Neither am I to forget my charming patroness; though she will not allow my publick address to her in a Dedication, but protects me unseen, like my guardian angel, and shuns my gratitude, like a fairy who is bountiful by stealth; and conceals the giver when she bestows the gift. But my Lady Sylvius has been juster to me, and pointed out the goddess at whose altar I was to pay my sacrifice and thanks-offering; and had she been silent, yet my Lord Chamberlain himself,' in restoring my play, without any alteration, avowed to me, that I had the most earnest solicitress, as well as the fairest, and that nothing could be refused to my Lady Hyde.

These favours, my Lord, received from yourself and your noble family, have encouraged me

two years before, had found herself greatly embarrassed at the representation of THE SPANISH FRYAR, which she had commanded to be performed; and hence, probably, was extremely apprehensive of any new piece being produced on the stage, that might admit of political applications to her own times. See a curious account of her distress during the performance of THE SPANISH FRYAR, in a letter written by Daniel, Earl of Nottingham; Dal rymple's MEMOIRS, second Appendix, p. 78. 4to.

Lady Sylvius was the wife of Sir Gabriel Sylvius, who in 1679 was Envoy to the Duke of Brunswick, and at the time of the Revolution was Ambassador Extraor dinary at the court of Denmark. The editors of the modern editions of this play have been content to read -my Lady Sylvia..

› Our author's patron, Charles, Earl of Dorset.

to this Dedication; wherein I not only give you back a play, which, had you not redeemed it, had not been mine, but also at the same time dedicate to you, the unworthy author, with my inviolable faith, and, how mean soever, my utmost service'; and I shall be proud to hold my dependence on you in chief, as I do part of my small fortune in Wiltshire. Your goodness has not been wanting to me during the reign of my two masters: and even from a bare treasury, my success has been contrary to that of Mr. Cowley; and Gideon's fleece has then been moistened, when all the ground has been dry about it." Such and so many provocations of this nature have concurred

6 I suspect this part of our author's fortune was the portion brought by his wife, whose father, Thomas, Earl of Berkshire, derived from his mother the lordship of Charlton, in Wiltshire.

7 Our author here alludes to the following verses in Cowley's poem entitled THE COMPLAINT:

"As a fair morning of the blessed spring, "After a tedious stormy night,

"Such was the glorious entry of our King;

Enriching moisture dropp'd on every thing;

"Plenty he sow'd below, and cast about him light. "But then, alas! to thee alone

"One of old Gideon's miracles was shewn,

"For every tree and every herb around
"With pearly dew was crown'd;

"And upon all the quicken'd ground

"The fruitful seed of heaven did brooding lie, "And nothing but the Muses' fleece was dry."

to my invading of your modesty with this address. I am sensible that it is in a manner forced upon you. But your Lordship has been the aggressor in this quarrel, by so many favours, which you are not weary of conferring on me; though at the same time I own the ambition on my side, to be eyer esteemed

Your Lordship's most thankful

And most obedient servant,

JOHN DRYDEN.

PREFACE

то

CLEO MENE S.

IT

8

T is now seven or eight years since I designed to write this play of CLEOMENES; and my Lord Falkland (whose name I cannot mention without honour, for the many favours I have received from him,) is pleased to witness for me, that in a French book which I presented him about that time, there were the names of many subjects that I had thought on for the stage; amongst which this tragedy was one. This was out of my remembrance; but my Lord, on the occasion of stopping my play, took the opportunity of doing me a good office at court, by repre

• Antony, fourth Viscount Falkland, who at this time was one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and died in 1694. He wrote the prologue spoken before Otway's comedy called THE SOLDIER'S FORTUNE, and another intended. for Congreve's OLD BACHELOR, and prefixed to that play, but not spoken, probably on account of its indecency. This nobleman, who succeeded his father, Henry, Lord Falkland, in 1664, is frequently mentioned in the lampoons of Charles the Second's time.

VOL. II.

senting it as it was, a piece long ago designed; which being judiciously treated, I thought was capable of moving compassion on the stage. The success has justified my opinion, and that at a time when the world is running mad after farce, the extremity of bad poetry, or rather the judgment that is fallen upon dramatick writing. Were I in the humour, I have sufficient cause to expose it in its true colours; but having for once escaped, I will forbear my satire, and only be thankful for my deliverance.

A great part of my good fortune, I must confess, is owing to the justice which was done me in the performance. I can scarcely refrain from giving every one of the actors their particular commendations; but none of them will be offended if I say what the town has generally granted, that Mrs. Barry, always excellent, has in this tragedy excelled herself, and gained a reputation beyond any woman whom I have ever seen on the theatre.* After all, it was a bold attempt of mine

* "Mrs. Barry (says Cibber) in characters of greatness had a presence of elevated dignity; her mien and motion superb, and gracefully majestick; her voice full, clear, and strong, so that no violence of passion could be too much for her; and when distress or tenderness possessed her, she subsided into the most affecting melody and softness. In the art of exciting pity she had a power beyond all the actresses I have yet seen, or what your imagination can conceive. Of the former of these two great excellencies she gave the most delightful proofs in