Dedicated, by Permiffion, to

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES,

Bell's Edition of

SHAKSPERE's WORKS,

Printed complete from the Text of

SAMUEL JOHNSON and GEORGE STEEVENS.

T

HIS work is intended to supercede the necef

fity for any other Edition whatever, as it will be calculated to gratify every elafs of Readers, The Publisher intends that it fhall not only be the most perfect and beautiful Work that Britain ever produced, but also the cheapest; he humbly hopes for public Patronage, in proportion to the merits of the undertaking, and he refpectfully folicits particular attention to the following

circumstances..

The plan is to print each Play fingly, and entire, from the laft revifions of Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON, and GEORGE STEEVENS.

[ ]

STEEVENS, Efq, &c. with their Characters of the Play, and the Origin of the Fable, as an introductory Preface to each Play.

The Plays to be printed by Meffrs. FRYS and COUCHMAN, on two forts of paper; the best of which will be Juperfine writing-poft quality, on a new Bourgeois Letter, caft and delicately dreffed on purpose. Embellishments for this fort will confift of a characteriftic Print reprefenting a spirited likeness of fome favourite performer, befides an original Vignette Scene Print, defigned and engraved by the most eminent Artifts in London and Paris. The Plays, thus embellished and cxecuted, will be fold at one fhilling and fix-pence each..

The inferior fort will be on common printing paper, and be enriched with the characteristic Print only; containing, nevertheless, the fame Letter-Prefs, and printed on the fame Type-this copy will be fold at the usual price, even of the meanest Editions, viz. Six-pence each Play.

AFTERWARDS,

The Prefaces, Advertisements, Introductory Matter, and the Notes of every Commentator, who have pretended to illuftrate SHAKESPERE, will be comprised, and digested into one clear point of view, with references to the text of each Piece-Thefe Lucubrations will be printed. allo periodically-each number to contain the Notes

Variorum,

Variorum, and other neceffary information on two, at leaft of SHAKSPERE'S PLAYS-each number of these Notes will be embellished with an ORIGINAL PORTRAIT of the Author, or some of our most admired Commentators, to be fold at the fame prices of the Plays-any fingle Play, or Commentary, may be had feparate.-This Work will be printed for J. BELL, at the British-Library, in the Strand.-A Lift of Subfcribers will be inferted in the laft Play; and the best Impreffions of the Work fhall be delivered to original Subfcribers; which, from the Brilliancy and Beautifulness of the Impreffions, will, in a few months after their publication, rise far above their firft coft.

General Titles will be printed-by which the Work may be arranged and bound, when completed, in Volumes, or fingle Plays, with, or without the Commentaries, agreeable to the will of the Subscriber.

Krafons

Beafons for Printing this WORK, and Iblervations on its Propriety.

In the firft Place, The Publifher is ambitious of producing a Work which may attract the admiration of all Europe, in hopes of deriving a proportionate share of reputation and advantage to himself; he, therefore, fixes on our immortal. Dramatic Bard.

Secondly, A polite and well informed clafs of Readers having declared it as their opinion, that SHAKSPERE had been elucidated into obfcurity, fuggefted firft the defign of printing his Plays, entire, cleared from the incumbrance and interruption of Notes-The text of Dr. JOHNSON, and Mr. STEEVENS, is confequently preferred, which, as Mr. MALONE obferves, feems now, indeed finally fettled, by a diligent collation of all the old copies hitherto discovered, and the judicious restora tion of ancient readings-The rejection of all Notes, from the Page of the Text, is even approved by Dr. JOHNSON, himself, who fays, that " The reader is feldom "pleafed to find his opinion anticipated-it is natural "to delight more in what we find, or make, than in "what we receive.-Judgment, like other faculties, is "improved by practice, and its advancement is hindred. by fubmiffion to dictatorial decifions."

66

In:

In order to obviate every poffible objection, and to accommodate this Edition to the taste of every reader -the Prefaces, Introductions, Advertisements-the hiftorical and literary information of every Editor of SHAKSPERE, of which there have not been less than eight as well as the Notes and critical Illuftrations of every Commentator, of which there are upwards of thirty-will be printed in a diftinct, compact, and clear point of view, referring familarly from Text to Notes, and from Commentaries to Text, by the mode of printing-fo that, in fact, this Edition will comprise the labours of eight EDITORS, and the clucidations of, at leat, thirty ANNOTA

TORS.

As to the Embellifhments, they will be new and magnificent. The public has much to expect from the fuperior talents of Mr. LOUTHERBOURG-his having long lived in habits of intimacy with Mr. GARRICK, his familiarity with the Stage, and dramatic effect, added to the RENOWN he has acquired in every line of his profesfion, promises to foar still higher to the present occafion.

The engravings of Mr. BARTOLOZZI are fecure of praise and admiration in every part of the world; and the rest shall be as near his ftandard of merit, as the Artists of England and France can produce.

Such is the defign, and the publisher confidently hopes, that the execution of it will tranfcend his feeble de

description,