To increase the value of his copies, he often accompanied his work with a preface of criticifm; a kind of learning then almoft new in the English language, and which he, who had confidered with great accuracy the principles of writing, was able to diftribute copioufly, as occafions arofe. By thefe differtations the publick judgement must have been much improved; and Swift, who converfed with Dryden, relates that he regretted the fuccefs of his own inftructions, and found his readers made fuddenly too fkilful to be easily fa tisfied.

His prologues had fuch reputation, that for fome time a play was confidered as lefs likely to be well received, if fome of his verfes did not introduce it. The price of a prologue was two guineas, till, being asked to write one for Mr. Southern, he demanded three;" Not," faid he, "young man, "out of difrefpect to you, but the players have had "my goods too cheap."

Though he declares, that in his own opinion his genius

oot dramatick, he had great confidence

his own fertility; for he is faid to have engaged, by contract, to furnish four plays a year.

It is certain that in one year, 1678*, he pubifhed for Love, Affignation, two parts of the Conqueft of Granada, Sir Martin Marrall, and the State of Inn-cence, fix complete plays, with a celerity of performance, which, though all Langbaine's charges of plagiarifm fhould be allowed, fhews fuch facility of compofition, fuch readiness

*Dr. Johnfon in this affertion was mifled by Langbaine. Only one of these plays appeared in 1678. Nor were there more than three in any one year. The dates are now added from the original editions. R.

of

of language, and fuch copioufness of sentiment, as, fince the time of Lopez de Vega, perhaps no other author has ever poffeffed.

He did not enjoy his reputation, however great, nor his profits, however fmall, without moleftation. He had criticks to endure, and rivals to oppofe. The two moft diftinguished wits of the nobility, the Duke of Buckingham and Earl of Rochefter, declared themfelves his enemies.

Buckingham characterifed him, in 1671, by the name of Bayes in the Rehearsal; a farce which he is faid to have written with the affiftance of Butler, the author of Hudibras, Martin Clifford of the Charter-house, and Dr. Sprat, the friend of Cowley, then his Chaplain. Dryden and his friends laughed at the length of time, and the number of hands, employed upon this performance; in which, though by fome artifice of action it yet keeps poffeffion of the stage, it is not poffible now to find any thing that might not have been written without fo long delay, or a confederacy fo numerous.

To adjust the minute events of literary hiftory, is tedious and troublesome; it requires indeed no great force of understanding, but often depends upon enquiries which there is no opportunity of making, or is to be fetched from books and pamphlets not always at hand.

The Rebearful was played in 1671*, and yet is reprefented as ridiculing paffages in the Conqueft of Granada + and Affignation, which were not publifhed till 1678, in Marriage à-la-mode, published

It was published in 1672. R.

The Conquest of Granada was published in 1672, The Affignation in 1673, Marriage à-la-mode in the fame year, and Tyrannick Love in 1672. R.

in 1673, and in Tyrannick Live, of 1677. These contradictions fhew how rafhly fatire is applied.

It is faid that this farce was originally intended against Davenant, who, in the firft draught, was characterised by the name of Bilboa, Davenant

had been a foldier and an adventurer.

There is one paffage in the Rebear fal ftill remaining, which feems to have related originally to Davenant. Bayes hurts his nofe, and comes in with brown paper applied to the bruife; how this. affected Dryden, does not appear. Davenant's nofe had suffered fuch diminution by mishaps among the women, that a patch upon that part evidently denoted him.

It is faid likewife that Sir Robert Howard was once meant. The defign was probably to ridicule the reigning poet, whoever he might be.

Much of the perfonal fatire, to which it might owe its firft reception, is now loft or obfcured. Bayes probably imitated the drefs, and mimicked the manner, of Dryden: the cant words which are so often in his mouth may be fuppofed to have been Dryden's habitual phrafes, or customary exclamations. Bayes, when he is to write, is blooded and purged: this, as Lamotte relates himself to have heard, was the real practice of the poet.

There were other ftrokes in the Rehearsal by which malice was gratified; the debate between Love and Honour, which keeps prince Volfcius in a fingle boot, is faid to have alluded to the mifconduct of the duke of Ormond, who loft Dublin to the rebels while he was toying with a mistress.

The earl of Rochefter, to fupprefs the reputation of Dryden, took Settle into his protection, and endeavoured to perfuade the publick that its 6.

аррго

approbation had been to that time mifplaced. Settle was a while in high reputation: his Empress of Morocco, having firft delighted the town, was carried in triumph to Whitehall, and played by the ladies of the court. Now was the poetical meteor at the higheft; the next moment began its fall. Rochefter withdrew his patronage; feeming refolved, fays one of his biographers, to have a judgement contrary to that of the town;" perhaps being unable to endure any reputation beyond a certain height, even when he had himfelf contributed to raife it.

Neither criticks nor rivals did Dryden much mifchief, unless they gained from his own temper the power of vexing him, which his frequent burfts of refentment give reafon to fufpe&t. He is always angry at fome paft, or afraid of fome future cenfure; but he leffens the fmarts of his wounds by the balm of his own approbation, and endeavours to repel the fhafts of criticifm by oppofing a fhield of adamantine confidence.

The perpetual accufation produced against him, was that of plagiarifm, againft which he never attempted any vigorous defence; for though he was perhaps fometimes injurioufly cenfured, he would, by denying part of the charge, have confeffed the reft; and, as his adverfaries had the proof in their own hands, he, who knew that wit had little power against facts, wifely left, in that perplexity which it generally produces, a queftion which it was his intereft to fupprefs, and which, unless provoked by vindication, few were likely to ex

amine.

Though the life of a writer, from about thirtyfive to fixty-three, may be fuppofed to have been

fufficiently

fufficiently buffed by the compofition of eight-and twenty pieces for the ftage, Dryden found room in the fame fpace for many other undertakings.

But, how much foever he wrote, he was at least once fufpected of writing more; for in 1679 a paper of verfes, called An Ejay on Satire, was Thewn about in manufcript, by which the earl of Rochefter, the dutchefs of Portsmouth, and others, were fo much provoked, that, as was fuppofed (for the actors were never difcovered), they procured Dryden, whom they fufpected as the author, to be waylaid and beaten. This incident is men tioned by the duke of Buckinghamshire, the true writer, in his Art of Poetry; where he fays of Dryden,

Though prais'd and beaten for another's rhymes,
His own deferve as great applaufe fometimes.

His reputation in time was fuch, that his name was thought neceffary to the fuccefs of every poetical or literary performance, and therefore he was engaged to contribute fomething, whatever it miglit be, to many publications. He prefixed the Life of Polybius to the tranflation of Sir Henry Sheers; and thofe of Lucian and Plutarch to verfions their works by different hands. Of the English Tacitus he tranflated the first book; and, if Gordon be credited, tranflated it from the French. Such a charge can hardly be mentioned without fonie degree of indignation; but it is not, I fuppofe, fo much to be inferred, that Dryden wanted the 'literature neceffary to the perufal of Tacitus, as that, confidering himself as hidden in a crowd, he had no awe of the publick; and, writing merely for money, was contented to get it by the nearest way.

In