tions (we haue heard) that had not gummes & incenfe, obtained their requefts with a leauened Cake. It was no fault to approch their Gods, by what meanes they could: And the most, though meaneft, of things are made more precious, when they are dedicated to Temples. In that name therefore, we moft humbly confecrate to your HH. these remaines of your feruant Shakespeare; that what delight is in them, may be euer your LL., the reputation his, & the faults ours, if any be committed, by a payre fo carefull to fhew their gratitude both to the liuing, and the dead, as is

Your Lordshippes most bounden,

JOHN HEMINGE,

HENRY CONdell.

To the great Variety of Readers.

ROM the most able, to him that can but spell: There you are number'd. We had rather you were weighd. Efpecially, when the fate of all Bookes depends vpon your capacities and not of your heads alone, but of your purfes. Well! It is now publique, & you wil stand for your priuiledges wee know: to read, and cenfure. Do fo, but buy it first. That doth beft commend a Booke, the Stationer faies. Then, how odde foever your braines be, or your wifedomes, make your licence the fame, and fpare not. Iudge your fixe-pen'orth, your fhillings

worth, your fiue fhillings worth at a time, or higher, so you rife to the iuft rates, and welcome. But, whateuer you do, Buy. Cenfure will not driue a Trade, or make the Iacke go. And though you be a Magiftrate of wit, and fit on the Stage at BlackFriers, or the Cock-pit to arraigne Playes dailie, know, these Playes have 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.

It had bene a thing, we confeffe, worthie to haue bene wifhed, that the Author himfelfe had liu'd to haue fet forth, and ouerfeen his owne writings; But fince it hath bin ordain'd otherwife, 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 & publifh'd them;

L

and fo to haue publish'd them, as where (before) you were abus'd with diuerfe ftolne, and furreptitious copies, maimed, and deformed by the frauds and ftealthes of iniurious impoftors, that expos'd them: euen thofe, are now offer'd to your view cur'd, and perfect of their limbes; and all the reft, abfolute in their numbers, as he conceiued the. Who, as he was a happie imitator of Nature, was a moft gentle expreffer of it. His mind and hand went together: And what he thought, he vttered with that eafineffe, that wee haue scarfe receuied from him a blot in his papers. But it is not our prouince, who onely gather his works, and giue them you, to praise him. It is yours that reade him.

And

there we hope, to your diuers capacities, you will finde enough, both to draw, and hold you: for his wit can no more lie hid, then it could be

loft.

Reade him, therefore; and againe, and againe : And if then you doe not like him, furely you are in fome manifeft danger, not to vnderftand him. And fo we leaue you to other of his Friends, whom if you need, can bee your guides: if you neede them not, you can leade yourfelues, and others. And fuch Readers we wish him.

Iohn Heminge,

Henrie Condell.