The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-09-18
WHO speak the tongue
That Shakespeare spake,

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could not content hinselfwith mere republication or
compilation, He has therefore prevailed upon K. w.
WEIR, whose reputation Artist is already identi-
fed with his country's hstofy to contribute series of
original designs together with such advice and asss
in other details Of his may suggest for
the illustration and establishment Of this publication.
From the SAINT reason the publisher, instead ofrepintng
the text and commentary of any popular English inn
prcssion, desious that his edition should have the
supervision ofan American editor This task has been
undertaken, by CUBAN &. VERPLANCK
The plan proposed to himseby the editor, is to fur
nish the reader with carefully prepared and accurate
ly printed text, unencumhered by any notes or com
ments upon the page itsef howeveruseul they may
be elsewhere they are too apt to divert the mind from
the power Of the Poets thought and to disturb the
gc ofhs scene. Such notes as may be thought nseful
for the explanation or criticism Of the ext,will be
thrown into an Appendix TO each play,
The text Of Shakspeare's dramatic works, drawn
from old printed copies in his age, which had never pas
scd under the authors eye was consequently dis
figured by many errors and obscuntics. 1t passed du
ring the last century through succession of varying
editions until the revision of Stevens and Malone, whose
text (or rather that Of Sevens) has become the STAN
dard from which most of the English and American
ditions have been printed with various degrees of ac
curacy. But within the last twenty years. mi
mute and familiar acquaintance with old English idioms
habits and modes of thought, guided by an intense and
constantly increasing admiration for Shakspeare's ge
MUS, has led to the strong conviction that very many
the though slight deviaons from the ancient
neous interpretations, sometimes weakening the
and often substituting arbitrary monotonous metrical
regularity for the Poets native melody. Accord
ngly very many of these emandaons have been reec-
ted by the last and best English editors, especially Mr..
Knight and Mr.. Collier, and the readings Of the old fo-
hos and quartos have been restored unless where
error of the press manuscript was undenably mani
fest Yet there many such passages conessedly
corrupt, and requiring conectural emendation; there
are also differences oreading between the several old
impressions aorng grounds for some diversity Of text
and controversy between the recent editors
Upon these, the American editor thinks it due to the
character of this edition, to decide for himself without
implicitly following the text of any modern edition.
AS the industry and learning of prior editors have fur
nshed the collation. ofvarous readings and the author-
ties upon which they may be supported, the task is no
longer that of laborious investigation, but it were
judicial decision enlightened by contendng argument
As many Of these variations ofnearly equal prob
ability, and of them doubtless the authors
own alterations at different periods, all the more mpor-
tant readings will be presented to the reaGerin the notes
for his selection Those notes will also contain so
much documentary may be useful to explain anti
quated words and phrases obscurey expressed passages
and illusions to obsolete opinions the habits his
tory of the times; the whole in as condensed form as
practicable But any commentary upon Shakespeare,
however brief would be imperfect ii il did not present
some view of the higher criticism employed, not the
Interpretation of his language. but upon his thoughts,
his character, his poetry passions, philosophy The
only difficulty here arises from the abundance, the mag
nifcen variety, of the materials contributed during the
last half century by the brilliant minds Of Europe
Still is believed that this duty can be satisfactorily
performed without swelling the edition to inconve-
p nient bulk
], H.W HEWET, Publisher,
2Sl Broadway, New York.