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an epitome of her own country. My journey to London was yet more unpleasant than my abode at Tichmarsh; for the coach was crowded up with an old woman fatter than any of my host esses on the rode. Her weight made the horses travel very heavily; but, to give them a breathing time, she would often stop us, and plead some necessity of nature, and tell us, we were all flesh and blood: but she did this so frequently, that at last we conspired against her; and that she might not be inconvenienced by staying in the coach, turned her out in a very dirty place, where she was to wade up to the ankles, before she cou'd reach the next hedge. When I was ridd of her, I came sick home, and kept my house for three weeks together; but, by advice of my doctour, takeing twice the bitter draught, with sena in it, and looseing at least twelve ounces of blood, by cupping on my neck, I am just well enough to go abroad in the afternoon; but am much afflicted that I have you a companion of my sickness: though I 'scap'd with one cold fit of an ague, and yours, I feare, is an intermitting feavour. Since I heard nothing of your father, whom I left ill, I hope he is recovered of his real sickness, and that your sister is well of hers, which was onely in imagination. My wife and sonn return you their most humble service, and I give mine to my Cousin Steward.-Madam,

Your most obliged and

most obedient servant, JOHN DRYDEN, The Superscription has not been preserved.]

LETTER XXX.

TO MRS. STEWARD.

MADAM, Dec. 12th.-98. ALL my letters being nothing but acknowledgments of your favours to me, 'tis no wonder if they are all alike: for they can but express the same thing, I being eternally the receiver, and you the giver. I wish it were in my power to turn the skale on the other hand, that I might see how you, who have so excellent a wit, cou'd thank on your side. Not to name my selfe or my wife, my sonn Charles is the great commender of your last receiv'd present; who being of late somewhat indispos'd, uses to send for some of the same sort, which we call heer marrow-puddings, for his suppers; but the tast of yours has so spoyl'd his markets heer, that there is not the least comparison betwixt them. You are not of an age to be a Sybill, and yet I think

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you are a prophetess; for the direction on your basket was for him; and he is likely to enjoy the greatest part of them: for I always think the young are more worthy than the old; especially since you are one of the former sort, and that he mends upon your medicine.-I am very glad to hear my cousin, your father, is comeing or come to town; perhaps this ayr may be as beneficiall to him as it has been to me: but you tell me nothing of your own health, and I fear Cotterstock is too agueish for this season. My wife and sonn give you their most humble thanks and service; as I do mine to my cousin Steward; and am, Madam,

Your most oblig'd obedient servant,
JOHN DRYDEN,

For Mrs. Steward,

Att Cotterstock, near Oundle,

in the county of Northampton, These. To be left with the Postmsater of Oundle.

LETTER XXXI.

TO MRS. STEWARD.

MADAM, Candlemas-Day, 1698 [-9.] OLD men are not so insensible of beauty as, it may be, you young ladies think. For my own part, I must needs acknowledge, that your fair eyes had made me your slave before 1 received your fine presents. Your letter puts me out of doubt that they have lost nothing of their lustre, because it was written with your own hand; and not heareing of a feavour or an ague, I will please my self with the thoughts that they have wholly left you. I wou'd also flatter my self with the hopes of waiting on you at Cotterstock some time next summer; but my want of health may perhaps hinder me. But if I am well enough to travell as farr northward, as Northamptonshyre, you are sure of a guest, who has been too well us'd not to trouble you again.

My sonn, of whom you have done me the fa vour to enquire, mends of his indisposition very slowly; the ayr of England not agreeing with him hetherto so well as that of Italy. The Bath is proposed by the doctours, both to him and me: but we have not yet resolved absolutely on that journey; for that city is so closs and so ill situated, that perhaps the ayr may do us more harm than the waters can do us good: for which reason we intend to try them heer first; and, if we find not the good effect which is promis'd of them, we will save our selves the pains of goeing thether. In the mean time, betwixt my inter

Madam,

valls of physique, and other remedies which I and the late queen's: but your father had no am useing for my gravel, I am still drudgeing damage. I sent my man for the present you on always a poet, and never a good one. I designed me; but he return'd empty-handed; pass my time sometimes with Ovid, and some- for there was no such man as Carter, a carrier, times with our old English poet Chaucer: trans- inning at the Bear and Ragged Staff in Smith lateing such stories as best please my fancy; field, nor any one there ever heard of such a and intend, besides them, to add somewhat of person; by which I ghess that some body has my own; so that it is not impossible, but ere deceiv'd you with a counterfeited name. Yet the summer be pass'd, I may come down to you my obligations are the same; and the favour with a volume in my hand, like a dog out of the shall be always own'd by, water, with a duck in his mouth. As for the rarities you promise, if beggars might be choosers, a part of a chine of honest bacon wou'd please my appetite more than all the marrow puddings; for I like them better plain, having a very vulgar stomach. My wife, and your cousin, Charles, give you their most humble service, and thanks for your remembrance of them. I present my own to my worthy cousin, your husband, and am with all respect, Madam,

For

Your most obliged servant,
JOHN DRYDEN,

Mrs. Stewart, att Cotterstock

near Oundle, in Northamptonshire, These.

To be left with the Postmaster of Oundle.

LETTER XXXII.

TO MRS. STEWAR.

MADAM, Thursday, Feb. 9th. 98 [-9.] FOR this time I must follow a bad example, and send you a shorter letter than your short one: you were hindered by dancers, and I am forced to dance attendance all this afternoon after a troublesome business, so soon as I have written this and seal'd it. Onely I can assure you, that your father and mother, and all your relations, are in health, or were yesterday, when I sent to enquire of their welfare. On Tuesday night we had a violent wind, which blew down three of my chimneys, and dismantled all one side of my house, by throwing down the tiles. My neighbours, and indeed all the town, suffered more or less; and some were kill'd. The great trees in St. James's Park are many of them torn up from the roots; as they were before Oliver Cromwell's death,*

• Our author commemorated this circumstance in his Elegy on the Protector:"

—————The isle, when her protecting genius went, Upon his obsequies loud sighs conferr'd.

Your most humble servant,
and kinsman,

JOHN DRYDEN.

For Mrs. Stewart,
Att Cotterstocke neare Oundle, &c.

LETTER XXXIII.

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I HAVE reason to be pleas'd with writeing to you, because you are daily giveing me occasions to be pleas'd. The present which you made me this week, I have receiv'd; and it will be part of the treat I am to make to three of my friends about Tuesday next: my cousin Driden, of Chesterton, having been also pleas'd to add to it a turkey hen with eggs, and a good young goose; besides a very kind letter, and the news of his own good health, which I value more than all the rest; he being so noble a benefactor to a poor and so undeserving a kinsman, and one of another persuasion in matters of religion. Your enquiry of his welfare, and sending also mine, have at once oblig'd both him and me. I hope my good cousin Stewart will often visite him, especially before hunting goes out, to be a comfort to him in his sorrow for the loss of his deare brother, who was a most extraordinary well-natured man, and much my friend. Exercise, I know, is my cousin Dryden's life, and the oftner he goes out will be the better for his health. We poor Catholics daily expect a most severe proclamation to come out against us ; and at the same time are

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satisfyed that the King is very unwilling to persecute us, considering us to be but an handfull, and those disarmed; but the archbishop of Canterbury is our heavy enemy, and heavy indeed he is in all respects.*

This day was played a revived comedy of Mr. Congreve's, called, "The Double Dealer," which was never very takeing. In the playbill was printed-" Written by Mr. Congreve; with severall expressions omitted." What kind of expressions those were, you may easily ghess, if you have seen the Monday's Gazette, wherein is the king's order for the reformation of the stage:* but the printing an author's name in a play-bill is a new manner of proceeding, at least in England. When any papers of verses in

peace, to put the statute 1st William and Mary, c. 9. for amoving Papists ten miles from London and Westminster, into execution, by tendering them the declaration therein mentioned; and also another act of William and Mary, far disarming Papists.

Dr. Thomas Tennison, who succeeded to the see of Canterbury in 1694, on the death of Tillotson. He is thus sarcastically described by William Shippen, in" Faction Displayed," a poem written a few years afterwards:

"A pause ensued, till Patriarcho's grace

Was pleased to rear his huge unwieldy mass;
A mass unanimated with a soul,

Or else he'd ne'er be made so vile a tool;
He'd ne'er his apostolic charge profane,
And atheists' and fanaticks' cause maintain.
At length, as from the hollow of an oak,
The bulky primate yawn'd, and silence broke:
I much approve," &c.

So also Edmund Smith, in his elegant ode, Charlettus Percivallo suo:

"Scribe securus, quid agit Senatus,
Quid caput stertit grave Lembethanum,
Quid comes Guilford, quid habent novorum
Dawksque Dyerque."-Malone.

The London Gazette, No. 3474, Monday, Feb. 27 1693 9, contains the order alluded to:

"His majesty has been pleased to command, that the following order should be sent to both Play

houses:

"His majesty being informed, that, notwithstanding an order made the fifth of June, 1697, by the Earl of Sunderland, then lord chamberlain of his majes. ty's household, to prevent the profaneness and immorality of the stage, several plays have lately been acted, concaining expressions contrary to religion and good manners: And whereas the master of the revels has represented, that, in contempt of the said order, the actors do often neglect to leave out such profane and indecent expressions as he has thought proper to be omitted: These are therefore to signify his majesty's pleasure, that you do not hereafter presume to act any thing in any play, contrary to religion and good manners, as you shall answer it at your utmost peril. Given under my hand this 18th of February, 1698, in the eleventh year of his "Pere Bertic. majesty's reign.

"An order has been likewise sent, by his majesty's command, to the master of the revels, not to license

*

manuscript, which are worth your reading,
come abroad, you shall be sure of them; because
being a poetess yourself, you like those enter-
tainments. I am still drudging at a book of
Miscellanyes, which I hope will be well
enough; if otherwise, threescore and seven will
be pardon'd. Charles is not yet so well recoy-
er'd as I wish him; but I may say, without
vanity, that his virtue and sobriety have made
him much belov'd in all companies. Both he
and his mother give you their most humble ac-
knowledgments of your rememb'ring them. Be
pleas'd to give mine to my cousin Stewart, who
am both his and your

Most obliged obedient servant,
JOHN DRYDEN.
You may see I was in hast, by writeing CL
the wrong side of the paper.

For Mrs. Steward, etc. ut supra.

LETTER XXXIV

TO MRS. STEWARD.

fitts

Tuesday, July the 11th, [1699.J MADAM, As I cannot accuse my self to have receiv'd any letters from you without answer, so, on the other side, I am oblig'd to believe it, because you say it. 'Tis true, I have had so many of sickness, and so much other unpleasant business, that I may possibly have receiv'd those favours, and deferr'd my acknowledgment till 1 forgot to thank you for them. However it be, I cannot but confess, that never was any unanswering man so civilly reproach'd by a fair lady. I presum❜d to send you word by your sisters* of the trouble I intended you this summer; and added a petition, that you would order some small beer to be brew'd for me without hops, or with a very inconsiderable quantity; because I lost my health last year by drinking bitter beer at Tichmarsh. It may perhaps be sour, but I like it not the worse, if it be small enough. What els I have to request, onely the favour of your coach, to meet me at Oundle, and to convey me to you: of which I shall not fail to give you timely notice. My humble service attends my cousin Stewart and your relations at Oundle. My wife and sonn desire the same favour; and am particularly, Madam, Your most obedient servant, JOHN DRYDEN.

The beautiful fables.

any plays containing expressions contrary to reli-. For Mrs. Stewart, etc.
gion and good manners; and to give notice to the
lord chamberlain of his majesty's household, or, in
his absence, to the vice-chamberlain, if the players
presume to act any thing which he has struck
vut."

↑ Dorothy ard Jemima Creed; the latter of whom died Feb. 23, 1705-6, and was buried at Tichmarsh.

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LETTER XXXV.

TO SAMUEL PEPYS, ESQ.*

ADRON MIO,
July the 14th, 1699.
I REMEMBER, last year, when I had the hon-
our of dineing with you, you were pleased to
recommend to me the character of Chaucer's
"Good Parson." Any desire of yours is a
command to me; and accordingly I have put it
into my English, with such additions and alter-
ations as I thought fit. Having translated as
many Fables from Ovid, and as many Novills
from Boccace and Tales from Chaucer, as will
make an indifferent large volume in folio, I in-
tend them for the press in Michaelmas term
next. In the mean time, my parson desires
the favour of being known to you, and promises,
if you find any fault in his character, he will re-,
form it. Whenever you please, he will wait on
you, and for the safer conveyance, I will carry
him in my pocket; who am

My Padrons most obedient servant,
JOHN DRYDEN.

For Samuel Pepys, Esq.
Att his house in York-street, These.

LETTER XXXVI.

Answer to the foregoing, by Mr. Pepys.

SIR,

Friday, July 14, 1699. You truly have obliged mee; and possibly, in saying so, I ain more in earnest then you can readily think; as verily hopeing, from this your copy of one "Good Parson,' to fancy some amends made mee for the hourly offence I beare with from the sight of so many lewd originalls.

• The founder of the Pepysian library, Magdalen College, Cambridge. He was secretary to the Admiralty in the reign of Charles II. and James II. "He first (says Granger, Biogr. Hist. iv. 322.) reduced the affairs of the Admiralty to order and method; and that method was so just, as to have been a standing model to his successors in that important office. His Memoirs' relating to the Navy is a well-written piece; and his copious collection of manuscripts, now remaining with the rest of his library at Magdalen College in Cambridge, is an invaluable treasure of naval knowledge. He was far from being a mere man of business: his conversation and address had been greatly refined by travel. He thoroughly understood and practised music; was a judge of painting, sculpture, and architecture; and had more than a superficial knowledge in history and philosophy. His fame among the virtuosi was such, that he was thought to be a very proper person to be placed at the head of the Royal Society, of which he was some time [1685, 1686,] president. His prints have been already mentioned. His collection of English Ballads, in five large folio volumes, begun by Mr. Selden, and carried down to 1700, is one of his singular curiosities. -Ob. 26 May 1703.'

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MADAM,
Saturday, Aug.5th, 1699.
THIS is only a word, to threaten you with a
places for my self and my sonn in the Oundle
troublesome guest, next week: I have taken
coach, which setts out on Thursday next the
tenth of this present August; and hope to wait
on a fair lady at Cotterstock on Friday the
eleventh. If you please to let your coach come
to Oundle, I shall save my cousin Creed the
trouble of hers. All heer are your most hum-
ble servants, and particularly an old cripple, who
calls him self

Your most obliged kinsman,
And admirer,

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MADAM, Sept. 28th, 1699. YOUR goodness to me will make you sollicitous of my welfare since I left Cotterstock. cou'd be, without the satisfaction and honour of My journey has in general been as happy as it your company. 'Tis true, the master of the stage-coach has not been over civill to me; for he turned us out of the road at the first step, and made us go to Pilton; there we took in a fair young lady of eighteen, and her brother, a young gentleman; they are related to the Treshams, but not of that name: thence we drove to Higham, where we had an old serving-woman, and a young fine mayd: we dined at Bletso, and lay at Silso, six miles beyond Bedford. There we put out the old woman, and took in Councellour Jennings his daughter; her father goeing along

in the Kittering coach, or rideing by it, with other company. We all dined at Hatfield together, and came to town safe at seaven in the evening. We had a young doctour, who rode by our coach, and seemed to have a smickering to our young lady of Pilton, and ever rode before to get dinner in a readiness. My sonn, Charles, knew him formerly a Jacobite; and now going over to Antigoo, with Colonel Codrington, haveing been formerly in the West Indies. Which of our two young ladies was the handsomer, I know not. My son liked the Councellour's daughter best: I thought they were both equall. But not goeing to Tichmarsh Grove, and afterwards by Catworth, I missed my two couple of rabbets, which my cousin, your father, had given me to carry with me, and cou'd not see my sister by the way; I was likewise disappointed of Mr. Cole's Ribadavia wine: but I am almost resolved to sue the stage-coach, for putting me six or seaven miles out of the way, which he cannot justify.

Be pleased to accept my acknowledgment of
all your favours, and my Cousin Stuart's; and
by employing my sonn and me in any thing you
desire to have done, give us occasion to take
our revenge on our kind relations both at Oundle
and Cotterstock. Bo pleas'd, your father,
your mother, your two fair sisters, and your
sonn's service and mine
brother, may find my
made acceptable to them by your delivery;
and believe me to be with all manner of grati.
tude, give me leave to add, all manner of ado-
ration, Madam,

Your most obliged obedient servant,
JOHN DRYDEN.

For Mrs. Stewart, Att

Cotterstock near Oundle,

In Northamptonshire, These.
To be left with the Postmaster of Oundle.

LETTER XXXIX.

TO THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES MONTAGUE.

[Octob, 1699.]

SIR, THESE Verses had waited on you with the former, but that, they wanted that correction

To smicker, though omitted by Dr. Johnson, is founi, says Mr. Maloue, in Kersey's Dictionary, 1708; where it is interpreted-"To look amorously, or wantonly."

1 Christopher Codrington, Governor of the Carib. bee Islands.

Colonel John Creed, a gallant soldier. He died at Oundle, Nov 21, 1751, aged 73, and was buried in the church of Tichmarsh.

The superscription of this letter is wanting;

449

which I have given them, that they may the better endure the sight of so great a judge and poet. I am now in feare that I purged them out of their spirit; as our Master Bushby us'd to whip a boy so long, till he made him a confirm'd blockhead. My cousin Driden saw them in the country; and the greatest exception he made to them was a satire against the Dutch valour in the last war. He desir'd me to omit it, (to use his own words,) "out of the respect he had to his Sovereign." I obeyed his commands, and left onely the praises, which I think are due to the gallantry of my own countrymen. In the description which I have made of a parliament-man, I think that I have not only drawn the features of my worthy kinsman, but have also given my own opinion of what an Englishman in Parliament ought to be; and deliver it as a memorial of my own principles to all posterity. I have consulted the judgment of my unbyass'd friends, who have some of them the honour to be known to you: and they think there is nothing which can justly give offence in that part of the poem. I say not this to cast a blind on your judgment, (which I could not do, if I endeavoured it,) but to assure you, that nothing relateing to the publique shall stand without your permission; for it were to want common sense to desire your patronage, and resolve to disoblige you. And as I will not hazard my hopes of your protection, by refusing to obey you in any thing which I can perform with my conscience or my honour, so I am

but that it was addressed to Mr. Montague, is as certained by the words-" From Mr. Dryden," being indorsed on it, in that gentleman's handwriting. Charles Montague, (afterwards Earl of Halifax,) was at this time First Lord of the Treasury, and Chancellor of the Exchequer; the latter of which offices he had held from the year 1694. The date is sup plied by the subsequent letter.- Malone.

The verses addressed to his kinsman, John Driden, of Chesterton, Esq.-The former poem which had been submitted to Mr. Montague, was that addressed to Mary, Duchess of Ormond. They were both inserted in the volume of Fables which was then printing. See the next letter.- Malone.

The lines alluded to occur in the Epistle to Driden of Chesterton. They are very cautiously word. ed; yet obviously imply that opposition to govern ment was one quality of a good patriot. Dryden, sensible of the suspicion arising from his politics and religion, seems, in this letter, to deprecate Montague's displeasure, and to prepossess him in favour of the poem, as inoffensive toward the gov ernment. I am afraid that indemnity was all he had to hope for from the protection of this famed Mæcenas; at least, he returns no thanks for bene. fits hitherto received; and of these he was no nig gard where there was room for them. Pope's bitter verses on Halifax are well known:

"Dryden alone what wonder came not nigh, Dryden alone escaped his judging eye;

, Yet still the great have kindness in rezerve,He help'd to bury, whom he help'd to starve."

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