Before your sacred lines their shattered Dagon lies.

Oh! If unworthy we appear to know

The sire, to whom this lovely birth we owe;

Denyed our ready homage to express,

And can at best but thankfull be by guess;

This hope remains,—May David's god-like mind,

(For him 'twas wrote) the unknown author find;

And, having found, shower equal favours down,

On wit so vast as could oblige a crown. N. T.

Some scribbler of the day also, thinking Dryden's meaning not sufficiently clear, wrote "Absalon's ix worthies, or a key to a late book, or poem, entitled AB, and AC," marked by Mr Luttrell, as bought, 10 March 1682-3. It concludes with the following address.