houfe is made of glass, should never begin throwing ftones. But I have been told; that, whatever was my defign, my pamphlet has in fact done an injury both to Mr. Warburton, and his bookfeller. I hope, I am not guilty of this charge: to do him an injury in this case, I must have taken away from him, or hindered him from enjoying, fomething which he had a right to; if I have proved, that he had no real right to fomething which he clamed; this is not injuring him, but doing juftice to Shakespear, to the public, and to himself. I am juft in the cafe of a friend of mine, who going to vifit an acquaintance, upon entering his room met a perfon going out of it: Prithee Jack, fays he, what do you do with that fellow? Why, 'tis Don Pedro di Mondongo my Spanish mafter. Spanish mafter! replies my friend, why he's an errant Teague: I know the fellow well enough, 'tis Rory Gehagan; I have seen him abroad, where he waited on fome gentlemen; he may poffibly have been in Spain, but he knows little or nothing either of the language or pronunciation; and will fell you the Tipperary Brogue for pure Caftilian. Now honeft Rory had just the fame reason of complaint against this Gentleman, as Mr. Warburton has against me; and I fuppofe abused him as heartily for it: but nevertheless, the gentleman did both parties juftice. In short, if a man will put himself off in the world for what he is not; he may be forry for being discovered, B 2 but but he has no right to be angry with the perfon who discovers him. As to his bookfellers; it must be acknowleged, that thofe gentlemen paid very dear for the aukward complement he made them in his preface; of their being "not the worst judges, "or rewarders of merit ;" but, as to my hindering the fale of the book, the fupplement did not come-out till a twelvemonth after the publication of Mr. Warburton's Shakespear; and in all that time it had fo little made its way, that I could meet with no-body, even among his admirers, who had read it over; nor would people easily believe, that the paffages produced as examples to the Canons were really there; fo that if it had merit, it was of the fame kind with that of Falstaff's; it was too thick to fhine, and too heavy to mount; for people had not found it out: only they took it for granted, that an edition by Mr. Pope and Mr. Warburton must be a good one. But the publication of the supplement has prevented the fale, fince that time. If it has, it must be because the objections it contains against that performance are well grounded; otherwife, a little twelve-penny pamphlet could never stop the progrefs of eight large octavo volumes: the impartial public would have condemned the pamphlet, and bought-up the book. If then thofe objections are just, what have I done; but discovered the faultinefs of a commodity, which Mr. Warburton had had put off upon them; and they were, though innocently, putting-off upon the public, for good ware? In this cafe, therefore, Mr. Warburton ought to make them amends; though I doubt he will plead caveat empor, and the complement in his preface, against refunding. 1 I thought it proper to haften this new edition, which Mr. Warburton's ungentleman-like attack made neceffary for my defense, as much as poffible; and am proud to acknowlege, that I have received confiderable affiftance in it from a gentleman; who in a very friendly manner refented the ill ufage I have met with, as much as if it had been done to himself. I have added a few new Canons; and given a great many more examples to the others: though, because I would neither tire my reader and myself, nor too much incroach upon Mr. Tonfon's property; I have left abundant gleanings for any body, who will give himself the trouble of gathering them. This, I hope, will answer one objection I have heard; that I had felected the only exceptionable paffages, a few faults out of great numbers of beauties, of which the eight volumes are full. This will never be faid by any perfon, who has read the eight volumes; and they, who do not care to give themselves that trouble, ought not to pass too hafty a judgment: whether it be true or no, will appear to those who fhall peruse these sheets. That there are good notes in his edition of Shakespear, I never did deny; but as he has had the plundering of two B 3 dead dead men, it will be difficult to know which are his own; some of them, I suppose, may be ; and hard indeed would be his luck, if among fo many bold throws, he should have never a winning caft; but I do infift, that there are great numbers of such shameful blunders, as difparage the reft; if they do not difcredit his title to them, and make them look rather like lucky hits, than the refult of judgment. Thus I have, for the fake of the public, at my own very great hafard, though not of life and limb, yet of reputation, ventured to attack this giant critic; who feemed to me like his brother Orgoglio, of whom Spenfer fays, St. 9. Book I. Canto 7. The greatest Earth his uncouth Mother was, And bluft'ring Eolus his boafted Sire ; And she, after a hard labour, Brought forth this monstrous Maffe of earthly Puff'd up with empty wind, and fill'd with I have endeavoured to take him in hand, as prince Arthur did Orgoglio; and the public must judge, whether the event has been like what happened to his brother on the fame experiment; But foon as breath out of his breast did passe, The The world will not be long impofed-on by ungrounded pretenfes to learning, or any other qualification; nor does the knowledge of words alone, if it be really attained, make a man learned: every true judge will fubfcribe to Scaliger's opinion; "If, fays he, a perfon's learn"ing is to be judged-of by his reading, no-body can deny Eufebius the character of a learned << man; but if he is to be efteemed learned, "who has shewn judgment together with his "reading, Eufebius is not fuch." I fhall conclude, in the words of a celebrated author on a like occafion; *" It was *"It "not the purpofe of thefe remarks, to caft a ble"mifh on his envied fame; but to do a piece of juftice to the real merit both of the work, and "its author; by that beft and gentleft method "of correction, which nature has ordained in "fuch a cafe; of laughing him down to his prorank and character." per * Remarks on the Jefuit Cabal, p. 57, 58, SON B 4 |