AT the fame time it must be obferved, that it is the impartial, uninfluenced, opinion of men of learning, that commands the public judgement; not that of fuch men of learning as are friends of the author: for fuch decifions. the public, however highly it may rate the abilities of him who pronounces them, yet has always difcernment enough to fet afide. SELDOM does it even happen, that the opinion of cotemporary men of learning influences the public: which is the reason that the works of any living writer are very feldom justly appreciated. Yet it may fo happen that a writer, from a happy circumftance, may acquire a reputation as just as it is instantaneous. This was the cafe with the late Mr. Gray, who by his happening to be converfant in fashionable company, gained a complete century in point of reputation. For, tho fashionable writers are most justly set in opposition to good, the very epithet implying that their works will not laft; yet fashion is now and then in the right, as well as other fools. IT is above obferved, that the opinion of cotemporary judges, decides not that of the public. The truth is, there are works of fuperlative merit, of which the most learned cotemporary can form no true eftimate; for works of uncommon excellence require to be viewed at a certain distance, and in a certain light, to have their due effect. Set a picture of Raphael's against the blaze of the noonday fun, and its beauties will be as little difcerned as at midnight. Let me add, that an eminent writer is feldom the writer of his own times: his mature mind precedes the advancement of his art and language very often by a full century: fo that one hundred years, and fometimes more, muft elapfe, ere the public has acquired intelligence enough to judge of him, LETTER A LETTER XVIII. S I know your admiration of Shakspere, and your fondness for any new remarks illuftrative of the works of that wonderful poet, I shall make no apology for laying before you fuch obfervations as have occurred to me, in reading the laft edition of his Plays 1778. I fhall follow the order of volume and page, as in that edition; and muft beg leave, in commenting upon Shakfpere, likeways to comment upon his commentators. Vol. I. p. 39. TEMPEST. Upon this line, is this note: "So Milton in his Masque at Thy nerves are all bound up in alabaster.” WHAT in the name of wonder has this quotation to do with the line in the text? It might as well have been noted, "So Milton in his Sonnets, A book was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon.” MOST Most of the notes of this writer begin with So, let it be pertinent or not; which gave a wag occafion to obferve, that all his notes were jo, fo. P. 269. MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. I approve of the reading "Will you go on, heris?" Warburton, with his ufual rafhnefs of half knowledge, calls heris an old Scotish word for mafter. It is the plural of here, an old Scotish word for master or lord, from the Latin berus, Bishop Douglas often ufes it in his tranflation of Virgil: Hyarbas king and other heris all, Vol. II, p. 257. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new fworn brother. THIS alludes to the ancient practice of chivalry, of the young warriors vowing a mutual friendship and aid of each other. Such were called brothers at arms. This cuftom existed in France fo late as the close of the last century: witness this paffage in the Letters of Madame de Sevigné: "J'eftime fort Barban"tanne: c'est un des plus braves hommes du monde, d'une valeur prefque romanefque "d'ont j'ai oui parler mille fois a Buffi; ils " font freres d'armes." Tome II. See more in M. Du Cange's Differtation, annexed to Joinville, Des freres d'armes; and St. Palaye, Notes fur la IIIme Partie de fes Mem. fur l'ancienne Chevalerie. P. 328. An two men ride of a horse one must ride behind. THE note on this paffage, informing us that Shakspere may have caught this idea from the common feal of the Knights Templars, the device of which was two riding upon one horse, is truly in the spirit of a man who has lost his 3 own |