fo. 1 ار D may be seen either the Iniquity or Ignorance of his Cenfurers, who, from fome Expreffions, would make us believe, the Doctor every where gives us his Corrections as the Original Text of the Author; whereas the chief Turn of his Criticism is plainly to thew the World, that if Milton did not write as He would have him, he ought to have wrote owl on guns to who Sant' sr I thought proper to premife this Obfervation to the Readers, as it will fhew that the Critic on Shakespeare is of a quite different Kind. His genuine Text is religiously adherid to, and the numerous Faults and Blemishes, purely his own, are left as they were found. Nothing is alter'd, but what by the cleareft Reafoning can be proved a Corruption of the true Text; and the Alteration, a real Reforation of the genuine Reading. Nay,o strictly have I ftrove to give the true Reading, tho' fometimes not to the Advantage of my Author, that have been ridiculoufly ridicul'd for it by Thofe, who either) were iniquitoufly for turning every thing to my Difadvantage, or else were totally ignorant of the true Duty of an Editor. D'Vohns The Science of Criticism, as far as it affects an Editor, feems to be reduced to these three Claffes? the Emendation of corrupt Paffages the Explanation of obfcure Dand difficult ones; and an Inquiry into the Beauties and Defects of Compofition. This Work է principally confin'dds to the two formery Parts of the there are fome Specimens imerfpers'd of the datter Kind, as feveral of the Emendations were best supported, and feveral off the Difficulties, best explain 'd, by taking notice of the Beauties and Defects of the Compofition peculiar to this Immortal Pock Poor. But This was but occafional, and for the fake only of perfecting the two other Parts, which were the proper Objects of the Editor's Labouras The third lies open for every walling Undertaker and I fhall be pleas'd to see in the Employment of a masterly Benld bus alus avoismun si bus 03 boule must neceffarily happen, as I have forAmerly obfervid, that where the Affiftance of 5 Manufcripts is wanting to fet an Author's -Meaning right, and refcue him from shofe Errors which have been tranfmitted down thro'a Series of incorrect Editions, and a idong Intervention of Time, many Paffages must -be defperate, and past a Cures and their true Senfe, irretrievable either to Care or the SagaVeity of Conjecture. But is there, any Reaton therefore, to fay, That becaufe All cannot be retriev'd, All. ought to be left desperate? We hould thew very little Honesty, or Wisdom, site play the Tyrants with an Author's Text; 149 faze, alter, innovate, and overturn, at all Adventures, and to the utter Detriment cof his Senfe and Meaning: But t to be forevery referved and cautious, as to interpofe no Re C 2 lief lief or Conjecture, where it manifeftly labours and cries out for Affiftance, feems, on the other hand, an indolent Abfurdity. But because the Art of Criticism, both by Those who cannot form a true Judgment of its Effects, nor can penetrate into its Caufes, which takes in a great Number befides the Ladies;) is esteem'd only an arbitrary capricious Tyranny exercis'd on Books; I think proper to fubjoin a Word or two about those Rules on which I have proceeded, and by which I have regulated myself in this Edition. By This, I flatter myself, it will appear, my Emendations are so far from being arbitrary or capricious, that They are establish'd with a very high Degree of moral Certainty. As there are very few Pages in Shakespeare, upon which fome Sufpicions of Depravity do not reasonably arife; I have thought it my Duty, in the first place, by a diligent and laborious Collation to take in the Affiftances of all the older Copies. In his Hiftorical Plays, whenever our Englife Chronicles, and in his Tragedies when Greek or Roman Story, could give any Light; no Pains have been omitted to fet Paffages right by comparing my Author with his Originals: for, as I have frequently observed, he was a close and accurate Copier where-ever his Fable was founded on Hiftory. Where Where-ever the Author's Senfe is clear and discoverable, (tho', perchance, low and trivial ;) I have not by any Innovation tamper'd with out of an Oftentation of enhis Te deavouring to make him fpeak better than the to old Copies have done. Where, thro' all the former Editions, a Paffage has labour'd under flat Nonfenfe and invincible Darkness, if, by the Addition or Alteration of a Letter or two, I have restored to Him both Senfe and Sentiment, fuch Corrections, I am perfuaded, will need no Indulgencew, alsiyin 15ml I 2T yď ng And whenever I have taken a greater Latitude and Liberty in amending, I have conftantly my Corrections stravoured to 1 and Conjectures by parallel Paffages and Au thorities from himself, the fureft Means of expounding any Author whatfoever. Cette vole d'interpreter un Autheur par lui-même eft plus fure que tous les Commentaires, fays a very learned French Critick пolo auoire As to my Notes, (from which the common and learned Readers of our Author, Lihape, will derive fome Pleafures) I have endeavour'd to give them a Variety in fome Proporay tion to their Number Where-ever Juhave ventur'd at an Emendation, a Note is conftantly fubjoin'd to justify and affert the Reason of it. Where I only offer a Conjecture, and do not difturb the Text, I fairly fet forth my Grounds for fuch Conjecture, and fubmit it c 3 to where the Witor! to Judgment. Some Some Remarks are Ipent in explaining Paffages, where depends on an obfcure Point of Hiftofy thers, where Allufions are to Divinity, Philofophy, or other Branches, of Science. Some are added to shew, where there is a Suspicion isa Chichish of our Author having borrow'd from t the Antients: Others, to fhew where he is rallying Contemporaries; or ; or where He himself is rallied by them. And fomer and obfolete neceffarily thrown wn in, to explain an obscure obfotely Term, Phraje, of Idea. I once intended to or have added a complete te and copious Glosary. but as I have been importun'd, and am prepar'd, to give a correct Edition of our Aus rect Edition for pets octhor's POEMS, (in which many cur that his OC hots of my poses with in his Plays Y that are no not to be met I thought a Glossary to all Shakespeare's Works a with in more so Volume 36 proper to an of Pafd attend that In reforming an infinite Number ges in the Pointing, where the Senfe' was be fore quite loft, I have frequently fubjoin'd Notes to fhew the depraed, and to prove the wom reform'd, Pointing: a Part of Labour in this Work which I could very willingly have fpared myself. May it not be objected, why if be st then have you burthen'd us with thefe Notes? The Anfwer is obvious, and, if I mistake not very material. Without fuch Notes thefe Paffages in fubfequent Editions would be li able, thro' the Ignorance of Printers and Correctors, to fall into the old Confufion: Where as |