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To the other evils of our civil war must be added the interruption of polite learning, and the fuppreff of many dramatic and poetical names, which were planged in cbfcurity by tumults and revolutions, and have never fince attracted curiofity. The utter reglect of ancient English literature continued fo kong, that many books may be fuppofed to be loft; and that curiofity, which has been now for fome years hereafing 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 preferved, they were preferved to languish without regard. How little Shakespeare himself was once read, may be underfood 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 discover half the number that were written early enough to ferve the purpofe for which he pretends to have perufed this imaginary flock 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 himfelf the merit of having made.

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

tion of that celebrated drama, in which almost every original beauty is either aukwardly disguised, 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 custom 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 verification.

It will be expected that fome notice fhould be taken of the last 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 completion 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. circumftance is mentioned, left fuch accidental coincidences of opinion, as may be difcovered hereafter,: fhould be interpreted into plagiarism.

This

It may occafionally happen, that fome of the remark's long ago produced by others, are offered again as recent difcoveries. It is likewife abfolutely impoffible to pronounce with any degree of certainty, whence all the hints, which furnish matter for a commentary, have been collected, as they lay

fcattered

fcattered in many books and papers, which were probably never read but once, or the particulars which they contain received only in the courfe of common converfation; nay, what is called plagiarism, is often no more than the refult of having thought alike with others on the fame subject.

The difpute about the learning of Shakespeare being now finally fettled, a catalogue is added of thofe tranflated authors, whom Mr. Pope has thought proper to call

The claffics of an age that heard of none.

The reader may not be displeased to have the Greck and Roman poets, orators, &c. who had been rendered acceffible to our author, expofed at one view; especially as the lift has received the advantage of being corrected and amplified by the Reverend Dr. Farmer, the fubftance of whofe very decifive pamphlet is interfperfed through the notes which are added in this revifal of Dr. Johnson's Shakefpeare.

To those who have advanced the reputation of our Poet, it has been endeavoured, by Dr. Johnson, in the foregoing preface, impartially to allot their dividend of fame; and it is with great regret that we now add to the catalogue, another, the confequence of whose death will perhaps affect not only the works of Shakefpeare, but of many other writers. Soon after the first appearance of this edition, a disease, rapid in its progrefs, deprived the world of Mr. JACOB TONSON;

a man,

a man, whofe zeal for the improvement of English literature, and whofe liberality to men of learning, gave him a juft title to all the honours which men of learning can beftow. To fuppofe that a perfon employed in an extenfive trade, lived in a state of indifference to lofs and gain, would be to conceive a character incredible and romantic; but it may be justly faid of Mr. TONSON, that he had enlarged his mind beyond folicitude about petty loffes, and refined it from the defire of unreasonable profit. He was willing to admit those with whom he contracted, to the just advantage of their own labours; and had never learned to confider the author as an under-agent to the bookfeller. The wealth which he inherited or acquired, he enjoyed like a man confcious of the dignity of a profeffion fubfervient to learning. His domeftic life was elegant, and his charity was liberal. His manners were soft, and his converfation delicate: nor is, perhaps, any quality in him more to be cenfured, than that referve which confined his acquaintance to a fmall number, and made his example less useful, as it was lefs extenfive. He was the laft commercial name of a family which will be long remembered; and if Horace thought it not improper to convey the Sos11 to pofterity; if rhetoric fuffered no difhonour from Quintilian's dedication to TRYPHO; let it not be thought that we difgrace Shakespeare, by appending to his works the name of TONSON.

To this prefatory advertisement I have now fubjoined a chapter extracted from the Guls Hornbook, (a fatirical pamphlet written by Decker in the year

1609) as it affords the reader a more complete idea of the customs peculiar to our ancient theatres, than any other publication which has hitherto fallen in my way. See this performance, page 27.

“ C H A P. VI.

1

How a Gallant fhould behave himself in a Play houfe.

The theater is your poet's Royal Exchange, upon which, their mufes (that are now turn'd to merchants) meeting, barter away that light commodity of words for a lighter ware than words, plaudities and the breath of the great beaft, which (like the threatnings of two cowards) vanifh all into aire. Plaiers and their factors, who put away the stuffe and make the best of it they poffibly can (as indeed 'tis their parts fo to doe) your galiant, your courtier, and your capten, had wont to be the foundest paymafters, and I thinke are ftill the fureft chapmen: and thefe by meanes that their heades are well ftockt, deale upon this comical freight by the groffe; when your groundling, and gallery commoner buyes his fport by the penny, and, like a hagler, is glad to utter it againe by retailing.

Sithence then the place is fo free in entertainment, allowing a stoole as well to the farmer's fonne as to your Templer: that your ftinkard has the felfe fame libertie to be there in his tobacco-fumes, which your fweet courtier hath: and that your carman and tinker claime as ftrong a voice in their fuffrage, and fit to give judgment on the plaies' life and death, as well as the proudest Momus among the tribe of critick; it is fit that hee, whom the most tailors' bils do make room for, when he comes, fhould not be bafely (like a vyoll) cas'd up in a corner.

Whether therefore the gatherers of the publique or private play-houfe ftand to receive the afternoone's rent, let our gallant (having paid it) prefently advance himselfe up to the throne of the ftage. I meane not into the lords' roome (which is now but the ftage's fuburbs). No, thofe boxes by the iniquity of cuftome, confpiracy of waiting-women and gentlemen-ufhers, that there fweat together, and the covetous fharers, are contemptibly thrust into the rearc, and

much

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