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more the Editions of any Book multiply, the more the Errors multiply too, and propagate out of their own Species. of "this (to borrow the Words and Obfervation of my ingenious "Friend, * Mr. SEWEL;) Shakespeare is a very remarkable Inftance, who has been handed down, from Age to Age, very incorrect, his Errors increafing by Time, and being almost constantly republifh'd to his Difgrace. Whatever were the Faults of this great Poet, the Printers have been hitherto as careful to multiply "them, as if they had been real Beauties; thinking, perhaps, with “the Indians, that the disfiguring a good Face with Scars of arti"ficial Brutes, had improv'd the Form and Dignity of the Per“ Jon."

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THIS, indeed, has not been altogether the Cafe in the late Edition of SHAKESPEARE: The BOOKSELLER, who farms a Right to fome part of this Author, and claims a Right to some other part of him, has fo far misunderstood himself, (I mean, in Contradiction to the Rule of Trade,) as to be at the Expence of having his AUTHOR revised; and therefore we promised ourfelves, this WORK would be compleat.

I HAVE fo great an Esteem for Mr. POPE, and fo high an Opinion of his Genius and Excellencies, that I beg to be excufed from the leaft Intention of derogating from his Merits, in this Attempt to restore the true Reading of SHAKESPEARE. Tho' I confefs a Veneration, almoft rifing to Idolatry, for the Writings of this inimitable Poet, I would be very loth even to do him Juftice at the Expence of that other Gentleman's Character. But, I am perfuaded, I fhall ftand as free from fuch a Charge in the Execution of this Defign, as, I am fure, I am in the Intention of it; for I am affuming a Tafk here, which this learned Editor feems purposely (I was going to fay, with too nice a Scruple) to have declined.

In

To explain myself, I must be obliged to make a fhort Quo tation from Mr. POPE, in his Preface to SHAKESPEAKE: "what I have done, fays he, I have rather given a Proof of my Willingness and Defire, than of my Ability to do him Justice. I "have

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* In his Preface to the Seventh Volume of the Works of SHAKESPEARE, in Quarto.

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"have difcharg'd 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 Senfe or Conjecture." I cannot help thinking this Gentleman's Modefty in this Point too nice and blameable; and that what he is pleased to call a religious Abhorrence of Innovation, is downright Superftition: Neither can I be of Opinion, that the Writings of SHAKESPEARE are fo venerable, as that we fhould be excommunicated from good Sense, for daring to innovate properly; or that we ought to be as cautious of altering their Text, as we would That of the facred Writings. And yet even They, we fee, have admitted of fome Thousands of various Readings; and would have a great many more, had not Dr. BENTLEY fome particular Reafons for not profecuting his Undertaking upon the New Testament, as he propos'd.

CERTAINLY, that Physician would be reckon'd a very unferviceable Member in the Republick, as well as a bad Friend to himself, who would not venture to prescribe to a Patient, because not abfolutely fure to cure his Diftemper: As, on the other hand, he would be accounted a Man of very indifferent Morals, if he rafhly tamper'd with the Health and Conftitution of his Fellow-Creature, and was bold to try Conclufions only for private Information. The fame Thing may be faid with regard to Attempts upon Books: We fhould fhew very little Honefty, or Wisdom, to play the Tyrants with any Author's Text; to raze, alter, innovate, and overturn, at all Adventures, and to the utter Detriment of his Senfe and Meaning: But to be fo very referv'd and cautious, as to interpofe no Relief or Conjecture, where it manifeftly labours and cries out for Affistance, seems almost as abfurd as the Indolence of that good honeft Priest, who had for thirty Years together mistakingly, in his Breviary, read Mumpfimus for Sumpfimus; and being told of his Blunder, and follicited to correct it, The Alteration may be juft, faid he; but, however, I'll not change my old MUMPSIMUS for your new SUMP

SIMUS.

FOR

"

FOR my own part, I don't know whether I am mistaken in Judgment, but I have always thought, that whenever a Gentleman and a Scholar turns Editor of any Book, he at the fame Time commences Critick upon his Author; and that wherever he finds the Reading fufpected, manifeftly corrupted, deficient in Senfe, and unintelligible, he ought to exert every Power and Faculty of the Mind to fupply fuch a Defect, to give Light and restore Senfe to the Paffage, and, by a reasonable Emendation, to make that fatisfactory and confiftent with the Context, which before was so abfurd, unintelligible, and intricate.

THIS is a Task, which, as I above intimated, Mr. POPE has purposely difclaim'd, and which I (by what Fatality, or with what Event, I know not ;) have taken upon my felf to profecute. I am not infenfible under what Disadvantages I must set out upon fuch a Work, and against fuch an Antagonist; impar congreffus ACHILLI: But as I have laid it down as a Rule to myself not to be arbitrary, fantaftical, or wanton, in my Conjectures upon our Author, I fhall venture to aim at fome little Share of Reputation, in endeavouring to restore Sense to Paffages in which no Senfe has hitherto been found; or, failing in that Hope, must fubmit to incur, which I fhould be very unwilling to do, the Cenfure of a rafh and vain Pretender.

AS SHAKESPEARE ftands, or at least ought to stand, in the Nature of a Claffic Writer, and, indeed, he is corrupt enough to pass for one of the oldeft Stamp, every one, who has a Talent and Ability this Way, is at liberty to make his Comments and Emendations upon him. This is a Palm, which (as TERENCE faid, of writing Comedies) is in common to every poetical Contender :

In medio omnibus

Palmam effe pofitam, qui artem tractant muficam.

And he, who has the Luck to be allowed any Merit in it, does not only do a Service to the Poet, but to his Country and its Language. This Author is grown fo univerfal a Book, that there are very few Studies, or Collections of Books, tho' small, amongst

which

which it does not hold a Place: And there is fcarce a Poet, that our English Tongue boafts of, who is more the Subject of the Ladies Reading. But with what Pleasure can they read Pasfages, which the Incorrectness of the Editions will not fuffer them to understand? No Vein of Pedantry, or Oftentation of ufelefs Criticism, incited me to this Work: It is a Sacrifice to the Pleasure of SHAKESPEARE'S Admirers in general; and fhould it fail of all the Succefs which I wifh, it may chance to work this good Effect, That many will be tempted to read this Poet with a more diligent Eye than hitherto: The Confequence of which will be, that better Criticks will make their own Obfervations, with more Strength than I can pretend; and this Specimen prove only an Invitation to lead them into nobler Corrections. If, however, till that happens, where SHAKESPEARE has yet, thro' all his Editions, labour'd under flat Nonsense, and invincible Darkness, I can, by the Addition or Alteration of a single letter, or two, give him both Senfe and Sentiment, who will be fo unkind to fay, this is a trifling or unwarrantable Attempt? Or, rather, if I may dare to flatter myself so far, what true Lover of this Poet, who fhall find him so easily cur'd, will not owe his Thanks for a Paffage retriev'd from Obscurity, and no Meaning? and fay, SHAKESPEARE must certainly have wrote fo---? But I remember a Line in Horace, which ought to ftop me fhort, and give me fome Fears:

Quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu?

I am running too largely in debt, upon Promise, to my Readers, and they are calling for Payment in fome Specimens of my Performance.

I am forry that the Ufe and Intention of this Undertaking ties me down to the Neceflity of one unpleasant Office, That of fetting right the Faults in Pointing, and thofe meerly literal, committed by the Printer, and continued by too negligent a Revifal. This is the Drudgery of Correction, in which I could wifh to have been fpar'd, there being no Pleasure in the Execution of it, nor any Merit, but that of dull Diligence, when executed.

cuted. But, unpleasant as it is, even this Part must be difpens'd with; and all that I can do, to ease myself or Readers in it, is to mark these minute Corrections with all poffible Brevity, and proceed to more important Matter.

I CAN fcarce fufpect it will be thought, if I begin my Animadverfions upon the Tragedy of HAMLET, that I have been partial to myself in picking out this Play, as one more fertile in Errors than any of the rest: On the contrary, I chose it for Reafons quite oppofite. It is, perhaps, the best known, and one of the most favourite Plays of our Author: For these thirty Years last past, I believe, not a Seafon has elaps'd, in which it has not been perform'd on the Stage more than once; and, confequently, we might prefume it the most purg'd and free from Faults and Obfcurity. Yet give me Leave to fay, what I am ready to prove, it is not without very grofs Corruptions. Nor does it ftand by itself for Faults in Mr. POPE's Edition: No, it is a Specimen only of the epidemical Corruption, if I may be allowed to ufe that Phrafe, which runs thro' all the Work: And I cannot help faying of it, as Æneas does of the Greeks Treachery upon the Inftance of Sinon's,

Difce omnes:

Crimine ab uno

IF HAMLET has its Faults, fo has every other of the Plays; and I therefore only offer it as a Precedent of the fame Errors, which, every body will be convinced before I have done, poffefs every Volume and every Play in this Impreffion.

BUT to proceed from Affertion to Experiment: In order to which I fhall conftantly be obliged, that the Emendations may ftand in a fairer Light, to quote the Paffages as they are read, with fome part of their Context, in Mr. POPE's Edition; and likewife to prefix a fhort Account of the Business and Circumftances of the Scenes from which the faulty Paffages are drawn; that the Readers may be inform'd at a fingle View, and judge of the Strength and Reafon of the Emendation, without a Reference to the Plays themselves for that purpose. But this

will

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