f in his Preface, dated March 25th, 1729, to the printed version
of the book of the opera:--

"After Mr. Rich and I were agreed upon terms and conditions for
bringing this piece on the stage, and that everything was ready for a
rehearsal, the Lord Chamberlain sent an order from the country to
prohibit Mr. Rich to suffer any play to be rehearsed upon his stage till
it has been first of all supervised by his Grace. As soon as Mr. Rich
came from his Grace's secretary (who had sent for him to receive the
before-mentioned order) he came to my lodgings and acquainted me with
the orders he had received.

"Upon the Lord Chamberlain's coming to town I was confined by sickness,
but in four or five days I went abroad on purpose to wait upon his
Grace, with a faithful and genuine copy of this piece, excepting the
_errata_ of the transcriber.

"As I have heard several suggestions and false insinuations concerning
the copy, I take this occasion in the most solemn manner to affirm, that
the very copy I delivered to Mr. Rich was written in my own hand, some
months before at the Bath, from my own first foul blotted papers; from
this, that for the playhouse was transcribed, from whence Mr. Steele,
the prompter, copied that which I delivered to the Lord Chamberlain;
and, excepting my own foul blotted papers, I do protest I know of no
other copy whatsoever, than those I have mentioned.

"The copy which I gave into the hands of Mr. Rich had been seen before
by several persons of the greatest distinction and veracity, who will do
me the honour and justice to attest it; so that not only by them, but by
Mr. Rich and Mr. Steele, I can (against all insinuation or positive
affirmation) prove in the most clear and undeniable manner, if occasion
required, what I have here upon my own honour and credit asserted. The
Introduction, indeed, was not shown to the Lord Chamberlain, which, as I
had not then settled, was never transcribed in the playhouse copy.

"It was on Saturday morning, December 7th, 1728, that I waited upon the
Lord Chamberlain. I desired to have the honour of reading the Opera to
his Grace, but he ordered me to leave it with him, which I did upon
expectation of having it returned on the Monday following; but I had it
not till Thursday, December 12th, when I received it from his Grace with
this answer, '_that it was not allowed to be acted, but commanded to be
suppressed_.' This was told me in general, without any reason assigned,