86 66 66 << whofe verfes are before Milton's poem, who discovered in fo public a manner an extraordinary opinion "of Milton's extraordinary merit. "And yet Mr Dryden at that time "knew not half the extent of his excellence, as more than twenty years afterwards he confeffed to me, "and is pretty plain from his writing the State of Innocence." Had he known the full extent of Milton's excellence, Dennis thought he would not have ventured on this undertaking unless he defigned to be a foil to him: "but they," he adds, "who "knew Mr Dryden, knew very well "that he was not of a temper to de 46 fign to be a foil to any one*." In confequence of fome manufcript copies of this opera having got abroad, it feems to have been attacked before it had yet appeared in print; for he tells us that "Milton had been "taxed by fome falfe critics for "choofing a fupernatural argument;" and he quotes four of his own lines, which he fays, had been "fufficiently "canvaffed by his ill-natured cenfu"rers:" "Cherub and Seraph, careless of their "And wanton in full eafe now live at large; The critical pamphlet which contains thefe remarks, I have never feen. Swift has cenfured Dryden for dedicating this work+ to three different patrons, as if that were a novel practice, first introduced by our author. He might have been told of Spencer, of Chapman, of Fuller, and others, who were equally lavish So little at this time was Milton's great work known or admired, that Rymer, who promifed in 1678 to publish fome ftrictures upon it (a promife which he never fulfilled), fpeaks of it with extreme contempt, as a worthless piece, which fome are pleafed to call a poem ; nor was it much attended to till about fourteen years" and difcreet," long before the pubafter it had been converted into an lication of the English Virgil; and opera. Our author, however, with in modern times, Garth, Young, and equal candour, modefty, and good Thomfon, have not difdained to foltafte, thus highly extols it: "I can- law Dryden's example, Swift, though not, without injury to the deceased his kinfman, feems to have hated "author of Paradife Loft, but ack- him, and has taken every opportu"nowledge that this poem" [the nity of depreciating him." I do afState of Innocence] "has received "firm" (fays he, in the Dedication "its entire foundation, part of the of the Tale of a Tub, to Prince Po"defign, and many of the ornaments, fterity), "upon the word of a fincere "from him. What I have borrowed "man, that there is now actually in "will be fo easily difcerned from "being a certain poet called John my mean productions, that I fhall "Dryden, whofe tranflation of Vir"not need to point the reader to the "gil was lately printed in a large places. And truly I should be forry, "folio well-bound; and if diligent for my own fake, that any one "fearch were made, for aught I fhould take the pains to compare "them together, the original being "undoubtedly one of the greateft, "most noble, and fublime poems, "which either this age or nation has "produced." 66 know, is yet to be feen." In his Battle of the Books, he again fpeaks of this tranflation with equal contempt; and in his Rhapfody on Poetry, he undervalues Dryden's critical labours. * Dennis's Letters, vol. i. p. 75, 8vo. 1721. Ed. Mag. June 1800. 31 How. However pleasant and useful it ever erroneously, to the abdicated monarch, be could not have addreffed a panegyric to his fucceffor, though unquestionably worthy of the highest praife, without forfeiting all pretenfions to confiftency and dignity of character. Tonfon, his bookfeller, was fo defirous of precuring this dedication, which he probably imagined would promote the fale of the book, that, in retouching the plates, he made the engraver throughout the work always reprefent Eneas with a hooked nose, that he might resemble the illuftrious prince then on the throne. may be to live fometimes with the laughers, we must not greatly rely on them for accuracy of statement; for if they can but produce a lively reprefentation, they are not always nicely fcrupulous concerning truth. The greater part of Dryden's Prefaces are prefixed to his plays, which were were fold at the stated price of all other plays, and did not produce to the author any additional emolument in confequence of a prefatory appendage: nor would his Virgil, Ì believe, have brought him one fhilling the lefs, though it had been given to the world without either preface or dedication of any kind. The origin of all this malignity was, Swift's having fubmitted to Dryden, for his perufal and judgment (probably about the year 1692), a parcel of Pindaric Odes, which the old bard returned fome time afterwards, faying," Coufin Swift, you will never be a poet." Three of these Odes have fince been pub, lished, and are fuch miferable performauces, that they fully juftify the judgment which Dryden then formed of his kinfman. I may add, that it is not furprising that Dryden's declaration, while he was ftruggling with want, and oppreffed by fickness, that "he thanked God that he pof "feffed his foul in patience," should be fneered at by him, the greater part of whofe life was embittered by difappointed ambition, and who has himself told us, that in the grave alone he expected freedom from the exacerbations of anger and difguft, which for a long feries of years had lacerated his bosom. To the numerous encomiaftic addreffes which are found in his works, fome of his friends, and his eldest fon, feem to have wished that he fhould have added one more, by dedicating his Virgil to King William. This propofal it is much to his honour that he rejected; for, attached as he had been for many years, how From the month of Auguft 1689, to the time of his death, a period of near eleven years, we muft, it ap pears, confider Dryden poffeffed of no other income but that which was derived from his own fmall eftate, aided by the occafional bounty of his noble friends, and his own literary exertions. In this period he brought out five plays, the profits of which amounted probably to five hundred pounds: the author's third night producing ufually about feventy pounds, and the play itself being fold to the book feller for thirty guineas. Nothing, perhaps, more ftrongly fhows the great fertility of his mind, than his having written near one hundred prologues and epilogues, for the most part of extraordinary excellence; having never been affifted by a friend with this kind of decoration to any of his own plays, except in two inftances; and having fupplied the contemporary dramatifts with above forty pieces of this difficult species of compofition. His price for a prologue or epilogue is faid by Dr. Warburton to have been originally four guineas; till being asked by Southerne to write one, he required fix; "Not," faid he, " young man, "out of difrefpect to you, but the "players have had my goods too "cheap." This ftory, Warburton fays, was told by Southerne to him and and Pope, nearly at the fame time. In the Life of Southerne, however, published thortly afterwards by Shiels and the younger Cibber, on the teftimony of a gentleman who had been perfonally acquainted with that poet, the fums are faid to have been five and ten guineas; and Dr. Johnfon, with more probability, fuppofes, that Dryden's original price for a prologue was two guineas, and that from Southerne he demanded three: fo difficult is it to elicit truth from any traditional tale. By his tranflation of Virgil, he got at the leaft twelve hundred pounds. Of his other works it is not easy to afcertain the price; but from the letters which paffed between him and his bookfeller, it may be collected, that he usually received fifty guineas for about fifteen hundred lines. Tonfon, who seems to have confidered the making of verfes as much a manufacture as the making of paper, Each word and fyllable brought to the fcale, And valued to a fcruple in the fale; for on one occafion we find him complaining bitterly, that he had not enough for his money. "If," fays he, "the matter of fact as I ftate it "be true (and, upon my word, what "I mention I can fhow you in your letter), then pray, Sir, confider "how much dearer I pay than you "offered it to the other bookfeller; "for he might have had to the end "of the ftory of Daphnis [Daphne] "for twenty guineas, which is, in "your tranflation, 759 lines; and "then, fuppofe twenty guineas more "for the fame number (759 lines), "that makes for forty guineas 1518 "lines; and all that I have for fifty "guineas are but 1446: fo that, if "I have no more, I pay ten guineas "above forty, and have feventy-two "lines lefs for fifty, in proportion, "than the other bookfeller fhould "bave had for forty!" Degrading as it may appear to our author, we muft, 3 therefore, now eftimate his works, not by their value, but their bulk. At the rate already mentioned, his tranflation of Juvenal and Perfius, to which he contributed about 3500 verfes, would not have produced more than 1254; but in confideration of the excellence of the original, as well as the tranflation, and that the latter was not a detached but an entire work, 150%. may perhaps be eftimated as the profit of that undertaking. From the Fables, we know, he derived but 2681. 15s. (though afterwards, on that contract, a further fum became due to his reprefentatives); and for the two volumes of Mifcellanies published within his period, the verfions of Du Fresnoy, and the first book of Tacitus, various Dedications, and fome other productions, 300l. more may be allowed. To these feveral fums, which amount to 2418. 15s. we may add, perhaps, a fum of 1000/. derived probably from the munificence of Lord Dorset, the Marquis of Normandy, the Dutchefs of Ormond, and his wealthy kinfman of Chesterton, whofe noble prefent, in return for the epiftle addreffed to him, he received about a month before his death; and whofe liberality at a former period he alfo acknowledges, in a letter which has come to my hands fince fome of the preceding fheets were printed. At an average, therefore, fuppofing thefe ftatements to be correct, his annual income from all thefe fources, including his private eftate, even during this diftrefsful period of eleven years, was above 400l. per annum. Yet his complaints were not without ground; for let it be remembered, that his three fons were now grown to man's eftate, without any profpect of future provifion, except what his little patrimony afforded; that when he made thefe complaints, he had no certain revenue but about 120l. per annum; and that the principal fupport of his family was obtained by unceasing toil, I 2 rene rendered still more irksome by age and infirmities. "This is a business," fays he, in a letter to Tonfon, in 1697, "of the greatest confequence "in the world; for you know how "I love Charles; and therefore I "write to you with all the earneft"ness of a father. If I muft die of "over-ftudy, I cannot fpend my life "better than in saving his." Nor was the conftant labour by which these fums were required, his only grievance: the greater part of his income being occafional and cafual, was no fmall evil, and he must have experienced much embarraffment from the uncertainty of his revenue; in affluence, perhaps, for half the year, and during the other half often without a guinea. Inftead of fuffering him to earn a precarious and uncertain livelihood by laborious and inceffant literary exertions, it furely would have been more noble in the 'minifters of King William to have fettled on him a penfion equal in value to the falary of the offices which he had confcientiously relinquished; overlooking his former fatires, and his prefent political and religious at tachments, which latter, if at all at tended to, entitled him to refpect; and confidering him only as one of the greatest poets which England had produced in many centuries; who, on that ground alone, at fuch an advanced period of life, had án indifputable claim to eafe and independence. William, however, was no patron of poets*: and Dryden received no favour whatfoever, either from the prince on the throne, or thofe to whom the difpenfation of the royal bounty was entrusted. During this calamitous feafon of his life, it should be remembered to his honour, that his spirit was un broken; and however he may have complained of distress and embarraffments, no regard to his interest could induce him to abandon his religious or political opinions; as is evinced by a paper written but fix months before his death, in which he speaks of his fituation and prospects with great dignity and fortitude. What has hindered me from writing to you (fays he, in a letter to a kinfwoman), was neither ill health, nor a worfe thing, ingratitude; but a flood of little bufineffes, which yet are neceffary to my fubfiftence, and of which I hoped to have given you a good account before this time: but the court rather fpeaks kindly of me, than does any thing for me, though they promife largely; and perhaps they think I will advance as they go backward; in which they will be much deceived, for I can never go an inch beyond my confcience and honour. If they will confider me as a man who has done my best to im prove the language, and efpecially the poetry, and will be content with my acquiefcence under the present government, and forbearing fatire on it, that I can promife, because I can perform it; but I can neither take the oaths, nor forfake my religion. (To be continued.) *King William, fays Lord Orford," had fo little leifure to attend to, or fo little dif pofition to men of wit, that when St. Evremont was introduced to him, the King faid Coldly, "I think you were a Major-general in the French fervice." Anecdotes of Painting, iii. 113. cannot be repaired without immediately retiring into the country. A quarter's allowance is but the Jefuites' powder to my disease; the fitt will return a fortnight hence. If I durft, I would plead a little merit, and fome hazards of my life from the common enemyes; my refuseing advantages offered by them, and neglecting my beneficiall ftudyes, for the king's fervice: but I only thinke I merit not to fterve. I never apply'd myfelfe to any intereft contrary to your lordship's; and on fome occafions, perhaps not known to you, have not been unferviceable to the memory and reputation of my lord, your father. After this, my lord, my confcience affures me I may write boldly, though I cannot fpeak to you. I have three fonns, growing to man's estate; I breed them all up to learning, beyond my fortune; but they are too hopeful to be neglected, though I want. Be pleased to looke on me with an eye of compaffion: fome fmall employment would render my condition eafy. The king is not unfatisfied of me; the duke has often promised me his affiftance; and your lord hip is the conduit through which their favours paffe: either in the cuftomes, or the appeals of the excife, or some other way, meanes cannot be wanting, if you please to have the will. 'Tis enough for one age to have neglected Mr Cowley, and fterv'd Mr Butler; but neither of them had the happiness to live till your lordship's ministry. In the meane time, be pleased to give me a gracious and speedy answer to my prefent request of halfe a yeare's penfion for my neceffitys. I am going to write fomewhat by his majesty's command, and cannot itirr into the country for my health and ftudies, till I fecure my family from want. You have many petitions of this nature, and cannot fatisfy all: but I hope from your goodness, to be made an exception to your general rules, becaufe I am, with all fincerity, your lordfhip's moft obedient humble fervant, John Dryden. [The following is a letter from Jacob Tonfon, Dryden's bookseller, and exhibits fuch an inftance of bargaining for poetry, as neither authors nor bookfellers in our days are much acquainted with. It is a real curiofity. We have rectified the mispellings in this letter, and omitted the abbreviations, to render it more easily read.] Probably written in January or February 1692-3. SIR, I have here returned the Ovid, which I read with a great deal of pleasure, and think nothing can be more entertaining; but by this letter you find I am not fo well fatisfied as perhaps you might think. I hope at the fame time, the matter of fact I lay down in this letter will appear grounds for it, and which I beg you would confider of; and then I believe I fhall at least be excufed. You may pleafe, Sir, to remember, that upon my firit propofal about the Third Mifcellany, I offered fifty pounds, and talked of feveral authors, without naming Ovid. You afked if it fhould not be guineas, and faid I fhould not repent it: upon which I immediately complied, and left it wholly to you what, and for the quantity too: and I declare it was the fartheft in the world from my thoughts, that by leaving it to you I fhould have the lefs. Thus the cafe ftood, when you went into Effex. After I came out of Northamptonfhire, I wrote to you, and received a letter dated Monday, Oct. 3, 92, from which letter I now write word for word what follows. I am tranflating about fix hundred lines, or fomewhat lefs, of the first book of the Metamorphofes. If 1 cannot get my price, which thail be twenty guineas, I will tranflate the whole book; which coming out before the whole tranflation will spoil Tate's |