royalty restored-第65部分

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John　Denham；　a　poet　and　man　of　culture；　one　morning　brought　a　sheet　of　the　great　epic　fresh　from　the　press　to　his　friend　Sir　George　Hungerford。　　〃Why；　what　have　you　there？〃　asked　the　latter。　　〃Part　of　the　noblest　poem　that　was　ever　written　in　any；　language　or　in　any　age；〃　said　Sir　John；　as　he　laid　the　pages　before　him。　　And　a　few　weeks　later　my　Lord　Dorset；　looking　over　a　bookstall　in　Little　Britain；　found　a　copy　of　this　work；　which　he　opened　carelessly　at　first；　until　he　met　some　passages　which　struck　him　with　surprise　and　filled　him　with　admiration：　　observing　which　the　honest　bookseller　besought　him　to　speak　in　favour　of　the　poem；　for　it　lay　upon　his　hands　like　so　much　waste…paper。　　My　lord　bought　a　copy；　carried　it　home；　read　and　sent　it　to　Dryden；　who；　in　due　time　returning　the　volume；　expressed　his　opinion　of　its　merits　in　flattering　terms。　　〃The　author；〃　said　he；　〃cuts　us　all　outaye；　even　the　ancients　too。〃

Such　instances　as　these　were；　however；　few　in　number。　　That　the　work　did　not　meet　with　wider　appreciation　and　quicker　sale　is　not　surprising　when　it　is　called　to　mind　that　from　1623　to　1664　but　two　editions　of　Shakespeare's　works；　comprising　in　all　about　one　thousand　copies；　had　been　printed。　　In　an　age　when　learning　was　by　no　means　universal；　and　polite　reading　uncommon；　it　was　indeed　a　scource　of　congratulation；　rather　than　a　topic　for　commiseration；　that　the　work　of　a　republican　had　in　two　years　reached　a　sale　of　thirteen　hundred　copies。

Before　a　third　edition　was　required　his　fame　had　spread。　　The　house　in　which　he　had　been　born；　in　Bread　Street；　was　shown　with　pride　to　foreign　visitors；　parents　sent　their　sons　to　read　to　him；　that　they　might　reap　the　benefit　of　his　remarks。　　The　latter　testimony　to　his　genius　was　a　tribute　the　blind　poet　appreciated。　But　it　happened　there　were　times　and　seasons　when　these　obliging　youths　were　not　at　hand；　or　when　it　was　inconvenient　for　him　to　receive　them。　　On　such　occasions　he　demanded　that　his　daughters　should　read　him　the　books　he　required；　though　these　were　frequently　written　in　Hebrew；　Greek；　Latin；　Italian；　and　Spanish　languages　of　which　they　were　wholly　ignorant。　　The　torment　this　inflicted　on　those　striving　to　pronounce　unaccustomed　words　which　had　no　meaning　to　their　ears；　and　the　torture　endured　by　him；　may　readily　be　conceived。　　Expressions　of　complaint　on　the　one　side；　and　of　pain　on　the　other；　continually　interrupted　the　readings；　which　were　eventually　wholly　abandoned；　the　poet　sending　his　children；　whose　education　was　so　limited　that　they　were　unable　to　write；　to　learn　〃ingenious　sorts　of　manufacture　proper　for　women；　particularly　embroideries　in　gold　and　Silver。〃

When　in　1665　Milton　had　shown　his　poem　to　Elwood；　the　good　quaker　observed；　〃Thou　hast　said　a　great　deal　upon　Paradise　Lost：　　what　hast　thou　to　say　upon　Paradise　Found？〃　　This　question　resting　in　the　poet's　mind；　in　due　time　produced　fruit；　for　no　sooner　had　his　first　poem　been　published　than　he　set　about　composing　the　latter；　which；　under　the　name　of　〃Paradise　Regained；〃　was　given　to　the　world　in　1670　〃This；〃　said　he　to　Elwood；　　〃is　owing　to　you；　for　you　put　it　into　my　head　by　the　question　which　you　put　to　me；　which　otherwise　I　had　not　thought　of。〃　　This　poem；　he　believed；　had　merits　far　superior　to　those　of　〃Paradise　Lost；〃　which　he　could　not　bear　to　hear　praised　in　preference　to　〃Paradise　Regained。〃　　In　the　same　year　he　published　〃Samson　Agonistes；〃　and　two　years　later　a　treatise　on　〃Logic；〃　and　another　on　〃True　Religion；　Heresy；　Schism；　Toleration；　and　the　Best　Methods　to　Prevent　the　Growth　of　Popery。〃　　In　this；　the　mind　which　had　soared　to　heaven　and　descended　to　hell　in　its　boundless　flight；　argues　that　catholics　should　not　be　allowed　the　right　of　public　or　private　worship。　　In　the　last　year　of　his　life　he　republished　his　〃Juvenile　Poems；〃　together　with　〃Familiar　Epistles　in　Latin。〃

He　had　now　reached　his　sixty…sixth　year。　　His　life　had　been　saddened　by　blindness；　his　health　enfeebled　by　illness；　his　domesticity　troubled　by　his　first　marriage　and　his　last；　his　desires　disappointed　by　the　result　of　political　events。　　So　that　when；　on　the　10th　of　November；　1674；　death　summoned　him；　he　departed　without　regret。

Amongst　those　who　visited　Milton　was　John　Dryden；　whom　the　author　of　〃Paradise　Lost〃　regarded　as　〃a　good　rhymester；　but　no　poet；〃　an　opinion　with　which　posterity　has　not　held。　　At　the　restoration；　John　Dryden　was　in　his　twenty…ninth　year。　　The　son　of　Sir　Erasmus　Dryden；　Baronet；　of　Canons　Ashby；　he　enjoyed　an　income　of　two　hundred　pounds　a　year；　a　sum　then　considered　sufficient　to　defray　the　expenses　of　a　young　man　of　good　breeding。　　He　had　passed　through　Westminster　School；　taken　a　degree　at　Cambridge；　written　a　eulogistic　stanza　on　the　death　of　Cromwell；　and　a　joyous　poem　on　the　happy　restoration　of　the　merry　monarch。

Three　years　after　the　arrival　of　his　majesty；　Dryden's　comedy　entitled　〃The　Wild　Gallant〃　was　produced；　this　being　the　first　of　twenty…eight　plays　which　followed。　　In　the　year　1668　he　had　the　honour　to　succeed　Sir　William　Davenant　as　poet　laureate；　the　salary　attached　to　which　office　was　one　hundred　pounds　a　year　and　a　tierce　of　wine。　　His　dignity　was　moreover　enhanced；　though　his　happiness　was　by　no　means　increased；　by　his　marriage　with　the　Lady　Elizabeth　Howard；　daughter　of　the　Earl　of　Berkshire。　　For　my　lady's　temper　sorely　marred　the　poet's　peace；　and　left　such　impressions　upon　his　mind；　that　to　the　end　of　his　days　his　invectives　against　the　bonds　of　matrimony　were　bitter　and　deep。　In　justice　it　must　be　mentioned　the　Lady　Elizabeth's　mental　condition　was　supposed　to　be　unsettled；　a　conjecture　which　was　proved　true　by　a　madness　which　befell　her；　subsequent　to　her　husband's　death。

Dryden　was　now　a　well　known　figure　in　town；　consorting　with　men　of　the　highest　quality　and　parts；　and　gossiping　with　wits　and　players　who　frequented　Will's　coffee…house。　　Here；　indeed；　a　special　chair　was　appropriated　to　his　use；　which　being　placed　by　the　fire　in　winter；　and　on　the　balcony　in　summer；　he　was　pleased　to　designate　as　his　winter　and　his　summer　seat。　　At　Will's　he　was　wont　to　hold　forth　on　the　ingenuity　of　his　plays；　the　perfection　of　his　poems；　and　the　truth　of　astrology。　　It　was　whilst　leaving　this　coffee　house　one　night　a　memorable　occurrence　befell　the　poet；　of　which　more　anon。

It　happened　at　one　time　the　brilliant；　poetical；　and　mercurial　Earl　of　Rochester　extended　his　favour　and　friendship　towards　Dryden；　gratified　by　which；　the　poet　had；　after　the　manner　of　those　days；　dedicated　a　play　to　him；　〃Marriage　a　la　Mode。〃　　This　favour　his　lordship　received　with　graciousness；　and　no　doubt　repaid　with　liberality。　　After　a　while；　Dryden；　led　by　choice　or　interest；　sought　a　new　patron　in　the　person　of　the　Earl　of　Mulgrave。　　For　this　nobleman　Rochester　had　long　entertained　a　bitter　animosity；　which　had　arisen　from　rivalry；　and　had　been　intensified　from　the　fact　that　Rochester；　refusing　to　fight　him；　had　been　branded　as　a　coward。　　Not　daring　to　attack　the　peer；　Rochester　resolved　to　avenge　himself　upon　the　poet。　　In　order　to　effect　his　humiliation；　the　earl　at　once　bestowed　his　favour　on　Elkanah　Settle；　a　playwright　and　poet　of　mean　abilities。　　He　had　originally　been　master　of　a　puppet…show；　had　written　verses　to　order　for　city　pageants；　and　produced　a　tragedy　in　heroic　verse；　entitled　〃Cambyses；　King　of　Persia。〃

His　patron　being　at　this　time　in　favour　with　the　king；　introduced　Settle　to　the　notice　of　the　court；　and　induced　the　courtiers　to　play　his　second　tragedy；　〃The　Empress　of　Morocco；〃　at　Whitehall；　before　their　majesties。　　This　honour；　which　Dryden；　though　poet　laureate；　had　never　received；　gave　Elkanah　Settle　unmerited　notoriety；　the　benefit　of　which　was　apparent　by　the　applause　his　tragedy　received　when　subsequently　produced　at　the　Duke's　Theatre　in　Dorset　Gardens。　　Nor　did　the　honour　and　profit　which　〃The　Empress　of　Morocco〃　brought　him　end　here；　it　was　published　by　William　Cademan；　and　had　the　distinction　of　being　the　first　English　play　ever　illustrated；　or　sold　for　the　price　of　two　shillings。　　It　was　scarce　to　be　expected；　in　an　age　when　men　ventilated　their　merest　grievances　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　succ