Dreads war from utmost Thule. Uncontrol'd Shall please all tastes, and triumph o'er the vine. A S foon as it was made known that your Lordship was not displeased with this Play, my friends began to value themselves upon the intereft they had taken in its fuccefs; I was touched with a vanity I had not before been acquainted with, and began to dream of nothing less than the immortality of my Work. And I had fufficiently fhewn this vanity in inscribing this Play to your Lordship, did I only confider you as one to whom so many admirable pieces, to whom the praises of Italy, and the best Latin poem fince the Æneid, that on the peace of Ryfwick, are confecrated. But it had been intolerable prefumption to have addreffed it to you, my Lord, who are the niceft judge of poetry, were you not also the greatest encourager of it; to you who excel all the prefent age as a poet, did you not furpafs all the preceding ones as a patron. |