Cleomenes
DRYDEN, John
The Spartan Heroe. A Tragedy, as it is acted at the Theatre Royal. Written by Mr. Dryden. To which is prefixt the Life of Cleomenes.
Published: Printed for Jacon Tonson at the Judge's-Head in Chancery-Lane near Fleet Street, 1692
Stock code: 9190
Price: £268.00
Sm. 4to., First Edition, some mild age-staining and spotting throughout; modern grey boards, paper label lettered in black on upper board, one or two upper margins closely shaved else a crisp, firm copy.
Dryden's second-to-last play, and according to MacDonald partially completed by Southerne. Its first performance should have been early in April 1692, but on the 9th it was prohibited; it was acted out on or before 16 April at the Theatre Royal. In his Dedication Dryden attributes the lifting of the ban to Rochester (the dedicatee), who had represented the drama to the Queen as 'wholly innocent of those Crimes which were laid unjustly to its Charge'. The Life of Cleomenes is supplied by Creech (from Plutarch; see MacDonald 131). In this copy, as often, the Prologue and Epilogue appear before the 'Life'. CBEL II, p.267; MacDonald, 92.