Caroloiades, or, The rebellion of forty one in ten books : a heroick poem.

To his Worthy Friend Author of Caroloiades.

SIR,

YOu having been pleased to afford me the perusal of your Poem, aptly stiled Caroloiades, when it was in its first rude, and rough draught, and before it was better shaped and corrected by you, I did freely give my sence and opinion on many passages, and you seldom differed from my sentiments therein. For tho' I am no great Judge of Poesy (as you may see by my writing to you in Prose) yet I am an Admirer of those refined Wits, who by the sweet harmony of Verse have conserved the History of those Ancient Wars, which might have been lost had they been wrote in Prose; and the Iliads of Homer, and other Antique Writings might have ran the same fate of time, with many other excellent Histories, which per∣haps

perished, because they wanted the spirit and soul of Poetry to conserve them.

The subject, Sir, on which you have chosen to Write, is worthy of an Heroick Poem; Our Wars more then Civil, with the ultimate Tragedy thereof, is such a period as is sufficient to silence all the Muses, and cause them abruptly to break off in sighs and lamentations. I know not how it comes to pass, that for these Forty Years, since which these Wars have been ended, that none of the Elevated Wits of our Age have taken upon them to describe these mighty Actions in Heroick Verse, untill you happily took up this subject so worthy of your Pen, which I wish may delight as well as inform the World; and that when Hi∣stories fail, and are exstinguish'd by time, your Poem may survive and give knowledge of what we have seen to future Ages.

I am, Your very humble Servant, Paul Rycaut,