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THE original of the following letter is preferved in the Library at Lambeth, and was kindly imparted to the publick by the reverend Dr. Vyfe.

Copy of an original Letter from John Dryden, Efq; to his fons in Italy, from a MS in the Lambeth Library, marked N° 933. p. 56.

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I am

"Being now at Sir William Bowyer's in the country, I cannot write at large, because I find myself "fomewhat indifpofed with a cold, and am thick of "hearing, rather worfe than I was in town. "glad to find, by your letter of July 26th, your style, "that you are both in health; but wonder you should "think me fo negligent as to forget to give you an "account of the fhip in which your parcel is to come. "I have written to you two or three letters concern

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ing it, which I have fent by fafe hands, as I told you, and doubt not but you have them before this can arrive to you. Being out of town, I have forgotten the fhip's naine, which your mother will en"quire, and put it into her letter, which is joined "with mine. But the mafter's name I remember: he "is called Mr. Ralph Thorp; the fhip is bound to

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It may fomewhat abate the refentment of the reader to be told, that this redoubted critic was the author of an heroic tragedy called "Edgar," which, as foon as publifhed, determined his character, and as a dramatick writer funk him into contempt.

"Leghorn,

"Leghorn, configned to Mr. Peter and Mr. Tho. Ball, "merchants. I am of your opinion, that by Ton"fon's means almost all our letters have mifcarried "for this last year. But, however, he has miffed of "his defign in the Dedication, though he had pre"pared the book for it; for in every figure of Eneas "he has caufed him to be drawn like King William, "with a hooked nofe. After my return to town, I "intend to alter a play of Sir Robert Howard's, writ"ten long fince, and lately put by him into my hands : "'tis called The Conqueft of China by the Tartars. It "will coft me fix weeks ftudy, with the probable be"nefit of an hundred pounds. In the mean time I "am writing a fong for St. Cecilia's Feaft, who, you "know, is the patronefs of mufick. This is trouble"fome, and no way beneficial; but I could not deny "the Stewards of the Feaft, who came in a body to "me to defire that kindness, one of them being Mr.

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Bridgman, whofe parents are your mother's friends. "I hope to fend you thirty guineas between Michael"mafs and Christmass, of which I will give you an "account when I come to town. I remember the "counfel you give me in your letter; but diffembling,

"

though lawful in fome cafes, is not my talent; yet, "for your fake, I will ftruggle with the plain open"nefs of my nature, and keep-in my just resentments "against that degenerate order. In the mean time, I "flatter not myself with any manner of hopes, but "do my duty, and fuffer for God's fake; being af "fured, beforehand, never to be rewarded, though "the times fhould alter. Towards the latter end of "this month, September, Charles will begin to reco"ver his perfect health, according to his nativity,

"which,

"which, cafting it myfelf, I am fure is true, and alt "things hitherto have happened accordingly to the

very time that I predicted them: I hope at the fame "time to recover more health, according to my age. "Remember me to poor Harry, whofe prayers I ear"neftly defire. My Virgil fucceeds in the world beyond its defert or my expectation. You know the profits might have been more; but neither my con"fcience nor my honour would suffer me to take them: "but I never can repent of my conftancy, fince I am

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66

thoroughly perfuaded of the juftice of the caufe for "which I fuffer. It has pleased God to raise up many "friends to me amongst my enemies, though they who "ought to have been my friends are negligent of me, "I am called to dinner, and cannot go on with this. letter, which I deûre you to excuse; and am

66

*

"Your most affectionate father,

66 JOHN DRYDEN."

*As many of Dryden's dramatic compositions were operas, or rather they fo far resembled the Italian and French opera by an intermixture of mufic with the dialogue as to be called by that name, it was a fingular felicity that they were set to mulic by Purcell, who, though bred in a choir, and a church musician, was at that time, like fome others of his profeffion, equally at the service of the theatre. The dramas called Dryden's, to which he compofed the mufic, were King Arthur; Oedipus, written in conjunction with Lee; the Indian Queen, in which Sir Robert Howard had a hand; and the Tempest, altered from Shakespeare by himself, and Sir William Davenant. In the first is a froft fcene, the mufic to which, befides that it is intrinfically excellent, is admirably fuited to the words. In the Indian Queen, is that celebrated bafs fong Ye twice ten hundred deities;' and in the Tempest are fome of the finest airs and sweetest harmonies that ever delighted the human ear.

Dryden had no fkill in mufic. His wife, lady Elizabeth Howard, had been a scholar of Purcell. Mrs. Purcell, in the dedication of the Orpheus Britannicus, returns her thanks to that lady for her having

erected

erected a fair monument over his afhes, and gracing it with an infcription. Dryden being living at the time, it is highly probable that the infcription was of his compofing. He wrote an ode on the death of Purcell, and Dr. Blow fet it to mufic. It was published in fcore by one of the Playfords, but is not to be found in Dryden's Mifcellany; and we owe it to the Reverend Mr. Broughton of the Temple, that it now appears in a collection of Dryden's poems, in two volumes 12mo. 1743. The initial line,

Mark how the lark and linnet fing,'

fhould read,

Hark how the lark and linnet fing.'

S

MIT H.

E

DMUND SMITH is one of thofe lucky writers who have, without much labour, attained high reputation, and who are mentioned with reverence rather for the poffeffion than the exertion of uncommon abilities.

Of his life little is known; and that little claims no praife but what can be given to intellectual excellence, feldom employed to any virtuous purpofe. His character, as given by Mr. Oldifworth, with all the partiality of friendship, which is faid by Dr. Burton to fhow what fine things one man of parts can fay to another, and which, however, comprifes great part of what can be known of Mr. Smith, it is better to transcribe at once, than to take by pieces. I fhall fubjoin fuch little memorials as accident has enabled me to collect.

Mr. EDMUND SMITH was the only fon an eminent merchant, one Mr. Neale, by a daughter of the famous baron Lechmere. Some misfortunes of

VOL. II.

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his

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