Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/55

Rh As of the other editors, I have preerved the prefaces, I have likewie borrowed the author’s life from Rowe, though not written with much elegance or pirit; it relates however what is now to be known, and therefore deerves to pas through all ucceeding publications.

The nation had been for many years content enough with Mr. Rowe’s performance, when Mr. Pope made them acquainted with the true tate of Shakepeare’s text, hewed that it was extremely corrupt, and gave reaon to hope that there were means of reforming it. He collated the old copies, which none had thought to examine before, and retored many lines to their integrity; but, by a very compendious criticim, he rejected whatever he diliked, and thought more of amputation than of cure.

I know not why he is commended by Dr. Warbuton for ditinguihing the genuine from the purious plays. In this choice he exerted no judgment of his own; the plays which he received, were given by Hemings and Condel, the firt editors; and thoe which he rejected, though, according to the licentiounes of the pres in thoe times, they were printed during Shakepeare’s life, with his name, had been omitted by his friends, and were never added to his works before the edition of 1664, from which they were copied by the later printers.

This is a work which Pope eems to have thought unworthy of his abilities, being not able to uppres his contempt of the dull duty of an editor. He tood