SUMMARY OF JOHNSON'S LIFE OF

DRYDEN.

1. Life of Dryden, pp. 1-41. Dryden was born in Northamptonshire in 1631, brought up as an Anabaptist, and inherited an estate worth two hundred pounds a year.

Educated at Westminster School and Cambridge, and wrote poems at both places.

First public performance, Heroic Stanzas on Cromwell, followed by Astrea Redux, on the Restoration. (Johnson defends him from the charge of inconstancy.)

Wrote plays from 1663 for thirty-one years.

1. Wild Gallant, unsuccessful.

2. Rival Ladies, first attempt at dramatic rhyme.

3. Indian Emperor, sequel to Howard's Indian Queen.

In 1667, Annus Mirabilis, in quatrains; here he begins to commend his own performances.

In 1668 became Laureate and published Essay on Dramatic Poetry.

4. Secret Love.

5. Sir Martin Marall, accused of plagiarism.

6. The Tempest, a variation of Shakespeare's play. In 1673 he attacked Settle's Empress of Morocco. 7. An Evening's Love, with a preface on the Drama. 8. Tyrannic Love, severely criticised.

9. Conquest of Granada, majestic and incredible, ridiculed

by Clifford.

Elkanah Settle retaliated by attacking the Conquest of Granada.

10. Marriage à-la-mode.

11. The Assignation, driven off the stage.

12. Amboyna, to inflame the nation against the Dutch.
13. Troilus and Cressida, imitation of Shakspeare.
14. The Spanish Friar, written against the Papists.
15. The Duke of Guise, offended the Covenanters.
16. Albion and Albanius, a musical drama.

17. The State of Innocence, imitated Paradise Lost.
18. Aureng Zebe, his most elaborate drama.

19. All for Love, "the only play he wrote for himself."

20. Limberham, prohibited for indecency.

21. Oedipus, Dryden was helped by Lee.

22. Don Sebastian, one of Dryden's best dramas.

23. Amphitryon, a very diverting play.

24. Cleomenes, mentioned in the Guardian.

25. King Arthur, never acted.

26. Love Triumphant, a tragi-comedy, 1694.

Johnson describes the state of the drama, and audiences; the means of profit to the author, viz., dedication, copy, the third night. Dryden often wrote a preface of His prologues were sought for by the

criticism. dramatists.

He wrote rapidly; six dramas were published in 1678. Buckingham and Rochester were his chief enemies. Buckingham ridiculed him in The Rehearsal.

Rochester patronised Settle as a rival of Dryden. Critics accused him of plagiarism; he offered no defence.

In 1679 Rochester employed men to waylay and beat Dryden.

In 1680 he translated Epistles of Ovid, and wrote a discourse on translation.