Notice.
A Justification of myself would have been giving them Argument for
fresh Abuse; and I was willing to believe that any unkind Opinions,
entertain'd to my Prejudice, would naturally drop and lose their
Force, when the Publick should once be convinc'd that I was in
Earnest, and ready to do them Justice. I left no Means untry'd
to put it in my Power to do this: and I hope, without Breach of
Modesty, I may venture to appeal to all candid Judges, whether I
have not employ'd all my Power to be just to them in the Execution
of my Task. I must needs have been in the most Pain, who saw myself
daily so barbarously outraged. I might have taken advantage of
the favourable Impressions entertain'd of my Work, and hurried it
crudely into the World: But I have suffer'd, for my Author's sake,
those Impressions to cool, and perhaps, be lost; and can now appeal
only to the _Judgment_ of the Publick. If I succeed in this Point,
the Reputation gain'd will be the more solid and lasting.

[Sidenote: Acknowledgment of Assistance.]

I come now to speak of those kind Assistances which I have met with
from particular Friends, towards forwarding and compleating this
Work. Soon after my Design was known, I had the Honour of an
Invitation to _Cambridge_; and a generous Promise from the Learned
and ingenious Dr. _Thirlby_ of _Jesus_-College, there, who had taken
great Pains with my Author, that I should have the Liberty of
collating his Copy of _Shakespeare_, mark'd thro' in the Margin with
his own Manuscript References and accurate Observations. He not only
made good this Promise, but favour'd me with a Set of Emendations,
interspers'd and distinguish'd in his Name thro' the Edition, and
which can need no Recommendation here to the judicious Reader.

The next Assistance I receiv'd was from my ingenious Friend _Hawley
Bishop_ Esq; whose great Powers and extensive Learning are as well
known, as his uncommon Modesty, to all who have the Happiness of his
Acquaintance. This Gentleman was so generous, at the Expence both
of his Pocket and Time, to run thro' all _Shakespeare_ with me. We
join'd Business and Entertainment together; and at every of our
Meetings, which were constantly once a Week, we read over a _Play_,
and came mutually prepar'd to communicate our Conjectures upon it to
each other. The Pleasure of these Appointments, I think, I may say,
richly compensated for the Labour in our own Thoughts: and I may
venture to affirm, in the