[63] “I have often heard,” says Mr. George Russell, “that Mr. Dryden, dissatisfied and envious at the reputation Creech obtained by his translation of Lucretius, purposely advised him to undertake Horace, to which he knew him unequal, that he might by his ill performance lose the fame he had acquired.  Mr. Southerne, author of ‘Oroonoko,’ set me right as to the conduct of Mr. Dryden in this affair; affirming that, being one evening at Mr. Dryden’s lodgings, in company with Mr. Creech, and some other ingenious men, Mr. Creech told the company of his design to translate Horace; from which Mr. Dryden, with many arguments, dissuaded him, as an attempt which his genius was not adapted to, and which would risk his losing the good opinion the world had of him, by his successful translation of Lucretius.  I thought it proper to acquaint you with this circumstance, since it rescues the fame of one of our greatest poets from the imputation of envy and malevolence.”  See also, upon this subject, a note in vol. viii.  Yet Jacob Tonson told Spence, “that Dryden would compliment Crowne when a play of his failed, but was cold to him if he met with success.  He used sometimes to say, that Crowne had some genius; but then he always added, that his father and Crowne’s mother were very well acquainted.”—­MALONE, vol. i. p. 500.

[64] His conversation is thus characterised by a contemporary writer: 

“O, Sir, there’s a medium in all things.  Silence and chat are distant enough, to have a convenient discourse come between them; and thus far I agree with you, that the company of the author of ’Absalom and Achitophel’ is more valuable, though not so talkative, than that of the modern men of banter; for what he says is like what he writes, much to the purpose, and full of mighty sense; and if the town were for anything desirable, it were for the conversation of him, and one or two more of the same character.”—­The Humours and Conversation of the Town exposed, in two Dialogues, 1693, p. 73

[65] [This story is probably as old as the first married pair of whom the husband was studious.  It certainly appears without names in the Historiettes of Tallemant des Reaux, most of which were written five years before Dryden’s marriage.—­ED]

[66] “When Dryden, our first great master of verse and harmony, brought his play of ‘Amphitryon’ to the stage, I heard him give it his first reading to the actors; in which, though it is true he delivered the plain sense of every period, yet the whole was in so cold, so flat, and unaffecting a manner, that I am afraid of not being believed, when I affirm it.”—­Cibber’s Apology, 4to.

[67] [Transcriber’s note:  “See page 112” in original.  This is to be found in Section III.]

[68] Vol. xviii.

[69] “I find (says Gildon) Mr. Bayes, the younger [Rowe], has two qualities, like Mr. Bayes, the elder; his admiration of some odd books, as ‘Reynard the Fox,’ and the old ballads of ‘Jane Shore,’ etc.”—­ Remarks on Mr. Rome’s Plays.  “Reynard the Fox” is also mentioned in “The Town and Country Mouse,” as a favourite book of Dryden.  And Addison, in the 85th number of the Spectator, informs us, that Dorset and Dryden delighted in perusing the collection of old ballads which the latter possessed.