Printed for 7. and P. Knapton, S. Birt, T. Longman, MDCC XLV. ADVERTISEMENT T FROM THE BOOKSELLER S. HIS Edition is exactly copied from that lately printed in Quarto at Oxford; but the Editor of that not having thought proper to point out the Alterations he has made from the former Copies, we were advised to mark those Paffages in the Text thus, and place the discarded Readings at the bottom of the Page, as also to point out the Emendations made by Mr. Theobald, Mr. Warburton, and Dr. Thirlby, in Mr. Theobald's Edition, which are used by this Editor. The changes in the difpofition of the Lines for the Regulation of the Metre are too numerous to be taken particular notice of. As to the other Emendations and Notes of Mr. Warburton, which are for the most part marked likewife in this Edition, we are only commiffion'd to fay thus much ; "That be defires the Publick would fufpend their Opinion of his Conjectures 'till they fee how they can be fupported: For he holds it as ridiculous to "alter A 2 "alter the Text of an Author without Reafons af figned, as it was dishonourable to publish those "Alterations without leave obtained. When he "asks this Indulgence for himself, if the Publick will give it too to the Honourable Editor, he will "not complain; as having no objection why his too fhould not occupy the Place they have ufurped, "until they be fhewn to be arbitrary, groundless, miftaken, and violating not only the Senfe of the Author, but all the Rules and Canons of true Criticifm: Not that the Violation of these Rules ought to be any more objected to the Editor, than "the Violation of the Rules of Poetry to his Au"thor, as both profeffedly wrote without any." THE THE PREFACE TO THE OXFORD EDITION. PAHAT the Publick is here to expect is a true and correct Edition of Shakespear's works cleared from the corruptions with which they have hitherto abounded. One of the great Admirers of this incomparable Author bath made it the amusement of his leisure hours for many years paft to look over his writings with a careful eye, to note the obfcurities and abfurdities introduced into the text, and according to the best of his judgment to restore the genuine fenfe and purity of it. In this be propofed nothing to himself but his private fatisfaction in making his own copy as perfect as he could: but as the emendations multiplied upon his bands, other Gentlemen equally fond of the Author defired to fee them, and fome were fo kind as to give their affiftance by communicating their obfervations and conjectures upon difficult paffages which had occurred to them. Thus by degrees the work growing |