was added when it was afterwards reprinted; and as the Duke of Lerma did not appear till 1668, the fame year in which the Dialogue was publifhed, there was time enough for enmity to grow up between authors, who, writing both for the Theatre, were naturally rivals.

He was now fo much diftinguished, that in 1668 he fucceeded Sir William Davenant as postlaureat. The falary of the laureat had been raised in favour of Jonfon, by Charles the First, from an hundred marks to one hundred pounds a year, and a tierce of wine; a revenue in those days not inadequate to the conveniences of life.

The fame year he published his Effay on Dramatick Poetry, an elegant and inftructive dialogue, in which we are told by Prior, that the principal character is meant to represent the duke of Dorfet. This work feems to have given Addifon a model for his Dialogues upon Medals.

Secret Love, or the Maiden Queen (1668), is a tragi-comedy. In the preface he difcuffes a curious queftion, whether a poet can judge well of his own productions and determines very justly, that, of the plan and difpofition, and all that can be reduced. to principles of fcience, the author may depend upon his own opinion; but that, in those parts where fancy predominates, felf-love may eafily deceive. He might have obferved, that what is good only because it pleases, cannot be pronounced good till it has been found to pleafe.

Sir Martin Marr-ali (1668) is a comedy, published without preface or dedication, and at first without the name of the author. Langbaine charges it, like moft of the reft, with plagiarism; and obferves, that the fong is tranflated from Voi

ture,

ture, allowing however that both the fenfe and measure are exactly obferved.

The Tempest (1670) is an alteration of Shakspeare's play, made by Dryden in conjunction with Davenant, "whom," fays he, "I found of fo quick a "fancy, that nothing was propofed to him in "which he could not fuddenly produce a thought "extremely pleasant and furprifing; and those first

thoughts of his, contrary to the Latin proverb, "" were not always the leaft happy, and as his fancy "was quick, fo likewife were the products of it "remote and new. He borrowed not of any other, "and his imaginations were fuch as could not ea fily enter into any other man.'

s:

The effect produced by the conjunction of these two powerful minds was, that to Shakspeare's monfter Caliban is added a fifter-monfter Sycorax; and a woman, who, in the original play, had never feen a man, is in this brought acquainted with a man that had never feen a woman.

About this time, in 1673, Dryden feems to have had his quiet much disturbed by the fuccefs of the Empress of Morocco, a tragedy written in rhyme by Elkanah Settle; which was fo much applauded, as to make him think his fupremacy of reputation in fome danger. Settle had not only been profperous on the ftage, but, in the confidence of fuccefs, had published his play, with fculptures, and a preface of defiance. Here was one offence added to another; and for the laft blaft of inflammation, it was acted at Whitehall by the court-ladies.

Dryden could not now reprefs thofe emotions, which he called indignation, and others jealoufy; but wrote upon the play and the dedication fuch

B 5

criticifm

criticifm as malignant impatience could pour out in hafte.

Of Settle he gives this character: "He's an ani"mal of a moft deplored understanding, without "reading and converfation. His being is in a twi

light of fenfe, and fome glimmering of thought, "which he can never fashion into wit or English. "His ftyle is boisterous and rough-hewn, his rhyme. "incorrigibly lewd, and his numbers perpetually "harth and ill-founding. The little talent which "he has, is fancy. He fometimes labours with a "thought; but, with the pudder he makes to "bring it into the world, 'tis commonly ftill"born; fo that for want of learning and elocution, "he will never be able to exprefs any thing either "naturally or justly!"

This is not very decent; yet this is one of the pages in which criticism prevails over brutal fury. He proceeds: "He has a heavy hand at fools, and "a great felicity in writing nonfenfe for them, "Fools they will be in fpite of him. His King, "his two Empreffes, his villain, and his fub-vil"lain, nay his hero, have all a certain natural "caft of the father-their folly was born and bred "in them, and fomething of the Elkanah will be "vifible."

This is Dryden's general declamation: I will not withhold from the reader a particular remark. Having gone through the first act, he fays, "To

conclude this act with the moft rumbling piece "of nonfenfe fpoken yet,"

"To flattering lightning our feign'd fmiles conform, "Which back'd with thunder do but gild a storm.

"thunder.

"Conform a fimile to lightning, make a mile imitate lightning, and flattering lightning lightning fure "is a threatening thing. And this lightning must "gild a form. Now if I muft conform by fmiles "to lightning, then my fmiles muft gild a ftorm too to gild with miles is a new invention of gilding. And gild a ftorm by being backed with Thunder is a part of the ftorm; fo one part of the ftorm muft help to gild another part, "and help by backing; as if a man would gild a "thing the better for being backed, or having a "load upon his back. So that here is gilding by conforming, fmiling, lightning, backing, and thundering. The whole is as if I fhould fay thus: "I will make my counterfeit fmiles look like a flattering ftone-horfe, which being backed with "a trooper, does but gild the battle. I am miftaken. "if nonfenfe is not here pretty thick fown. Sure "the poet writ thefe two lines aboard fome fmack "in aftorm, and, being fea-fick, fpewed up a "good lump of clotted nonfenfe at once."

Here is perhaps a fufficient fpecimen; but as the pamphlet, though Dryden's, has never been thought worthy of republication, and is not eafily to be found, it may gratify curiofity to quote it more largely.

Whene'er the bleeds,

He no feverer a damnation needs,

That dares pronounce the fentence of her death,
Than the infection that attends that breath.

"That attends that breath. The poet is at breath again; breath can never 'fcape him; and here "he brings in a breath that must be infectious with, pronouncing a fentence; and this fentence is not

"to be pronounced till the condemned party bleeds; "that is, fhe must be executed firft, and fentenced "after; and the pronouncing of this fentence will be "infectious; that is, others will catch the disease "of that sentence, and this infecting of others will torment a man's felf. The whole is thus; when "fhe bleeds, thou needeft no greater bell or torment to "thyfelf than infecting of others by pronouncing a "Jentence upon her. What hodge-podge does he "make here! Never was Dutch grout fuch clog

ging, thick, indigeftible ftuff. But this is but a "tafte to stay the ftomach; we shall have a more "plentiful mess presently.

"Now to dish up the poet's broth, that I pro"mised:

For when we're dead, and our freed fouls enlarg'd,
Of nature's groffer burden we're discharg'd,
Then gently, as a happy lover's figh,

Like wand'ring meteors through the air we 'll fly,
And in our airy walk, as fubtle guests,

We'll fteal into our cruel fathers' breasts,

There read their fouls, and track each paffion's fphere,
See how Revenge moves there, Ambition here;
And in their orbs view the dark characters

Of fieges, ruins, murders, blood, and wars.

We'll blot out all thofe hideous draughts, and write
Pure and white forms; then with a radiant light
Their breafts encircle, till their paffions be

Gentle as nature in its infancy;

Till, foften'd by our charms, their furies cease,
And their revenge refolves into a peace.

Thus by our death their quarrel ends,

Whom living we made foes, dead we'll make friends.

"If this be not a very liberal mefs, I will refer myfelf to the ftomach of any moderate gueft. "And