An Historical and Metrical Introduction into the Study of Shakspeare’s Works,

with

Particular Regard to his Julius Caesar, by

Dr. WILKEN.

&To him we must ascribe the praise, unless Spencer may divide it with him, of having first discovered to how much smoothness and harmony the English language could be softened.)

Dr. Johnson.

Part the First.

We take it for granted that the times preceding the great French Revolution, particu- larly the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, are to be considered the foun- dation of modern history and civilization. The latter can by no means be understood without being thoroughly acquainted with those times, in which we find thriving in fresh vigor the literatures and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome, gradually combining with a new method of studying the laws of human Mind and external Nature, of thinking and expansion, as they are called by Cartesius. Besides him we further particularly mention Francis Bacon, distin- guishing himself by pointing out the way of investigating Nature by means of the inductive method in his celebrated works: De dignitate et augmentis scientiarum») and The Wisdom of the Ancients». Therefore he who intends taking a share in the development of modern civilization, as young students should do, cannot forbear studying very earnestly the great authors of those ages who teach the very principles of modern art and science. This truth has been acknowledged by our Government in establishing the now so-called«Realgymnasia?, in which modern languages and modern science are chiefly taught.

But it is unavoidable, that in such new institutions, according to the varying views of the respective principals, the way of teaching the different branches of modern knowledge, and the choice of the authors to be read in such schools should differ widely. Most judicious men however adopt the manner of teaching ancient languages and sciences in our schools termed Gymnasia». I for my part, likewise following this example, take the opportunity of proposing a series of the following English authors, gradually to be read according to the

wants in the different classes of«Realgymnasia). 1