very different from theirs, and by persons for whom they can have no kindness, if an old obfervation be true, that the strongest antipathy in the world is that of fools to men of wit. Mr Addison was the ' firft whofe advice determined me to undertake this talk, who was pleased to write to me upon that cafion in fuch terms, as I cannot repeat without vity. I was obliged to Sir Richard Steele for a very early recommendation of my undertaking to the public. Dr Swift promoted my intereft with that warmth with which he always ferves his friend. The humanity and franknefs of Sir Samuel Garth are what I never knew wanting on any occafion. I must also acknowledge with infi I nite pleasure the many friendly offices, as well as fincere criticisms of Mt Congreve, who had led me the way in tranflating fome parts of Homer. I must add the names of Mr Rowe and Dr Parnell, though I fhall take a further opportunity of doing uftice to the laft, whofe good-nature (to give it a gat panegyric) is no lefs extenfive than his learning. The favour of thefe gentlemen is not entiresly undeferved by one who bears them so true an affection. But what can I fay of the honour fo many of the great have done me, while the first names of the age appears as my subscribers, and the most diftinguished patrons and ornaments of learning as my chief encouragers? Among these it is a particular pleasure to me to find, that my thighest obligations are to fuch who have done most honour to the name of poet: That his Grace the Duke of Buckingham was not difpleafed I should undertake the author to whom he has given (in his excellent efay) fo complete a praife:

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Read Homer once, and you can read no more;
For all books elfe appear fo mean, so poor,
Verfe will feem profe; but fill perfift to read,
And Homer will be all the books you need.

That the Earl of Hallifax was one of the first to favour me, of whom it is hard to fay whether the advancement of the polite arts is more owing to his generofity or his example. That fuch a genius as my Lord Bolingbroke, not more distinguished in the great fcenes of bufinefs, than in all the ufeful and entertaining parts of learning, has not refused to be the critic of thefe sheets, and the patron of their writer. And that the noble author of the tragedy of Heroic Love, has continued his partiality to me, from my writing paftorals, to my attempting the Iliad. I cannot deny myfelf the pride of confeffing, that I have had the advantage not only of their advice for the conduct in general, but their correction of feveral particulars of this tranflation.

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I could fay a great deal of the pleasure of being diftinguished by the Earl of Carnarvon, but it is almoít abfurd to particularize any one generous action in a person whofe whole life is a continued feries of them. Mr Stanhope, the present secretary of ftate, will pardon my defire of having it known that he was pleased to promote this affair. particular zeal of Mr Harcourt (the fon of the late Lord Chancellor) gave me a proof how much I am honoured in a fhare of his friendship. I must attribute to the fame motive that of feveral others of my friends, to whom all acknowledgments are rendered unneceffary by the privileges of a fami

liar

liar correfpondence: And I am fatisfied. I can no way better oblige men of their turn than by my filence.

In short, I have found more patrons than ever Homer wanted. He would have thought himself happy to have met the fame favour at Athens that has been fhewn me by its learned rival, the university of Oxford. And I can hardly envy him those pompous honours he received after death, when I reflect on the enjoyment of fo many agreeable obligations, and eafy friendthips, which make the fatisfaction of life. This distinction is the more to be acknowledged, as it is fhewn to one whose pen has never gratiñed the prejudices of particular parties, or the vanities of particular men. Whatever the fuccefs may prove, I fhall never repent of an undertaking in which I have experienced the candour and friendship of fo many perfons of merit; and in which I hope to pafs fome of those years of youth that are generally loft in a circle of follies, after a manner neither wholly unufeful to others, nor difagreeable to myself.

PREFACE

TO THE

WORKS OF SHAKESPEAR.

IT

T is not my defign to enter into a criticism upon this author, though to do it effectually, and not fuperficially, would be the beft occafion that any juft writer could take, to form the judgment and taste of our nation. For of all English poets Shakespear must be confeffed to be the fairest and fulleft fubject for criticism, and to afford the most numerous, as well as moft confpicuous inftances, both of beauties and faults of all forts. But this far exceeds the bounds of a Preface, the business of which is only to give an account of the fate of his works, and the difadvantages under which they have been tranfmitted to us. We shall hereby extenuate many faults which are his, and clear him from the imputation of many which are not.

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defign, which though it can be no guide to future critics to do him juftice in one way, will at least be fufficient to prevent their doing him an injustice in the other.

I cannot however but mention fome of his principal and characteristic excellencies, for which (notwithstanding his defects) he is juftly and uni

verfally

verfally elevated above all other dramatic writers. Not that this is the proper place of praifing him, but because I would not omit any occafion of doing it.

If ever any author deferved the name of an original, it was Shakefpear. Homer himself drew not his art fo immediately from the fountains of Nature; it proceeded through Egyptian ftrainers and channels, and came to him not without fome tinctute of the learning, or fome caft of the models, of thofe before him. The poetry of Shakefpear was infpiration indeed: He is not fo much an imitator, as an inftrument of Nature; and it is not fo just to fay that he speaks from her, as that he speaks through him.

His characters are fo much Nature herself, that it is a fort of injury to call them by fo diftant a name as copies of her. Thofe of other poets have a conftant refemblance, which fhews that they received them from one another, and were but multipliers of the fame image: Each picture, like a mock-rainbow, is but the reflection of a reflection. But every fingle character in Shakespear is as much an individual, as those in life itself, it is as impoffible to find any two alike; and fuch as from their relation or affinity in any respect appear most to be twins, will, upon comparifon, be found remarkably distinct. To this life and variety of character, we must add the wonderful prefervation of it; which is fuch throughout his plays, that, had all the fpeeches been printed without the very names of the perfons, I believe one might have applied them with certainty to every speaker.

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