When thou wākst | thōu tākst True dělight in the sight of thy former lǎdy's eye. These verses are in the Midfummer Night's dream Act III. and ought to have been printed according to this measure. These measures are all so agreeable to the genius of our language, that Shakespeare's fine ear and skill are seen in what he gives us, as well as in what he omits. Sir Philip Sydney, who was a scholar (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, Förtüne nätürelōve long have contended about me Sir Philip Sydney thought, like Voffius, that fuch a number of fyllables was the only thing wanting, and that we had no long or fhort 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 ēṛrănd. So much mistaken oftentimes are learned men, when they don't sufficiently confider the peculi ar 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 spirit of criticism; and partly to do juftice to Shakespeare, as an artist in dramatic poetry. How far I have fucceded in this attempt muft be left to his judgment. But it is to be remember'd, that things are not as we judge of them, but as they exist 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 taftes now, ❝ and things must be accommodated to them." They who are advanced to this pitch of barba rism, rifm, have much to unlearn, before they can have ears to hear. Again, I can hardly allow thofe for judges, who ridicule all rules in poetry, for whatever is beautiful and proper is agreeable to rule: nor those, who are for fetting at variance art and nature. And here I have ShakeIpeare's authority, who, in the Winter's Tale, fays very finely, The art itself is nature: for what is the office of art, but to fhew nature in its perfection? Thofe only therefore feem 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 likewise here proposed were followed, the world might expect a much better, at leaft a lefs altered edition from Shakespeare's own words, than has yet been published. In order for this, all the various readings of authority should faithfully and fairly be collated, and exhibited before the reader's eyes; and, with fome little ingenuity, the best of these should be chofen, and placed in the text. As to conjectural emendations, I have faid 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 INDEX. INDE EXA [N. B. The figures fhew the page: the lettern, the note.] CTORS (ftage,) their original. 111, &c. A ADDISON, noted. 84, n. 231. Admiration, how the paffion is to be raised. 58, 59. n. 64, ADONIS, his gardens. 167, &c. AESCHYLUS, his improvement of the ftage 112, 113, &c. ALCYONIUS, Petrus, cited and corrected. 34, 35, n. Alliteratio. 253, 254. Ambition, its effects. 42, 43, &c. ANACREON, fpurious. 276, 277- ANTONINUS, Marcus, explained. 32, n. corrected. 258. Apofiopefis, a figure in rhetoric used by Shakespeare. B. II. Arbitrary power, See Tyranny. ARIPHRO, a verfe of his, cited by Stobaeus, corrected. 204. ARISTOPHANES, explained. 173, 230, 231, 248, 249, 307. ARISTOTLE, in his poetics explained, paffim.' explained and ARRIAN, his difcourfes of Epictetus, explained. 202, n. 294. ATHE- |