author. LUCIAN. |