top of an old tower belonging to the Vatican at Rome, occasioned by a swimming in his head, with which he was seized, the heat of the day being excessive. He again recovered, but was ever after in a languishing sickly state. In the thirty-third year of his age, being returned to England, he was unhappily drowned at Windsor. He had with another gentleman swam twice over the Thames; but returning a third time, it was supposed he was taken with the cramp, because he called out for help too late. Thus the father's calculation proved but too prophetical."

Such is the story which Mr. Malone examines with his wonted acuteness, and disproves in many of its parts; still he allows that Dryden was weak enough to confide in the science of astrology, in which he was countenanced by some distinguished men of the last age: and it is extremely probable says he, that he predicted at the birth of his eldest son that some calamity would happen to him in his eighth and twenty-eighth year, and that both his predictions were fortuitously fulfilled. We know from his letter to him, written in September, 1697, that he had calculated his nativity; and he has himself told us, that every thing to that time, had happened according to his prediction from other passages it may be collected, that Charles Dryden had suffered much by some accidental fall at Rome: and a tradition is yet preserved in the family, that on the poet's death, his eldest son found in his pocket-book the horoscope

roscope in which several of the calamities of his life were predicted.*

One of Dryden's greatest friends was the Earl of Dorset, of whose liberality to him Jacob relates the following instance: speaking of Tom Brown, he says, "towards the latter part of his life I am informed he was in favour with the Earl of Dorset, who invited him to dinner on a Christmas day, with Mr. Dryden, and some other gentlemen famous for learning and ingenuity, (according to his lordship's custom) when Mr. Brown to his agreeable surprize found a bank note of fifty pounds under his plate, and Mr. Dryden at the same time was presented with another of one hundred pounds."*

In his private character Dryden seems to have been of a placid disposition, and rather diffident; but according to Congreve he was friendly and good-natured, easy of access, and very ready to be reconciled after a quarrel. His favourite amusement in the country was angling, and he was proud of his skill in that sport. When in London he frequented Will's Coffee-house, Covent-garden, so much as almost to be taken for an inhabitant of it. In consequence of this, that house became the common place of assembly

* Life of Dryden, p. 420.

Jacob's Historical Account of English Poets, Svo

1720, p. 16.

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for

for the wits of the time, and so it continued for many years afterwards. Here Dryden had an armed chair, which in the winter had a settled and prescriptive place by the fire, and in the summer was placed in the balcony; which two places he called his winter and his summer seat."*

He was a great taker of snuff, and we are told by a contemporary writer that it was considered as a great honour by those who frequented the coffee-house to have a pinch out of Dryden's snuff-box.t

Of his domestick life, Mr. Malone gives us this account, "He usually devoted his mornings to the composition of his various works: and his study was in a room on the ground floor next the street. His hour of dinner did not exceed two o'clock, after which he repaired to the coffeehouse."

The following bon mots have been recorded of Dryden :

When a young fellow just come from his play of Cleomenes, told him in raillery against the continency of his principal character, "If I had been left alone with a fair lady, I should not have passed my time like your Spartan :" "That may be❞ answered the bard, with a very grave face, "but give me leave to tell you Sir, that is because you are no hero."

* Johnson's Life of Dryden. + Ward's London Spy.

Lady

Lady Elizabeth Dryden coming one morning into his study, and finding he did not attend to her, exclaimed, "Lord! Mr. Dryden, you are always poring upon these musty books;—I wish I was a book and then I should have more of your company."--"Well, my dear," replied the poet, "When you do become a book, pray let it be an almanack; for then at the end of the year I shall lay you quietly on the shelf, and shall be able to pursue my studies without interruption."†

Being with Lord Mulgrave, at his seat near Whitby in Yorkshire, they agreed to play a match at bowls, and promised that neither of the m should try the ground beforehand. In the evening, however, Dryden's servant discovered his lord ship taking his distances and measuring his casts: and informed his master. He took no notice of

+ A similar story is told in the Chevræana, but it must be confessed in a much better manner than the above, which is taken from Mr. Malone, who had it from the late Lord Orford. That by Chevreau is worth transcribing here.

"A professor in the Academy of Saumur used to spend five honrs in the morning in his study, but was very punctual at the dinner hour. One day on his not appearing at the usual time his wife entered his study, and found him still reading. "I wish, my love" said the lady" that I was a book:" "Why so" said the professor. "Because you would then be constant to me."-" I should have no objection" replied the professor "provided you were an almanack."-" Why an almanack my dear"-"Because I should then have a new one every

year."

it; but the next day after Dryden had bowled, Lord Mulgrave before he delivered his bowl, cried out "My life, Dryden, to a turnip, that I beat you."-"Lay me an even wager, my Lord," said the bard," and I will take you up."

A gentleman returning from one of D'Urfey's plays the first night it was acted, said to Dryden "Was there ever such stuff? I could not have imagined that even this author could have written so ill."-"O Sir" said Dryden "you don't know my friend Tom as well as I do: I'll answer for him he will write worse yet."

r

Notwithstanding his confidence in his own powers, he was not entirely free from jealousy of his rivals. "He would compliment Crowne (as old Jacob Tonson told Mr. Spence) when a play of his failed; but was cold to him if he met with success. He sometimes used to say, that Crowne had some genius; but then he always added that his father and Crowne's mother were very well acquainted."

On one occasion Tonson having refused to advance him a sum of money for a work in which he was engaged, he sent a second message to the bookseller with the following lines, adding "Tell the dog that he who wrote these can write more :"

With leering looks, bull faced and freckled fair,
With two left legs, and Judas-coloured hair
And frowzy pores that taint the ambient air.

Tonson felt the description, and instantly sent the money.

The