It seemed not amiss to introduce the following Obser.

vations with one general Criticism on our Author's Dramatick Works, by dividing them into four Classes, and so giving an estimate of each Play reduced to its proper

Class.

COM E DI ES.

CLASS I. 1 Tempest. Vol. 1. 2 Merry Wives of Windsor. Vol. 1. 3 Measure for Measure. Vol. 1. 4 Merchant of Venice, Vol. 2. 5 Twelfth-Night. Vol. 3.

CLASS II. i Midsummer-Night's Dream. Vol. 1. 2 Much Ado about Nothing.

Vol. 2, 3

As you like it. Vol. 2. 4 All's well that ends well. Vol. 3. 5 Winter's Tale. Vol. 3.

CLASS III. 1 Two Gentlemen of Verona. Vol. 1, 2 Love's Labour's Lost. Vol. 2.

CLASS IV. i Taming of the Shrew. Vol. 2. 2 Comedy of Errors. Vol. 3.

TRAGE

TRA G E DI E S.

CLASS I.
i Henry IV. Part 1 Vol.

4.
2 Henry IV. Part 2. Vol. 4.
3 King Lear. Vol. 6.
4 Macbeth. Vol. 6.
5 Julius Cæsar. Vol. 7.
6 Hamlet, Vol. 8.
7 Othello. Vol. 8.

CLASS II.
i King John. Vol. 3.
2 Henry V. Vol. 4.
3

Richard III. Vol. 5.
4 Henry VIII. Vol. 5.
5 Timon of Athens. Vol. 6.
6 Anthony and Cleopatra. Vol. 7.
7.Cymbeline. Vol. 7.

CLASS III.
1 Richard II. Vol. 4.
2 Coriolanus. Vol. 6.
3 Troilus and Cressida. Vol. 7.
4
Romeo and Juliet. Vol. 8.

CLASS IV.
Henry VI. Part 1.
· Henry VI. Part 2.

Part 2. Vol. 5.
3 Henry VI. Part 3. Vol. 5.
4. Titus Andronicus. Vol. 6.

The Comedies and Tragedies in the last Class are certainly not of Shakespear. The most that can be said of them is, that he has, here and there, corrected the dialogue; and now and then added a Scene. It may be just worth while to observe, in this place, that the whole first Act of Fletcher's Two Noble Kingmen was wrote by Shakespear, but in his worst manner.

Vol. 4.

THE

Dramatis Personæ.

ALONSO, King of Naples.
Sebastian, his Brother.
Profpero, the rightful Duke of Milan.
Anthonio, his Brother, the ufurping Duke of Milan,
Ferdinand, Son to the King of Naples.
Gonzalo, an honest old Counsellor of Naples,
Adrian,

} Lords.
Francisco,
Caliban, a Salvage, and deformed Slave.
Trinculo, a Jester.
Stéphano, a drunken Butler.
Master of a Ship, Boatswain, and Mariners,
Miranda, Daughter to Prospero.
Ariel, an aiery Spirit.
Iris,

Ceres,
Juno, Spirits, employed in the Masque.
Nymphs,
Reapers,

Other Spirits, attending on Prospero.

SCENE, An uninhabited Ifand.

THE