unfortunately attempting to swim across the Thames near Datchet, he was drowned, and was buried at Windsor, August 20th, 1704.* On Dryden's known confidence in the pretended science of judicial astrology, and his eldest son's accidental death, Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, whom I have already had occasion to introduce to the reader's acquaintance, formed a tale not less curi. ous than that which we have lately examined: "a narrative," says Dr. Johnson, "of some of Dryden's predictions wonderfully fulfilled; but I know not the writer's means of information or character of veracity." However questionable her veracity may be, she certainly was furnished with some stage, crowned with laurel; and Mr. Bevil Higgons, the writer of it, ventured to make the representative of our great dramatick poet speak these lines! "These scenes in their rough native dress were mine; To which our author replies, "I long endeavour'd to support the stage, They starv'd me living; nay, denied me fame, "And scarce, now dead, do justice to my name. "Would you repent? Be to my ashes kind; Indulge the pledges I have left behind." * Register of New Windsor, Berks. } information very convenient and well suited to her purpose, by writing about thirty years after some of these supposed predictions were fulfilled: yet, even with this advantage, such is the nature of falsehood, that we shall find as many absurdities and inconsistencies in this as in her former tale. "As Dryden (says Corinna) was a man of a versatile genius, he took great delight in judicial astrology, though only by himself. There were some incidents which proved his great skill, that were related to Lady Chudleigh' at the Bath, and which she desired me to ask Lady Elsabeth about, as I after did; which she not only confirmed by telling me the exact matter of fact, but added another, which has never been told to any, and which, I can solemnly aver, was some years before it came to pass. I purposely omitted these narratives in the Memoirs of Mr. Dryden, lest that this over-witty age, which so much ridicules prescishould think the worse of all the rest: but you desire particulars, they shall be freely at your service." ence, if These particulars being of course desired by the person here addressed, (Curll, or his writer of Memoirs,) the following Narrative was transmitted: "Notwithstanding Mr. Dryden was a great master of that branch of astronomy, called judicial 3 The wife of Sir George Chudleigh, of Ashton, in Devonshire, Bart. The second edition of a volume of poems by this lady was published in 1709. astrology, there were very few, scarce any, the most intimate of his friends, who knew of his amusements that way, except his own family. In the year 1707, that deservedly celebrated Lady Chudleigh, being at the Bath, was told by the Lady Elsabeth, of a very surprising instance of this judgement on his eldest son Charles's horoscope. Lady Chudleigh, whose superiour genius rendered her as little credulous on the topick of prescience, as she was on that of apparitions, yet withal was of so candid and curious a disposition, that she neither credited an attested tale on the quality or character of the relater, nor did she altogether despise it, though told by the most ignorant : her steady zeal for truth always led her to search to the foundation of it; and on that principle, at her return to London, she spoke to a gentlewoman of her acquaintance, that was well acquainted in Mr. Dryden's family, to ask his widow about it; which she accordingly did. It is true, report had added many incidents to matter of fact; but the real truth take from Lady Elsabeth's own mouth, in these words: 4 "When I was in labour of Charles, Mr. Dryden being told it was decent to withdraw, laid his watch on the table, begging one of the ladies, then present, in a most solemn manner, to take an exact 4 From what has preceded and what follows, it appears that this gentlewoman was Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas herself. notice of the very minute when the child was born: which she did, and acquainted him therewith. This passed without any singular notice; many fathers having had such a fancy, without any farther thought. But about a week after, when I was pretty hearty, he comes into my room, 'My dear,' says he, 'you little think what I have been doing this morning.' 'Nor ever shall,' said I, unless you will be so good to inform me.' 'Why then,' cried he, I have been calculating this child's nativity; and in grief I speak it, he was born in an evil hour; Jupiter, Venus, and the Sun, were all under the Earth, and the Lord of his Ascendant afflicted by a hateful square of Mars and Saturn. If he lives to arrive at his eighth year, he will go near to die a violent death on his very birthday; but if he should escape, as I see but small hopes, he will in his twenty-third year be under she same evil direction. And if he should, which seems almost impossible, escape that also, the thirty-third or thirty-fourth year is, I fear,' I interrupted him here,- O! Mr. Dryden, what is this you tell me? my blood runs cold at your fatal speech; recall it, I beseech you. 5 Here Corinna is indebted to our author. See the Prologue to THE WILD GALLANT: "FIRST ASTROL. Yet let me judge it by the rules of art. First Jupiter, the ascendant's lord disgraced, In the twelfth house, and near grim Saturn placed, Shall my little angel, my Dryden" boy, be doomed to so hard a fate? Poor innocent! what hast thou done? No; I will fold thee in my arms, and if thou must fall, we will both perish together.' A flood of tears put a stop to my speech; and through Mr. Dryden's comfortable persuasions, and the distance of time, I began to be a little appeased, but always kept the fatal period in my mind. "At last the summer arrived; August was the inauspicious month, in which my dear son was to enter on his eighth year. The Court being in Progress, and Mr. Dryden at leisure, he was invited to my brother Berkshire's, to keep the long vacation with him at Charlton, in Wilts; I was also invited to my uncle Mordaunt's, to pass the remainder of the summer at his country-seat. All this was well enough; but when we came to dividing the children, I would have had him take John, and let me have the care of Charles; because, as I told him, a man might be engaged in company, but a woman could have no pretence for not guarding of the evil hour. Poor Mr. Dryden was in this too absolute, and I as positive. In fine, we parted in anger; and, as a husband always will be master, he took Charles, and I was forced to be content with my son John. But when the fatal day approached, such anguish of heart seized me, as none but a fond mother can form any idea 6 Probably a mistake of the press, for-" my darling boy." |