THE

PLAY S

ор

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.

VOLUME the FIRST.

CONTAINING

PREFACES, &c.

The TEMPEST.

The TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

The MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

GEORGE STEEVENS,

THE THIRD EDITION,

REVISED AND AUGMENTED BY THE EDITOR OF DODSLEY'S COLLECTION.CF.OLD PLAYS

310

ΤΗΣ ΦΥΣΕΩΣ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΣ ΗΝ, ΤΟΝ ΚΑΛΑΜΟΝ, ΑΠΟΤΡΕΧΩΝ ΕΙΣ ΝΟΥ
··
:
2
Vet. Aut Capu't F
MULTA DIES, VARIUSQUE LABOR MUTABILIS VI
RETULIT IN MELIUS, MULTOS ALTERNA REVISENS
LUZIT, ET IN SOLIDO RURSUS FORTUNA LOCAVIT,

Virgil,

LONDON,

Printed for C. BATHURST, J. RIVINGTON and SONS,
T. PAYNE and SON, L. DAVIS, W. OWEN, B. WHITE and
SON, T. LONGMAN, B. LAW, T. Bowies, J. JOHNSON,
C. DILLY, J. ROBSON, G. G. J. and J. ROBINSON,
T. CADELL, H. L. GARDNER, J. NICHOLS, J. BEW,
W. STUART, R. BALDWIN, J. MURRAY, A. STRAHAN,
T. VERNOR, J. BARKER, W. LOWNDES, S, HAYES,
G, and T. WILKIE, SCATCHERD and WHITAKER,
T. and J. EGERTON, W. Fox, and E. NEWBERY.

MDCC LXXXV.

!

T

HE WORKS of SHAKSPEARE, during the last twenty years, have been the objects of publick attention more than at any former period. In that time the various editions of his performances have been examined, his obfcurities illuminated, his defects pointed out, and his beauties difplayed, fo fully, fo accurately, and in fo fatisfactory a manner, that it might reafonably be prefumed little would remain to be done by either new Editors or new Commentators: yet though the diligence and fagacity of thofe gentlemen who contributed towards the laft Edition of this Author may feem to have almost exhausted the fubject, the fame train of enquiry has brought to light new difcoveries, and accident will probably continue to produce further illuftrations, which may render fome alterations neceffary in every succeeding republication.

Since the last Edition of this Work in 1778, the zeal for clucidating Shakspeare, which appeared in most of the gentlemen whofe names VOL. I.

are

a