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THE present Edition of five of Shakspeare's Dramas is put forth in the hope that it may make the writings of England's immortal poet familiar to young persons, and those who have not the opportunity of consulting a complete copy of all his Works. Those have been selected which, whilst they yield to none in beauty and sublimity of writing, seem to be the most instructive, and likely to prove the most popular with the readers for whom this Edition is intended. The Prefaces affixed to each Play, and the Notes, do not lay claim to much originality; they have been, for the most part, carefully selected and adapted from the most approved Works which have treated of Shakspeare, his life, genius, and writings. In particular, the compiler would beg to acknowledge his obligations to Dr. Drake's "Shakspeare,

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his Life and Times;" Schlegel's "Dramatic Literature ;" Douce's "Illustrations;" Dr. Johnson's elaborate and most beautiful notes in his edition of Shakspeare; to Malone and Stevens, and Chalmers; and to Bishop Warburton's acute emendations of the text, some of which have been adopted, whilst others have been noticed in the annotations.

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