The editor of SHAKESPEARE's Plays in ten volumes octavo, publish'd in 68. but prepar'd some years earlier, in that work's Introduction which is recommended again to your perusal) has lay'd before you in ample and faithful manner the plan pursu'd by him then, and that he meant to pursue if leisure and life were granted him. In consequence of this his engagement, you now receive in these volumes all the articles promis'd,—or in his other work's title-page, or at it's conclusion,—together with some additions: The most considerable of the latter, a “Glossary,” follows this Advertisement; and the Notes are follow'd by two little Treatises, that have for subject—the Order and Time of writing the Plays, and the numbers that they are writ in. The form as well of this publication as of that which preceded it had been well consider'd, has had the approbation of divers, and will have yours upon trial; as it has conveniences which other forms want, and order has added to them: after each of the four parts into which the Notes are divided, comes a leaf of the Plays' Errata, which revision gave birth to: The volumes' other constituents are—the “School,” and the “Notitia Dramatica;” works declar'd by their titles, and having full relation to what has preceded them.

In ent'ring upon the “Notes,” 'twill be remember'd that there are some in another place which should properly have stood in these volumes,

each at the head of those on its play, but they may be recurr'd to: That topick of commenting having been exhausted in those Notes, these are confin'd in manner entirely to Explanation, and to a matter of greater moment than that—the text's Establishment: in the course of them will be found some retractions of amendments made overhastily, and plac'd in that text; but their number is triffling, and so is their importance: More considerable either way are certain new emendations, produc'd while these Notes were in penning, and the text under a revision: they are doubly pointed-out to observance; first, by an asterisk set before the Note that contains them; and a second time, by certain numeral references at the end of each play's Errata: but might be notic'd still more commodiously, and with little blemish to the copy of any possessor, by an (n) or other small mark with a pen, made in the play itself, and at those words of it which stand before the asterisk'd Note.

In the Introduction above-mention'd, is set forth among other particulars what ancient copy was chiefly follow'd in the forming of each play's text: namely, for eleven of the plays, which are there mention'd, that quarto copy of each of them which in the Table of Editions is titl'd—best; and for all the rest, the first folio: When any of these eleven are turn'd to, and the “Various Readings” consulted, the succession of it's quarto impressions must be gather'd from the Table; for to that succession do the letters (a, b, &c.) in the Readings refer: But here is to be observ'd, that three of the Table's quarto's (there denoted by asterisks) are not concern'd in this series, which proceeds as if those quarto's were not: and of the enclos'd between hooks, (concerning which see a paragraph in the Introduction at p. 2.) one only—a “R & J”— has a share in it, partially; the few Readings selected having an (A) to distinguish them. For the exercise of the curious, and to open (if possible) the eyes of the world in general, the train of ancient readings is noted in this their Collection; that is, you are inform'd by initials, which none who have read the Introduction can be at a loss to interpret, what followers the several readings have had among the moderns: When this step was taken, of pointing out the bad which these same moderns have follow'd, it was but justice to assign them their good; and accordingly, every emendation adopted, and put into the text by this writer, is ascrib'd to it's owner religiously in the course of his Notes; and also all he has borrow'd from them, even to a hint: and that no complaint might be made of the suppression of any thing good in them, a number of their other corrections have a place in the Readings;

and with them are put some more of their class,—specious ones,—that are follow'd by no mark, but belong to the present writer.

Thus, reader, you have before you in orderly manner, and as small a compass as possible, every single material that editions can furnish for whatever close examination you please of the text of this great Author as exhibited in the present Edition; for neither quarto, nor folio, (were they all in your Possession, and you dispos'd to consult them) afford a reading of moment that is not now in the pages of that Edition, the Notes, or the Collection that follows them: an assertion that will very hardly be credited by such of you as are conversant in any one of the moderns,—no matter which,—or shall turn to them purposely; so numerous are their unnoted variations of all sorts, which you will naturally think they must have had from one or other of the elder impressions.

And here we may conclude our address to you with the explanation of one mark that is of frequent and great use in the Collection aforesaid; The dash that comes after a reference, signifies—that all editions, posterior to the edition refer'd to, follow the same reading.

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