LONDO N

Printed by Isaac laggard, and Ed. Blount, 1623; and Re-Printed
for Lionel Booth, 307 Regent Street, 1862.

The general Title-page, an accurate Fac-fimile of the Original, will be given with Part III., which will contain the whole of the Tragedies; Part II., comprifing the Hiftorical Plays, is in preparation, and will be produced" with all good jpeed."

LONDON:

Printed by J. Strangeways and H. E. Walden, 28 Castle Street,

Leicester Square.

Earle of Pembroke, &c. Lord Chamberlaine to the Kings moft Excellent Maiefty.

AND

PHILIP

Earle of Montgomery,&c. Gentleman of his Maiefties Bed-Chamber. Both Knights of the moft Noble Order of the Garter, and our fingular good

LORDS.

Right Honourable,

Hilft we ftudie to be thankful in our particular, for the many fauors we haue received from your L.L We are falne vpon the ill fortune, to mingle two the moft diuerfe things that can bee, feare, and rafbneffe; rafhnee in the enterprize, and feare of the fucceffe. For, when we valew the places your H.H. fuftaine, we cannot but know their dignity greater, then to defcend to the reading of thefe trifles: and, vvhile we name them trifles, we haue depriu'd our felues of the defence of our Dedication. But fince your L.L. baue beene pleas'd to thinke thefe trifles fome-thing, heeretofore; and baue profequuted both them, and their Authour living, Voith fo much fauour: we hope, that (they out-liuing him, and he not hauing the fate, common with fome, to be exequutor to his owne writings) you will ufe the like indulgence toward them, you haue done

be

For,

vnto their parent. There is a great difference, whether any Booke choofe his Patrones, or finde them: This hath done both. Jo much were your L L. likings of the feuerall parts, vvhen they were acted, as before they vvere published, the Volume ask'd to yours. We baue but collected them, and done an office to the dead, to procure his Orphanes, Guardians; vvithout ambition either of felfe-profit, or fame: onely to keepe the memory of fo worthy a Friend, & Fellow aliue, as was our SHAKESPEARE, by humble offer of his playes, to your most noble patronage. Wherein, as we haue iuftly obferued, no man to come neere your L. L. but vvith a kind of religious addresse ;it hath bin the height of our care, vvho are the Prefenters, to make the prefent worthy of your H.H. by the perfection. But, there we must also craue our abilities to be confiderd, my Lords. We cannot go beyond our owne powers. Country hands reach foorth milke, creame, fruites, or what they haue: and many Nations (we haue heard) that had not gummes & incenfe, obtained their requests with a leauened Cake. It was no fault to approch their Gods, by what meanes they could: And the most, though meanest, of things are made more precious, when they are dedicated to Temples. In that name therefore, we most humbly confecrate to your H. H. thefe remaines of your feruant Shakespeare; that what delight is in them, may be euer your L.L. the reputation bis, & the faults ours, if any be committed, by a payre fo carefull to fhew their gratitude both to the living, and the dead, as is

Your Lordshippes most bounden,

IOHN HEMINGE.
HENRY CONDELL.

To the great Variety of Readers.

Rom the most able, to him that can but fpell: There you are number'd. We had rather you were weighd. Efpecially, when the fate of all Bookes depends vpon your capacities and not of your heads alone, but of your purses. Well! it is now publique, & you wil ftand for your priuiledges wee know: to read, and cenfure. Do fo, but buy it firft. That doth beft commend a Booke, the Stationer faies. Then, how odde foeuer your braines be, or your wifedomes, make your licence the same, and spare not. Iudge your fixe-pen'orth, your fhillings worth, your fiue fhillings worth at a time, or higher, so you rife to the iuft rates, and welcome. But, what euer you do, Buy. Cenfure will not driue a Trade, or make the lacke go. And though you be a Magiftrate of wit, and fit on the Stage at Black-Friers, or the Cockpit, to arraigne Playes dailie, know, these Playes haue had their triall alreadie, and ftood out all Appeales; and do now come forth quitted rather by a Decree of Court, then any purchas'd Letters of commendation.

It had bene a thing, we confeffe, worthie to haue bene wifhed, that the Author himselfe had liu'd to haue fet forth, and ouerfeen his owne writings; But fince it hath bin ordain'd otherwife, and he by death departed from that right, we pray you do not envie his Friends, the office of their care, and paine, to haue collected & publifh'd them; and fo to haue publish'd them, as where (before) you were abus'd with diuerfe ftolne, and furreptitious copies, maimed, and deformed by the frauds and ftealthes of iniurious impoftors, that expos'd them: euen thofe, are now offer'd to your view cur'd, and perfect of their limbes; and all the reft, abfolute in their numbers, as he conceiued the. Who, as he was a happie imitator of Nature, was a moft gentle expreffer of it. His mind and hand went together: And what he thought, he vttered with that eafineffe, that wee haue scarfe receiued from him a blot in his papers. But it is not our prouince, who onely gather his works, and giue them you, to praise him. It is yours that reade him. And there we hope, to your diuers capacities, you will finde enough, both to draw, and hold you for his wit can no more lie hid, then it could be loft. Reade him, therefore; and againe, and againe : And if then you doe not like him, furely you are in fome manifeft danger, not to vnderftand him. And fo we leaue you to other of his Friends, whom if you need, can bee your guides: if you neede them not, you can leade your felues, and others. And fuch Readers we wish him.