Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/51

Rh, that he is the firt who taught either tragedy or comedy to pleae, there being no theatrical piece of any older writer, of which the name is known, except to antiquaries and collectors of books, which are ought becaue they are carce, and would not have been carce, had they been much eteemed.

To him we mut acribe the praie, unles Spener may divide it with him, of having firt dicovered to how much moothnes and harmony the Englih language could be oftened. He has peeches, perhaps ometimes cenes, which have all the delicacy of Rowe, without his effeminacy. He endeavours indeed commonly to trike by the force and vigour of his dialogue, but he never executes his purpoe better, than when he tries to ooth by oftnes.

Yet it mut be at lat confeed, that as we owe every thing to him, he owes omething to us; that, if much of his praie is paid by perception and judgment, much is likewie given by cutom and veneration. We fix our eyes upon his graces, and turn them from his deformities, and endure in him what we hould in another loath or depie. If we endured without praiing, repect for the father of our drama might excue us; but I have een, in the book of ome modern critick, a collection of anomalies, which hew that he has corrupted language by every mode of depravation, but which his admirer has accumulated as a monument of honour.

He has cenes of undoubted and perpetual excellence, but perhaps not one play, which, if it were Rh