Here let me bend, great DRYDEN, at thy shrine,

Thou deareft name to all the tuneful Nine.
What if fome dull lines in cold order creep,

And with his theme the poet feems to sleep!
Still, when his fubject rifes proud to view,
With equal strength the poet rises too :

With strong invention, noblest vigour fraught,
Thought still springs up and rises out of thought ;
Numbers ennobling numbers in their course,
In varied sweetness flow, in varied force.
The powers of genins, and of judgment join,
And the whole art of poetry is thine.

CHURCHILL'S APOLOGY.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED BY Mundell and SON, ROYAL BANK CL OSE.

Anne 1793.

TEROX LISA

NEWYO

JOHN D. was bor:

"the great High Prieft of all the Nine," and "the father of English criticism," Aldwincle, near Oundle, a village belonging to the Earl of Exeter in Northamptonhire, Aug. 6. 1631. He was fon of Erafmus Dryden, Esq. of Tichmarsh, Northamptonshire, the third son of Erasmus Dryden, Bart. of Canons-Ashby in that county, defcended of a family originally fettled in Huntingdonshire.

He is reported by Derrick, one of his biographers, to have inherited, from his father, an estate of 200 1. per annum, and to have been bred an Anabaptist; but for either of these particulars no authority is given.

He was educated at Westminster school, as a King's scholar, under Dr. Bufby, where, he has himself told us, he “ translated the Third Satire of Perfius, for a Thursday night's exercise," and wrote many other exercises of this nature in English verse."

料

In 1649, the year before he left school, he wrote a poem On the Death of Lord Haftings, which abounds in fuch conceits, as the example of Cowley still kept in reputation.

In 1650, he was elected to one of the Westminster scholarships at Cambridge, ard went off to Trinity College.

The fame year, he wrote a copy of verses prefixed to the "Poems of John Hoddefon," London, 12mo., 1650, under this title, J. Dryden, of Trinity College, to bis Friend, the Author, upon bis Divine Epigrams.

In 1653, he took his degree of Bachelor of Arts. On the death of Cromwell, in 1658, he wrote Heroic Stanzas on the late Lord Protector; which, compared with the verfes of Sprat and Waller on the fame occafion, were sufficient to raise great expectations of the rising poet.

At the Restoration, he changed his opinion, like the other panegyrists of Cromwell, who shared with him the reproach of inconftancy, and published ASTREA REDUX, a Poem on the happy restoration and return of bis most sacred Majefty, King Charles II. 1660. A remarkable couplet, in the beginning of this Poem, expofed him to the ridicule of the wits.

An horrid fillness first invades the ear,

And in that filence we the tempeft fear.

The fame year, he praised the new King, in A Panegyric to his Majesty on bis Coronation.

In 1661, he contributed a copy of Latin verses, On the Death of Prince Henry and Princess Mary, inferted in the " Threni Cantabrigienses” of that year; and another on the Marriage of King Charles II. printed in the "Epithalamia Cantabrigienfia 1662.”

It appears from his fignature, that, in 1662, he had obtained a fellowship; for that academical honour does not attend his name in 1661.

If these poems had been seen by Dr. Johnson, before the publication of his excellent Life of Dryden, that judicious biographer would certainly have made some alteration in the following paragraph: "At the University, he does not appear to have been eager of poetical distinction, or to have lavished his early wit either on fictitious subjects, or public occafions. He probably confidered, that he who purposed to be an author ought firft to be a student. He obtained, whatever was the reason, fellowship in the college. Why he was excluded cannot now be known, and it is vain to guess: had he thought himself injured he knew how to complain. It was not till the death of Cromwell, in 1658, that he became a public candidate for fame."

In 1662, he addressed a poem to the Lord Chancellor Hyde, prefented on New-Year's-Day, and the fame year published A Satire on the Dutch.

It may be confidered as a proof of his early reputation for knowledge, that he was chosen a mem- { ber of the Royal Society foon after the formation of that institution. He was elected a fellow 19th November, 1662, and admitted the 26th. This circumstance is wholly unnoticed by his biographers. Few poets have folicited an introduction into that learned body fince Cowley, Denham, and Dryden. In 1663, in-the thirty-fecond year of his age, he commenced a writer for the stage, of which he

kept poffeffion for many years, not without the competition of rivals, who fometimes prevailed, or the cenfure of critics, which was often juft, but with fuch a degree of reputation, as encouraged him to exercise his genius in composing eight-and-twenty dramas.

His first piece was a comedy, called The Wild Gallant, which met with such indifferent success, that, had not neceffity compelled him to perfevere, the English stage had perhaps never been favoured with fome of its brightest ornaments. This play was revifed and printed in 1669.

In 1664, he produced The Rival Ladies, a tragi-comedy, in dramatic rhyme, with a dedication to the Earl of Orrery, who was himself a writer of rhyming tragedies.

He then joined with Sir Robert Howard in the Indian Queen, a tragedy in rhyme; but the parts which he wrote are not diftinguished

In 1667, he produced The Indian Emperor, a tragedy in rhyme, intended for a fequel to Howard's Indian Queen, of which notice was given to the audience by printed bills, distributed at the door, an expedient which is supposed to be ridiculed in "The Reheartal," where Bayes tel's how many reams he has printed, to inftil into the audience fome conception of the plot.

To this play is prefixed a very vehement defence of dramatic rhyme, in confutation of the preface to" the Duke of Lerma," in which Sir Robert Howard had cenfured it.

The fame year, he publifbed Annus Mirabilis, the Year of Wonders, M,DC,LXVI., which is justly esteemed one of his most elaborate performances. It is written in quatrains, or heroic stanzas of four lines, a measure which he borrowed from the "Gondibert" of Davenant, and which, in his prefatory letter to Sir Robert Howard, he fays, "I have ever judged more noble, and of greater dignity, than any other verfe in ufe amongst us.”

He was now fo much diftinguished, that on the death of Davenant in 1668, he was made PoetLaureat. The fame year he published his Essay on Dramatic Poetry, an elegant and instructive dialogue, in which the principal character, according to Prior, is meant to reprefent the Earl of Dorfet. In 1668, he produced Secret Love, or the Maiden-Queen, a tragi-comedy, and Sir Martin Mar-all, a comedy, which was at first publifhed without his name. Langbaine charges it. like most of the rest, with plagiarism. Downes fays, the Duke of Newcastle gave this play to Dryden, who adapted it to the stage, and it is entered on the books of the Stationers Company, as the production of that Nobleman.

The Tempest, an alteration of Shakspeare's play, made by Dryden in conjunction with Davenant, was exhibited in 1670. The effect produced by two such powerful minds, was, that to Shakspeare's monfter Caliban, is added a fister-monfter Sycorax; and a woman who in the original play had never feen a man, is in this brought acquainted with a man that had never feen a woman. The new

characters were chiefly the invention and writing of Davenant, as acknowledged by Dryden in his preface.

In 1671, An Evening's Love, or the Mock Aftrologer, a comedy, made its appearance, with a preface and dedication to the Duke of Newcastle. The preface is elaborately written, and contains many juft remarks on the fathers of the English drama.

In 1672, he produced another tragedy in rhyme, called Tyrrannic Love, or the Virgin Martyr, which has many passages of strength and elegance, and many of empty noise and ridiculous turbulence. The rants of Maximin have been always the fport of criticifm, and were at length the fhame of the writer.

The fame year appeared the two parts of the Conqueft of Granada, which abound in dramatic wonders and poetical beauties, and met with great fuccefs; but they are written in profeffed de fiance of probability, and have been long laid aside.

He did not enjoy his reputation, however, without moleftation. The Conqueft of Granada was censured with some severity by Martin Clifford, Esq. of the Charter-Houfe; and the two most diftinguished wits of the nobility, Buckingham and Rochester, declared themselves his enemies.

Buckingham characterifed him in 1672, by the name of Bayes, in "The Rehearsal,” a fatirical comedy, which he is faid to have written in 1665, with the affistance of Butler, Martin Clifford, Efq. and Sprat, then his chaplain.

Dr. Johnson says, it" was originally intended against Davenant, who in the first draught wa characterised by the name of Bilboa. Davenant had been a soldier and an adventurer.”

In the Key to the Rehearsal," it is faid Sir Robert Howard was characterised by the name of Billes. The defign was probably to ridicule the reigning poet, whoever he might be. Rochester, to fupprefs the reputation of Dryden, took Settle and Crowne fucceffively into his protection, and promoted their intereft on the stage so effectually, as to make him think his fupremacy of reputation in fome danger.

The fuccefs of "The Empress of Morocco," a tragedy written in rhyme by Settle, feems to have given him great disturbance, as he condescended to write an intemperate critique on the play and dedication, expreffive of rage and terror, indignation and jealoufy. Sertle took his revenge on the appearance of the Conqueft of Granada. His anfwer is perhaps equal to the cenfure, which is no High commendation.

His Marriage a-la-Mode, a comedy, was exhibited, according to Langbaine, in 1673, and dedicated to Rochester, whom yet tradition always represents as his enemy, and who is mentioned by him with some disrespect in the preface to Juvenal.

The fame year he produced The Assignation, or Love in a Nunnery, a comedy, which was driven off the ftage; and Ambayna, a tragedy, intended to inflame the nation against the Dutch.

The next year he published The State of Innocence, or the Fall of Man, an opera, or rather a tragedy in heroic rhyme, founded on "Paradise Loft," which has undoubtedly very great beauties; but the characters are fuch as cannot decently be exhibited on the stage.

In 1675, he brought on the stage The Miftaken Hufcand, a comedy, founded on the Menachmi of Plautus, of which he only wrote one fcene. The real author is unknown.

It was followed, in 1676, by Aurengzebe, a tragedy, written in rhyme, which has the appearance of being the most elaborate of all his dramas. By writing tragedies in rhyme he continued to improve his diction and his numhers, and seems to have fully formed his versification, and fettled his fyllem of propriety when he wrote this play.

In 1678, he produced All for Love, or the World well Loft, a tragedy, founded on Shakspeare's * Antony and Cleopatra," which is by univerfal confent accounted the most perfect of his dramas. It has certainly the fewest improprieties of style or character, and, in point of regularity and poetic harmony, may be justly confidered as an invincible masterpiece of the power of English poetry. This, he tells us," is the only play which he wrote for himself;" the reft were given to the people. The next year he wrote, in conjunction with Lee, Oedipus, a tragedy, founded on the tragedies of Sophocles and Seneca, which was acted with great fuccefs, and acknowledged by Langbaine, "to be one of the beft tragedies extant." The first and third acts were written by Dryden, who planned the fcenes; the remainder by Lee.

It was followed the fame year by Troilus and Creffida, or Truth found out too late, a tragedy altered frem Shakspeare," to which," fays Langbaine," he added feveral new scenes, and even cultivated and improved what he borrowed from the original. The last scene in the third act is a master- | piece." It is introduced by a “ Discourse on the grounds of Criticism in Tragedy.

The fame year came out An Effay on Satire, said to be written jointly by Dryden and the Earl of Mulgrave, containing fome very fevere reflections on the Duchefs of Portsmouth, and Rochester, who took their revenge, by bafely hiring three ruffians to cudgel Dryden in a coffee-house. This incadent is mentioned by Mulgrave, the true writer, in his "Art of Poctry."

Though prais'd and beaten for another's rhymes,

His own deferves as great applause sometimes.

In 1680, he produced a comedy called Limberbam, or the Kind Keeper, which, after the third night, was prohibited as too indecent for the stage. He confeffes that its indecency was objected to; put Langbaine, who feldom favours him, reckons it his best comedy, and imputes its expulfion to refeatment, because it "fo much expofed the keeping part of the town."

The fame year came out a “ Translation of Ovid's Epiftles in English verfe," by several hands, two, d which, together with the preface, were by Dryden. The Epistle of Helen to Paris, is attributed to him and Lord Mulgrave.

In 1681, he published his Abfalom and Achitophel, a severe satire on the faction of the Duke of Monswath and the Earl of Shaftesbury, which was eagerly received and univerfally read. The well known character of Zimri in this memorable fatire, is fevere enough to repay all the ridicule thrown sa him by Buckingham, in the character of Bayer in "The Rehearsal."