BELL'S EDITION OF DRYDEN'S POETICAL WORKS.. THE "Annotated Edition of
the English Poets" starts well with Dryden; who, whatever other claims he may have to the priority thus given him, owes the preference probably to the opportunity he furnishes to the accomplished editor of displaying the kind and extent of resources at his command for the execution of the onerous task he has undertaken. From the specimen before us, Mr. Bell appears to have estimated correctly the sort of informa- tion required in an edition of the Poets, which must from its cheapness demand a very large sale to repay the charges of the publishers. His illustrative and critical notes are amply suffi- cient to throw light on historical allusions, recondite images, and difficult phrases ; while he refrains from that discursive gossip which, charming and amusing as it often is, helps nothing to the understanding of an author commented on, but much to swell the price and bulk of the edition of his writings. To such of the poems of Dryden in this volume as require it he prefixes separate historical and literary introductions, which are far more conve- niently placed than if they were intermingled with the narrative of the Life, where they would disturb its continuous interest. Mr. Bell has fairly earned so far the highest praise that can be bestowed on the editor of a poet who has been so often and so well edited before,—he has judiciously selected the information necessary, most of which has been of course used by his predeces- sors; and has throughout been guided by the principle of saying what his readers would want to be told, not all that could be told. Steadily keeping in view the object of the publishers, to provide a thoroughly good edition of the English:Poets at a price within the means and of a size within the convenience of almost all per- sons who can read them, he has carefully avoided the besetting sin of editors, who seem too often to have taken for their motto, " Le superfin chose si necessaire." The Life of Dryden which Mr. Bell has composed for this edi- tion is, however, the best proof of the energy and industry with which he has applied himself to a work demanding and deserving both, and that if well executed will repay both by handing down to posterity the editor's name in the best possible company—for who would wish better company than the illustrious band of Eng- lish poets P Twenty years ago, Mr. Mitford wrote, in his Life of Dryden, prefixed to the Aldine edition of the poet's works, after speaking of Malone's diligent researches—" We are now probably in possession of all the information which it is possible to produce." Yet Mr. Bell has recovered from oblivion several interesting and important letters, and has been able to correct a date relative to Dryden's increase of pension, bearing directly on the question of his change of religion, and very materially altering the unfavour- able inferences that have been drawn with respect to that event by previous biographers. It appears that it was Charles the Second who granted the increase of 1001. per annum ; and that his brother. James at first reduced the Laureate's pay to its original 2001. per
• Poetical Works of John Dryden. Edited by Robert Bell. Volume I. Published by Parker and Son.
annum, in addition to taking away the annual butt of sherry. The additional 1001. was indeed afterwards restored, but while Dryden was still a Protestant. Mr. Bell thus sums up the results of his discovery, founded on an Exchequer warrant, furnished to him by Mr. Charles Beville Dryden. "I have dwelt upon these circumstances because they contribute materially to remove the suspicion hitherto attached to this pension, and which would now seem to be unwarranted by the facts. Nearly all Dryden's biographers have been influenced, more or less, by that suspicion. Even Dr. Johnson, who is unwilling to pronounce judgment on a question which no human evidence can satisfactorily decide, and who is desirous to put the beet con- struction on the motives by which Dryden was actuated in changing his religion, cannot help betraying the doubt which the supposed connexion be- tween the conversion and the pension had raised in his mind. His words are memorable- " ' That conversion will always be suspected that apparently concurs with inte- rest. He that never finds his error till it binders his progress towards wealth or honour, will not be thought to love truth for herself.'
"Mr. Macaulay, whose character of Dryden, distinguished by a spirit of invective as indiscriminate as it is severe, must inspire all dispassionate readers with deep regret, brings forward the charge with circumstantial minuteness.
•• • Finding that if he continued to call himself a Protestant, his services would be overlooked, he declared himself a Papist. The King's parsimony instantly relaxed. Dryden was gratified with a pension of one hundred pounds a year, and was em- ployed to defend his new religion both in prose and verse.'
" I have not been able to discover on what authority this statement is made : nor have I found the accusation exhibited in this shape anywhere else. According to the evidence of dates, the pension, instead of following the conversion, was antecedent to it. I do not know whether this will be considered to alter the case much. If we are still to believe that Dryden changed his religion for a pension, the morality of the transaction will not be mended by proving that he secured his pension before he avowed his change ; but as it is desirable to be accurate in such matters, in order that others may be able to form an opinion as well as ourselves, the safer course is to state facts in the order of their occurrence. The pension was resumed in 1685-'6, and the anonymous Defence of the Duchess of York's Paper, in which Dryden for the first time espoused the doctrines of the Church of Rome, appeared late in 1686. The Hind and Panther was not published till the middle of 1687. The conversion, no doubt, followed close upon the pension—so close, that it was difficult to resist the reasoning which insisted upon tracing a connexion between them.
The fact, however, disclosed by the Exchequer warrant I have quoted, which shows that the pension in reality dated as far back as May 1684, diminishes very sensibly the force of the imputation, if it do nut prove it to be altogether groundless. If the pension had been granted to Dryden to purchase his services in defence of his new religion, he would scarcely have passed over two years without doing something towards acquitting himself of the obligation it imposed upon him; nor would he have waited for the accession of James to avow an apostacy to the benefits of which Charles was so much better entitled."
Mr. Bell also is enabled, through the same gentleman's assist- ance, to correct the ordinarily assigned date of the poet's marriage ; which, generally placed in 1665 or 1666, is now shown by the pro- duction of the licence from the office of the Vicar-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury, to have taken place in 1663, and, con- trary to general opinion, to have been with the consent of the lady's father, the Earl of Berkshire. We do not comprehend why Mr. Bell, evidently anxious as he is for Dryden's good fame, should have taken no notice of the scandalous letter cited by Mr. Mitford from the Chesterfield collection, which throws a suspicion upon Lady Elizabeth Howard of an intrigue with Lord Chesterfield pre- viously to her marriage with Dryden. He was bound, we think, either to clear up the scandal if possible—if not, to mention it as matter of history. His silence will not prevent the story from being known, while it may affect his candour. The only other omission that has occurred to us in rapidly glancing through the biography is, that nothing, to the best of our recollection, is said of Dryden's design to write an epic poem on the subject of King Arthur. Mr. Bell may repair both omissions in succeeding vo- lumes by means of a preface or an appendix. Meanwhile, he gives us what is better than scandal or designs never accomplished--a letter of verbal criticism never before published, and addressed by Dryden to Walsh the author of a Dialogue on Women.
' You command me Deare Sir, to make a kind of critique on your Essay : tis an hard province ; but if I were able to undertake it, possibly, a greater proofe of friendship is scarcely to be found ; where to be truly a friend, a man must seeme to exercise a little malice. As it happens, I am now incum- bered with some necessary business, relating to one of my Sonns ; which when it is over, I shall more le sure to obey you, in case there appeare any farther need. There is not the least occasion of reflecting on your disposition of the piece, nor the thoughts. I see nothing to censure in either of them. Besides this the style is easy and natural ; as fit for Dialogue, as if you had set Tully before you ; and as gallant as Fontenelle in his plurality of Worlds. In the correctness of the English there is not much for me to animadvert. Be pleasd therefore, to avoid the words, don't, can't, shan't, and the like abbreviations of syllables ; which seem to me to savour of a little rusticity. As for Pedantry you are not to be taxd with it. I remember I hinted some- what of concludding your Sentences with prepositions or conjunctions some- times, which is not elegant, as in your first sentence—(See the consequences of.) I find likewise, that you make not a due distinction betwixt that, and who ; A man that is not proper ; the relative who is proper. That, ought alwayes to signify a thing ; who, a person. An acquaintance that wou'd have undertook the business ; true English is, an acquaintance who wou'd have undertaken the business. I am confident I need not proceed with these lit- tle criticisms, which are rather cavillings. Philareque, or the Critique on Balza°, observes it as a fault in his style, that he has in many places written twenty words together (en suitte) which were all Monos)1Lables. I observe this in some lines of your Noble Epigmmm : t and am often guilty of It my- selfe through hastinesse. Mr. Waller counted this a vertue of Use English "t The following is the epigram referred to- ' Gales AND SHIFTER.
Rich Gripe does all his thoughts and cunning bend, T' encrease that wealth he wants the soul to spend. Poor Shifter does his whole contrivance set, To spend that wealth he wants the sense to get. How happy would appear to each his fate, Had Gripe his humour, or he Gripe's Estate ! Kind fate and fortune, blend them if you can, And of two wretches make one happy man.
" It will be seen, that Walsh implicitly adopted Dryden's suggestions." tongue, that it cou'd bring so many words of the Teutonique together, and yet the smoothness of the Verse not vitiated. Now I am speaking of 'your Epigramm, I am sure you will not be offended with me for saying, there is some imperfection in the two last lines. " Blend 'em together, Fate, ease both their paine ; And of two wretches make one happy man. The word blend includes the sense of together—ease both their paine : paine is Singular, both is Plurall. But indeed paine may have a collective and plurall signification. Then the Rhyme is not full of pain and Man. An half-rhyme HI not always a fault ; but in the close of any paper of verses, tis to be avoyded. And after all, tell me truly, if those words, ease both their paine ; were not superfluous in the Bence, and onily put, for the sake of the rhyme, and filling up the verse. It came into my head to alter them, and I am Eiffrayd for the worse. "Kind Fate, or Fortune, blend them, if you can : And, of two wretches, make one happy man. Bind fate looks a little harsh : fate without an epi- thet, is always taken in an ill sence. Kind added, changes that significa- tion. (Fati valet hora benigni.) The words (if you can) have almost the same fault I tax'd in your ending of the line : but being better considerd, that is, whether fortune or fate, can alter a Man's temper, who is already so temperd : and leaving it doubtfull, I thinke does not prejudice the thought, in the last line. Now I begin, to be in for Cakes and Ale ; and why should I not put a quere on those other lines ? Poor Shift, does all his whole con- trivance set, To spend that wealth he wants the Sence to get. All his whole contrivance, is but all his Contrivance, or his whole Contrivance ; thus, one of those words, looker a little like tautology. Then, an ill-natur'd man might ask, how he cou'd spend wealth, not having the sence to get it ? But this is trifling, in me. For your sence is very intelligible ; which is enough to secure it. And, by your favour, so is Martial's : Viribus hie non est, hic non est nails annis: and yet in exactness of Criticism, your censure stands good upon am calf d to dinner, and have only time to add a great truth ; that I am from the bottome of my Soul, Deere Sir, Your most humble
Servant and true lover JOHN DRYDEN. "Your apostrophe's to your Mistresse, where you break off the thrid of your discourse, and address youreself to her, are, in my opinion, as fine turner of gallantry, as I have mett with anywhere. "For my 'Tenoned Friend, William Walsh Esqr.
These."
Of course Dryden's life was tolerably well known before : Ma- lone, Walter Scott, and Mitford, are not men who are in the habit of leaving much for after corners to glean. That Mr. Bell has got so indicates ndicates the spirit with which he has worked to give at- traction and value to his edition, and to carry out the publishers' design.
We cannot but anticipate for the series that has commenced so well a striking success. It will not displace those larger and more showy editions of the separate poets which ornament our libraries; but it promises to be for its price (half-a-crown a volume) the best collected edition of the Poets yet produced. The volume before us may fairly take rank beside the Aldine volumes; and the series will, we prophesy,: henceforth take a permanent place among favourite gift-books.
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