—SHAKESPEARE was a man, who, of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largeſt and moſt comprehenſive ſoul. All the images of Nature were ſtill preſent to him, and he drew them not labouriouſly, but luckily: when he deſcribes any thing, you more than ſee it, you feel it too. Thoſe who accuſe him to have wanted learning, give him the greater commendation: he was naturally learned: he needed not the ſpectacles of books to read Nature; he looked inwards, and found her there. I cannot ſay he is every where alike; where he ſo, I ſhould do him injury to compare him with the greateſt of mankind. But he is always great, where ſome great occaſion is preſented to him: No man can ſay he ever had a fit ſubject for his wit, and did not then raiſe himſelf as high above the reſt of poets, ‘Quantum lenta ſolent inter viburna cupreſſi.’

Among the Engliſh, SHAKESPEARE has incomparably excelled all others. That noble extravagance of fancy, which he had in ſo great perfection, thoroughly qualified him to touch this weak ſuperſtitious part of his reader's imagination; and made him ca⯑pable of ſucceeding, when he had nothing to ſupport him beſides [27] the ſtrength of his own genius. There is ſomething ſo wild, and yet ſo ſolemn, in the ſpeeches of his ghoſts, fairies, witches, and the like imaginary perſons, that we cannot forbear thinking them natural, though we have no rule by which to judge of them, and muſt confeſs, if there are ſuch beings in the world, it looks highly probable they ſhould talk and act as he has repreſented them.

—Our inimitable SHAKSPEARE is a ſtumbling-block to the whole tribe of theſe rigid criticks: who would not rather read one of his plays, when there is not a ſingle rule of the ſtage obſerved, than any production of a modern critic, where there is not one of them violated? SHAKESPEARE was indeed born with all the ſeeds of poetry, and may be compared to the ſtone of Pyrrhus's ring, which, as Pliny tells us, had the figure of Apollo and the nine muſes in the viens of it, produced by the ſpontaneous hand of Nature without any help from art.

But certainly the greatneſs of this Author's genius does no where ſo much appear, as where he gives his imagination an entire looſe, and raiſes his fancy to a flight above mankind, and the limits of the viſible world.

If ever any author deſerved the name of an original it was SHAKESPEARE. Homer himſelf drew not his art ſo immediately from the fountains of Nature, it proceeded through Egyptian ſtainers and channels, and came to him not without ſome tincture of the learning, or ſome caſt of the models of thoſe before him. The poetry of SHAKESPEARE was inſpiration indeed: he is not ſo much an imitator, as an inſtrument of Nature; and it is not ſo juſt to ſay that he ſpeaks from her, as that ſhe ſpeaks through him.

[28] His characters are ſo much Nature herſelf, that it is a ſort of in⯑jury to call them by ſo diſtant a name as copies of her. Thoſe of other poets have a conſtant reſemblance, which ſhews that they re⯑ceived them from one another, and were but multipliers of the ſame image: each picture, like a mock rainbow, is but the re⯑flection of a reflection. But every ſingle character in SHAKESPEARE is as much an individual, as thoſe in life itſelf; it is as impoſſible to find any two alike; and ſuch as from their relation or affinity in any reſpect appear moſt to be twins, will, upon compariſon, be found remarkably diſtinct. To this life and variety of character, we muſt add the wonderful preſervation of it; which is ſuch throughout his plays, that had all the ſpeeches been printed without the very names of the perſons, I believe one might have applied them with certainty to every ſpeaker.

The power over our paſſions was never poſſeſſed in a more eminent degree, or diſplayed in ſo different inſtances. Yet all along, there is ſeen no labour, no pains to raiſe them; no preparation to guide our gueſs to the effect, or to be perceived to lead toward it: but the heart ſwells, and the tears burſt out, juſt at the proper places: we are ſurprized the moment we weep; and yet upon reflection find the paſſion ſo juſt, that we ſhould be ſurprized if we had not wept, and wept at that very moment.

How aſtoniſhing is it again, that the paſſions directly oppoſite to theſe, Laughter and Spleen, are no leſs at his command! That he is not more a maſter of the great, than of the ridiculous, in human nature; of our nobleſt tenderneſſes, than of our vaineſt foibles; of our ſtrongeſt emotions, than of our idleſt ſenſations!

Nor does he only excel in the paſſions; in the coolneſs of re⯑flection and reaſoning, he is full as admirable. His ſentiments are not only in general the moſt pertinent and judicious upon every ſubject, but by a talent very peculiar, ſomething between pene⯑tration [29] and felicity, he hits upon that particular point on which the bent of each argument turns, or the force of each moment de⯑pends. This is perfectly amazing, from a man of no education or experience in thoſe great and public ſcenes of life, which are uſually the ſubject of his thoughts: ſo that he ſeems to have known the world by intuition, to have looked through human nature at one glance, and to be the only author that gives ground for a very new opinion, That the philoſopher, and even the man of the world, may be born as well as the poet.

SHAKESPEARE created, as it were, the Engliſh theatre: that he boaſted a ſtrong, fruitful genius: that he was natural and ſublime: that his ſcenes are beautiful and noble, though ſometimes dread⯑ful: that his paſſages are ſtrong and forcible, and atone ſor all his faults: and that his dramatic pieces dart ſuch reſplendant flaſhes as amaze and aſtoniſh!

In how many points of light muſt we be obliged to gaze at this great poet! In how many branches of excellence to conſider and admire him! Whether we view him on the ſide of art or nature, he ought equally to engage our attention: whether we re⯑ſpect the force and greatneſs of his genius, the extent of his knowledge and reading, the power and addreſs with which he throws out and applies either Nature, or Learning, there is ample ſcope both for our wonder and pleaſure. If his diction, and the cloathing of his thoughts attract us, how much more muſt we be charmed with the richneſs and variety of his images and ideas! If his images and ideas ſteal into our ſouls, and ſtrike upon our fancy, how much are they improved in price, when we come to reflect with what propriety and juſtneſs they are applied to character! If we [30] look into his characters, and how they are furniſhed and propor⯑tioned to the employment he cuts out for them, how are we taken up with the maſtery of his portraits! What draughts of Nature! What variety of originals, and how differing from each other! How are they dreſſed from the ſtores of his own luxurious imagination, without being the apes of mode, or borrowing from any foreign wardrobe!

Since therefore other nations have taken care to dignify the works of their moſt celebrated poets with the faireſt impreſſions, beauti⯑fied with the ornaments of ſculpture, well may our SHAKESPEARE be thought to deſerve no leſs conſideration: and as a freſh acknow⯑ledgment hath lately been paid to his merit, and a high regard to his name and memory, by erecting his ſtatue at a public expence; ſo it it is deſired that this new edition of his works, which has coſt ſome attention and care, may be looked upon as another ſmall monument deſigned and dedicated to his honour.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, whoſe excellent Genius opened to him the whole heart of man, all the mines of Fancy, all the ſtores of nature, and gave him power beyond all other writers to move, aſtoniſh, and delight mankind.

Of all the literary exercitations of ſpeculative man, whether de⯑ſigned for the uſe or entertainment of the world, there are none of ſo much importance, or what are more of our immediate concern, than thoſe which let us into the knowledge of our nature. Others may exerciſe the reaſon, or amuſe the imagination; but theſe only can improve the heart, and form the human mind to wiſdom. Now in this ſcience our SHAKESPEARE is confeſſed to occupy the fore⯑moſt [31] place; whether we conſider the amazing ſagacity with which he inveſtigates every hidden ſpring and wheel of human action; or his happy manner of communicating this knowledge, in the juſt and lively paintings which he has given us of all our paſſions, appe⯑tites, and purſuits.

I ſhall not attempt any laboured encomiums on SHAKESPEARE, or endeavour to ſet forth his perfections, at a time when ſuch uni⯑verſal and juſt applauſe is paid him: He himſelf tells us,

And waſteful and ridiculous indeed it would be, to ſay any thing in his praiſe, when preſenting the world with ſuch a collection of beauties, as perhaps is no where to be met with; and, I may very ſafely affirm, cannot be paralleled from the productions of any other ſingle author, ancient or modern.

—If ſuch another poet could ariſe, ſhould I very vehemently reproach him, that his firſt act paſſed at Venice, and his next at Cyprus. Such violations of rules merely paſſive, becomes the com⯑prehenſive Genius of SHAKESPEARE, and ſuch cenſures are ſuitable to the minute and ſlender criticiſm of Voltaire:

[32] This therefore is the praiſe of SHAKESPEARE, that his drama is the mirrour of life; that he who has mazed his imagination, in fol⯑lowing the phantoms which other writers raiſe up before him, may here be cured of his delirious extaſies, by reading human ſenti⯑ments in human language; by ſcenes from which a hermit may eſtimate the tranſactions of the world, and a confeſſor predict the progreſs of the paſſions.

—My deſign amounted to no more than a deſire to en⯑courage others to think of preſerving the oldeſt editions of the Engliſh writers, which are growing ſcarcer every day; and to afford the world all the aſſiſtance or pleaſure it can receive from the moſt authentic copies extant of its NOBLEST POET.

It is ſaid of the oſtrich, that ſhe drops her egg at random, to be diſpoſed of as chance pleaſes; either brought to maturity by the ſun's kindly warmth, or elſe cruſhed by beaſts, and the feet of paſ⯑ſengers: ſuch, at leaſt, is the account which naturaliſts has given us of this extraordinary bird; and admitting it for a truth, ſhe is in this a fit emblem of almoſt every great genius; they conceive and produce with eaſe thoſe noble iſſues of human underſtanding; but incubation, the dull work of putting them correctly upon paper, and afterwards publiſhig, is a taſk they cannot away with. If the original ſtate of all ſuch author's writings, even from Homer down⯑ward, could be inquired into and known, they would yield proof in abundance of the juſtneſs of what is here aſſerted: but the author now before us ſhall ſuffice for them all; being at once the greateſt inſtance of genius in producing noble things, and of negligence in providing for them afterwards.

There was a time, when the art of Johnſon was ſet above the divineſt raptures of SHAKESPEARE. The preſent age is well con⯑vinced of the miſtake. And now the Genius of SHAKESPEARE is idolized in its turn. Happily for the public taſte it can ſcarcely be too much ſo.

SHAKESPEARE is a kind of eſtabliſhed religion in poetry, and his bays will always flouriſh with undiminiſhed verdure. When I ſay this, I am not for maintaining that he is not guilty of tranſ⯑greſſions, but for every tranſgreſſion he recompences his auditors with beauties which no art will ever equal. That the notes eſtabliſhed by Ariſtotle and Horace are agreeable to nature, I am ready to allow, and that inferior geniuſes may avail themſelves by a ſkilful conformity to them, I as freely aſſent to. But fable is but a ſecondary beauty; the exhibition of character, and the excite⯑ment of the paſſions, juſtly claim the precedence in dramatic poetry. It is in writing as in gardening, where nature does not afford ſpontaneous beauties, recourſe muſt be had to the eſtabliſh⯑ments of ſlow and endeavouring art, to the regularity of uniform viſtas, the intricacy of elaborate mazes, and a ſtudied inſertion of ever-greens; but when the courſe of the country of itſelf preſents attractive ſcenes on every ſide, when the trees branch out with a free expanſion, and the bold proſpect ſurprizes with the heath, the lawn, the hill, and valley in wild variety, the littleneſs of tedious culture is unneceſſary, and trifling ornaments are unlooked for.

SHAKESPEARE came out of Nature's hand like Pallas out of Jove's head, at full growth and mature.

Voltaire is a genius, but not of SHAKESPEARE's magnitude Without recurring to diſputable authority, I appeal from Voltaire to himſelf. I ſhall not avail myſelf of his former encomiums on our mighty poet; though the French critic has twice tranſlated the ſame ſpeech in Hamlet, ſome years ago in admiration, latterly in de⯑riſion; and I am ſorry to find that his judgment grows weaker, when it ought to be further matured.

Such is SHAKESPEARE's merit, that the more juſt and refined the taſte of the nation has become, the more he has increaſed in re⯑putation. He was approved by his own age, admired by the next, and is revered, and almoſt adored by the preſent. His merit is diſputed by little wits, and his errors are the jeſts of little critics; but there has not been a great poet, or great critic, ſince his time, who has not ſpoken of him with the higheſt veneration, Mr. Vol⯑taire excepted. His tranſlations often, his criticiſms ſtill oftener, prove he did not perfectly underſtand the words of the author: and therefore it is certain he could not enter into his meaning. He com⯑prehended enough to perceive he was unobſervant of ſome eſtabliſhed rules of compoſition; the felicity with which he performs what no rules can teach, eſcapes him. Will not an intelligent ſpectator ad⯑mire the prodigious ſtructures of Stone-henge, becauſe he does not know by what law of mechanics they were raiſed? Like them our author's works will remain for ever the greateſt monuments of the amazing force of nature, which we ought to view as we do other prodigies, with an attention to, and admiration of their ſtupendous parts, and proud irregularity of greatneſs.