Author could not intend to mean that it wanted That. HAMLET fpeaks to the Mafter-Player to give him a Taste of his Quality in a passionate Speech; directs him to a Tragedy, which he says, in his Judgment was an excellent Play, well digefted in the Scenes, and fet down with as much Modefty as Cunning: And then points out a Speech in it, which he chiefly loved, and which contained the Account of Priam's flaughter, and the Diftrefs of Hecuba at the Sight of that terrible Action. The Subject alone, never fo inartificially told, certainly could not be altogether divested of Passion. Befides, Could not the Phrase of a Play carry Paf fon with it, and yet the Poet ufe an honeft Method? The fecond Folio Edition (which, in the Generality, is esteemed as the best Impreffion of SHAKESPEARE;) has a different Reading, which, at least, deserved a flight Notice from the Editor: And which, I believe, is more likely to exprefs our Author's Meaning. We, there, find it written thus; I remember, one faid, there was no Sallets (which Mr. POPE very justly restores to, Salts) in the Lines to make the Matter favoury; nor no Matter in the Phrafe, that might indite the Author of AFFECTATION; but call'd it an honeft Method. i. e. if I understand it at all, That as there was no Poinancy of Wit or Virulence of Satire, on the one hand; fo there was Nothing to condemn it of Affectation, on the other. And if it wanted Affectation, the Poet might more properly be said to use an honeft Method: For Affectation, is either the Masquerade of Nature in an Habit of Ridicule; or the Abuse of it, by a defign'd Difguife of a worse Sort. Three of my Editions (the oldest of which is the Quarto in 1637;) exhibit this Paffage with an Addition in its Clofe; which tho I can't warrant to be the Author's own genuine Words, yet make the Sentence end more roundly, and therefore might have been degraded, at least, to the Bottom of Mr. POPE's Page, and been noted as an Interpolation of the Stage, as, perhaps, indeed they may be.` Words however are thefe. The But But called it an honeft Method, as whole fome as fweet; and, by very much, more handsome than fine. XLIX. Ibid. Page 393 And thus o'er-cifed with coagulate gore, It must be restored with the fecond Folio Edition, and fome of the more modern Ones, And thus o'er-fized with coagulate Gore, For the Glue, or Compofition used by Plaisterers, Painters, &c. is called Size, and derived from the Sifa of the Italians. L. Ibid. unequal MATCH'D, Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage ftrikes wide; Th' unnerved father falls [.]THEN SENSELESS [ ] Ilium,. Stoops to his base, &c. In the first Place, unequal matched by the Pofition must be a Nominative, and confequently relate to Pyrrhus. Now if Pyrrhus was unequal matched, in the Sense and general Acceptation we must understand that he was over-match'd, and had the worst of it: Not that he was an Over-match for Priam, which was the Truth of the Fact: I believe therefore it fhould be, as the fecond folio Edition has it, (and the Impreffion, faid to be revised by Mr. Rowe, whether by Chance or De-fign;) with an Alteration in the Pointing; Unequal MATCH! For Falfe Print ing. Ginjecture. For the Subftantive thus, with a Note of Admiration after it, relates indifferently to Pyrrhus and Priam, and fignifies that each was unequal to the other, the firft in Strength, the latter in Weakness. But to go lower into the Passage, (tho' all the Editions agree in the Reading,) I can hardly be perfwaded it is printed as the Poet intended it; or that he would have induftriously chofen to prefix an Epithet to ILIUM, which makes a Paradox in the Context. If Ilium was then fenfeless, why should it feem to feel the Blow? Or, if Ilium was fenfelefs, why fhould it then feem to feel it? For one of the two Ways it must be taken. I know very well it may be refolved thus ; that Ilium, quoad the Bricks and ftones, was abfolutely fenfeless; yet the Buildings, falling into the Fire juft at the Inftant when Priam fell to the Ground, feemed, as it were, to be fenfible of that Blow. I confefs, this may be a poetical Inference; but a little hard-ftrained, and in no wife neceffary. Perhaps, with a small Variation in the Text and Pointing, the Paffage may lie more easy and natural thus. I propofe this laft Alteration but as a Conjecture, and without laying any Strefs upon it: and the rather too, because, perhaps, the whole Paffage concerning Priam and Hecuba may not be of our Poet's writing, but a Quotation from fome Play of a Contemporary, which he had a mind to put in the Mouth of a ftroling Player. I fhould, indeed, fufpect it to be our Poet's from one Reason only; and that is, from its Subject. I think the Observation has never yet been made, and therefore I shall give it here; That there is fcarce a Play throughout all his Works, in which it was poffible to introduce the Mention of them, them, where he has not by Simile, Allufion, or otherwife, hinted at the Trojan Affairs; fo fond was he of that Story. LI. Ibid. But as we often fee against fome ftorm, A filence in the heav'n, the RACK ftand ftill, As hub as death; Tho' all the Editions, that have fallen in my Way, write this A Silence in the Heav'n, the WRACK ftand ftill, Emendation 7. e. the Tempeft; the Hurry, Confufion, and Outrage of the Occafional Elements: And fo, in this admirable Paffage of the TEMPEST, i. e. if I conceive the Poet's Meaning rightly, not a Fragment, or minuteft Particle, to fhew that a Wrack has been. Emendation. Various Falfe Print ang. LII. Ibid. Page 395. Look IF he has not turn'd his Colour, and has Tears in's Eyes. All the Editions, that I have ever met with, read; Look, WHERE he has not turn'd his Colour, and has Tears in's Eyes. Pr'ythee, no more. 2. c. Look, whether he has not, &c. 'Tis true, as Mr. POPE And therefore do they cry, tho' you forbid, And again, pag. 168. Died he not in his Bed? where should he die? Can I make Men live where they will, or no? As, in these Instances, (and, perhaps, where ever else it occurs in our Author;) the Strictness of the Numbers requires a fingle Syllable in the Place where this Word ftands, it may be, it is ufed by Contraction only, for whether. LIII. Ibid. Page 395. After your death, you were better have a bad epitaph, then their This is only a flight literal Fault of the Prefs, and the Reviser. After |