rose, I am of opinion that much of the confidence is abated on either side, and that whensoever they meet next, it will give that house a farther occa sion of encroaching on the prerogative and the Lords; for they who beare the purse, will rule. The Parliament being risen, my Cousin Driden will immediately be with you, and, I believe, return his thanks in person. All this while I am lame at home, and have not stirr'd abroad this moneth at least. Neither my wife nor Charles are well, but have intrusted their service in my hand. I humbly add my own to the unwilling High Sheriff, and wish him fairly at an end of his trouble.

The latter end of last week, I had the honour of a visite from my Cousine, your mother, and my Cousine Dorothy, with which I was much comforted. Within this moneth there will be play'd for my profit, an old play of Fletcher's, call'd THE PILGRIM, Corrected by my good friend, Mr. Vanbrook ;' to which I have added a new Masque,

Deliverer of his faithful Dutch Guards, and wishing to mark their hatred of all those for whom he had any personal regard, had resolved to address him, that no person, not a native of his dominions, except Prince George of Denmark, should be admitted to his councils either in England or Ireland. To prevent this address being presented, on the 11th of April he went suddenly to the House of Lords; and, to mark his disgust the more strongly, after having given his assent to the Act of Resumption, and some other Bills, he prorogued the Parliament, without making a speech from the throne. *Mr. Steward. See p. 105.

1 The orthography of Vanbrugh's name was for some

and am to write a new Prologue and Epilogue: Southern's tragedy, call'd the REVOLT OF CAPUA, will be play'd at Betterton's House within this fortnight. I am out with that Company; and therefore, if I can help it, will not read it before 'tis acted, though the authour much desires I shou'd. Do not think I will refuse a present from fair hands; for I am resolv'd to save my bacon.' I beg your pardon for this slovenly letter; but I have not health to transcribe it. My service to my Cousin, your brother, who I heare is happy in your company; which he is not, who most desires it, and who is, Madam,

For Mrs. Stuart,

Your most oblig'd obedient
Servant,

Att Cotterstock, neare Oundle,

in Northamptonshyre, These.

To be left with the

Postmaster of Oundle.

JOHN DRYDEN.

time unsettled. It is thus spelled in the fifth volume of Dryden's MISCELLANIES published in 1704, after his death. Gildon says, that Dryden had publickly panegyrick'd Vanbrugh; but I know not to what he alludes.

2 Our author died on the first of the following month, after an illness of four or five days: these last spirited productions of his pen, therefore, were written between the 11th and 26th of April, perhaps not a fortnight before his death.

See Letter xxix. p. 73.

4 The paper was blotted with ink in several places, and otherwise soiled.

ADDITIONS AND EMENDATIONS.

IN THE LIFE OF DRYDEN.

P. 3. n. 1. 4. from the bottom.

In the year 1679, and for some time afterwards, our author wrote his name DREYDEN; as we find from the London Gazette, No. 1472, (see p. 322, n. 7.) and from the titlepage of the second edition of his ESSAY OF DRAMATICK POESY, in 1684. So also one of his contemporaries, in a paper of Verses prefixed to Noah's FLOOD, an opera, 1679:

"Thou fear'st no cynical philosopher,

"No nigrum, nor an English R;

No, nor thou need'st not; for we plainly see "In every individual line of thee,

"Milton and Dreyden in epitome."

}

It should seem to have been the ancient name of his family. See vol. i. part i. p. 554. n.

P. 6. n. l. 13. For Dryden's, r. Dryden. Ibid. n. 1. 4. from the bottom. From the inaccuracy of the person whom I employed to transcribe the inscription on Dryden's monument, the words here are not rightly arranged, though in other respects the inscription is correctly given. They should have been arranged thus : "J. DRYDEN,

“Natus 1632. Mortuus Maij 1. 1700." &c.

P. 10. l. 16. For Burnet, r. Oldmixon.

Ibid. n. 3. 1. 2. This pamphlet, which was published anonymously, I now believe, was written, not by homas Burnet, but by John Oldmixon.

P. 12. 1. 17. Read-leaving two daughters; Elizabe th the wife of Dr. Richard Martyn, Prebendary of Westminster, and Mary, who was married to John Shaw, Esq. P. 16. 1. 5. For Dryden, r. Dreyden.

Ibid. 1. 12. Dele the marks of a word omitted; and for table, r. tables.

An inaccurate transcript of this order, which was transmitted to me from Cambridge, was the occasion of this errour; which I have been enabled to correct by the kindness of the Rev. Dr. Mansel, Master of Trinity College in Cambridge, to whom I am also indebted for the notice relative to Dr. Lockier's admission into that college, given in p. 481. n.

The words" the three Fellowes tables," that is, the three tables of the Fellows, refer, as the same gentleman observes to me, to a table formerly in use at Trinity College, viz. the Bursar's, which has for some time been laid aside; two tables only (the Vice-Master's and the Dean's) being now occupied.

To Dr. Mansel I am also indebted for the following notice, which has been lately discovered in one of the old books of his College :

"April 23, 1655. At the election of Scholars, Wilford is chosen into Sir Dreyden's place."

This entry induces me to believe, that our author left the University a year earlier than I have supposed. There are instances, however, of gownsmen residing at Cambridge after the loss of their scholarships.

P.

17. 1. 8. As I was sure from the recital in our author's patent, that he was a Master of Arts, I had reason to believe that he had obtained that degree at Cambridge, at the regular time, though his name was omitted to be enrolled with those who were thus honoured in 1657. Still, however, entertaining doubts on this subject, I continued my researches after the page here referred to was printed; and at length discovered that Dryden's

degree of M. A. was conferred by Archbishop Sheldon, several years afterwards. See the Dispensation granted on that occasion, in the Appendix to vol. i. part i P. 554.

P. 28. n. 4

1. 5. For a, r. an.

P. 74. l. 11, from the bottom. Dele the words and three quarters.

P. 81. I. 9. After the word sense, add ".

P. 92. n. 9. Dele the words-in the Appendix.
P. 101. n. l. 13. For rogue, r. dog.

P. 103. n. 5. This lady has been represented as the person whom Pope had in view in the second of the following lines, ON THE USE OF RICHES:

But thousands die, without or this or that,
Die, and endow a college, or a cat."

Sir David Dalrymple, (Lord Hailes,) being laudably concerned for the honour of his countrywoman, has thus vindicated her from this charge, in a note on a curious work, entitled "The Opinions of Sarah, Duchess Dowager of Marlborough," selected from her Grace's original papers, and printed in 1788: "Mr. Pope had the art of laying hold on detached circumstances, and of applying them to his purpose, without much regard for historical accuracy. Thus, to his hemistick- endow a college, or a cat,' he adds this note;- That a Duchess of Richmond left annuities to her cats.' The lady, as to whom he seems so uncertain, was la belle Stuart of the Comte de Grammont. She left annuities to certain female friends, with the burden of maintaining some of her cats; a delicate way of providing for poor, and probably proud, gentlewomen, without making them feel that they owed their livelihood to her mere liberality."

Pope's apparent uncertainty with regard to the person alluded to, appears to have arisen merely from his having