paffions. Whoever fays he cannot perform both parts, is but half a writer for the stage.

The Duke of Guife, a tragedy witten in conjunction with Lee, as Oedipus had been before, feems to deferve notice only for the offence which it gave to the remnant of the Covenanters, and in general to the enemies. of the court, who attacked him with great violence, and were answered by him; though at laft he seems to withdraw from the conflict, by transferring the greater part of the blame or merit to his partner. It happened that a contract had been made between them, by which they were to join in writing a play; and he happened, fays Dryden, to claim the promife juft upon the finishing of a foem, when I would have been glad of a little refpite.-Two thirds of it belonged to him and to me only the first scene of the play, the whole fourth act, and the first half or fomewhat more of the fifth.

;

This was a play written profeffedly for the party of the duke of York, whofe fucceffion was then opposed. A parallel is intended between the Leaguers of France and the Covenanters of England; and this intention produced the controverfy.

Albion and Albania is a mufical drama or opera, written, like the Duke of Guise, against the Republicans. With what fuccefs it was performed, I have not found.

The State of Innocence and Fall of Man is termed by him an opera: it is rather a tragedy in heroick rhyme, but of which the perfonages are fuch as cannot decently be exhibited on the stage. Some such production was foreseen by Marvel, who writes thus to Milton:

Or if a work fo infinite be spann'd,

Jealous I was leaft fome less skilful hand,
Such as difquiet always what is well,
And by ill-imitating would excel,

Might hence prefume the whole creation's day,
To change in fcenes, and fhow it in a play.

It is another of his hafty productions; for the heat of his imagination raised it in a month.

This compofition is addressed to the princefs of Modena, then dutchess of York, in a strain of flattery which difgraces genius, and which it was wonderful that any man that knew the meaning of his own words, could

ufe

ufe without self-deteftation. It is an attempt to mingle earth and heaven, by praifing human excellence in the language of religion.

The preface contains an apology for heroick verse, and poetick licence; by which is meant not any liberty taken in contracting or extending words, but the use of bold fictions and ambitious figures.

The reafon which he gives for printing what was never acted, cannot be overpaffed: "I was induced to it in my own defence, many hundred copies of it being dispersed "abroad without my knowledge or confent, " and every one gathering new faults, it be"came at length a libel against me." These copies as they gathered faults were apparently manuscript; and he lived in an age very unlike ours, if many hundred copies of fourteen hundred lines were likely to be tranfcribed. An author has a right to print his own works, and needs not feek an apology in falfehood; but he that could bear to write the dedication felt no pain in writing the preface.

Aureng

Aureng Zebe is a tragedy founded on the actions of a great prince then reigning, but over nations not likely to employ their criticks upon the tranfactions of the English ftage. If he had known and liked his own character, our trade was not in those times fecure from his refentment. His country is at fuch a distance, that the manners might be fafely falfified, and the incidents feigned; for remoteness of place is remarked by Racine, to afford the fame conveniencies to a poet as length of time.

This play is written in rhyme; and has the appearance of being the most elaborate of all the dramas. The perfonages are imperial; but the dialogue is often domestick, and therefore fufceptible of fentiments accommodated to familiar incidents. The complaint of life is celebrated, and there are many other paffages that may be read with pleasure.

This play is addreffed to the earl of Mulgrave, afterwards duke of Buckingham, himfelf, if not a poet, yet a writer of verses, and a critick. In this addrefs Dryden gave

the

epick poem.

the first hints of his intention to write an He mentions his defign in terms fo obfcure, that he feems afraid left his plan fhould be purloined, as, he fays, happened to him when he told it more plainly in his preface to Juvenal. "The "defign," fays he, " you know is great, the ftory English, and neither too near the prefent times, nor too diftant from them."

"

All for Love, or the World well lost, a tragedy founded upon the ftory of Antony and Cleopatra, he tells us, is the only play which he wrote for himself; the rest were given to the people. It is by univerfal confent accounted the work in which he has admitted the fewest improprieties of ftyle or character; but it has one fault equal to many, though rather moral than critical, that by admitting the romantick omnipotence of Love, he has recommended as laudable and worthy of imitation that conduct which, through all ages, the good have cenfured as vitious, and the bad despised as foolish.

Of this play the prologue and the epilogue, though written upon the common topicks