In 1680, the Epiftles of Ovid being tranflated by the poets of the time, among which one was the work of Dryden, and another of Dryden and Lord Mulgrave, it was neceffary to introduce them by a preface; and Dryden, who on fuch occafions was regularly fummoned, prefixed a difcourfe upon tranflation, which was then ftruggling for the liberty that it now enjoys. Why it should find any difficulty in breaking the fhackles of verbal interpretation, which muft for ever debar it from elegance, it would be difficult to conjecture, were not the power of prejudice every day obferved. The authority of Jonfon, Sandys, and Holyday, had fixed the judgement of the nation; and it was not eafily believed that a better way could be found than they had taken, though Fanfhaw, Denham, Waller, and Cowley, had tried to give examples of a different practice.

In 1681, Dryden became yet more confpicuous by uniting politicks with poetry, in the memorable fatire called Abfalom and Achitophel, written against the faction, which, by Lord Shaftesbury's incitement, fet the duke of Monmouth at its head.

Of this poem, in which perfonal fatire was applied to the fupport of public principles, and in which therefore every mind was interested, the reception was eager, and the fale fo large, that my father, an old bookfeller, told me, he had not known it equalled but by Sacheverell's trial.

The reafon of this general perufal Addifon has attempted to derive from the delight which the mind feels in the investigation of fecrets; and thinks that curiofity to decypher, the names procured readers. to the poem. There is no need to enquire why thofe verfes were read, which, to all the attractions

of

of wit, elegance, and harmony, added the co-operation of all the factious paffions, and filled every mind with triumph or refentment.

It could not be fuppofed that all the provocation given by Dryden would be endured without refiftance or reply. Both his perfon and his party were expofed in their turns to the fhafts of fatire, which, though neither fo well-pointed nor perhaps fo well aimed, undoubtedly drew blood.

One of these poems is called Dryden's Satire on bis Mufe; afcribed, though, as Pope fays, falfely, to Sommers, who was afterwards chancellor. The poem, whofefoever it was, has much virulence, and fome spritelinefs. The writer tells all the ill that he can collect both of Dryden and his friends.

The poem of Abfalom and Achitophel had two anfwers, now both forgotten; one called Azaria and Hufbai; the other Abfalom fenior. Of thefe hoftile compofitions, Dryden apparently imputes Abfalom fenior to Settle, by quoting in his veríes against him the fecond line. Azaria and Hufbai was, as Wood fays, imputed to him, though it is fomewhat unlikely that he fhould write twice on the fame occafion. This is a difficulty which I cannot remove, for want of a minuter knowledge of poetical tranfactions.

The fame year he published the Medal, of which the fubject is a medal ftruck on Lord Shaftesbury's efcape from a profecution, by the ignoramus of a grand jury of Londoners.

In both poems he maintains the fame principles, and faw them both attacked by the fame antagonist. Elkanah Settle, who had answered Ahfalom, appeared with equal courage in oppofition to the Medal, and published an answer called The Medal

Medal reverfed, with fo much fuccefs in both encounters, that he left the palm doubtful, and divided the fuffrages of the nation. Such are the revolutions of fame, or fuch is the prevalence of fashion, that the man whofe works have not yet been thought to deferve the care of collecting them, who died forgotten in an hospital, and whofe latter years were spent in contriving fhows for fairs, and carrying an elegy or epithalamium, of which the beginning and end were occafionally varied, but the intermediate parts were always the fame, to every houfe where there was a funeral or a wedding, might with truth have had infcribed upon his ftone,

Here lies the Rival and Antagonist of Dryden.

Settle was, for his rebellion, feverely chaftifed by Dryden under the name of Doeg, in the fecond part of Abfalom and Achitophel, and was perhaps for is factious audacity made the city poet, whofe annual office was to defcribe the glories of the Mayor's day. Of these bards he was the laft, and feems not much to have deferved even this degree of regard, if it was paid to his political opinions; for he afterwards wrote a panegyrick on the virtues. judge Jefferies: and what more could have been doy the meaneft zealot for prerogative?

Ofanflated fragments, or occafional poems, to enumerate the titles, or fettle the dates, would be tedious, with little ufe. It may be obferved, that, as Dryden's genius was commonly excited •·by fome perlonal regard, he rarely writes upon a general topick.

Soon after the acceffion of king James, when the defign of reconciling the nation to the church

of

of Rome became apparent, and the religion of the court gave the only efficacious title to its favours, Dryden declared himfelf a convert to popery. This at any other time might have paffed with little cenfure. Sir Kenelm Digby embraced popery; The two Reynolds reciprocally converted one another; and Chillingworth himself was a while fo entangled in the wilds of controverfy, as to retire for quiet to an infallible church. If men of are gument and ftudy can find fuch difficulties or fuch motives, as may either unite them to the church of Rome, or detain them in uncertainty, there can be no wonder that a man, who perhaps never enquired why he was a Proteftant, fhould by an artful and experienced difputant be made a Papist, overborn by the fudden violence of new and unexpected arguments, or deceived by a reprefentation which fhews only the doubts' on one part, and only the evidence on the other.

That converfion will always be fufpected that apparently concurs with intereft. He that never finds his error till it hinders his progrefs towards wealth or honour, will not be thought to love Truth only for herself. Yet it may easily happen that information may come at a commodious time; and, as truth and intereft are not by any fatal neceffity at variance, that one may by accident introduce the other. When opinions are ftruggling into popularity, the arguments by which they are oppofed or defended become more known; and he that changes his profeffion would perhaps have

Dr. John Reynolds, who lived temp. Jac. I. was at firft a zealous Papift, and his brother William as earneft a Proteftant, but by mutual difputation each converted the other. Vide Fuller's Church Hiftory, p. 47. book X. H.

changed!

changed it before, with the like opportunities of inftruction. This was the then ftate of Popery; every artifice was ufed to fhew it in its faireft form; and it must be owned to be a religion of external appearance fufficiently attractive.

It is natural to hope that a comprehensive is likewife an elevated foul, and that whoever is wife is alfo honeft. I am willing to believe that Dryden, having employed his mind, active as it was, upon different ftudies, and filled it, capacious as it was, with other materials, came unprovided to the controverfy, and wanted rather kill to difcover the right, than virtue to maintain it. But enquiries into the heart are not for man; we must now leave him to his Judge.

The priests, having ftrengthened their caufe by fo powerful an adherent, were not long before they brought him into action. They engaged him to defend the controverfial papers found in the ftrongbox of Charles the Second, and, what yet was harder, to defend them againft Stillingfleet.

With hopes of promoting Popery, he was em ployed to tranflate Maimbourg's Hiftory of the League; which he published with a large introduction. His name is likewife prefixed to the English Life of Francis Xavier; but I know not that he ever owned himself the tranflator. Perhaps the use of his name was a pious fraud, which however feems not to have had much effect; for neither of the books, I believe, was ever popular.

The version of Xavier's Life is commended by Brown, in a pamphlet not written to flatter; and the occafion of it is faid to have been, that the Queen, when fhe folicited a fon, made vows to him as her tutelary faint.

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