Abbey lighted, the ground opened, the choir attending, an anthem ready fet, and himfelf "waiting for fome time without any corpfe to

bury. The undertaker, after three, days expect"ance of orders for embalment without receiving "any, waited on the lord Jefferies; who pretend

ing ignorance of the matter, turned it off with "an ill-natured jeft, faying, that thofe who ob "ferved the orders of a drunken frolick deserved "no better; that he remembered nothing at all of

it; and that he might do what he pleafed with the corpfe. Upon this, the undertaker waited "upon the lady Elizabeth and her fon, and threats "ened to bring the corpfe home, and fet it before "the door. They defired a day's refpite, which

was granted. Mr. Charles Dryden wrote a hand"fome letter to the lord Jefferies, who returned it "with this cool anfwer: That he knew nothing

of the matter, and would be troubled no more about it.' He then addreffed the lord Halifax and "the bishop of Rochester, who abfolutely refused "to do any thing in it. In this diftrefs Dr. Garth "fent for the corpfe to the College of Phyficians, "and propofed a funeral by fubfcription, to which

himfelf fet a moft noble example. At laft a day, "about three weeks after Mr. Dryden's decease, 66 was appointed for the interment. Dr. Garth pronounced a fine Latin oration, at the College, over the corpfe; which was attended to the Ab, bey by a numerous train of coaches. When the "funeral was over, Mr. Charles Dryden fent a ઠંડ challenge to lord Jefferies, who refufing to anfwer it, he fent feveral others, and went often "himfelf; but could neither get a letter delivered, "nor admittance to fpeak to him; which fo in" cenfed

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"cenfed him, that he refolved, fince his lordship "refused to answer him like a gentleman, that he "would watch an opportunity to meet, and fight "off-hand, though with all the rules of honour; "which his lordship hearing, left the town; and "Mr. Charles Dryden could never have the fatif"faction of meeting him, though he fought it till his death with the utmoft application."

This story I once intended to omit, as it appears with no great evidence; nor have I met with any confirmation, but in a letter of Farquhar; and he only relates that the funeral of Dryden was tumultuary and confused *.

Suppofing the story true, we may remark, that the gradual change of manners, though imperceptible in the procefs, appears great when different times, and thofe not very diftant, are compared. If at this time a young drunken Lord fhould interrupt the pompous regularity of a magnificent funeral, what would be the event, but that he would be juftled out of the way, and compelled to be quiet? If he fhould thruft himself into a houfe, he would be fent roughly away; and, what is yet

* An earlier account of Dryden's funeral than that above cited, though without the circumstances that preceded it, is given by Edward Ward, who in his London Spy, published in 1706, relates, that on the occafion there was a performance of folemn Mufick at the College, and that at the proceffion, which himself faw, standing at the end of Chancery-lane, Fleet-freet, there was a concert of hautboys and trumpets. The day of Diyden's interment, he fays, was Monday the 13th of May, which, according to Johnson, was twelve days after his decease, and fhews how long his funeral was in fufpenfe. Ward knew not that the expence of it was defrayed by fubfcription; but compliments lord Jefferies for fo pious an undertaking. He alfo fays, that the caufe of Dryden's death was an inflammation in his toe, occafioned by the flesh growing Over the nail, which being neglected produced a mortification in his leg. H.

more

more to the honour of the prefent time, I believe that thofe, who had fubfcribed to the funeral of a man like Dryden, would not, for fuch an accident, have withdrawn their contributions *.

He was buried among the poets in Westminster Abbey, where, though the duke of Newcastle. had, in a general dedication prefixed by Congreve, to his dramatick works, accepted thanks for his intention of erecting him a monument, he lay long without diftinction, till the duke of Buckinghamshire gave him a tablet, infcribed only with the name of DRYDEN.

He married the lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of the earl of Berkshire, with circumftances, ac cording to the fatire imputed to lord Sommers, not very honourable to either party by her he had three fons, Charles, John, and Henry. Charles was usher of the palace to Pope Clement the XIth; and, vifiting England in 1704, was drowned in an attempt to fwim acrofs the Thames at Windsor.

John was author of a comedy called The Hufband his own Cuckold. He is faid to have died at Rome. Henry entered into fome religious order. It is fome proof of Dryden's fincerity in his fecond re-› ligion, that he taught it to his fons. A man, confcious of hypocritical profeffion in himself, is not likely to convert others; and as his fons were qualified in 1693 to appear among the tranflators of

* In the Register of the College of Phyficians, is the following Entry: "May 3, 1700. Comitiis Cenforiis ordinariis. At the "requeft of feveral perfons of quality, that Mr. Dryden might be "carried from the College of Phyficians to be interred at Weft"minfter, it was unanimoufly granted by the Prefident and "Cenfors,"

This entry is not calculated to afford any credit to the narrative concerning Lord Jefferies. R.

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Juvėnal,

Juvenal, they must have been taught fome religion before their father's change.

Of the perfon of Dryden I know not any account; of his mind, the portrait which has been left by Congreve, who knew him with great familiarity, is fuch as adds our love of his manners to our admiration of his genius. "He was, we are told," of a nature exceedingly humane and com"paffionate, ready to forgive injuries, and capable "of a fincere reconciliation with those who had of"fended him. His friendship, where he profeffed "it, went beyond his profeffions. He was of a "very eafy, of very pleafing accefs; but fome

❝ ever.

what flow, and, as it were, diffident in his ad$6 vances to others; he had that in his nature "which abhorred intrufion into any fociety whatHe was therefore lefs known, and confequently his character became more liable to mif"apprehenfions and mifreprefentations: he was very modeft, and very eafily to be discoun-"tenanced in his approaches to his equals or fu"periors. As his reading had been very extensive, "fo was he very happy in a memory tenacious of

every thing that he had read. He was not more "poffeffed of knowledge than he was communi"cative of it; but then his communication was by

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no means pedantick, or impofed upon the con"versation, but juft fuch, and went fo far, as, by "the natural turn of the converfation in which he ་་ was engaged, it was neceffarily promoted or required. He was extremely ready and gentle in "his correction of the errors of any writer who "thought fit to confult him, and full as ready and patient to admit the reprehenfions of others, in "refpect of his own overfights or mistakes."

Το

To this account of Congreve nothing can be ob→ jected but the fondness of friendship; and to have excited that fondness in such a mind is no fmall degree of praife. The difpofition of Dryden, howe ever, is fhewn in this character rather as it exhibited itself in curfory converfation, than as it ope rated on the more important parts of life. His placability and his friendship indeed were folid virtues; but courtesy and good-humour are often found with little real worth. Since Congreve, who knew him well, has told us no more, the reft must be collected as it can from other teftimonies, and particularly from thofe notices which Dryden has very liberally given us of himself.

The modefty which made him fo flow to adyance, and fo eafy to be repulfed, was certainly no fufpicion of deficient merit, or unconfcioufnefs of his own value; he appears to have known, in its whole extent, the dignity of his own character, and to have fet a very high value on his own powers and performances. He probably did not offer his converfation, because he expected it to be folicited and he retired from a cold reception, not fubmiffive but indignant, with fuch deference of his own greatnefs as made him unwilling to expofe it to neglect or violation.

His modefty was by no means inconfiftent with oftentatioufnefs; he is diligent enough to remind the world of his merit, and expreffes with very little fcruple his high opinion of his own powers; but his felf-commendations are read without fcorn or indignation; we allow his claims, and love his franknefs.

Tradition, however, has not allowed that his confidence in himfelf exempted him from jealoufy