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my Knowledge; and, when that Project fail'd, for employing a number of my Conjectures in his Edition against my exprefs Defire not to have that Honour done unto me.

And this is

Mr. Theobald was naturally turned to Industry and Labour. What he read he could transcribe: but, as what he thought, if ever he did think, he could but ill exprefs, fo he read on; and, by that means got a Character of Learning, without rifquing, to every Obferver, the Imputation of wanting a better Talent. By a punctilious Collation of the old Books, he corrected what was manifeftly wrong in the latter Editions, by what was manifeftly right in the earlier. his real Merit; and the whole of it. For where the Phrafe was very obfolete or licentious in the common Books, or only flightly corrupted in the other, he wanted fufficient Knowledge of the Progrefs and various Stages of the English Tongue, as well as Acquaintance with the Peculiarity of Shakespear's Language to understand what was right; nor had he either common Judgment to fee, or critical Sagacity to amend, what was manifeftly faulty. Hence he generally exerts his conjectural Talent in the wrong Place: He tampers with what is found in the common Books; and, in the old ones, omits all Notice of Variations the Senfe of which he did not underftand.:

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How the Oxford Editor came to think himfelf qualified for this Office, from which his whole Course of Life had been fo remote, is ftill more difficult to conceive. For whatever Parts he might have either of Genius or Erudition, he

was

To brat ne was abfolutely ignorant of the Art of Criticifm, as well as of the Poetry of that Time, and the Language of his Author. And foo far from a Thought of examining the firft Editions, that he even neglected to compare Mr. Pope's, from which he printed his own, with Mr. Theobald's; whereby he loft the Advantage of many fine Lines which the other had recovered from the old Quartos. Where he trufts to his own Sagacity, in what affects the Senfe, his Conjectures are generally abfurd and extravagant, and violating every Rule of Criticism. Tho', in this Rage of Correcting, he was not abfolutely destitute of all Art. For, having a number of my Conjectures before him, he took as many of them as he faw fit, to work upon; and by changing them to fomething, he thought, fynonimous or fimilar, he made them his own; and fo became a Critic at a cheap Expence. But how well he hath fucceeded in this, as likewife in his Conjectures which are properly his own, will be seen in the course of my Remarks: Tho', as he hath declined to give the Reasons for his Interpolations, he hath not afforded me fo fair a hold of him as Mr. Theobald hath done, who was lefs cautious. But his principal Object was to reform his Author's Numbers; and this, which he hath done, con every Occafion, by the Infertion or Omiffion of a fet of harmlefs unconcerning Expletives, makes up the grofs Body of his innocent Corrections. And fo, in spite of that extreme Negligence in Numbers, which diftinguishes the first Dramatic Writers, he hath tricked up the old Bard,

from

from Head to Foot, in all the finical Exactness of a modern Meafurer of Syllables.

S.. For the reft, all the Corrections which these two Editors have made on any reasonable Foundation, are here admitted into the Text; and carefully affigned to their refpective Authors. A piece of Juftice which the Oxford Editor never did; and which the Other was not always fcrupulous in obferving towards me. To conclude with them in a word, They feparately poffeffed those two Qualities which, more than any other, have contributed to bring the Art of Criticism into difrepute, Dulness of Apprehenfion, and Extravagance of Conjecture..

I am now to give some Account of the prefent Undertaking. For as to all thofe Things, which have been published under the titles of Effays, Remarks, Obfervations, &c. on Shakespear, (if you except fome critical Notes on Macbeth, given as a Specimen of a projected Edition, and written, as appears, by a Man of Parts and Genius) the reft are abfolutely below a serious Notice.

The whole a Critic can do for an Author who deferves his Service, is to correct the faulty Text; to remark the Peculiarities of Language to illuftrate the obfcure Allufions; and to explain the Beauties and Defects of Sentiment or Compofition. And furely, if ever Author had a Claim to this Service, it was our Shakespear: Who, widely excelling in the Knowledge of Human Nature, hath given to his infinitely varied Pictures of it, fuch Truth of Defign, fuch Force of Drawing, fuch Beauty of Colouring, as was hardly bia Do sift qu badan daud

11 sever

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ever equalled by any Writer, whether his Aim` was the Ufe, or only the Entertainment of Mankind. The Notes in this Edition, therefore, take in the whole Compass of Criticism.

I. The firft fort is employed in restoring the Poet's genuine Text; but in those Places only where it labours with inextricable Nonfenfe. In which, how much foever I may have given Scope to critical Conjecture, where the old Copies failed me, I have indulged nothing to Fancy or Imagination; but have religiously observed the fevere Canons of literal Criticism; as may be seen from the Reasons accompanying every Alteration

of the common Text. Nor would a different Conduct have become a Critic, whofe greatest Attention, in this part, was to vindicate the eftablished Reading from Interpolations occafioned by the fanciful Extravagancies of others. I once intended to have given the Reader a body of Canons, for literal Criticism, drawn out in form; as well fuch as concern the Art in general, as those that arise from the Nature and Circumftances of our Author's Works in particular. And this for two Reasons. First, To give the unlearned Reader a just Idea, and confequently a better Opinion of the Art of Criticism, now funk very low in the popular Efteem, by the Attempts of fome who would needs exercife it without either natural or acquired Talents; and by the ill Succefs of others, who feemed to have loft both, when they came to try them upon English Authors. Secondly, To deter the un-USE learned Writer from wantonly trifling with an Art he is a Stranger to, at the Expence of his

own

own Reputation, and the Integrity of the Text of eftablished Authors. But these Ufes may be well fupplied by what is occafionally faid upon the Subject, in the Course of the following Remarks.

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II. The fecond fort of Notes confifts in an Explanation of the Author's Meaning, when, by one, or more of these Caufes, it becomes obfcure; either from a licentious Ufe of Terms; or a bard or ungrammatical Conftruction; or laftly, from far-fetch'd or quaint Allufions.

1. This licentious Ufe of Words is almost peculiar to the Language of Shakespear. To common Terms he hath affixed Meanings of his own, unauthorised by Ufe, and not to be juftified by Analogy. And this Liberty he hath taken with the nobleft Parts of Speech, such as Mixedmodes; which, as they are most fufceptible of Abufe, fo their Abuse most hurts the Clearness of the Discourse. The Critics (to whom ShakeSpear's Licence was still as much a Secret as his Meaning, which that Licence had obfcured) fell into two contrary Mistakes; but equally injurious to his Reputation and his Writings. For fome of them obferving a Darkness, that pervaded his whole Expreffion, have cenfured him for Confufion of Ideas and Inaccuracy of reafoning. In the Neighing of a Horfe, (fays Rymer) or in the Growl ing of a Mastiff there is a Meaning, there is a lively Expreffion, and, may I fay, more Humanity than many times in the tragical Flights of Shakespear. The Ignorance of which Cenfure is of a piece with its Brutality. The Truth is, no one thought

clearer,

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