Arabian Tales: which perhaps may be fufficient for Jome criticks to prove his acquaintance with Arabic!

It feems however, at laft, that "Tafte fhould determine the matter." This, as Bardolph expreffes it, is a word of exceeding good command: but I am willing, that the ftandard itfelf be fomewhat better afcertained before it be opposed to demonftrative evidence. Upon the whole, I may confider myself as the pioneer of the commentators: I have removed a deal of learned rubbish, and pointed out to them Shakspeare's track in the ever-pleafing paths of nature. This was neceffarily a previous inquiry; and I hope I may affume with fome confidence, what one of the firft criticks of the age was pleafed to declare on reading the former edition, that "The queftion is now for ever decided.”

I may juft remark, left they be mistaken for Errata, that the word Catherine in the 45th page is written, according to the old Orthography for Catharine; and that the paffage in the 48th page is copied from Upton, who improperly calls Horatio and Marcellus in Hamlet," the Centinels.”

ADVERTISEMENT

PREFIXED то

THE THIRD EDITION,

1789.

IT may be neceffary to apologize for the republication of this pamphlet. The fact is, it has been for a good while extremely fcarce, and fome mercenary publishers were induced by the extravagant price, which it has occafionally borne, to project a new edition without the confent of the author.

A few corrections might probably be made, and many additional proofs of the argument have neceffarily occurred in more than twenty years: fome of which may be found in the late admirable editions of our POET, by Mr. Steevens and Mr. Reed.

But, perhaps enough is already faid on fo light a fubject:-A fubject, however, which had for a long time pretty warmly divided the criticks upon Shakspeare.

ΑΝ

ESSAY

ON THE

LEARNING OF SHAKSPEARE:

ADDRESSED то

JOSEPH CRADOCK, Esq.

SHA

HAKSPEARE," fays a brother of the craft, " is a vast garden of criticism:" and certainly no one can be favoured with more weeders gratis. But how often, my dear fir, are weeds and flowers torn up indiscriminately?—the ravaged fpot is replanted in a moment, and a profufion of critical thorns thrown over it for fecurity.

"A prudent man, therefore, would not venture his fingers amongst them."

Be however in little pain for your friend, who regards himself fufficiently to be cautious:-yet he afferts with confidence, that no improvement can be expected, whilft the natural foil is mistaken for a hot-bed, and the natives of the banks of Avon are fcientifically choked with the culture of exoticks.

2 Mr. Seward, in his Preface to Beaumont and Fletcher, 10 Vols. Svo. 1750.

Thus much for metaphor; it is contrary to the falute to fly out fo early: but who can tell, whether it may not be demonstrated by fome critick or other, that a deviation from rule is peculiarly happy in an Effay on Shakspeare!

You have long known my opinion concerning the literary acquifitions of our immortal dramatist; and remember how I congratulated myself on my coincidence with the laft and beft of his editors. I told you however, that his Small Latin and lefs Greek would ftill be litigated, and you fee very affuredly that I was not mistaken. The trumpet hath been founded against "the darling project of reprefenting Shakspeare as one of the illiterate vulgar;" and indeed to fo good purpose, that I would by all means recommend the performer to the army of the braying faction, recorded by Cervantes. The teftimony of his contemporaries is again difputed; conftant tradition is oppofed by flimfy arguments; and nothing is heard, but confufion and nonfenfe. One could fcarcely imagine this a topick very likely to inflame the paffions: it is afferted by Dryden, that " those who accufe him to have wanted learning, give him the greateft commendation;" yet an attack upon an article of faith hath been usually received with more temper and complacence, than the unfortunate opinion, which I am about to defend.

But let us previously lament with every lover of Shakspeare, that the queftion was not fully difcuffed

This paffage of Ben Jonfon, fo often quoted, is given us in the admirable preface to the late edition, with a various reading, " small Latin and no Greek," which hath been held up to the publick for a modern fophiftication: yet whether an error or not, it was adopted above a century ago by W. Towers, in a panegyrick on Cartwright. His eulogy, with more than fifty others, on this now forgotten poet, was prefixed to the edit. 1651,