;

The perpetual accufation produced against him, was that of plagiarism, against which he never attempted any vigorous defence for, though he was perhaps fometimes injuriously cenfured, he would by denying part of the charge have confeffed the reft; and as his adverfaries had the proof in their own hands, he, who knew that wit had little power against facts, wifely left in that perplexity which generality produces a question which it was his intereft to fuppress, and which, unless provoked by vindication, few were likely to examine.

Though the life of a writer, from about thirty-five to fixty-three, inay be supposed to have been sufficiently bufied by the composition of eight and twenty pieces for the stage, Dryden found room in the fame space for many other undertakings.

But, how much foever he wrote, he was' at least once fufpected of writing more; for in 1679 a paper of verfes, called an Essay on Satire, was fhewn about in manufcript, by which the earl of Rochefter, the dutchefs of Portsmouth, and others, were fo much pro

voked, that, as was fuppofed, for the actors were never difcovered, they procured Dryden, whom they fufpected as the author, to be waylaid and beaten. This incident is mentioned by the duke of Buckinghamshire, the true writer, in his Art of Poetry; where he fays of Dryden,

Though prais'd and beaten for another's rhymes, His own deferves as great applaufe fometimes.

His reputation in time was such, that his name was thought neceffary to the fuccefs of every poetical or literary performance, and therefore he was engaged to contribute something, whatever it might be, to many publications. He prefixed the Life of Polybius to the translation of Sir Henry Sheers; and thofe of Lucian and Plutarch to verfions of their works by different hands. Of the English Tacitus he tranflated the first book and, if Gordon be credited, tranflated it from the French. Such a charge can hardly be mentioned without fome degree of indignation; but it is not, I suppose, so much to be inferred that Dryden wanted the literature neceffary to the perufal of Tacitus, as that, confidering himself as hidden in a crowd, he had no awe of the publick; and writing

merely

merely for money, was contented to get it by the nearest way.

In 1680, the Epistles of Ovid being translated by the poets of the time, among which one was the work of Dryden, and another of Dryden and Lord Mulgrave, it was neceffa→ ry to introduce them by a preface; and Dryden, who on fuch occafions was regularly fummoned, prefixed a difcourfe upon tranflation, which was then ftruggling for the liberty that it now enjoys. Why it should find any difficulty in breaking the shackles of verbal interpretation, which must for ever debar it from elegance, it would be difficult to conjecture, were not the power of prejudice every day observed. The authority of Jonfon, Sandys, and Holiday, had fixed the judgement of the nation; and it was not eafily believed that a better way could be found than they had taken, though Denham, Waller, and Cowley, had tried to give examples of a different practice,

In 1681, Dryden became yet more confpicuous by uniting politicks with poetry, in the memorable fatire called Abfalom and Achitophel, written against the faction which,

by

by lord Shaftesbury's incitement, fet the duke of Monmouth at its head.

Of this poem, in which perfonal fatire was applied to the fupport of publick principles, and in which therefore every mind was interested, the reception was eager, and the fale fo large, that my father, an old bookfeller, told me, he had not known it equalled but by Sacheverell's trial.

The reason of this general perufal Addifon has attempted to derive from the delight which the mind feels in the investigation of fecrets; and thinks that curiofity to decypher the names procured readers to the poem. There is no need to enquire why those verses were read, which, to all the attractions of wit, elegance, and harmony, added the cooperation of all the factious paffions, and filled every mind with triumph or refentment.

It could not be supposed that all the provocation given by Dryden would be endured without refistance or reply. Both his perfon and his party were expofed in their turns to the fhafts of fatire, which, though neither fo

5

well

well pointed nor perhaps fo well aimed, undoubtedly drew blood.

One of these poems is called Dryden's Sa tire on his Mufe; afcribed, though, as Pope fays, falfely, to Somers, who was afterwards Chancellor. The poem, whofe foever it was, has much virulence, and fome fpriteliness. The writer tells all the ill that he can collect both of Dryden and his friends.

The poem of Abfalom and Achitophel had two anfwers, now both forgotten; one called Azaria and Hufhia; the other Abfalom fenior. Of thefe hoftile compofitions, Dryden apparently imputes Abfalom fenior to Settle, by quoting in his verses against him the second line. Azaria and Hufbia was, as Wood fays, imputed to him, though it is fomewhat unlikely that he should write twice on the fame occafion. This is a difficulty which I cannot remove, for want of a minu ter knowledge of poetical tranfactions.

The fame year he published the Medal, of which the subject is a medal struck on lord Shaftesbury's escape from a prosecution, by the ignoramus of a grand jury of Londoners.

In