Preface to the Works of Shakespeare (1734)

The preface sets out systematic principles for editing and restoring an older dramatic corpus, advocating literal criticism and close attention to language, metre, sources, and play chronology to correct corrupt passages. It explains methods of collating variant texts, proposing emendations, and annotating obscurities, and describes the composition of a concise biographical account and the intended scope of commentary. It addresses contemporary disputes with other critics, discusses collaborative contributions to the preface, and defends the necessity of rigorous textual scholarship to clarify meaning and guide future editions.