corrected paffages are authorised, (most of which are fuch as carry their own evidence along with them.) Thefe Editions now hold the place of Originals, and are the only materials left to repair the deficiencies or restore the corrupted fenfe of the Author: I can only wish that a greater number of them (if a greater were ever published) may yet be found, by a fearch more fuccefsful than mine, for the better accomplishment of this end.

I will conclude by faying of Shakespear, that with all his faults, and with all the irregularity of his Drama, one may look upon his works, in comparison of those that are more finish'd and regular, as upon an ancient majeftick piece of Gothick Architecture, compar'd with a neat Modern building: The latter is more elegant and glaring, but the former is more strong and more folemn. It must be allow'd, that in one of these there are materials enough to make many of the other. It has much the greater variety, and much the nobler apartments; tho' we are often conducted to them by dark, odd, and uncouth Paffages. Nor does the Whole fail to ftrike us with greater reverence, tho' many of the Parts are childish, ill-plac'd, and unequal to its grandeur.

Mr. THEOBALD's

PREFACE.

T

HE Attempt to write upon SHAKESPEAR is like going into a large, a fpacious, and a fplendid Dome thro' the Conveyance of a narrow and obfcure Entry. A Glare of Light fuddenly breaks upon you beyond what the Avenue at first promis'd: and a thousand Beauties of Genius and Character, like fo many gaudy Apartments pouring at once upon the Eye, diffuse and throw themselves out to the Mind. The Profpect is too wide to come within the Compafs of a fingle View: 'tis a gay Confufion of pleafing Objects, too various to be enjoyed but in a general Admiration; and they must be feparated, and ey'd diftinctly, in order to give the proper Entertainment.

And as in great Piles of Building, fome Parts are often finish'd up to hit the Tafte of the Connoiffeur; others more negligently put together, to ftrike the Fancy of a common and unlearned Beholder: Some Parts are made ftupendously magnificent and grand, to furprize with the vaft Defign and Execution of the Architect; others are contracted, to amufe you with his Neatnefs and Elegance in little. So, in Shakespear, we may find Traits that will stand the Teft of the fevereft Judgment; and Strokes as carelefly hit off, to the Level of the more ordinary Capacities: Some Defcriptions rais'd to that Pitch of Grandeur, as to aftonifh you with the Compafs and Elevation of his Thought;

Thought and others copying Nature within fo narrow, fo confined a Circle, as if the Author's Talent lay only at drawing in Miniature.

In how many points of Light muft we be obliged to gaze at this great Poet! In how many Branches of Excellence to confider, and admire him! Whether we view him on the Side of Art or Nature, he ought equally to engage our Attention: Whether we refpect the Force and Greatnefs of his Genius, the Extent of h's Knowledge and Reading, the Power and Address with which he throws out and applies either Nature, or Learning, there is ample Scope both for our Wonder and Pleasure. If his Diction, and the cloathing of his Thoughts attract us, how much more must we be charm'd with the Richnefs, and Variety, of his Images and Ideas! If his Images and Ideas iteal into our Souls, and ftrike upon our Fancy, how much are they improv'd in Price, when we come to reflect with what Propriety and Juftnefs they are apply'd to Character! If we look into his Characters, and how they are furnish'd and proportion'd to the Employment he cuts out for them, how are we taken up with the Maftery of his Portraits! What Draughts of Nature! What Variety of Originals, and how differing each from the other! How are they drefs'd from the Stores of his own luxurious Imagination; without being the Apes of Mode, or borrowing from any foreign Wardrobe! Each of them are the ftandards of Fashion for themfelves like Gentlemen that are above the Direction of their Tailors, and can adorn themfelves without the aid of Imitation. If other Poets draw more than one Fool or Coxcomb, there is the fame Refemblance in them, as in that Painter's Draughts, who was happy only at forming a Rofe: you find. them all younger Brothers of the fame Family, and all of them have a Pretence to give the fame Creft: But Shakespear's Clowns and Fops come all of a different Houfe: they are no farther allied to one another

than as Man to Man, Members of the fame Species: but as different in Features and Lineaments of Character, as we are from one another in Face, or Complexion. But I am unawares lanching into his Character as a Writer, before I have faid what I intended of him as a private Member of the Republick.

Mr. Rowe has very justly obferv'd, that People are fond of difcovering any little perfonal Story of the Great Men of Antiquity; and that the common Accidents of their Lives naturally become the Subject of our critical Enquiries: That however trifling fuch a Curiofity at the first View may appear, yet, as for what relates to Men of Letters, the Knowledge of an Author may, perhaps, fometimes conduce to the better understanding his Works: And, indeed, this Author's Works, from the bad Treatment he has met with from Copyifts and Editors, have fo long wanted a Comment, that one would zealously embrace every Method of Information, that could contribute to recover them from the injuries with which they have fo long lain o'erwhelm'd.

'Tis certain, that if we have firft admir'd the Man in his Writings, his Cafe is fo circumftanc'd, that we muft naturally admire the Writings in the Man: That if we go back to take a View of his Education, and the Employment in Life which Fortune had cut out for him, we shall retain the ftronger Ideas of his extenfive Genius.

His Father, we are told, was a confiderable Dealer in Wool; but having no fewer than ten Children, of whom our Shakespear was the eldeft, the best Education he could afford him was no better than to qualify him for his own Bufinefs and Employment. I cannot affirm with any Certainty how long his Father liv'd; but I take him to be the fame Mr. John ShakeSpear who was living in the Year 1599, and who then, in Honour of his Son, took out an Extract of his Family-Arms from the Herald's Office; by which iɛ

appears,

appears, that he had been Officer and Bailiff of Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire; and that he enjoy'd fome hereditary Lands and Tenements, the Reward of his Great Grandfather's faithful and approved Service to King Henry VII.

Be this as it will, our Shakespear, it seems, was bred for fome Time at a Free-School; the very FreeSchool, I prefume, founded at Stratford: where, we are told, he acquired what Latin he was Mafter of: but, that his Father being oblig'd, thro' Narrowness of Circumftance, to withdraw him too foon from thence, he was thereby unhappily prevented from making any Proficiency in the Dead Languages: A Point, that will deferve fome little Difcuffion in the Sequel of this Differtation.

How long he continued in his Father's Way of Bufinefs, either as an Affiftant to him, or on his own proper Account, no Notices are left to inform us: nor have I been able to learn precifely at what Period of Life he quitted his native Stratford, and began his Acquaintance with London and the Stage.

In order to fettle in the World after a Family-manner, he thought fit, Mr. Rowe acquaints us, to marry while he was yet very young. It is certain, he did fo: for by the Monument, in Stratford Church, erected to the Memory of his Daughter Sufanna, the Wife of John Hall, Gentleman, it appears, that fhe died on the 2d Day of July, in the Year 1649, aged 66. So that fhe was born in 1583, when her Father could not be full 19 Years old; who was himself born in the Year 1564. Nor was fhe his eldest Child, for he had another Daughter, Judith, who was born before her, and who was married to one Mr. Thomas Quiney. So that Shakespear must have entred into Wedlock by that time he was turn'd of feventeen Years.

Whether the Force of Inclination merely, or fome concurring Circumftances of Convenience in the Match, prompted him to marry fo early, is not eafy to be de

termin'd