_Conduit Street, November 5th 1813._
[It is only necessary to add that Haslewood’s edition was in two
volumes, of which the first ran to 34 (Introductory Matter) + xviii.
(Dedication and Table of Contents) + 492 pages. The Second Tome, which
is mostly found bound in two parts, ran to xv. (Dedication and Table of
Contents) + 700 pages.
The present edition, it will be observed by the above, is really the
fourth and a half edition--_i.e._, it is the fifth of the first Tome,
and the fourth of the second. I have however ventured to neglect the
reprint of the First Tome in 1569, and taken account only of complete
editions. It follows Haslewood’s reprint page for page and line for
line, except in two points. The Tables of Contents of the two Tomes have
been brought together, and their literary history connected directly
with the Summary of Contents. In a few cases, where Haslewood inserted
passages from the first edition, I have enclosed the interpolations in
square brackets. The other point of difference between Haslewood’s
edition and the present is that we have divided the two Tomes into three
volumes of as nearly equal size as possible. While Haslewood has been
used as “copy” for the printer, it must be understood that every line
has been collated with the British Museum copy of the original, and many
thousands of corrections, mostly though not all of a minor kind, made in
Haslewood’s text.