48 Poetry. [Chap. XX. 



time after the publication of his works, they were, 

 from the defective taste and negligence of the 

 times, greatly corrupted by various transcribers 

 and editors. The first attempt to remove these 

 corruptions, and to present a correct edition to 

 the public, was made by Mr. Rowe, in 1709, with 

 considerable success. Some years afterward, 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 ex- 

 pectations that a more complete reform of it 

 would be effected by his labours. Neither his 

 emendations nor his commentaries, however, are 

 now considered as of much value. Indeed, he has; 

 been openly charged with corrupting, rather than 

 purifying or elucidating, his author. His edition 

 was published in 172J. Pope was followed, in this 

 field for the display of literary taste and enter- 

 prise, by Mr. Theobald, who in 1733 gave a new 

 edition ; in preparing which for the press he col- 

 lated many copies, and corrected many errours ; 

 but, defective both in taste and learning, he was 

 >:till far from having done justice to his under- 

 taking. The next in this list of critical editors is 

 ?Lr Thomas Hanmer, whose edition appeared in, 

 1744. He made many emendations with great 

 judgement, and in a manner which indicated both 

 discernment ^nd erudition ; but in others he dis- 

 covered much caprice; and adopted a large num- 

 ber of the censurable innovations of Pope. In 

 1747 Dr.Warburton made trial of his great criti- 

 cal acumen, and his profound erudition, on the 

 works of the same illustrious dramatist; but though 

 ike displayed much sagacity and learning, his work 



