ticular relation to the characters or incidents of the drama, are deservedly celebrated for their elegance and fprightliness.

Limberbam, or the kind Keeper (1680), is a comedy, which, after the third night, was prohibited as too indecent for the ftage. What gave offence, was in the printing, as the author fays, altered or omitted. Dryden confeffes that its indecency was objected to; but Langbaine, who yet feldom favours him, imputes its expulfion to refentment, because it so much expofed the keeping part of "the town."

Oedipus (679) is a tragedy formed by Dryden and Lee, in conjunction, from the works of Sophocles, Seneca, and Corneille. Dryden planned the fcenes, and compofed the first and third acts.

Don Sebastian (1690) is commonly esteemed either the firft or fecond of his dramatick performances. It is too long to be all acted, and has many characters and many incidents; and though it is not without fallies of frantick dignity, and more noise than meaning, yet, as it makes approaches to the poffibilities of real life, and has fome fentiments which leave a strong impreffion, it continued long to attract attention. Amidft the diftreffes of princes, and the viciffitudes of empire, are inferted feveral fcenes which the writer intended for comick; but which, I fuppofe, that age did not much commend, and this would not endure. There are, however, paffages of excellence univerfally acknowledged; the difpute and the reconciliation of Dorax and Sebaftian has always been admired.

This play was first acted in 1690, after Dryden had for fome years difcontinued dramatick poetry.

Amphytrion is a comedy derived from Plautus and Moliere. The dedication is dated Oct. 1690. This play seems to have fucceeded at its first appearance; and was, I think, long confidered as a very diverting entertainment.

Cleomenes (1692) is a tragedy, only remarkable as it occafioned an incident related in the Guardian, and allufively mentioned by Dryden in his preface. As he came out from the reprefentation, he was accofted thus by fome airy ftrippling : "Had I been "left alone with a young beauty, I would not have "fpent my time like your Spartan." "That, Sir," faid Dryden, "perhaps is true; but give me leave "to tell you that you are no hero."

King Arthur (1691) is another opera. It was the laft work that Dryden performed for King Charles, who did not live to fee it exhibited, and it does not feem to have been ever brought upon the stage *. In the dedication to the Marquis of Halifax, there is a very elegant character offCharles, and a pleasing account of his latter life. When this was firft brought upon the ftage, news that the Duke of Monmouth had landed was told in the theatre upon which the company departed, and Arthur was exhibited no

more.

His last drama was Love Triumphant, a tragi-comedy. In his dedication to the Earl of Salisbury he mentions" the lownefs of fortune to which he has

*This is a mistake. It was fet to mufick by Purcell, and well received, and is yet a favourite entertainment. H.

❝ voluntarily reduced himself, and of which he has "no reason to be afhamed."

This play appeared in 1694. It is faid to have been unfuccessful. The catastrophe, proceeding merely from a change of mind, is confeffed by the author to be defective. Thus he began and ended his dramatick labours with ill fuccefs.

From fuch a number of theatrical pieces, it will be fuppofed, by moft readers, that he must have improved his fortune; at least, that fuch diligence with fuch abilities must have fet penury at defiance. But in Dryden's time the drama was very far from that univerfal approbation which it has now obtained. The playhouse was abhorred by the Puritans, and avoided by those who defired the character of feririousness or decency. A grave lawyer would have debafed his dignity, and a young trader would have impaired his credit, by appearing in those manfions of diffolute licentioufnefs. The profits of the theatre, when fo many claffes of the people were deducted from the audience, were not great; and the poet had, for a long time, but a fingle night. The first that had two nights was Southern; and the first that had three was Rowe. There were, however, in thofe days, arts of improving a poet's profit, which Dryden forbore to practife; and a play therefore feldom produced him more than a hundred pounds, by the accumulated gain of the third night, the dedication, and the copy.

Almost every piece had a dedication, written with fuch elegance and luxuriance of praife, as neither haughtiness nor avarice could be imagined able to refift. But he feems to have made flattery too

cheap.

cheap. That praife 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 criticifm; a kind of learning then almoft new in the English language, and which he, who had confidered with great accuracy the principles of writing, was able to diftribute copioufly as occafions arofe. By thefe differtations the publick judgement must have been much improved; and Swift, who converfed with Dryden, relates that he regretted the fuccefs of his own inftructions, and found his readers made fuddenly too fkilful to be eafily fatisficd.

His prologues had fuch reputation, that for fome time a play was confidered as lefs likely to be well received, if fome of his verfes did not introduce it. The price of a prologue was two guineas, till, being afked to write one for Mr. Southern, he demanded three: "Not," faid he, "young man, out of difrefpect to you; but the players have had my goods "too cheap."

Though he declares, that in his own opinion his genius was not dramatick, he had great confidence in his own fertility; for he is faid to have engaged, by contract, to furnish four plays a year.

It is certain that in one year, 1678 *, he publifhed All for Love, Affignation, two parts of the Conqueft of Granada, Sir Martin Marr-all, and the State of Innocence, fix complete plays, with a celerity of performance, which, though all Langbane's charges

* Dr. Johnfon in this affertion was mifled by Langbaine. Only one of these plays appeared in 1678. Nor were there more than three in any one year. The dates are now added from the original editions. R.

of

of plagiarifm fhould be allowed, fhews fuch facility of compofition, fuch readiness of language, and fuch copiousness of fentiment, as, fince the time of Lopez de Vega, perhaps no other author has ever poffeffed.

He did not enjoy his reputation, however great, nor his profits, however fmall, without moleftation. He had criticks to endure, and rivals to oppofe. The two moft diftinguifhed wits of the nobility, the Duke of Buckingham and Earl of Rochefter, declared themfelves his enemies.

Buckingham characterifed him, in 1671, by the name of Bayes in the Rebearfal; a farce which he is faid to have written with the affiftance of Butler, the author of Hudibras; Martin Clifford, of the Charterhoufe; and Dr. Sprat, the friend of Cowley, then his Chaplain. Dryden and his friends laughed at the length of time, and the number of hands, employed upon this performance; in which, though by fome artifice of action it yet keeps poffeffion of the ftage, it is not poffible now to find any thing that might not have been written without fo long delay, or a confederacy fo numerous.

To adjust the minute events of literary hiftory, is tedious and troublefome; it requires indeed no great force of understanding, but often depends upon enquiries which there is no opportunity of making, or is to be fetched from books and pamphlets not always at hand.

The Rehearsal was played in 1671 *, *, and yet is reprefented as ridiculing paffages in the Conquest of Granada† and Affignation, which were not published

It was published in 1672. R.

+ The Conquest of Granada was published in 1672; The Afignation, in 1673; Marriage à-la-mode in the fame year; and TyTannick Love, in 1672.

till