"ing, left the town: and Mr. Charles Dryden could "never have the fatisfaction of meeting him, though "he fought it till his death with the utmoft applica❝tion."

This story I once intended to omit, as it appears with no great evidence; nor have I met with any confirmation, but in a letter of Farquhar; and he only relates that the funeral of Dryden was tumul tuary and confused *.

Suppofing the ftory true, we may remark, that the gradual change of manners, though imperceptible in the process, appears great when different times, and those not very diftant, are compared. If at this time a young drunken Lord fhould interrupt the pompous regularity of a magnificent funeral, what would be the event, but that he would be juftled out of the way and compelled to be quiet? If he should thrust himself into an house, he would be fent roughly away; and, what is yet more to the

* An earlier account of Dryden's funeral than that above cited, though without the circumstances that preceded it, is given by Edward Ward, who in his London Spy, published in 1706, relates, that on the occafion there was a performance of folemn Mufick at the College, and that at the proceffion, which himself faw, ftanding at the end of Chancery-lane, Fleet-street, there was concert of hautboys and trumpets. The day of Dryden's interment, he fays, was Monday the 13th of May, which, according to Johnfon, was twelve days after his decease, and fhews how long his funeral was in fufpenfe. Ward knew not that the expence of it was defrayed by fubfcription; but compliments Lord Jefferies for fo pious an undertaking. He alfo fays, that the caufe of Dryden's death was an inflammation in his toe, occafioned by the flesh growing over the nail, which being neglected produced a mortification in his leg. H.

honour

1

honour of the prefent time, I believe that thofe, who had fubfcribed to the funeral of a man like Dryden, would not, for fuch an accident, have withdrawn their contributions *.

He was buried among the poets in Weftminfter Abbey, where, though the Duke of Newcastle had, in a general dedication prefixed by Congreve to his

ramatick works, accepted thanks for his intention of erecting him a monument, he lay long without diftinction, till the Duke of Buckinghamshire gave him a tablet, infcribed only with the name of DRYDEN.

He married the Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of the Earl of Berkshire, with circumftances, according to the fatire imputed to Lord Somers, not very honourable to either party; by her he had three fons, Charles, John, and Henry. Charles was ufher of the palace to Pope Clement the XIth; and, vifiting England in 1704, was drowned in an attempt to fwim across the Thames at Windfor.

John was author of a comedy called The Hufband bis own Cuckold. He is faid to have died at Rome. Henry entered into fome religious order. It is fome proof of Dryden's fincerity in his fecond religion, that he taught it to his fons. A man, confcious of hypocritical profeffion in himfelf, is not

* In the Regifter of the College of Phyficians, is the following Entry: May 3, 1700. Comitiis Cenforiis ordinariis. At the "request of several perfons of quality, that Mr. Dryden might "be carried from the College of Physicians to be interred at West"minfter, it was unanimously granted by the Prefident and Cenfors."

This entry is not calculated to afford any credit to the narrative concerning Lord Jefferies. R.

likely to convert others; and, as his fons were qualified in 1693 to appear among the tranflators of Juvenal, they must have been taught fome religion before their father's change.

Of the perfon of Dryden I know not any account; of his mind, the portrait which has been left by Congreve, who knew him with great familiarity, is fuch as adds our love of his manners to our admiration of his genius. "He was," we are told, "of "a nature exceedingly humane and compaffionate, "ready to forgive injuries, and capable of a fincere "reconciliation with those who had offended him. "His friendship, where he profeffed it, went beyond "his profeffions. He was of a very eafy, of very pleafing accefs; but somewhat flow, and, as it were

diffident, in his advances to others: he had that

in nature which abhorred intrufion into any fociety

"whatever. He was therefore lefs known, and con"fequently his character became more liable to mif"apprehenfions and mifreprefentations: he was very

modeft, and very eafily to be discountenanced in

his approaches to his equals or fuperiors. As his "reading had been very extenfive, fo was he very "happy in a memory tenacious of every thing that "he had read. He was not more poffeffed of know

66

ledge than he was communicative of it; but then "his communication was by no means pedantick, or

impofed upon the converfation, but just such, " and went fo far, as, by the natural turn of the con"verfation in which he was engaged, it was neceffarily promoted or required. He was extremely ready and gentle in his correction of the errors of any writer who thought fit to confult him, and

"full

the religion which he difobeyed. He forgot his duty rather than difowned it. His tendency to profanenefs is the effect of levity, negligence, and loofe converfation, with a defire of accommodating himfelf to the corruption of the times, by venturing to be wicked as far as he durft. When he profeffed himself a convert to Popery, he did not pretend to have received any new conviction of the fundamental doctrines of Chriftianity.

The perfecution of criticks was not the worft of his vexations; he was much more difturbed by the importunities of want. His complaints of poverty are fo frequently repeated, either with the dejection of weakness finking in helpless mifery, or the indignation of merit claiming its tribute from mankind, that it is impoffible not to deteft the age which could impose on fuch a man the neceffity of such solicitations, or not to despise the man who could fubmit to fuch folicitations without neceflity.

Whether by the world's neglect, or his own imprudence, I am afraid that the greateft part of his life was paffed in exigences. Such outcries were furely never uttered but in fevere pain. Of his fupplies or his expences no probable estimate can now be made. Except the falary of the Laureat, to which King James added the office of Hiftoriographer, perhaps with fome additional emoluments, his whole revenue feems to have been cafual; and it is well known that he feldom lives frugally who lives by chance. Hope is always liberal; and they that truft her promises make little fcruple of revelling to-day on the profits of the morrow.

Of

Of his plays the profit was not great; and of the produce of his other works very little intelligence can be had. By difcourfing with the late amiable Mr. Tonfon, I could not find that any memorials of the tranfactions between his predeceffor and Dryden had been preferved, except the following papers:

"I do hereby promise to pay John Dryden, Esq. "or order, on the 25th of March, 1699, the fum of “two hundred and fifty guineas, in confideration of "ten thousand verfes, which the faid John Dryden,

06

Efq. is to deliver to me Jacob Tonfon, when finished, whereof feven thoufand five hundred verfes, more or lefs, are already in the faid Jacob "Tonson's poffeffion. And I do hereby farther "promife, and engage myself, to make up the faid "fum of two hundred and fifty guineas three hun"dred pounds fterling to the faid John Dryden,

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Efq. his executors, adminiftrators, or affigns, at "the beginning of the fecond impreffion of the faid

"ten thousand verses.

"In witnefs whereof I have hereunto fet my hand "and feal, this 20th day of March, 169.

"Received then of Mr. Jacob Tonfon the fum "of two hundred fixty-eight pounds fifteen fhil