138 DRYDEN. "which accompany human nature, and " most part excused by the violence of L "that they destroy not our pity or c "for him: this answer may be applied "his objections of that kind. "And Rollo committing many mu " he is answerable but for one, is too "raigned by him; for it adds to our "detestation of the criminal; and po " is not neglected neither; for we stab " minds for every offence which he cor "the point which the poet is to gain "dience, is not so much in the deat " fender as the raising an horror of his "That the criminal thould neither "guilty, nor wholly innocent, but fo p " of both as to move both pity and te "tainly a good rule, but not perpet "observed for that were to make all t "much alike, which objection he f " has not fully answered. 66 "To conclude, therefore: if the p "ancients are more correctly plotted more beautifully written. And if paffions as high on worse foundation our genius in tragedy is greater; for parts of it the English have manife 6: " them." THE original of the following le served in the Library at Lambeth, and imparted to the publick by the Reverend Copy of an original Letter f Dryden, Efq. to his fons in a MS. in the Lambeth Library, marked N° 933, p. 56. (Superfcribed) "Al illustrissimo Sig "Carlo Dryden, Camariere " d'Honore A. S. S. In Roma. "Franca per Mantoua. "Dear Sons, "Sept. the 3d, our style. "Being now at Sir William Bowver's in the country, I cannot write at large, because I find " myself somewhat indisposed with a cold, and am "thick of hearing, rather worse than I was in "town. I am glad to find, by your letter of "July 26th, your style, that you are both in "health; but wonder you thould think me fo "negligent as to forget to give you an account of "the ship in which your parcel is to come. " have written to you two or three letters con"cerning it, which I have sent by fafe hands, as " I told you, and doubt not but you have them "before this can arrive to you. Being out of I town, I have forgotten the ship's name, which "your mother will enquire, and put it into her " letter, which is joined with mine. But the "master's name I remember: he is called Mr. "Ralph Thorp; the ship is bound to Leghorn, "configned to Mr. Peter and Mr. Thomas Ball, "merchants. I am of your opinion, that by "Tonfon's means almost all our letters have mif"carried for this last year. But, however, he has " miffed of his design in the Dedication, though he " had prepared the book for it; for in every figure "of Æneas he has caused him to be drawn like "King William, with a hooked nose. After my "return to town, I intend to alter a play of Sir "Robert Howard's, written long fince, and lately put into my hands: 'tis called The Conquest of "China by the Torters. It will cost me fix weeks "study, with the probable benefit of an hundred "pounds. In the mean time, I am writing a fong "for St. Cecilia's Feast, who, you know, is the patroness of musick. This is troublesome, and no way beneficial; but I could not deny the "Stewards of the Feast, who came in a body to me to defire that kindness, one of them being "Mr. Bridgman, whose parents are your mother's "friends. I hope to send you thirty guineas be"tween Michaelmas and Chriftimas, of which I " will give you an account when I come to town. " I remember the counsel you give me in your "letter; but dissembling, though lawful in fome "cafes, is not my talent; yet, for your fake, I " will struggle with the plain openness of my na"ture, and keep in my just resentments againft that " degenerate order. In the mean time, I flatter "not myself with any manner of hopes, but do my duty, and fuffer for God's fake; being af. "fured, before-hand, never to be rewarded, though "the times should alter. Towards the latter end "of this month, September, Charles will begin "to recover his perfect health, according to his "nativity, which, cafting it myself, I ain sure is "true, and all things hitherto have happened ac"cordingly to the very time that I predicted them: "I hope at the same time to recover more health "according to my age. Remember me to poor "Harry, whose prayers I earnestly defire. My " Virgil "Virgil succeeds in the world beyond its defert or my expectation. You know the profits might " have been more; but neither my confcience nor my honour would suffer me to take them: but I " never can repent of my constancy, fince I am "thoroughly perfuaded of the justice of the cause " for which I fuffer. It has pleased God to raise up many friends to me amongst my enemies, " though they who ought to have been my friends " are negligent of me. I am called to dinner, and "cannot go on with this letter, which I defire "you to excuse; and am "Your most affectionate father, "JOHN DRYDEN." SMITH. EDMUND SMITH is one of those lucky writers who have, without much labour, attained high reputation, and who are mentioned with reverence rather for the poffeffion than the exertion of uncommon abilities. Of his life little is known; and that little claims no praise but what can be given to intellectual excellence, feldom employed to any virtuous purpose. His character, as given by Mr. Oldisworth, with all the partiality of friendship, which is faid by Dr. Burton to thew "what fine things one man " of " of parts can say of another," and w ever, comprises great part of what ca of Mr. Smith, it is better to tranfcri than to take by pieces. I shall fubjoir memorials as accident has enabled me to Mr. EDMUND SMITH was t of an eminent merchant, one Mr. daughter of the famous baron Leclım misfortunes of his father, which wer lowed by his death, were the occafion ( being left very young in the hands of lation (one who married Mr. Neale's fift name was Smith. This gentleman and his lady treated 1 own child, and put him to Westmir under the care of Dr. Busby; whence lofs of his faithful and generous guardi name he affumed and retained), he wa to Chrift-church in Oxford, and there handfomeły maintained till her death; a he continued a member of that learned nious focicty till within five years of though, fome time before his leaving Chr he was fent for by his mother to Wor owned and acknowledged as her legiti which had not been mentioned, but to w afperfions that were ignorantly caft by fo birth. It is to be remembered, for ou honour, that, when at Westminster el stood a candidate for one of the univerfi fignally dittinguished himself by his co performances, that there arose no small co between the representative electors of college in Cambridge and Chrift church |