the Medal. Dryden took the hint, carried the poem as soon as it was written to the king, and had a present of one hundred broad pieces for it." His servility to the court was manifested in a remarkable manner, at the close of this reign. Before the death of Charles, Dryden composed a political opera, called "Albion and Albanius," which had been rehearsed before his majesty, who expressed himself highly pleased with the performance, and no doubt it must have been very acceptable to him, for the avowed object of the poet was to celebrate the new restoration of the king, in consequence of the defeat of Shaftesbury and his party; a thought which he had before versified in the concluding lines of his memorable poem: Henceforth a series of new time began, The performance of this opera having been prevented by the death of the king, it was not produced for some months; its first exhibition being on the 6th of June, 1685. Unluckily, on Saturday the 13th of that month, while it was performing for the sixth time, an account reached the theatre, that the Duke of Monmouth had landed in the west; which created such consternation, that the audience retired in confusion, and Albion and Albanius was performed no more.* * Malone's Life of Dryden. At At this time Dryden openly declared himself a convert to popery, and obtained an addition of one hundred pounds a year to his salary. What his religion had been before this, it is difficult to guess. Under Oliver he was a professed sectary; afterwards he seems to have accommodated himself to the licentious humour of Charles, by his ridicule of priestcraft. His profession of popery at the beginning of the new reign, is, therefore, only a proof of the versatility of his temper, and his readiness to turn with every wind that blew. True it is, he remained fixed to his new faith, and displayed his zeal like most fresh converts, in exalting the church to which he had joined himself. His poem, entituled, "The Hind and the Panther," was intended to represent the church of Rome as the only true church, and to stigmatize the protestant communion as a spotted beast. Nothing can be more ridiculous than Dryden's management of this subject; and it is a question whether, in reality, he did not render more harm than good to the cause of which he was the advocate, in this poem. It was the occasion of an admirable answer, under the title of "The Hind and the Panther, transversed to the Story of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse," written by Mr. Prior and Charles Montague, afterwards Earl of Halifax. Dryden was greatly hurt by this piece, particularly when he knew who were the authors; and Dr. Lockier, Dean of Peterborough, heard him express express his concern in these words," for two young fellows that I have always been very civil to, to use an old man in so cruel a manner :" "and," adds the dean," he wept as he said it.*" The Revolution made a great change in Dryden's affairs; he was again reduced to write for the booksellers. He was succeeded in his places by his old antagonist Shadwell, not for his poetical merits or historical knowlege, but for his former exertions as a whig. It is said, that the Earl of Dorset, lord chamberlain, wished to keep Dryden in his station, but was prevented by the direct refusal of William, who had little regard for the muses, and entertained a great dislike to all the friends and adherents of the deprived monarch. Dryden being now poor, and having declared that he would write no more for the stage, was persuaded by Tonson the bookseller, and others, to engage in a complete translation of Virgil. The first lines of this great poet which he translated, he wrote with a diamond on a pane of glass, in one of the windows of Chesterton-House, in Huntingdonshire, the seat of his kinsman, John Dryden, Esq.† This immortal work Dryden began in the summer of 1694, and it was published in July, 1697, a rare instance of facility and industry. It was * Spence's Anecdotes. published published by subscription, and by it Dryden gained about thirteen hundred pounds. It was the wish of the bookseller, and several of Dryden's friends, that his Virgil should be dedicated to King William: this, however, the poet very properly refused. But Jacob Tonson, who had as much veneration for William as Dryden had for James, finding he could not have the dedication he wished, contrived, on retouching the plates, which, by the bye, were the same that had adorned Ogilby's Virgil, to have Eneas delineated with a hooked nose, that he might resemble his favourite prince. This occasioned the following ingenious epigram, which is in the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum. "To be published in the next edition of Dryden's Virgil." Old Jacob by deep judgment sway'd, Has placed old Nassau's hook-nosed head, To make the parallel hold tack, And t'other sent his packing. Soon after the publication of his Virgil, Dryden was solicited by the stewards of St. Cecilia's musical festival, to furnish them with an ode for the occasion. He did so, and produced his incomparable piece, entituled, "Alexander's Feast," the |