This is the state in which Shakespear's writings lie at prefent; for, fince the above-mentioned folio edition, all the reft have implicitly followed it, without having recourfe to any of the former, or ever making the comparison between them. It is impoffible to repair the injuries already done him; too much time has elapfed, and the materials are too few. In what I have done I have rather given a proof of my willingness and defire, than of my ability, to do him justice. I have difcharged the dull duty of an Editor, to my best judgment, with more labour than I expect thanks, with a religious abhorrence of all innovation, and without any indulgence to my private fenfe or conjecture. The method taken in this edition will fhew itself. The various readings are fairly put in the margin, so that every one may compare them; and those I have prefered into the text are conftantly ex fide codicum, upon authority. The alterations or additions which Shakespear himself made, are taken notice of as they occur. Some fufpected paffages which are exceffively bad (and which feem interpolations by being fo inferted that one can intirely omit them without any chafm, or deficience in the context) are degraded to the bottom of the page; with an afterisk referring to the places of their infertion. The scenes are marked fo diftinctly that every removal of place is fpecify'd; which is more neceffary in this Author than any other, fince he fhifts

them more frequently and fometimes without attending to this particular, the reader would have met with obfcurities. The more obfolete or unufual words are explained. Some of the moft fhining paffages are diftinguished by comma's in the margin: and where the beauty lay not in par ticulars but in the whole, a ftar is prefixed to the fcene. This feems to me a fhorter and less oftentatious method of performing the better half of Criticism (namely the pointing out an Author's excellencies) than to fill a whole paper with citations of fine paffages, with general applauses, or empty exclamations at the tail of them. There is also fubjoined a catalogue of those first editions by which the greater part of the various readings and of the corrected paffages are authorised (most of which are fuch as carry their own evidence along with them.) Thefe editions now hold the place of originals, and are the only materials left to repair the deficiencies or reftore the corrupted sense of the author: I can only with that a greater number of them (if a greater were ever published) may yet be found, by a fearch more fuccessful than mine, for the better accomplishment of this end.

I will conclude by faying of Shakespear, that with all his faults, and with all the irregularity of his drama, one may look upon his works, in comparison of those that are more finished and regular, as upon an ancient majeftick piece of Gothic architecture, compared with a neat modern build

ing: The latter is more elegant and glaring, but the former is more ftrong and more folemn. It must be allowed, that in one of these there are materials enough to make many of the other. It has much the greater variety, and much the nobler apartments; tho' we are often conducted to them by dark, odd, and uncouth paffages. Nor does the whole fail to ftrike us with greater reverence, tho' many of the parts are childish, ill-placed, and unequal to its grandeur.