Pejus merenti melior, et pejor bono."
On his restoration Du Gard pleasantly retorted,—
"Du Gardum sequitur Stephanus, Stephanumque vicissim,
Du Gardus: sortes versat utrinque DEUS."
M.W.
QUERIES.
DRYDEN'S "ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL."
In my small library I have neither Malone's Life of Dryden, nor that of more recent date by Sir Walter Scott; and, possibly, either of those works would render my present Query needless. It relates to a copy of Absalom and Achitophel now lying before me, which is a mere chap-book, printed on bad paper, in the most economical manner, and obviously intended to be sold at a very reasonable rate: indeed, at the bottom of the title-page, which is dated "1708," we are told that it was "Printed and sold by H. Hills, in Black-fryars, near the Water-side, for the Benefit of the Poor." It consists of twenty-four pages, small 8vo., and, in order that the poem should not occupy too much space, one of the pages (p. 22.) is in a smaller type, and in double columns. At the end is the following singular
"ADVERTISEMENT.
"To prevent the publicks being impos'd on, this is to give notice that the book lately published in 4to. is very imperfect and uncorrect, in so much that above thirty lines are omitted in several places, and many gross errors committed, which pervert the sense."