On comparing this play with the original, the reasons affigned by the editor in his advertisement, for the alterations he had presumed to make, were fo obvious, it was judged to be more acceptable to the reader in its present form, than as originally written." ADVERTISEMENT. THE HE prefent age, though it has done honour to its own difcernment by the applaufes paid to Shakefpeare, has, at the fame time, too grofsly neglected the other great masters in the fame fchool of writing. The pieces of Beaumont and Fletcher in particular, (to fay nothing of Jonfon, Maffinger, Shirley, &c.) abound with beauties, fo much of the fame colour with those of Shakespeare, that it is almost unaccountable, that the very age which admires one, even to idolatry, should pay fo little attention to the others; and, while almost every poet or critic, at all eminent in the literary world, have been ambitious of diftinguishing themselves, as editors of Shakespeare, no more than two folitary editions of Beaumont and Fletcher, and one of those of a very late date, have been published in the prefent century. The truth is, that nature indeed is in all ages the fame; but modes and cuftoms, manners and languages, are fubject to perpetual variation. Time infenfibly renders writings obfolete and uncouth, and the gradual introduction of new words and idioms brings the older forms into disrepute and difufe. But the intrinfic merit of any work, though it may be obfcured, must for ever remain; as antique coins, or old plate, though not current or fashionable, ftill have their value, according to their weight. The injuries of modern innovation in the state of letters may be in a great measure repaired, by rendering the writings of our old authors familiar to the public, and bringing them often before them. How many plays are there of Shakespeare, now in conftant acting, of which the directors of the theatres would fcarce hazard the reprefentation, if the long-continued, and, as it were, traditional approbation of the public had not givent a fanction to their irregularities, and familiarized the A 2 diction; diction! The language even of our Liturgy and Bible, if we may venture to mention them on this occafion, would perhaps foon become obfolete and unintelligible to the generality, if they were not conftantly read in our churches. The ftile of our authors, especially in this play, is often remarkably plain and fimple, and only raited or enriched by the fentiments. It is the opinion of Dryden, that even "Shakespeare's language is a little "obfolete in comparison of theirs; and that the English "language in them arrived to its highest perfection; "what words have fince been taken in, being rather fuperfluous, than neceffary." Philafter has always been efteemed one of the best productions of Beaumont and Fletcher; and, we are told by Dryden, was the first play that brought them into great reputation. The beauties of it are indeed fo ftriking and fo various, that our authors might in this play almost be faid to rival Shakespeare, were it not for the many evident marks of imitation of his manner. The late editors of Beaumont and Fletcher conceive, that the poets meant to delineate, in the character of Philafter, a Hamlet racked with the jealoufy of Othello; and there are feveral paffages, in this play, where the authors have manifeftly taken fire from fimilar circumstances and expreffions in Shakespeare, particularly fome, that will readily cccur to the reader, as he goes along, from Othello, Hamlet, Cymbeline, and Lear. To remove the objections to the performance of this excellent play on the modern ftage, has been the chief labour, and fole ambition, of the prefent editor. It may be remembered, that The Spanish Curate, The Little French Lawyer, and Scornful Lady, of our authors, as well as The Silent Woman of Jonfon, all favourite entertainments of our predeceffors, have, within thefe few years, encountered the feverity of the pit, and received fentence of condemnation. That the uncommon merit of fuch a play as Philafter might be univerfally acknowledged and received, it appeared neceffary to clear it of ribaldry and obfcenity, and to amend a grofs indecency in the original conftitution of the fable, which muft have checked the fuccefs due to the rest of the piece, piece, nay, indeed, was an infuperable obftacle to its reprefentation. But though the inaccuracies and licentiousness of the piece were inducements (according to the incudi reddere of Horace) to put it on the anvil again, yet nothing has been added more than was abfolutely neceffary, to make it move easily on the new hinge, whereon it now turns : nor has any thing been omitted, except what was fuppofed to have been likely to obfcure its merit, or injureits fuccefs. The pen was drawn, without the least hefi-tation, over every fcene now expunged, except the first fcene of the third act, as it ftands in the original; in regard to which, the part that Philafter fuftains in it occafioned: fome paufe: but, on examination, it seemed that Dion's falfification of facts in that scene was inconfiftent with the reft of his character, though very natural in fuch a perfon as Megra: and though we have in our times feen the fudden and inftantaneous tranfitions from one paffion to another remarkably well represented on the ftage, yet: Philafter's emotions appeared impoffible to be exhibited with any conformity to truth or nature. It was therefore thought advifable to omit the whole fcene; and it is hoped, that this omiffion will not be difapproved, and. that it will not appear to have left any void or chaẩm in the action; fince the imputed falfehood of Arethufa,, after being so induftrioufly made public to the whole court, might very naturally be imagined to come to the knowledge of Philafter in a much fhorter interval, than is often fuppofed to elapse between the acts; or even be-tween the scenes of fome of our old plays. The scenes in the fourth act, wherein Philafter, according to the original play, wounds Arethufa and Bel-lario, and from which the piece took its fecond title of Love lies a bleeding, have always been cenfured by the critics. They breathe too much of that spirit of blood,. and cruelty, and horror, of which the English tragedy hath often been accufed. The hero's wounding his mistress hurt the delicacy of moft; and his maiming Bellario fleeping, in order to fave himfelf from his purfuers,, offended the generofity of all. This part of the fable,. therefore, fo injurious to the character of Philafter, it A 3. wass [6] was judged abfolutely requifite to alter; and a new turn has been given to all thofe circumstances: but the change has been effected by fuch fimple means, and with fo much reverence to the original, that there are hardly ten lines added on account of the alteration. The rest of the additions or alterations may be feen at once, by comparing the present play with the original; if the reader does not, on fuch occafions, of himself too eafily discover the patch-work of a modern hand. There is extant in the works of the Duke of Buckingham, who wrote The Rehearsal, and altered The Chances, an alteration of this play, under the title of The Restoration, or Right will take Place. The duke feems to have been very ftudious to disguise the piece, the names of the Dramatis Perfonæ, as well as the title, being entirely changed; and the whole piece, together with the prologue and epilogue, feeming intended to carry the air of an oblique political fatire on his own times. However that may be, the Duke's play is as little (if not lefs) calculated for the prefent ftage, as the original of our authors. The character of Thrafomond (for fo the Duke calls the Spanish prince) is much more ludicrous than the Pharamond of Beaumont and Fletcher. Few of the indecencies or obfcenities in the original are removed; and with what delicacy the adventure of Megra is managed, may be determined from the following fpecimen of his Grace's alteration of that circumftance, not a word of the following extract being to be found in Beaumont and Fletcher. Enter the Guard, bringing in Thrafomond, in Drawers, muffled up in a Cloak. Guard. Sir, in obedience to your commands, We ftopt this fellow ftealing out of doors. [They pull off his cloak Agremont. Who's this, the prince? King. Sir, I must chide you for this looseness! Thra |