has produced. If his grace and his wit improve "both proportionably, he will hardly find that he "has gained much by the change he has made, "from having no religion, to choose one of the "worft. It is true, he had fomewhat to fink from in matter of wit; but, as for his morals, "it is fcarcely poffible for him to grow a worse 66 man than he was. He has lately wreaked his "malice on me for fpoiling his three months la"bour; but in it he has done me all the honour "that any man' can receive from him, which is to "be railed at by him. If I had ill-nature enough "to prompt me to wish a very bad wifh for him, "it fhould be, that he would go on and finish

his tranflation. By that it will appear, whether "the English nation, which is the moft compe"tent judge in this matter, has, upon the feeing "our debate, pronounced in M. Varillas's favour, "or in mine. It is true, Mr. D. will fuffer a "little by it; but at leaft it will ferve to keep "him in from other extravagances; and if he

'gains little honour by this work, yet he cannot "lofe fo much by it as he has done by his last " employment."

Having probably felt his own inferiority in theolo gical controverfy, he was defirous of trying whether, by bringing poetry to aid his arguments, he might become a more efficacious defender of his new profeffion. To reafon in verfe was, indeed, one of his powers; but fubtilty and harmony, united, are still féeble, when opposed to truth.

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, represented by the Panther, a beast beau tiful, but fpotted.

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

The converfion of such 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 Reafans of Mr. Bayes's changing his Religion: and the third, The Reasons of Mr. Hains the Player's Converfion and Re-converfion, The firft was printed in 1688, the fecond not till 1690, the third in 1691. The clamour seems 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 small jefts or grofs buffoonery; fo that his performances have little intrinfick value, and were read only while they were recommended by the novelty of the event that occa fioned them.

Thefe

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 cow-hides upon many 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 answers: "Seen it! Mr. Bayes, "why I can ftir no where but it pursues me; it "haunts me worse 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-houfe; fometimes it furprises "me in a trunk-maker's fhop; and fometimes it "refreshes 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 iɛ as freely upon occafion as a frugal tradesman can $6 quote that noble treatife The Worth of a Penny to "his extravagant 'prentice, that revels in ftewed apples and penny cuftards.

The whole animation of these compofitions arifes from a profufion of ludicrous and affected comparifons."To fecure one's chastity," fays Bayes, "little

more is neceffary than to leave off a correfpondence 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 Committee; or for my Lord Mayor and Aldermen to be interdicted the fight of The London "Cuckolds."

"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 justify the ufur"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 diffuse the anticipated blefsings. He published a poem, filled with predictions of greatness and profperity; predictions of which it is not neceffary to tell how they have been verified.

A few months paffed after these joyful notes, and every bloffom of Popish Hope was blafted for ever by the Revolution. A Papift 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 ftigmatifed 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

* All Dryden's biographers have mifdated this poem, which Mr. Malone's more accurate researches prove to have been published on the 4th of October, 1682. C.

which the Dunciad, as Pope himfelf declares, is an imitation, though more extended in its plan, and more 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 purse 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 lefs famed for liberality. Yet Dryden always reprefented himself as fuffering under a publick infliction; and once particularly demands refpect 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 himfelf as difcountenanced by the publick, or perhaps expecting a fecond Revolution, he produced Don Sebaftian in 1690; and in the next four years four dramas

more.

* Albion and Albianus muft however be excepted. R.