Actuated therefore by zeal for Rome, or hope of fame, he published the Hind and Panther, a poem in which the Church of Rome, figured by the milkwhite Hind, defends her tenets against the Church of England, reprefented by the Panther, a beaft beautiful, but fpotted.

A fable, which exhibits two beafts talking Theology, appears at once full of abfurdity; and it was accordingly ridiculed in the City Mouse and Country Moufe, a parody, written by Montague, afterwards Earl of Halifax, and Prior, who then gave the first fpecimen of his abilities.

The converfion of fuch a man, at fuch a time, was not likely to pafs uncenfured. Three dialogues were published by the facetious Thomas Brown, of which the two firft were called Reajons of Mr. Bayes's changing his Religion: and the third, the Reasons of Mr. Hains the Player's Converfion and Re-converfion. The first was printed in 1688, the second not till 1690, the third in 1691. The clamour feems to have been long continued, and the fubject to have ftrongly fixed the publick attention,

In the two first dialogues Bayes is brought into the company of Crites and Eugenius, with whom he had formerly debated on dramatick poetry. The two talkers in the third are Mr. Bayes and Mr. Hains.

Brown was a man not deficient in literature, nor deftitute of fancy; but he feems to have thought it the pinnacle of excellence to be a merry fellow; and therefore laid out his powers upon fmall jefts or grofs buffoonery; fo that his performances have little intrinfick value, and were read only while they were recommended

commended by the novelty of the event that occafioned them.

Thefe dialogues are like his other works: what fense or knowledge they contain is difgraced by the garb in which it is exhibited. One great fource of pleasure is to call Dryden little Bayes. Ajax, who happens to be mentioned, is "he that wore as many "cow-hides upon his fhield as would have furnished "half the King's army with fhoe-leather."

Being asked whether he had feen the Hind and Panther, Crites anfwers: "Seen it! Mr. Bayes, "why I can ftir no where but it purfues me; it "haunts me worfe than a pewter-buttoned ferjeant "does a decayed cit. Sometimes I meet it in a "band-box, when my laundrefs brings home my "linen; fometimes, whether I will or no, it lights

my pipe at a coffee-house; fometimes it surprises "me in a trunk-maker's fhop; and fometimes it re"freshes my memory for me on the backfide of a "Chancery-lane parcel. For your comfort too, "Mr. Bayes, I have not only feen it, as you may "perceive, but have read it too, and can quote it as freely upon occafion as a frugal tradefiman can quote that noble treatise the Worth of a Penny to "his extravagant 'prentice, that revels in ftewed "apples and penny custards."

The whole animation of these compofitions arifes from a profufion of ludicrous and affected comparifons. "To fecure one's chastity," fays Bayes, "lit"tle more is neceffary than to leave off a correfpon"dence with the other fex, which, to a wife man, " is no greater a punishment than it would be to a " fanatick perfon to forbid feeing The Cheats and

"The

"The Committee; or for my Lord Mayor and Alder"men to be interdicted the fight of The London "Cuckolds." This is the general ftrain, and therefore I fhall be eafily excufed the labour of more tranfcription.

Brown does not wholly forget paft tranfactions: "You began," fays Crites to Bayes, "a very dif"ferent religion, and have not mended the matter "in your last choice. It was but reason that your "Mufe, which appeared firft in a tyrant's quarrel, "fhould employ her laft efforts to juftify the ufur66 pation of the Hind,"

Next year the nation was fummoned to celebrate the birth of the Prince. Now was the time for Dryden to roufe his imagination, and ftrain his voice. Happy days were at hand, and he was willing to enjoy and diffufe the anticipated bleffings. He published a poem, filled with predictions of greatnefs and profperity; predictions, of which it is not neceffary to tell how they have been verified.

A few months paffed after thefe joyful notes, and every bloffom of Popish Hope was blafted for ever by the Revolution. A Papist now could be no longer laureat. The revenue, which he had enjoyed with fo much pride and praife, was transferred to Shadwell, an old enemy, whom he had formerly ftigmatised by the name of Og. Dryden could not decently complain that he was depofed; but feemed very angry that Shadwell fucceeded him, and has therefore celebrated the intruder's inauguration in a poem exquifitely fatirical, called Mac Flecknoe; of which the Dunciad, as Pope himself declares, is an

imitation,

imitation, though more extended in its plan, and Enore diverfified in its incidents.

It is related by Prior, that Lord Dorfet, when as chamberlain he was conftrained to eject Dryden from his office, gave him from his own purfe an allowance equal to the falary. This is no romantick or incredible act of generofity; an hundred a year is often enough given to claims lefs cogent by men less famed for liberality. Yet Dryden always reprefented himself as fuffering under a public infliction; and once particularly demands respect for the patience with which he endured the lofs of his little fortune. His patron might, indeed, enjoin him to fupprefs his bounty; but, if he fuffered nothing, he fhould not have complained.

During the fhort reign of King James, he had written nothing for the ftage *, being, in his opinion, more profitably employed in controversy and flattery. Of praife he might perhaps have been lefs lavish without inconvenience, for James was never faid to have much regard for poetry: he was to be flattered only by adopting his religion.

Times were now changed: Dryden was no longer the court-poet, and was to look back for fupport to his former trade; and having waited about two years, either confidering himself as difcountenanced by the publick, or perhaps expecting a fecond Revolution, he produced Don Sebastian in 1690; and in the next four years four dramas

more.

* Albion and Albianus muft however be excepted. R.

In 1693 appeared a new verfion of Juvenal and Perfius. Of Juvenal he tranflated the first, third, fixth, tenth, and fixteenth fatires; and of Perfius the whole work. On this occafion he introduced his two fons to the publick, as nurfelings of the Muses. The fourteenth of Juvenal was the work of John, and the feventh of Charles Dryden. He prefixed a very ample preface, in the form of a dedication to Lord Dorfet; and there gives an account of the defign which he had once formed to write an epick poem on the actions either of Arthur or the Black Prince. He confidered the epick as neceffarily including fome kind of supernatural agency, and had imagined a new kind of conteft between the guardian angels of kingdoms, of whom he conceived that each might be reprefented zealous for his charge, without any intended oppofition to the purposes of the Supreme Being, of which all created minds muft in part be ignorant.

This is the moft reasonable scheme of celeftial interpofition that ever was formed. The furprizes and terrors of enchantments, which have fucceeded to the intrigues and oppofitions of Pagan deities, afford very ftriking fcenes, and open a vaft extent to the imagination; but, as Boileau obferves (and Boileau will be feldom found miftaken), with this incurable defect, that, in a conteft between Heaven and Hell, we know at the beginning which is to prevail; for this reafon we follow Rinaldo to the enchanted wood with more curiofity than terror.

In the fcheme of Dryden there is one great difficulty, which yet he would perhaps have had addrefs enough to furmount. In a war justice can be

but