"Which of a torrent, which fignifies a ra

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pid stream, is much more impoffible. Be"fides, if he goes to quibble, and fay that "it is poffible by art water may be made return, and the fame water run twice in "one and the fame channel: then he quite confutes what he says; for, it is by being oppofed, that it runs into its former course for all engines that make water "fo return, do it by compulfion and oppo"fition. Or, if he means a headlong tor"rent for a tide, which would be ridiculous, yet they do not wind in volumes, but come **fore-right back (if their upright lies ftraight to their former course), and that by oppofition of the fea-water, that drives "them back again.

any

"And for fancy, when he lights of thing like it, 'tis a wonder if it be not bor"rowed. As here, for example of, I find this fanciful thought in his Ann. Mirab.

"Old father Thames raifed up his reverend head; "But feared the fate of Simoeis would return;

Deep in his ooze he fought his fedgy bed; "And fhrunk his waters back into his urn.

"This is ftolen from Cowley's Davideis, p.9.

"Swift Jordan started, and strait backward fled, Hiding amongst thick reeds his aged head. "And when the Spaniards their affault begin, "At once beat thofe without and thofe within. "This Almanzor speaks of himself; and fure "for one man to conquer an army within the city, and another without the city, at once, "is fomething difficult; but this flight is 66 pardonable, to fome we meet with in Gra"nada. Ofmin, speaking of Almanzor :

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Who, like a tempeft that outrides the wind, "Made a juft battle, ere the bodies join'd.

Pray what does this honourable perfon mean by a tempeft that outrides the wind! "A tempeft that outrides itself. To suppose "a tempeft without wind, is as bad as fup

pofing a man to walk without feet; for "if he supposes the tempeft to be something "distinct from the wind, yet as being the ef"fect of wind only, to come before the caufe " is a little prepofterous: so that, if he takes "it one way, or if he takes it the other, thofe two ifs will scarce make one poffibility.". Enough of Settle.

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Marriage Alamode is a comedy, dedicated to the Earl of Rochefter; whom he acknowledges not only as the defender of his poetry,

but

but the promoter of his fortune. Langbaine places this play in 1673. The earl of Rochester therefore was the famous Wilmot, whom yet tradition always reprefents as an enemy to Dryden, and who is mentioned by him with fome difrefpect in the preface to Juvenal.

The Afignation, or Love in a Nunnery, a comedy, was driven off the ftage, against the opinion, as the author fays, of the best judges. It is dedicated, in a very elegant addrefs, to Sir Charles Sedley; in which he finds an opportunity for his ufual complaint of hard treatment and unreafonable cenfure.

Amboyna is a tiffue of mingled dialogue in verfe and profe, and was perhaps written in lefs time than The Virgin Martyr; though the author thought not fit either oftentatioufly or mournfully to tell how little labour it cost him, or at how short a warning he produced it. It was a temporary performance, written in the time of the Dutch war, to inflame the nation against their enemies; to whom he hopes, as he declares in his Epilogue, to make his poetry not lefs deftructive than that by which Tyrtæus of old animated

the Spartans. This play was written in the fecond Dutch war in 1673.

Troilus and Creffida, is a play altered from Shakspeare; but fo altered that even in Langbaine's opinion, the laft fcene in the third act is a masterpiece. It is introduced by a discourse on the grounds of criticism in tragedy; to which I fufpect that Rymer's book had given occafion.

The Spanish Fryar is a tragi-comedy, eminent for the happy coincidence and coalition of the two plots. As it was written against the Papists, it would naturally at that time have friends and enemies; and partly by the popularity which it obtained at first, and partly by the real power both of the serious and rifible part, it continued long a favourite of the publick.

It was Dryden's opinion, at least for some time, and he maintains it in the dedication of this play, that the drama required an alternation of comick and tragick fcenes, and that it is neceffary to mitigate by alleviations of merriment the preffure of ponderous events, and the fatigue of toilsome paffions. Whoever," fays he, "cannot per

66

"form

"form both parts, is but half a writer for the "Stage."

The Duke of Guise, a tragedy written in conjunction with Lee, as Oedipus had been. before, feems to deferve notice only for the offence which it gave to the remnant of the Covenanters, and in general to the enemies of the court, who attacked him with great violence, and were answered by him; though at laft he seems to withdraw from the conflict, by transferring the greater part of the blame or merit to his partner. It happened that a contract had been made between them, by which they were to join in writing a play; and be happened, says Dryden, to claim the promife just upon the finishing of a poem, when I would have been glad of a little refpite.-Two thirds of it belonged to him; and to me only the firft fcene of the play, the whole fourth act, and the first half or fomewhat more of the fifth.

This was a play written profeffedly for the party of the duke of York, whofe fucceffion was then oppofed. A parallel is intended between the Leaguers of France and the Covenanters of England; and this intention produced the controversy.