topicks of malicious and ignorant criticism, and without any particular relation to the characters or incidents of the drama, are deservedly celebrated for their elegance and spriteliness.

Limberham, or the kind Keeper, is a comedy, which, after the third night, was prohibited as too indecent for the stage. What gave offence, was in the printing, as the author fays, altered or omitted. Dryden confeffes that its indecency was objected to; but Langbaine, who yet feldom favours him, imputes its expulfion to refentment, becaufe it fo much expofed the keeping part of the

town.

Oedipus is a tragedy formed by Dryden and Lee, in conjunction, from the works of Sophocles, Seneca, and Corneille. Dryden planned the scenes, and compofed the first and third acts.

Don Sebaftian is commonly esteemed either the first or second of his dramatick performances. It is too long to be all acted, and has many characters and many incidents;

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dents; 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 fome fentiments which leave a strong impreffion, it continued long to attract attention. Amidst the diftreffes of princes, and the viciffitudes of empire, are inferted several scenes which the writer intended for comick; but which, I suppose, 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 first acted in 1690, after Dryden had for fome years difcontinued. dramatick poetry.

Amphitryon is a comedy derived from Plautus and Moliere. The dedication is dated Oct. 1690. This play feems to have fucceeded at its first appearance; and was, I think, long confidered as a very diverting entertainment.

Cleomenes

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 representation, 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. That, Sir, faid Dryden, perhaps is true; but give me leave to tell you, that you are no hero.

King Arthur is another opera. It was the laft work that Dryden performed for King Charles, who did not live to see it exhibited; and it does not feem 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 pleafing account of his latter life.

His laft 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 afbamed.

VOL. II.

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This

This play appeared in 1694. It is faid to have been unsuccessful. 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 supposed, by most readers, that he must have improved his fortune; at least, that fuch diligence with such abilities must have fet penury at defiance. But in Dryden's time the drama was very far from that univerfal 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 those manfions of diffolute licentioufnefs. The profits of the theatre, when fo 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

firft 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.

Almost every piece had a dedication, written with fuch elegance and luxuriance of praife, 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 almost hew in the English language, and which he, who had confidered with great accuracy the principles of writing, was able to distribute copiously without much labour. By thefe differtations the publick judgment must have been much improved; and Swift, who converfed with Dryden, relates that he regretted the fuccefs of his own inftructions, and found