whole work has appeared to me corrupt, which I have not attempted to restore; or obfcure, which I have not endeavoured to illuftrate. In many I have failed like others; and from many, after all my efforts, I have retreated, and confeffed the repulfe. I have not paffed over, with affected fuperiority, what is equally difficult to the reader and to myfelf; but where I could not inftruct him, have owned my ignorance. I might eafily have accumulated a mass of seeming learning upon eafy fcenes; but it ought not to be imputed to negligence, that, where nothing was neceffary, nothing has been done, or that, where others have said enough, I have faid no more. Notes are often neceffary, but they are neceffary evils. Let him, that is yet unacquainted with the powers of Shakefpeare, and who defires to feel the highest pleasure that the drama can give, read every play from the first scene to the laft, with utter negligence of all his commentators. When his fancy is once on the wing, let it not ftoop at correction or explanation. When his attention is ftrongly engaged, let it difdain alike to turn aside to the name of Theobald and of Pope. Let him read on through brightness and obfcurity, through integrity and corruption; let him preserve his comprehenfion of the dialogue and his intereft in the fable. And when the pleasures of novelty have ceased, let him attempt exactness, and read the commentators. Particular paffages are cleared by notes, but the general effect of the work is weakened. The mind is refrigerated by interruption; the thoughts are diverted from the principal fubject; the reader is weary, he suspects not why; and at last throws away the book, which he has too diligently ftudied. Parts are not to be examined till the whole has been furveyed; there is a kind of intellectual remoteness neceffary for the comprehenfion of any great work in its full defign and its true porportions; a clofe approach fhews the smaller niceties, but the beauty of the whole is difcerned no longer. It is not very grateful to confider how little the fucceffion of editors has added to this authour's power of pleafing. He was read, admired, ftudied, and imitated, while he was yet deformed with all the improprieties which ignorance and neglect could accumulate upon him; while the reading was yet not rectified, nor his allufions understood; yet then did Dryden pronounce, "that Shakespeare was the man, who, " of all modern and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest " and most comprehenfive foul. All the images of nature "were still present to him, and he drew them not labori"ously, but luckily. When he describes any thing, you more than fee it, you feel it too. Those who accuse him "to have wanted learning, give him the greater commen"dation he was naturally learned: he needed not the "fpectacles of books to read nature; he looked inwards, "and found her there. I cannot fay he is every where "alike; were he fo, I fhould do him injury to compare "him with the greatest of mankind. He is many times "flat and infipid; his comic wit degenerating into clenches, "his ferious fwelling into bombaft. But he is always great, "when some great occafion is presented to him. No man "can fay, he ever had a fit subject for his wit, and did not "then raise himself as high above the rest of poets, "Quantum lenta folent inter viburna cupreffi.” It is to be lamented, that fuch a writer fhould want a commentary; that his language fhould become obfelete, or his fentiments obfcure. But it is vain to carry wishes beyond the condition of human things; that which must hap pen to all, has happened to Shakespeare, by accident and time; and more than has been suffered by any other writer fince the use of types, has been fuffered by him him through his own negligence of fame, or perhaps by that fuperiority of mind, which defpifed its own performances, when it compared them with its powers, and judged those works unworthy to be preferved, which the criticks of following ages were to contend for the fame of restoring and explaining. Among these candidates of inferiour fame, I am now to ftand the judgment of the publick; and wish that I could confidently produ e my commentary as equal to the encouragement which I have had the honour of receiving. Every work of this kind is by its nature deficient, and I fhould feel little folicitude about the fentence, were it to be pronounced only by the skilful and the learned, DEDICATION and PREFACE to the First Edition of SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS, publifhed by HEMINGE and CONDELL in 1623. TO THE MOST NOBLE AND INCOMPARABLE PAIRE OF BRETHREN, WILLIAM Earle of PEMBROKE, Lord Chamberlaine to the Kings moft excellent Majeftie, AND PHILIP Earle of MONTGOMERY, Gentleman of his Majefties Bed-Chamber. Both Knights of the moft Noble Order of the GARTER, And our fingular GOOD LORDS. RIGHT HONOURABLE, WHIL WHILST we study to be thankefull in our particular, the many favors we have received from your L. L. we are falne upon the ill fortune, to mingle two the moft divers things that can be, feare, and rashnesse; rashneffe in the enterprize, and feare of the fucceffe. For, when we value the places your H. H. sustaine, wee cannot but know their dignity greater, than to descend to the reading of these trifles and while we name them trifles, we have depriv'd ourselves of the defence of our dedication. But fince your L. L. have been pleas'd to think these trifles fomething, heretofore; and have profequuted both them, and their author living, with so much favour: we hope, (that they out-living him, and he not having the hope, common with some, to be exequutor to his owne writings) you will use the fame indulgence toward them, you have done unto their parent. There is a great difference, whether any booke choose his patrones, or finde them: This hath done both. For, fo much were your L. L. likings of the feverall parts, when they were acted, as before they were published, the volumne afk'd to be yours. We have but collected them, and done an office to the dead, to procure his orphans guardians; without ambition either of felfe-profit, or fame: onely to keepe the memory of so worthy a friend and fellow alive, as was our SHAKESPEARE, by humble offer of his playes, to your most noble patronage. Wherein, as we have justly observed, no man to come neere your L. L. but with a kind of religious addreffe; it hath been the height of our care, who are the prefenters, to make the present worthy of your H. H. by the perfection. But there we must also crave our abilities to be confidered, my Lords. We cannot goe beyond our own powers. Country hands reach forth milke, creame, fruits, or what they have: and many nations (we have heard) that had not gummes and incense, obtained their requests with a leavened cake; it was no fault to approach their gods, by what meanes they could and the most, though meaneft of things, are made more precious, when they are dedicated to temples. In that name, therefore, we most humbly confecrate to your H. H. these remaines of your fervant SHAKESPEARE; that what delight is in them, may be ever your L. L. the reputation his, and the fault ours, if any be committed, by a paire so carefull to fhew their gratitude both to the living and the dead, as is Your Lordships most bounden, JOHN HEMINGE. |