Opening the text

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07Dryden, John

General

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07

Name: The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07
Author: Dryden, John

Dryden, John

English literature

"But, hark! the full orchestra strikes the strings,
     The hero struts, and the whole audience sings;
     My jarring ear harsh grating murmurs wound.
     Hoarse and confused, like Babel's mingled sound.
     Hard chance had placed me near a noisy throat,
     That, in rough quavers, bellowed every note:
     "Pray, Sir," said I, "suspend awhile your song,
     The opera's drowned, your lungs are wondrous strong;
     I wish to hear your Roland's ranting strain,
     When he with rooted forests strews the plain."--
     "_Monsieur assurement n'aime pas la musique._"
     Then turning round, he joined the ungrateful noise,
     And the loud chorus thundered with his voice."
                         _Epistle to the Right Hon. William Pulteney._




            Names of the Persons, represented in the same
              order as they appear first upon the stage.

  MERCURY.
  AUGUSTA. _London._
  THAMESIS.
  DEMOCRACY.
  ZELOTA. _Feigned Zeal._
  ARCHON. _The General._
  JUNO.
  IRIS.
  ALBION.
  ALBANIUS.
  PLUTO.
  ALECTO.
  APOLLO.
  NEPTUNE.
  NEREIDS.
  ACACIA. _Innocence._
  TYRANNY.
  ASEBIA. _Atheism,_ or _Ungodliness._
  PROTEUS.
  VENUS.
  FAME.
  _A Chorus of Cities._
  _A Chorus of Rivers._
  _A Chorus of the People._
  _A Chorus of Furies._
  _A Chorus of Nereids and Tritons._
  _A grand Chorus of Heroes, Loves, and Graces._




                                 THE

                            FRONTISPIECE.


The curtain rises, and a new frontispiece is seen, joined to the great
pilasters, which are seen on each side of the stage: on the flat of
each basis is a shield, adorned with gold; in the middle of the
shield, on one side, are two hearts, a small scroll of gold over them,
and an imperial crown over the scroll; on the other hand, in the
shield, are two quivers full of arrows saltyre, &c.; upon each basis
stands a figure bigger than the life; one represents Peace, with a
palm in one, and an olive branch in the other hand; the other Plenty,
holding a cornucopia, and resting on a pillar. Behind these figures
are large columns of the Corinthian order, adorned with fruit and
flowers: over one of the figures on the trees is the king's cypher;
over the other, the queen's: over the capitals, on the cornice, sits a
figure on each side; one represents Poetry, crowned with laurel,
holding a scroll in one hand, the other with a pen in it, and resting
on a book; the other, Painting, with a pallet and pencils, &c.: on the
sweep of the arch lies one of the Muses, playing on a bass-viol;
another of the Muses, on the other side, holding a trumpet in one
hand, and the other on a harp. Between these figures, in the middle of
the sweep of the arch, is a very large pannel in a frame of gold; in
this pannel is painted, on one side, a Woman, representing the city of
London, leaning her head on her hand in a dejected posture, showing
her sorrow and penitence for her offences; the other hand holds the

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07Dryden, John

General

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07

Dryden, John

English literature

"But, hark! the full orchestra strikes the strings,
     The hero struts, and the whole audience sings;
     My jarring ear harsh grating murmurs wound.
     Hoarse and confused, like Babel's mingled sound.
     Hard chance had placed me near a noisy throat,
     That, in rough quavers, bellowed every note:
     "Pray, Sir," said I, "suspend awhile your song,
     The opera's drowned, your lungs are wondrous strong;
     I wish to hear your Roland's ranting strain,
     When he with rooted forests strews the plain."--
     "_Monsieur assurement n'aime pas la musique._"
     Then turning round, he joined the ungrateful noise,
     And the loud chorus thundered with his voice."
                         _Epistle to the Right Hon. William Pulteney._




            Names of the Persons, represented in the same
              order as they appear first upon the stage.

  MERCURY.
  AUGUSTA. _London._
  THAMESIS.
  DEMOCRACY.
  ZELOTA. _Feigned Zeal._
  ARCHON. _The General._
  JUNO.
  IRIS.
  ALBION.
  ALBANIUS.
  PLUTO.
  ALECTO.
  APOLLO.
  NEPTUNE.
  NEREIDS.
  ACACIA. _Innocence._
  TYRANNY.
  ASEBIA. _Atheism,_ or _Ungodliness._
  PROTEUS.
  VENUS.
  FAME.
  _A Chorus of Cities._
  _A Chorus of Rivers._
  _A Chorus of the People._
  _A Chorus of Furies._
  _A Chorus of Nereids and Tritons._
  _A grand Chorus of Heroes, Loves, and Graces._




                                 THE

                            FRONTISPIECE.


The curtain rises, and a new frontispiece is seen, joined to the great
pilasters, which are seen on each side of the stage: on the flat of
each basis is a shield, adorned with gold; in the middle of the
shield, on one side, are two hearts, a small scroll of gold over them,
and an imperial crown over the scroll; on the other hand, in the
shield, are two quivers full of arrows saltyre, &c.; upon each basis
stands a figure bigger than the life; one represents Peace, with a
palm in one, and an olive branch in the other hand; the other Plenty,
holding a cornucopia, and resting on a pillar. Behind these figures
are large columns of the Corinthian order, adorned with fruit and
flowers: over one of the figures on the trees is the king's cypher;
over the other, the queen's: over the capitals, on the cornice, sits a
figure on each side; one represents Poetry, crowned with laurel,
holding a scroll in one hand, the other with a pen in it, and resting
on a book; the other, Painting, with a pallet and pencils, &c.: on the
sweep of the arch lies one of the Muses, playing on a bass-viol;
another of the Muses, on the other side, holding a trumpet in one
hand, and the other on a harp. Between these figures, in the middle of
the sweep of the arch, is a very large pannel in a frame of gold; in
this pannel is painted, on one side, a Woman, representing the city of
London, leaning her head on her hand in a dejected posture, showing
her sorrow and penitence for her offences; the other hand holds the

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07

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