pology for myself; and therefore have taken
a becoming care, that those things which offended on the stage, might
be either altered, or omitted in the press; for their authority is,
and shall be, ever sacred to me, as much absent as present, and in all
alterations of their fortune, who for those reasons have stopped its
farther appearance on the theatre. And whatsoever hindrance it has
been to me in point of profit, many of my friends can bear me witness,
that I have not once murmured against that decree. The same fortune
once happened to Moliere, on the occasion of his "Tartuffe;" which,
notwithstanding, afterwards has seen the light, in a country more
bigot than ours, and is accounted amongst the best pieces of that
poet. I will be bold enough to say, that this comedy is of the first
rank of those which I have written, and that posterity will be of my
opinion. It has nothing of particular satire in it; for whatsoever may
have been pretended by some critics in the town, I may safely and
solemnly affirm, that no one character has been drawn from any single
man; and that I have known so many of the same humour, in every folly
which is here exposed, as may serve to warrant it from a particular
reflection. It was printed in my absence from the town, this summer,
much against my expectation; otherwise I had over-looked the press,
and been yet more careful, that neither my friends should have had the
least occasion of unkindness against me, nor my enemies of upbraiding
me; but if it live to a second impression, I will faithfully perform
what has been wanting in this. In the mean time, my lord, I recommend
it to your protection, and beg I may keep still that place in your
favour which I have hitherto enjoyed; and which I shall reckon as one
of the greatest blessings which can befall,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most obedient,
Faithful servant,
JOHN DRYDEN.

Footnotes:
1. John, Lord Vaughan, was the eldest surviving son of Richard, Earl
of Carbery, to which title he afterwards succeeded. He was a man of
literature, and president of the Royal Society from 1686 to 1689.
Dryden was distinguished by his patronage as far back as 1664,
being fourteen years before the acting of this play. Lord Vaughan
had thus the honour of discovering and admiring the poet's genius,
before the public applause had fixed his fame; and, probably better
deserved the panegyric here bestowed, than was Usual a