they have been, hitherto, unable to procure that security for their Property, which they fee, the rest of their Fellow-Citizens enjoy. A prejudice in part arifing from the frequent Piracies, (as they are called) committed by Members of their own Body. But such kind of Members no Body is without. And it would be hard that this should be turned to the difcredit of the honest part of the profeffion, who suffer more from such Injuries than any other men. It hath, in part too, arifen from the clamours of profligate Scriblers, ever ready, for a piece of Money, to prostitute their bad fenfe for or against any Cause prophane or facred; or in any Scandal public or private: These meeting with little encouragement from Men of account in the Trade, (who even in this enlightened Age are not the very worst Judges or Rewarders of merit) apply themselves to People of Condition; and fupport their importunities by false complaints againft Bookfellers.

But I should now, perhaps, rather think of my own Apology, than busy myself in the defence of others. I shall have fome Tartuffe ready, on the first appearance of this Edition, to call out again, and tell me, that I fuffer myself to be wholly diverted from my purpose by these matters less fuitable to my clerical Profeffion. "Well, but says a Friend, why not take so candid

an intimation in good part? Withdraw yourself, " again, as you are bid, into the clerical Pale; exa"mine the Records of facred and prophane Anti"quity; and, on them, erect a Work to the con" fusion of Infidelity." Why, I have done all this, and more: And hear now what the same Men have faid to it. They tell me, I have wrote to the wrong and injury of Religion, and furnished out more handles for Unbelievers. "Oh now the secret's out; and you

may have your pardon, I find upon easier terms, "'Tis only, to write no more." Good Gentlemen! and shall I not oblige them? They would gladly

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ly obstruct my way to those things which every Man, who endeavours well in his Profession, must needs think he has fome claim to, when he sees them given to those who never did endeavour; at the same time that they would deter me from taking those advantages which Letters enable me to procure for myself. If then I am to write no more; (tho' as much out of my Profession as they may please to represent this Work, I suspect their modesty would not insist on a fcrutiny of our feveral applications of this prophane profit and their purer gains) if, I tay, I am to write no more, let me at least give the Public, who have a better pretence to demand it of me, some reason for my presenting them with these amusements. Which, if I am not much mistaken, may be excused by the best and fairest Examples; and, what is more, may be justified on the surer reason of things.

The great Saint CHRYSOSTOM, a name confecrated to immortality by his Virtue and Eloquence, is known to have been fo fond of Aristophanes as to wake with him at his studies, and to fleep with him under his pillow: and I never heard that this was objected either to his Piety or his Preaching, not even in those times of pure Zeal and primitive Religion. Yet, in respect of Shakespear's great sense, Aristophanes's best wit is but buffoonry; and, in comparison of Aristophanes's Freedoms, Shakespear writes with the purity of a Vestal. But they will fay, St. Chryfoftom contracted a fondness for the comic Poet for the sake of his Greek. To this, indeed, I have nothing to reply. Far be it from me to infinuate so unscholarlike a thing, as if We had the fame Ufe for good English that a Greek had for his Attic elegance. Critic Kufter, in a taste and language peculiar to Grammarians of a certain order, hath decreed, that the History and Chronology of Greek Words is the most SOLID entertainment of a Man of Letters.

I fly, then, to a higher Example, much nearer

home, and still more in point, The famous University of OXFORD. This illustrious Body, which hath long so justly held, and, with such equity, dispensed, the chief honours of the learned World, thought good Letters so much interested in correct Editions of the best English Writers, that they, very lately, in their public Capacity, undertook one, of this very Author, by subscription. And if the Editor hath not difcharged his Tafsk with suitable abilities for one fo much honoured by them, this was not their fault but his, who thrust himself into the employment. After such an example, it would be weakening any defence to feek further for Authorities. All that can be now decently urged is the reason of the thing; and this I shall do, more for the sake of that truly venerable Body than my own.

Of all the literary exercitations of speculative Men, whether designed for the use or entertainment of the World, there are none of fo much importance, or what are more our immediate concern, than those which let us into the Knowledge of our Nature. Others may exercise the Reason or amuse the Imagination; but these only can improve the Heart, and form the human Mind to Wisdom. Now, in this Science, our Shakespear is confessed to occupy the foremost place; whether we consider the amazing fagacity with which he investigates every hidden spring and wheel of human Action; or his happy manner of communicating this knowledge, in the just and living paintings which he has given us of all our Paffions, Appetites and Pursuits. These afford a lesson which can never be too often repeated, or too constantly inculcated: And, to engage the Reader's due attention to it, hath been one of the principal objects of this Edition.

As this Science (whatever profound Philosophers may think) is, to the rest, in Things; so, in Words, (whatever supercilious Pedants may talk) every one's mother tongue is to all other Languages. This hath still been the Sentiment of Nature and true Wisdom. Hence, the greatest Men of Antiquity never thought themselves better employed than in cultivating their own country idiom. So Lycurgus did honour to Sparta, in giving the first compleat Edition of Homer; and Cicero, to Rome, in correcting the Works of Lucretius. Nor do we want Examples of the fame good sense in modern Times, even amidst the cruel inrodes that Art and Fashion have made upon Nature and the fimplicity of Wisdom. Menage, the greatest name in France for all kinds of philologic Learning, prided himself in writing critical Notes on their best lyric Poet, Malherbe: And our greater Selden, when he thought it might reflect Credit on his Country, did not difdain even to comment a very ordinary Poet, one Michael Drayton. But the English tongue, at this Juncture, deserves and demands our particular regard. It hath, by means of the many excellent Works of different kinds composed in it, engaged the notice, and become the study, of almost every curious and learned Foreigner, so as to be thought even a part of literary accomplishment. This must needs make it deserving of a critical attention: And its being yet destitute of "a Test or Standard to apply to, in cases of doubt or difficulty, shews how much it wants that attention. For we have neither GRAMMAR nor DICTIONARY, neither Chart nor Compass, to guide us through this wide fea of Words. And indeed how should we? fince both are to be composed and finished on the Authority of our best established Writers. But their Authority can be of little use till the Text hath been correctly fettled, and the Phraseology critically examined. As, then, by these aids, a Grammar and Dictionary, planned upon the best rules of Logic and Philofophy, (and none but such will deserve the name) are to be procured; the forwarding of this will be a general concern: For, as Quintilian observes, " Verborum pro"prietas

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" prietas ac differentia omnibus, qui fermonem curæ " habent, debet effe communis." By this way, the Italians have brought their tongue to a degree of Purity and Stability which no living Language ever attained unto before. It is with pleasure I observe, that these things now begin to be understood amongit our selves; and that I can acquaint the Public, we may foon expect very elegant Editions of Fletcher and Milton's Paradise Loft from Gentlemen of distinguished Abilities and Learning. But this interval of good sense, as it may be short, is indeed but new. remember to have heard of a very learned Man, who, not long fince, formed a design of giving a more correct Edition of Spenser; and, without doubt, would have performed it well; but he was diffuaded from his purpose by his Friends, as beneath the dignity of a Profeffor of the occult Sciences. Yet these very Friends, I suppose, would have thought it had added lustre to his high Station, to have new-furbished out some dull northern Chronicle, or dark Sibylline Ænigma. But let it not be thought that what is here faid infinuates any thing to the difcredit of Greek and Latin criticism. If the follies of particular Men were fufficient to bring any branch of Learning into difrepute, I don't know any that would stand in a worse situation than that for which I now apologize. For I hardly think there ever appeared, in any learned Language, so execrable a heap of nonfenfe, under the name of Commentaries, as hath been lately given us on a certain fatiric Poet, of the last Age, by his Editor and Coadjutor.

I am sensible how unjustly the very best classical Critics have been treated. It is said, that our great Philosopher spoke with much contempt of the two finest Scholars of this Age, Dr. Bentley and Bishop Hare, for squabbling, as he expressed it, about an old Playbook; meaning, I suppose, Terence's Comedies. But

this Story is unworthy of him; tho' well enough fuit