Essays, Plays and Sundry Verses

given in the Harleian Miscellany the following Advertisement prefaces the

text:

This Discourse was written in the time of the late Protector, Richard the Little; and was but the first Book of three, that were designed by the Author. The Second, was to be a Discourse with the Guardian-angel of England, concerning all the late Confusions and Misfortunes of it. The Third, to denounce heavy Judgments against the three Kingdoms, and several Places and Parties in them, unless they prevented them speedily by serious Repentance, and that greatest and hardest Work of it, Restitution. There was to be upon this Subject the Burden of England, the Burden of Scotland, the Burden of Ireland, the Burden of London, the Burden of the Army, the Burden of the Divines, the Burden of the Lawyers, and many others, after the Manner of Prophetical Threatenings in the Old Testament: But, by the extraordinary Mercy of God, (for which we had no Pretence of Merit, nor the least Glimpse of Hope) in the sudden Restoration of Reason, and Right, and Happiness to us, it became not only unnecessary, but unseasonable and impertinent to prosecule the Work. However, it seemed not so to the Author to publish this first Part, because, though no Man can justify or approve the Actions of Cromwell, without having all the Seeds and Principles of Wickedness in his Heart, yet many there are, even honest and well-meaning People, who, without wading into any Depth of Consideration in the Matter, and purely deceived by splendid Words, and the outward Appearances of Vanity, are apt to admire him as a great and eminent Person; which is a Fallacy, that extraordinary, and, especially, successful Villanies impose upon the World. It is the Corruption and Depravation of human Nature, that is the Root of this Opinion, though it lie sometimes so deep under Ground, that we ourselves are not able to perceive it; and when we account any Man great, or brave, or wise, or of good Parts, who advances himself and his Family, by any other Ways but those of Virtue, we are certainly biassed to that Judgment by a secret Impulse, or, at least, Inclination of the Viciousness of our own Spirit. It is so necessary for the Good and Peace of Mankind, that this Error (which grows almost every where, and is spontaneously generated by the Rankness of the Soil) should be weeded out, and for ever extirpated, that the Author was content not to suppress this Discourse, because it may contribute somewhat to that End, though it be but a small Piece of that which was his original Design.

p. 385, l. 25.

p. 386, 1. 32.

stop has been added after have.

A comma has been substituted for a full stop after Man.
A semi-colon has been added after Friend.
1. 34.

A full

pp. 409, 414, 416.

1. 30. Folio misprints] Fpistles.

Published earlier in the volume of 1663. See the first

volume of the present edition, p. 462.

p. 432, 1. 19.

p. 433, 1. 9. indicates that for

P. 434, l. 16.

p. 435, 1. 22.

p. 438, l. 14.

For their read your.

Folio] Table. Altered in errata. The list of errata also moaths, mouths should be read in 1. 8.

Folio] too, is, but.

For Title read Tide.

For their read the.

1. 32. For their read your.

p. 447. Published in 1663.

P. 449, 1. 25. Folio] Vita. 1. 26. Folio] incoare.

p. 450, l. 7. A full stop after him in the Folio has been altered to a colon. P. 455, 1. 4.

Folio misprints] wha.

p. 460, 1. 2. Folio] beationem.

p. 461. Published in 1663. 1. 20. Folio] The full stop after free has been altered to a comma.

A list of errata is given at the end of the Folio of 1668. Some of the alterations were made in later editions and others not. In the present edition the errata are included in the above notes, save a few to which effect has been given in the text. It will be remembered that the Essays were posthumously published and that Cowley never saw them in print.

p. 464, 1. 2.

A comma has been added after betide.