Readers for these _Nine_ last Pages; and Others may be so kind to
pass them over at their Pleasure. (Those Discoveries, which give
Light and Satisfaction to the truly Learned, I must confess, are
Darkness and Mystery to the less capable: Φέγγος μὲν ξυνετοῖς,
ἀξυνετοῖς δ᾽ Ἐρεβος.) Nor will they be absolutely foreign, I hope,
to a Preface in some Measure critical; especially, as it could not
be amiss to shew, that I have read other Books with the same
Accuracy, with which I profess to have read _Shakespeare_. Besides,
I design’d this Inference from the Defence of Literal Criticism.
If the _Latin_ and _Greek_ Languages have receiv’d the greatest
Advantages imaginable from the Labours of the Editors and Criticks
of the two last Ages; by whose Aid and Assistance the Grammarians
have been enabled to write infinitely better in that Art than even
the preceding Grammarians, who wrote when those Tongues flourish’d
as living Languages: I should account it a peculiar Happiness, that,
by the faint Assay I have made in this Work, a Path might be chalk’d
out, for abler Hands, by which to derive the same Advantages to our
own Tongue: a Tongue, which, tho’ it wants none of the fundamental
Qualities of an universal Language, yet as a _noble Writer_ says,
lisps and stammers as in its Cradle; and has produced little more
towards its polishing than Complaints of its Barbarity.
[Sidenote: The Delay of this Edition excused.]
Having now run thro’ all those Points, which I intended should
make any Part of this Dissertation, it only remains, that I should
account to the Publick, but more particularly to my Subscribers,
why they have waited so long for this Work; that I should make my
Acknowledgments to those Friends, who have been generous Assistants
to me in the conducting it: and, lastly, that I should acquaint my
Readers what Pains I have myself taken to make the Work as complete,
as faithful Industry, and my best Abilities, could render it.
In the middle of the Year 1728, I first put out my _Proposals_ for
publishing only _Emendations_ and _Remarks_ on our Poet: and I had
not gone on many Months in this Scheme, before I found it to be the
unanimous Wish of those who did me the Honour of their Subscriptions,
that I would give them the Poet’s Text corrected; and that I would
subjoin those Explanatory Remarks, which I had purpos’d to publish
upon the Foot of my first Proposals. Earnest Sollicitations were
made to me, that I would think of such an Edition; which I had as
strong Desires to listen to: and some _noble_ Persons then, whom I
have no Privilege to name, were pleased to interest themselves so
far in the Affair, as to propose to Mr. _Tonson_ his undertaking an
Impression of _Shakespeare_ with my Corrections. The throwing my
whole Work into a different Form, to comply with this Proposal, was
not the slightest Labour: and so no little Time was unavoidably
lost. While the Publication of my Remarks was thus respited, my
Enemies took an unfair Occasion to suggest, that I was extorting
Money from my Subscribers, without ever designing to give them
any Thing for it: an Insinuation levell’d at once to wound me
Reputation and Interest. Conscious, however, of my own just
Intentions, and labouring all the while to bring my wish’d Purpose
to bear, I thought these anonymous Slanderers worthy of no Notice.
A Justification of myself would have been giving them Argument for
fresh Abuse; and I was willing to believe that any unkind Opinions,
entertain’d to my Prejudice, would naturally drop and lose their
Force, when the Publick should once be convinc’d that I was in
Earnest, and ready to do them Justice. I left no Means untry’d
to put it in my Power to do this: and I hope, without Breach of
Modesty, I may venture to appeal to all candid Judges, whether I
have not employ’d all my Power to be just to them in the Execution
of my Task. I must needs have been in the most Pain, who saw myself
daily so barbarously outraged. I might have taken advantage of
the favourable Impressions entertain’d of my Work, and hurried it
crudely into the World: But I have suffer’d, for my Author’s sake,
those Impressions to cool, and perhaps, be lost; and can now appeal
only to the _Judgment_ of the Publick. If I succeed in this Point,
the Reputation gain’d will be the more solid and lasting.
[Sidenote: Acknowledgment of Assistance.]
I come now to speak of those kind Assistances which I have met with
from particular Friends, towards forwarding and compleating this
Work. Soon after my Design was known, I had the Honour of an
Invitation to _Cambridge_; and a generous Promise from the Learned
and ingenious Dr. _Thirlby_ of _Jesus_-College, there, who had taken
great Pains with my Author, that I should have the Liberty of
collating his Copy of _Shakespeare_, mark’d thro’ in the Margin with
his own Manuscript References and accurate Observations. He not only
made good this Promise, but favour’d me with a Set of Emendations,
interspers’d and distinguish’d in his Name thro’ the Edition, and
which can need no Recommendation here to the judicious Reader.
The next Assistance I receiv’d was from my ingenious Friend _Hawley
Bishop_ Esq; whose great Powers and extensive Learning are as well
known, as his uncommon Modesty, to all who have the Happiness of his
Acquaintance. This Gentleman was so generous, at the Expence both
of his Pocket and Time, to run thro’ all _Shakespeare_ with me. We
join’d Business and Entertainment together; and at every of our
Meetings, which were constantly once a Week, we read over a _Play_,
and came mutually prepar’d to communicate our Conjectures upon it to
each other. The Pleasure of these Appointments, I think, I may say,
richly compensated for the Labour in our own Thoughts: and I may
venture to affirm, in the Behalf of my Assistant, that our Author
has deriv’d no little Improvement from them.
To these, I must add the indefatigable Zeal and Industry of my most
ingenious and ever-respected Friend, the Reverend Mr. _William
Warburton_ of _Newark_ upon _Trent_. This Gentleman, from the
Motives of his frank and communicative Disposition, voluntarily took
a considerable Part of my Trouble off my Hands; not only read over
the whole Author for me, with the exactest Care; but enter’d into
a long and laborious Epistolary Correspondence; to which I owe no
small Part of my best Criticisms upon my Author.
The Number of Passages amended, and admirably Explained, which I
have taken care to distinguish with his Name, will shew a Fineness
of Spirit and Extent of Reading, beyond all the Commendations I can
give them: Nor, indeed, would I any farther be thought to commend a
Friend, than, in so doing, to give a Testimony of my own Gratitude.
How great a share soever of Praise I must lose from my self, in
confessing these Assistances; and however my own poor Conjectures
may be weaken’d by the Comparison with theirs; I am very well
content to sacrifice my Vanity to the Pride of being so assisted,
and the Pleasure of being just to their Merits. I beg leave to
observe to my Readers, in one Word, here, that from the Confession
of these successive Aids, and the Manner in which I deriv’d them,
it appears, I have pretty well fill’d up the _Interval_, betwixt my
first _Proposals_ and my _Publication_, with having my Author always
in View, and at Heart.
Some Hints I have the Honour to owe to the Informations of Dr.
_Mead_, and the late Dr. _Friend_: Others to the Kindness of the
ingenious _Martin Folkes_, Esq; who likewise furnish’d me with the
first _folio_ Edition of _Shakespeare_, at a Time when I could not
meet with it among the Booksellers; as my obliging Friend _Thomas
Coxeter_, Esq; did with several of the old 4to single Plays, which
I then had not in my own Collection. Some few Observations I
likewise owe to _F. Plumptree_, Esq; Others to the Favour of
anonymous Persons: for all which I most gladly render my
Acknowledgments.
[Sidenote: The Editor’s particular Pains taken.]
As to what regards my self singly, if the Edition do not speak
for the Pains I have taken about it, it will be very vain to plead
my own Labour and Diligence. Besides a faithful Collation of all
the printed Copies, which I have exhibited in my _Catalogue_ of
_Editions_ at the End of this Work; let it suffice to say, that, to
clear up several Errors in the Historical Plays, I purposely read
over _Hall_ and _Holingshead_’s Chronicles in the Reigns concern’d;
all the Novels in _Italian_, from which our Author had borrow’d any
of his Plots; such Parts of _Plutarch_, from which he had deriv’d
any Parts of his _Greek_ or _Roman_ Story: _Chaucer_ and _Spenser_’s
Works; all the Plays of _B. Jonson_, _Beaumont_ and _Fletcher_,
and above 800 old _English_ Plays, to ascertain the obsolete and
uncommon Phrases in him: Not to mention some Labour and Pains
unpleasantly spent in the dry Task of consulting Etymological
_Glossaries_.
But as no Labour of Mine can be equivalent to the dear and ardent
Love I bear for _Shakespeare_, so, if the Publick shall be pleas’d
to allow that He owes any Thing to my Willingness and Endeavours of
restoring Him; I shall reckon the Part of my Life so engag’d, to
have been very happily employ’d: and put Myself, with great
Submission, to be try’d by my Country in the Affair.
* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *
The Editors of THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY
are pleased to announce that
THE WILLIAM ANDREWS CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY
of The University of California, Los Angeles
will become the publisher of the Augustan Reprints in May, 1949. The
editorial policy of the Society will continue unchanged. As in the past,
the editors will strive to furnish members inexpensive reprints of rare
seventeenth and eighteenth century works.
Publications for the fourth year (1949-1950)
[Transcriber’s Note:
Many of the listed titles are or will be available from Project
Gutenberg. Where possible, the e-text number is given in brackets.]
(_At least six items will be printed in the main from the following
list_)
SERIES IV: MEN, MANNERS, AND CRITICS
John Dryden, _His Majesties Declaration Defended_ (1681) [#15074]
Daniel Defoe (?), _Vindication of the Press_ (1718) [#14084]
_Critical Remarks on Sir Charles Grandison, Clarissa, and Pamela_ (1754)
SERIES V: DRAMA
Thomas Southerne, _Oroonoko_ (1696)
Mrs. Centlivre, _The Busie Body_ (1709)
Charles Johnson, _Caelia_ (1733)
Charles Macklin, _Man of the World_ (1781) [#14463]
SERIES VI: POETRY AND LANGUAGE
Andre Dacier, _Essay on Lyric Poetry_
_Poems_ by Thomas Sprat
_Poems_ by the Earl of Dorset
Samuel Johnson, _Vanity of Human Wishes_ (1749), and one of the 1750
_Rambler_ papers. [#13350]
EXTRA SERIES:
Lewis Theobald, _Preface to Shakespeare’s Works_ (1733)
A few copies of the early publications of the Society are still
available at the original rate.
GENERAL EDITORS
H. RICHARD ARCHER, _William Andrews Clark Memorial Library_
R.C. BOYS, _University of Michigan_
E.N. HOOKER, _University of California, Los Angeles_
H.T. SWEDENBERG, JR., _University of California, Los Angeles_
PUBLICATIONS OF THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY
First Year (1946-1947)
1. Richard Blackmore's _Essay upon Wit_ (1716), and Addison’s
_Freeholder_ No. 45 (1716). (I, 1) [#13484]
2. Samuel Cobb’s _Of Poetry_ and _Discourse on Criticism_ (1707).
(II, 1) [#14528]
3. _Letter to A.H. Esq.; concerning the Stage_ (1698), and Richard
Willis’ _Occasional Paper No. IX_ (1698). (III, 1)
4. _Essay on Wit_ (1748), together with Characters by Flecknoe, and
Joseph Warton’s _Adventurer_ Nos. 127 and 133. (I, 2) [#14973]
5. Samuel Wesley’s _Epistle to a Friend Concerning Poetry_ (1700) and
_Essay on Heroic Poetry_ (1693). (II, 2)
6. _Representation of the Impiety and Immorality of the Stage_ (1704)
and _Some Thoughts Concerning the Stage_ (1704). (III, 2) [#15656]
Second Year (1947-1948)
7. John Gay’s _The Present State of Wit_ (1711); and a section on Wit
from _The English Theophrastus_ (1702). (I, 3) [#14800]
8. Rapin’s _De Carmine Pastorali_, translated by Creech (1684). (II, 3)
[#14495]
9. T. Hanmer’s (?) _Some Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet_ (1736).
(III, 3) [#14899]
10. Corbyn Morris’ _Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit,
etc._ (1744). (I, 4) [#16233]
11. Thomas Purney’s _Discourse on the Pastoral_ (1717). (II, 4) [#15313]
12. Essays on the Stage, selected, with an Introduction by Joseph Wood
Krutch. (III, 4) [#16335]
Third Year (1948-1949)
13. Sir John Falstaff (pseud.), _The Theatre_ (1720). (IV, 1) [#15999]
14. Edward Moore’s _The Gamester_ (1753). (V, 1) [#16267]
15. John Oldmixon’s _Reflections on Dr. Swift’s Letter to Harley_
(1712); and Arthur Mainwaring’s _The British Academy_ (1712). (VI, 1)
16. Nevil Payne’s _Fatal Jealousy_ (1673). (V, 2)
17. Nicholas Rowe’s _Some Account of the Life of Mr. William Shakespear_
(1709). (Extra Series, 1) [#16275]
18. Aaron Hill’s Preface to _The Creation_; and Thomas Brereton’s
Preface to _Esther_. (IV, 2) [#15870]
* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *
[Transcriber’s Corrections:
ARS title page: Publication Number 20
_text reads_ 19, corrected by hand to 20. "Number 20" agrees with
later years' ARS publication lists.
vii: before he could write full Many.
_text reads_ Man .
xxiv: that surprizing Knowledge of human Nature
_text reads_ surpizing
xlii: its Causes, (which takes in a great Number
_text has_ blank space before "which" at beginning of line
lv: the Look of a _Visor_
_text reads_ the Look o a _with extra blank space_
Also Noted:
xii: intirely synonomous Terms
_spelling "synonomous" as in original_
xvii: the Stanza's sung by the Gravedigger
_apostrophe in original_
xxiii: frustráq; laboret
_abbreviation "q;" (-que) as in original_
xxxvii: Sidenote: The old Editions faulty, whence.
_exact text as in original_
lx note 1: Ὂυρον
_accent as in original_
lxi: For Safety lent him on the watry Waste,
_no apostrophe in "watry"_
ARS List of Publications: _Preface to Shakespeare’s Works_
_wording as in original_ ]