THE PLAYS or WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. VOLUME the FIRST. CONTAINING PREFACES, &c. The TEMPEST. The TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, The MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. : PLAY YS : OF WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. IN TEN VOLUMES. WITH THE CORRECTIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF VARIOUS COMMENTATORS; TO WHICH ARE ADDED NOTES by SAMUEL JOHNSON AND GEORGE STEEVENS. THE THIRD EDITION, REVISED AND AUGMENTED BY THE EDITOR OF DODSLEY'S COLLECTION.OF.OLDPLAYS ΤΗΣ ΦΥΣΕΩΣ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΣ ΗΝ, ΤΟΝ ΚΑΛΛΙΟΝ ΑΠΟΡΡΕΧΩΝ ΕΙS NOIN Ver. Autcape'd Fundin : MULTA DIES, VARIUSQUE LABOR MUTABILIS ÆVI Virgil, LONDON, Printed for C. BATHURST, J. RIVINGTON and SONS, T. PAYNE and SON, L. DAVIS, W.OWEN, B. WHITE and SON, T. LONGMAN, B. LAW, T. BOWLES, J. JOHNSON, C. DILLY, J. ROBSON, G. G. J. and J. ROBINSON, T. CADELL, H. L. GARDNER, J. NICHOLS, J. BEW, W. STUART, R. BALDWIN, J. MURRAY, A. STRAHAN, T. VERNOR, J. BARKER, W. LOWNDES, S, HAYES, G. and T. WILKIE, SCATCHERD and WHITAKER, T.and J. EGERTON, W. Fox, and E. NEWBERY, MDCCLXXXY (i) ADVERTISEMENT. T HE WORKS OF SHAKSPEARE, during the last twenty years, have been the objects of publick attention more than at any former period. In that time the various editions of his performances have been examined, his obscurities illuminated, his defects pointed out, and his beauties displayed, so fully, so accurately, and in so satisfactory a manner, that it might reasonably be presumed little would remain to be done by either new Editors or new Commentators: yet though the diligence and fagacity of those gentlemen who contributed towards the last Edition of this Author may seem to have almost exhausted the subject, the fame train of enquiry has brought to light new discoveries, and accident will probably continue to produce further illustrations, which may render fome alterations necessary in every succeeding republication. Since the last Edition of this Work in 1778, the zeal for elucidating Shakspeare, which appeared in most of the gentlemen whose names VOL. I. a 40040 are |