Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/70

58 from adulteration. Others, and thoe very frequent, moothed the cadence, or regulated the meaure; on thee I have not exercied the ame rigour; if only a word was tranpoed, or a particle inerted or omitted, I have ometimes uffered the line to tand; for the incontancy of the copies is uch, as that ome liberties may be eaily permitted. But this practice I have not uffered to proceed far, having retored the primitive diction wherever it could for any reaon be preferred.

The emendations, which comparion of copies upplied, I have inerted in the text; ometimes, where the improvement was light, without notice, and ometimes with an account of the reaons of the change.

Conjecture, though it be ometimes unavoidable, I have not wantonly nor licentiouly indulged. It has been my ettled principle, that the reading of the ancient books is probably true, and therefore is not to be diturbed for the ake of elegance, perpicuity, or mere improvement of the ene. For though much credit is not due to the fidelity, nor any to the judgment of the firt publihers, yet they who had the copy before their eyes were more likely to read it right, than we who read it only by imagination. But it is evident that they have often made trange mitakes by ignorance or negligence, and that therefore omething may be properly attempted by criticim, keeping the middle way between preumption and timidity. Such