THE PREFACE.
This Play came upon the Stage with a very Unusual disadvantage,
the whole first Act being Intirely left out in the Presentation;
and tho' it had been read by several persons of
the first Rank and Integrity, some of which were pleas'd to
honour me with an offer of giving it under their hands that the whole
was an Inoffensive piece, and free from any bold Paralel, or ill manner'd
reflection, yet this was no satisfaction to him, who had the
Relentless power of licensing it for the Stage. I did not spare for intreaties;
but all the reason I could get for its being refus'd, was, that
Henry the Sixth being a Character Unfortunate and Pitied, wou'd put
the Audience in mind of the late King James: Now, I confess, I never
thought of him in the Writing it, which possibly might proceed
from there not being any likeness between 'em. But however, there
was no hazard of offending the Government, though the whole
Play had been refus'd, and a man is not obliged to be Just, when he
can get as much by doing an Injury. I am only sorry it hapned to
be the best Act in the Whole, and leave it to the Impartial Reader
how far it is offensive, and whether its being Acted would have
been as injurious to good Manners, as the omission of it was to the
rest of the Play.
Tho' there was no great danger of the Readers mistaking any of
my lines for Shakespear's; yet, to satisfie the curious, and unwilling to
assume more praise than is really my due, I have caus'd those that are
intirely Shakespear's to be Printed in this Italick Character; and those
lines with this mark (‘) before 'em, are generally his thoughts, in
the best dress I could afford 'em: What is not so mark'd, or in a diffe-Character
is intirely my own. I have done my best to imitate his
Style, and manner of thinking: If I have fail'd, I have still this comfort,
that our best living Author in his imitation of Shakespear's Style
only writ Great and Masterly.
