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as, a Note on every one hinders all possible
Return to Depravity; and for ever secures
them in a State of Purity and Integrity not to
be loft or forfeited.

in Shake

Again, as fome Notes have been necessary to point out the Detection of the corrupted Text, and establish the Restoration of the genuine Readings; fome others have been as necessary for the Explanation of Passages obscure and difficult. To understand the Ne-Causes of ceffity and Ufe of this Part of my Task, fome Obfcurities Particulars of my Author's Character are pre- fpeare. viously to be explain'd. There are Obfcurities in him, which are common to him with all Poets of the same Species; there are Others, the Issue of the Times he liv'd in; and there are Others, again, peculiar to himself. The Nature of Comic Poetry being entirely satyrical, it bufies itself more in expofing what we call Caprice and Humour, than Vices cognizable to the Laws. The English, from the Happiness of a free Constitution, and a Turn of Mind peculiarly speculative and inquifitive, are observ'd to produce more Humourists and a greater Variety of Original Characters, than any other People whatsoever : And Thefe owing their immediate Birth to the peculiar Genius of each Age, an infinite Number of Things alluded to, glanced at, and expos'd, must needs become obfcure, as the Characters themselves are antiquated, and disused. An Editor therefore should be well vers'd in the Hiftory

C 4

History and Manners of his Author's Age, if he aims at doing him a Service in this Respect.

Befides, Wit lying mostly in the Assemblage of Ideas, and in the putting Those together with Quickness and Variety, wherein can be found any Resemblance, or Congruity, to make up pleasant Pictures, and agreeable Vifions in the Fancy; the Writer, who aims at Wit, must of course range far and wide for Materials. Now, the Age, in which Shakespeare liv'd, having, above all others, a wonderful Affection to appear Learned, They declined vulgar Images, such as are immediately fetch'd from Nature, and rang'd thro' the Circle of the Sciences to fetch their Ideas from thence. But as the Resemblances of such Ideas to the Subject must neceffarily lie very much out of the common Way, and every piece of Wit appear a Riddle to the Vulgar; This, that should have taught them the forced, quaint, unnatural Tract they were in, (and induce them to follow a more natural One,) was the very Thing that kept them attach'd to it. The oftentatious Affectation of abstruse Learning, peculiar to that Time, the Love that Men naturally have to every Thing that looks like Mystery, fixed them down to this Habit of Obscurity. Thus became the Poetry of DONNE (tho' the wittiest Man of that Age,) nothing but a continued Heap of Riddles. And our Shakespeare, with all his eafy easy Nature about him, for want of the Knowledge of the true Rules of Art, falls frequently into this vicious Manner.

The third Species of Obscurities, which deform our Author, as the Effects of his own Genius and Character, are Those that proceed from his peculiar Manner of Thinking, and as peculiar a Manner of cloathing those 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 Philosophy 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 Allusions to the most 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 furnish'd him with fuch glorious Conceptions. He therefore frequently uses old Words, to give his Diction an Air of Solemnity; as he coins others, to express the Novelty and Variety of his Ideas.

Upon every diftinct Species of these Obfcurities I have thought it my Province to employ a Note, for the Service of my Author,

and

and the Entertainment of my Readers. A few tranfient Remarks too I have not scrupled to intermix, upon the Poet's Negligences and Omiffions in point of Art; but I have done it always in such a Manner, as will testify my Deference and Veneration for the Immortal Author. Some Cenfurers of Shakespeare, and particularly Mr. Rymer, have taught me to distinguish betwixt the Railer and Critick. The Outrage of his Quotations is so remarkably violent, so push'd beyond all Bounds of Decency and fober Reasoning, that it quite carries over the Mark at which it was levell'd. Extravagant Abuse throws off the Edge of the intended Disparagement, and turns the Madman's Weapon into his own Bosom. In short, as to Rymer, This is my Opinion of him from his Criticisms on the Tragedies of the Last 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 tranfcribed many of his best Reflexions. The late Mr. Gildon was One attached to Rymer by a fimilar Way of Thinking and Studies. They were Both of that Species of Criticks, who are defirous of displaying their Powers rather in finding Faults, than in consulting the Improvement of the World: the hypercritical Part of the Science of Criticism.

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

Anachro

It has been my Fate, it seems, as I thought Shakeit my Duty, to discover some Anachronisms in peare' our Author; which might have slept in Ob-nisms de scurity but for this Restorer, as Mr. Pope is fended. pleas'd affectionately to style me; as, for Instance, where Aristotle 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 These could be the Errors of any Man who had the leaft Tincture of a School, or the least Conversation with Such

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