Essays on the Drama Author:John Dryden Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A DEFENCE OF AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY. The former edition of The Indian Emperor being full of faults, which had escaped the printer, I have been willi... more »ng to overlook this second with more care; and though I could not allow myself so much time as was necessary, yet, by that little I have 5 done, the press is freed from some gross errors which it had to answer for before. As for the more material faults of writing, which are properly mine, though I see many of them, I want leisure to amend them. 'Tis enough for those who make one 10 poem the business of their lives, to leave that correct: yet, excepting Vergil, I never met with any which was so in any language. But while I was thus employed about this impression, there came to my hands a new printed play, 15 called. The Great Favourite, or The Duke of Lerma. The author of which, a noble and most ingenious person, has done me the favour to make some observations and animadversions upon my Dramatic Essay. I must confess he might have better con- 20 sulted his reputation, than by matching himself with so weak an adversary. But if his honour be diminished in the choice of his antagonist, it is sufficiently recompensed in the election of his cause: which being the weaker, in all appearance (as combating the received opinions of the best 5 ancient and modern authors) will add to his glory, if he overcome, and to the opinion of his generosity, if he be vanquished: since he engages at so great odds, and, so (like a cavalier) undertakes the protection of the weaker party. I have only to fear 10 on my own behalf, that so good a cause as mine may not suffer by my ill management, or weak defence; yet I cannot in honour but take the glove, when 'tis offered me : though I am only a champion by succession; and no more able to defen...« less