justice to a folio volume of dramatick dialogues in metre, which required a so much greater degree of accuracy?

But the worth of our contested volume also seems to be queftioned, because the authority on which even such changes in it as are allowed to be judicious, is unknown. But if weight were granted to this argument, what support could be found for ancient Greek and Roman MSS. of various descriptions? The names of their transcribers are alike undiscovered; and yet their authority, when the readings they present are valuable, will feldom fail to be admitted.

Nay, further :-it is on all hands allowed, that what we ftyle a younger and inferior MS. will occafionally correct the mistakes and supply the deficiencies of one of better note, and higher antiquity.Why, therefore, should not a book printed in 1632 be allowed the merit of equal fervices to a predeceffor in 1623?

Such also, let us add, were the sentiments of a gentleman whose name we cannot repeat without a figh, which those who were acquainted with his value, will not suspect of infincerity: we mean our late excellent friend, Mr. Tyrwhitt. In his library was this second folio of our author's plays. He always stood forward as a determined advocate for its authority, on which, we believe, more than one of his emendations were formed. At least, we are certain that he never attempted any, before he had confulted it.

He was once, indeed, offered a large fragment of the first folio; but in a few days he returned it, with an affurance that he did not perceive any decided superiority it could boast over its immediate fucceffor,

as the metre, imperfect in the elder, was often restored to regularity in the junior impreffion.

Mr. Malone, however, in his Letter to Dr. Farmer, has styled these neceffary corrections such " as could not escape a person of the most ordinary capacity, who had been one month conversant with a printing-house;" a description mortifying enough to the present editors, who, after an acquaintance of many years with typographical mysteries, would be loath to weigh their own amendments againft those which this second folio, with all its blunders, has displayed.

The fame gentleman alfo (fee his Preface, p. 410) speaks with some confidence of having proved his affertions relative to the worthlessness of this book. But how are these assertions proved? By exposing its errors (fome of which nevertheless are of a very questionable shape) and by observing a careful filence about its deferts. The latter surely should have been stated as well as the former. Otherwise, this proof will resemble the "ill-roafted egg" in As you like it, which was done only "on one fide." -If, in the mean time, some critical arithmetician can be found, who will impartially and intelligently ascertain by way of Dr and Cr the faults and merits of this book, and thereby prove the former to have been many, and the latter scarce any at all, we will most openly acknowledge our misapprehenfion, and subscribe (a circumstance of which we need not be ashamed) to the superior sagacity and judgment of Mr. Malone.

To conclude, though we are far from asserting that this republication, generally confidered, is preferable to its original, we must still regard it as a valuable supplement to that work; and no stronger plea in its favour can be advanced, than the frequent use made of it by Mr. Malone. The numerous corrections from it admitted by that gentleman into his text, and pointed out in his notes,

9 Amounting to (as we are informed by a very accurate compositor who undertook to count them) 186.

Instances wherein Mr. Malone has admitted the Corrections of the Second Folio.

will, in our judgment, contribute to its eulogium; at leaft cannot fail to rescue it from his prefatory imputations of "being of no value whatever," and afterwards of" not being worth three shillings." See Mr. Malone's Preface, and Lift of Editions of Shakspeare.

Our readers, it is hoped, will so far honour us as to observe, that the foregoing opinions were not fuggefted and defended through an ambitious spirit of contradiction. Mr. Malone's Preface, indeed, will abfolve us from that censure; for he allows them to be of a date previous to his own edition.

This doctrine, however, appears to have made few profelytes : at least, some late catalogues of our good friends the bookfellers, have expressed their diffent from it in terms of uncommon force. I must add, that on the 34th day of the auction of the late Dr. Farmer's library, this profcribed volume was fold for THREE GUÍNEAS; and that in the fale of Mr. Allen's library, April the 15th, 1799, at Leigh and Sotheby's, York Street, Covent Garden, the four folio editions of our author's plays were disposed of at the following prices :

He, therefore, on this subject, is the assailant, and not the conductors of the present republication.

But though, in the course of fucceeding strictures, several other of Mr. Malone's positions may be likewife controverted, some with seriousness, and some with levity, (for our discussions are not of quite so solemn a turn as those which involve the interests of our country,) we feel an undissembled pleasure in avowing, that his remarks are at once fo numerous and correct, that when criticism "has done its worst," their merit but in a small degree can be affected. We are confident, however, that he himself will hereafter join with us in confidering no small proportion of our contested readings as a mere game at literary push-pin; and that if Shakspeare looks down upon our petty squabbles over his mangled scenes, it must be with feelings similar to those of Lucan's hero :

-ridetque fui ludibria trunci.

In the Preface of Mr. Malone, indeed, a direct cenfure has been levelled at incorrectness in the text of the edition 1778. The justice of the imputation is unequivocally allowed; but, at the fame time, might not this acknowledgement be seconded by somewhat like a retort? For is it certain that the collations, &c. of 1790 are wholly secure from fimilar charges? Are they accompanied by no unauthorized readings, no omiffion of words, and transpositions? Through all the plays, and especially those of which there is only a fingle copy, they have been with some diligence retraced, and the frailties of their collator, such as they are, have been afcertained. They shall not, however, be oftentatioufly pointed out, and for this only reafon: -That as they decrease but little, if at all, the