Mr. Payne Collier communicates to the _Athenaeum_ of the 22nd November,
1851, an interesting letter relative to an unspoken epilogue to Dryden,
and Nat Lee's famous tragedy of _The Duke of Guise_. This rare
composition, entitled "Another Epilogue intended to have been spoken to
the Play before it was forbidden last Summer, written by Mr. Dryden,"
occurs in conjunction with the Prologue and Epilogue which were actually
spoken, upon a separate sheet of foolscap; in which shape, as Mr.
Collier informs us, they were often printed for sale at the playhouse
doors. Mr. Collier's acceptable communication suggests a Query or two.
At the end of my copy of this play, the 4to. edit. of 1687, is the
following
"ADVERTISEMENT.
"There was a Preface intended to this play, in vindication of it,
against two scurrilous libels lately printed. But it was judged,
that a defence of this nature would require more room than a
preface would reasonably allow. For this cause, and for the
importunity of the stationers, who hastened their impression, 'tis
deferred for some little time, and will be printed by itself. Most
men are already of opinion that neither of the pamphlets deserve
an answer, because they are stuffed with open falsities, and
sometimes contradict each other; but, for once, they shall have a
day or two thrown away upon them, tho' I break an old custom for
their sakes, which was to scorn them."
Was this threatened preface ever issued? Are the "two scurrilous libels"
here spoken of so scornfully, known to be in existence?
The new-found Epilogue belongs as much to the political as to the
dramatic history of those troublous times; and let us hope, _maugre_ the
unfortunate coarseness of the school to which it belongs, that Mr.
Collier will some day present us with a reprint of it _in toto_,
accompanied by the above noted preface, if it exist. There is ample
matter, as the pages of "NOTES AND QUERIES" have lately shown, for a new
volume of Dryden Miscellanies.