Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/52

40 now exhibited as the work of a contemporary writer, would be heard to the concluion. I am indeed far from thinking, that his works were wrought to his own ideas of perfection; when they were uch as would atisfy the audience, they atisfied the writer. It is eldom that authors, though more tudious of fame than Shakepeare, rie much above the tandard of their own age; to add a little to what is bet will always be ufficient for preent praie, and thoe who find themelves exalted into fame, are willing to credit their encomiats, and to pare the labour of contending with themelves.

It does not appear, that Shakepeare thought his works worthy of poterity, that he levied any ideal tribute upon future times, or had any further propect, than of preent popularity and preent profit. When his plays had been acted, his hope was at an end; he olicited no addition of honour from the reader. He therefore made no cruple to repeat the ame jets in many dialogues, or to entangle different plots by the ame knot of perplexity, which may be at leat forgiven him, by thoe who recollect, that of Congreve’s four comedies, two are concluded by a marriage in a mak, by a deception, which perhaps never happened, and which, whether likely or not, he did not invent.

So careles was this great poet of future fame, that, though he retired to eae and plenty, while he was yet little declined into the vale of years, before he could be diguted with fatigue, or diabled by infirmity, he made no collection of his works, nor deired to recue