planned the scenes, and compofed the first and third acts.

Don Sebaftian 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 some sentiments which beam a ftrong impreffion, it continued long to attract attention. Amidst the diftreffes of princes, and the viciffitudes of empire, are inferted several 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 firft 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 feems to have fucceeded at its firft appearance; and was, I think, long confidered as a very diverting entertain

ment.

Cleomenes, 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 ftripling: Had I been left alone with a young beauty, I would not have spent my time like your Spartan

Spartan. That, Sir, faid Dryden, perhaps is but give me leave to tell you, that

true; no hero.

you are King Arthur 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 seem to have been ever brought upon the stage. In the dedication to the marquis of Halifax there is a very elegant character of Charles, and a pleasing account of his latter life.

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 faid to have been unfuccefsful. 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 most 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 univer. fal approbation which it has now obtained. The playhouse was abhorred by the Puritans, and avoided by those who defired the character of ferioufnefs or decency. A grave lawyer would have debased his dignity, and a young trader would have impaired his credit, by appearing in thofe manfions of diffolute licentioufnefs. The profits of the theatre, when fo

many

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 those 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.

Almoft every piece had a dedication, written with fuch elegance and luxuriance of praise, as neither haughtiness nor avarice could be imagined able to refift. 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 little known, and therefore welcome as a novelty, and of that flexile and applicable kind, that it might be always introduced without apparent violence or affectation. 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 easily fatified.

His prologues had fuch reputation, that for fome time a play was confidered as less likely to be well received, if fome of his verses did not introduce it. The price of a prologue was two guineas, till being asked to write one for Mr. Southerne, 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 published All for Love, Affignation, two parts of the Conquest of Granada, Sir Martin Marall, and the State of Innocence, fix complete plays; with a celerity of performance, which, though all Langbaine's charges of plagiarism should be allowed, fhews fuch facility of compofition, fuch readiness of language, and fuch copiousness of sentiment, as fince the time of Lopez de Vega, perhaps no other author has poffeffed.

He did not enjoy his reputation, however great, nor his profits, however small, without molestation. 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 themselves his enemies.

Buckingham characterised him in 1671, by the name of Bays in the Rehearsal; a farce which he is faid to have written with the af fiftance of Butler the author of Hudibras, Martin Clifford of the Charterhouse, 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 stage, it is not poffible now

to

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 troublesome; 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 Conqueft of Granada and Affignation, which were not published till 1678, in Marriage Alamode published in 1673, and in Tyrannick Love of 1677. These contradictions fhew how rafhly fatire is applied.

It is faid that this farce was originally intended against Davenant, who in the firft draught was characterised by the name of Bilboa. Davenant had been a foldier and an adventurer.

There is one paffage in the Rehearsal still remaining, which feems to have related originally to Davenant. Bays hurts his nofe, and comes in with brown paper applied to the bruife: how this affected Dryden does not appear. Davenant's nofe had fuffered fuch diminution by mishaps among the women, that a patch upon that part evidently denoted him.

It is faid likewife that Sir Robert Howard was once meant. The defign was probably to ridicule the reigning poet, whoever he might be.

Much of the perfonal fatire, to which it might owe its first reception, is now lost or obícured. Bays probably imitated the dress, and mimicked the manner, of Dryden; the

cant