mus, Charles, and perhaps another. One of them was a priest, and another a captain in the Pope's guards. He left his family estate, which was about 120l. a year, to Charles. His historiographer and poet laureat's places were worth to him about 300l. a year. The same.

1742. Dryden cleared every way about 12001. by his Virgil, and had sixpence each line for his Fables. For some time he wrote a play (at least) every year; but in those days ten broad pieces was the usual highest price for a play; and if they got 50%. more in the acting, it was reckoned very well. -The same.

His Virgil was one of the first books that had any thing of a subscription (and even that was a good deal on account of the prints, which were Ogilby's plates touched up); as the Tatlers were the first great subscription. The same.

It was Dryden who made Will's coffeehouse the great resort for the wits of his time. After his death, Addison transferred

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it to Button's *, who had been a servant of his.-The same.

1743. I learned versification wholly from Dryden's works, who had improved it much beyond any of our former poets, and would probably have brought it to its perfection, had he not been unhappily obliged to write so often in haste.-The same.

Dryden always uses proper language, lively, natural, and fitted to the subject, it is scarce ever too high or too low; never, perhaps, except in his plays.-The same.

Addison passed each day alike, and much in the same manner as Dryden did. Dryden employed his mornings in writing, dined en famille, and then went to Will's; only he came home earlier at nights.-The

same.

Addison was so eager to be the first name, that he and his friend Sir Richard Steele used to run down Dryden's cha

* In Russell-street, Covent Garden, on the south side.

racter as far as they could. Pope and Congreve used to support it.-Tonson.

SHADWELL.

The Virtuoso of Shadwell does not maintain his character with equal strength to the end; and this was that writer's general fault. Wycherly used to say of him, that he knew how to start a fool very well, but that he was never able to run him down.Mr. Pope.

1730. Shadwell's Squire of Alsatia took exceedingly at first, as an occasional play. It discovered the cant terms that were before not generally known, except to the cheats themselves, and was a good deal instrumental toward causing that nest of villains to be regulated by public authority. The story it was built on was a true fact.-Mr. Dennis, the Critic.

SETTLE.

Settle, in his Anti-Achitophel, was as

sisted by Mat. Clifford *, Sprat, and several of the best hands of those times.-Lockier.

SPRAT.

Sprat, a worse Cowley.-Mr. Pope.

ETHERIDGE.

Sir George Etheridge was as thorough a fop as ever I saw; he was exactly his own Sir Fopling Flutter, and yet he designed Dorimont, the genteel rake of wit, for his own picture!-Lockier.

WYCHERLY.

Wycherly was a very handsome man. His acquaintance with the famous Duchess of Cleaveland commenced oddly enough. One day as he passed that duchess's coach in the Ring, she leaned out of the window, and cried out, loud enough to be heard distinctly by him, “Sir, you're a rascal;

* Certainly not Martin Clifford, for he was dead when Absalom senior, the piece meant, came out.-M.

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you're a villain." Wycherly from that instant entertained hopes. He did not fail waiting on her next morning; and with a melancholy tone begged to know, how it was possible for him to have so much disobliged her grace? They were very good friends from that time; yet, after all, what did he get by her? He was to have travelled with the young Duke of Richmond. King Charles now and then gave him 1007. -not often; and he was an equerry*, Mr. Pope.

Wycherly was fifteen or sixteen when he went to France, and was acquainted there with Madam de Rambouillet, a little after Balzac's death t.-The same.

He was not unvain of his face. That's a fine one which was engraved for him by Smith, in 1703. He was then about his grand climacteric; but sat for the picture from which it was taken when he was

* Dennis says, he was equerry to the Duke of Buckingham, as Master of the Horse to the King. Letters, p. 219.

† Balzac died Feb. 18, 1654.-M.