seems to have given Addison a model for his Dialogues upon Medals.

Secret Love, or the Maiden Queen, is a tragi-comedy. In the preface he difcuffes a curious question, whether a poet can judge well of his own productions: and determines very justly, that, of the plan and dispofition, and all that can be reduced to principles of science, the author may depend upon his own opinion; but that, in those parts where fancy predominates, felf-love may eafily deceive. He might have obferved, that what is good only because it pleases, cannot be pronounced good till it has been found to please.

Sir Martin Marall is a comedy, published without preface or dedication, and at first without the name of the author. Langbaine charges it, like most of the rest, with plagiarism; and obferves that the fong is tranflated from Voiture, allowing however that both the fenfe and measure are exactly obferved.

The Tempest is an alteration of Shakspeare's play, made by Dryden in conjunction with Davenant, "whom," fays he, "I found of

"fo

66

"fo quick a fancy, that nothing was propofed to him in which he could not fuddenly produce a thought extremely pleasant and furprifing; and those first thoughts of his, contrary to the Latin proverb, were not always the least happy; "and as his fancy was quick, so likewise were the products of it remote and new. "He borrowed not of any other, and his "imaginations were fuch as could not easily "" enter into other man."

66

any

The effect produced by the conjunction of these two powerful minds was, that to Shakspeare's monster Caliban is added a fifter-monster. Sicorax ; and a woman, who, in the original play, had never seen a man, is in this brought acquainted with a man that had never seen a woman.

About this time, in 1673, Dryden seems to have had his quiet much disturbed by the fuccefs of the Empress of Morocco, a tragedy written in rhyme by Elkanah Settle; which was so much applauded, as to make him think his fupremacy of reputation in some danger. Settle had not only been profperous on the stage, but, in the confidence of

fuccefs,

success, had published his play, with sculptures and a preface of defiance. Here was one offence added to another; and, for the laft blaft of inflammation, it was acted at Whitehall by the court-ladies.

Dryden could not now reprefs thefe emotions, which he called indignation, and others jealoufy; but wrote upon the play and the dedication fuch criticifm as malignant impatience could pour out in haste.

"He's

Of Settle he gives this character. an animal of a moft deplored understanding, without converfation. His being "in a twilight of fenfe, and some glimmer

66

ing of thought, which he can never fashion "into wit or English. His style is boister"ous and rough-hewn, his rhyme incor

rigibly lewd, and his numbers perpetually "harfh and ill-founding. The little talent "which he has, is fancy. He sometimes "labours with a thought; but, with the

pudder he makes to bring it into the "world, 'tis commonly ftill-born; so that, "for want of learning and elocution, he will never be able to express any thing either naturally or justly!"

66

This is not very decent; yet this is one of the pages in which criticism prevails moft over brutal fury. He proceeds: "He "has a heavy hand at fools, and a great

felicity in writing nonfenfe for them. "Fools they will be in fpite of him. His King, his two Empreffes, his villain, and "his fub-villain, nay his hero, have all a "certain natural caft of the father-their folly was born and bred in them, and fomething of the Elkanah will be vifible."

A

This is Dryden's general declamation; I will not withhold from the reader a particular remark. Having gone through the first act, he says, "To conclude this act with "the most rumbling piece of nonfenfe "spoken yet,

"To flattering lightning our feign'd fmiles "conform,

"Which back'd with thunder do but gild a "ftorm.

Conform a fmile to lightning, make a smile. "imitate lightning, and flattering lightning: "lightning fure is a threatening thing. " ́And this lightning must gild a storm. Now "if I must conform my fmiles to lightning, "then

"then my fmiles must gild a storm too :

66

66

to gild with fmiles is a new invention of gilding. And gild a ftorm by being "backed with thunder. Thunder is part of "the ftorm; fo one part of the storm must

66

help to gild another part, and help by backing; as if a man would gild a thing "the better for being backed, or having a "load upon his back. So that here is gilding by conforming, fmiling, lightning,

backing, and thundering. The whole is as "if I fhould fay thus, I will make my "counterfeit fmiles look like a flattering "stone-horse, which, being backed with a

trooper, does but gild the battle. I am "mistaken if nonfenfe is not here pretty "thick fown. Sure the poet writ these two "lines aboard fome fmack in a ftorm, and, "being fea-fick, fpewed up a good lump "of clotted nonsense at once."

Here is perhaps a fufficient specimen ; but as the pamphlet, though Dryden's, has never been thought worthy of republication, and is not eafily to be found, it may gratify curiofity to quote it more largely.

Whene'er she bleeds,

He no feverer a damnation needs,

That