"Now where that is, Almanzor's fate is fixt, I "cannot guefs; but wherever it is, I believe Al66 manzor, and think that all Abdalla's fubjects, "piled upon one another, might not pull down "his fate fo well as without piling: befides, I "think Abdalla fo wife a man, that if Almanzor "had told him piling his men upon his back "might do the feat, he would fearcely bear fuch a "weight, for the pleafure of the exploit; but it is "a huff, and let Abdalla do it if he dare.

"The people like a headlong torrent go,
"And every dam they break or overflow.
"But, unoppos'd, they either lofe their force,
Or wind in volumes to their former courfe.

"A very pretty allufion, contrary to all fenfe or "reafon. Torrents, I take it, let them wind never "fo much, can never return to their former "courfe, unlefs he can fuppofe that fountains can go upwards, which is impoffible: nay more, in "the foregoing page he tells us fo too. A trick of a very unfaithful memory.

"But can no more than fountains upward flow;

"

"which of a torrent, which fignifies a rapid ftream, is much more impoffible. Befides, if he goes to quibble, and fay that it is poffible by art water 66 may be made return, and the fame water run "twice in one and the fame channel; then he

quite confutes what he fays; for, it is by being "oppofed, that it runs into its former courfe; for "all engines that make water fo return, do it by "compulfion and oppofition. Or, if he means a 64 headlong torrent for a tide, which would be ridi"culous, yet they do not wind in volumes, but

come

come fore-right back (if their upright lies "ftraight to their former courfe), and that by "oppofition of the fea-water, that drives them "back again.

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

"Old father Thames raised up
his reverend head;
"But fear'd the fate of Simois 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 those without and those within.

"This Almanzor fpeaks 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 pardonable "to fome we meet with in Granada. Ofmin,

¢་

fpeaking of Almanzor,

Who, like a tempest 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 itfelf. To fuppofe a tempeft without "wind, is as bad as fuppofing a man to walk with"out feet; for if he fuppofes the tempeft to be "fomething diftinct from the wind, yet, as being "the effect of wind only, to come before the

"caufe

"caufé is a little prepofterous: fo that if he takes it one way, or if he takes it the other, thofe two "ifs will scarcely make one poffibility." Enough of Settle.

Marriage à la Mode (1673) is a comedy dedicated to the Earl of Rochefter; whom he acknowledges not only as the defender of his poetry, but the promoter of his fortune. Langbaine places this play in 1673. The Earl of Rochefter therefore was the famous Wilmot, whom yet tradition always reprefents as an enemy to Dryden, and who is mentioned by him with fome difrefpe&t in the preface to Juvenal.

The Affignation, or Love in a Nunnery, a comedy (1673), was driven off the stage 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 unreasonable cenfure.

Amboyna (1673) 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 coft him, or at how fhort a warning he produced it. It was a temporary performance, written in 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 Tyrtus of old animated the Spartans. This play was written in the second Dutch war in 1673.

Troilus and Crefida (1679) is a play altered from Shakspeare; but fo altered, that, even in LangVOL. II. · baine's

C

66

baine's opinion, "the laft fcene in the third act is "a mafter-piece." It is introduced by a discourse on the Grounds of Criticifm in Tragedy," to which I fufpect that Rymer's book had given oc

66

cafion.

The Spanish Fryar (1681) is a tragi-comedy, eminent for the happy coincidence and coalition of the two plots. As it was written againft the Papifts, it would naturally at that time have friends and enemies; and partly by the popularity which it obtained at firft, 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 leaft for fome time, and he maintains it in the dedication of this play, that the drama required an alternation of comick and tragick scenes, and that it is neceffary to mitigate by alleviations of merriment the preffure of ponderous events, and the fatigue of toilfome pasfions. "Whoever," fays he, "cannot perform "both parts is but half a writer for the ftage.

The Duke of Guife, a tragedy (1683) written in conjunction with Lee, as Oedipus had been before, feems to deserve 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 anfwered 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

he

"happened," fays Dryden," to claim the promife "juft 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 opposed. A parallel is intended against the Leaguers of France and the Covenanters of Eng-land; and this intention produced the controversy.

Albion and Albanius (1685) is a musical drama or opera, written, like the Duke of Guife, against the Republicans. With what fuccefs it was performed, I have not found *.

The State of Innocence and Fall of Man (1675) is termed by him an opera: it is rather a tragedy in heroick rhyme, but of which the perfonages are fuch as cannot decently be exhibited on the ftage. Some fuch production was foreseen by Marvel, who writes thus to Milton:

Or if a work fo infinite be fpann'd,
Jealous I was lefs fome less skilful hand,
(Such as difquiet always what is well,
And by ill-imitating would excel,)

Might hence prefume the whole creation's day,
To change in fcenes, and fhow it in a play.

It is another of his hafty productions; for the heat of his imagination raised it in a month.

This compofition is addreffed to the princefs Modena, then dutchess of York, in a ftrair flattery which difgraces genius, and which it

*Downes fays, it was performed on a very unlo that on which the Duke of Monmouth landed in the intimates, that the confternation into which thrown by this event, was a reason why it times, and was in general ill-received.

cky day, viz. Weft; and he the kingdom was was performed but fix

wonderful