riously he could think like them, without owing any Thing to Imitation. Tho' I should be very unwilling to allow Shakespeare fo poor a Scholar, as Many have labour'd to reprefent him, yet I fhall be very cautious of declaring too pofitively on the other Side of the Question: that is, with regard to my Opinion of his Knowledge in the dead Languages. And therefore the Paffages, that I occafionally quote from the Claffics, fhall not be urged as Proofs that he knowingly imitated thofe Originals; but brought to fhew how happily he has expreffed himself upon the fame Topicks. A very learned Critick of our own Nation has declared, that a Sameness of Thought and Samenèfs of Expreffion too, in Two Writers of a different Age, can hardly happen, without a violent Sufpicion of the latter copying from his Predeceffor. I shall not therefore run any great Rifque of a Cenfure, tho' I fhould venture to hint, that the Refemblances in Thought and Expreffion, of our Author and an Ancient (which we fhould allow to be Imitation in the One, whofe Learning was not queftion'd) may fometimes take its Rife from Strength of Memory, and thofe Impreffions which he owed to the School. And if we may allow a Poffibility of This, confidering that, when he quitted the School he gave into his Father's Profeffion and way of Living, and had, 'tis likely, but a flender Library of Claffical Learning; and confidering what a Number of Tranflations, Romances, and Legends, ftarted about his Time, and a little before; (most of which, 'tis very evident, he read;) I think, it may easily be reconciled why he rather schemed his Plots and Characters from these more latter Informations, than went back to thofe Foun tains, for which he might entertain a fincere Venera tion, but to which he could not have fo ready a Recourfe. In touching on any another Part of his Learning, as it related to the Knowledge of History and Books, I fhall advance fomething, that, at firft Sight, will very much wear the Appearance of a Paradox. For I fhall find it no hard Matter to prove, that, from the groffeft Blunders Blunders in Hiftory, we are not to infer his real Ignorance of it: Nor from a greater Ufe of Latin Words, than ever any other English Author used, muft we infer his intimate Acquaintance with that Language. A Reader of Tafte may eafily obferve, that though Shakespeare, almoft in every Scene of his hiftorical Plays, commits the groffeft Offences againft Chronology, History, and Ancient Politicks; yet This was not thro' Ignorance, as is generally supposed, but thro' the too powerful Blaze of his Imagination; which, when once raised, made all acquired Knowledge vanish and difappear before it. But this Licence in him, as I have faid, muft not be imputed to Ignorance: fince as often we may find him, when Occafion ferves, reafoning up to the Truth of Hiftory; and throwing out Sentiments as juftly adapted to the Circumstances of his Subject, as to the Dignity of his Characters, or Dictates of Nature in general. Then to come to his Knowledge of the Latin Tongue, 'tis certain, there is a furprising Effufion of Latin Words made English, far more than in any one English Author I have feen; but we must be cautious to imagine, this was of his own doing. For the English Tongue, in his Age, began extremely to fuffer by an Inundation of Latin: and this, to be fure, was occafioned by the Pedantry of those two Monarchs, Elizabeth and James, both great Latinifts. For it is not to be wonder'd at, if both the Court and Schools, equal Flatterers of Power, fhould adapt themselves to the Royal Tafte. But now I am touching on the Question, (which has been fo frequently agitated, yet fo entirely undecided) of his Learning and Acquaintance with the Languages; an additional Word or two naturally falls in here upon the Genius of our Author, as compared with that of Johnfon his Contemporary. They are confeffedly the greatest Writers our Nation could ever boast of in the Drama. The firft, we fay, owed all to his prodigious. natural Genius; and the other a great deal to his Art and Learning. This, if attended to, will explain a very remarkable Appearance in their Writings. Be fides those wonderful Masterpieces of Art and Genius, which each has given us; They are the Authors of other Works, very unworthy of them: But with this Difference; that in Johnson's bad Pieces we don't difcover one fingle Trace of the Author of the Fox and Alchymift: but in the wild extravagant Notes of ShakeSpeare, you every now and then encounter Strains that recognize the divine Compofer. This Difference may be thus accounted for. Fobnfon, as we faid before, owing all his Excellence to his Art, by which he fometimes ftrain'd himself to an uncommon Pitch, when at other Times he unbent and play'd with his Subject, having nothing then to fupport him, it is no Wonder he wrote fo far beneath himself. But Shakespeare, indebted more largely to Nature, than the Other to acquired Talents, in his moft negligent Hours could never fo totally diveft himself of his Genius, but that it would frequently break out with aftonishing Force and Splendor. As I have never proposed to dilate farther on the Character of my Author, than was neceffary to explain the Nature and Ufe of this Edition, I fhall proceed to confider him as a Genius in Poffeffion of an everlafting Name. And how great that Merit must be, which could gain it against all the Difadvantages of the horrid Condition in which he has hitherto appear'd! Had Homer, or any other admir'd Author, firft ftarted into Publick fo maim'd and deform'd, we cannot determine whether they had not funk for ever under the Ignominy of fuch an ill Appearance. The mangled Condition of Shakespeare has been acknowledged by Mr. Rowe, who publifh'd him indeed, but neither corrected his Text, nor collated the old Copies. This Gentleman had Abilities, and fufficient Knowledge of his Author, had but his Industry been equal to his Talents. The fame mangled Condition has been acknowledged too by Mr. Pope, who published him likewise, pretended to have collated the old Copies, and yet feldom has corrected the Text but to its Injury. I congratulate with the Manes of our Poet, that this Gentleman has been fparing in indulging his private Sense, as as he phrases it; for he, who tampers with an Author, whom he does not understand, muft do it at the Expence of his Subject. I have made it evident throughout my Remarks, that he has frequently inflicted a Wound where he intended a Cure. He has acted with regard to our Author, as an Editor, whom LIPSIUS mentions, did with regard to MARTIAL; Inventus eft nefcio quis Popa, qui non vitia ejus, fed ipfum excidit. He has attack'd him like an unhandy Slaughterman and not lopp'd off the Errors, but the Poet. When this is found to be the Fact, how abfurd must appear the Praises of fuch an Editor? It feems a moot Point, whether Mr. Pope has done moft Injury to ShakeSpeare as his Editor and Encomiaft; or Mr. Rymer done him Service as his Rival and Cenfurer. They have both shewn themselves in an equal Impuiffance of fufpecting, or amending, the corrupted Paffages; and tho' it be neither Prudence to cenfure, or commend, what one does not understand; yet if a Man muft do one when he plays the Critick, the latter is the more ridiculous Office: And by That Shakespeare fuffers moft. For the natural Veneration which we have for him, makes us apt to fwallow whatever is given us as his, and fet off with Encomiums; and hence we quit all Sufpicions of Depravity: On the contrary, the Ĉenfure of fo divine an Author fets us upon his Defence; and this produces an exact Scrutiny and Examination, which ends in finding out and discriminating the true from the fpurious. It is not with any fecret Pleasure, that I fo frequently animadvert on Mr. Pope as a Critick; but there are Provocations which a Man can never quite forget. His Libels have been thrown out with fo much Inveteracy, that, not to difpute whether they fhould come from a Chriftian, they leave it a Question whether they could come froma Man. I fhould be loth to doubt, as Quintus Serenus did in a like Cafe, Sive home, feu fimilis turpiffima beftia nobis, The The Indignation, perhaps, for being represented a Blockhead, may be as ftrong in us as it is in the Ladies for a Reflexion on their Beauties. It is certain, I am indebted to him for fome flagrant Civilities; and I fhall willingly devote a Part of my Life to the honeft Endeavour of quitting Scores: with this Exception however, that I will not feturn those Civilities in his peculiar Strain, but confine myself, at leaft, to the Limits of common Decency. I fhall ever think it better to want Wit, than to want Humanity and impartial Pofterity may, perhaps, be of my Opinion. But, to return tou my Subject; which h now calls upon me to inquire into thofe Caufes, to which the Depravations of my Author originally may be affign'd. We are to confider him as a Writer, of whom no authentic Manufcript was left extant; as a Writer, whofe Pieces were difperfedly performed on the feveral Stages then in Being. And it was the Cuftom of thofe Days for the Poets to take a Price of the Players for the Pieces they from Time to Time furnished; and thereupon it was fuppofed, they had no farther Right to print them without the Confent of the Players. As it was the Intereft of the Companies to keep their Plays unpublished, when any one fucceeded, there was a Contest betwixt the Curiofity of the Town, who demanded to fee it in Print, and the Policy of the Stagers, who wifh'd to fecrete it within their own Walls. Hence, many Pieces were taken down in Short-hand, and imperfectly copied by Ear, from a Reprefentation: Others 121 were printed from piece-meal Parts furreptitiously obtained from the Theatres, uncorrect, and without the the Poet's Knowledge. To fome of these Caufes we owe the Train of Blemishes, that deform thofe Piece's which ftole fingly into the World in our Author's Lifetime.d There are ftill other Reafons, which may be fupposed to have affected the whole Set. When the Players took upon them to publish his Works intire, every Theatre was ranfack'd to fupply the Copy; and Parts collected, which had gone thro' as many Changes as Performers, either from Mutilations or Additions made |