might eafily reach his time, of a declaration made by ShakeSpeare, that be was obliged to kill Mercutio in the third act, left be should have been kiled by him. Yet he thinks him no such formidable person, but that be might have lived through the play, and died in his bed, without danger to a poet. Dryden well knew, had he been in quest of truth, that, in a pointed sentence, more regard is commonly had to the words than the thought, and that it is very feldom to be rigorously understood. Mercutio's wit, gaiety and courage, will al ways procure him friends that wish him a longer life; but his death is not precipitated, he has lived out the time allotted him in the conftruction of the play; nor do I doubt the ability of Shake

Speare to have continued his existence, though some of his fallies are perhaps out of the reach of Dryden; whose genius was not very fertile of merriment, nor ductile to humour, but acute, argumentative, comprehenfive, and fublime,

The Nurse is one of the characters in which the Authour delighted: he has, with great fubtility of distinction, drawn her at once loquacious and secret, obsequious and insolent, trusty and dishoneft.

His comick scenes are happily wrought, but his pathetick strains are always polluted with some unexpected depravations. His persons, however distressed, have a conceit left them in their misery, a miferable conceit.

HAMLET,