Dryden co-operated with Nathaniel Lee in producing the Duke of Guise.

The story, which in Dryden's early effort had been intended to suggest a parallel to the English rebellion, was now to be applied to the contest of the court against Shaftesbury and Monmouth.

Dryden, however, did his best to extenuate his own responsibility in a Vindication of the Duke of Guise separately published.

[2] The play was first acted on 4 December 1682, and encountered a stormy and dubious, if not an unfavourable, reception.

the piece was ultimately enabled to maintain its ground with more general approbation.