the point is once known to be established, may be diminished by any future editor. An author, who catches (as Pope expreffes it) at the Cynthia of a minute, and does not furnish notes to his own works, is fure to lose half the praise which he might have claimed, had he dealt in allufions lefs temporary, or cleared up for himself those difficulties which lapfe of time muft inevitably create.

The author of the additional notes has rather been defirous to fupport old readings, than to claim the merit of introducing new ones. He defires to be regarded as one, who found the task he undertook more arduous than it feemed, while he was yet feeding his vanity with the hopes of introducing himself to the world as an editor in form, He, who has difcovered in himself the power to rectify a few mistakes with ease, is naturally led to imagine, that all difficulties muft yield to the efforts of future labour; and perhaps feels a reluctance to be undeceived at laft.

Mr. Steevens defires it may be obferved, that he has ftrictly complied with the terms exhibited in his propofals, having appropriated all fuch affiftances, as he received, to the ufe of the prefent editor, whose judgment has, in every inftance, determined on their respective merits. While he enumerates his obligations to his correfpondents, it is neceffary that one comprehenfive remark fhould be made on fuch communications as are omitted in this edition, though they might have proved of great advantage to a more daring commentator. The majority of these were founded

founded on the fuppofition, that Shakespeare was originally an author correct in the utmost degree, but maimed and interpolated by the neglect or prefumption of the players. In confequence of this belief, alterations have been propofed wherever a verfe could be harmonized, an epithet exchanged for one more appofite, or a fentiment rendered less perplexed. Had the general current of advice been followed, the notes would have been filled with attempts at emendation apparently unneceffary, though fometimes elegant, and as frequently with explanations of what none would have thought difficult. A conftant peruser of Shakespeare will fuppofe whatever is easy to his own apprehenfion, will prove fo to that of others, and confequently may pafs over fome real perplexities in filence. On the contrary, if in confideration of the different abilities of every class of readers, he should offer a comment on all harfh inverfions of phrase, or peculiarities of expreffion, he will at once excite the disgust and difpleafure of fuch as think their own knowledge or fagacity undervalued. It is difficult to fix a medium between doing too little and too much in the task of mere explanation. There are yet many paffages unexplained and unintelligible, which may be reformed, at hazard of whatever licence, for exhibitions on the stage, in which the pleasure of the audience is chiefly to be confidered; but muft remain untouched by the critical editor, whofe conjectures are limited by narrow bounds, and who gives only what he at leaft fuppofes his author to have written.

If it is not to be expected that each vitiated paffage in Shakespeare can be reftored, till a greater latitude of experiment shall be allowed; fo neither can it be supposed that the force of all his allufions will be pointed out, till fuch books are thoroughly examined, as cannot eafily at prefent be collected, if at all. Several of the most correct lifts of our dramatic pieces exhibit the titles of plays, which are not to be met with in the completeft collections. It is almoft unneceffary to mention any other than Mr. Garrick's, which, curious and extenfive as it is, derives its greatest value from its acceffibility *.

Το

* There is reason to think that about the time of the Reformation, great numbers of plays were printed, though few of that age are now to be found; for part of queen Elizabeth's INJUNCTIONS in 1559, are particularly directed to the fuppreffing of "Many pamphlets, PLAYES, and ballads: that no manner of perfon fhall enterprize to print any fuch, &c. but under certain reftrictions." Vid. Sect. V. This obfervation is taken from Dr. Percy's Additions to his Effay on the Origin of the English Stage. It appears likewife from a page at the conclufion of the second vol. of the entries belonging to the Stationers' company, that in the 41st year of queen Elizabeth, many new restraints on book fellers were laid. Among these are the following, "That no plaies be printed excepte they bee allowed by fuch as have auctoritye." The records of the Stationers however contain the entries of fome which have never yet been met with by the most fuccessful collectors; nor are their titles to be found in any registers of the stage, whether ancient or modern. It should feem from the fame volumes that it was cuftomary for the Stationers to seize the whole impreffion of any work that had given offence, and burn it publickly at their hall, in obedience to the edicts of the archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishop of London, who fometimes enjoyed thefe literary executions at their refpective palaces. Among other works condemned to the flames by these difcerning prelates, were the complete fatires of bishop Hall.

Mr. Theobald, at the conclufion of the preface to his first edition of Shakespeare, afferts, that exclufive of the dramas of Ben Jonfon, and B. and Fletcher, he had read "above 800 of old English plays." He omitted this affertion, however, on the republication

To the other evils of our civil war must be added the interruption of polite learning, and the fuppreffion of many dramatic and poetical names, which were plunged in obfcurity by tumults and revolutions, and have never fince attracted curiofity. The utter neglect of ancient English literature continued fo long, that many books may be supposed to be loft; and that curiofity, which has been now for fome years increafing among us, wants materials for its operations. Books and pamphlets, printed originally in fmall numbers, being thus neglected, were foon deftroyed; and though the capital authors were preserved, they were preferved to languish without regard. How little Shakespeare himself was once read, may be understood from Tate, who, in his dedication to the altered play of King Lear, fpeaks of the original as of an obfcure piece, recommended to his notice by a friend; and the author of the Tatler, having occafion to quote a few lines out of Macbeth, was content to receive them from D'Avenant's altera

republication of the fame work, and, I hope, he did fo, through a confcioufnefs of its utter falfhood; for if we except the plays of the authors already mentioned, it would be difficult to difcover half the number that were written early enough to ferve the purpofe for which he pretends to have perused this imaginary stock of ancient literature.

I might add, that the private collection of Mr. Theobald, which, including the plays of Jonfon, Fletcher and Shakespeare, did not amount to many more than an hundred, remained entire in the hands of the late Mr. Tonfon, till the time of his death. It does not appear that any other collection but the Harleian was at that time formed; nor does Mr. Theobald's edition contain any intrinfic evidences of fo comprehenfive an examination of our eldest dramatic writers, as he affumes to himself the merit of having made.

In the year 1707 Mr. N. Tate published a tragedy called Injured Love, or the Cruel Hufband, and in the title page of it calls himself, Author of the tragedy called King Lear."

tion of that celebrated drama, in which almost every original beauty is either aukwardly difguifed, or arbitrarily omitted. So little were the defects or peculiarities of the old writers known, even at the beginning of our century, that though the cuftom of alliteration had prevailed to that degree in the time of Shakespeare, that it became contemptible and ridiculous, yet it is made one of Waller's praifes by a writer of his life, that he first introduced this practice into English verfification.

It will be expected that fome notice should be taken of the laft editor of Shakespeare, and that his merits should be estimated with thofe of his predeceffors. Little, however, can be faid of a work, to the com pletion of which, both a large proportion of the commentary and various readings is as yet wanting. The Second Part of King Henry VI. is the only play from that edition, which has been confulted in the course of this work; for as feveral paffages there are arbitrarily omitted, and as no notice is given when other deviations are made from the old copies, it was of little confequence to examine any further. circumstance is mentioned, left fuch accidental coincidences of opinion, as may be discovered hereafter, should be interpreted into plagiarisın.

This

It may occafionally happen, that fome of the remarks long ago produced by ed again as recent difcoveries.

others, are offerIt is likewife ab

folutely impoffible to pronounce with any degree of certainty, whence all the hints, which furnish matter for a commentary, have been collected, as they lay

scattered