Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/83

Rh the tage. The cutom of ditinguihing every entrance or exit by a freh cene, was adopted, perhaps very idly, from the French theatre.

For the length of many notes, and the accumulation of examples in others, ome apology may be likewie expected. An attempt at brevity is often found to be the ource of an imperfect explanation. Where a paage has been contantly miundertood, or where the jet or pleaantry has been uffered to remain long in obcurity, more intances have been brought to clear the one, or elucidate the other, than appear at firt ight to have been neceary. For thee, it can only be aid, that when they prove that phraeology or ource of merriment to have been once general, which at preent eems particular, they are not quite impertinently intruded; as they may erve to free the author from a upicion of having employed an affected ingularity of expreion, or indulged himelf in alluions to tranient cutoms, which were not of ufficient notoriety to deerve ridicule or reprehenion. When examples in favour of contradictory opinions are aembled, though no attempt is made to decide on either part, uch neutral collections hould always be regarded as materials for future critics, who may hereafter apply them with ucces. Authorities, whether in repect of words, or things, are not always producible from the mot celebrated writers ; yet uch circumtances as fall below the Rh