Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 16.djvu/81

Dryden and power of sustained arguments gave a force unrivalled in English literature to his satires, and the same qualities appear in the vigorous versification of the ‘Fables,’ which are deformed, however, by the absence of delicate or lofty sentiment. His lyrical poetry, in spite of the vigorous ‘Alexander's Feast,’ has hardly held its own, though still admired by some critics. His prose is among the first models of a pure English style. Dryden professed to have learned prose from his contemporary Tillotson. Other examples from theologians, poets, and essayists might easily be adduced to show that Dryden had plenty of rivals in the art. The conditions of the time made the old pedantry and conceits unsuitable. Dryden, like his contemporaries, had to write for men of the world, not for scholars trained in the schools, and wrote accordingly. But he stood almost alone as a critic, and if his views were curiously flexible and inconsistent, they are always enforced by sound arguments and straightforward logic. His invariable power of understanding and command of sonorous verse gave him a reputation which grew rather than declined during the next century. The correct opinion was to balance him against Pope, somewhat as Shakespeare had been balanced against Jonson, as showing more vigour if less art. Churchill was his most conspicuous imitator; Gray, like Pope, professed to have learned his whole skill in versification from Dryden. Warton places him just below Pope, and distinctly below Shakespeare, Milton, and Spenser. Scott still places him next to Shakespeare and Milton, and expresses the conservative literary creed of his time. Perhaps the best modern criticism will be found in Lowell's ‘Among my Books.’

Dryden's dramatic works (with dates of first performance and publication) are: 1. ‘The Wild Gallant,’ February 1662–3, 1669. 2. ‘The Rival Ladies,’ 1663(?), 1664. 3. ‘The Indian Emperor,’ 1665, 1667; defence of ‘Essay on Dramatic Poesy’ added to second edition, 1668. 4. ‘Secret Love, or the Maiden Queen,’ 1667, 1668. 5. ‘Sir Martin Mar-all,’ 1667, 1668. 6. ‘The Tempest’ (with D'Avenant), 1667, 1670. 7. ‘An Evening's Love, or the Mock Astrologer,’ 1668, 1671. 8. ‘Tyrannic Love, or the Royal Martyr,’ 1669, 1670. 9, 10. ‘Conquest of Granada’ (two parts), 1670, 1672; ‘Essay on Heroic Plays’ prefixed, and ‘Essay on Dramatic Poetry of the Last Age’ appended. 11. ‘Marriage à la Mode,’ 1672, 1673. 12. ‘The Assignation, or Love in a Nunnery,’ 1672, 1673. 13. ‘Amboyna,’ 1673, 1673. 14. ‘The State of Innocence’ (not acted), 1674, with apology for heroic poetry and poetic license. 15. ‘Aurengzebe,’ 1675, 1676. 16. ‘All for Love,’ 1677–8, 1678. 17. ‘The Kind Keeper, or Mr. Limberham,’ 1678, 1678. 18. ‘Œdipus’ (with N. Lee; the first and third acts are Dryden's), 1679, 1679. 19. ‘Troilus and Cressida,’ 1679, 1679. 20. ‘The Spanish Friar,’ 1681, 1681. 21. ‘The Duke of Guise’ (with N. Lee; the first scene, the fourth and half the fifth act are Dryden's), 1682, 1683; a ‘Vindication’ separately published. 22. ‘Albion and Albanius,’ 1685, 1685. 23. ‘Don Sebastian,’ 1690, 1690. 24. ‘Amphitryon,’ 1690, 1690. 25. ‘King Arthur,’ 1691, 1691. 26. ‘Cleomenes,’ 1692, 1692. 27. ‘Love Triumphant,’ 1693–4, 1694. The ‘Essay on Dramatic Poesy’ appeared in 1668, and the notes and observations on the ‘Empress of Morocco,’ in which Dryden had some share, in 1674.

Dryden's original poems appeared as follows: 1. ‘Heroic Stanzas, consecrated to the Memory of his Highness Oliver, late Lord Protector,’ &c., two editions in 1659, the first probably being that in which it appears as one of ‘Three Poems upon the Death of his late Highness,’ &c. 2. ‘Astræa Redux,’ 1660. 3. ‘Panegyric on the Coronation,’ 1661. 4. ‘Annus Mirabilis,’ 1667. 5. ‘Absalom and Achitophel,’ part i. 1681. 6. ‘The Medal,’ March 1682. 7. ‘Mac Flecknoe,’ October 1682. 8. ‘Absalom and Achitophel,’ part ii. (with Nahum Tate), November 1682. 9. ‘Religio Laici,’ November 1682. 10. ‘Threnodia Augustalis,’ 1685. 11. ‘The Hind and the Panther,’ 1687. 12. ‘Britannia Rediviva,’ 1688. 13. ‘Eleonora,’ 1692. 14. ‘Alexander's Feast,’ 1697.

Dryden contributed many small pieces to various collections, some of them subsequently reprinted in his ‘Miscellany Poems’ (see below). Among them are the poem on the death of Lord Hastings, published in ‘Lachrymæ Musarum,’ 1649; a poem prefixed to John Hoddesdon's ‘Sion and Parnassus,’ 1650; and to Sir R. Howard's poems, 1660; to Walter Charleton's ‘Chorea Gigantum,‘ 1663; to Lee's ‘Alexander,’ 1677; to Roscommon's ‘Essay on Translated Verse,’ 1680; and to Congreve's ‘Double Dealer,’ 1694. The ode to ‘The Pious Memory of the Accomplished Young Lady Mrs. Anne Killigrew’ first appeared in her collected poems, 1686. Songs attributed to Dryden are in the ‘Covent Garden Drollery,’ 1672, and (see Notes and Queries, 1st ser. ix. 95) in ‘New Court Songs and Poems,’ 1672. The ‘Te Deum’ and ‘Hymn on St. John's Eve’ were first published by Sir W. Scott. Dryden wrote between ninety and a hundred prologues and epilogues. A ‘Satire against the Dutch,’ attributed to him in the ‘State Poems’ (1704) and dated 1662, is really com-