Dæneids, or The noble labours of the great dean of Notre-Dame in Paris for the erecting in his quire a throne for his glory, and the eclipsing the pride of an imperious, usurping character, an heroique poem in four canto's, containing a true history, and shews the folly, foppery, luxury, laziness, pride, ambition, and contention of the Romanish clergy.

To the Right Honourable JOHN Earl of MULGRAVE, &c. Knight of the most Honourable Order of the Garter.

My Lord,

I Have long been ashamed to see so many of my Wri∣tings march into the World, and yet not one of 'em Honour'd by Your Lordships Patronage. It is an easie matter for a Troop to force themselves on Ladies and Neutral Gentlemen, or Nobility, who will not Arm; but they must be Men of some Merit and Gallantry who compel regard from a General. Your Lordship is as much above us in our own Ways, as you are in other Re∣spects; and I give this manifest proof of it, Your For∣tune, and, most Men believe, Your Inclinations, fixes You on the top of Ease and Pleasure, therefore you

wou'd never have written one Line, if it had cost you any pains, yet have you perform'd Masteries, which we who make Poetry the whole Business of our Lives, cou'd never equal. In Your Essay on Poetry there appears to me a Commanding Genius, standing on a Rise, o're-look∣ing the Age You live in, seeing all the Writers in it marching below You, and too often disorderly; and You give us those Orders which plainly shew, Poetry attends on You, You may do what You please with it, but we compar'd with Your Lordship, are poor drudges to it, that have oftner the Will, than the Power to do well. Your Lord∣ship has not only a perfect Understanding of what is fit to pass in the World, but You are of a severe Temper which will not give Your Pass to any false Sence, the absence therefore of Your Name from my Writings seems a silent Charge against me of want of Merit. To remove that Reproach, I take this occasion to tell the World, Your Lordship has approv'd of some of my Writings; and I have long'd to make my brags of it, but have been bin∣der'd either by the unkindness of Fortune, which has given me some blow, and made me unfit to appear before You, or by the kindness of some Generous Persons, by which my Writings have been in a manner Morgag'd. Though the Law of the Land does not reckon Favours freely be∣stowed among Debts, the Law of Gratitude does; when∣ever a Man is oblig'd a Judgment is enter'd against him.

In the late Reign when Your Lordship grac'd the Lord Chamberlains Office, You were pleas'd to shew me those Regards which made me vain: And I was very desirous to make it known to the World; but the Cloudiness of those Times, got I think into my Head, I did not Write so well as I have done formerly. Now I venture be∣fore Your Lordship, because I bring an Acquaintance of Yours, I am sure You value, Mr. Boileau; and a piece of his all Men of Sence have esteem'd, because it exposes to contempt Men, who are the Antipodes to good Sence; Priests who advance Nonsence above Reason, make Tri∣fles of the most Solemn Matters, and Solemn Things of Trifles; are idle in the great Affairs of their Calling, and busie in Impertinence. By the few we have had a∣mongst us, of such kind of Churchmen we may guess the misery of people who live in the Roman Church, where there are scarce any other; where the whole Mass of Priesthood is a heap of proud Flesh, and all the Strength and Nutriment of a Nation, goes to feed Eccle∣siastical Corruption; thanks be to God, we are in a condi∣tion to make sport with'em, if e're they come amongst us, they will spoil the Jest. And past dispute 'tis very fit to render Men contemptible who endeavour to make Re∣ligion so. We have had too many in our Church who have busied themselves, and embroil'd others about things, which the French have had the understanding to know

were only fit for a Droll. But now we have greater Af∣fairs on our Hand. We have not time to contend for Modes in Religion, when the Being of the Protestant Religion, and indeed the English Nation lyes at stake. In a Calm at Sea Men may have leisure to wrangle at Chess; but if a Storm rises the quarrel's at an end, and the Bishops, Knights, Rooks and Pawns that bred it are left to shift for themselves. I am well assured the Lutrin pleases Your Lordship, but I may doubt of my Management of it; for I treat it as an English Privateer wou'd do a French Prize, great part of it, I fling away, and I dash-brew and disguise the rest as I think good. I shall not value how the World censures me, if I have the good Fortune to be ap∣prov'd of by Your Lordship, and thought worthy of the Title of

My Lord,

Your Lordships most Humble and Obliged Servant, John Crowne.