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Show v ne iLj/iji^ ^ " y . , •-• ' rrrrx An^-Kfenr below to make VirtucammblcmyourPevrons o. °I, to allunng ftape of ftruft thc Age, by drawing G°°™f.s n " " on ,vhlch Poets love to dwell, I muft Nature. But though Beau £c * » ™ g « o tUpfc , h are be forced to qu.t .t as a pn ^ * > whldl M * in you, arnede Vin nthue ir fo much commendation, becaufe the pjofit ot tnem may ^ . ^ your inclination to do good, that you itay no f ,TJS Hap. fo nigh the Deity, that Humane Natuie snot^paoi ^ fince j •i3drtIcM^thj^rfYJ«g^^ that i j m ready to look nave fo great an Averfion f ™ f o J ^ ^ ^ w i t h o J t defert. But I 4 £ your on thofe as very bold, who dare grow iiui tn: ^ & 1<jf Grace's Pardon for affuming tins Virtue e r f ^ ^ ^ ^ c already quitted die this Difcourfe will no way piftity. *£™™Ms?<xm as an Acknowledgment, Character of amodeftMan, by prefcntingWthis roem 0 be eftcemM which ftands in need of your Protection^' ™ c h ^ f n they beft0w a Child on aPrefent, than it is accounted Bounty £ h e Poor, w n y ^ ^ ^ fome wealthy Friend, who will bettt:r bieed it u . ap g » g j g r ^ ^ ^ like to be fo numerous with me, ^ i ™ ^ ^ ^ becaufe I have landed him only this is like to be more fortunate f™^%™ S l o p e s he is more fafe on an hofpitable fhore Under y ^ ^ t r ° n a g e Monte-*< * j Q ^ than in his Native India: And t h e f ° ^ ^ ^ Feet, W i n g t o H o i ^ t o ^ ^ u ^ ^ * ^ you will COH-Conquerors. H e begs only, that wnen uc^ii , F1 ncefrom u sSimphci-fiderW as an Indian Prince,znd n o t e x p e d a n ) ^ " g ^ g ^ m ha s P the ty, than what his Griefs have ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ aSSAbi, greateft which wasever reprefentedin a Poem <*tn» JN , havencither wholly eluding the Difcovery and Conqueft of amew W ^ i n ^ follow'd the Truth of the Hiftory nor dto|pthe le t « ^ all the Liberty of a Poet f ^ ^ ^ S e bus'nefe of a Pol to reprefent duce to the beautifying of m y W ork, it being no juftificationof this Hiftorical Truth, but Probability. But lam notto m ^ . p;ec SS?T^^^»S58^ *- Defign arfd At-tifice, Madam, Your Grace's moft Obedient, and moft Obliged Servant, Oflob. ia. - 1667. John Dryden. Connexion of the Indian Emperour to the Indian Queen. *"T^H E Conclufion of til* Indian Queen, (part of which Poem was write by me; JL left little matter for another Story to be built on, there remaining but two ofthe confiderable Characters alive, (viz.) Montezuma &i\c\Orazia; Thereupon the Author of this Thought it neceffary to produce N e w Perfons from the Old Ones ; and confidering the late Indian Queen, before file lov'd Montezuma, liv'd in Clandcftine Marriage with her General Traxalla; from thofe two he has rais'd a Son and two Daughters, fuppos'd to be left young Orphans at their Death: O n the other fide, he has given to Montezuma and Orazta, two Sons and a Daughter: All now fuppofed to be grown up to M e n and Womens Eftate; and their Mother Ora&ia ffor w h o m there was no further ufe in the Story) lately dead. So that you are to imagine about Twenty years Elaps'd fince the Coronation of Montezuma ; wlio/in the truth ofthe Hiftory, was a great and glorious Prince; and in whofe time hapned the Difcovery and Invafion ot Mexico by the Spaniards, under the Conduct of Hernando Cortez, Who joined with the Traxallan-Indians, the inveterate Enemies oi Montezuma, wholly fubverted that flourifhing Empire; the Conqueft of which is the fubject of this Dramatick Poem. ' I hsvc neither wholly followed the Story, nor varied from it; and, as near as I could have traced the Native Simplicity and Ignorance ofthe Indians, in relation to European Cuftoms: The Sniping, Armour, Horfes, Swords, and Guns of the Spaniards, being as newr to them, as their Habits and their Language were to the " The difference of their Religion from ours, I have taken from the Story it felf; and that which you find of it in the firft and fifth Acts touching the Sufferings and Conftancy of Montezuma in his Opinions, I have only illuftrated, not alter'd from thofe w h o have written of it. The Names ofthe Perfons reprefented. . Montezuma, Emperour of Mexico. \Odmar, his Eldett Son. Indians, Men, \Guyomar, his Younger Son QrbeUam, Son to the late Indian Queen by TraxaUa. I High-Prieft ofthe Sun. CCydaria, Montezuma* Daughter. Women, ^/ w e r^£sifters & Daughters to the late Indian Qt CAlibecb, 5 r Cortez, the Sjpani/b General. Spaniards, S^f 2>lcomrnanders under him. £Pizarro, ^ The Scene MEXICO, and two Leagues about it. ueen. V R O- |