Whoever is king is also the father of his country; and as nobody can
dispute your lordship's monarchy in poetry, so all that are
concerned ought to acknowledge your universal patronage. And it is
only presuming on the privilege of a loyal subject that I have
ventured to make this, my address of thanks, to your lordship, which
at the same time includes a prayer for your protection.

I am not ignorant of the common form of poetical dedications, which
are generally made up of panegyrics, where the authors endeavour to
distinguish their patrons, by the shining characters they give them,
above other men. But that, my lord, is not my business at this
time, nor is your lordship NOW to be distinguished. I am contented
with the honour I do myself in this epistle without the vanity of
attempting to add to or explain your Lordships character.

I confess it is not without some struggling that I behave myself in
this case as I ought: for it is very hard to be pleased with a
subject, and yet forbear it. But I choose rather to follow Pliny's
precept, than his example, when, in his panegyric to the Emperor
Trajan, he says:-


Nec minus considerabo quid aures ejus pati possint, quam quid
virtutibus debeatur.


I hope I may be excused the pedantry of a quotation when it is so
justly applied. Here are some lines in the print (and which your
lordship read before this play was acted) that were omitted on the
stage; and particularly one whole scene in the third act, which not