Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/362

[ 346 ] works, printed in 1616; in which cae, though it hould be admitted to have been a neer at Shakpeare, it would not affect the date now attributed to Twelfth Night. It is certain that Jonon made alterations in ome of his pieces, when he collected and reprinted them. Every Man in his Humour, in particular, underwent an entire reform; all the perons of the drama, to whom Englih names were given on its republication, having in the former edition appeared as natives of Italy, in which country the cene originally was bid.

If the dates here aigned to our author’s plays hould not, in every intance, bring with them conviction of their propriety, let it be remembered, that this is a ubject on which conviction cannot at this day be obtained: and that the obervations now ubmitted to the publick, do not pretend to any higher title than that of “An Attempt to acertain the chronology of the dramas of Shakpeare.” Should the errors and deficiencies of this eay invite others to deeper and more uccesful reearches, the end propoed by it will be attained: and he who offers the preent arrangement of Shakpeare’s dramas, will be happy to transfer the lender portion of credit that may reult from the novelty of his undertaking, to ome future claimant, who may be upplied with ampler materials, and endued with a uperior degree of antiquarian agacity. To ome, he is not unapprized, this enquiry will appear a tedious and barren peculation. But there are many, it is hoped, who think nothing that relates to the brightet ornament of the Englih nation, wholly unintereting; who will be gratified by oberving, how the genius of our great poet gradually expanded itelf, till, like his own Ariel, it flamed amazement in every quarter, blazing forth with a lutre, that has not hitherto been equalled, and perhaps will never be urpaed.