On then, O mightiest of the inspired men! 
Monarch of verse! new themes employ thy pen. 
The troubles of majestic Charles set down;
Not David vanquished more to reach a crown. 
Praise him as Cowley did that Hebrew king: 
Thy theme’s as great; do thou as greatly sing. 
Then thou may’st boldly to his favour rise,
Look down, and the base serpent’s hiss despise;
From thund’ring envy safe in laurel sit,
While clam’rous critics their vile heads submit,
Condemned for treason at the bar of wit.

NAT.  LEE.

THE

AUTHOR’S APOLOGY

FOR

HEROIC POETRY, AND POETIC LICENCE.

To satisfy the curiosity of those, who will give themselves the trouble of reading the ensuing poem, I think myself obliged to render them a reason why I publish an opera which was never acted.  In the first place, I shall not be ashamed to own, that my chiefest motive was, the ambition which I acknowledged in the Epistle.  I was desirous to lay at the feet of so beautiful and excellent a princess, a work, which, I confess, was unworthy her, but which, I hope, she will have the goodness to forgive.  I was also induced to it in my own defence; many hundred copies of it being dispersed abroad without my knowledge, or consent:  so that every one gathering new faults, it became at length a libel against me; and I saw, with some disdain, more nonsense than either I, or as bad a poet, could have crammed into it, at a month’s warning; in which time it was wholly written, and not since revised.  After this, I cannot, without injury to the deceased author of “Paradise Lost,” but acknowledge, that this poem has received its entire foundation, part of the design, and many of the ornaments, from him.  What I have borrowed will be so easily discerned from my mean productions, that I shall not need to point the reader to the places:  And truly I should be sorry, for my own sake, that any one should take the pains to compare them together; the original being undoubtedly one of the greatest, most noble, and most sublime poems, which either this age or nation has produced.  And though I could not refuse the partiality of my friend, who is pleased to commend me in his verses, I hope they will rather be esteemed the effect of his love to me, than of his deliberate and sober judgment.  His genius is able to make beautiful what he pleases:  Yet, as he has been too favourable to me, I doubt not but he will hear of his kindness from many of our contemporaries for we are fallen into an age of illiterate, censorious, and detracting people, who, thus qualified, set up for critics.