Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 8.djvu/441

Rh author of Gondibert, William Davenant write better. I say nothing against your favourite, though some censure him for writing too Abraham Cowley; but he had a rival whose happier genius made him stand like a Edmund Waller a pillar against censure.

During the usurpation, we fell into burlesque; and I think whoever reads Hudibras, cannot Samuel Butler (poet). I have Charles Cotton more, who travestied Virgil, though not equal to the former.

After the Restoration, poets became very numerous: the chief, whose fame is louder than a John Milton, must never be forgot. And here I must observe, that poets in those days loved retirement so much, that sometimes they lived in dens. One of them in a John Dryden: another called his den his village, or John Denham (poet); and I am informed that the sorry fellow, who is now laureat, affects to Laurence Eusdens still: but, to return from this digression, we were then famous for tragedy and comedy; the author of Venice Preserved is seldom Thomas Otway; yet he who wrote the Rival Queens, before he lost his senses, sometimes talked Nathaniel Lee. Another, who was of this kingdom, went into England, because it is more ; and he wrote tolerably well. I say nothing of the Satirist, with his John Oldham (poet)' verses. As for comedy, the Plain Dealer, William Wycherley came into credit, is allowed on all hands an excellent piece: he had a dull contemporary, who sometimes showed humour; but his colouring was bad, and he could not Thomas Shadwell. Sir George, in my opinion, outdid them all, and was sharp at George Etherege. The duke is also excellent, who took a book in game, and turned into ridicule, under the name of The Rehearsal. It is,