up for himfelf those difficulties which lapse of time must inevitably create.

The author of the additional notes has rather been defirous to fupport old readings, than to claim the merit of introducing new ones. He defires to be regarded as one, who found the talk he undertook more arduous than it seemed, while he was yet feeding his vanity with the hopes of introducing himself to the world as an editor in form. He, who has difcovered in himself the power to rectify a few mistakes with ease, is naturally led to imagine, that all difficulties muft yield to the efforts of future labour; and perhaps feels a reluctance to be undeceived at last.

Mr. Steevens defires it may be observed, that he has strictly complied with the terms exhibited in his proposals, having appropriated all fuch affiftances, as he received, to the use of the present editor, whose judgment has, in every instance, determined on their refpective merits. While he enumerates his obligations to his correfpondents, it is neceffary that one comprehenfive remark should be made on fuch communications as are omitted in this edition, though they might have proved of great advantage to a more daring commentator. The majority of these were founded on the fuppofition, that Shakspeare was originally an author correct in the utmost degree, but maimed and interpolated by the neglect or prefumption of the players. In confequence of this belief, alterations have been proposed wherever a verse could be harmonized, an epithet exchanged for one more appofite, or a fentiment rendered less perplexed. Had the general current of advice been followed, the notes would have been illed with attempts at emendation apparently unneceffary, though sometimes elegant, and as frequently with explanations of what none would have thought difficult. A constant perufer of Shakspeare will fuppose whatever is easy to his own apprehenfion, will prove fo to that of others, and consequently may pass over fome real perplexities in filence. On the contrary, if in confideration of the different abilities of every class of readers, he should offer a comment on all harsh inversions of phrafe, or peculiarities of expreffion, he will at once excite the disgust and difpleasure of fuch as think their own knowledge or fagacity undervalued. It is difficult to fix a medium between doing too little and too much in the talk of mere explanation. There are yet many passages unexplained and unintelligible, which may be reformed, at hazard of whatever licence, for exhibitions on the flage, in which the pleasure of the audience is chiefly to be confidered; but muft remain untouched by the critical editor, whofe conjectures are limited by narrow bounds, and who gives only what he at least supposes his author to have written.

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If it is not to be expected that each vitiated paf. fage in Shakspeare can be restored, till a greater latitude of experiment shall be allowed; so neither can it be fuppofed that the force of all his allusions will be pointed out, till fuch books are thoroughly exa mined, as cannot easily at present be collected, if at all. Several of the most correct lists of our dramatick pieces exhibit the titles of plays, which are not to be met with in the completest collections. It is almost unnecessary to mention any other than

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Mr. Garrick's, which, curious and extensive as it is, derives its greatest value from its acceffibility..

6 There is reason to think that about the time of the Reformation, great numbers of plays were printed, though few of that age are now to be found; for part of Queen Elizabeth's INJUNCTIONS in 1559, are particularly directed to the fuppreffing of ،، Many pamphlets, PLAYES, and ballads: that no manner of person shall enterprize to print any fuch, &c. but under certain restrictions." Vid. Sect. V. This obfervation is taken from Dr. Percy's Additions to his Effay on the Origin of the English Stage. It appears likewife from a page at the conclusion of the fecond Vol. of the entries belonging to the Stationers' company, that in the 41st year of Queen Elizabeth, many new reftraints on bookfellers were laid. Among these are the following, "That no playes be printed excepte they bee allowed by fuch as have auctoritye. The records of the Stationers however contain the entries of fome which have never yet been met with by the most successful collectors; nor are their titles to be found in any registers of the stage, whether ancient or modern. It should feem from the fame volumes that it was customary for the Stationers to seize the whole impreffion of any work that had given offence, and burn it publickly at their hall, in obedience to the edicts of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London, who fometimes enjoyed these literary executions at their refpective palaces. Among other works condemned to the flames by these difcerning prelates, were the complete Satires of Bishop Hall.

Mr. Theobald, at the conclusion of the preface to his first edition of Shakspeare, afferts, that exclufive of the dramas of Ben Jonfon, and Beaumont and Fletcher, he had read, ،، above 800 of old English plays." He omitted this affertion, however, on the republication of the fame work, and, I hope, he did fo, through a confciousness of its utter falshood; 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 purpose for which he pretends to have perused this imaginary stock of ancient literature.

I might add, that the private collection of Mr. Theobald, which, including the plays of Jonfon, Fletcher, and Shak

To the other evils of our civil war must be added

the interruption of polite learning, and the fuppreffion of many dramatick and poetical names, which were plunged in obfcurity by tumults and revolu tions, and have never fince attracted curiofity. The utter neglect of ancient English literature continued so long, that many books may be supposed to be loft; and that curiosity, which has been now for some years increasing among us, wants materials for its operations. Books and pamphlets, printed originally in small numbers, being thus neglected, were foon destroyed; and though the capital authors were preserved, they were preserved to languish without regard. How little Shakspeare himself was

fpeare, 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 intrinfick evidences of fo comprehenfive an examination of our eldest dramatick writers, as he affumes to himself the merit of having made. STEEVENS.

Whatever Mr. Theobald might venture to affert, there is fufficient evidence existing that at the time of his death he was not poffeffed of more than 295 quarto plays in the whole, and fome of these, it is probable, were different editions of the fame play. He died shortly after the 6th of September, 1744. On the 20th of October his library was advertized to be fold by auction, by Charles Corbett, and on the third day was the following lot: ،، 295 Old English Plays in quarto, some of them so scarce as not to be had at any price: to many of which are MSS. notes and remarks by Mr. Theobald, all done up neatly in boards in fingle plays. They will all be fold in one lot." REED.

There were about five hundred and fifty plays printed before the Restoration, exclusive of those written by Shakspeare Jonfon, and Fletcher. MALONE

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once read', may be understood from Tate, who, in his dedication to the altered play of King Lear, speaks 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 alteration of that celebrated drama, in which almost every original beauty is either aukwardly difguifed, or arbitrarily omitted. So little were the defects or peculiarities of the old writers

7 In the year 1707 Mr. N. Tate published a tragedy called Injured Love, or the Cruel Husband, and in the title-page calls. himself ،، Author of the tragedy called King Lear."

In a book called The Actor, or a Treatise on the Art of Playing, 12m0. published in 1750, and imputed to Dr. Hill, is the following pretended extract from Romeo and Juliet, with the author's remark on it:

،، The faints that heard our vows and know our love,

،، Seeing thy faith and thy unspotted truth,

،، Will fure take care, and let no wrongs annoy thee.

،، Upon my knees I'll ask them every day

،، How my kind Juliet does; and every night,

،، In the fevere distresses of my fate,

،، As I perhaps shall wander through the defert, ،، And want a place to rest my weary head on, ،، I'll count the stars, and bless 'm as they shine, ،، And court them all for my dear Juliet's fafety." ،، The reader will pardon us on this and fome other occafons, that where we quote passages from plays, we give them as the author gives them, not as the butcherly hand of a blockkead prompter may have lopped them, or as the unequal genius of fome bungling critic may have attempted to mend them. Whoever remembers the merit of the player's speaking the things we celebrate them for, we are pretty confident will wish he spoke them abfolutely as we give them, that is, as the author gives them."

Perhaps it is unnecessary to inform the reader that not one of the lines above quoted is to be found in the Romeo and Juliet of Shakspeare. They are copied from the Caius Marius of Otway. STEEVENS.

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