Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/65

Rh various readings of copies, and different interpretations of a paage, eem to be quetions that might exercie the wit, without engaging the paions. But whether it be, that mall things make mean men proud, and vanity catches mall occaions; or that all contrariety of opinion, even in thoe that can defend it no longer, makes proud men angry; there is often found in commentaries a pontaneous train of invective and contempt, more eager and venomous than is vented by the mot furious controvertit in politicks againt thoe whom he is hired to defame.

Perhaps the lightnes of the matter may conduce to the vehemence of the agency; when the truth to be invetigated is o near to inexitence, as to ecape attention, its bulk is to be enlarged by rage and exclamation; that to which all would be indifferent in its original tate, may attract notice when the fate of a name is appended to it. A commentator has indeed great temptations to upply by turbulence what he wants of dignity, to beat his little gold to a pacious urface, to work that to foam which no art or diligence can exalt to pirit.

The notes which I have borrowed or written are either illutrative, by which difficulties are explained; or judicial, by which faults and beauties are remarked; or emendatory, by which depravations are corrected.

The explanations trancribed from others, if I do not ubjoin any other interpretation, I uppoe commonly to be right, at leat I intend by acquiecence Rh