But it is not our prouince, who onely gather his works, and giue them you, to praise him. His mind and hand went together: And what he thought, he vttered with that easinesse, that wee haue scarse receiued from him a blot in his papers. Who, as he was a happie imitator of Nature, was a most gentle expresser of it. It had bene a thing, we confesse, worthie to haue bene wished, that the Author himselfe had liu'd to haue set forth, and ouerseen his owne writings But since it hath bin ordain'd otherwise, and he by death departed from that right, we pray you do not envie his Friends, the office of their care, and paine, to haue collected & publish'd them and so to haue publish'd them, as where (before) you were abus'd with diuerse stolne, and surreptitious copies, maimed, and deformed by the frauds and stealthes of iniurious impostors, that expos'd them: euen those, are now offer'd to your view cur'd, and perfect of their limbes and all the rest, absolute in their numbers, as he conceiued the. And though you be a Magistrate of wit, and sit on the Stage at Black-Friers, or the Cock-pit, to arraigne Playes dailie, know, these Playes haue had their triall alreadie, and stood out all Appeales and do now come forth quitted rather by a Decree of Court, then any purchas'd Letters of commendation. Censure will not driue a Trade, or make the Iacke go. Iudge your sixe-pen'orth, your shillings worth, your fiue shillings worth at a time, or higher, so you rise to the iust rates, and welcome. Then, how odde soeuer your braines be, or your wisedomes, make your licence the same, and spare not. That doth best commend a Booke, the Stationer saies. Well! It is now publique, & you wil stand for your priuiledges wee know: to read, and censure. Especially, when the fate of all Bookes depends vpon your capacities: and not of your heads alone, but of your purses. Rom the most able, to him that can but spell: There you are number'd. the reputation his, & the faults ours, if any be committed, by a payre so carefull to shew their gratitude both to the liuing, and the dead, as is these remaines of your feruant Shakespeare that what delight is in them, may be euer your L.L. In that name therefore, we most humbly consecrate to your H.H. It was no fault to approch their Gods, by what meanes they could: And the most, though meanest, of things are made more precious, when they are dedicated to Temples. Country hands reach foorth milke, creame, fruites, or what they haue: and many Nations (we haue heard) that had not gummes & incense, obtained their requests with a leauened Cake. But, there we must also craue our abilities to be considerd, my Lords. but with a kind of religious addresse it hath bin the height of our care, who are the Presenters, to make the present worthy of your H.H. Wherein, as we haue iustly obserued, no man to come neere your L.L. We haue but collected them, and done an office to the dead, to procure his Orphanes, Guardians without ambition either of selfe-profit, or fame: onely to keepe the memory of so worthy a Friend, & Fellow aliue, as was our Shakespeare, by humble offer of his playes, to your most noble patronage. likings of the seuerall parts, when they were acted, as before they were published, the Volume ask'd to be yours. There is a great difference, whether any Booke choose his Patrones, or finde them: This hath done both. haue beene pleas'd to thinke these trifles some-thing, heertofore and haue prosequuted both them, and their Authour liuing, with so much fauour: we hope, that (they out-liuing him, and he not hauing the fate, common with some, to be exequutor to his owne writings) you will vse the like indulgence toward them, you haue done vnto their parent. sustaine, we cannot but know their dignity greater, then to descend to the reading of these trifles: and, while we name them trifles, we have depriu'd our selues of the defence of our Dedication. Hilst we studie to be thankful in our particular, for the many fauors we have receiued from your L.L we are falne upon the ill fortune, to mingle two the most diuerse things that can bee, feare, and rashnesse rashnesse in the enterprize, and feare of the s successe. Lord Chamberlaine to theĮarle of Montgomery, &c.
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