Page:A letter to the Rev. Richard Farmer.djvu/12

 'by a diligent collation of all the old copies thitherto dicovered, and the judicious retoration of ancient readings, the text of this author eemed then finally ettled.' Since that period, however, he has been labouring 'with unceaing olicitude,' for the pace of 'eight years,' to convince the publick that he had, if not directly aerted the thing which was not, at leat gone a little further than was conitent with the exact tate of the cae. For, if the text had been already diligently collated with all the old copies, why hould he make uch a parade of having collated it himelf? If it had not been o collated, why hould he ay it had? This fact is therefore manifet, upon Mr. Malone's own evidence, that the text of Shakpeare had never been collated, whether diligently or not, with all or any of the old copies, by any peron before Mr. Malone."

Twenty ix years have now elaped ince Mr. Steevens iued out propoals for publihing the plays of Shakpeare, of which in that period he has given the publick three editions, each of them elaborated with his utmot care and diligence. The year 1766, in which his propoals firt came forth, hould be doubly dear to