214 Poetry. 



are well known. Bat they are, after all, a kind 

 of composition too unnatural to hold a very high 

 place in the list of dramatic amusements. The 

 first serious operas were brought on the English 

 stage by Dr. Arne, who translated some of the 

 operas of Metastasio; but this kind of theatrical 

 exhibition gained little ground. The first musical 

 piece which commanded any great success on the 

 English stage was the Beggars' Opera, of Gay. 

 Since his time the comic opera has been much 

 more popular than the serious. 



It would be a culpable omission to conclude our 

 remarks on this department of British poetry, 

 without taking some notice of the unwearied la- 

 bours of literary men, during the age under con- 

 sideration, to illustrate the writings of Shaks- 

 peare, the great Father of the English drama. 

 For some time after the publication of his works, 

 they were, from the defective taste and negligence 

 of the times, greatly corrupted by various tran- 

 scribers and editors. The first attempt to remove 

 these corruptions, and to present a corrected 

 edition to the public, was made by Mr. Rowe, in 

 1709, with considerable success. Some years 

 afterwards, Mr. Pope made his countrymen more 

 fully acquainted than they had ever been before 

 with the corrupt state of Shakspeare's text, and 

 excited high expectations that a more complete 

 reform of it would be effected by his labours. 

 Neither his emendations, nor his commentaries, 

 however, are now considered of much value. 

 Indeed he has been openly charged with corrupt- 

 ing, rather than purifying or elucidating his author. 

 His edition was published in 1725. Pope was 

 followed, in this field for the display of literary 

 taste and enterprise, by Mr. Tiieosald, who, in 

 1733, gave a new edition; in preparing which 

 for the press he collated many copies, and cor- 



