PREFACE.

T will

I'

appear to any one who will give himfelf the trouble of examination, that no fair and exact collation of Shakespeare hath yet been prefented to the public. Great were the hopes that Mr. Capel's edition would have at length gratified their curiofity, in giving them with his

text, the various readings of the old: editions in one view, that every reader might be furnished

with materials to judge, and that with ease and readiness, what might be Shakespeare's, and what not. But fo far from fuch a defirable end being anfwered by his edition, we are only farther led in the dark thereby; and are held in truft for notes, which might much better have been inferted with the text. But he was afraid his notes placed with the text fhould fpoil the beauty of the book. If they are good ones they would

not: for that man must be greatly mistaken in his ideas of beauty, who prefers the handsome appearance of a

a page

in black and white, to the quick and easy information of his readers in matters necessary to be known for their becoming proper judges of the sense of the author, and the goodness of the edition, Would not Mr. Capel's readers have been much more obliged to him, if with the text he had given his notes, which (supposing them valuable) would, in such a fitu. ation,: bave bad additional value, in being easily peruled, withqüt: the trouble of turning over pages, arid. interrupting, for a longer time than was nëcëllary: Thậr :way through the author ? for this will be the case when his notes do appear.

a

His method in compiling the text was to print after what he thought the best edition of each play, with such alterations as he saw fit to make, giving notice what those alterations were.

And