fchool, who devoted an oration to his memory, and has marked the various viciffitudes of his fortune. Graunt either avoided the labour of minute inquiry, or thought domeftic occurrences unworthy of his notice; or preferring the character of an orator to that of an hiftorian, felected only fuch particulars as he could best exprefs, or moft happily embellifh. His narrative is therefore fcanty, and I know not by what materials it can now be amplified. Dedication to Dr. JAMES'S MEDICAL DICTIONARY, 3 vols. folio, 1743. SIR, To Dr. ME A D. THAT the Medicinal Dictionary is dedicated to you, is to be imputed only to your reputation for fuperior fkill in thofe fciences which I have endeavoured to explain and facilitate; and you are therefore to confider this addrefs, if it be agreeable to you, as one of the rewards of merit; and if otherwife, as one of the inconveniences of eminence. However you fhall receive it, my defign cannot be disappointed; because this public appeal to your judg'ment will fhew that I do not found my hopes of approbation upon the ignorance of my readers; and that I fear his cenfure leaft whofe knowledge is most extensive. I am, SIR, Your moft obedient humble fervant, R. JAMES. Dedication to the FEMALE QUIXOTE. By Mrs. LENNOX. Published 1752. To the Right Hon. the EARL of MIDDLESEX. MY LORD, SUCH is the power of intereft over almost every mind, that no one is long without arguments to prove any pofition which is ardently wished to be true, or to justify any measures which are dictated by inclination. By this fubtil fophiftry of defire, I have been perfuaded to hope that this book may, without impropriety, be inscribed to your lordship; but am not certain that my reasons will have the fame force upon other understandings. The dread which a writer feels of the public cenfure; the still greater dread of neglect; and the eager wish for fupport and protection, which is impreffed by the consciousness of imbecillity, are unknown to those who have never adventured into the world; and I am afraid, my lord, equally unknown to those who have always found the world ready to applaud them. "Tis therefore not unlikely that the defign of this address may be mistaken, and the effects of my fear imputed to my vanity. They who fee your lordship's name prefixed to my performance will rather condemn my prefumption than compaffionate my anxiety. But, whatever be fuppofed my motive, the praife of judgment cannot be denied me; for, to whom can timidity fo properly fly for fhelter, as to him who has been fo long diftinguished for candour and humanity? How How can vanity be fo compleatly gratified as by the allowed patronage of him, whofe judgment has fo long given a standard to the national tafte? Or by what other means could I fo powerfully suppress all opposition, but that of envy, as by declaring myself, My lord, Your lordship's obliged and most obedient servant, Dedication to SHAKESPEAR illuftrated; or, the Novels and Hiftories on which the Plays of Shakespear are founded, collected and tranflated from the original Authors. With critical remarks. By the Author of the Female Quixote, 1753. To the Right Hon. JOHN EARL of ORRERY. I HAVE no other pretence to the honour of a patronage, fo illuftrious as that of your lordship, than the merit of attempting what has by fome unaccountable neglect been hitherto omitted, though abfolutely neceffary to a perfect knowledge of the abilities of Shakespear. Among the powers that must conduce to constitute a poet, the first and most valuable is invention, the highest feems seems to be that which is able to produce a feries of events. It is eafy when the thread of a story is once drawn, to diversify it with variety of colours; and when a train of action is prefented to the mind, a little acquaintance with life will fupply circumstances and reflexions, and a little knowledge of books furnish parelle's and illuftrations. To tell over again a story that has been told already, and to tell it better than the first author, is no rare qualification; but to ftrike out the first hints of a new fable; hence to introduce a fet of characters fo diversified in their feveral paffions and interests, that from the clafhing of this variety may refult many necessary incidents; to make thefe incidents furprizing, and yet natural, fo as to delight the imagination without fhocking the judgment of a reader; and finally to wind up the whole in a pleafing catastrophe, produced by those very means which feem moft likely to oppofe and prevent it, is the utmost effort of the human mind. To discover how few of thofe writers, who profefs to recount imaginary adventures, have been able to produce any thing by their own imagination, would require too much of that time which your lordship employs in nobler ftudies. Of all the novels and romances that wit or idleness, vanity or indigence, have pufhed into the world, there are very few of which the end cannot be conjectured from the beginning; or where the authors have done more than to tranfpofe the incidents of other tales, or ftrip the circumftances from one event for the decoration of another. In the examination of a poet's character, it is therefore first to be enquired what degree of invention has been exerted by him. With this view I have very diligently read the works of Shakespear, and now prefume to lay the refult of my fearches before your lordfhip, before that judge whom Pliny himself would have wifhed for his affeffor to hear a literary cause. How much the tranflation of the following novels will add to the reputation of Shakespear, or take away from it, you, my lord, and men learned and candid like you, if any fuch can be found, must now determine. Some danger, as I am informed there is, left his admirers should think him injured by this attempt, and clamour as at the diminution of the honour of that nation which boafts herself the parent of fo great a poet. That no fuch enemies may arise against me (though I am unwilling to believe it) I am far from being too confident, for who can fix bounds to bigotry and folly ? My fex, my age, have not given me many opportunities. of mingling in the world; there may be in it many a fpecies of abfurdity which I have never seen, and among them fuch vanity as pleases itself with falfe praife beftowed on another, and fuch fuperftition as worships idols, without fuppofing them to be Gods. But the truth is, that a very finall part of the reputation of this mighty genius depends upon the naked plot or ftory of his plays. He lived in an age when the books of chivalry were yet popular, and when therefore the minds of his auditors were not accustomed to balance probabilities, or to examine nicely the proportion between caufes and effects. It was fufficient to recommend a ftory, that it was far removed from common |