he was in 1650 elected to one of the Westminster scholarships at Cambridge.

Of his school performances there has appeared only a poem on the death of Lord Hastings; and at the University he does not appear to have been eager of poetical distinction. He obtained, whatever was the reason, no fellowship in the college.

It was not till the death of Cromwell, in 1658, that he became a public candidate for fame, by publishing Heroic Stanzas on the Late Lord Protector, which, compared with the verses of Sprat and Waller on the same occasion, were sufficient to raise great expectations of the rising poet.

Dryden, like the other panegyrists of usurpation, changed his opinion, or his profession, when the king was restored, and published "AStrea Redux, a poem on the happy restoration and return of his most sacred Majesty King Charles the Second.

According to the best information that can be obtained, in the thirty-second year of his life (1663) he commenced a writer for the stage. His first piece was a comedy called the "Wild Gallant;" but it was so much disapproved that he was compelled to recal it, and change it from its imperfect state to the form in which it now appears. In 1664 he published the "Rival Ladies," which he dedicated to the Earl of Orrery. In this play he made his essay of dramatic rhyme. He then joined with Sir Robert Howard in the "Indian Queen," a tragedy in rhyme. The "Indian Emperor" was published in 1667, and is also written in rhyme, intended for a sequel to Howard's "Indian Queen."

In this play is the description of night which Ryner has made famous by preferring it to those of all other poets.

In 1667 he published "Annus Mirabilis," the year of wonders, which seems to be one of his most elaborate works. It is written in quatrains, or heroic stanzas of four lines. His "Dialogue on Dramatic Poetry" appeared in 1668, in which year he succeeded Sir William Davenant as Poet Laureat. "Secret Love, or the Maiden Queen," a tragicomedy, "Sir Martin Marall," a comedy, and "The Tempest," an alteration, in conjunction with Davenant, of Shakespeare's play, made their appearance successively.

About the year 1673, after severely attacking a successful play by Elkanah Settle, appeared the "Mock Astrologer," a comedy," Tyrannic Love, or the Virgin Martyr," a tragedy in rhyme, and the two parts of the "Conquest of Grenada." Then came "Marriage Alamode," The " Assignation, or Love in a Nunnery," comedies, and "Amboyna. The remainder in the following order: "Troilus and Cressida," altered from Shakespeare, the “ Spanish Fryar," a tragi-comedy, The "Duke of Guise," a tragedy written in conjunction with Lee, together with "Edipus," " Albion and Albanius," a musical drama, The "State of Innocence and Fall of Man," called by the author an opera, but by Johnson a tragedy in heroic rhyme, "Aureng Zebe," a tragedy in rhyme, and which appears to

The Empress of Morocco, a tragedy.

66

be the most elaborate of all his dramas, "All for Love, or the World well Lost," a tragedy. This play is by universal consent accounted the work in which he has admitted the fewest improprieties of style or character. "Limberham, or the Kind Keeper," a comedy, which after the third night was prohibited as too indecent for the stage. "Don Sebastian," esteemed either the first or second of his dramatic performances. It was first acted in 1690 after Dryden had for some years discontinued writing for the stage. Amphitryon," a comedy, and Cleomenes," a tragedy. It is related in the "Guardian," that as Dryden came out from the representation of the last play, he was accosted thus by some airy stripling: Had I been left alone with a young beauty, I would not have spent my time like your Spartan. That, Sir, said Dryden, perhaps is true; but give me leave to tell you that you are no hero. After "King Arthur," an opera, appeared "Love Triumphant," a tragi-comedy, in 1694, his last drama.

His prologues had such reputation, that for some time a play was considered as less likely to be well received, if some of his verses did not introduce it. The price of a prologue was two guineas, till being asked to write one for Mr. Southern, he demanded three; not, said he, young man, out of disrespect to you, but the players have had my goods too cheap.

Though his own opinion was, that his genius was not dramatic, he had a great confidence in his own fertility; for he is said to have engaged, by contract, to furnish four plays in a year.

In the year 1671, Buckingham characterised him by the name of Bayes in the Rehearsal, and the Earl of Rochester, to suppress his reputation, took Settle into his protection. However, neither critics nor rivals did Dryden much mischief, unless it was that they gained from his own temper the power of vexing him, which his frequent bursts of resentment give reason to suspect. The perpetual accusation produced against him was that of plagiarism, against which he never attempted any vigorous defence.

During the space of time he produced such a number of plays, it may be supposed he was sufficiently employed; but notwithstanding he found room for many other undertakings. He contributed something to many publications, and in 1680, the Epistles of Ovid being translated by the poets of the time, Dryden materially assisted the work.

The following year he became yet more conspicuous by uniting politics with poetry in the memorable satire called. " Absalom and Achitophel, written against the faction which, by Lord Shaftesbury's incitement, set the Duke of Monmouth at its head. Johnson says, that the sale of this poem was so large, that his father, an old bookseller, told him, he had not known it equalled but by Sacheverel's trial. The " Model" came out in the same year.

Soon after the accession of King James, when the design of reconciling the nation to the church of Rome became apparent, and the religion of the court gave the only efficacious title to its favours,

Dryden declared himself a convert to popery. The priests, having strengthened their cause by so powerful an adherent, employed him to translate "Maimbourg's History of the League," which he published with a large introduction. His name is, likewise prefixed to the English life of Francis Xavier, and he is supposed to have undertaken to translate "Varillas's History of Heresies.".

دو

Having probably felt his own inferiority in theological controversy, he was desirous of bringing poetry to aid his arguments, and he published the Hind and Panther, a poem in which the church of Rome, figured by the milk-white hind, defends her tenets against the church of England, represented by the Panther, a beast beautiful, but, spotted. This fable was ridiculed by Montague,. afterwards Earl of Halifax, and Prior, who then gave the first specimen of his abilities.

When the Revolution took place, Dryden, a papist, could of course be no longer laureat, and Shadwell, an old enemy, was appointed to succeed him. He celebrated the intruder's inauguration in a poem, exquisitely satirical, called "Mac Flecno," of which the Dunciad, as Pope himself declares, is an imitation-Prior relates, that Lord Dorset gave him an allowance equal to the salary.

Being now no longer the court poet, he was compelled to look back for support to his former trade, that of writing for the stage, and it was at this time (1690) he produced "Don Sebastian. In 1693 appeared a new version of Juvenal and Persius. Of Juvenal he translated the first, third,

G