tian ufe. And on all occafions of praife, if we take the ancients for our patterns, we are bound by prefcription to employ the magnificence of words, and the force of figures, to adorn the fublimity of thoughts. Ifocrates amongst the Grecian orators, and Cicero, and the younger Pliny, amongst the Romans, have left us their precedents for our fecurity: for I 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 difadvantage 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 fo 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 artist is apt enough to flatter himself (and I amongst the rest) 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 juft underftanding of my lady's worth, nor a due veneration for her memory.

?

Doctor Dorine, the greateft wit, though not the greatest poet of our nation, acknowledges, that he had never seen Mrs. Drury, whom he has made immortal in his admirable Anniversaries. 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 defigu continues, and Eleonora is ftill the pattern of charity, devotion, and humility; of the best wife, the best mother, and the best of friends.

And now, my lord, though I have endeavoured to answer 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 beft husband now living: I fay my teftimony only; for the praise of it is given you 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 Countess of Abingdon, to have been fo truly loved by you, while fhe was living, and fo 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 ha bits, are the ufual stints of common husbands: and

your

perhaps their wives deferve no better than to be mourned with hypocrify, and forgot with ease. But you have diftinguished yourself from ordinary lovers, by a real and lafting grief for the deceased; 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 choice of the artificer as happy as your defign. Yet, as Phidias, when he had made the statue of Minerva, could not forbear to ingrave his own name, as author of the piece: fo give me leave to hope, that, by fubfcribing mine to this poem, I may live by the goddefs, and tranfmit my name to pofterity by the memory of hers. 'Tis no flattery to affure your lordship, that fhe is remembered, in the prefent age, by all who have had the honour of her conversation 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 myfelf obliged to thank your lordship for the commiflion which you have given me : how I have acquitted myfelf of it, must be left to the opinion of the world, in fpite of any proteftation 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 Eng

have fown the

but juft they You, my lord,

land, that they stand 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 exercife on the like fubjects; that praises, like taxes, fhould be appropriated, and left almoft as individual as the perfon. They say, my talent is fatire if it be fo, 'tis a fruitful age, and there is an extraordinary crop to gather. But a single hand is infufficient for fuch a harvest: they dragon's teeth themselves, and 'tis should reap each other in lampoons. who have the character of honour, though 'tis not my happiness to know you, may stand afide, with the small remainders of the English nobility, truly fuch, and, unhurt yourselves, behold the mad combat. If I have pleased you, and some few others, I have obtained my end. You fee I have difabled myfelf, 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 protection, which is ambitiously fought by,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's

Moft obedient Servant,

JOHN DRYDEN.

*ELEONORA†:

A PANEGYRICAL POEM,

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE

COUNTESS OF ABINGDON,

As when some great and gracious monarch

dies,

Soft whispers, first, and mournful murmurs rife Among the fad attendants; then the found Soon gathers voice, and fpreads the news around,

Through town and country, till the dreadful blaft

Is blown to diftant colonies at laft;

5

*It appears, from the dedication to the Earl of Abingdon, that this poem was written at his Lordship's own defire. The lady whom the poem affects to praife, was one of the coheireffes of Sir Henry Lee of Chicheley in Oxfordshire, and fifter to the celebrated Mrs. Anne Wharton, a lady eminent for her poetical genius, whom Mr, Waller has celebrated in an elegant copy of verfes. DERRICK.

+ The Earl is faid to have given Dryden 500 guineas for this poem. Topp.