oty, and only
raised up phantoms for myself to conquer. Some are pleased to say--the
writing is dull; but, _aetatem habet, de se loquatur._ Others, that the
double poison is unnatural: let the common received opinion, and
Ausonius his famous epigram, answer that[3]. Lastly, a more ignorant
sort of creatures than either of the former maintain, that the
character of Dorax is not only unnatural, but inconsistent with
itself: let them read the play, and think again; and if yet they are
not satisfied, cast their eyes on that chapter of the wise Montaigne,
which is intitled, _De l'Inconstance des Actions humaines_. A longer
reply is what those cavillers deserve not; but I will give them and
their fellows to understand, that the earl of Dorset was pleased to
read the tragedy twice over before it was acted, and did me the favour
to send me word, that I had written beyond any of my former plays, and
that he was displeased any thing should be cut away. If I have not
reason to prefer his single judgment to a whole faction, let the world
be judge; for the opposition is the same with that of Lucan's hero
against an army; _concurrere bellum, atque virum_.

I think I may modestly conclude, that whatever errors there may be,
either in the design, or writing of this play, they are not those
which have been objected to it. I think also, that I am not yet
arrived to the age of doting; and that I have given so much
application to this poem, that I could not probably let it run into
many gross absurdities; which may caution my enemies from too rash a
censure, and may also encourage my friends, who are many more than I
could reasonably have expected, to believe their kindness has not been
very undeservedly bestowed on me. This is not a play that was huddled
up in haste; and, to shew it was not, I will own, that, besides the
general moral of it, which is given in the four last lines, there is
also another moral, couched under every one of the principal parts and
characters, which a judicious critic will observe, though I point not
to it in this preface. And there may be also some secret beauties in
the decorum of parts, and uniformity of design, which my puny judges
will not easily find out: let them consider in the last scene of the
fourth act, whether I have not preserved the rule of decency, in
giving all the advantage to the royal character, and in making Dorax
first submit. Perhaps too they may have thought, that it was through
indigenc