tion, christened all his children by his furname, that if, in conclufion, they must beg, they by one name, as well as by the other.

fhould do fo But fince the reproach of my faults will light on you, 'tis but reafon I should do you that justice to the readers, to let them know, that if there be any thing tolerable in this poem, they owe the argument to your choice, the writing to your encouragement, the correction to your judgment, and the care of it to your friendship, to which he must ever acknowledge himself to owe all things, who is,

SIR,

The most obedient, and moft

Faithful of your fervants,

From Charlton in Wiltshire,

Nov. 10, 1666.

JOHN DRYDEN.

ANNUS MIRABILIS;

THE

YEAR OF WONDERS*,

1666.

1.

IN thriving arts long time had Holland

grown,

Crouching at home and cruel when abroad : Scarce leaving us the means to claim our own; Our king they courted, and our merchants aw'd.

"This poem is written with great diligence, yet does not fully answer the expectation raifed by fuch fubjects, and fuch a writer. With the stanza of Davenant, he has fometimes his vein of parenthefis, and incidental difquifition, and flops his narrative for a wife remark. The general fault is, that he affords more fentiment than defcription, and does not fo much imprefs fcenes upon the fancy, as deduce confequences, and make comparifons."-Johnfon's Life of Dryden. JOHN WARTON.

Ver. 1.] "The initial ftanzás have rather too much refemblance to the first lines of Waller's poem on the war with Spain; perhaps fuch a beginning is natural, and could not be avoided without affectation. Both Waller and Dryden might take their hint from the poem on the civil war of Rome. Orbem jam totum," &c.-Johnfon's Life of Dryden. JOHN WARTON.

2.

Trade, which like blood should circularly flow, 5 Stopp'd in their channels, found its freedom loft:

Thither the wealth of all the world did go, And feem'd but fhipwreck'd on fo base a coast.

3.

For them alone the heavens had kindly heat;
In eastern quarries ripening precious dew: 10
For them the Idumæan balm did fweat,
And in hot Ceilon spicy forests grew.

4.

The fun but feem'd the laborer of their year; Each wexing moon fupply'd her wat'ry store,

Ver. 5. Trade, which like blood should circularly flow,] With equal liberty Cowper:

The band of commerce was defign'd
T'affociate all the branches of mankind;
And, if a boundless plenty be the Robe,
Trade is the golden girdle of the globe.

JOHN WARTON.

Ver. 10. In eaftern quarries, &c.] Precious ftones at first are dew, condensed and hardened by the warmth of the fun, or fubterranean fires. ORIGINAL EDITION, 1667.

Ver. 11. For them the Idumæan balm did fweat,] Pope had his eye on this paffage, where describing the effects of commerce he fays,

For me the balm shall bleed, and amber flow, &c.

their year;]

Windfor Forest, line 393. JOHN WARTON. Ver. 13. Corrected from the original edition, 12mo. 1667. Derrick has, the year. TODD. Ver. 14. Each wexing, &c.] According to their opinion, who think that great heap of waters under the Line is depreffed into tides by the moon, towards the Poles. Original edition. wexing] Original edition. Derrick, waxing.

Ibid.

TODD.

To fwell those tides, which from the line did

bear

Their brim-full veffels to the Belgian fhore.

5.

15

Thus, mighty in her fhips, ftood Carthage long,

And swept the riches of the world from far; Yet ftoop'd to Rome, lefs wealthy, but more ftrong:

And this may prove our fecond Punick

war.

6.

20

What peace can be, where both to one pretend?
(But they more diligent, and we more ftrong)
Or if a peace, it foon must have an end;
For they would grow too powerful were it

Where France will fide to weaken us by war, Who only can his vaft defigns withstand.

Ver, 15.

thofe tides,] Original edition. Derrick, most probably by an error of the prefs, has tide. TODD. Ver. 19. -foop'd to Rome,] The prefident Henault, after fo much has been faid of the Romans, has made this fine and new reflection :-" Is it not aftonishing that this celebrated and extenfive empire of Rome fhould have fubfifted from the time of Romulus to that of Theodofius II. that is to fay, more than a thousand years, without ever having had a complete body of laws." Dr. J. WARTON.

8.

See how he feeds th' Iberian with delays,

To render us his timely friendship vain: And while his fecret foul on Flanders preys, He rocks the cradle of the babe of Spain.

9.

Such deep defigns of empire does he lay

30

O'er them, whofe caufe he seems to take in

hand;

And prudently would make them lords at sea, 35 To whom with ease he can give laws by land.

10.

This faw our king; and long within his breast
His penfive counfels balanc'd to and fro:
He griev'd the land he freed should be opprefs'd,
And he lefs for it than ufurpers do.

11.

40

His generous mind the fair ideas drew
Of fame and honour, which in dangers lay;
Where wealth, like fruit on precipices, grew,
Not to be gathered but by birds of prey.

12.

The lofs and gain each fatally were great;

And still his fubjects call'd aloud for war; But peaceful kings, o'er martial people fet, Each other's poize and counterbalance are.

Ver. 29.

th' Iberian] The Spaniard. Orig. edit.

4.5