like the Duke of Guise,' against the Republicans. With what success it was performed I have not found.

'The State of Innocence and Fall of Man' is termed by him an opera; it is rather a tragedy in heroic rhyme, but of which the personages are such as cannot decently be exhibited on the stage. Some such production was foreseen by Marvel, who writes thus to Milton:—

'Or if a work so infinite be spann'd,

Jealous I was that some less skilful hand,
(Such as disquiet always what is well,
And by ill-imitating would excel,)

Might hence presume the whole creation's day,
To change in scenes, and show it in a play.'

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

10.

This composition is addressed to the Princess of Modena, then Duchess of York, in a strain of flattery which disgraces genius, and which it was wonderful that any man that knew the meaning of his own words could use without self-detestation. It is an attempt to mingle earth and heaven, by prais- 20 ing human excellence in the language of religion.

The preface contains an apology for heroic verse and poetic licence, by which is meant not any liberty taken in contracting or extending words, but the use of bold fictions and ambitious figures.

The reason which he gives for printing what was never acted cannot be overpassed: 'I was induced to it in my own defence, many hundred copies of it being dispersed abroad without my knowledge or consent, and every one gathering new faults, it became at length a libel against me.' These 30 copies as they gathered faults were apparently manuscript, and he lived in an age very unlike ours if many hundred copies of fourteen hundred lines were likely to be transcribed. An author has a right to print his own works, and needs not

seek an apology in falsehood, but he that could bear to write the dedication felt no pain in writing the preface.

'Aureng Zebe'' is a tragedy founded on the actions of a great prince then reigning, but over nations not likely to employ their critics upon the transactions of the English stage. If he had known and disliked his own character, our trade was not in those times secure from his resentment. His country is at such a distance that the manners might be safely falsified and the incidents feigned, for remoteness of 10 place is remarked by Racine to afford the same conveniences to a poet as length of time.

This play is written in rhyme, and has the appearance of being the most elaborate of all the dramas. The personages are imperial, but the dialogue is often domestic, and therefore susceptible of sentiments accommodated to familiar incidents. The complaint of life is celebrated, and there are many other passages that may be read with pleasure.

This play is addressed to the Earl of Mulgrave, afterwards Duke of Buckingham, himself, if not a poet, yet a writer of 20 verses and a critic. In this address Dryden gave the first hints of his intention to write an epic poem. He mentions his design in terms so obscure, that he seems afraid lest his plan should be purloined, as, he says, happened to him when he told it more plainly in his preface to Juvenal. The design,' says he, 'you know is great, the story English, and neither too near the present times nor too distant from them.'

'All for Love, or the World well Lost',' a tragedy founded upon the story of Antony and Cleopatra, he tells us is the 30 only play which he wrote for himself,' the rest were given to the people. It is by universal consent accounted the work in which he has admitted the fewest improprieties of style or character, but it has one fault equal to many, though rather 2 1678.

1 1676.

moral than critical, that by admitting the romantic omnipotence of love he has recommended as laudable and worthy of imitation that conduct which, through all ages, the good have censured as vicious and the bad despised as foolish.

Of this play the prologue and the epilogue, though written upon the common topics of malicious and ignorant criticism, and without any particular relation to the characters or incidents of the drama, are deservedly celebrated for their elegance and spriteliness.

'Limberham, or the Kind Keeper',' is a comedy which, 10 after the third night, was prohibited as too indecent for the stage. What gave offence, was in the printing, as the author says, altered or omitted. Dryden confesses that its indecency was objected to, but Langbaine, who yet seldom favours him, imputes its expulsion to resentment, because it 'so much exposed the keeping part of the town.'

Edipus' is a tragedy formed by Dryden and Lee, in conjunction, from the works of Sophocles, Seneca, and Corneille. Dryden planned the scenes, and composed the first and third.

acts.

20

'Don Sebastian' is commonly esteemed either the first or second of his dramatic performances. It is too long to be all acted, and has many characters and many incidents, and though it is not without sallies of frantic dignity, and more noise than meaning, yet as it makes approaches to the possibilities of real life, and has some sentiments which leave a strong impression, it continued long to attract attention. Amidst the distresses of princes, and the vicissitudes of empire, are inserted several scenes which the writer intended for comic, but which I suppose that age did not much commend and 30 this would not endure. There are, however, passages of excellence universally acknowledged; the dispute and the reconciliation of Dorax and Sebastian has always been admired.

1 1678.

This play was first acted in 1690, after Dryden had for some years discontinued dramatic poetry.

Amphitryon' is a comedy derived from Plautus and Molière. The dedication is dated Oct. 1690. This play seems to have succeeded at its first appearance, and was, I think, long considered as a very diverting entertainment.

19

'Cleomenes is a tragedy, only remarkable as it occasioned an incident related in the 'Guardian,' and allusively 10 mentioned by Dryden in his preface. As he came out from the representation, he was accosted thus by some airy stripling: Had I been left alone with a young beauty, I would not have spent my time like your Spartan.' 'That, Sir,' said Dryden, 'perhaps is true; but give me leave to tell you, that you are no hero.'

'King Arthur' is another opera. It was the last work that Dryden performed for King Charles, who did not live to see it exhibited, and it does not seem to have been ever brought upon the stage. In the dedication to the Marquis 20 of Halifax, there is a very elegant character of Charles, and a pleasing account of his latter life. When this was first brought upon the stage, news that the Duke of Monmouth had landed was told in the theatre, upon which the departed, and 'Arthur' was exhibited no more.

company

His last drama was 'Love Triumphant,' a tragi-comedy. In his dedication to the Earl of Salisbury he mentions 'the lowness of fortune to which he has voluntarily reduced himself, and of which he has no reason to be ashamed.'

This play appeared in 1694. It is said to have been 30 unsuccessful. The catastrophe proceeding merely from a change of mind, is confessed by the author to be defective. Thus he began and ended his dramatic labours with ill

success.

1 1692.

From such a number of theatrical pieces it will be supposed by most readers that he must have improved his fortune, at least that such diligence with such abilities must have set penury at defiance. But in Dryden's time the drama was very far from that universal approbation which it has now obtained. The playhouse was abhorred by the Puritans, and avoided by those who desired the character of seriousness or decency. A grave lawyer would have debased his dignity, and a young trader would have impaired his credit, by appearing in those mansions of dissolute licentiousness. IO The profits of the theatre, when so many classes of the people were deducted from the audience, were not great, and the poet had for a long time but a single night. The first that had two nights was Southerne, and the first that had three was Rowe. There were however, in those days, arts of improving a poet's profit which Dryden forbore to .practise, and a play therefore seldom produced him more than a hundred pounds, by the accumulated gain of a third night, the dedication, and the copy.

Almost every piece had a dedication, written with such 20 elegance and luxuriance of praise, as neither haughtiness nor avarice could be imagined able to resist. But he seems to have made flattery too cheap. That praise is worth nothing of which the price is known.

To increase the value of his copies, he often accompanied his work with a preface of criticism, a kind of learning then almost new in the English language, and which he, who had considered with great accuracy the principles of writing, was able to distribute copiously as occasions arose. By these dissertations the public judgment must have been much 30 improved, and Swift, who conversed with Dryden, relates that he regretted the success of his own instructions, and found his readers made suddenly too skilful to be easily natisfied.