John Dryden, from An Essay of Dramatick Poesie

From Of Dramatick Poesie, An Essay (1668). In the Dedication Dryden recorded that he had begun writing this work in the country, after the theatres were closed by the plague in May/ June 1665: however, a number of references show that he was still writing, or revising, it in the summer of 1667. Although dated 1668 it was probably published late in 1667.