was the very thing that kept them attached to it. The oftentatious affectation of abftrufe learning, peculiar to that time, the love that men naturally have to every thing that looks like mystery, fixed them down to the habit of obfcurity. Thus became the poetry of DONNE (though the wittiest man of that age) nothing but a continued heap of riddles. And our Shakespeare, with all his eafy nature about him, for want of the knowledge of the true rules of art, falls frequently into this vicious manner.

The third fpecies of obfcurities which deform our author, as the effects of his own genius and character, are thofe that proceed from his peculiar manner of thinking, and as peculiar a manner of cloathing thofe thoughts. With regard to his thinking, it is certain, that he had a general knowledge of all the fciences: but his acqnaintance was rather that of a traveller than a native. Nothing in philofophy was unknown to him; but every thing in it had the grace and force of novelty. And as novelty is one main source of admiration, we are not to wonder that he has perpetual allufions to the most recondite parts of the fciences: and this was done not fo much out of affectation, as the effect of admiration begot by novelty. Then, as to his tile and diction, we may much more juitly apply to SHAKESPEARE, what a celebrated writer faid of MILTON: Our language funk under him, and was unequal to that greatness of foul which furnished him with fuch glorious conceptions. He therefore frequently ufes old words, to give his diction an air of folemnity; as he coins others, to exprefs the novelty and variety of his ideas.

Upon every diftinct fpecies of thefe obfcurities, I have thought it my province to employ a note for the fervice of my author, and the entertainment of my readers. A few tranfient remarks too I have not fcrupled to intermix, upon the poet's negligences and omiffions in point of art; but I have done it always in fuch a manner, as will teftify my deference and veneration for the immortal author. Some cenfurers of Shakespeare, and particularly Mr. Rymer, have taught me to diftinguish betwixt the railer and critick. The outrage of his quotations is fo remarkably violent, fo pushed beyond all bounds of decency and fober reasoning, that it quite carries over the mark at which it was levelled. Extravagant abufe throws off the edge of the intended difparagement, and turns the madman's weapon into his own bofom. In fhort, as to Rymer, this is my opinion

of

of him, from his criticisms on the tragedies of the laft age. He writes with great vivacity, and appears to have been a fcholar: but as for his knowledge of the art of poetry, I cannot perceive it was any deeper than his acquaintance with Boffu and Dacier, from whom he has tranfcribed many of his best reflexions. The late Mr. Gildon was one attached to Rymer by a fimilar way of thinking and studies. They were both of that fpecies of critics who are defirous of difplaying their powers rather in finding faults, than in confulting the improvement of the world: the hyper-critical part of the fcience of criticism.

I had not mentioned the modeft liberty I have here and there taken of animadverting on my author, but that I was willing to obviate in time the fplenetick exaggerations of my adverfaries on this head. From past experiments I have reafon to be confcious, in what light this attempt may be placed and that what I call a modeft liberty, will, by a little of their dexterity, be inverted into downright impu

dence. From a hundred mean and difhoneft artifices employed to difcredit this edition, and to cry down its editor, I have all the grounds in nature to beware of attacks. But though the malice of wit, joined to the fmoothness of verfification, may furnish fome ridicule; fact, I hope, will be able to ftand its ground against banter and gaiety.

It has been my fate, it feems, as I thought it my duty, to difcover fome anachronifms in our author; which might have flept in obfcurity but for this Reftorer, as Mr. Pope is pleafed affectionately to ftile me; as for inftance, where Ariftotle is mentioned by Hector in Troilus and Creffida: and Galen, Cato, and Alexander the Great, in Coriolanus. Thefe, in Mr. Pope's opinion, are blunders, which the illiteracy of the first publishers of his works has fathered upon the poet's memory: it not being at all credible, that thefe could be the errors of any man who had the leaft tincture of a fchool, or the leaft converfation with fuch as had. But I have fufficiently proved, in the courfe of my notes, that fuch anachronisms were the effect of poetick licence, rather than of ignorance in our poet. And if I may be permitted to afk a modeft queftion by the way, why may not I restore an anachronijm really made by our author, as well as Mr. Pope take the privilege to fix others upon him, which he never had it in his head to make: as I may venture to affirm he had not, in the inftance of Sir Francis Drake, to which I have fpoke in the proper place?

But

But who fhall dare make any words about this freedom of Mr. Pope's towards Shakefpeare, if it can be proved, that, in his fits of criticifm, he makes no more ceremony with good Homer himself? To try, then, a criticifm of his own advancing; in the 8th book of the Odyley, where Demodocus fings the episode of the loves of Mars and Venus; and that, upon their being taken in the net by Vulcan,

"The god of arms

Muft pay the penalty for lawless charms;"

Mr. Pope is fo kind gravely to inform us, "That Homer "in this, as in many other places, feems to allude to the "laws of Athens, where death was the punishment of "adultery." But how is this fignificant obfervation made out? Why, who can poffibly object any thing to the contrary? Does not Paufanias relate, that Draco, the lawgiver to the Athenians, granted impunity to any person that took revenge upon an adulterer? And was it not alfo the inftitution of Solon, that if any one took an adulterer in the fact, he might use him as he pleafed? These things are very true: and to fee what a good memory, and found judgment in conjunction can atchieve! Though Homer's date is not determined down to a fingle year, yet it is pretty generally agreed that he lived above 300 years before Draco and Solon: and that, it feems, has made him feem to allude to the very laws, which these two legiflators propounded above 300 years after. If this inference be not fomething like an anachronism or prolepfis, I will look once more into my lexicons for the true meaning of the words. It appears to me, that fomebody befides Mars and Venus has been caught in a net by this epifode: and I could call in other instances to confirm what treacherous tackle this net-work is, if not cautiously handled.

How juft, notwithstanding, I have been in detecting the anachronisms of my author, and in defending him for the use of them, our late editor feems to think, they fhould rather have flept in obfcurity: and the having difcovered them is fneered at, as a fort of wrong-headed fagacity.

The numerous corrections which I have made of the poet's text in my SHAKESPEARE Reftored, and which the publick have been fo kind to think well of, are, in the appendix of Mr. Pope's last edition, flightingly called various reafonings, gueffes, &c. He confeffes to have inferted as many of them as he judged of any the least advantage to the poet; but says, VOL. 1. that

[K]

that the whole amounted to about 25 words: and pretends to have annexed a complete lift of the reft, which were not worth his embracing. Whoever has read my book will, at one glance, fee how in both thefe points veracity is ftrained, fo an injury might but be done. Malus, etfi obesse non poteft, tamen cogitat.

Another expedient, to make my work appear of a trifling nature, has been an attempt to depreciate literal criticism. To this end, and to pay a fervile compliment to Mr. Pope, an anonymous writer has, like a Scotch pedlar in wit, unbraced his pack on the subject. But, that his virulence might not feem to be levelled fingly at me, he has done me the honour to join Dr. Bentley in the libel. I was in hopes we should have been both abufed with fmartness of fatire at least, though not with folidity of argument: that it might have been worth fome reply in defence of the fcience attacked. But I may fairly fay of this author, as Falstaff does of Poins; Hang him, baboon! his wit is as thick as Tewksbury mustard; there is no more conceit in him, than is in a MALLET. If it be not prophanation to fet the opinion of the divine Longinus against fuch a fcribler, he tells us exprefsly, "That to make "a judgment upon words (and writings) is the most confum"mate fruit of much experience. n yap Tv xórwv xpions πολλῆς ἔτι πείρας τελευταῖον ἐπιγέννημα. Whenever words are depraved, the fenfe of course must be corrupted; and thence the reader is betrayed into a falfe meaning.

If the Latin and Greek languages have received the greateft advantages imaginable from the labours of the editors and criticks of the two last ages, by whofe aid and affistance the grammarians have been enabled to write infinitely better in that art than even the preceding grammarians, who wrote when thofe tongues flourished as living languages; I fhould account it a peculiar happinefs, that, by the faint effay I have made in this work, a path might be chalked out for abler hands, by which to derive the fame advantages to our own tongue: a tongue, which, though it wants none of the fundamental qualitics of an univerfal language, yet, as a noble writer fays, lifps and ftammers as in its cradle; and has produced little more towards its polifhing than complaints of its barbarity.

Having now run through all thofe points, which I intended fhould make any part of this differtation, and having in my former edition made publick acknowledgments of the

afliftances

affiftances lent me, I fhall conclude with a brief account of the methods taken in this.

It was thought proper, in order to reduce the bulk and price of the impreffion, that the notes, wherever they would admit of it, might be abridged: for which reafon I have curtailed a great quantity of fuch, in which explanations were too prolix, or authorities in fupport of an emendation too numerous: and many I have entirely expunged, which were judged rather verbose and declamatory (and fo notes merely of oftentation) than neceffary or inftructive.

The few literal errors which had escaped notice, for want of revifals, in the former edition, are here reformed; and the pointing of innumerable paffages is regulated, with all the accuracy I am capable of.

I fhall decline making any farther declaration of the pains I have taken upon my author, because it was my duty, as his editor, to publish him with my best care and judgment; and because I am fenfible, all fuch declarations are conftrued to be laying a fort of a debt on the publick. As the former edition has been received with much indulgence, I ought to make my acknowledgments to the town for their favourable opinion of it; and I fhall always be proud to think that en couragement the best payment I can hope to receive from my poor ftudies.