Footnotes: 1. There is in Mr Bindley's collection another Epilogue, which appears to have been originally subjoined to the "Duke of Guise." It is extremely coarse; and as the author himself suppressed it, the editor will not do his better judgment the injustice to revive it. 2. The Trimmers, a body small and unpopular, as must always be the case with those, who in violent times declare for moderate and temporising measures, were headed by the ingenious and politic Halifax. He had much of the confidence, at least of the countenance of Charles, who was divided betwixt tenderness for Monmouth, and love of ease, on the one hand, and, on the other, desire of arbitrary power, and something like fear of the duke of York. Halifax repeatedly prevented each of these parties from subjugating the other, and his ambidexter services seem to have been rewarded by the sincere hatred of both. In 1688 was published a vindication of this party, entitled, "the Character of a Trimmer;" and his opinion of,--I. The laws of government. II. Protestant Religion. III. Foreign affairs. By the Hon. Sir William Coventry. THE VINDICATION: OR, THE PARALLEL OF THE FRENCH HOLY LEAGUE, AND THE ENGLISH LEAGUE AND COVENANT, TURNED INTO A SEDITIOUS LIBEL AGAINST THE KING AND HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, BY THOMAS HUNT, AND THE AUTHORS OF THE REFLECTIONS UPON THE PRETENDED PARALLEL IN THE PLAY CALLED THE DUKE OF GUISE. _Turno tempus erit magno cum optaverit emptum Intactum Pallanta: et cum spolia ista, diemque Oderit.--_ VINDICATION OF THE DUKE OF GUISE. It was easy to foresee, that a play, which professed to be a _broadside_ discharged at the whole popular party, would not long remain uncensured. The satire being derived from a historical parallel of some delicacy, offered certain facilities of attack to the critics. It was only stretching the resemblance beyond the bounds to which Dryden had limited it, and the comparison became odious, if not dangerous. The whig writers did not neglect this obvious mode of attack, now rendered more popular by the encroachment lately attempted by the court upon the freedom of the city, whose magistrates had been exposed to ridicule in the play.