Page:The Plays and Poems of William Shakspeare (1790) - Vol. 1a.djvu/23

Rh him equally able with himself to judge of beauties and faults, which require no previous acquisition of remote knowledge. A description of the obvious scenes of nature, a representation of general life, a sentiment of reflection or experience, a deduction of conclusive argument, a forcible eruption of effervescent passion, are to be considered as proportionate to common apprehension, unassisted by critical officiousness; since to conceive them, nothing more is requisite than acquaintance with the general state of the world, and those faculties which he must always bring with him who would read Shakspeare.

"But when the beauty arises from some adaptation of the sentiment to customs worn out of ufe, to opinions not universally prevalent, or to any accidental or minute particularity, which cannot be supplied by common understanding, or common observation, it is the duty of a commentator to lend his assistance. "The notice of beauties and faults thus limited will make no distinct part of the design, being reducible to the explanation of obscure passages.

"The editor does not however intend to preclude himself from the comparison of Shakspeare’s sentiments or expression with those of ancient or modern authours, or from the display of any beauty not obvious to the students of poetry ; for as he hopes to leave his authour better understood, he wishes likewise to procure him more rational approbation.

"The former editors have affected to slight their predecessors: but in this edition all that is valuable will be adopted from every commentator, that posterity may consider it as including all the rest, and