If ever you have heard of Venus' name, Goddess of beauty, I that Venus am; Who have to day descended from my sphere, To welcome you unto "Love's Kingdom" here; Or rather to my sphere am come, since I Am present no where more nor in the sky, Nor any island in the world than this, That wholly from the world divided is: For Cupid, you behold him here in me, (For there where beauty is, Love needs must be,) Or you may yet more easily descry Him 'mong the ladies, in each amorous eye; And 'mongst the gallants may as easily trace Him to their bosoms from each beauteous face. May then, fair ladies, you Find all your servants true; And, gallants, may you find The ladies all as kind, As by your noble favours you declare How much you friends unto "Love's Kingdom" are; Of which yourselves compose so great a part, In your fair eyes, and in your loving heart.
This specimen of "Love's Kingdom" is extracted from the "_Censura Literaria_," No. IX.; to which publication it was communicated by Mr Preston of Dublin. To "Love's Kingdom" Flecknoe subjoined a Discourse on the English Stage, which is sometimes quoted as authority.
_Let Virtuosos in five years be writ, Yet not one thought accuse thy toil of wit._--P. 438.
Shadwell's comedy called "The Virtuoso," was first acted in 1676 with great applause. It is by no means destitute of merit; though, as in all his other pieces, it is to be found rather in the walk of coarse humour than of elegance, or wit.
The character of Sir Nicholas Gimcrack, the Virtuoso, whose time was spent in discoveries, although he had never invented any thing so useful as an engine to pare a cream cheese with, is very ludicrous. I cannot, however, but notice, that some of the discoveries, which are ridiculed with so much humour, as the composition of various kinds of air, for example, have been realized by the philosophers of this age. As the whole piece seems intended as a satire on the researches of the Royal Society, its scope could not be very pleasing to Dryden, a zealous member of that learned body; even if he could have forgiven some hits levelled against him personally in the preface and the epilogue, which have been quoted in the introduction to Mac-Flecknoe.