And now since some people have been so busy as to
cast out false and scandalous surmises, how far we two agreed upon the
writing of it, I must do a common right both to Mr Lee and myself, to
declare publicly, that it was at his earnest desire, without any
solicitation of mine, that this play was produced betwixt us. After
the writing of OEdipus, I passed a promise to join with him in
another; and he happened to claim the performance of that promise,
just upon the finishing of a poem,[2] when I would have been glad of a
little respite before the undertaking of a second task. The person,
that passed betwixt us, knows this to be true; and Mr Lee himself, I
am sure, will not disown it; So that I did not "seduce him to join
with me," as the malicious authors of the Reflections are pleased to
call it; but Mr Lee's loyalty is above so ridiculous a slander. I know
very well, that the town did ignorantly call and take this to be my
play; but I shall not arrogate to myself the merits of my friend.
Two-thirds of it belonged to him; and to me only the first scene of
the play; the whole fourth act, and the first half, or somewhat more,
of the fifth.
The pamphleteers, I know, do very boldly insinuate, that, "before the
acting of it, I took the whole play to myself; but finding afterwards
how ill success it had upon the stage, I threw as much of it as
possibly I could upon my fellow.
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