Heap of Riddles. And our Shakespeare, with all his eafy Nature about him, for want of the Knowledge of the true Rules of Art, falls frequently into this vicious Manner.

The third Species of Obfcurities, which deform our Author, as the Effects of his own Genius and Character, are Thofe that proceed from his peculiar Manner of Thinking, and as peculiar a Manner of cloathing thofe Thoughts. With regard to his Thinking, it is certain, that he had a general Knowledge of all the Sciences: But his Acquaintance was rather that of a Traveller, than a Native. Nothing in Philofophy was unknown to him; but every Thing in it had the Grace and Force of Novelty. And as Novelty is one main Source of Admiration, we are not to wonder that He has perpetual Allufions to the moft recondite Parts of the Sciences: and this was done not fo much out of Affectation, as the Effect of Admiration begot by Novelty. Then, as to his Style and Diction, we may much more justly apply to SHAKESPEARE, what a celebrated Writer has faid of MILTON; Our Language funk under him, and was unequal to that Greatness of Soul which furnished him with fuch glorious Conceptions. He therefore frequently ufes old Words, to give his Diction an Air of Solemnity; as he coins others, to exprefs the Novelty and Variety of his Ideas.

Upon every diftinct Species of thefe Obfcurities I have thought it my Province to employ a Note, for the Service of my Author, and the Entertainment of my Readers. A few tranfient Remarks too I have not fcrupled to intermix, upon the Poet's Negligences and Omiffions in point of Art; but I have done it always in fuch a Manner, as will teftify my Deference and Veneration for the immortal Author. Some Cenfurers of Shakespeare, and particularly Mr. Rymer, have taught me to diftinguish betwixt the Railer and Critick. The Outrage of his Quotations is fo remarkably violent, fo pufh'd beyond all Bounds of Decency and fober Reasoning, that it quite carries over the Mark at which it was levell'd. Extravagant Abufe throws off the Edge of the intended Difparagement, and turns the MadVOL. I.

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man's Weapon into his own Bofom. In short, as to Rymer, this is my Opinion of him from his Criticisms on the Tragedies of the laft Age. He writes with great Vivacity, and appears to have been a Scholar: but, as for his Knowledge of the Art of Poetry, I can't perceive it was any deeper than his Acquaintance with Boffu and Dacier, from whom he has tran crib'd many of the best Reflexions. The late Mr. Gildon was once attached to Rymer by a fimilar way of Thinking and Studies. They were both of that Species of Criticks, who are defirous of difplaying their Powers rather in finding Faults, than in confulting the Improvements of the World: the hypercritical Part of the Science of Criticifm.

I had not mentioned the modeft Liberty I have here and there taken of animadverting on my Author, but that I was willing to obviate in Time the fplenetick Exaggerations of my Adverfaries on this Head. From paft Experiments I have reafon to be confcious, in what Light this Attempt may be placed: and that what I call a modeft Liberty, will, by a little of their Dexterity, be inverted into downright Impudence. From a hundred mean and difhoneft Artifices employ'd to difcredit this Edition, and to cry down its Editor, I have all the Grounds in Nature to beware of Attacks. But tho' the Malice of Wit, join'd to the Smoothness of Verfification, may furnish fome Ridicule; Fact, I hope, will be able to ftand its Ground against Banter and Gaiety.

It has been my Fate, it feems, as I thought it my Duty, to discover fome Anachronisms in our Author; which might have flept in Obfcurity but for this Reflorer, as Mr. Pope is pleafed affectionately to ftile me: as, for Inftance, where Ariftotle is mentioned by Hector in Troilus and Creffida: and Galen, Cato, and Alexander the Great in Coriolanus. These in Mr. Pope's Opinion, are Blunders, which, the Illiteracy of the first Publishers of his Works has father'd upon the Poet's Memory: It not being at all credible that Thefe could be the Errors of any Man who had the leaft Tincture of a School, or the leaft Converfation with Such as had.

But

But I have fufficiently proved, in the course of my Notes, that fuch Anachronisms were the Effect of Poetic Licence, rather than of Ignorance in our Poet. And if I may be permitted to afk a modeft Queftion by the way, Why may not I reftore an Anachronifm really made by our Author, as well as Mr. Pope take the Privilege to fix others upon him, which he never had it in his Head to make; as I may venture to affirm he had not, in the Instance of Sir Francis Drake, to which I have spoke in the proper Place.

But who fhall dare make any Words about this Freedom of Mr. Pope's towards Shakespeare, if it can be proved, that, in his Fits of Criticifm, he makes no more Ceremony with good Homer himself? To try, then, a Criticism of his own advancing; In the 8th Book of the Odyssey, where Demodocus fings the Epifode of the Loves of Mars and Venus; and that, upon their being taken in the Net by Vulcan,

"The God of Arms,

"Muft pay the Penalty for lawless Charms."

Mr. Pope is so kind gravely to inform us, That Ho66 mer in this, as in many other Places, feems to allude 56 to the Laws of Athens, where Death was the Punish"ment of Adultery." But how is this fignificant Observation made out? Why, who can poffibly object any Thing to the contrary?---Does not Paufanias relate, that Draco the Lawgiver to the Athenians granted Impunity to any Perfon that took Revenge upon an Adulterer? And was it not alfo the Inftitution of Solon, that if Any One took an Adulterer in the Fact, he might use him as he pleas'd? Thefe Things are very true: and to fee what a good Memory, and found Judgment in Conjunction can atchieve! Tho' Homer's Date is not determined down to a fingle Year, yet 'tis pretty generally agreed that he lived above 300 Years before Draco and Solon: And that, it feems, has made him feem to allude to the very Laws, which thefe two Legiflators propounded above 300 Years after. If this Inference be not fomething like an Anachronifm or Pro

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lepfis, I'll look once more into my Lexicons for the true Meaning of the Words. It appears to me, that fomebody befides Mars and Venus has been caught in a Net by this Epifode: and I could call in other Instances to confirm what treacherous Tackle this Network is, if not cautiously handled.

How juft, notwithstanding, I have been in detecting the Anachronisms of my Author, and in defending him for the Ufe of them, our late Editor feems to think, they should rather have flept in Obscurity: and the having discovered them is fneered at, as a Sort of wrong-headed Sagacity.

The numerous Corrections, which I made of the Poet's Text in my SHAKESPEARE Reftor'd, and which the Publick have been fo kind to think well of, are, in the Appendix of Mr. Pope's laft Edition, flightingly call'd Various Readings, Gueffes, &c. He confeffes to have inserted as many of them as he judg'd of any the leaft Advantage to the Poet; but fays, that the whole amounted to about 25 Words: and pretends to have annexed a complete Lift of the reft, which were not worth his embracing. Whoever has read my Book, will at one Glance fee, how in both thefe Points Veracity is ftrain'd, fo an Injury might but be done. Malus, etfi obeffe non poteft, tamen, cogitat.

a

Another Expedient, to make my Work appear of trifling Nature, has been an Attempt to depreciate Literal Criticifm. To this end, and to pay a fervile Compliment to Mr. Pope, an Anonymous Writer has, like a Scotch Pedlar in Wit, unbraced his Pack on the Subject. But, that his Virulence might not feem to be levelled fingly at me, he has done me the Honour to join Dr. Bentley in the Libel. I was in Hopes, we fhould have been both abused with Smartnefs of Satire, at leaft; tho' not with Solidity of Argument: that it might have been worth fome Reply in Defence of the Science attacked. But I may fairly fay of this Author, as Falftaffe does of Poins; Hang bim, Baboon! bis Wit is as thick as Tewksbury Mustard; there is no more Conceit in him, than is in a MALLET. If it be not Prophanation to fet the Opinion of the divine. Longinus

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Longinus against fuch a Scribler, he tells us exprefly, "That to make a Judgment upon Words (and Writings) is the most confummate Fruit of much Expe-· "rience." ἡ γὰρ τῶν λόγων κρίσις πολλῆς ἐστι πείρας τελευταῖον Tywna. Whenever Words are depraved, the Senfe of course must be corrupted; and thence the Reader's betrayed into a falfe Meaning.

If the Latin and Greek Languages have received the greatest Advantages imaginable from the Labours of the Editors and Criticks of the two laft Ages; by whofe Aid and Affistance the Grammarians have been enabled to write infinitely better in that Art than even the preceding Grammarians, who wrote when thofe Tongues flourished as living Languages: I fhould account it a peculiar Happinefs, that, by the faint Affay I have made in this Work, a Path might be chalk'd out, for abler Hands, by which to derive the fame Advantages to our own Tongue: a Tongue, which, tho' it wants none of the fundamental Qualities of an univerfal Language, yet, as a noble Writer fays, lifps and stammers as in its Cradle; and has produced little more towards its Polishing than Complaints of its Barbarity.

Having now run thro' all thofe Points, which I intended should make any Part of this Differtation, and having in my former Edition made public Acknowledgments of the Affiftances lent me, I fhall conclude with a brief Account of the Methods taken in This.

It was thought proper, in order to reduce the Bulk and Price of the Impreffion, that the Notes, wherever they would admit of it, might be abridg'd: for which Reason I have curtailed a great Quantity of Such, in which Explanations were too prolix, or Authorities in Support of an Emendation too numerous: and Many I have entirely expunged, which were judged rather Verbofe and Declamatory, (and, fo, Notes merely of Oftentation;) than neceffary, or inftructive.

The few literal Errors, which had efcaped Notice, for want of Revisals, in the former Edition, are here reformed; and the Pointing of innumerable Paffages is regulated, with all the Accuracy I am capable of.

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