s of Five Hours+, the
whole +Action+ lasting no longer (much less a day, the extent
allow'd for a +Dramatick Poem+) yet this is one of the pleasantest
+Stories+ that ever appear'd upon our Stage, and has as much Variety
of +Plots+ and +Intrigues+, without any thing being precipitated,
improbable or unnatural as to the main +Action+; so by this it
appears that this Rule is no Spoiler or Murderer of a finer +Story+.
Then for the +Unity of Time+ and Action too, +Ben. Johnson's Silent
Woman+ is a remarkable Instance; an excellent +Comedy+ indeed, where
the +Action+ is perfectly single, and the utmost extent of the
+Time+ exceeds not three Hours and a half (the shortest we ever
find) yet still the +Plot+, +Intrigues+, and above all the
+Incidents+ are very fine, and no ways unnatural. Lastly, For all
three +Unities+, Mr. +Dryden's All for Love+ (tho' a +Tragedy+, and
somewhat foreign to our business) is worthy to be taken notice of,
that being perfectly +Regular+ according to the Rules of the Stage,
the Scenes unbroken, the +Incidents+ exactly and duly prepar'd, and
all things noble and beautiful, just and proportionable. This we
reckon one of the best +Tragedies+ of our Nation. Now can any Man
justly think that these Plays we now mention'd were ever the worse
for that +Regularity+ they had; or indeed have we many better in the
Nation for +Plot+; or many that have better pleas'd the generality
of Persons than these; If so this sufficiently shows the Truth of
what we offered; and withal commends our Master's great Judgment in
this Point: Who, in our Opinion (besides the Excellency of his
+Characters+) plainly deserves a greater Name for his +Plots+, than
he does for his +Language+.

Come we next then to our own Vindication, in which we shall briefly
shew the +Reasons+ why we did it, and likewise what our Performances
have been in this Version.

The main +Reasons+ why we undertook it were these. First, For the
Excellency and Usefulness of this Author in general: And
consequently for the benefit (as we shall shew by and by) of most
sorts of People, but especially for the Service it may do our
+Dramatick Poets+. Next, for the Honour of our own +Language+, into
which all good Books ought to be Translated, since +'tis now become
so Elegant, Sweet and Copious+: And indeed nothing refines, or gives
Foreigners a greater Opinion of any Language than its number of good
Translations; of which the +French+ is a great Instance. Thirdly