purchased their reputation: their fame has been won them by cheaper trials than an expensive, though necessary war, a consuming pestilence, and a more consuming fire. To submit yourselves with that humility to the judgments of Heaven, and at the same time to raise yourselves with that vigour above all human enemies; to be combated at once from above and from below; to be struck down and to triumph, I know not whether such trials have been ever paralleled in any nation the resolution and successes of them never can be. Never had prince or people more mutual reason to love each other, if suffering for each other can endear affection. You have come together a pair of matchless lovers, through many difficulties; he through a long exile, various traverses of fortune, and the interposition of many rivals, who violently ravished and withheld you from him; and certainly you have had your share in sufferings. But Providence has cast upon you want of trade, that you might appear bountiful to your country's necessities; and the rest of your afflictions are not more the effects of GOD's displeasure, (frequent examples of them having been in the reign of the most excellent princes,) than

6 England was now at war with the Dutch. 68,596 persons died within the bills of mortality, of the great plague in 1665. The fire of London, which began September 2d, 1666, laid waste four hundred streets, and destroyed 13,200 houses.

occasions for the manifesting of your Christian and civil virtues.

To you, therefore, this YEAR OF WONDERS is justly dedicated, because you have made it so; you, who are to stand a wonder to all years and ages, and who have built yourselves an immortal monument on your own ruins. You are now a phoenix in her ashes, and, as far as humanity can approach, a great emblem of the suffering Deity; but Heaven never made so much piety and virtue to leave it miserable. I have heard indeed of some virtuous persons who have ended unfortunately, but never of any virtuous nation. Providence is engaged too deeply, when the cause becomes so general and I cannot imagine it has resolved the ruin of that people at home, which it has blessed abroad with such successes. I am therefore to conclude, that your sufferings are at an end, and that one part of my poem has not been more an history of your destruction, than the other a prophecy of your restoration; the accomplishment of which happiness, as it is the wish of all true Englishmen, so is by none more passionately desired than by

The greatest of your admirers,

And most humble of your servants,

JOHN DRYDEN.

AN

ACCOUNT OF THE POEM,

ENTITLED

ANNUS MIRABILIS,

IN A LETTER TO

THE HONOURABLE SIR ROBERT HOWARD."

SIR,

IAM so many ways obliged to you, and so

little able to return your favours, that, like those who owe too much, I can only live by getting farther into your debt. You have not only been careful of my fortune, which was the effect of your nobleness, but you have been solicitous of my reputation, which is that of your kindness. It is not long since I gave you the trouble of perusing a play for me; and now, instead of an acknowledgment, have given you a greater, in the correction of a poem. But since you are to bear this persecution, I will at least give you the encouragement of a martyr,-you could never suffer in a nobler cause; for I have chosen the most heroick

See Vol. I. pp. 147, 155.

8

subject which any poet could desire. I have taken upon me to describe the motives, the beginning, progress, and successes, of a most just and necessary war; in it, the care, management, and prudence of our King; the conduct and valour of a royal admiral, and of two incomparable generals; the invincible courage of our captains and seamen; and three glorious victories, the result of all. After this, I have in the fire the most deplorable, but withal the greatest, argument that can be imagined; the destruction being so swift, so sudden, so vast and miserable, as nothing can parallel in story. The former part of this poem, relating to the war, is but a due expiation for my not serving my King and country in it. All gentlemen are almost obliged to it; and I know no reason we should give that advantage to the commonalty of England to be foremost in brave actions, which the nobless of France would never suffer in their peasants. I should not have written this but to a person, who has been ever forward to appear in all employments whither his honour and generosity have called him. The latter part of my poem, which describes the fire, I owe first to the piety and fatherly affection of our monarch to his suffering subjects; and, in the second place, to the courage, loyalty, and magnanimity of the city; both which were so

8 James, Duke of York.

9 Prince Rupert, and the Duke of Albemarle.

*