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And　is　not　this　a　wretched　affectation；　not　to　be　contented　with　what　fortune　has　done　for　them；　and　sit　down　quietly　with　their　estates；　but　they　must　call　their　wits　in　question；　and　needlessly　expose　their　nakedness　to　public　view？　　Not　considering　that　they　are　not　to　expect　the　same　approbation　from　sober　men；　which　they　have　found　from　their　flatterers　after　the　third　bottle。　　If　a　little　glittering　in　discourse　has　passed　them　on　us　for　witty　men；　where　was　the　necessity　of　undeceiving　the　world？　　Would　a　man　who　has　an　ill　title　to　an　estate；　but　yet　is　in　possession　of　it；　would　he　bring　it　of　his　own　accord；　to　be　tried　at　Westminster？　　We　who　write；　if　we　want　the　talent；　yet　have　the　excuse　that　we　do　it　for　a　poor　subsistence；　but　what　can　be　urged　in　their　defence；　who；　not　having　the　vocation　of　poverty　to　scribble；　out　of　mere　wantonness　take　pains　to　make　themselves　ridiculous？　　Horace　was　certainly　in　the　right；　where　he　said；　〃That　no　man　is　satisfied　with　his　own　condition。〃　A　poet　is　not　pleased；　because　he　is　not　rich；　and　the　rich　are　discontented；　because　the　poets　will　not　admit　them　of　their　number。　　Thus　the　case　is　hard　with　writers：　　If　they　succeed　not；　they　must　starve；　and　if　they　do；　some　malicious　satire　is　prepared　to　level　them；　for　daring　to　please　without　their　leave。　　But　while　they　are　so　eager　to　destroy　the　fame　of　others；　their　ambition　is　manifest　in　their　concernment；　some　poem　of　their　own　is　to　be　produced；　and　the　slaves　are　to　be　laid　flat　with　their　faces　on　the　ground；　that　the　monarch　may　appear　in　the　greater　majesty。

Dionysius　and　Nero　had　the　same　longings；　but　with　all　their　power　they　could　never　bring　their　business　well　about。　　'Tis　true；　they　proclaimed　themselves　poets　by　sound　of　trumpet；　and　poets　they　were；　upon　pain　of　death　to　any　man　who　durst　call　them　otherwise。　　The　audience　had　a　fine　time　on't；　you　may　imagine；　they　sat　in　a　bodily　fear；　and　looked　as　demurely　as　they　could：　　for　it　was　a　hanging　matter　to　laugh　unseasonably；　and　the　tyrants　were　suspicious；　as　they　had　reason；　that　their　subjects　had　them　in　the　wind；　so；　every　man；　in　his　own　defence；　set　as　good　a　face　upon　the　business　as　he　could。　　It　was　known　beforehand　that　the　monarchs　were　to　be　crowned　laureates；　but　when　the　show　was　over；　and　an　honest　man　was　suffered　to　depart　quietly；　he　took　out　his　laughter　which　he　had　stifled；　with　a　firm　resolution　never　more　to　see　an　emperor's　play；　though　he　had　been　ten　years　a…making　it。　　In　the　meantime　the　true　poets　were　they　who　made　the　best　markets：　　for　they　had　wit　enough　to　yield　the　prize　with　a　good　grace；　and　not　contend　with　him　who　had　thirty　legions。　　They　were　sure　to　be　rewarded；　if　they　confessed　themselves　bad　writers；　and　that　was　somewhat　better　than　to　be　martyrs　for　their　reputation。　　Lucan's　example　was　enough　to　teach　them　manners；　and　after　he　was　put　to　death；　for　overcoming　Nero；　the　emperor　carried　it　without　dispute　for　the　best　poet　in　his　dominions。　No　man　was　ambitious　of　that　grinning　honour；　for　if　he　heard　the　malicious　trumpeter　proclaiming　his　name　before　his　betters；　he　knew　there　was　but　one　way　with　him。　　Maecenas　took　another　course；　and　we　know　he　was　more　than　a　great　man；　for　he　was　witty　too：　　But　finding　himself　far　gone　in　poetry；　which　Seneca　assures　us　was　not　his　talent；　he　thought　it　his　best　way　to　be　well　with　Virgil　and　with　Horace；　that　at　least　he　might　be　a　poet　at　the　second　hand；　and　we　see　how　happily　it　has　succeeded　with　him；　for　his　own　bad　poetry　is　forgotten；　and　their　panegyrics　of　him　still　remain。　　But　they　who　should　be　our　patrons　are　for　no　such　expensive　ways　to　fame；　they　have　much　of　the　poetry　of　Maecenas；　but　little　of　his　liberality。　They　are　for　prosecuting　Horace　and　Virgil；　in　the　persons　of　their　successors；　for　such　is　every　man　who　has　any　part　of　their　soul　and　fire；　though　in　a　less　degree。　　Some　of　their　little　zanies　yet　go　further；　for　they　are　persecutors　even　of　Horace　himself；　as　far　as　they　are　able；　by　their　ignorant　and　vile　imitations　of　him；　by　making　an　unjust　use　of　his　authority；　and　turning　his　artillery　against　his　friends。　　But　how　would　he　disdain　to　be　copied　by　such　hands！　　I　dare　answer　for　him；　he　would　be　more　uneasy　in　their　company；　than　he　was　with　Crispinus；　their　forefather；　in　the　Holy　Way；　and　would　no　more　have　allowed　them　a　place　amongst　the　critics；　than　he　would　Demetrius　the　mimic；　and　Tigellius　the　buffoon；

　　　　　…　Demetri；　teque；　Tigelli；　　　　　　Discipulorum　inter　jubeo　plorare　cathedras。

With　what　scorn　would　he　look　down　on　such　miserable　translators；　who　make　doggerel　of　his　Latin；　mistake　his　meaning；　misapply　his　censures；　and　often　contradict　their　own？　　He　is　fixed　as　a　landmark　to　set　out　the　bounds　of　poetry

　　　　　…　Saxum　antiquum；　ingens；　　　　　　Limes　agro　positus；　litem　ut　discerneret　arvis。

But　other　arms　than　theirs；　and　other　sinews　are　required；　to　raise　the　weight　of　such　an　author；　and　when　they　would　toss　him　against　enemies

　　　　　Genua　labant；　gelidus　concrevit　frigore　sanguis。　　　　　　Tum　lapis　ipse　viri；　vacuum　per　inane　volatus；　　　　　　Nec　spatium　evasit　totum；　nec　pertulit　ictum。

For　my　part；　I　would　wish　no　other　revenge；　either　for　myself；　or　the　rest　of　the　poets；　from　this　rhyming　judge　of　the　twelve…penny　gallery；　this　legitimate　son　of　Sternhold；　than　that　he　would　subscribe　his　name　to　his　censure；　or　（not　to　tax　him　beyond　his　learning）　set　his　mark：　　For；　should　he　own　himself　publicly；　and　come　from　behind　the　lion's　skin；　they　whom　he　condemns　would　be　thankful　to　him；　they　whom　he　praises　would　choose　to　be　condemned；　and　the　magistrates；　whom　he　has　elected；　would　modestly　withdraw　from　their　employment；　to　avoid　the　scandal　of　his　nomination。　The　sharpness　of　his　satire；　next　to　himself；　falls　most　heavily　on　his　friends；　and　they　ought　never　to　forgive　him　for　commending　them　perpetually　the　wrong　way；　and　sometimes　by　contraries。　　If　he　have　a　friend；　whose　hastiness　in　writing　is　his　greatest　fault；　Horace　would　have　taught　him　to　have　minced　the　matter；　and　to　have　called　it　readiness　of　thought；　and　a　flowing　fancy；　for　friendship　will　allow　a　man　to　christen　an　imperfection　by　the　name　of　some　neighbour　virtue

　　　　　Vellem　in　amicitia　sic　erraremus；　et　isti　　　　　　Errori　nomen　virtus　posuisset　honestum。

But　he　would　never　allowed　him　to　have　called　a　slow　man　hasty；　or　a　hasty　writer　a　slow　drudge；　as　Juvenal　explains　it

　　　　　…　Canibus　pigris；　scabieque　vestusta　　　　　　Laevibus；　et　siccae　lambentibus　ora　lucernae；　　　　　　Nomen　erit；　Pardus；　Tigris；　Leo；　si　quid　adhuc　est　　　　　　Quod　fremit　in　terris　violentius。

Yet　Lucretius　laughs　at　a　foolish　lover；　even　for　excusing　the　imperfections　of　his　mistress

　　　　　Nigra　　est；　immunda　et　foetida　　　　　　　Balba　loqui　non　quit；　；　muta　pudens　est；　etc。

But　to　drive　it　ad　Aethiopem　cygnum　is　not　to　be　endured。　　I　leave　him　to　interpret　this　by　the　benefit　of　his　French　version　on　the　other　side；　and　without　further　considering　him；　than　I　have　the　rest　of　my　illiterate　censors；　whom　I　have　disdained　to　answer；　because　they　are　not　qualified　for　judges。　　It　remains　that　I　acquiant　the　reader；　that　I　have　endeavoured　in　this　play　to　follow　the　practice　of　the　ancients；　who；　as　Mr。　　Rymer　has　judiciously　observed；　are　and　ought　to　be　our　masters。　　Horace　likewise　gives　it　for　a　rule　in　his　art　of　poetry

　　　　　…　Vos　exemplaria　Graeca　　　　　　Nocturna　versate　manu；　versate　diurna。

Yet；　though　their　models　are　regular；　they　are　too　little　for　English　tragedy；　which　requires　to　be　built　in　a　larger　compass。　　I　could　give　an　instance　in　the　Oedipus　Tyrannus；　which　was　the　masterpiece　of　Sophocles；　but　I　reserve　it　for　a　more　fit　occasion；　which　I　hope　to　have　hereafter。　　In　my　style；　I　have　professed　to　imitate　the　divine　Shakespeare；　which　that　I　might　perform　more　freely；　I　have　disencumbered　myself　from　rhyme。　　Not　that　I　condemn　my　former　way；　but　that　this　is　more　proper　to　my　present　purpose。　　I　hope　I　need　not　to　explain　myself；　that　I　have　not　copied　my　author　servilely：　Words　and　phrases　must　of　necessity　receive　a　change　in　succeeding　ages；　but　it　is　almost　a　miracle　that　much　of　his　language　remains　so　pure；　and　that　he　who　began　dramatic　poetry　amongst　us；　untaught　by　any；　and　as　Ben　Jonson　tells　us；　without　learning；　should　by　the　force　of　his　own　genius　perform　so　much；　that　in　a　manner　he　has　left　no　praise　for　any　who　come　after　him。　　The　occasion　is　fair；　and　the　subject　would　be　pleasant　to　handle　the　difference　of　styles　betwixt　him　and　Fletcher；　and　wherein；　and　how　far　they　are　both　to　be　imitated。　　But　since　I　must　not　be　over…confident　of　my　own　performance　after　him；　it　will　be　prudence　in　me　to　be　silent。　Yet；　I　hope；　I　may　affirm；　and　without　vanity；　that；　by　imitating　him；　I　have　excelled　myself　throughout　the　play；　and　particularly；　that　I　prefer　the　scene　betwixt　Antony　and　Ventidius　in　the　first　act；　to　anything　which　I　have　written　in　this　kind。


PROLOGUE

What　flocks　of　critics　hover　here　to…day；　As　vultures　wait　on　armies　for　their　prey；　All　gaping　for　the　carcase　of　a　play！　With　croaking　notes　they　bode　some　dire　event；　And　follow　dying　poets　by　the　scent。　Ours　gives　himself