to
_Shakespear_, that in Writing (whatsoever he penn'd) he never blotted
out a Line. My Answer hath been, _Would he had blotted a thousand_,
which they thought a malevolent Speech. I had not told Posterity this,
but for their Ignorance, who chose that Circumstance to commend their
Friend by, wherein he most faulted. And to justifie mine own Candor,
(for I lov'd the Man, and do honour his Memory, on this side Idolatry,
as much as any.) He was, indeed, Honest, and of an open and free Nature,
had an Excellent Fancy, brave Notions, and gentle Expressions, wherein
he flow'd with that Facility, that sometimes it was necessary he should
be stopp'd: _Sufflaminandus erat_, as _Augustus_ said of _Haterius_. His
Wit was in his own Power, would the Rule of it had been so too. Many
times he fell into those things could not escape Laughter; as when he
said in the Person of _Caesar_, one speaking to him,

"Caesar _thou dost me Wrong_.

"He reply'd:

"Caesar _did never Wrong, but with just Cause._

and such like, which were ridiculous. But he redeem'd his Vices with
his Virtues: There was ever more in him to be Prais'd than to be
Pardon'd."

As for the Passage which he mentions out of _Shakespear_, there is
somewhat like it _Julius Caesar_, Vol. V. p. 2260. but without the
Absurdity; nor did I ever meet with it in any Edition that I have seen,
as quoted by Mr. _Johnson_. Besides his Plays in this Edition, there are
two or three ascrib'd to him by Mr. _Langbain_, which I have never seen,
and know nothing of. He writ likewise, _Venus_ and _Adonis_, and
_Tarquin_ and _Lucrece_, in Stanza's, which have been printed in a late
Collection of Poems. As to the Character given of him by _Ben Johnson_,
there is a good deal true in it: But I believe it may be as well
express'd by what _Horace_ says of the first _Romans_, who wrote Tragedy
upon the _Greek_ Models, (or indeed translated 'em) in his Epistle to
_Augustus_.

_--Natura sublimis & Acer
Nam spirat Tragicum satis & faeliciter Audet,
Sed turpem putat in Chartis metuitq; Lituram._

There is a Book of Poems, publish'd in 1640, under the Name of Mr.
_William Shakespear_, but as I have but very lately seen it, without an
Opportunity of making any Judgment upon it, I won't pretend to
determine, whether it be his or no.

[Illustration: Decorative motif]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote A: _Ld._ Falkland, _Ld. C.J._ Vaughan, _and Mr._ Selden.]

[Footnote B: Alluding