OCR Text |
Show H EST T HE T E OR, THE Enchanted Illand. P R E FA C E tQ the Enchanted ljland. lays was probably invented by fome very fought he had done enough : Perhaps by o m Ap of A e T e n c h A f c ^ c c , w h o ufe. to make a Bufincft of a Letter of Gallantry, *» Examcn of a Farce; and in fhort a great ' irS>n of Words cm every trifle. This is certainly the Talent of that. id by any other. They do that out of Gaiety and Oftentation of Words on every tion, and ought, not tt||Aij>^adcd T m e the honour to join m e with him in the alteration of it twas originally Shakefpear's: a Poet for w h o m he had particularly a high veneration and w h o m he firft taught m e to admire The Play it felikd for^riy been acted with fuccefs in the Black-Fryers : and our excellentFUt^r> had fo great a value for it, that he thought fit to make ufe of the fame Defign not m u cn varied, a fecond time. Thofe w h o have ken his Sea-Voyage mayxahly difcern that it was a Copy of Shakefpear's Tempeft: the Srorm, tlie defart Ifland, and the W o m a n who had never feen a M a n , are all fufficient teffimonies ot it. But Fieithet was not the onlv Poet w h o made ufe of Shakefpear's Plot: Sir JomStuklW, a profefs'd admirer of our Author, has follow'd his footfteps in his Goblins ; his Regmella being an open imitation of Shakefpear's Miranda; and his Spirits, though counterfeit, yet are copied from Ariel. But Sir William Davenant, as he was a M a n of quick and piercing imagination, foon found that fomewhat might be added to the Defign of Shakefpear , of which neither Fletcher nor Suckling had ever thought: and therefore to put the laft hand to it, he defign'd the Counterpart to Shakefpear's Plot, namely, that of a M a n w h o had never feen a W o m a n ; that by this means thofe two Characters of Innocence and Love might the more illuft rate and commend each other. This excellent contrivance he was pleas'd to communicate to me, and to defire m y affiftance in it. I confefs that from the very firft moment it fo pleas'd me, that I never writ any thing with more deli^ti^T,, muft likewife do him that iuftice to acknowledge, that m y writing received daily his amendments, and that is the reafon w h y it is not fo faulty, as the reft which I have done without the help or correction of fo iudicious a Friend. The Comical parts of the Saviors were alfo hislnvention, and for the moft part hisWTriting, as you will eafily difcover by the Style. In the time I writ with him, I had the opportuni:y to obferve fomewhat more nearly of him, than I had formerly done, when I had only a bare acquaintance with him: I found him then of fo quick a fancy, that nothing was propos'd to him, on which he could not fuddenly produce a thought extremely pleafant and furprizing: and thofe firft thoughts of Ins, contrary to the old Latine Proverb, were not always the leaft happv. And as his fincy was quick, fo likewife were the products of it remote and new. He borrowed borrowed not of any other; and his imaginations were fuch as could not eafilv enter into any other Man. His Corrections wire fober and iudicious • and he correfted his o w n Writings much more feverely than thofe of another M a n • be-ftowing twice the rime and labour in polifhing which he us'd in invention' It had perhaps been eatic enough for m e to have arrogated more to m y felf than was m y due in the writing of this Play, and to have pafs'd by his N a m e with filence in the Publication of it, with the fame Ingratitude which others have us'd to him whofe Writings he hath not only corrected , as he has done this, but has had a greater infpection over them, and fometimes added whole Scenes together which may as eafily b e d iftinguifh'd from the reft, as true Gold from counterfeit by the weight. But befides the unworthinefs of the action which deterred m e from it (there being nothing fo bafe as to rob the dead of his Reputation) I a m fatisfi'd I could never have receiv'd fo m u c h honour in being thought the Author of any Pocm,how excellent foever, as I fhall from the joining m y 'Imperfections with the Merit and N a m e of Shakefpear and Sir William D'avenant. Decemb. i. IOOQ'.1' John Driden. Prologue to the Tempeft, or the Enchanted ljland. AS when a Tree's cut down the fecret root Lives under ground, and thence new Branches fhoat; So, from old Shakefpear'j- honour'd duft, this day Springs up and buds a new reviving Play. Shakefpear, who (taught by none) did firft impart . To Fletcher Wit, to Z ^ w W y [nhnt^n Apt. He Monarch-like gave thofe his Subjects law, And is that Nature winch they paint and-draw. Fletcher reach'd that which on his heights did grow, Whilft Johnfon crept and gather'd afl below. This did his Love, and this his Mirth digeft .; One imitates him moft, the other beft. If they have fince out-writ all other Men, "*Tis with the drops which fell from Shakefpear's Pen. The Storm which vanifb'd on the Neighb'ring fhore, Was taught hy Shakefpear'.; Tempeft firft to roar. That Innocence and Beauty which did fmile In Fletcher, grew on this Enchanted Ifle. But ShakefpearV Magick could not copy'd be, Within that Circle none durft walk but he. I muft confefs 'twas bold, nor would you now, That liberty to vulgar Wits allow, Which works by Magick fupernatural things : But ShakefpearV Pow'r is facred as a Kj»£s. Thofe Legends from old PrieftAwod were receiv'd, And he then writ, as People then believed, But, if for Shakefpear we your grace implore, We for our Theatre fhall want it more; Who by our dearth of Touths are fore'd t' employ One of our Women to prefent a Bay. And that's a transformation you will fay Exceeding all the Magick in the Play. Let none expect in the laft Alt to find, Her Sex transform'd from Man to Woman-kind. What e'er fhe was before the Play began, All you fhall fee of her is perfect Man. Or ifyonr fancy will be farther led, To find her Woman, it muft be in Bed. EPI- |