negligence of all his commentators. When his fancy is once on the wing, let it not stoop at correction or explanation. When his attention is ftrongly engaged, let it difdain alike to turn afide to the name of Theobald and of Pope. Let him read on through brightness and obfcurity, through integrity and corruption; let him preferve his comprehenfion of the dialogue and his intereft in the fable. And when the pleafures of novelty have ceased, let him attempt exactness, and read the

commentators.

Particular paffages are cleared by notes, but the general effect of the work is weakened. The mind. is refrigerated by interruption; the thoughts are diverted from the principal fubject; the reader is weary, he suspects not why; and at last throws away the book which he has too diligently studied.

Parts are not to be examined till the whole has been furveyed; there is a kind of intellectual remotenefs neceffary for the comprehenfion of any great work in its full defign and in its true proportions; a close approach fhews the smaller niceties, but the beauty of the whole is difcerned no longer.

It is not very grateful to confider how little the fucceffion of editors has added to this author's power of pleasing. He was read, admired, ftudied, and imitated, while he was yet deformed with all the improprieties which ignorance and neglect could accumulate upon him; while the reading was yet not rectified, nor his allufions understood; yet then did Dryden pronounce, that Shakespeare was the man, who, of all modern and perhaps ancient

cc poets,

poets, had the largest and most comprehenfive

"foul. All the images of nature were still present "to him, and he drew them not laborioufly, but

luckily when he defcribes any thing, you more "than fee it, you feel it too. Thofe, who accuse " him to have wanted learning, give him the greater "commendation: he was naturally learned he "needed not the fpectacles of books to read na"ture; he looked inwards, and found her there. I 66 cannot fay he is every where alike; were he fo "I fhould do him injury to compare him with the greatest of mankind. He is many times flat and

30

infipid; his comick wit degenerating into clenches, "his serious swelling into bombaft. But he is always "great, when fome great occafion is prefented to "him: no man can fay, he ever had a fit fubject for "his wit, and did not then raife himself as high "above the reft of poets,

"Quantum lenta folent inter viburna cupressi.”

It is to be lamented, that fuch a writer should want a commentary; that his language fhould become obfolete, or his fentiments obfcure. But it is vain to carry wishes beyond the condition of human things; that which must happen to all, has happened to Shakespeare, by accident and time; and more than has been fuffered by any other writer fince the use of types, has been fuffered by him through his own negligence of fame, or perhaps by that fuperiority of mind, which despised its own performances, when it compared them with its powers, and judged thofe works unworthy to be preferved,

preferved, which the criticks of following ages were to contend for the fame of restoring and explaining.

Among these candidates of inferior fame, I am now to ftand the judgment of the publick; and wish that I could confidently produce my commentary as equal to the encouragement which I have had the honour of receiving. Every work of this kind is by its nature deficient, and I fhould feel little folicitude about the fentence, were it to be pronounced only by the skilful and the learned.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE,

IT

TEMPEST.

*

Tis obferved of The Tempest, that its plan is regular; this the author of The Revifal thinks, what I think too, an accidental effect of the story, not intended or regarded by our author. But whatever might be Shakespeare's intention in forming or adopting the plot, he has made it inftrumental to the production of many characters, diverfified with boundless invention, and preferved with profound skill in nature, extensive knowledge of opinions, and accurate obfervation of life. In a fingle drama are here exhibited princes, courtiers, and failors, all speaking in their real characters. There is the agency of airy spirits, and of an earthly goblin; the operations of magick, the tumults of a ftorm, the adventures of a defart island, the native effusion of untaught affection, the punishment of guilt, and the final happiness of the pair for whom our paffions and reafon are equally interested.

* Mr. Heath, who wrote a revifal of Shakespeare's text, pub lifhed in 8vo. circa 1760.

TWO

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

In this play there is a ftrange mixture of knowledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The verfification is often excellent, the allufions are learned and juft; but the author conveys his heroes by fea from one inland town to another in the fame country; he places the emperor at Milan, and fends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Protheus, after an interview with Silvia, fay he has only feen her picture; and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his fcenery inextricable. The reafon of all this confufion feems to be, that he took his ftory from a novel, which he fometimes followed, and fometimes forfook, fometimes remembered, and fometimes forgot.

That this play is rightly attributed to Shakespeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom fhall it be given? This queftion may be afked of all the difputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakespeare might sometimes fink below his highest flights, than that any other should rife up to his lowest.

MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

Of this play there is a tradition preferved by Mr. Rowe, that it was written at the command of queen Elizabeth, who was fo delighted with the character of Falstaff, that fhe wished it to be diffused through more plays; but fufpecting that it might pall by continued uniformity, directed the poet to diverfify