have left us their precedents for our fecurity: For L think I need not mention the inimitable Pindar, who stretches on these pinions out of fight, and is carried upward, as it were, into another world.. This, at least, my Lord, I may justly plead, that, if I have not performed fo well as I think I have, yet I have used my best endeavours to excel myself. One disadvantage I have had, which is, never to have known or feen my Lady: And to draw the lineaments of her mind, from the description, which I have received from others, is for a painter to fet himself at work without the living original before him: Which, the more beautiful it is, will be so much the more difficult for him to conceive, when he has only a relation given him of fuch and fuch features by an acquaintance or a friend, without the nice touches, which give the best resemblance, and make the graces of the picture. Every artift is apt enough to flatter himself (and I among the reft) that their own ocular obfervations would have discovered more perfections, at least others, than have been delivered to them: Though I have received mine from the best hands, that is, from perfons who neither want a just understanding of my Lady's worth, nor a due veneration for her memory. Doctor Donne, the greatest wit, though not the greatest poet of our nation, acknowledges, that he had never feen Mrs Drury, whom he has made immortal in his admirable anniverfaries. I have had the fame fortune, though I have not fucceeded to the fame genius. However, I have followed his footsteps in the defign of his panegyric; which was to raise an emulation in the living, to copy out the example of the dead. And therefore it was, that I once intended to have called this poem, The pattern: And though, on a fecond confideration, I changed the title into the name of the illuftrious perfon, yet the defign continues, and Eleonora is still the pattern of charity, devotion, and humility; of the best wife, the best mother, and the beft of friends. And now, my Lord, though I have endeavoured to anfwer your commands, yet I could not answer it to the world, nor to my confcience, if I gave not your Lordship my teftimony of being the best husband now living: I fay my teftimony only; for the praise of it is given by yourself. They who defpife the rules of virtue both in their practice and their morals, will think this a very trivial commendation. But I think: it the peculiar happiness of the Countefs of Abingdon to have been fo truly loved by you, while he was living, and so gratefully honoured after she was dead. Few there are who have either had, or could have, fuch a lofs; and yet fewer who carried their love and conftancy beyond the grave. The exteriors of mourning, a decent funeral, and black habits, are the usual ftints of common husbands: And perhaps their wives deferve no better than to be mourned with hypocrify, and forgot with cafe. But you have distinguished yourself from ordinary lovers, by a real and lasting grief for the deceafed; and by endeavouring to raise for her the moft durable monument, which is that of verfe. And fo it would have proved, if the workman had been equal to the work, and your choice of the artificer as happy as your defign. Yet, as Phidias, when he had made the ftatue of Minerva, could not forbear to ingrave his own name, as author of the piece: So give me leave to hope, that, by subscribing. mine to this poem, I may live by the goddess, and tranfmit my name to pofterity by the memory of hers. 'Tis no flattery to affure your Lordship, that she is remembered, in the prefent age, by all who have had. the honour of her converfation and acquaintance; and that I have never been in any company,. fince the news of her death was firft brought me, where they have not extolled her virtues, and even spoken the fame things of her in profe, which I have done in verfe. I therefore think myself obliged to thank your Lordthip for the commiffion which you have given. me: How I have acquited myself of it, must be left. to the opinion of the world, in fpite of any protestation which I can enter against the prefent age, as incompetent or corrupt judges. For my comfort, they are but Englishmen, and, as fuch, if they think ill of me to-day, they are inconftant enough to think well of me to-morrow. And, after all, I have not much to thank my fortune that I was born amongst them. The good of both fexes are fo few, in England, that they ftand like exceptions against general rules: And. though one of them has deferved a greater commendation than I could give her, they have taken care that I should not tire my pen with frequent exercise on the like fubjects; that praifes, like taxes, fhould be appropriated, and left almost as individual as the perfon. They fay, my talent is fatire: If it be fo, 'tis a. fruitful age, and there is an extraordinary crop to gather. But a fingle hand is infufficient for fuch a har veft: They have fown the dragons teeth themselves, and 'tis but just they fhould reap each other in lampoons. You, my Lord, who have the character of honour, though 'tis not my happiness to know you, may ftand afide, with the small remainders of the English nobility, truly fuch, and, unhurt yourselves, behold the mad combat. If I have pleased you, and fome few others, I have obtained my end. You fee I have difabled myself, like an elected Speaker of the House: yet like him I have undertaken the charge, and find the burden fufficiently recompenfed by the honour. Be pleased to accept of these my unworthy labours, this paper-monument; and let her pious memory, which I am fure is facred to you, not only plead the pardon of my many faults, but gain me your protec sion, which is ambitiously sought by, My LORD, Your Lordship's Moft obedient Servant, JOHN DRYDEN. ELEONOR A: A Panegyrical POEM. Dedicated to the Memory of the late Countess of A S when fome great and gracious monarch dies, Who, then, perhaps, wese offering vows in vain, The nation felt it in th' extremeft parts, |