----_fungar vice cotis, acutum Reddere quæ ferrum valet, expers ipsa secandi_. I hope it will not be expected from me, that I should say any thing of my fellow undertakers in this Miscellany. Some of them are too nearly related to me, to be commended without suspicion of partiality;[58] others I am sure need it not; and the rest I have not perused. To conclude, I am sensible that I have written this too hastily and too loosely; I fear I have been tedious, and, which is worse, it comes out from the first draught, and uncorrected. This I grant is no excuse; for it may be reasonably urged, why did he not write with more leisure, or, if he had it not, (which was certainly my case,) why did he attempt to write on so nice a subject? The objection is unanswerable; but, in part of recompence, let me assure the reader, that, in hasty productions, he is sure to meet with an author's present sense, which cooler thoughts would possibly have disguised. There is undoubtedly more of spirit, though not of judgment, in these uncorrect essays; and consequently, though my hazard be the greater, yet the reader's pleasure is not the less. JOHN DRYDEN. FOOTNOTES: [47] Mainburg's "History of the League," translated by our author, at the command of Charles II. [48] First published in 1680. [49] Sir Peter Lely, by birth a Dutchman, came to England in 1641, and died in 1680. There is a remarkable similarity between his female portraits, which seems to have arisen from the circumstance mentioned by Dryden, of his bringing all his subjects as near as possible to his own idea of the beautiful. Pope's lines in his praise are too well known to be quoted. [50] Annibale Caro died at Rome, 1566. [51] He died in the year of Rome 699, before the commencement of the Augustan age. [52] The celebrated Hobbes, who died in 1679. [53] I wish our author had attended to his noble friend Roscommon's recommendation: Immodest words admit of no defence, For want of decency is want of sense; What moderate fop would range the Park, or stews, Who among troops of faultless nymphs might chuse? [54] This error, however, went through the subsequent editions.