with a mifcellaneous collection of critical remarks, fuch as coft a mind ftored like his no labour to produce them.

In 1697, he published his verfion of the works of Virgil; and, that no opportunity of profit might be loft, dedicated the Paftorals to the lord Clifford, the Georgics to the earl of Chesterfield, and the Eneid to the earl of Mulgrave. This œconomy of flattery, at once lavish and difcreet, did not pass without obfervation.

This translation was cenfured by Milbourne, a clergyman, ftiled by Pope the fairest of criticks, because he exhibited his own verfion to be compared with that which he condemned.

His laft work was his Fables, published in 1699, in confequence, as is fuppofed, of a contract now in the hands of Mr. Tonfon; by which he obliged himself in confideration of three hundred pounds, to finish for the press ten thousand verfes.

In this volume is comprised the well-known ode on St. Cecilia's day, which, as appeared by a letter communicated to Dr. Birch, he fpent a fortnight in compofing and correcting. But what is this to the patience and diligence of Boileau, whofe Equivoque, a poem of only three hundred forty-fix lines, took from his. life eleven months to write it, and three to revise it!

years

Part of this book of Fables is the first Iliad in English, intended as a fpecimen of a verfion of the whole. Confidering into what hands Homer was to fall, the reader cannot but rejoice that this project went no further.

The

The time was now at hand which was to put an end to all his schemes and labours. On the first of May 1701, having been some time, as he tells us, a cripple in his limbs, he died in Gerrard-street of a mortification in his leg.

There is extant a wild story relating to fome vexatious events that happened at his funeral, which, at the end of Congreve's Life, by a writer of I know not what credit, are thus related, as I find the account transferred to a biographical dictionary:

"Mr. Dryden dying on the Wednesday "morning, Dr. Thomas Sprat, then bishop "of Rochester and dean of Westminster, fent "the next day to the lady Elizabeth Howard, "Mr. Dryden's widow, that he would make a prefent of the ground, which was forty pounds, with all the other Abbey-fees. The "lord Hallifax likewife fent to the lady Eli"zabeth, and Mr. Charles Dryden her fon, that, if they would give him leave to bury "Mr. Dryden, he would inter him with a gentleman's private funeral, and afterwards "beftow five hundred pounds on a monu

ment in the Abbey; which, as they had no "reason to refufe, they accepted. On the Saturday following the company came; the corpfe was put into a velvet hearfe, and eighteen mourning coaches, filled with company, attended. When they were just ready to move, the lord Jefferies, son of the "lord chancellor Jefferies, with fome of his "rakish companions coming by, asked whose "funeral it was: and being told Mr. Dryden's, "he faid, "What shall Dryden, the greatest "honour and ornament of the nation, be

"buried

buried after this private manner! No, gentlemen, let all that loved Mr. Dryden, and "honour his memory, alight and join with "me in gaining my lady's confent to let me "have the honour of his interment, which "fhall be after another manner than this; " and I will beftow a thousand pounds on a monument in the Abbey for him." The gentlemen in the coaches, not knowing of "the bishop of Rochefter's favour, nor of the "lord Hallifax's generous defign (they both

having, out of refpect to the family, enjoined "the lady Elizabeth and her fon to keep their "favour concealed to the world, and let it pafs "for their own expence), readily came out of

the coaches, and attended lord Jefferies up "to the lady's bedfide, who was then fick: he repeated the purport of what he had before faid; but fhe abfolutely refufing, he fell on "his knees, vowing never to rife till his request

was granted. The reft of the company by "his defire kneeled alfo; and the lady, be

ing under a fudden furprize, fainted away. "As soon as the recovered her speech, fhe cri"ed, No, no. Enough, gentlemen, replied "he; my lady is very good, fhe fays, Go, go." "She repeated her former words with all her ftrength, but in vain; for her feeble voice

was loft in their acclamations of joy; and "the lord Jefferies ordered the hearsemen to carry the corps to Mr. Ruffel's, an under"taker's in Cheapfide, and leave it there till "he fhould fend orders for the embalment, "which, he added, fhould be after the royal His directions were obeyed, the company difperfed, and lady Elizabeth and " her

manner.

"her fon remained inconfolable. The next day Mr. Charles Dryden waited on the lord "Hallifax and the bishop, to excuse his mo"ther and himself, by relating the real truth. "But neither his lordship nor the bishop would "admit of any plea; efpecially the latter, who "had the Abbey lighted, the ground opened, "the choir attending, an anthem ready set, "and himself waiting for fome time without

any corpfe to bury. The undertaker, after "three days expectance of orders for embal

ment without receiving any, waited on the "lord Jefferies; who, pretending ignorance of "the matter, turned it off with an ill-natured

jeft, saying, That those who obferved the

orders of a drunken frolick deferved no "better; that he remembered nothing at all "of it; and that he might do what he pleased "with the corpfe. Upon this, the undertaker "waited upon the lady Elizabeth and her fon, "and threatened to bring the corpfe home, "and fet it before the door. They defired a day's refpite, which was granted. Mr.

"Charles Dryden wrote a handsome letter to "the lord Jefferies, who returned it with this "cool answer, "That he knew nothing of "the matter, and would be troubled no more "about it." He then addreffed the lord Hal"lifax and the bishop of Rochester, who ab

folutely refused to do any thing in it. In "this diftress Dr. Garth fent for the corpfe "to the College of Phyficians, and propofed a "funeral by fubfcription, to which himself "fet a most noble example. At last a day, "about three weeks after Mr. Dryden's decease, was appointed for the interment: Dr.

X

"Garth

"Garth pronounced a fine Latin oration, at "the College, over the corpfe; which was at"tended to the Abbey by a numerous train " of coaches. When the funeral was over, "Mr. Charles Dryden fent a challenge to the "lord Jefferies, who refufing to answer it, he "fent feveral others, and went often himself; "but could neither get a letter delivered, nor "admittance to speak to him: which fo in"cenfed him, that he refolved, fince his lord

ship refused to answer him like a gentleman, "that he would watch an opportunity to

meet, and fight off-hand, though with all "the rules of honour; which his lordship hearing, left the town: and Mr. Charles Dryden could never have the fatisfaction of meeting him, though he fought it till his "death with the utmost application."

This story I once intended to omit, as it appears with no great evidence; but having been fince informed that there is in the register of the College of Phyficians an order relating to Dryden's funeral, I can doubt its truth no longer.

This gradual change of manners, though imperceptible in the procefs, appears great when different times, and thofe not very diftant, are compared. If at this time a young drunken Lord fhould interrupt the pompous regularity of a magnificent funeral, what would be the event, but that he would be juftled out of the way, and compelled to be quiet? If he fhould thruft himself into a house, he would be fent roughly away; and what is yet more to the honour of the present time, I believe, that those who had subscribed to the fu

neral