then, Madam, to receive this POEM, without intituling so much excellency as yours, to the faults and imperfections of so mean a writer; and instead of being favourable to the piece, which merits nothing, forgive the presumption of the Author who is, with all possible veneration,

Your ROYAL HIGHNESS's

Most obedient,

Most humble,

Most devoted servant,

JOHN DRYDEN,

PREFACE

то

THE STATE OF INNOCENCE;'

CONTAINING

THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY FOR HEROICK POETRY, AND POETICK 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

5 THE STATE OF INNOCENCE, which our author calls an Opera, was first printed in 1674, and must have been published late in the year, or more probably early in 1674-5; for Milton, who is spoken of as dead, died on Sunday, November 8, 1674.-Though termed by Dryden an Opera, it is rather, as Dr. Johnson has remarked, "a tragedy in heroick rhyme, but of which the personages are such as cannot be decently exhibited on the stage."

6

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

6"This Preface," says Dr. Johnson," contains an Apology for Heroick Verse and Poetick Licence; by which is meant not any liberty taken in contracting or extending words, but the use of both fictions and ambitious figures.

"The reason which he gives for printing what was never acted, cannot be overpassed: "I was induced to it in my own defence, many hundred copies of it being dispersed abroad without my knowledge or consent; and every one gathering new faults, it became at length a libel against me." These copies, as they gathered faults, were apparently manuscript; and he lived in an age very unlike ours, if many hundred copies of fourteen hundred lines were likely to be transcribed. An author has a right to print his own works, and needs not seek an apology in falsehood; but he that could bear to write the Dedication, felt no pain in writing the Preface." Life of DRYDEN.

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

7 Mr. Aubrey, who was acquainted with Dryden, informs us in his Life of Milton, (which, together with his other curious accounts of English writers, I hope speedily to give the publick,) that our author, before he wrote this drama, waited on the blind bard, and asked his permission to put his great poem into rhyme. "Ay, (said Milton,) you may tag my verses, if you will."

8 Nat. Lee, who says, in the Verses which he addressed to our author on this occasion,

“To the dead bard your fame a little owes, "For Milton did the wealthy mine disclose, "And rudely cast what you could well dispose He roughly drew on an old-fashion'd ground "A chaos; for no perfcct world was found, Till through the heap your mighty genius shin'd; "His was the golden ore, which you refin'd. "He first beheld the beauteous rustick maid, "And to a place of strength the prize convey'd; "You took her thence, to court the virgin brought, "Dress'd her with gems, new-weav'd her hard-spun thought,

"And softest language, sweetest manners, taught."

}

Rymer went still farther than Lee, in his depreciation

of Milton's great work. Towards the conclusion of his