r_, and forming himself first upon
the judgments of that body of men whereof he was a member. They have
ever had a standard to themselves, upon other principles than those
of Aristotle. As they live by the majority, they know no rule but
that of pleasing the present humour, and complying with the wit in
fashion; a consideration which brings all their judgment to a short
point. Players are just such judges of what is _right_, as tailors
are of what is _graceful_. And in this view it will be but fair to
allow, that most of our author's faults are less to be ascribed to
his wrong judgment as a poet, than to his right judgment as a player.

"By these men it was thought a praise to Shakspeare, that he scarce
ever _blotted a line_. This they industriously propagated, as appears
from what we are told by Ben Jonson in his _Discoveries_, and from
the preface of Heminges and Condell to the first folio edition. But
in reality (however it has prevailed) there never was a more
groundless report, or to the contrary of which there are more
undeniable evidences; as the comedy of the _Merry Wives of Windsor_,
which he entirely new writ; the _History of Henry VI._, which was
first published under the title of _The Contention of York and
Lancaster_, and that of _Henry V._, extremely improved: that of
_Hamlet_, enlarged to almost as much again as at first, and many
others. I believe the common opinion of his want of learning
proceeded from no better ground. This too might be thought a praise
by some, and to this his errors have as injudiciously been ascribed
by others. For it is certain, were it true, it could concern but a
small part of them; the most are such as are not properly defects,
but superfoetations; and arise not from want of learning or
reading, but from want of thinking or judging: or rather (to be more
just to our author) from a compliance to those wants in others. As to
a wrong choice of the subject, a wrong conduct of the incidents,
false thoughts, forced expressions, &c., if these are not to be
ascribed to the aforesaid accidental reasons, they must be charged
upon the poet himself, and there is no help for it. But I think the
two disadvantages which I have mentioned, (to be obliged to please
the lowest of people, and to keep the worst of company,) if the