Thomas Edwards, 1747 (1699-1757)
Canon I. A Professed Critic has a right to declare that his Author wrote whatever He thinks he ought to have written, with as much positiveness as if he had been at his elbow.
Canon II. He has a right to alter any passage which He does not understand.
Canon III. These alterations He may make in spite of the exactness of measure.
Canon IV. Where He does not like an expression, and yet cannot mend it, He may abuse his Author for it.
Canon V. Or He may condemn it as a foolish interpolation.
Canon VI. As every Author is to be corrected into all possible perfection, the Professed Critic is the sole judge; He may alter any word or phrase, which does not want amendment, or which will do, provided He can think of anything which He imagines will do better.
Canon VII. He may find out obsolete words, or coin new ones, and put them in the place of such as He does not like, or does not understand.
Canon VIII. He may prove a reading or support an explanation by any sort of reasons, no matter whether good or bad.
Canon IX. He may interpret his Author so as to make him mean directly contrary to what he says.
Canon X. He should not allow any poetical licences, which He does not understand.
Canon XI. He may make foolish amendments or explanations, and refute them, only to enhance the value of his critical skill.
Canon XII. He may find out a bawdy or immoral meaning in his Author where there does not appear to be any hint that way.
Canon XIII. He need not attend to the low accuracy of orthography, or pointing; but may ridicule such trivial criticisms in others.
Canon XIV. Yet, when He pleases to condescend to such work, He may value himself upon it; and not only restore lost puns, but point out such quaintnesses where, perhaps, the Author never thought of them.
Canon XV. He may explain a difficult passage by words absolutely unintelligible.
Canon XVI. He may contradict himself for the sake of showing his critical skill on both sides of the question.
Canon XVII. It will be necessary for the Professed Critic to have by him a good number of pedantic and abusive expressions, to throw about upon proper occasions.
Canon XVIII. He may explain his Author, or any former Editor of him, by supplying such words, or pieces of words, or marks, as He thinks fit for that purpose.
Canon XIX. He may use the very same reasons for confirming his own observations, which he has disallowed in his adversary.
Canon XX. As the design of writing notes is not so much to explain the Author’s meaning as to display the Critic’s knowledge, it may be proper, to show his universal learning, that He minutely point out from whence every metaphor and allusion is taken.
Canon XXI. It will be proper, in order to show his wit, especially if the Critic be a married man, to take every opportunity of sneering at the fair sex.
Canon XXII. He may mis-quote himself, or anybody else, in order to make an occasion of writing notes, when he cannot otherwise find one.
Canon XXIII. The Professed Critic, in order to furnish his quota to the bookseller, may write notes of nothing; that is to say, notes which either explain things which do not want explanation, or such as do not explain matters at all, but merely fill up so much paper.
Canon XXIV. He may dispense with truth, in order to give the world a higher idea of his parts, or the value of his work.
The Canons of Criticism, first published as a Supplement to Mr. Warburton’s Edition of Shakespear. Collected from Notes in that Celebrated Work, and proper to be bound up with it. By the Other Gentleman of Lincoln’s Inn.
Warburton’s edition also elicited An Attempte to Rescue that Auncient English Poet and Play-Wrighte, Maister Willaume Shakespere, from the many Errores faulsely charged on him by Certaine New-fangled Wittes, by a Gentleman formerly of Greys-Inn. 1749. This small treatise dealt with The Tempest in a spirit of genuine zeal, but with less controversial ability than was displayed by the “Other Gentleman.”