The Dramatic Works of John Dryden Vol. I. - With a Life of the Author | Page 3

liberty which
has not lately been indulged to editors of classical poetry. Literary
history is an important step in that of man himself; and the unseductive
coarseness of Dryden is rather a beacon than a temptation.
In commencing this task, the Editor had hopes of friendly assistance,
which might have rendered his toil more easy, and the result more
accurate. Deprived of this by a concurrence of unlucky circumstances,
he has both to dread the imperfection of his labours, and the
consequence of perhaps an over-zeal to render his edition complete. In
the first respect, although he has many thanks to return for information
readily afforded, it has sometimes been received after the irrevocable
operations of the printer had taken place.[1] On the second point, he
may have been too lavish in historical notes, and entered too deeply

into the secret history of the persons and times to which Dryden's
satirical poems refer. But he has endeavoured to avail himself of all
information, so soon as communicated, whether corrective or
corroborative of his prior opinions; and the wish, not only to render
intelligible, blanks, allusions, and feigned names, but to present, if
possible, the very spirit and political character of Dryden's
contemporaries, must be the excuse for intruding a few pages of
political history and personal anecdote; which, after all, they, whose
memory does not require such refreshment, may easily dispense with
reading. In this last part of his task, the Editor has been greatly assisted
by free access to a valuable collection of the fugitive pieces of the
reigns of Charles II., James II., William III., and Queen Anne. This
curious collection was made by Narcissus Luttrell, Esq., under whose
name the Editor usually quotes it The industrious collector seems to
have bought every poetical tract, of whatever merit, which was hawked
through the streets in his time, marking carefully the price and date of
the purchase. His collection contains the earliest editions of many of
our most excellent poems, bound up, according to the order of time,
with the lowest trash of Grub Street. It was dispersed on Mr. Luttrell's
death; but a number of the volumes, referring chiefly to the latter part
of Charles the Second's reign, have fortunately become the property of
Mr. James Bindley of Somerset Place, who, with the utmost urbanity,
permitted the Editor the unlimited use of these, and other literary
curiosities in his valuable library.--It is so much a matter of course,
with every adventurer in the field of antiquities, to acknowledge the
liberality and kindness of Mr. Richard Heber, that the public would
probably be surprised had his extensive literary treasures escaped
contribution on this occasion, particularly as it contains several
additional volumes of the Luttrell collection. To both gentlemen the
Editor has to offer his public thanks; nor will he be tempted to dilate
further on the liberality of the one, and the tried friendship of the other.
It is possible, that these researches may, by their very nature, have in
some degree warped the Editor's taste, and induced him to consider that
as curious which was only scarce, and to reprint quotations, from the
adversaries or contemporaries of Dryden, of a length more than
sufficient to satisfy the reader of their unworthiness. But, as the painter
places a human figure, to afford the means of computing the elevation

of the principal object in his landscape, it seemed that the giant-height
of Dryden, above the poets of his day, might be best ascertained by
extracts from those who judged themselves, and were sometimes
deemed by others, his equals, or his superiors. For the same reason,
there are thrown into the Appendix a few indifferent verses to the poet's
memory; which, while they show how much his loss was felt, point out,
at the same time, the impossibility of supplying it.
In the Biographical Memoir, it would have been hard to exact, that the
Editor should rival the criticism of Johnson, or produce facts which had
escaped the accuracy of Malone. While, however, he has availed
himself of the labours of both, particularly of the latter, whose industry
has removed the cloud which so long hung over the events of Dryden's
life, he has endeavoured to take a different and more enlarged view of
the subject than that which his predecessors have presented. The
general critical view of Dryden's works being sketched by Johnson with
unequalled felicity, and the incidents of his life accurately discussed
and ascertained by Malone, something seemed to remain for him who
should consider these literary productions in their succession, as
actuated by, and operating upon, the taste of an age, where they had so
predominant influence; and who might, at the same time, connect the
life of Dryden with the history of his publications, without losing sight
of