Nov. 12, 1699.

MADAM, THE letter you were pleas'd to direct for me, to be left at the coffee-house last summer, was a great honour; and your versest were, I thought, too good to be a woman's; some of my friends, to whom I read them, were of the same opinion. 'Tis not over-gallant, I must confess, to say this of the fair sex ; but most certain it is, that they generally write with more softness than strength. On the contrary, you want neither vigour in your thoughts, nor force in your expressions, nor harmony in your numbers; and methinks I find much of Orinda‡ in your manner; to whom I had the honour to be related, and also to be known. But I continued not a day in the ignorance of the person to whom I was oblig'd; for, if you remember, you brought the verses to a bookseller's shop, and enquir'd there, how There happen'd to they might be sent to me.

Mrs. Thomas, " Curll's Corinna," well known as a hack authoress some years after this period, was now commencing her career. She was daughter of Emanuel Thomas, of the Inner Temple, barrister. Her person, as well as her writings, seems to have been dedicated to the service of the public. The story of her having obtained a parcel of Pope's letters, written in youth, from Henry Cromwell, to whom they were addressed, and selling them to Curll the bookseller, is well known. In that cele. brated collection, 2d vol. 8vo. 1735, the following letters from Dryden also appear. It would seem Corinna had contrived to hook an acquaintance upon the good-natured poet, by the old pretext of sending him two poems for his opinion. She afterwards kept up some communication with his family, which she made the ground of two marvellous sto ries, one concerning the astrological predictions of the poet, the other respecting the mode of his funeral.

A Pastoral Elegy to the Memory of the Hon. Cecilia Bew," published afterwards in the Poems of Mrs. Thomas. 8vo. 1727.

1 Mrs. Catharine Philips, a poetess of the last age.

somer.

Madam,

Your most humble servant, and admirer,

JOHN DRYDEN.

• She lived with her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, (as we learn from Curll,) in Dyot street, St. Giles; but in the first edition of the letter, for the greater honour, she represents it as addressed to herself at Great Russel-street, Bloomsbury.

↑ In this lively romance, written to ridicule the doctrines of the Rosicrucian philosophy, we are informed, that the Nymphs of water, air, earth, and fire, are anxious to connect themselves with the sages of the human race. I remember nothing about their wish to be baptized; but that desire was extremely strong among the fays, or female genii, of the North, who were anxious to demand it for the children they had by human fathers, as the means of securing to them that immortality which they themselves wanted. Einar Godmund, an ancient priest, informed the learned Torfæus, that they often solicited this favour, (usually in vain,) and were exceedingly incensed at the refusal. He gave an instance of Siward Fostre, who had promised to one of these fays, that if she bore him a child, he would cause it to be christened. In due time she appeared, and laid the child on the wall of the church-yard, with a chalice of gold and a rich cope, as an offering at the ceremony. But Siward, ashamed of this extraordinary intrigue, refused to acknowledge the child, which, therefore, remained unbaptized. The incensed mother reappeared and carried off the infant and the chalice, leaving behind the cope, fragments of which are still preserved. But she failed not to inflict upon Siward and his de. scendants, to the ninth generation, a peculiar dis. order, with which they were long afficted. Other stories to the same purpose are told by Torfæus in his preface to the "History of Hrolf Kraka," 12mo. 1715. Isuppose, however, that Dryden only recol. lected the practice of magicians, who, on invoking

THE great desire which I observe in you to write well, and those good parts which God Almighty and nature have bestow'd on you, make me not to doubt, that, by application to study, and the reading of the best authors, you may be absolute mistress of poetry. 'Tis an unprofitable art to those who profess it; but you, who write only for your diversion, may pass your hours with pleasure in it, and without prejudice; always avoiding (as I know you will, the licence which Mrs. Behnt allowed her self, of writeing loosely, and giveing, if I may have leave to say so, some scandall to the modesty of her sex. I confess, I am the last man who ought, in justice, to arraign her, who have been my self too much a libertine in most of my poems; which I shou'd be well contented I had

time either to purge, or to see them fairly burn'd. But this I need not say to you, who are too well born, and too well principled, to fall into that

mire.

In the mean time, I would advise you not to trust too much to Virgil's Pastorals; for as excellent as they are, yet Theocritus is far before him, both in softness of thought, and simplicity of expression. Mr. Creech has translated that Greek poet, which I have not read in English. If you have any considerable faults, they consist chiefly in the choice of words, and the placeing them so as to make the verse run smoothly; but I am at present so taken up with my own studies, that I have not leisure to descend to particulars; being, in the mean time, the fair Corinna's

Most humble and most
faithful Servant,
JOHN DRYDEN.

astral spirits, and binding them to their service, usually imposed onthem some distinguishing name. It is possible Paracelsus says something to the purpose in his Magna Philosophia.

In printing this letter, Mr. Malone says, he "followed a transcript which he made some years ago from the original. It is preserved in a small volume in the Bodleian Library, consisting chiefly of Pope's original Letters to Henry Cromwell, which Mrs. Thomas sold to Curll, the bookseller, who published them unfaithfully. It afterwards fell into the hands of Dr. Richard Rawlinson, by whom it was bequeathed to that Library."

† Afra Behn, whose plays, poems, and novels are very indecent; yet an aged lady, a relation of the editor, assured him, that, in the polite society of her youth, in which she held a distinguished place, these books were accounted proper reading; and added, with some humour, it was not till after a long interval, when she looked into them, at the age of seventy, that she was shocked at their indecorum.

P. S. I keep your two copies* till you want them, and are pleas'd to send for them.

LETTER XLIII.

TO MRS. STEWARD.

who

Saturday, Nov. 6th, [1699.] AFTER a long expectation, Madam, at length your happy letter came to your servant, had, was, my hopes of seeing you, and that you almost despair'd of it. The onely comfort I defer'd writeing, because you wou'd surprise me with your presence, and beare your relations has given me an apprehension, that my cousin, company to town. Your neighbour, Mr. Price, your father, is in danger of being made sheriff without ground, and that the warm season only the following yeare; but I hope 'tis a jealousy keeps him in the country.--If you come up next

week, you will be entertain'd with a new tragedy, which the author of it, one Mr. Dennis, cries up at an excessive rate; and Colonel Codring ton, who has seen it, prepares the world to give it loud applauses. 'Tis called "Iphigenia," and imitated from Euripides, an old Greek house; and another play of the same name is poet.† This is to be acted at Betterton's Lane.--I was lately to visite the Duchess of very shortly to come on the stage at DruryNorfolk; and she speaks of you with much affection and respect. Your cousin Montague, after the present session of parliament, much my friend; but I doubt I am in no condiwill be created Earl of Bristoll, and I hope is tion of having a kindness done, having the Chancellour¶ my enemy; and not being capable of renounceing the cause for which I have so long suffer'd. My cousin Driden of Chesterton is

• The Pastoral Elegy on Mrs. Bew, and the Triple League.

↑ Colonel Codrington wrote an epilogue to Dennis's "Iphigenia," Dryden here talks rather slightingly of his acquaintance; but "Iphigenia" is a most miserable piece.

Mary, the daughter of Henry Mordaunt, the second Earl of Peterborough, and wife of Thomas, the seventh Duke of Norfolk, afterwards divorced for criminal conversation with Sir John Germaine. See the proceedings in the State Trials.

The Right Hon. Charles Montague.

He was about a year after created Lord Halifax. Lord Somers.-Mr. Malone is of opinion, that this passage adds some support to what has been suggested in our author's Life, that a part of Dryden's "Satire to his Muse" was written in his younger days by this great man. Yet I cannot think, that great man would be concerned in so libellous a piece: and in the same breath Dryden tells us, that he hoped Montague, who had really written against him, was much his friend.

was heer yesterday, to see my wife, though I had not the happiness to be at home.-Both the "Iphigenias" have been played with bad success;* and being both acted one against the other in the same week, clash'd together, like two rotten ships which could not endure the shock, and sunk to rights. The King's proclamation against vice and profaneness is issued out in print ; but a deep disease is not to be cur'd with a slight medicine. The parsons, who must read it, will find as little effect from it, as from their dull sermons: 'tis a scare-crow, which will not fright many birds from preying on the fields and orchards. The best news I heare is, that the land will not be charg❜d very deep this yeare: let that comfort you for your shrievalty, and continue me in your good gra ces, who am, fair cousin,

Your most faithfull oblig'd servant,
Jo. DRYDEN.

LETTER XLIV.

TO MRS. STEWARD.

MADAM, Thursday, Dec. the 14th, 1699. WHEN I have either too much business or want of health, to write to you, I count my time is lost, or at least my conscience accuses me that I spend it ill. At this time my head is full of cares, and my body ill at ease. My book is printing, and my bookseller makes no hast. I had last night at bed-time an unwelcome fit of vomiting; and my sonn, Charles, lyes sick upon his bed with the colique, which has been violent upon him for almost a week. With all this, I cannot but remember that you accus'd me of barbarity, I hope in jeast onely, for mistaking one sheriff for another, which proceeded from my want of heareing well. I am heartily sorry that a chargeable office is fallen on my cousin Stuart. But my cousin Dryden comforts me, that it must have come one time or other, like the small-pox; and better have it young than old. I hope it will leave no great marks behind it, and that your fortune will no more feel it than your beauty, by the addition of a year's wearing. My cousine, your mother,

Erasmus Dryden, who lived in King's-street, Westminster, and was a grocer. In Dec. 1710, he succeeded to the title of Baronet.

Jemima, Mrs. Steward's youngest daughter, probably then four or five years old.

"Fables Ancient and Modern."

Elmes Steward, Esq., was appointed sheriff of the county of Northampton in Nov. 1699.

I HAVE sent your poems back again, after having kept them so long from you; by which you see I am like the rest of the world, an impudent borrower, and a bad pay-master. You take more care of my health than it deserves; that of an old man is always crazy, and, at present mine is worse than usual, by a St. Anthony's fire in one of my legs; though the swelling is much abated, yet the pain is not wholly gone, and I am too weak to stand upon it. If I re

• Dennis's "Iphigenia" was performed at the Iphigenia in Aulis," written by Abel Boyer, and, if theatre in Little Lincoln's Fields; and "Achilles, or we are to believe the author, corrected by Dryden, was acted at the theatre in Drury Lane. Dennis says in his Preface, that the success of his play was "neither despicable, nor extraordinary;" but Gil

don, in his "Comparison between the two Stages," 8vo. 1702, informs us, that it was acted but six times; and that the other tragedy, after four representations, was laid aside.- Malone.

↑ In the London Gazette, No. 3557, Thursday, December 14, 1699, it is mentioned, that a proclamation for preventing and punishing immorality and pro. faneness, had been issued out on the 11th instant. We know, by the experience of our own time, the justice of Dryden's observation.

up the cause, and the House of Commons have gained an entire victory. Though under the rose, I am of opinion, that much of the confidence is abated on either side, and that whensoever they meet next, it will give that House a farther occasion of encroaching on the prerogative and the Lords for they, who beare the purse, will rule. The Parliament being risen, my cousin Driden will immediately be with you, and, I be.ieve, return his thanks in person. All this while I am lame at home, and have not stirr'd abroad this moneth at least. Neither my wife nor

• King William had made large grants of lands out of the forfeited estates in Ireland, to his foreign servants, Portland, Albemarle, Rochford, Galway, and Athlone, and to his favourite, Lady Orkney. The

Commons, who now watched every step of their dellverer with bitter jealousy,appointed a commission to inquire into the value of these grants; and followed it with a bill for resuming and applying them to the payment of public debt; "and, in order to prevent the bill from being defeated in the House of Lords, dom should be used, tacked it to their bill of supply, so that the Lords could not refuse the one, without disappointing the other. The Lords, to secure themselves from that insignificancy, to which the form of the bill tended to reduce them, disputed, in some conferences with the Commons, the form of it with warmth; but the resumption which it contained with indifference. And in both houses, even the servants of the crown gave themselves little trouble to defeat it; partly to gain popularity, but more from national antipathy to foreigners, and envy at gifts in which themselves were no sharers. The King, making allowances for national weaknesses, and for those of human nature, passed the bill without any complaint in public, but with a generous indignation in private, which perhaps made the blow fall more heavy on his friends, when, in order to soften it, he said to them, that it was for his sake, and not for their own, they were suffering." -Dalrymple's Annals. William felt so deeply the unkindness offered to him, that he, prorogued the Parliament without the usual ceremony of a speech from the throne

they, by a form seldom used, and which very sel

Charles are well, but have intrusted their ser vice in my hand. I humbly add my own to the unwilling High Sheriff,* and wish him fairly at an end of his trouble.

The latter end of last week, I had the honour of a visite from my cousine, your mother, and my cousine Dorothy, with which I was much com. forted. Within this moneth there will be play'd for my profit, an old play of Fletcher's, call'd the "Pilgrim," corrected by my good friend Mr. Vanbrook;† to which I have added a new masque; and am to write a new prologue and epilogue. Southern's tragedy, call'd the "Revolt of Capua, will be play'd at Betterton's house within this fortnight. I am out with that Company, and therefore, if I can help it, will not read it before 'tis acted, though the authour much desires I shou'd. Do not think I will refuse a present from fair hands; for I am resolved to save my bacon. I beg your pardon for this slovenly letter; but I have not health to transcribe it. My service to my cousin, your brother, who, I heare, is happy in your company, which he is not who most desires it, and who is, Madam, Your most obliged obedient

For Mrs. Stuart,

Servant,

JOHN DRYDEN,

Att Cotterstock, near Oundle,

in Northamptonshyre, These. To be left with the Postmaster of Oundle.

Mr. Steward.

† More commonly called Vanbrugh. In Dryden's age, the spelling of proper names was not punctiliously adhered to.

4 Dryden died on the 1st of May, and this letter was written on the 11th of the preceding month. The prologue and epilogue were therefore composed within less than a inonth of his death.