CAsting my eyes upon the Title of your Pamphlet, I promised my self a Diversion I have much co­veted, that is, a Vindication of Mr. Dreyden, whose Pen at pre­sent is one of the most Ingenious and Innocent Recreations Eng­land enjoys; when proceeding to satisfie my Curiosity in the Discourse as before in the Title, I perceiv'd 'twas my Destinie to share with Mr. Dreyden in his Abuse; onely with this difference: His Reputation, and my lost time were the Preys. As for my Injury, I had let it sleep, in respect that it was not onely mine, but▪ general Cala­mity: But when I found Mr. Dreyden so coursly hand­led, fearing such Discourses might be of ill consequence, (as Presidents who make it a Mode to decry all Ingenui­ty) the Zeal and Reverence I had for Learning, Wit, and Innocent pleasure, urg'd me (in this ensuing Treatise) to vindicate him, who is so great a Patron of all those three Virtues.

The world is now so over-run with Wits, that Poets have as hard a Task as Women's Parsons or Taylors, not one in ten pleases. So numerous are the Criticks, so fre­quent is Wit, and so elevated are their Fancies, that as a [Page 2] great Lady did, they forget Common Notions, and cry to their servants, Give me, give me, give me, I think ye call it a Pin.

Nay, your stomachs are now grown so squeamish, that good solid Sense will not take; no, it must have Wit: But if you hear a sentence which is a Jest with no Sense in it, then away you run with that; 'tis Wit, 'tis Wit; no matter for Sense. Now of this latter sort of Wit is the Rota fill'd with, from whence sprung your Pamphlet as Branches from the Root of a tree: neither are you less severe; but as the Greatest Treasons are generally Maqueraded, and acted privately, so is yours, who meets him with a kiss, and then stabs him; Reprieves him in your Title, and Condemns him in your Book.

As on Mr. Dreydens behalf I cannot but be exceeding sorrowful that the Rota so surpriz'd him, as to put him in a Swound, (with his Critical Engines levell'd against his sieges and Conquests) so on the Publicks behalf I greatly rejoyce that you have found out such an easie Expedient to recover one out of a Trance, as you say Tweaking by the Nose is. Had you been Contempora­ry with Mahomet, and of his Cabal, you must either have conceal'd that Expedient, or you had confounded him for a Prophet. But howsoever, I hope you'll be so good a Commonwealths-man as to put it in Culpeper's Dispensatory at the Next Impression.

I am altogether Ignorant whether your Expectation is of succeeding Mr. Dreyden in his Lawrel. If so, your War is Lawful. But the world is apt to censure it may be with you as with some University-professors of Wit, who having learnt one or two Sentences of Latine, or Divine Clinches, make Discourses on purpose to extend them. Some Authors are as thrifty of their Jests, as Chancery­Clerks of their words, who allow but three a peny in their Writings. But you are as free of your Wit and Jests, as Citizens of Macquerel when they are Twenty a [Page 3] Groat; that you may winde the house (where they are) before you see it.

Those Objections you raise against Mr. Dreyden, are observ'd to be collected not so much out of Mr. Dreyden as out of the Rota; which makes your Readers conje­cture you to be some Itinerant Pastor, that takes Brevi­ates at London-Scrmons, and then in the Country vents them for his own, and makes them fit any Text, though the Foppery be the same.

Here you have borrow'd an Objection from the Rota, and for want of French fallen into their Mistake: for Gay-humour'd is nothing else but Gayeté du Coeur, and an expression that may be apply'd without forfeiture of Re­spect to any person how great soever. Besides, if this ex­pression were not resin'd enough for a Privie Counsellor to salute his Soveraign with, yet it were for a Chamber­maid, she never being bred up at the University.

Here I finde the main scruple which troubles his Con­science is, why Mr. Dreyden calls fearful, so timerous a creature as a Hare naturally is? To which I Reply: Why do we say, Cruel Tyrant, or Wicked Rogue? since a Tyrant naturally is so Cruel, and a Rogue so Wicked: for a Tyrant hath as little mercy; and Rogue goodness, as an Hare valour. Pavidum (que) Leporem, says Horace, Epist. 2. Also this Simile was appl'd onely to the Ship, and not to the Prince; wherefore it injures not him: and I believe the Ship never askt for Justice against Mr. Drey­den's Simile.

Methinks the Gentleman who was so Indulgent to Mr. [Page 4] Dreydens Reputation, should have a little consider'd his own, and retain'd that Wit for himself which he so free­ly bestows on Mr. Dreyden, when he turns

He might e'en as well have said, ‘I love Wit, but Wit loveth not me.’

As Sir Roger saith of Tobacco in the Play, when it makes him sick: ‘I love it, but it loveth not me: this is my will, and this I will have done.’

In the Descant upon these words, I finde the Author of the Rota goes a little beyond our Vindicator, and quar­rels with the Chiming of the two words Will and Will; whereas that Ingemination addes a further grace and force to the Authority of the Resolution. Neither can it properly be call'd a Tautologie, the inculcating of a Command; as if a man should say, You shall, you shall, I say you shall do't; where's the Chime or the Absurdity of the same thing again? But here we have reason to imagine that worthy Gentleman (who was so indulgent to Mr. Dreyden's Repute) had more experience in Limn­ing then Poetry, by his discourse of Mr. Dreyden's pale and Vermilion cheeks; which terms of Art are to hint you of his skill in Polygraphy. He does like a Country-Ju­stice in a Coffee-house, that brings in Henry the 8's Sta­tutes, or Dalton, upon all occasions, to shew his Reading; or as some Apothecaries, that will run you over all the Titles of their Gally-pots, to be thought Doctors. A­gain, the same indulgent party complains of the conjun­ction of Sawcie with Boldness, in the Maiden-Queen.

Nay, and to make these words seem more Ridiculous, he says that Saucie-Boldness is a pretty Sawcebox-word. Truly a very ingenious Quibble: A man would almost [Page 5] swear this Gentleman to be the Poetaster that in a Reply upon Doctor Wild's Poems, Christen'd him the Wild Poet. But for his better information, the Epithet of Sawcie serves very well to distinguish an Impudent or an Inso­lent Boldness, from a generous: as put the case, A man should take the freedom to pass a Judgement upon the Boldness of the vindicator; there is a Boldness in censu­ring the Style of a man that writes better than himself; and that's an Arrogant Boldness: there is a Boldness of censuring a man that lives better than himself; and that's a Scandalous Boldness: and then there's the Boldness of Blind Bayard, that makes a man run his head against Stone-walls; and that's a Bruital Boldness. I shall leave the Vindicator to take his Choice: for my Business is onely to prove that Boldness requires an Epithet to clear it. Another of your Comerades condemns Mr. Drey­den's Fiction in Tyrannick Love, pag. 4.

Upon these Lines I perceive the Worthy Gentleman is offended that Mr. Dreyden permits his Ghosts to Sing and Dance: which is no great matter to him, so long as he is at no Charge either for Singing-master or Dancing-ma­ster. But his chief Cavil is at the words Shrill and Tender as inconsistent; which most ingeniously he illustrates by Harsh and Gentle. Now if Ghosts in general may be ad­mitted, I beseech you let us imagine withal, that there is something for them to do; and it shall be all one to me whether they sing & dance, or play on the Sackbut or the Jews-trump. But to justifie the Congruity of the words Shrill and Tender, the former relates properly to the exi­ [...]ity of the Sound, and the other with the softness of the voice denotes also a gentleness of Disposition or Affecti­on. Who knows but that Ghosts may sing and dance as [Page 6] well as when they were Men and Women? I am sure if Valeria's Ghost in Tyrannick Love speaks truth, they do: for she says,

Your next Quarrel is at these Lines in Maximin:

Your Asterism * upon They, and then your Marginal Comment upon it, viz. The Rota Coursing his Muse, has left us more in the Dark then we were before: for I hope you do not intend to make a pack of Curs of the Cabal, or that his Muse is brought upon the Stage to be baited to death, as the Primitive Christians were upon the Thea­tre. But your main Criticism lies upon placing as he were in stead of while we were: whence arise two diffi­culties, viz. upon as in stead of while; and then he for we. The latter was manifestly the Printers mistake; the former seems to me to be none at all: for as and while are very commonly and warrantably us'd to the same purpose; for Instance, As I was in my Chamber, &c. why not As as well as while? But some people love to play with words, as a Cat with a Feather, or an Ape with a pair of Breeches; sometimes with his head out at the Knee­tyes, sometimes at the Codpiece, sometimes at the Waste­band; when the Breeches are the same still, which way soever he turns them. Again, I perceive you are much disgusted with those Lines of Maximin:

Where you accuse Mr. Dreyden for Profaneness. This Nicety perchance may advance the sale of your Book a­mong the pretended Zealots; yes, and your Reputation too; although it were as absurd to make an Atheist speak piously, as a pious man Atheistically: but the sound of Religion goes a great way with those that place it rather [Page 7] in the Accent than in the Practice. And methinks your Scruple at the Expression, might have done as well, if it had been season'd with a little Charity for the Au­thor. But we'll Compound that Point, if you please; and Mr. Dreyden's next Pagan shall enter the Stage with a Pater Noester. A man might make Remarques pleasant enough upon the Remainder of your sixth page, where you are pleas'd to sport your self with Mr. Dreyden's Conscience, and the Equivogue of Assignation upon Love in a Nunnery: but it is all Bubble, and breaks with the blowing upon. Here now you must permit me to say, You are too severe to Railly upon this last new Play so suddenly, before you can have the opportunity of Read­ing it: which makes some apprehend it with you, as with Fruit-women, who are so eager of venting the Earliest fruit, that they bring onely Trash to the Market. And truly 'tis observed in your weak Objections, that you are Cautious what Devils you raise, lest you should not be able to lay them again. We'll now pass to some­what more material, and that is, your grand Exception to the White-day, in these Lines of his Maximin:

You urge, that it is not usual in the English Tongue to call a prosperous day a White day. Where you must give me leave to minde you of a whole Nest of Mistakes one within another. First, Mr. Dreyden does not in­tend a prosperous day, but a day that might have been Prosperous, if the Opportunity then offer'd had been im­prov'd; and advises the watching of all Opportunities that no Occasions slip. Secondly, you argue, that it is not Current, because it is not Common: which rate of Rea­soning will destroy all things that are excellent. And thirdly, that White day is not good in English. As if a Ro­man Emperour had been to be treated in the English Tongue. But it is very Elegant Latine. See the two [Page 8] first lines of the second Satyr of Perseus:

Alluding to the Custom of casting a White stone into a Box upon every fortunate day, and a Black one on the contrary: neither (with your Critical leave) is it amiss in the Tran [...]l [...]tion. Nor will it avail at all, your conceit of the Drea [...] of White money that put this White day in the Authors heart; when it was in effect this White day which put a great deal of White money in the Authors Pocket.

You have another fling at him for his Observations up­ [...] Men, their Words, and Actions; and in short, for bring­ing Humane nature upon the Stage: Whereas you should [...]ather have commended him for it, as the main End, Busi­ness, and Perfection of Comedy.

This was Iuvenals Theme, and may without any dis­paragement be Mr. Dryden's. But the poor man, it seems, is fallen under a miserable Dilemma; either he must represent on the one side what was never said or done, (and so make himself Ridiculous) or fall under the scandal of a Libeller for the contrary on the other. But as to what you charge upon him for falling upon persons, it is neither prov'd by you, nor justifi'd by me.

Another Objection you collect from the Rota, upon the Contradiction in a severe and sullen Ioy. Seneca tells you Res est severa Gaudium. And then for your Gloo­my smile too, which gives so much offence; I think A Gloomy smile and sullen joy appear'd, is as proper a form of speech, as A Gloomy or Waterish sunshine, when the Sun appears through a Cloud or Mist.

For Mr. Dreydens Prologue to his Maiden Queen, wherein you tax him with confidence; this may be his excuse, that Confidence as well becomes those that write [Page 9] well, as Silence those that write ill. Now (for all your severe Censures) however Mr. Dreyden is highly oblig'd to you, in giving your self the trouble to finde out whe­ther he was a Wit or no; which is a very great trouble, I can assure you Sir: for all Philosophers are not Hare­finders: the pains being equal, as if you had gone to Mr. Lilly, or Cast his Ingenuity: for you prov'd it by as infallible a Signe, as any Privie Counsellor to the Planets could have certifi'd you by his Calculation, that is, by Logick, as thus:— ‘-Either you have a Gig, or you have lost a Gig.—’

Which may be answer'd, ‘—You never had a Gig.—’

Truly, a very Learned way of Conjuring and Argu­ing, much after the rate that some Soph-wits prove the Moon to be made of Green-cheese; whose Arguments are these:

Another Accusation against Mr. Dreyden is, that his presumption extends to the defaming of his Predeces­sors, as Ben Iohnson, &c. by saying, ‘—Then Comedy was faultless, but 'twas course.—’

This is the Commendation of a fresh Country-girl, that she is sound, but hard-favourd: and it was a true definition of our predecessors Plays, The Drama and Poetical Methods were most accurately observ'd, as the Plot, &c. but view the Lines, apprehend the Sence, and compare the Language with those of this present Age, and then you'll perceive the difference.

For Mr. Dreyden's Prologue to his Maiden-Queen, where you tax him with Again for Boasting; he does but confess his Little Ph [...]s [...] honestly; and therefore justly merits a Pardon. [Page 10]

But if you condemn the Boldness of Poets, how comes Ben Iohnson to scape you? who when his Sejanus was hiss'd, comes himself on the Stage, and speaks thus to the Audience:

Gentlemen,

The next Impeachment you bring against Mr. Dreyden is for the obscenity of his Comedies; where you term them all downright Bawdery, when the worst of them is but Implicite. Now against such Reports, he may plead that every Poet must strive to please the Humour of the Age wherein he writes; and so does Mr. Drey­den, and so did his Predecessors. See The Heiress, Alchu­mist, and Bartholmew-Fayr. Besides, as a supple Courtier ought not to write against Flattery, so ought not you against Obscenity,

'Tis a receiv'd Opinion amongst all your Readers, that Mr. Dreyden did Prophetically railly upon you in his E­pilogue to Granado, 1 Part; where he says,-

By your Writing, you do appear to be one of those Spiteful Criticks, who, like old crabbed-fac'd Maids, wish there were no such things as Beauty and Husbands, because they have none; and do so malice those who have, that they will Paint and Patch at Threescore years old to get them Beauty and Husbands; making them­selves Baboons on Earth, for fear of leading Apes in Hell. The onely Defence I can make for you, is the same Quibling Excuse your Generosity conferr'd on Mr. Dreyden, which was— [Page 11] ‘That he writ as well as any man—that could write no better.’

Now as for Mr. Dreyden, all these Errours wherewith he hath been tax'd, are so few and inconsiderable, that nothing but a self-conceited Envie could have spy'd: which implies, either that he never committed great Crimes, or that you had not the Wit to finde them; to whom Mr. Dreyden makes this Application, in his Pro­logue to Maximin: