and false emendations occurs in Mac Flecknoe, 1. 185. Christie prints: But so transfused as oil on waters flow, and repeats this as the reading of 'all the early editions'. He defends the false grammar on the strange ground that 'the verb is made plural following the plural noun '. Earlier editors changed the text to 'oil and water', and some later ones, accepting Christie's report, have printed this impossible alteration. But Christie's report is not true. The first edition gives But so transfus'd as Oyls on Waters flow, and this is the only reading that gives any sense. That the present text should be wholly free from errors is more than can be hoped, but it is at least more correct than any printed in our own country. It does not contain Dryden's translations from Virgil, which are long enough for a separate volume. For another reason it excludes one version from Theocritus and one from Lucretius. Nor has room been found for a few poems which have at various times without authority or probability been attributed to Dryden. On the other hand, it has been thought well to reprint such of the songs in the plays as could be detached from their context. My best thanks are due to my friend, Mr. Henry B. Wheatley, for the loan of first editions and for generous help on the bibliography, and to the Secretaries of the Clarendon Press, the Reader, and the Printers, who have done their best to save me from errors. Such errors as remain must be ascribed to me alone. The notes are intended to record, with defined exceptions, the cases in which this text differs from the original editions. The exceptions are indisputable misprints, such as 'pobability for probability', though some of these have been recorded, false stops, where the printer, not the author, was clearly in fault, and false capitals in the same case. WESTMINSTER, 1910, A POEM UPON THE DEATH O F His Late Highness, OLIVER, Lord Protector OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, & IRELAND. Written by Mr. Dryden. LONDON, Printed for William Wilfon; and are to be fold in Well-Yard, near Little St. Bartholomew's HEROICK STANZA'S, CONSECRATED TO THE MEMORY OF HIS HIGHNESS, OLIVER, LATE LORD PROTECTOR OF THIS COMMONWEALTH, &c. WRITTEN AFTER THE CELEBRATING OF HIS FUNERAL. I AND now 'tis time; for their officious haste, Who would before have born him to the Sky, Like eager Romans e'er all Rites were past, Did let too soon the sacred Eagle fly. 2 Though our best Notes are Treason to his Fame, Join'd with the loud Applause of publick Voice, Since Heaven, what Praise we offer to his Name, Hath render'd too Authentick by its Choice. 3 Though in his Praise no Arts can liberal be, Since they, whose Muses have the highest flown, Add not to his Immortal Memory; 9 But do an Act of Friendship to their own. He, private, marked the Faults of others Sway, And set as Sea-marks for himself to shun; Not like rash Monarchs, who their Youth betray By Acts their Age too late wou'd wish undone. Peace was the Prize of all his Toil and Care, Which War had banish'd and did now restore : Bolognia's walls thus mounted in the Air, 24 To seat themselves more surely than before. When absent, yet we conquer'd in his Right; 17 For tho' some meaner Artist's Skill were shown, In mingling Colours, or in placing Light, Yet still the fair Designment was his own. 25 For from all Tempers he cou'd Service draw The worth of each, with its Alloy, he knew; And, as the Confident of Nature, saw How she Complections did divide and brew. |