ABSALOM

AND

ACHITOPHEL.

A

РОЕ М.

-----------Si Propiùs fter
Te Capiet Magis---------

LONDON,

Printed for J. T. and are to be Sold by W. Davis in Amen-Corner, 1 68 1,

ABSALOM

AND

ACHITOPHEL.

A

POEM.

-Si Propiùs ftes

Te Capiet Magis----------

The Second Edition; Augmented and Revifed.

LONDON,

Printed for J. T. and are to be Sold by W. Davis in Amen-Corner, 168 1.

READER.

'Tis not my intention to make an Apology for my Poem: Some will think it needs no Excuse, and others will receive none. The Design, I am sure, is honest: but he who draws his Pen for one Party must expect to make Enemies of the other. For Wit and Fool are Consequents of Whig and Tory: and every man is a Knave or an Ass to the contrary side. There's a Treasury of Merits in the Phanatick Church as well as in the Papist, and a Pennyworth to be had of Saintship, Honesty, and Poetry, for the Leud, the Factious, and the Blockheads: But the longest Chapter in Deuteronomy has not Curses enough for an Anti-Broming10 ham. My Comfort is, their manifest Prejudice to my Cause, will render their Judgment of less Authority against me. Yet if a Poem have a Genius, it will force its own reception in the World. For there's a sweetness in good Verse, which Tickles even while it Hurts: And, no man can be heartily angry with him, who pleases him against his will. The Commendation of Adversaries, is the greatest Triumph of a Writer; because it never comes unless Extorted. But I can be satisfied on more easy terms: If I happen to please the more Moderate sort, I shall be sure of an honest Party; and, in all probability, of the best Judges; for the least Concern'd are commonly the least Corrupt: And, I confess, I have laid in for those, by rebating the Satyre (where Justice would allow it), from carrying too sharp an Edge. They, who can Criticize so weakly, as to imagine I have done my Worst, may be Convinc'd at their own Cost 20 that I can write Severely, with more ease, than I can Gently. I have but laugh'd at some mens Follies, when I coud have declaim'd against their Vices; and, other mens Vertues I have commended as freely as I have tax'd their Crimes. And now, if you are a Malicious Reader, I expect you should return upon me that I affect to be thought more Impartial than I am. But if men are not to be judg'd by their Professions, God forgive you Common-wealthsmen, for professing so plausibly for the Government. You cannot be so Unconscionable, as to charge me for not Subscribing of my Name; for that woud reflect too grosly upon your own Party, who never dare, though they have the advantage of a Jury to secure them. If you like not my Poem, the fault may possibly be in my Writing: (though 'tis hard for an Author to judge against himself ;) But, more probably, 'tis in your Morals, which cannot bear the 30 truth of it. The Violent on both sides will condemn the Character of Absalom, as either too favourably or too hardly drawn. But they are not the Violent whom I desire to please. The fault, on the right hand, is to Extenuale, Palliate, and Indulge; and, to confess freely, I have endeavoured to commit it. Besides the respect which I owe his Birth, I have a greater for his Heroick Vertues; and, David himself, coud not be more tender of the Young-man's Life, than I woud be of his Reputation. But, since the most excellent Natures are always the most easy and, as being such, are the soonest perverted by ill Counsels, especially when baited with Fame and Glory, 'tis no more a wonder that he withstood not the temptations of Achitophel, than it was for Adam not to have resisted the two Devils, the Serpent and the Woman. [The conclusion of the Story, I purposely forbore to prosecute; because, I could not obtain from my self to 40 show Absalom Unfortunate. The Frame of it was cut out but for a Picture to the Waste; and if the Draught be so far true, 'tis as much as I design'd.

Were I the Inventor, who am only the Historian, I shoud certainly conclude the Piece, with the Reconcilement of Absalom to David. And, who knows but this may come to pass? Things were not brought to an Extremity where I left the Story: There seems yet to be room left for a Composure; hereafter, there may only be for Pity. I have not so much as an uncharitable Wish against Achitophel, but am content to be Accus'd of a good natur'd Errour;

The first edition and the second were both of 1681. The text is from the latter, except as noted. The current texts have several serious errors.

16 probability] ed. 1: pobability ed. 2.

42 only] ed. 1 onely ed. 2.