provocation, and terrour with little danger. To fee the higheft minds thus levelled with the meaneft, may produce fome folace to the consciousness of weakness, and fome mortification to the pride of wisdom. membered, that minds are not levelled in their powers but when they are first levelled in their defires. Dryden and Settle had both placed their happiness in the claps of multitudes.

But let it be re

The Mock Aftrologer, a comedy, is dedicated to the illuftrious duke of Newcaftle, whom he courts by adding to his praises thofe of his lady, not only as a lover but a partner of his ftudies. It is unpleafing to think how many names, once celebrated, are fince forgotten.

Of

Of Newcastle's works nothing is now known but his treatife on Horfeman

fhip.

The Preface feems very elaborately written, and contains many juft remarks on the Fathers of the English drama. Shakespeare's plots, he fays, are in the hundred novels of Cinthio; thofe of Beaumont and Fletcher in Spanish ftories; Jonfon only made them for himfelf. His criticisms upon tragedy, comedy, and farce, are judicious and profound. He endeavours to defend the immorality of fome of his comedies by the example of former writers; which is only to fay, that he was not the first nor perhaps the greatest offender. Against thofe that accufed him of plagiarism,

d4

giarism, he alleges a favourable expreffion of the King: "He only defired "that they, who accufe me of thefts, "would steal him plays like mine;" and then relates how much labour he fpends in fitting for the English stage what he borrows from others.

Tyrannick Love, or the Virgin Martyr, was another tragedy in rhyme, confpicuous for many paffages of ftrength and elegance, and many of empty noise and ridiculous turbulence. The rants of Maximin have been always the sport of criticism; and were at length, if his own confeffion may be trufted, the shame of the writer.

Of this play he takes care to let the reader know, that it was contrived and written

written in feven weeks. Want of time was often his excufe, or perhaps fhortnefs of time was his private boaft in the form of an apology.

It was written before The Conquest of

Granada, but publifhed after it. The defign is to recommend piety. " I "confidered that pleasure was not the

only end of poefy, and that even the "inftructions of morality were not fo wholly the bufinefs of a poet, as that

precepts and examples of piety were "to be omitted; for to leave that em

ployment altogether to the clergy,

were to forget that religion was firft taught in verfe which the laziness "or dulnefs of fucceeding priesthood turned afterwards into profe." Thus

foolish

foolishly could Dryden write, rather than not fhew his malice to the parfons.

The two parts of the Conquest of Gra

nada are written with a feeming determination to glut the publick with dramatick wonders; to exhibit in its highest elevation a theatrical meteor of incredible love and impoffible valour, and to leave no room for a wilder flight to the extravagance of pofterity. All the rays of romantick heat, whether amorous or warlike, glow in Almanzor by a kind of concentration. He is above all laws; he is exempt from all restraints; he the world at will, and governs wherever he appears. He fights without enquiring the cause, and loves in spite of the obligations of justice, of re

ranges

jection