ment, and which, if they had
produced them, would have filled pages and pages with censures of the
stupidity by which the faults were committed, with displays of the
absurdities which they involved, with ostentatious expositions of the new
reading, and self-congratulations on the happiness of discovering it.

As of the other editors I have preserved the prefaces, I have likewise
borrowed the author's life from Rowe, though not written with much
elegance or spirit; it relates however what is now to be known, and
therefore deserves to pass through all succeeding publications.

The nation had been for many years content enough with Mr. Rowe's
performance, when Mr. Pope made them acquainted with the true state of
Shakespeare's text, shewed that it was extremely corrupt, and gave reason
to hope that there were means of reforming it. He collated the old copies,
which none had thought to examine before, and restored many lines to their
integrity; but, by a very compendious criticism, he rejected whatever he
disliked, and thought more of amputation than of cure.

I know not why he is commended by Dr. Warburton for distinguishing the
genuine from the spurious plays. In this choice he exerted no judgment of
his own; the plays which he received were given by Hemings and Condel, the
first editors; and those which he rejected, though, according to the
licentiousness of the press in those times, they were printed during
Shakespeare's life, with his name, had been omitted by his friends, and
were never added to his works before the edition of 1664, from which they
were copied by the later printers.

This was a work which Pope seems to have thought unworthy of his
abilities, being not able to suppress his contempt of _the dull duty of an
editor_. He understood but half his undertaking. The duty of a collator is
indeed dull, yet, like other tedious tasks, is very necessary; but an
emendatory critick would ill discharge his duty, without qualities very
different from dulness. In perusing a corrupted piece, he must have before
him all possibilities of meaning, with all possibilities of expression.
Such must be his comprehension of thought, and such his copiousness of
language. Out of many readings possible, he must be able to select that
which best suits with the state, opinions, and modes of language
prevailing in every age, and with his author's particular cast of thought,
and turn of expression. Such must be his knowledge, and such h