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fuch will deferve the name) are to be procured; the forwarding of this will be a general concern: For, as Quintilian obferves, "Verborum pro

prietas ac differentia omnibus, qui fermonem "curæ habent, debet effe communis." By this way, the Italians have brought their tongue to a degree of Purity and Stability which no living Language ever attained unto before. It is with pleasure Iobferve, that these things now begin to be understood amongst ourselves; and that I can acquaint the Public, we may foon expect very elegant Editions of Fletcher and Milton's Paradife Loft from Gentlemen of diftinguished Abilities and Learning. But this interval of good fenfe, as it may be short, is indeed but new. For I remem ber to have heard of a very learned Man, who, not long fince, formed a design of giving a more correct Edition of Spenfer; and, without doubt, would have performed it well; but he was diffuaded from his purpose by his Friends, as beneath the dignity of a Profeffor of the occult Sciences. Yet thefe very Friends, I fuppofe, would have thought it had added luftre to his high Station, to have new-furbished out fome dull northern Chronicle, or dark Sibylline Ænigma, But let it not be thought that what is here faid infinuates any thing to the difcredit of Greek and Latin criticifm. If the follies of particular Men were fufficient to bring any branch of Learning into disrepute, I don't know any that would stand in a worse fituation than that for which I now apologize.

For I

hardly

hardly think there ever appeared, in any learned Language, fo execrable a heap of nonfenfe, under the name of Commentaries, as hath been lately given us on a certain fatiric Poet, of the laft Age, by his Editor and Coadjutor.

I am fenfible how unjustly the very beft claffical Critics have been treated. It is faid, that our great Philofopher spoke with much contempt of the two fineft Scholars of this Age, Dr. Bentley and Bishop Hare, for fquabbling, as he expreffed it, about an old Play-book; meaning, I fuppofe, Terence's Comedies. But this Story is unworthy of him; tho' well enough fuiting the fanatic turn of the wild Writer that relates it; fuch cenfures are amongst the follies of men immoderately given over to one Science, and ignorantly undervaluing all the reft. Thofe learned Critics might, and perhaps did, laugh in their turn, (tho' ftill, fure, with the fame indecency and indiscretion) at that incomparable Man, for wearing out a long Life in poring through a Telescope. Indeed, the weaknefies of Such are to be mentioned with reverence. But who can bear, without indignation, the fashionable cant of every trifling Writer, whofe infipidity paffes, with himself, for politeness, for pretending to be shocked, forfooth, with the rude and favage air of vulgar Critics; meaning. fuch as Muretus, Scaliger, Cafaubon, Salmafius, Spanheim, Bentley. When, had it not been. for the deathlefs labours of fuch as thefle,

the western World, at the revival of Letters, had foon faln back again into a state of ignorance and barbarity as deplorable as that from which Providence had just redeemed it.

To conclude with an observation of a fine Writer and great Philofopher of our own; which I would gladly bind, tho' with all honour, as a Phylactery, on the Brow of every awful Grammarian, to teach him at once, the Ufe, and Limits of his art: WORDS ARE THE MONEY OF FOOLS, AND THE COUNTERS OF WISE MEN.

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Mr.

POPE's

PREFACE

I

T is not my design to enter into a Criticifm upon this Author; tho' to do it effectually and not fuperficially, would be the best occafion that any juft Writer

could take, to form the judgment and tafte of our nation. For of all English Poets ShakeSpear must be confeffed to be the faireft and fulleft fubject for Criticism, and to afford the most numerous, as well as moft confpicuous inftances, both of Beauties and Faults of all forts. But this far exceeds the bounds of a Preface, the bufinefs of which is only to give an account of the fate of his Works, and the disadvantages under which they have been tranfmitted to us. We fhall hereby extenuate many faults which are his, and clear him from the imputation of many which are not: A defign, which tho' it can be no guide to future Criticks to do him juftice in one way, will at least be fufficient to prevent their doing him an injuftice in the other.

I cannot however but mention some of his principal and characteristic Excellencies, for which (notwithstanding his defects) he is justly and univerfally ele

vated above all other Dramatick Writers. Not that this is the proper place of praising him, but because I would not omit any occafion of doing it.

If ever any Author deferved the name of an Original, it was Shakespear. Homer himself drew not his art fo immediately from the fountains of Nature, it proceeded thro' Egyptian ftrainers and channels, and came to him not without fome tincture of the learn-> ing, or fome caft of the models, of those before him. The Poetry of Shakespear was Infpiration indeed he is not so much an Imitator, as an Inftrument, of Nature; and 'tis not fo juft to say that he speaks from her, as that the fpeaks thro' him.

His Characters are so much Nature herself, that 'tis a fort of injury to call them by so distant a name as Copies of her. Those of other Poets have a conftant resemblance, which fhews that they receiv'd them from one another, and were but multipliers of the fame image: each picture like a mock-rainbow is but the reflexion of a reflexion. But every single character in Shakespear is as much an Individual, as those in Life it self; it is as impoffible to find any two alike; and fuch as from their relation or affinity in any refpect appear most to be twins, will upon comparison be found remarkably distinct. To this life and variety of Character, we must add the wonderful preservation of it; which is fuch throughout his Plays, that had all the Speeches been printed without the very names of the Perfons, I believe one might have apply'd them with certainty to every speaker.

The Power over our Paffions was never poffefs'd in a more eminent degree, or difplay'd in fo different inftances. Yet all along, there is feen no labour, no pains to raise them; no preparation to guide our guefs to the effect, or be perceiv'd to lead toward it: But the heart fwells, and the tears burft out, just at the proper places: We are furpriz'd the moment we

weep;

T

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