What are the lays of artful Addison, Coldly correct, to Shakespeare’s warblings wild? Whom on the winding Avon’s willow’d banks Fair Fancy found, and bore the smiling babe To a close cavern (still the shepherds show The sacred place, whence with religious awe They hear, returning from the field at eve, Strange whisp’rings of sweet music through the air): Here, as with honey gather’d from the rock She fed the little prattler, and with songs Oft sooth’d his wond’ring ears with deep delight. On her soft lap he sat, and caught the sounds. _The Enthusiast: or the Lover of Nature_, ll. 168-79. WILLIAM COLLINS, 1743 (1721-1759) Too nicely Jonson knew the critic’s part; Nature in him was almost lost in art. Of softer mould the gentle Fletcher came, The next in order, as the next in name: With pleas’d attention ’midst his scenes we find Each glowing thought that warms the female mind; Each melting sigh and every tender tear, The lover’s wishes, and the virgin’s fear. His every strain the smiles and graces own, But stronger Shakespeare felt for man alone: Drawn by his pen, our ruder passions stand Th’ unrival’d picture of his early hand. _Verses humbly address’d to Sir Thomas Hanmer on his Edition of Shakespeare’s Works._ 1743, p. 7. Hanmer’s edition of Shakespeare appeared in 1744. See p. 93. SIR THOMAS HANMER, 1744 (1677-1746) If that rich vein of sense which runs through the works of this author can be retrieved in every part and brought to appear in its true light, and if it may be hoped without presumption that this is here effected; they who love and admire him will receive a new pleasure, and all probably will be more ready to join in doing him justice, who does great honour to his country as a rare and perhaps singular genius: one who hath attained an high degree of perfection in those two great branches of poetry, tragedy and comedy, different as they are in their natures from each other; and who may be said without partiality to have equalled, if not excelled, in both kinds, the best writers of any age or century who have thought it glory enough to distinguish themselves in either. Preface to _The Works of Shakespear. Carefully Revised and Corrected by the former Editions, and Adorned with Sculptures designed and executed by the best hands._ Oxford, 1744, vol. i. pp. v-vi. SAMUEL JOHNSON, 1747 (1709-1784) When Learning’s triumph o’er her barb’rous foes First rear’d the stage, immortal Shakespeare rose; Each change of many-coloured life he drew, Exhausted worlds, and then imagined new: Existence saw him spurn her bounded reign, And panting Time toil’d after him in vain: His powerful strokes presiding truth impress’d, And unresisted passion storm’d the breast.