And now He has serv'd his Friends, he comes in the last place like a modest Man, to commend Himself. He tells us there were a great many _Beauties_ in the Original Draught of this _Play_. But it seems Time has since tarnish'd their Complexion. And He gives _Heroick_ Reasons for their not appearing. To speak Truth, (all Politicks apart,) there are strange Flights of Honour, and Consistencies of Pretention in this Dedication! But I shall forbear the Blazon of the _Atcheivment_, for fear I should commend as unluckily as Himself.
Mr. _Durfey_ being somewhat particular in his Genius and Civilities, I shall consider him in a word or two by himself. This Poet writes from the _Romance_ of an ingenious Author: By this means his Sense, and _Characters_ are cut out to his Hand. He has wisely planted himself upon the shoulders of a _Giant_; but whether his Discoveries answer the advantage of his standing, the Reader must judge.
What I have to object against Mr. _Durfey_ shall most of it be ranged under these three Heads.
I. _His Profaness with respect to Religion and the_ Holy Scriptures.
III. _His want of Modesty and Regard to the Audience._
And here my first Instance shall be in a bold _Song_ against Providence.
_Providence that formed the Fair In such a charming Skin, Their Outside made his only care, And never look'd within._[375]
Here the _Poet_ tells you Providence makes Mankind by halves, huddles up the Soul, and takes the least care of the better Moyety. This is direct blaspheming the Creation, and a Satir upon God Almighty. His next advance is to droll upon the Resurrection.
_Sleep and indulge thy self with Rest, Nor dream thou e're shalt rise again._[376]
His Third Song makes a jest of the _Fall_, rails upon _Adam_ and _Eve_, and burlesques the Conduct of _God Almighty_ for not making Mankind over again.
_When the World first knew Creation,[377] A Rogue was a Top-Profession, When there was no more in all Nature but Four, There were two of them in Transgression.
He that first to mend the Matter, Made Laws to bind our Nature, Should have found a way, To make Wills obey, And have Modell'd new the Creature_.
In this and the following page, the _Redemption_ of the World is treated with the same respect with the _Creation_. The word _Redeemer_, which among Christians is appropriated to our Blessed Saviour, and like the Jewish Tetragrammaton peculiarly reserv'd to the Deity; This adorable Name (_Redeemer and Dear Redeemer_,) is applyed to the ridiculous Don _Quixote_. These Insolencies are too big for the Correction of a Pen, and therefore I shall leave them. After this horrible abuse of the Works, and Attributes of God, he goes on to make sport with his Vengeance. He makes the Torments of Hell a very Comical Entertainment: As if they were only Flames in Painting, and Terrors in _Romance_. The _Stygian Frogs_ in _Aristophanes_ are not represented with more Levity, and Drolling. That the _Reader_ may see I do him no wrong, I shall quote the places which is the main Reason why I have transcrib'd the rest of his Profaness.