At last, they went up, through a crowd of French people, who were merrily dancing in the open air, and nothing concerned for the noise of the guns, which had alarmed the Town that afternoon.

Walking thence together to the Piazza, they parted there, EUGENIUS and LISIDEIUS, to some pleasant appointment they had made; and CRITES and NEANDER to their several lodgings.

FINIS.

 [9] Compare DRYDEN’s definition of Humour, with that of Lord MACAULAY,
     in his review of Diary and Letters of Madame D’ARBLAY (Edinburgh
     Review, Jan. 1843).  E.A. 1880.

[10] Glorious JOHN DRYDEN! thee liest!  CROMWELL and his Court were
     no “enemies of all good learning,” though they utterly rejected the
     Dramatic branch of it.  E.A. 1880.

The Honourable Sir ROBERT HOWARD Auditor of the Exchequer.

Preface to The great Favourite, or the Duke of LERMA.

[Published in 1668.]

TO THE READER.

I cannot plead the usual excuse for publishing this trifle, which is commonly the subject of most Prefaces, by charging it upon the importunity of friends; for I confess I was myself willing, at the first desire of Mr. HERRINGMAN [the Publisher], to print it:  not for any great opinion that I had entertained; but for the opinion that others were pleased to express.  Which, being told me by some friends, I was concerned to let the World judge what subject matter of offence was contained in it.  Some were pleased to believe little of it mine; but they are both obliging to me, though perhaps not intentionally:  the last, by thinking there was anything in it that was worth so ill designed an envy, as to place it to another author; the others, perhaps the best bred Informers, by continuing their displeasure towards me, since I most gratefully acknowledge to have received some advantage in the opinion of the sober part of the World, by the loss of theirs.

For the subject, I came accidentally to write upon it.  For a gentleman brought a Play to the King’s Company, called, The Duke of LERMA; and, by them, I was desired to peruse it, and return my opinion, “Whether I thought it fit for the Stage!” After I had read it, I acquainted them that, “In my judgement, it would not be of much use for such a design, since the Contrivance scarce would merit the name of a Plot; and some of that, assisted by a disguise:  and it ended abruptly.  And on the person of PHILIP III., there was fixed such a mean Character; and on the daughter of the Duke of LERMA, such a vicious one:  that I could not but judge it unfit to be presented by any that had a respect, not only to Princes, but indeed, to either Man or Woman.”

And, about that time, being to go in the country, I was persuaded by Mr. HART to make it my diversion there, that so great a hint might not be lost, as the Duke of LERMA saving himself, in his last extremity, by his unexpected disguise:  which is as well in the true Story [history], as the old Play.  And besides that and the Names; my altering the most part of the Characters, and the whole Design, made me uncapable to use much more, though, perhaps, written with higher Style and Thoughts than I could attain to.