royalty restored-第73部分

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rievances　by　the　publication　of　pamphlets；　Dryden　could　refrain　from　pointing　out　to　the　public　the　mistake　into　which　they　had　fallen　by　honouring　this　man。　Nor　was　he　singular　in　his　feelings　of　animosity。　　The　poets　Shadwell　and　Crowne；　believing　themselves　ignored　and　neglected；　whilst　their　rival　was　enriched　and　exalted；　joined　Dryden　in　writing　a　merciless　criticism　upon　Settle's　tragedy。　　This　was　entitled　〃The　Empress　of　Morocco；　or　some　few　erratas　to　be　printed　instead　of　the　sculptures　＇Illustrations。＇；　with　the　second　edition　of　the　play。〃　　In　this　Settle　was　described　as　〃an　animal　of　a　most　deplored　intellect；　without　reading　and　understanding；〃　whilst　his　play　was　characterized　as　〃a　tale　told　by　an　idiot；　full　of　noise　and　fury　signifying　nothing。〃　　To　these　remarks　and　others　of　like　quality；　Settle　replied　in　the　same　strain；　so　that　the　quarrel　diverted　the　town　and　even　disturbed　the　quiet　of　the　universities。　　Time　did　ample　justice　to　both　men；　lowering　Settle　to　play　the　part　of　a　dragon　in　a　booth　at　Bartholomew　Fair；　and　consecrating　Dryden　to　immortality。

Before　the　clamour　resulting　from　this　dispute　had　ended；　Rochester；　fickle　and　eccentric；　grew　weary　of　his　PROTEGE　and　consequently　abandoned　him。　　He　had　not；　however；　tired　of　humiliating　the　laureate；　and　to　mortify　him　the　more；　introduced　a　new　poet　at　court；　This　was　John　Crowne；　a　man　then　little　known　to　the　town；　and　now　best　remembered　as　author　of　〃Sir　Courtly　Nice；〃　a　comedy　of　wit　and　entertainment。　　So　well　did　he　succeed　in　obtaining　favour　at　court；　through　Rochester's　influence；　that　the　queen　ordered　him　to　write　a　masque。　　This　command　he　immediately　obeyed；　producing　〃Calisto；　or　the　Chaste　Nymph；〃　which　was　acted　at　Whitehall　by　the　Duke　of　York's　fair　daughters；　the　Princesses　Mary　and　Anne；　together　with　many　gracious　ladies　and　noble　lords。　　Dryden；　probably　the　better　to　hide　the　mortification　he　felt　at　seeing　his　office　as　laureate　unceremoniously　usurped；　offered　to　write　an　epilogue　for　the　occasion；　but　this　service　was；　through　Rochester's　interference；　rejected。　　The　masque　proved　a　brilliant　success；　〃the　dancing；　singing；　and　music；　which　were　all　in　the　highest　perfection；　and　the　graceful　action；　incomparable　beauty；　and　splendid　habits　of　those　ladies　who　accompanied　them；　afforded　the　spectators　extraordinary　delight。〃　　〃Calisto〃　was　therefore　performed　thirty　times。

The　author's　gratitude　for　his　lordship's　patronage　was　only　equalled　by　his　disappointment　upon　its　hasty　withdrawal。　Growing　weary　of　him；　Rochester　found　a　more　worthy　object　for　his　favour　in　Thomas　Otway；　a　poet　rich　in　all　the　miseries　which　afflicted　genius　in　those　days。　　Son　of　the　rector　of　Woolbeding；　pupil　at　Winchester　School；　and　commoner　of　Christchurch；　Cambridge；　he　had　on　his　arrival　in　town　vainly　sought　employment　as　an　actor；　and　barely　earned　bread　as　a　play…writer。　　Before　he　became　a　PROTEGE　of　my　Lord　Rochester　he　had　written　〃Alcibiades；〃　a　tragedy；　he　being　then；　in　1665；　in　his　twenty…　fifth　year。　　His　next　play　was　〃Don　Carlos；　Prince　of　Spain；〃　which；　through　the　earl's　influence；　gained　great　success。　　In　the　preface　to　this　tragedy　he　acknowledges　his　unspeakable　obligations　to　my　lord；　who　he　says　made　it　his　business　to　establish　〃Don　Carlos〃　in　the　good　opinion　of　the　king　and　of　his　royal　highness　the　Duke　of　York。　　Unwarned　by　the　fate　of　his　predecessors；　and　heedless　of　the　fickleness　of　his　patron；　he　basked　in　hope　in　the　present；　mercifully　unconscious　of　the　cruel　death　by　starvation　which　awaited　him　in　the　future。　　Alas！　Rochester　not　only　forsook　him；　but　loaded　him　with　satire　in　a　poem　entitled　〃Session　of　the　Poets。〃

In　verses　which　he　wrote　soon　after；　entitled　〃An　Allusion　to　the　Tenth　Satire；〃　Rochester　likewise　attacked　Dryden；　who；　in　the　preface　of　his　〃All　for　Love；〃　replied　in　like　manner。　　Then　there　appeared　an　〃Essay　on　Satire；〃　which　ridiculed　the　king；　dealt　severely　with　his　mistresses；　said　uncivil　things　of　the　courtiers　in　general；　and　of　my　Lord　Rochester　in　particular。　The　noble　earl　was　indeed　described　as　being　〃lewd　in　every　limb；〃　affected　in　his　wit；　mean　in　his　actions；　and　cowardly　in　his　disposition。　　Now；　though　this　was　conceived　and　brought　forth　by　my　Lord　Mulgrave；　Rochester　suspected　Dryden　of　its　authorship；　and　resolved　to　punish　him　forthwith。　　Accordingly　on　the　night　of　the　18th　of　December；　1679；　when　Dryden　was　passing　through　Rose　Street；　Covent　Garden；　on　his　homeward　way　from　Will's　Coffee　House；　he　was　waylaid　by　some　ruffians；　and；　before　he　could　draw　his　sword；　promptly　surrounded　and　severely　beaten。

This　occurrence　caused　considerable　sensation　throughout　the　town；　and　though　surmises　arose　in　many　minds　as　to　who　had　hired　the　bravoes；　it　was　found　impossible　to　prove　them。　　In　hope　of　gaining　some　clue　to　the　instigator　of　the　attack；　Dryden　caused　the　following　advertisement　to　be　inserted　in　the　LONDON　GAZETTE　AND　DOMESTIC　INTELLIGENCE　for　three　consecutive　days：　　〃Whereas　John　Dryden；　Esq。；　was　on　Monday；　the　18th　instant；　at　night；　barbarously　assaulted　and　wounded　in　Rose　Street；　in　Covent　Garden；　by　divers　men　unknown；　if　any　person　shall　make　discovery　of　the　said　offenders　to　the　said　Mr。　Dryden；　or　to　any　justice　of　the　peace；　he　shall　not　only　receive　fifty　pounds；　which　is　deposited　in　the　hands　of　Mr。　Blanchard　Goldsmith；　next　door　to　Temple　Bar；　for　the　said　purpose；　but　if　he　be　a　principal　or　an　accessory　in　the　said　fact；　his　majesty　is　graciously　pleased　to　promise　him　his　pardon　for　the　same。〃

Dryden　sought　no　opportunity　for　revenge；　for　which　restraint；　outliving　Rochester；　and　having　a　noble　mind　and　generous　disposition；　he　was　no　doubt　glad　at　heart。　　Not　only　did　he　survive　the　earl；　but　likewise　the　king。　　To　the　company　and　conversation　of　that　gracious　sovereign　the　poet　was　frequently　admitted；　a　privilege　which　resulted　in　satisfaction　and　pleasure　to　both。　　One　pleasant　day　towards　the　end　of　his　majesty's　reign；　whilst　they　walked　in　the　Mall；　Charles　said　to　him；　〃If　I　were　a　poet；　and　indeed　I　think　I　am　poor　enough　to　be　one；　I　would　write　a　satire　on　sedition。〃　　Taking　this　hint；　Dryden　speedily　set　himself　to　work；　and　brought　a　poem　on　such　a　subject　to　his　royal　master；　who　rewarded　him　with　a　hundred　broad　pieces。

Amongst　Dryden's　friends　was　the　excellent　and　ingenious　Abraham　Cowley；　whose　youth　had　given　the　promise　of　distinction　his　manhood　fulfilled。　　It　is　related　that　when　quite　a　lad；　he　found　in　the　window　recess　of　his　mother's　apartment　a　copy　of　Spencer's　〃Faerie　Queene。〃　　Opening　the　book；　he　read　it　with　delight；　and　his　receptive　mind　reflecting　the　poet's　fire；　he　resolved　likewise　to　exercise　the　art　of　poesy。　　In　1628；　when　at　the　age　of　ten；　he　wrote　〃The　Tragic　History　of　Pyramus　and　Thisbe；〃　five　years　later　he　published　a　volume　of　poems；　and　whilst　yet　a　schoolboy　wrote　his　pastoral　comedy；　〃Love's　Riddle。〃

When　at　St。　John's　College；　Oxford；　he　gave　proof　of　his　loyalty　by　writing　a　poem　entitled　the　〃Puritan　and　the　Papist；〃　which　gained　him　the　friendship　of　courtiers。　　On　the　Queen　of　Charles　I。　taking　refuge　in　France；　he　soon　followed　her；　and　becoming　secretary　to　the　Earl　of　St。　Albans；　conducted　the　correspondence　between　her　majesty　and　the　king；　ciphering　and　deciphering　their　letters；　and　such　as　were　sent　or　received　by　those　immediately　concerned　in　the　cause　of　royalty。　　In　this　situation　he　remained　until　four　years　previous　to　the　restoration；　when　he　was　sent　into　England　for　the　purpose　of　observing　the　condition　of　the　nation；　and　reporting　the　same。　　Scarce　had　he　set　foot　in　London　when　he　was　seized；　examined；　and　only　liberated　on　a　friend　offering　bail　for　him　to　the　amount　of　one　thousand　pounds。

The　better　to　disguise　the　object　of　his　visit；　and　lull　suspicions　of　republicans；　he　took　out　the　degree　of　Doctor　of　Physic　at　Oxford；　after　which　he　retired　into　Kent；　where　he　devoted　a　great　portion　of　his　time　to　the　study　of　botany　and　the　composition　of　poetry。　　On　Cromwell's　death　he　hastened　to　France；　and　remained　there　until　the　king's　return；　which　he　celebrated　by　a　song　of　triumph。　　Like　hundreds　of　others　who　had　served　Charles　in　his　exile；　he　looked　forward　to　gratitude　and　reward；　but　met　disappointment　and　neglect。　　Amongst　the　numerous　places　and　employments　the　change　of　government　opened　in　court　and　state；　not　one　was　offered　the　loyal　poet。

Nay；　his　hardships　did　not　end　here；　for　having；　in　1663；　produced　his　merry　comedy；　〃Cutter　of　Coleman　Street；〃　it　was　treated　with　severity　as　a　censure　upon　the　king。　　Feeling　over…　nervous　to　witness　the　result　of　its　first　representation；　the　poet　absented　himself　from　the　playhouse；　but　thither　his　friends　Dryden　and　Sprat　sped；　hoping　they　might　be　able　to　bear　him　tidings　of　its　triumph。　　When　they　returned　to　him　at　night　and　told　him　of　its　fate；　〃he　received　the　news　of　its　ill　success；〃　says　Sprat；　〃not　with　so　much　firmness　as　might　have　been　expected　from　so　great　a　man。〃　　Of　all　intent　to　satirize　the　king　he　was　entirely　innocenta　fact　he　set　before　the　public　in　the　preface　to　his　play　on　its　publication。　　Having；　he　argues；　followed　the　fallen　fortunes　of　the　royal　family　so