And whereas
in several of the Plays there were wanting the Names of the Persons
represented therein, in this Edition you have them all prefixed, with
their Qualities; which will be a great ease to the Reader. Thus every way
perfect and compleat have you, all both Tragedies and Comedies that were
ever writ by our Authors, a Pair of the greatest Wits and most ingenious
Poets of their Age; from whose worth we should but detract by our most
studied Commendations.
If our care and endeavours to do our Authors right (in an incorrupt and
genuine Edition of their Works) and thereby to gratifie and oblige the
Reader, be but requited with a suitable entertainment, we shall be
encouraged to bring_ Ben. Johnson's _two Volumes into one, and publish
them in this form; and also to reprint_ Old Shakespear: _both which are
designed by
Yours_,
Ready to serve you,
JOHN MARTYN. HENRY HERRINGMAN. RICHARD MARIOT.
[The Second Folio contained, between 'The Book-sellers to the Reader' and
'A Catalogue,' eleven only of the Commendatory verses prefixed to the
First Folio. These were those signed by Edw. Waller (see p. xxiii), J.
Denham (p. xxii), Ben. Johnson (p. xl), Rich. Corbet (p. xl), Joh. Earle
(p. xxxii), William Cartwright's first lines (p. xxxvii, to 'Fletcher
_writ_' on p. xxxviii), Francis Palmer (p.
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