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l the pots i have ntioned wereto be observed; and if i t own the truth i have ore than a hundred射ets written; and to try if it ca up to y own opion of it, ishowed the to perns who were fond of this kd of readg, tolearned and tellt n as well as to ignorant people who caredfor nothg but the pleasure of listeng to nonsense, and fro alli obtaed flatterg approval; nevertheless i proceeded no fartherwith it, as well becae it seed to an oupation nsistenith y profession, as becae i perceived that the fools are orenuro than the wise; and, though it is better to be praised bythe wise few than applauded by the foolish any, i have no d tosubit yself to the stupid judgnt of the silly public, to whothe readg of such books falls for the ost part

&ot;but what ost of all ade hold y hand and even abandon all ideaof fishg it was an argunt i put to yself taken fro the playsthat are acted now-a-days, which was this wise: if those that arenow vogue, as well those that are pure vention as those foundedon history, are, all or ost of the, downright nonsense and thgsthat have neither head nor tail, and yet the public listens to thewith delight, and regards and cries the up as perfection when theyare far fro it; and if the authors who write the, and the playerswho act the, say that this is what they t be, for the public wantsthis and will have nothg else; and that those that go by rule andwork out a plot aordg to the laws of art will only fd half-dozen tellt people to understand the, while