many others of inferior note, were merely the "nimble shapes" and lively effusions of Corinna's forgetive imagination.

Very soon after Dryden's death, Henry Playford, who had long been known as a publisher of musick, solicited the followers of the Muses to express their sorrow for the loss of that great poet; in consequence of which he was enabled, in less than two months, to publish a Collection of English and Latin verses, under the title of "LuCTUS BRITANNICI, or the Tears of the British Muses for the Death of John Dryden," &c.;' and this was preceded or followed by several separate Ele

• IN THE POSTBOY, for Tuesday, May 7, 1700, Playford inserted the following advertisement:

"The death of the famous John Dryden, Esq., Poet Laureate to their two late Majesties, King Charles and King James the Second, being a subject capable of employing the best pens; and several persons of quality, and others, having put a stop to his interment, which is designed to be in Chaucer's grave, in Westminster-Abbey; this is to desire the gentlemen of the two famous Universities, and others, who have a respect for the memory of the deceased, and are inclinable to such performances, to send what copies they please, as Epigrams, &c. to Henry Playford, at his shop at the Temple 'Change in Fleetstreet, and they shall be inserted in a Collection, which is designed after the same nature, and in the same method, (in what language they shall please,) as is usual in the composures which are printed on solemn occasions, at the two Universities aforesaid."

This advertisement (with some alterations) was continusd for a month in the same paper.

gies, and another collection of plaintive verses, entitled "THE NINE MUSES, or Poems written by nine several Ladies, upon the death of the late famous John Dryden, Esq."-From some lines in the first of these collections, we learn, that there was

' IN THE POSTBOY of June 20th, 1700, this Collection was thus advertised:

"Yesterday was published, LUCTUS BRITANNICI, or the Tears of the British Muses for the death of John Dryden, Esq., late Poet Laureate, &c. Written by the most eminent hands in the two Universities, and by several others; with his Effigies. Printed," &c.

It consists of fifty-five folio pages of English, and twenty-four pages of Latin, verse.

In THE POSTEOY for Thursday, May 2, 1700, the day after our author died, we find

This morning was published, an Elegy on John Dryden, Esq.; the true and right sort. Printed for John Nutt, near Stationers' Hall."

This Elegy I have never seen. It was probably written by Tom Brown; for Nutt was his publisher.

In THE FLYING POST for June 18, 1700, was advertised-" To the Memory of Mr. Dryden, a poem; printed for Charles Brome, at the Gun, at the West end of St. Paul's church-yard. Price 6d."

In THE FLYING POST, Tuesday, June 25, 1700, was advertised as then published-" An Ode by way of Elegy, on the universally lamented death of the incomparable Mr. Dryden. By Alexander Oldys. Printed for John Nutt, &c. Price 6d." This I have never seen.

Mrs. Thomas, in her volume of Poems, has one ad. dressed to Captain Gibbons (probably a son of our au thor's Physician,) on his Poem to the memory of Mr. Dryden;" but I have never seen it, unless that published by C. Brome be his; which is a very inean performance.

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then a general expectation that Mr. Montague would speedily erect a monument in Westminster-, Abbey to the poet, of whom he had lately become a patron; but his remains lay so long without any memorial, that Garth, at the end of seventeen years, publickly lamented, that he who could make Kings immortal, and raise triumphal arches to heroes, wanted a poor square foot of stone to shew where his ashes were deposited.

In the

These ladies were, Mrs. Manley, who contributed two elegies; the Hon. the Lady P[ierse]; Mrs. S[arah] F[ield] (who has also a poem in LuCTUS BRITANNICI); Mrs. I. E.; Mrs. M[ary] P[ix]; Mrs. Catharine T[rot ter]; Mrs. L. D.; Mrs. D. E.

In this Collection, of which I have never seen a copy, except that in Mr. Bindley's curious Library, (which is the copy that was presented to Mr. Montague,) there is not a single line worth quoting, nor one circumstance respect. ing Dryden, worth recording.

Richard Basset, the publisher, in one of those addresses with which Mr. Montague was at this time daily fed, (for the Collection is dedicated to him,) speaks of his subscription towards Dryden's funeral, as an act of extraordinary munificence! "I think myself obliged, (says he,) to make a present of what is written in honour of the most consummate poet amongst our English dead, to the most DISTINGUISHING amongst the living. You have been pleased already to shew your respect to his memory, in contributing so largely towards his burial, notwithstanding he had that unhappiness of conduct, when alive, to give you cause to disclaim the protection of him."

• See p. 374. n. 5.

Preface to the translation of Ovid, folio, 1717.

same year, (1717,) Thomas Pelham, Duke of Newcastle, who a few years before had succeeded to a very great estate, allowed Congreve to address him in the highest strain of panegyrick, for "the most noble, the most magnificent, and the most uncommon act of generosity ever recorded in history; that of having, from pure regard to merit, from an entire love of learning, and from that accurate taste and discernment which he had so carly obtained in the polite arts,-given order for erecting, at his own expence, a splendid monument to the memory of a man whom he never saw, but who was an honour to his country."* His Grace appears to have thought the order which he is said to have given, fully sufficient; for no one step further does he appear to have taken, to complete this noble and unprecedented act of munificence, nor a single stone did he ever inscribe with the name of Dryden. At length John Sheffield, formerly Earl of Mulgrave and Marquis of Normanby, and now become Duke of Buckinghamshire, roused by some lines which were intended to be inscribed on Rowe's tomb," rescued his

* Dedication of Dryden's Plays, six vols. 12mo. 1717. Rowe having died in December, 1718, was buried in Westminster-Abbey; and a monument was erected to his memory by his widow, at whose desire Pope wrote the following inscription for it:

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Thy reliques, Rowe, to this fair urn we trust, "And sacred place by Dryden's awful dust: "Beneath a rude and nameless stone he lies,

"To which thy tomb shall guide inquiring eyes:

country from the disgrace incurred by the long neglect of so great a poet, and defrayed the charge

"Peace to thy gentle shade, and endless rest!
"Blest in thy genius, in thy love too, blest!
"One grateful woman to thy fame supplies,
"What a whole thankless land to his denies."

The maiden name of Rowe's sorrowful relict was Devcnish. She married, not long afterwards, Colonel Deane; and, as Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes, some years ago informed me, was the widow supposed to be alluded to by Pope in the fourth and fifth of the following lines; Dialogue II. 1738:

"Find you the virtue, and I'll find the verse :-
"But random praise-the task can ne'er be done;
"Each mother asks it for her booby son;
"Each widow asks it for the best of men,

"For him she weeps, and him she weds again." The mother was Catharine, Duchess of Buckinghamshire.

The foregoing inscription intended for Rowe, belong. ing, as Dr. Johnson long ago observed, rather to Dryden than Rowe, was changed afterwards to that now on his tomb. The second couplet, however, roused Sheffield, Duke of Buckinghamshire, who defrayed the expence of the plain monument afterwards erected, (on this hint, as Pope tells us,) to our poct's memory. It was probably designed by Kent, and the present bust was executed by Schcemaker. From the following entry in the Chapterbook of the collegiate church of St. Peter, Westminster, it appears that a bust of inferior workmanship kept its place on our author's tomb for above ten years, previous to Scheemaker being employed:

“At a CHAPTER held the 20th day of Nov. 1731, "Ordered, that her Grace the Dutchess of Buckinghamshire have leave to change the present bust of Mr. Dryden, for a better."