only the ground-work, they are surely masterpieces and models of composition, if not exemplars of creative power and genius. How free and majestic their numbers! How bold and buoyant their language! How interesting the stories they tell! How perfect the preservation, and artful the presentment, of the various characters! What a fine chivalrous spirit breathes in "Palamon and Arcite!" What a soft

yet purple, pure yet gorgeous, light of love hovers over the "Flower and the Leaf!"-the only poem of Dryden's in which-thanks perhaps to his master, Chaucer-the poet discovers the slightest perception of that

"Love which spirits feel

In climes where all is equable and pure."

What gay and gallant badinage, exquisite irony, and interesting narrative, in the story of "The Cock and Fox!" And what knowledge of human nature and skilful construction in "The Wife of Bath's Tale!" We are half inclined, with George Ellis, to call these fables the "noblest specimen of versification to be found in any modern language." We gather, too, from them a notion about Dryden's capabilities, which we may state. It is, that had Dryden lived in a novel and romance-writing age, and turned his great powers in that direction, he might have easily become the best fictionist― next to Cervantes and Scott-that ever lived, possessing, as he did, most of the qualities of a good novelist-vigorous and facile diction; dramatic skill; an eye for character; the power of graphic description, and rapid changeful narrative; the command of the grave and the gay, the severe and the lively; and a sympathy both with the bustling activities and the wild romance of human life, if not with its more solemn aspects, its transcendental references, and its aerial heights and giddy abysses of imagination and poetry.

CONTENTS.

EPISTLES.

1. To my honoured friend, Sir Robert Howard, on his excellent

PAGE

1

Poems,

II. To my honoured friend, Dr Charleton, on his learned and

useful Works; but more particularly his Treatise of Stone-

henge, by him restored to the true founder,

III. To the Lady Castlemain, upon her encouraging his first play,

IV. To Mr Lee, on his "Alexander,”

.

5

7

9

V. To the Earl of Roscommon, on his excellent Essay on Trans-

lated Verse,

VI. To the Duchess of York, on her return from Scotland in the

year 1682,

VII. A Letter to Sir George Etheredge,

VIII. To Mr Southerne, on his Comedy called "The Wives' Excuse,"

IX. To Henry Higden, Esq., on his translation of the Tenth

Satire of Juvenal,

X. To my dear friend, Mr Congreve, on his Comedy called "The

Double-dealer,"

XI. To Mr Granville, on his excellent Tragedy called "Heroic

XII. To my friend, Mr Motteux, on his Tragedy called "Beauty

in Distress,"

XIII. To my honoured kinsman, John Dryden of Chesterton, in

the county of Huntingdon, Esq.,

XIV. To Sir Godfrey Kneller, principal painter to his Majesty, 33

XV. To his friend the author, John Hoddesdon, on his Divine

XVI. To my friend, Mr. J. Northleigh, author of "The Parallel,"

on his "Triumph of the British Monarchy,"

39

40

ELEGIES AND EPITAPHS.

I. To the Memory of Mr Oldham,

II. To the pious memory of the accomplished young lady, Mrs

Anne Killigrew, excellent in the two sister arts of Poesy

III. Upon the death of the Earl of Dundee,

IV. Eleonora a Panegyrical Poem, dedicated to the memory of

V. On the Death of Amyntas: a Pastoral Elegy,

VI. On the Death of a very Young Gentleman,

VII. Upon young Mr Rogers of Gloucestershire,

VIII. On the Death of Mr Purcell, .

IX. Epitaph on the Lady Whitmore,

X. Epitaph on Sir Palmes Fairbone's tomb in Westminster Abbey,

XI. Under Mr Milton's picture, before his "Paradise Lost,"

XII. On the monument of a fair Maiden Lady, who died at Bath,

and is there interred,

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41

42

49

64

67

69

69

70

71

XIII. Epitaph on Mrs Margaret Paston of Burningham, in Norfolk, 74

XIV. On the monument of the Marquis of Winchester,

SONGS, ODES, AND A MASQUE.

75

IV. The Tears of Amynta for the death of Damon,

X. A Song to a fair Young Lady going out of town in Spring, 86

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XVII. Songs in "King Arthur,"

XVIII. Song of Jealousy in "Love Triumphant,"

XIX. Song-Farewell, fair Armida, .

XX. Alexander's Feast; or, the Power of Music: an Ode in

PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES.

I. Prologue to "The Rival Ladies,"
II. Prologue to "The Indian Queen,"
III. Epilogue to "The Indian Queen,”
IV. Epilogue to "The Indian Emperor,"
V. Prologue to "Sir Martin Marr-all,”
VI. Prologue to "The Tempest,"

VII. Prologue to "Tyrannic Love,"

119

VIII. Epilogue to "The Wild Gallant,"

120

IX. Prologue, spoken the first day of the King's House acting

X. Epilogue to the Second Part of the "Conquest of Gra

XIII. Prologue, spoken at the Opening of the New House,

March 26, 1674,

127

XIV. Prologue to the University of Oxford, 1674,

129

XV. Prologue to "Circe," a Tragic Opera,

130

XVI. Epilogue, intended to have been spoken by the Lady
Hen. Mar. Wentworth, when "Calista" was acted at

Court,

132

XVII. Prologue to "Aurengzebe,"

133

XVIII. Epilogue to "The Man of Mode; or, Sir Fopling Flutter,"

XXI. Epilogue to "Mithridates, King of Pontus,"

XXV. Prologue to "Cæsar Borgia,"

XXVI. Prologue to "Sophonisba,"

XXVII. Prologue to "The Loyal General,"

XXVIII. Prologue to "The University of Oxford," 1681,
XXIX. Prologue to his Royal Highness, upon his first appear-

ance at the Duke's Theatre, after his return from

TAOR

143

144

145

147

XXX. Prologue to "The Earl of Essex; or, the Unhappy

Favourite,"

150

XXXI. Epilogue for the King's House

151

XXXII. Prologue to "The Loyal Brother; or, the Persian

XXXIII. Prologue to "The King and Queen,"
XXXIV. Prologue to the University of Oxford,
XXXV. Epilogue, .

XXXVI. Epilogue spoken at Oxford by Mrs Marshall,
XXXVII. Prologue to the University of Oxford,
XXXVIII. Prologue to the University of Oxford,
XXXIX. Prologue to "Albion and Albanius,"

XL. Epilogue to "Albion and Albanius,"
XLI. Prologue to "Aviragus and Philicia Revived,"
XLII. Prologue to "Don Sebastian,"

XLIII. Prologue to "The Prophetess,"

XLVIII. Prologue to "The Husband his own Cuckold,"

XLIX. Prologue to "The Pilgrim," .

L. Epilogue to "The Pilgrim,"

Palamon and Arcite; or, the Knight's Tale,

The Cock and the Fox; or, the Tale of the Nun's Priest,

The Flower and the Leaf; or, the Lady in the Arbour: a Vision,

177