written _Miscellaneous Observations on the Tragedy of Macbeth_ in 1745
and had included the play among the tragedies in the 1765 edition it
seems reasonable to assume that he regarded it as a tragedy and possibly
bowed to Steevens' wishes in allowing it to appear where it does in
1773. Hence, the notes on _Macbeth_ occur with those on the other
tragedies in this reprint.

One of the reasons for a full reprinting of Johnson's commentary has
already been discussed: a complete and accurate knowledge of his
thoughts on each of the plays of the then accepted canon is thus gained.
(I might add here that some notes by other editors, inadvertently
unattributed in the 1765 edition--some of them still unattributed in
1773--have been erroneously reprinted as Johnson's by both Walter
Raleigh and Mona Wilson.) Another reason is, of course, the relative
difficulty of getting at the volumes of the 1773 edition. Although not a
particularly scarce item, the edition can usually be consulted only in
Rare Book rooms (there are exceptions), where the working scholar is
hampered by the inaccessibility of many other books, not "rare," which
he needs at his elbow. Then again, the present reprint gives only
Johnson's notes, except for necessary explanations of, or quotations
from, the notes of previous editors and critics. But far transcending
these reasons, although deriving from them, is the enormous value to the
student of Johnson the man and the critic of a now easily accessible
body of literary criticism and personal comment that is second in
importance only to the _Lives of the Poets_.

Johnson's notes to the plays of Shakespeare are an invaluable source of
information of many kinds. I can only suggest here, and give a few
examples of, the wealth of material that awaits further, detailed
examination by other scholars. One demonstration, however, of the use to