AN

ESSAY

ON THE

WRITINGS AND GENIUS

OF

SHAKESPEAR,

COMPARED WITH THE

GREEK AND FRENCH DRAMATIC POETS.

WITH

SOME REMARKS

Upon the MISREPRESENTATIONS of

Monf. de VOLTAIRE.

LONDON:

Printed for J. DODSLEY, Pall-mall; Mess. BAKER and
LEIGH, York-street, Covent-garden; J. WALTER,
Charing-cross; T. CADELL, in the Strand; and
J. WILKIE, N° 71. St. Paul's Church-yard.

M.DCC.LXIX.

P. 27. L.

こ

103

M

R. Pope, in the preface to his edition of Shakespear, sets out by declaring, that, of all English poets, this tragedian offers the fullest and fairest subject for criticism. Animated by an opinion of fuch authority, fome of the most learned and ingenious of our critics have made correct editions of his works, and enriched them with notes. The fuperiority of talents and learning, which I acknowledge in these editors, leaves me no room to entertain the vain presumption of attempting to correct any passages of this celebrated author; but the whole, as corrected and elucidated by them, lies open to a thorough enquiry into the genius of our great English claffic. Unprejudiced and candid judgment will be the surest basis of