D R. TO THE REVEREND WILKINS, WARDEN OF WADHAM COLLEGE IN OXFORD, SIR, SEEING you are pleased to think fit that these papers should come into the public, which were at first designed to live only in a desk, or some private friend's hands; I humbly take the boldness to commit them to the fecurity which your name and protection will give them with the most knowing part of the world. There are two things especially in which they stand in need of your defence: one is, that they fall fo infinitely below the full and lofty genius of that excellent poet, who made this way.of writing free of our nation: the other, that they are fo little proportioned and equal to the renown of that prince, on whom they were written. Such great actions and lives deferving rather to be the fubjects of the noblest pens and divine fancies, than of fuch small beginners and weak effayers in poetry as myself. Against these dangerous prejudices, there remains no other fhield, than the univerfal esteem and authority which your judgment and approbation carries with it. The right you have to them, Sir, is not only on the account of the relation you had to this great perfon, nor of the general favour which all arts receive from you; but more particu L 2 larly Not only those I nam'd I there fhall greet, My thoughts of that expected happiness. For none of them my error fhall deride. Yet virtue hath itself rewarded here, If those, who this opinion have despis'd, 'Tis fit our bodies should be out of pain. Gives to our nature, life must also bring. CON CONTENTS O F DENHAM'S POE M S. COOPER's Hill Page 7 The Destruction of Troy, an Effay on the fecond Book of Virgil's Æneis On the Earl of Strafford's Trial and Death 20 39 On my Lord Crofts and my Journey into Poland, from whence we brought 10,000l. for his Majesty, by the Decimation of his Scottish Subjects there .40 On Mr. Thomas Killigrew's Return from his Embaffy from Venice, and Mr. William Murray's from Scotland 43 To Sir John Mennis, being invited from Calais to Bologne to eat a Pig Natura Naturata 44 46 Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus in the 12th of Homer 47 Epigram from Martial 49 Friendship and fingle Life, against Love and Mar riage On Mr. Abraham Cowley's Death and Burial amongst the Ancient Poets 50 54 58 A Speech against Peace at the Close Committee 64 A Se A Second Western Wonder News from Colchester; or, a proper new Ballad A Song On Mr. John Fletcher's Works To Sir Richard Fanshaw, upon his Translation of Paftor Fido 72 74 A Dialogue between Sir John Pooley and Mr. Thomas Killigrew An occafional Imitation of a modern Author upon the Game of Chefs The Paffion of Dido for Æneas Of Prudence 77 78 87 |