Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/85

Rh the point is once known to be etablihed, may be diminihed by any future editor. An author, who catches (as Pope exprees it) at the Cynthia of a minute, and does not urnih notes to his own works, is ure to loe half the praie which he might have claimed, had he dealt in alluions les temporary, or cleared up for himelf thoe difficulties which lape of time mut inevitably create.

The author of the additional notes has rather been deirous to upport old readings, than to claim the merit of introducing new ones. He deires to be regarded as one, who found the tak he undertook more arduous than it eemed, while he was yet feeding his vanity with the hopes of introducing himelf to the world as an editor in form. He, who has dicovered in himelf the power to recttify a few mitakes with eae, is naturally led to imagine, that all difficulties mut yield to the efforts of future labour; and perhaps feels a reluctance to be undeceived at lat.

Mr. Steevens deires it may be oberved, that he has trictly complied with the terms exhibited in his propoals, having appropriated all uch aitances, as he received, to the ue of the preent editor, whoe judgment has, in every intance, determined on their repective merits. While he enumerates his obligations to his correpondents, it is neceary that one comprehenive remark hould be made on uch communications as are omitted in this edition, though they might have proved of great advantage to a more glaring commentator. The majority of thee were founded