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composition, such readiness of language, and such copiousuess of sentiment, as very few authors have possessed."

He did not enjoy his reputation, however great, nor his profits, however small, without molestation. He had critics to endure, and rivals to oppose. The two most distinguished wits of the nobility, the Duke of Buckingham and Earl of Rochester, declared themselves his enemies.

Buckingham characterised him, in 1671, by the name of Bayes, in the Rehearsal, a satirical comedy, called by Johnson a farce, said to be written with the assistance of Butler, the author of Hudibras, Martin Clifford, of the Char ter House, and Dr. Spratt, the friend of Cowley, then Clifford's chaplain.

Dryden and his friends laughed at the length of time, and the number of hands employed upon this performance, in which, as Dr. Johnson observes, though, by some artifice of action, it yet keeps possession of the stage, it is not possible now to find any that might not have been written without so long a delay, or a confederacy so numerous, It is said, that this satirical piece was originally intended against Dave nant, who, in the first draught, was characterised by the name of Bilboa. Davenant had been a soldier and an adventurer.

It is to be observed, that there is one 'passage in the Rehearsal still remaining, which seems to have related originally to Davenant. Bayes hurts his nose, and comes in with brown paper appled to the bruise: how this affected Dryden does not appear. Dr. Johnson remarks, that Davenant's nose had suffered such diminution, by mishaps among the women, that the patch upon that part evidently denoted him. It is said, likewise, that Sir Robert Howard was once meant. The design was probably to ridicule the reigning poet, whoever he might be.

The Rehearsal is represented as ridiculing passages in the Conquest of Granada, Assignation, Marriage-a-lamode, and Tyrannic Love. Much of the personal satire, to which it might owe its first reception, is now lost. Bayes properly imitated the dress, and mimicked the manner of Dryden, The cant words which are so often in his mouth, may be supposed to have been Dryden's habitual phrases, or customary explanations. Bayes, when he is to write, is blooded and purged:

this, a contemporary with Dryden relates himself to have heard, was the real practice of the poet.

There were other strokes in the Rehearsal, by which malice was gratified. The debate between Love and Honour, which keeps Prince Volocius in a single boot, is said, to have alluded to the Duke of Ormond, who lost Dublin to the rebels, while he was toying with a mistress.

The Earl of Rochester, to suppress the reputation of Dryden, took Settle into his protection, and endeavoured to persuade the public that their approbation had been to that time misplaced. Settle was a while in high reputation; his 'Empress of Morocco, having first delighted the town, was carried in triumph to Whitehall, and played by the ladies of the court. Rochester, however, in processs of time, withdrew his patronage, seeming "resolved," says one of his biographers, " to have a judgment contrary to that of the town."

Dr. Johnson concludes his account of the dramatic productions of our author with the following remarks :

"Neither critics nor rivals did Dryden much mischief, unless they gained, from his own temper, the power of vexing him, which his frequent bursts of resentment gave reason to suspect. He is always angry at some past, or afraid of some future censure; but he lessens the smart of his wounds, by the balm of his own approbation, and endeavours to repel the shafts of criticism, by opposing a shield of adamantine confidence.

"The perpetual accusation produced against him was that of plagiarism, against which he never attempted any vigorous defence; for though he was perhaps sometimes injuriously cen sured, he would, by denying part of the charge, have confessed the rest; and as his adversaries had the proof in their own hands, he, who knew that wit had little power against facts, avoided entering into particulars which it was his interest to suppress, and which, unless it provoked by vindication, few were likely to examine.

"Though the life of a writer, from about thirty-five to sixty-three, may be supposed to have been sufficiently busied by the composition of eightand-twenty pieces for the stage, Dryden found room for many other undertakings. But how much soever he wrote, he was at least suspected of

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writing more; for in 1679, a paper of
verses, called an Essay on Satire, was
shewn about in manuscript, by which
the Earl of Rochester, the Duchess of
Portsmouth, and others, were so much
provoked, that they procured Dryden,
whom they suspected as the author, to
be way laid and beaten. This incident
is mentioned by the Duke of Bucking-
amshire, the real author, in his art of
poetry, where he says of Dryden,
"Though prais'd and beaten for another's
rhymes,

"His own deserves as great applause some-
times."

[To be continued.]

BIOGRAPHY.

GENERAL BURGOYNE. It is curious that a man of such celebrity as a writer, a senator, and an officer, as the late Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne, should be found among the number of those of whose youthful days no memorial has been preserved. Neither the time, place, nor circumstances of his birth are known. Even

sifting age, cannot trace his origin, or
the scenes and circumstances of his
education. The fable of the Lord of
the Manor seems, in some degree, to
have been suggested (though suffi-
ciently disguised in the modifications
of character and circumstances) by the
incident of his own matrimonial con-
nection; for his was a clandestine and
unauthorised marriage, at a time when
he held only a subaltern commission
in the army, and is said to have excited
at first the resentment of the lady's
father to such a degree, that he de-
clared his resolution never to admit
the offenders into his presence; though
in process of time the anger of the
Earl subsided, a reconciliation was
effected, and was succeeded by a warm
and lasting attachment. It is probable
also that the memory of his lady, who
died in the year 1776, at Kensington
Palace, during his absence in America,
is embalmed by the affectionate re-
grets of the General in that beautiful
air in the first act of that opera—

"Encompassed in an agel's frame,
An angel's virtues lay;

Too soon did heaven assert the claim,
And call its own away.

My Anna's worth, my Anna's charms,
Must never more return!

What now shall fill these widow'd arms?
Ab, me my Anna's urn!"

his parentage is doubtful.-He is said, but upon what authority does not ap--pear, to have been a natural son of that Lord Bingley who died, at an advanced age, in 1774. That he had the advantage of a liberal education, and early intercourse with polished It is some confirmation of this consociety, is sufficiently evident from his jecture, that General Burgoyne conwritings; and it is probable that he tracted no second marriage. Taste was early devoted to the profession of and sentiment, rather than vigour and arms; for on the 10th of May, 1759, originality, and familiarity with local he was raised to the rank of Lieutemanners and the superficies of characnant-Colonel; and in the August of ter,rather than the comprehensive views the ensuing year, he was appointed of the sources of human action, and Lieutenant-Colonel - Commandant of penetration into the deeper recesses of the 16th Light Dragoons. His after the heart, characterise the genius of services, at different periods, in Spain, this writer; and his satire, though Portugal, and America, are well well pointed, will accordingly lose its known; especially the unfortunate interest when the memory of the fleettermination of his military career at ing follies and temporary politics at Saratoga, which, though it tarnished which it is levelled shall have died not his honour, cast a shade over his away. Of his dramatic works, incombrow ever afterwards conspicuous to parably the most valuable is the comedy the physiognomical eye. He made, on of The Heiress-which may, indeed, certain occasions, no ordinary figure be called the last real comedy proin Parliament. He moved in the first duced on the English stage; and it circles, and married Lady Charlotte had the singular good fortune that the Stanley, a daughter of the Earl of source from which it is almost wholly Derby; and yet we know not who or derived escaped entirely the research, what originally he was. He was au- or the animadversion of the critics of thor of four successful dramas, The Maid of the Oaks, The Lord of the Manor, Richard Coeur de Lion, and the comedy of The Heiress; and yet the curiosity of his biographer, even in this anecdote-dealing and memoir

the day. It is, in fact, little more than a judicious alteration of a former obscure, but by no means despicable comedy, The Sister; and its principal claim to originality must be rested upon the character of Miss Alscrip-cer

tainly a very advantageous substitute for the Miss Autumn of the original. It might also be remarked, that Miss Alscrip is a sort of practical comment on the text vainly preached by Massinger's Sir Giles Overreach to his daughter. The criticism, however, would be over fastidious that should withhold its commendation from the talent which thus successfully avails itself of the hints of preceding writers; or should depreciate the merit of that intellectual alchymy which transmutes the dross, or the baser metal of inferior writers into sterling ore, and sends it forth again with the current stamp and polish of the more valuable metals. And the praise of this achievement no one who shall compare The Heiress with The Sister will deny to General Burgoyne. All that he is really censurable for, is the disingenuousness of a Preface, in which he apologetically alludes to previous examples of taking "instead of small and detatched parts, the complete plots of plays from a novel," but evades all allusion to the comedy above-mentioned; from which not only the complete plot, but the general incidents and several of the characters of his play are most palpably derived.

EXPENSES

OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD IN DIFFERENT REIGNS.

If we compare the expenses of the Royal Household in former times with those of later dates, and observe the alteration of the value of money, and the progressive rise in the cost of provisions, the result will probably be, that the expense of his present Majesty's Household is not more than it was in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and is much less than it was in the time of her successor.

The articles contained in the very curious Wardrobe Account of King Edward I. published by the Antiquarian Society, seem rather to relate to the extraordinary expenses and preparations of that prince for war in Scotland, than to what we should properly call the expenses of the Household. The amount of the latter is, however, to be collected from the conclusion of that account, which, after stating the whole expenses of the articles therein mentioned, to be 53,178. 158. 1d. adds, "Sum total of the outgoings and expenses of the wardrobe in this book,

during the 28th of the King's reigu, with the Household Expenses for the same year, 64,1057. Os. 5d.” Leduct then from this the above sum of 53,1781. 158. Id. and the Household Expenses of that Monarch will amount to 10,9261. 5s. 4d.

What might be the expenses of Richard II. we know not; but according to Holingshed, it must have been enormous, as he says there were three hundred servitors in the kitchen, and every other office furnished at the like rate, and that ten thousand persons had meat and drink allowed them.

From the Pipe Rolls it appears, that the greatest expense of Henry VII. was about 15,000l. per annum; but this was afterwards lessened, and towards the end of his reign was reduced to about 13,000l.

Henry VIII. a prince fond of expense, began with somewhat more than 16,000. a year, and went on increasing till, in the 33d year of his reign, it got up to 34,000l. and in the 37th to 40,000!.

Queen Elizabeth, on her ascending the throne, reduced her expense a little below what her father ended with, but, at the conclusion of her long reign, it had increased to 55,000l.

This addition to her household expenses appears to have caused that princess much uneasiness a little before her death, and became a subject of frequent discussion between her and Richard Brown, one of the officers of her Green Cloth, in consequence of which some alterations were made, which reduced the sum to 44,000l. This, however, did not satisfy the Queen, who told Brown, in one of her conversations with him, "That in the beginning of her reign less than 40,000%. defrayed the charge." Brown answered, "That all provisions were then cheaper." The Queen said, "That may be so, but I save by the late composition (a composition paid by the counties in lieu of her purveyance) as I am informed, 10,000l. a-year, and I therefore charge you, examine the difference of one year in the beginning of my reign, with one year's expenses now, and let me understand it."

And finding on examination, that there was an excess of 12,000l. between the expenditure in her third year and her forty-third year, which could not be satisfactorily accounted for, she was exceedingly angry, and said, with a warmth truly characteristic

of her, "Shall I suffer this? Did I not tell you, Browne, what you should fynd; I was never in all my government, soe royallie, with nomber of noblemen and ladies attended upon, as in the beginninge of my reigne, all offices in my court being supplied, which now are not, and all those then satisfied with my allowance, agreed uppon by my councell and signed by me, with that care as by former princes hath been used. And shall these now that attend, and have the like allow ances, not rest contented? I will not suffer this dishonourable spoile, and increase that noe prince ever before me did, to the offence of God, and great greavance of my louinge subjects, who, I understand daylie complayne, and not without cause, that there is increase daylie of carriages and provision taken from them, at low prices, and wastefullie spent within my court to some of their undoings; and now myself understanding of it, they may justlie accuse me to suffer it." With many other discontented speeches delivered with great vehemence, and added" But my speedie order for reformation, shall satisfie my louinge subjects greeved; for I will end as I beganne, with my subjects love." The Queen's death, which followed shortly after, prevented a correction, however, of the abuses complained of.

Economy was not one of the virtues possessed by James the First (if indeed he possessed any), and when he came to the land of plenty, he had no idea of limiting his expenses. The estimate for his first year was 76,9541. 2s. 54d. besides 16,000l. for the prince, making together nearly 93,0001. In his fourth year his household expense had increased between four and five thousand pounds, and in his eigth year it amounted to nearly 130,000l.; and yet the King had corn and cattle served by the several counties at under prices, that the farmers might get rid of purveyors, the benefit of which was estimated to the King at 38,000l. a-year.

This enormous expense his officers endeavoured to lessen by various projects; and obtained, as a sort of guide to direct them, an account of the French King's household expenses. These were found altogether not to amount to 86,000l. a-year, and James's expense was reduced in consequence, in 1622, to about 79,000l.; but he very

• Sir Julius Cæsar's Papers.

soon afterwards made additions to it, and he left it at his death considerably greater than it was in the reigns either of his son or grandsons.

The household expense of King Charles II. from the 1st of October, 1663, to the last day of September, 1664, was 57,2751.; to which was added 10,000l. for the Duke of York. That of James II. in 1687 (adding the expense of his stables) was 90,445l. 5s. 8d.

King William and Queen Mary's household expense for one year ending in 1693, was between 114,000l. and 115,0001.; and those of King William alone, after the Queen's death, about 91,0007.

The average household expense of Queen Anne for two years, from October 1703 to October 1705, was 83,7107. 12s. This, within the last year or two of her reign, was increased to upwards of 89,000l.

George the First's reign began at less than 76,000l. but increased upwards of 10,000l. towards its conclusion; while on the contrary, George the Second's household expense, which in 1730 was more than 118,000l. was reduced in 1759, to little more than 108,000l.

At the accession of his late Majesty a considerable reduction was made in the household expenses. An increase attended the increase of his family, but they were again reduced in 1782.

SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON'S
ANSWER TO THE LETTER OF
SIR THOMAS OWEN.
Right worthy Sir, and my very good
friend,

Her Highness, the Queen, commanded me to tell you, that she received your letter relating to Colonel Owen, and is graciously pleased that I should thank you in her name. It giveth great pleasure to her Majesty to think, that God Almighty, in his goodness, hath bestowed upon her a subject so worthy to be praised, such a true friend to virtue and honour. When a number aim at being praiseworthy, some rare genius generally soars above the rest. She wills me to tell you, that you are the rara avis. As our merciful Princess hath had divers petitions in his favour, her pleasure is, that you should know her reasons for rejecting them all; Nemo repentè fuit turpissimus is her favourite

maxim, and inasmuch as this is not the first nor second offence he hath been guilty of, her Highness, in her great wisdom thinks, that mercy in this case would be no ways justifiable, particularly rather as crimes against her sacred person she would sooner forgive, than those against the common weal. Our gracious mistress hath long had it in mind further to reward your faithful services done unto her. It is her will, therefore, that you should be Admiral of the fleet now lying at Dover; and forasmuch as it hath been told unto her Majesty, that you have a special liking to the ship now under your command, her desire is, that you should hoist your flag on board it. She willeth me further to tell you,that she giveth to you and your heirs her castle of Llangwyld, near Aberystwith, in the principality of Wales, together with the lands circumjacent; and furthermore, that posterity may know how virtue in these happy days is re warded, she willeth that you should add to your paternal coat armour this bearing, at the dexter point, on a canton argent, a phoenix, or, burning in her nest, proper: the motto-rara avis, It giveth me abundant joy, my good friend, that you, amongst the many men of virtue and honour those happy times abound with, should be so eminently distinguished by our gracious and good mistress. Wishing you all success in this world, and happiness in that which is to come, I will willingly subscribe myself, my very good sir, your stedfast friend and devoted servant ever to command,

CHRISTOPHER HATTON.

THE CUSTOMS AND MANNERS

OF THE ENGLISH.*

The following curious account of the Customs and Manners, which appears to have been written anno 1678, was taken from the MS. collections of Mr. Aubrey (relating to North Wilts) in

the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford:

There were very few free-schools in England before the reformation. Youth were generally taught Latin in the monasteries, and young women had their education not at Hackney as now (scil.) anno 1678, but at nunneries, where they learnt needle-work, confectionary, surgery, physick, (apothe

From a MS. in the Library of Thomas Astle, Esq.

caries and surgeons being at that time very rare), writing, drawing, &c. Old Jackquar, now living, has often seen from his house the nuns of Saint Mary Kingston, in Wilts, coming forth into the Nymph Hay with their rocks and wheels to spin, sometimes to the number of threescore and ten, all whom were not nuns, but young girls sent there for education. Antiently before the reformation, ordinary mens houses, as copyholders and the like, had no chimneys, but fleus like louver holes; some of them were in being when I was a boy.

In the halls and parlors of great houses were wrote texts of Scripture on the painted cloaths. The lawyers say, that before the time of King Henry the Eighth, one shall hardly find an action on the case as for slander, &c. once in a year, quod nota.

Before the last civil wars, in gentlemens houses at Christmas, the first diet that was brought to table was a boar's head with a lemon in his mouth, At Queen's College in Oxford they still retain this custom; the bearer of it brings it into the hall, singing to an old tune, an old Latin rhyme, Caput Apri Defero, &c. The first dish that was brought up to the table on Easter-day was a red berring riding away on horseback; i. e. a herring ordered by the cook something after the likeness of a man on horseback, set in a corn sallad.

The custom of eating a gammon of bacon at Easter, which is still kept up in many parts of England, was founded on this; viz. to shew their abhorrence to Judaism at that solemn commemo ration of our Lord's resurrection.

The use of "Your humble servant," came first into England on the marriage of Queen Mary, daughter of Henry the Fourth of France, which is derived The usual salutation before that time from "Votre tres humble serviteur" was, "God keep you! God be with you!" and amongst the vulgar, "How dost do?" with a thump on the shoulder.

Till this time the court itself was unpolished and unmannered. King James's court was so far from being civil to women, that the ladies, nay the queen herself, could hardly pass by the King's apartment without receiving some affront.

At the parish priests houses in France, especially Languedock, the table cloth is on the board all day

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