LXVI. 5.

Historical Poems of Dryden, on the Occurrences in the reigns of Charles the second and James the second, in which the English Catholics were particularly interested.

DRYDEN'S historical poems,-Absalom and Ahithophel, the Medal, Religio Laici, and the Hind and Panther, contain several passages, which throw light both on the religious and political feuds, by which the reigns of Charles the second and his successor were agitated. These splendid monuments of genius,—in their kind, without a rival or a second,--are inserted in the ninth and tenth volumes of the edition of the poet's works by sir Walter Scott, and frequently illustrated by his learned and ingenious annotations.

The condition of the roman-catholics at the time when Dryden wrote, is thus described by him :

"The inhabitants of Old Jerusalem

"Were Jebusites*,-the town so call'd from them;
"And theirs the native right.-

"But, when the chosen people † grew more strong,
"The rightful cause at length became the wrong;
"And every loss the men of Jebus bore,

"They still were thought God's enemies the more.
"Thus worn and weaken'd, well or ill content,
"Submit they must to David's government;
"Impov'rish'd and depriv'd of all command,
"Their taxes doubled, as they lost their land;
"And what was harder yet to flesh and blood,
"Their gods disgrac'd, and burnt like common wood.

The Catholics.

The Protestants.

Dryden seems to have thought, when he wrote his Absalom and Ahithophel, that Oates's plot was not wholly a fabrication: he describes it,

"The nation's curse,

"Bad in itself, but represented worse:

"Prais'd in extreme, and in extreme decried ;
"With oaths affirm'd, by dying vows denied.
"Some truth there was, but dash'd and brew'd with lies.

And that,

"Succeeding times did equal folly call,
"Believing nothing, and believing all."

It now seems clear, that the plot, as it was described by Oates, was a mere fabrication; and that the greatest faults which could, with any degree of justice, be charged upon any catholics, were,-their entertaining too sanguine an expectation of the immediate conversion of the kingdom to their faith; an occasional injudicious activity in promoting it; and the unguarded language, by which some,-as father Coleman in his well known letters,-described their prospects and expressed their hopes.

Sir Walter Scott observes, that, from the "time "of the execution of lord Stafford, the popish plot, "like a serpent which has wasted its poison,

though its wreathes entangled many, and its

terrors held their sway over more, did little ef"fectual mischief: but that even, when long life"less and extinguished, the chimera, far in the

succeeding reigns, continued, like the dragon "slain by the red-cross knight, to be the object

"of popular fear, and the theme of credulous ter"rorists :

"Some fear'd and fled; some fear'd and well it fain'd.—

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One, that would wiser seem than all the rest, "Warn'd him not touch; for yet, perhaps, remain'd

"Some ling'ring life within his hollow breast, "Or in his womb might lurk some hidden nest "Of many dragonettes, his fruitful seed; "Another said, that, in his eyes did rest

"Yet sparkling fire, and bade thereof take heed; "Another said, he saw him move his eyes indeed."

It is known that several of the witnesses for the plot afterwards became witnesses against lord Shaftesbury and the whigs. "This," sir Walter Scott observes, "was triumphantly urged by the "tories. Are not these men good witnesses, upon "whose testimony, Stafford and so many catholics "have been executed, and whom you yourselves have so long celebrated, as men of virtue and veracity? You have admitted them into your "bosom; they are best acquainted with your treasons. ."-" To this," sir Walter observes, "there "was but one answer: 'We have been duped by our own prejudices, and the perjury of these "men.'-But this, though the whigs true defence, required a candid disavowal of the popish plot, " and reprobation of the witnesses; and that, no "true protestant would submit to."

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The Religio Laici of Dryden is allowed to be one of the most admirable poems in the language.

* Medal, note 9.

It is observed by the editor, that, "at the time, "in which it appeared, the nation was divided "into the three great sects, of churchmen, papists, "and dissenters. To the catholics, the dissenters objected their cruel intolerance and jesuitical practices; to the church of England, their servile dependence on the crown, and slavish doctrine "of non-resistance. The catholics, on the other "hand, charged the reformed church of England "with desertion from the original doctrines of แ christianity, with denying the infallibility of gene"ral councils, and destroying the unity of the "church; and against the fanatics, they objected "their antimonarchical tenets, the wild visions of "their independent preachers, and their seditious "cabals against the church and state. While the "church of England was thus assailed by two foes, "who did not at the same time spare each other, "it probably occurred to Dryden that he, who "could explain her tenets, by a plain and philoso

phical commentary, had a chance, not only to fix "and regulate the faith of her professors, but of "reconciling to her, as a middle course, the catho"lics and the fanatics.-A rational and philosophical view of the tenets of the national church "liberally expressed, and decorated with the orna"ments of poetry, seemed calculated to produce "this effect."

Every christian reader who peruses the following lines, in the poem, of which we are now speaking, will respect both the talents of the poet, and the purpose, to which, on this occasion, he devoted them :

"If on the book itself we cast our view,
"Concurrent heathens prove the story true :
"The doctrine, miracles;—which must convince;
"For heaven in them appeals to human sense;
"And though they prove not, they confirm the cause,
"When what is taught agrees with nature's laws.
"Then, for the style,-majestic and divine,
"It speaks no less than God, in every line;
"Commanding words, whose force is still the same
"As the first fiat that produc'd our frame.
"All faiths beside, or did by arms ascend,
"Or sense indulg'd, has made mankind their friend;
"This only doctrine does our lusts oppose,
"Unfed by nature's soil, in which it grows;
"Cross to our interests, curbing sense and sin;
"Oppress'd without, and undermin'd within,
"It thrives through pain; its own tormentors tires,
"And, with a stubborn patience, still aspires;
"To what can reason such effects assign,
"Transcending nature, but to laws divine?"

As yet, Dryden was within the protestant pale: but several parts of the poem show that he was pacing to the catholic side. He intimates that the Bible should be received with the interpretation of the early fathers: still, he asserts the right of private judgment, but expresses a strong wish for an infallible guide.

This, by becoming a convert to the roman-catholic religion, he afterwards found; and to this circumstance we owe "The Hind and the Panther." probably the best controversial poem in any language. The object is to recommend an union between the milk-white hind,--(the catholic religion,) -who must be loved as soon as seen and known,

* The Bible.