But fee where artful DRYDEN next appears, She forms her voice, fhe moves our smiles or tears. ADDISON. EDINBURG: AT THE Apollo Prefs, BY THE MARTINS, THE LIFE OF JOHN DRYDEN. THIS illuftrious Poet was son of Erafmus Dryden of Tichmerish in Northamptonfhire, third son of Sir Erafmus Dryden of Canons-Afhby, in the fame county, Baronet, and born at Aldwincle, near Oundle, 163)*. He had his education in grammar-learning at Westminfter-school, under the famous Dr. Bufby, and was from thence elected, in 165c, a fcholar of TrinityCollege in Cambridge. 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 school. 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 circumflance which the lovers of dramatick 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 Volume I. *Athen. Oxon. A poem on the death of Lord Hastings, a performance, fay fome of his criticks, 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 politicks, is abundantly evident from his Heroick Stanzas on Oliver Cromwell, written after his funeral 1658; and immediately upon the Restoration he published Aftræa Redux, a poem on the happy restoration of Charles II.; and the fame year his Panegyrick to the King on his Coronation. in 1662 he addressed a poem to the Lord Chancellor Hyde, presented on New-year's-day, and the fame year published a Satire 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 Laureate, and was also made Historiographer to his Majefty; and that year published his Essay on Dramatick Poetry, addressed to Charles Earl of Dorset 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 the violence of the plague which then raged in London; and he diverted himfelf with thinking on the theatres, as lovers do by ruminating on their abfent mistrelles. He there juftifies the method of writing plays in verfe, but confeffes that he has quitted |