An Account of the English Dramatick Poets

counted Induftrious, or to beget an Opi nion in the World of my Reading: Tho' as an Ingenious Author obferves, "This 'Humor poffeffeth many Men, that brag 'of many Books Coming under their Dif 'covery: as if not only with the Mice they had crept through the Crannies of all 'Libraries; but alfo with the Mothes, had 'got betwixt the Leaves of all Treatifes 'therein. I am fo far from affecting TitleLearning, in which every Bookfeller would perhaps excel me, that I am willing to acknowledge to the Reader, that I am owing to the Compendious Collections of Hiftorians and Chronologers, for their Directions,to find any Story or Action in the Original Author; and therefore fhall account it no leffening to my Reputation to be trac'd in Calvifius, Spondanus, Lloyd,Moreri, and the like.

Fourthly, As to the Drammas, which are founded on Romances or Forreign Plays, I have much enlarg'd my Remarks; having employ'd a great prt(if not too much) of my Time in reading Plays and Novels, in feveral Languages; by which means I have discovered many more Thefts than thofe in the former Catalogue; and have

Fuller's Chr. H. P. 43•

(for

for the Readers Eafe, as well as my own Vindication) cited the particulars of each Plagiary, to obviate an Objection of a certain Poet, who profeffes he has not ftollen half of what I then accused him of.

What Reception this Piece may find in the World, I am not very follicitous, nor greatly concern'd: fince (as the Judicious Sr.Robert Howard has obferv'd *) Things of this Nature, tho' never fo Excellent,or never fo Mean, have feldome proy'd the Foundation of Men's New built Fortunes, or the Ruine of their Old. I am fo far from valuing my felf upon this Performance, that if there be any thing in it worth Commendation, the Poets are at liberty to father it upon whom they please, or claim it as their own, without my taking any offence at it: And if I can but be fo happy as to obtain a Pardon from the more folid part of Mankind, for having mis-spent my Time in thefe Lighter Studies, I promife for the future, to imploy my felf on Subjects of more Weight and Importance.

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