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When thou wākft | thōu tākst

True delight in the sight

of thy forměr lady's eye.

These verses are in the Midfummer Night's dream Act III. and ought to have been printed according to this meafure.

These measures are all fo agreeable to the genius of our language, that Shakespeare's fine ear and skill are feen in what he gives us, as well as in what he omits. Sir Philip Sydney, who was a fcholar (as nobleman were in queen Elizabeth's reign) but wanted Shakespeare's ear, has dragged into our language verfes, that are enough to fet one's ear an edge: thus for inftance the elegiac verfes,

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Förtüne naturellōve lōng|hāve cōn|tended ǎlboūt mē
Which should most misĕ|ries|cāft on ǎ wōrme that ĭ |ām.

Sir Philip Sydney thought, like Voffius, that fuch a number of fyllables was the only thing wanting, and that we had no long or short words in our language; but he was much mistaken. His faphics are worse, if poffible, than his elegiacs:

if mine eys can speak to do hearty errǎnd. So much mistaken oftentimes are learned men, when they don't fufficiently confider the peculiar genius, and diftinguishing features, as it were, of one language from another.

THE reader has now a plan exhibited before him, partly intended to fix, if poffible, the volatil fpirit of criticifm; and partly to do justice to Shakespeare, as an artist in dramatic poetry. How far I have fucceded in this attempt must be left to his judgment. But it is to be remember'd, that things are not as we judge of them, but as they exift in their own natures, independent of whim and caprice. So that I except against all fuch judges, as talk only from common vogue and fashion; "why, really 'tis juft "as people like-we have different tastes now, "and things must be accommodated to them." They who are advanced to this pitch of barba

rifm, have much to unlearn, before they can have ears to hear. Again, I can hardly allow those for judges, who ridicule all rules in poetry; for whatever is beautiful and proper is agreeable to rule: nor thofe, who are for fetting at vari ance art and nature. And here I have Shakefpeare's authority, who, in the Winter's Tale, fay's very finely, The art itself is nature: for what is the office of art, but to fhew nature in its perfection? Those only therefore seem to me to be judges, who knowing what is truly beautiful in general, have science and art fufficient to apply this knowledge to particulars.

If the plan likewife here proposed were followed, the world might expect a much better, at least a lefs altered edition from Shakespeare's own words, than has yet been published. In order for this, all the various readings of authority fhould faithfully and fairly be collated, and exhibited before the reader's eyes; and, with fome little ingenuity, the best of these fhould be chofen, and placed in the text. As to conjectural emendations, I have said enough of these already. Nor can I but think, that a fhort interpretation would be not amifs, when the conftruction is a little embarraffed, or where words are used not strictly according to the common acceptation, or fetched from other languages:

guages: and fome remarks could not but appear requifite, to explain the poet's allufions to the various customs and manners, either of our own, or foreign countries; or to point out, now and then, a hidden beauty: but this should be done fparingly; for fome compliment is to be paid to the reader's judgment: and furely, if any critics are contemptible, 'tis fuch as, with a foolish admiration, ever and anon are crying out; "How fine! what a beautiful fentiment! what "ordonnance of figures, &c!" For to admire, without a reason for admiration, tho' in a fubject truly admirable, is a kind of madness; and not to admire at all, downright stupidity.

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INDE X.

[N. B. The figures fhew the page: the letter », the note.]

CTORS (ftage,) their original. 111, &c.

A ADDISON, Hotel. 84, n. 231.

Admiration, how the paffion is to be raifed. 58, 59. n. 64,

n. 97.

ADONIS, his gardens. 167, &c.

AESCHYLUS, bis improvement of the ftage. 112, 113, &c. Affront. 297.

ALCYONIUS, Petrus, cited and corrected. 34, 35, n.

Alliteratio. 253, 254.

Ambition, its effects. 42, 43, &c.

ANACREON, Spurious. 276, 277.

ANTONINUS, Marcus, explained. 32, n. corrected. 258.

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explained and corrected. 205, 230, &c.

ANTONY, Mark, his character. 87, 100.

APOLLONIUS, Rhodius, corrected. 171, n.

Apofiopefis, a figure in rhetoric used by Shakespeare. B. II.

Se&t. IV.

Arbitrary power, See Tyranny.

ARIPHRO, a verfe of his, cited by Stobaeus, corrected. 204. ARISTARCHUS. 151.

ARISTOPHANES, explained. 173, 230, 231, 248, 249, 307. his fcholiaft corrected. 121, n.

ARISTOTLE, in his poetics explained, paffim. explained and corrected. 12, n. 40, n. 42, n. 59, n. 69, n. 91, n. 113, 114, n. 122, 123, n.

ARRIAN, bis difcourfes of Epictetus, explained. 202, n. 294. Arts and fciences, perfonated. 146. flourish in popular goyernment, and why. 132, 133.

ATHE

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