religion of external appearance fufficiently attraċtive.

It is natural to hope that a comprehenfive is likewise an elevated foul, and that whoever is wife is also honest. I am willing to believe that Dryden, having employed his mind, active as it was, upon different studies, and filled it, capacious as it was, with other materials, came unprovided to the controverfy, and wanted rather skill to discover the right than virtue to maintain it. But enquiries into the heart are not for man; we must now leave him to his Judge.

The priests, having ftrengthened their cause by so powerful an adherent, were not long before they brought him into action. They engaged him to defend the controverfial papers found in the strong-box of Charles the Second, and, what yet was harder, to defend them against Stillingfleet.

With hopes of promoting popery, he was employed to tranflate Maimbourg's History of the League; which he published with a large introduction. His name is likewise prefixed to the English Life of Francis Xavier; but I know not that he ever owned himself the tranflator. Perhaps the ufe of his name was a pious fraud, which however feems not to have had much effect; for neither of the books, I believe, was ever popular.

The verfion of Xavier's Life is commended by Brown, in a pamphlet not written to flatter; and the occafion of it is faid to have been, that the Queen, when she folicited a fon, made vows to him as her tutelary faint.

He

He was fuppofed to have undertaken to tranflate Varillas's Hiftory of Herefies; and, when Burnet published Remarks upon it, to have written an Anfwer; upon which Burnet makes the following obfervation:

"I have been informed from England, that a gen

tleman, who is famous both for poetry and several "other things, had fpent three months in tranflating "M. Varillas's Hiftory; but that, as foon as my Re"flections appeared, he discontinued his labour, finding the credit of his author was gone. Now if he "thinks it is recovered by his Anfwer, he will perhaps

go on with his translation; and this may be, for "aught I know, as good an entertainment for him as "the converfation that he had fet on between the "Hinds and Panthers, and all the reft of animals, for "whom M. Varillas may ferve well enough as an "author: and this history and that poem are fuch "extraordinary things of their kind, that it will be "but fuitable to fee the author of the worft poem be"come likewise the tranflator of the worst history "that the age has produced. If his grace and his "wit improve both proportionably, he will hardly "find that he has gained much by the change he "has made, from having no religion to chufe one "of the worst. It is true, he had fomewhat to fink "from in matter of wit; but as for his morals, it is "fcarce poffible for him to grow a worfe man than "he was. He has lately wreaked his malice on me "for fpoiling his three months labour; but in it he "has done me all the honour that any man can receive "from him, which is to be railed at by him. If I "had ill-nature enough to prompt me to with a very "bad wifh for him, it fhould be, that he would go on

"and

66

" and finish his tranflation. By that it will appear, "whether the English nation, which is the moft competent judge in this matter, has, upon the feeing "our debate, pronounced in M. Varillas's favour, or "in mine. It is true, Mr. D. will fuffer a little by it; "but at least it will ferve to keep him in from other "extravagancies; and if he gains little honour by "this work, yet he cannot lofe fo much by it as "he has done by his laft employment."

Having probably felt his own inferiority in theolo gical controverfy, he was defirous of trying whether, by bringing poetry to aid his arguments, he might become a more efficacious defender of his new profeffion. To reafon in verfe was, indeed, one of his powers; but fubtilty and harmony united are ftill feeble, when opposed to truth.

Actuated therefore by zeal for Rome, or hope of fame, he published the Hind and Panther, a poem in which the church of Rome, figured by the milk-white Hind, defends her tenets against the church of England, reprefented by the Panther, a beast beautiful, but fpotted.

A fable which exhibits two beafts talking Theology, appears at once full of abfurdity; and it was accordingly ridiculed in the City Mouse and Country Mouse, a parody, written by Montague, afterwards earl of Halifax, and Prior, who then gave the first specimen of his abilities.

The converfion of fuch a man, at fuch a time, was not likely to pafs uncenfured. Three dialogues were published by the facetious Thomas Brown, of which the two first were called Reafons of Mr. Bayes's changing his religion: and the third, The Reafons of Mr. Hains the player's converfion and re-converfion. The firft was printed

in 1688, the fecond not till 1690, the third in 1691.. The clamour feems to have been long continued, and the fubject to have ftrongly fixed the publick attention.

In the two first dialogues Bayes is brought into the company of Crites and Eugenius, with whom he had formerly debated on dramatick poetry. The two talkers in the third are Mr. Bayes and Mr. Hains.

Brown was a man not deficient in literature, nor deftitute of fancy; but he seems to have thought it the pinnacle of excellence to be a merry fellow; and therefore laid out his powers upon finall jefts or grofs buffoonery, fo that his performances have little intrinfick value, and were read only while they were recommended by the novelty of the event that occafioned them.

Thefe dialogues are like his other works: what fenfe or knowledge they contain, is difgraced by the garb in which it is exhibited. One great fource of pleasure is to call Dryden little Bayes. Ajax, who happens to be mentioned, is he that wore as many cow-hides upon his fhield as would have furnished half the king's army with fhoe-leather.

Being asked whether he has feen the Hind and Panther, Crites answers: Seen it! Mr. Bayes, why I can ftir no where but it purfues me; it haunts me worse than a pewter-buttoned ferjeant docs a decayed cit. Sometimes I meet it in a band-box, when my laundress brings home my linen; fometimes, whether I will or no, it lights my pipe at a coffee-boufe; fometimes it furprises me in a trunkmaker's fhop; and fometimes it refreshes my memory for me on the backside of a Chancery-lane parcel. For your comfort

too, Mr. Bayes, I have not only feen it,

as you may perceive, but have read it too, and can quote it as freely upon occafion as a frugal tradefman can quote that noble treatife

VOL. II.

A a

the

the Worth of a Penny to his extravagant 'prentice, that revels in ftewed apples, and penny cuftards.

The whole animation of these compofitions arifes from a profufion of ludicrous and affected comparisons. To fecure one's chastity, fays Bayes, little more is neceffary than to leave off a correfpondence with the other fex, which, to a wife man, is no greater a punishment than it would be to a fanatic parfon to be forbid feeing the Cheats and the Committee; or for my Lord Mayor and Aldermen to be interdicted the fight of the London Cuckolds.-This is the general ftrain, and therefore I fhall be easily excufed the labour of more tranfcription.

Brown does not wholly forget paft tranfactions: You began, fays Crites to Bayes, with a very indifferent religion, and have not mended the matter in your last choice. It was but reafon that your Mufe, which appeared firft in a Tyrant's quarrel, fhould employ her loft efforts to justify the ufurpations of the Hind..

Next year the nation was fummoned to celebrate the birth of the Prince. Now was the time for Dryden to. roufe his imagination, and strain his voice.. Happy days were at hand, and he was willing, to enjoy and diffuse the anticipated bleffings. He published a poem, filled with predictions of greatness and prosperity; predictions of which it is not neceflary to tell how they' have been verified.

A few months paffed after thefe joyful notes, and every bloffom of popish hope was blafted for ever by the Revolution. A papist now could be no longer Laureat. The revenue, which he had enjoyed with fo much pride and praife, was transferred to Shadwell, an old enemy, whom he had formerly ftigmatised by the name of Og. Dryden could not decently complainthat he was depofed; but feemed very angry that Shad

well