FullReads

72. New-place. Queen Henrietta Maria’s visit was from 11th to 13th July, 1643. Theobald’s “three weeks” should read “three days.” See Halliwell-Phillips, Outlines, 1886, ii., p. 108.

We have been told in print, in An Answer to Mr. Popes Preface to Shakespear…. By a Stroling Player [John Roberts], 1729, p. 45.

73. Complaisance to a bad Taste. Cf. Rowe, p. 6, Dennis p. 46, and Theobald’s dedication to Shakespeare Restored ; yet Theobald himself had complied to the bad taste in several pantomimes.

Nullum sine venia. Seneca, Epistles, 114. 12.

74. Speret idem. Horace, Ars Poetica, 241.

Indeed to point out, etc. In the first edition of the Preface, Theobald had given “explanations of those beauties that are less obvious to common readers.” He has unadvisably retained the remark that such explanations “should deservedly have a share in a general critic upon the author.” The “explanations” were omitted probably because they were inspired by Warburton.

75. And therefore the Passages … from the Classics. Cf. the following passage with Theobald’s letter to Warburton of 17th March, 1729-30 (see Nichols, Illustrations, ii., pp. 564, etc.). The letter throws strong light on Theobald’s indecision on the question of Shakespeare’s learning.

“The very learned critic of our nation” is Warburton himself. See his letter to Concanen of 2nd January, 1726 (Malone’s Shakespeare, 1821, xii., p. 158). Cf. Theobald’s Preface to Richard II., 1720, and Whalley’s Enquiry, 1748, p. 51.

76. Effusion of Latin Words. Theobald has omitted a striking passage in the original preface. It was shown that Shakespeare’s writings, in contrast with Milton’s, contain few or no Latin phrases, though they have many Latin words made English; and this fact was advanced as the truest criterion of his knowledge of Latin.

The passage is referred to by Hurd in his Letter to Mr. Mason on the Marks of Imitation (1757, p. 74). Hurd thinks that the observation is too good to have come from Theobald. His opinion is confirmed by the entire omission of the passage in the second edition. Warburton himself claimed it as his own. Though the passage was condensed by Theobald, Warburton’s claim is still represented by the passage from For I shall find (p. 76, l. 7) to Royal Taste (l. 36).

77. Shakespeare … astonishing force and splendor. Cf. Pope, p. 50.

Had Homer, etc. Cf. Pope, p. 56.

78. Indulging his private sense. See p. 61.

Lipsius,– Satyra Menippaea ( Opera, 1611, p. 640).

79. Sive homo, etc. Quintus Serenus, De Medicina, xlvi., “Hominis ac simiae morsui.”

80. Nature of any Distemper … corrupt Classic. Cf. Shakespeare Restored, pp. iv, v.

81. Bentley’s edition of Paradise Lost had appeared in 1732.

the true Duty of an Editor. A shy hit at Pope’s “dull duty of an editor,” Preface, p. 61.

82. as I have formerly observ’d, in the Introduction to Shakespeare Restored, pp. ii and iv. The paragraph is quoted almost verbatim.

83. labour’d under flat Nonsense. Here again Theobald incorporates a passage from the Introduction to Shakespeare Restored, p. vi.

Corrections and conjectures. Yet another passage appropriated from his earlier work. The French quotation, however, is new.

Edition of our author’s Poems. Theobald did not carry out his intention of editing the Poems. References to the proposed edition will be found in Warburton’s letters to him of 17th May and 14th October, 1734 (see Nichols, Illustrations, ii., pp. 634, 654).