Whatever was extravagant, or too warmly expreffed, or any way unnatural, the author has nidiculed by parody.

Mr. Dryden affected to despise the satire lewelled at him in the Rehearfal, as appears from his dedication of the tranflation of Juvenal and Perfius; where, fpeaking of the many lampoons and libels that had been written against him, he fays,

"I answered not to the Rehearsal, because I knew the author fat to himself when he drew the picture, and was the very Bays of his own farce; because I also knew my betters were more concerned than I was in that fatire ; and, laftly, becaufe Mr. Smith and Mr. Johnfon, the main pillars of it, were two fuch languishing gentlemen in their conversation, that I could liken them to nothing but their own relations, thofe noble characters of men of wit and pleasure about town."

In 1679, came out an Effay on Satire, faid to be written jointly by Mr. Dryden and the earl of Mulgrave. This piece, which was handed about in manufcript, containing reflections on the duchefs of Portfmouth and the earl of Rochester; who fufpecting, as Wood fays, Mr. Dryden to be the author, hired three ruffians to cudgel him in Wills's coffee-house, at eight o'clock at night. This fhort anecdote, I think, cannot be told without indignation. It proved Rochester was a malicious ·B. 5. coward,

coward, and, like other cowards, cruel and infolent; his foul was incapable of any thing that approached towards generofity; and, when his refentment was heated, he pursued revenge, and retained the most lafting hatred : he had always entertained a prejudice against Dryden from no other motive than envy; Dryden's plays met with fuccefs, and this was enough to fire the refentment of Rochester, who was naturally envious.

In order to hurt the character, and shake the intereft of this noble poet, he recommended Crown, an obfcure man, to write a Mafque for the court, which was Dryden's province, as poet-laureat, to perform. Crown in this fucceeded; but, foon after, when his play, called the Conqueft of Jerufalem, met with fuch extraordinary applaufe, Rochester, jealous of his new favourite, not only abandoned him, but commenced, from that mor ment, his enemy.

The other perfon against whom this fatire was levelled, was not fuperior in virtue to the former; and, all the nation over, two better fubjects for fatire could not have been found, than lord Rochester and the duchess of Portfmouth. As for Rochefter, he had not genius enough to enter the lifts with Dryden, fo he fell upon another method of revenge, and meanly hired bravoes to affault him.

In 1680, came out a translation of Ovid's Epiftles in English verfe, by feveral hands; two of which were tranflated by Mr. Dryden,

who

who alfo wrote the preface. In the year following, our author published Abfalom and Achitophel. It was first printed without his name, and is a fevere fatire against the contrivers and abettors of the oppofition against king Charles II.

In the fame year that Abfalom and Achitophel was published, the Medal, a fatire, was likewife given to the public. This piece is aimed against fedition, and was occafioned by the friking of a medal on account of the indictment against the earl of Shaftsbury for high-treafon, being found ignoramus by the grand-jury, at the Old-Bailey: for which the whig party made great rejoicings by ringing of bells, bonfires, &c. in all parts of London. The poem is introduced in a very fatirical epitle to the whigs, in which the author fays,

"I have one favour to defire of you at parting, that, when you think of answering this poem, you would employ the fame pens against it, who have combated with fo much fuccefs against Abfalom and Achitophel; for then you may affure yourselves of a clear victory without the leaft reply. Rail at me abundantly, and not break a cuftom to do it with wit. By this method you will gain a confiderable point; which is, wholly to wave the anfwer of my arguments. If God has not bleffed you with the talent of rhiming, make ufe of my poor ftock and welcome; let your verfes run upon my feet; and, for the utmost

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refuge

refuge of notorious blockheads, reduced to the last extremity of fenfe, turn my own lines against me; and, in utter defpair of my own fatire, make me fatirize myself."

The whole poem is a fevere invective against the earl of Shaftsbury, who was uncle to that earl who wrote the Characteristics. Mr. Elkanah Settle wrote an answer to this poem, entitled the Medal Reversed. However contemptible Settle was as a poet, yet fuch was the prevalence of parties at that time, that, for fome years, he was Dryden's rival on the stage.

In 1682, came out his Religio Laici, or a Layman's Faith. This piece is intended as a defence of revealed religion, and the excellency and authority of the fcriptures, as the only rule of faith and manners, against Deifts, Papifts, and Prefbyterians. He acquaints us, in the preface, that it was written for an ingenious young gentleman, his friend, upon his tranflation of Father Simons's Critical Hiftory of the Old Testament, and that the ftyle of it was epiftolary.

In 1684, he published a tranflation of M. Maimbourg's Hiftory of the League, in which he was employed by the command of king Charles II. on account of the plain parallel between the troubles of France and thofe of Great Britain. Upon the death of Charles II. he wrote his Threnodia Auguftalis, a poem, facred to the happy memory of that prince. Soon after the acceffion of James II. our au

thor turned Roman Catholic, and, by this extraordinary step, drew upon himself abun dance of ridicule from wits of the oppofite faction; and, in 1689, he wrote a Defence of the Papers, written by the late king, of bleffed memory, found in his ftrong box.

Mr. Dryden, in the above-mentioned piece, takes occafion to vindicate the autho rity of the catholic church, in decreeing mat ters of faith, upon this principle, that the church is more vifible than the fcriptures, be cause the scriptures are feen by the church, and to abuse the reformation in England; which he affirms was erected on the foundation of luft, facrilege, and ufurpation. Dr. Stil lingfleet hereupon anfwered Mr. Dryden, and treated him with fome feverity.

Another author affirms, That Mr. Dryden's tract is very light, in fome places ridiculous; and obferves, that his talent lay towards controverfy no more in profe, than, by the Hind and Panther it appeared to do in verfe. This poem of the Hind and Panther is a direct defence of the Romish church, in a dialogue be tween a Hind, which represents the church of Rome; and a Panther, which fupports the character of the church of England. The first part of this poem confifts molt in general characters and narration; "which," fays he, "I have endeavoured to raise, and give it the majestic turn of heroic poetry. The fecond being matter of dispute, and chiefly concern