An evening's love, or, The mock-astrologer acted at the Theatre-Royal, by His Majesties servants / written by John Dryden.

TO HIS GRACE, WILLIAM, DUKE of NEW CASTLE, One of his Majestie's most Honourable Privy Council; and of the most noble Order of the Garter, &c.

AMongst those few persons of Wit and Honour, whose favourable opinion I have desir'd, your own vertue and my great obligations to your Grace, have justly given you the precedence. For what could be more glorious to me, than to have acquir'd some part of your esteem, who are admir'd and honour'd by all good men; who have been, for so many years to∣gether, the Pattern and Standard of Honor to the Nation: and whose whole life has been so great an example of Heroick vertue, that we might wonder how it happen'd into an Age so corrupt as ours, if it had not likewise been a part of the former? as you came into the world with all the advantages of a noble Birth and Education, so you have rendred both, yet more conspicuous by your vertue. Fortune, in∣deed, has perpetually crown'd your undertakings with success, but she has only waited on your valour, not conducted it. She has mi∣nistred to your glory like a slave, and has been led in triumph by it. or at most while Honour led you by the hand to greatness, fortune on∣ly follow'd to keep you from sliding back in the ascent. That which Plutarch accounted her favour to Cymon and Lucullus, was but her justice to your Grace: and, never to have been overcome where you led in person, as it was more than Hannibal could boast; so it was all that providence could do for that party which it had resolv'd to ruine. Thus, my Lord, the last smiles of victory were on your armes: and, every where else, declaring for the Rebels, she seem'd to suspend her self, and to doubt, before she took her flight, whether she were able wholly to abandon that cause for which you fought.

But the greatest tryals of your Courage and Constancy were yet to come: many had ventur'd their fortunes, and expos'd their lives to the utmost dangers for their King and Country, who ended their loyalty with the War: and submitting to the iniquity of the times, chose ra∣ther to redeem their former plenty by acknowledging an Usurper, then to suffer with an unprofitable fidelity (as those meaner spirits call'd it) for their lawful Soveraign. But, as I dare not accuse so many of our Nobility, who were content to accept their Patrimonies from the Clemency of the Conquerour, and to retain only a secret veneration for their Prince, amidst the open worship which they were forc'd to pay to the Usurper, who had dethron'd him; so, I hope, I may have leave to extoll that vertue which acted more generously; and which was not satisfi'd with an inward devotion to Monarchy, but produc'd it self to view, and asserted the cause by open Martyrdome. Of these rare patterns of loyalty your Grace was chief: those examples you cou'd not find, you made. Some few Cato's there were with you whose invincible resolution could not be conquer'd by that usurping Caesar: your vertue oppos'd it self to his fortune, and overcame it by not submitting to it. The last and most difficult Enterprize he had to effect, when he had conquer'd three Nations, was to subdue your spirits: and he dy'd weary of that War, and unable to finish it.

In the mean time you liv'd more happily in your exile then the other on his Throne: your loyalty made you friends and servants amongst Forreigners: and you liv'd plentifully without a fortune; for you liv'd on your own desert and reputation. The glorious Name of the valiant and faithful Newcastle was a Patrimony which cou'd never be exhausted.

Thus, my Lord, the morning of your life was clear, and calm; and, though it was afterwards overcast; yet, in that general storm, you were never without a shelter. And now you are happily arriv'd to the evening of a day as serene, as the dawn of it was glorious: but such an evening as, I hope, and almost prophesie, is far from night: 'Tis the Evening of a Summer's Sun, which keeps the day-light long within the skies. The health of your body is maintain'd by the vigour of your mind: neither does the one shrink from the fatigue of exercise, nor the other bend under the pains of study. Methinks I behold in you another Caius Marius, who in the extremity of his

age, exercis'd himself almost every morning in the Campus Marti∣us, amongst the youthful Nobility of Rome. And afterwards, in your retirements, when you do honour to Poetrie, by employing part of your leisure in it, I regard you as another Silius Italicus, who ha∣ving pass'd over his Consulship with applause, dismiss'd himself from business and from the Gown, and employ'd his age, amongst the shades, in the reading and imitation of Virgil.

In which, lest any thing should be wanting to your happiness, you have, by a rare effect of Fortune, found, in the person of your excel∣lent Lady, not only a Lover, but a Partner of your studies. A Lady whom our Age may justly equal with the Sappho of the Greeks, or the Sulpitia of the Romans. Who, by being taken into your bosome, seems to be inspir'd with your Genius: And by writing the History of your life in so masculine a style, has already plac'd you in the Number of the Heroes. She has anticipated that great portion of Fame which envy often hinders a living vertue from possessing: which wou'd, indeed, have been given to your ashes, but with a latter payment: and, of which you could have no present use, except it were by a secret presage of that which was to come, when you were no longer in a possibility of knowing it. So that if that were a praise or satisfaction to the greatest of Emperors, which the most judicious of Poets gives him,

Praesenti tibi maturos largimur honores, &c.

That the adoration which was not allowed to Hercules and Romu∣lus till after death, was given to Augustus living; then certainly it cannot be deny'd but that your Grace has receiv'd a double satisfa∣ction: the one, to see your self consecrated to immortality while you are yet alive: the other, to have your praises celebrated by so dear, so just, and so pious an Historian.

'Tis the consideration of this that stops my pen: though I am loath to leave so fair a subject, which gives me as much field as Poetry cou'd wish; and yet no more than truth can justifie. But to attempt any thing of a Panegyrick were to enterprize on your Lady's right; and to seem to affect those praises, which none but the Dutchess of Newcastle can deserve, when she writes the actions of her Lord. I shall therefore leave that wider space, and contract my self to those narrow bounds which best become my Fortune and Employ∣ment.

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I am oblig'd, my Lord, to return you not only my own acknow∣ledgements; but to thank you in the name of former Poets. The manes of Johnson and D'avenant seem to require it from me, that those favours which you plac'd on them, and which they wanted opportunity to own in publick, yet might not be lost to the knowledge of Posterity, with a forgetfulness unbecoming of the Muses, who are the Daughters of Memory. And give me leave, my Lord, to avow so much of vanity, as to say, I am proud to be their Remembrancer: for, by relating how gracious you have been to them, and are to me, I in some measure joyn my name with theirs: and the continu'd de∣scent of your favours to me is the best title which I can plead for my succession. I only wish, that I had as great reason to be satisfi'd with my self, in the return of our common acknowledgements, as your Grace may justly take in the conferring them: for I cannot but be very sensible that the present of an ill Comedy, which I here make you, is a very unsuitable way of giving thanks for them, who them∣selves have written so many better. This pretends to nothing more than to be a foyl to those Scenes, which are compos'd by the most no∣ble Poet of our Age, and Nation: and to be set as a water-mark of the lowest ebb, to which the wit of my Predecessors has sunk and run down in me: but, though all of 'em have surpass'd me in the Scene; there is one part of glory in which I will not yield to any of them. I mean, my Lord, that honour and veneration which they had for you in their lives; and which I preserve after them, more holily than the Vestal fires were maintain'd from Age to Age; but with a greater degree of heat and of devotion than theirs, as being with more respect and passion then they ever were

Your GRACES most obliged, most humble, and most obedient Servant JOHN DRYDEN.