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THE

BRITISH PLUTARCH.

THE LIFE OF

JOHN DRYDEN.

HIS illuftrious poet was fon of Erafmus Dryden, of Tickermish, in Northamptonshire; and born at Aldwincle, near Oundle, in 1631*. He had hiseducation in grammar-learning at Weftminster-fchool, under the famous Dr. Bulby; and was from thence elected, in 1650, a fcholar of Trinity-college in Cambridge.

VOL. VIII.

* Athen. Oxon.

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We have no account of any extraordinary indications of genius given by this great poet while in his earlier days; and he is one instance how little regard is to be paid to the figure a boy makes at fchool. Mr. Dryden was turned of thirty before he introduced any play upon the ftage; and his firft, called The Wild Gallants, met with a very indifferent reception; fo that, if he had not been impelled, by the force of genius and propenfion, he had never again attempted the ftage.-A circumftance which the lovers of dramatic poetry must ever have regretted, as they would, in this cafe, have been deprived of one of the greatest ornaments that ever adorned the profeffion.

The year before he left the university, he wrote a poem on the death of lord Haftings: "A performance," say some of his critics, very unworthy of himself, and of the aftonishing genius he afterwards difcovered."

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That Mr. Dryden had, at this time, no fixed principles, either in religion or politics, is abundantly evident Rom his heroic ftanzas on Oliver Cromwell, written after his funeral in 1658; and immediately upon the restoration he published Aftræa Redux, a poem on the happy restoration of Charles the Second; and the fame year, his Panegyric to the king on his coronation. In the former of these pieces, a remarkable diftich has exposed our poet to the ridicule of the wits.

An

An horrid ftillness firft invades the ear,
And in that filence we the tempest hear.

Which, it must be owned, is downright nonfenfe, and a contradiction in terms.Amongst others, captain Radcliff has ridiculed this blunder in the following lines of his News From Hell.

Laureat, who was both learn'd and florid,
Was damn'd long fince for filence horrid;
Nor had there been fuch clutter made,
But that his filence did invade.
Invade, and fo it might, that's clear;
But what did it invade? An ear!

In 1662, he addreffed a poem to the lordchancellor Hyde, prefented on New Year's Day; and, the fame year, published a fatire on the Dutch. His next piece was his Annus Mirabilis, or, The Year of Wonders, 1668 an historical poem, which celebrated the duke of York's victory over the Dutch. In the fame year, Mr. Dryden fucceeded Sir William Davenant as poet-laureat, and was also made historiographer to his majefty; and that year publifhed his Effay on Dramatic Poetry, addreffed to Charles earl of Dorfet and Middlefex.

Mr. Dryden tells his patron, that the writing this effay ferved as an amusement to him in the country, when he was driven from town by B 2

the

We have no account of any extraordinary indications of genius given by this great poet while in his earlier days; and he is one instance how little regard is to be paid to the figure a boy makes at fchool. Mr. Dryden was turned of thirty before he introduced any play upon the stage; and his firft, called The Wild Gallants, met with a very indifferent reception; fo that, if he had not been impelled, by the force of genius and propenfion, he had never again attempted the ftage.-A circumftance which the lovers of dramatic poetry muft ever have regretted, as they would, in this cafe, have been deprived of one of the greatest ornaments that ever adorned the profeffion.

The year before he left the university, he wrote a poem on the death of lord Haftings: "A performance," fay fome of his critics, very unworthy of himself, and of the astonishing genius he afterwards difcovered."

That Mr. Dryden had, at this time, no fixed principles, either in religion or politics, is abundantly evident from his heroic stanzas on Oliver Cromwell, written after his funeral in 1658; and immediately upon the restoration he published Aftræa Redux, a poem on the happy restoration of Charles the Second; and the fame year, his Panegyric to the king on his coronation. In the former of these pieces, a remarkable diftich has expofed our poet to the ridicule of the wits.

An

An horrid ftillness firft invades the ear,
And in that filence we the tempest hear.

Which, it must be owned, is downright nonfenfe, and a contradiction in terms.Amongst others, captain Radcliff has ridiculed this blunder in the following lines of his News From Hell.

Laureat, who was both learn'd and florid,
Was damn'd long fince for filence horrid;
Nor had there been fuch clutter made,
But that his filence did invade.
Invade, and fo it might, that's clear;
But what did it invade? An ear!

In 1662, he addreffed a poem to the lordchancellor Hyde, prefented on New Year's Day; and, the fame year, published a fatire on the Dutch. His next piece was his Annus Mirabilis, or, The Year of Wonders, 1668; an historical poem, which celebrated the duke of York's victory over the Dutch. In the fame year, Mr. Dryden fucceeded Sir William Davenant as poet-laureat, and was also made historiographer to his majefty; and that year publifhed his Effay on Dramatic Poetry, addreffed to Charles earl of Dorfet and Middlesex.

Mr. Dryden tells his patron, that the writing this effay ferved as an amusement to him in the country, when he was driven from town by B 2

the

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