y for
any one to follow me in, nor shall I use it myself in any other
Piece. I have all the way divided the +Acts+ and +Scenes+ according
to the true Rules of the Stage, which are extreamly false in all the
Editions of this Author, especially the +Scenes+.

To make this Translation the most useful that I cou'd, I have made
+Remarks+ upon each Play, and those are of two sorts, tho' equally
intermix'd: The first, to shew the Author's chief Excellencies as to
his Contrivance and Management of his +Plots+ and +Incidents+; the
second, to discover several Beauties of +Stile+ and +Wit+,
principally such as are not very clear, or cannot well be preserv'd
in our Tongue; and those are likewise to vindicate my Translation.
Several of these I must own my self oblig'd to Madam +Dacier+ for,
or at least the hint, tho' some of 'em I cou'd not have miss'd of in
the prosecution of those Designs I aim'd at. I have borrow'd little
or nothing from any other, for her's are far the best +Notes+ I ever
met with, tho' many of 'em were done more to shew her Parts and
Reading than for any real use, a thing which I shall never aim at.
I have been forc'd in most of 'em to be extream nice and curious in
penetrating into the bottom of the Author, for I find it far more
difficult to discover a Beauty than a Fault. I might have enlarg'd
upon 'em, and have made several more, with good grounds, but I
thought it dangerous to say all that cou'd be said; but instead of
that I was forc'd, much against my will, to dash out several of
those upon +Amphitryon+ upon the account of the Printer, but the
rest are more full and compleat.

If business wou'd have permitted me, I shou'd have ventur'd upon
three more of our Authors Plays; and upon that Account, I have taken
somewhat less time than was necessary for the translating such an
extraordinary difficult Author; for this requires more than double
the time of a +Historian+ or the like, which was as much as I cou'd
allow my self. I made choice of these three Plays as well for their
+Modesty+ as +Regularity+, for above all things I wou'd by no means
give the least Encouragement to Lewdness or Obscenity, which grow
too fast of themselves; and therefore I thought I cou'd not chuse
better than after a Lady. +Amphitryon+ had the Name, and never
fail'd of a general Approbation; +Epidicus+ was our Author's
Favourite, and truly there is much Art in it, tho' it is a little
heavy; and +Rudens+ is in several respects a be