in the French writers, their judicious imitators. It was indeed during this period chiefly that that nation left the English behind them in the productions of poetry, eloquence, history, and other branches of polite letters; and acquired a superiority, which the efforts of English writers, during the subsequent age, did more successfully contest with them. The arts and sciences were imported from Italy into this island, as early as into France, and made at first more sensible advances. Spenser, Shakspeare, Bacon, Jonson, were superior to their contemporaries, who flourished in that kingdom. Milton, Waller, Denham, Cowley, Harvey, were at least equal to their contemporaries. The reign of Charles II. which some preposterously represent as our Augustan age, retarded the progress of polite literature in this island; and it was then found, that the immeasurable licentiousness indulged, or rather applauded, at court, was more destructive to the refined arts, than even the cant, nonsense, and enthusiasm, of the preceding period. Most of the celebrated writers of this age remain mọnuments of genius, perverted by indecency and bad taste; and none more than Dryden, both by reason of the greatness of his talents, and the gross abuse which he made of them. His plays, excepting a few scenes, are utterly disfigured by vice or folly, or both. His translations appear too much the offspring of haste and hunger even his fables are ill-chosen tales, conveyed in an incorrect, though spirited versification. Yet, amidst this great number of loose productions, the refuse of our language, there are found some small pieces, his Ode to St. Cecilia, the greater part of Absalom and Achitophel, and a few more, which discover so great genius, such richness of expression, such pomp and variety of numbers, that they leave us equally full of regret and indignation, on account of the inferiority, or rather great absurdity, of his other writings. He died in 1701, aged sixty-nine. The very name of Rochester is offensive to modest, ears; yet does his poetry discover such energy of style and such poignancy of satire, as give ground to imagine what so fine a genius, had he fallen in a more happy age, and had followed better models, was capable of producing. The ancient satirists often used great liberties in their expressions; but their freedom no more resembles the licentiousness of Rochester, than the nakedness of an Indian does that of a common prostitute. Wycherley was ambitious of the reputation of wit and libertinism; and he attained it: he was probably capable of reaching the fame of true comedy, and instructive ridicule. Otway had a genius finely turned to the pathetic; but he never observes strictly the rules of the drama, nor the rules, still more essential, of propriety and decorum. By one single piece, the duke of Buckingham did both great service to his age, and honour to himself. The earls of Mulgrave, Dorset, and Roscommon, wrote in a good taste, but their productions are either feeble or careless. The marquis of Halifax discovers a refined genius: and nothing but leisure, and an inferior station, seems wanting to have procured him eminence in literature. Of all the considerable writers of this age, sir William Temple is almost the only one that kept himself altogether unpolluted by that inundation of vice and licentiousness which overwhelmed the nation. The style of this author, though extremely negligent, and even infected with foreign idioms, is agreeable and interesting. That mixture of vanity which appears in his works, is rather a recommendation to them. By means of it, we enter into acquaintance with the character of the author, full of honour and humanity; and fancy that we are engaged, not in the perusal of a book, but in conversation with a companion. He died in 1698, aged seventy. Though Hudibras was published, and probably composed, during the reign of Charles II., Butler may justly, as well as Milton, be thought to belong to the foregoing period. No composition abounds so much as Hudibras in strokes of just and inimitable wit: yet there are many performances which give us great or greater entertainment on the whole perusal. The allusions in Butler are often dark and far-fetched; and though scarcely any author was ever able to express his thoughts in so few words, he often employs too many thoughts on one subject, and thereby becomes prolix after an unusual manner. It is surprising how much erudition Butler has introduced with so good a grace into a work of pleasantry and humour: Hudibras is perhaps one of the most learned compositions that is to be found in any language. The advantage which the royal cause received from this poem, in exposing the fanaticism and false pretensions of the former parliamentary party, was prodigious. The king himself had so good a taste, as to be highly pleased with the merit of the work, and had even got a great part of it by heart; yet was he either so careless in his temper, or so little endowed with the virtue of liberality, or more properly speaking, of gratitude, that he allowed the author, a man of virtue and probity, to live in obscurity, and die in want. Dryden is an instance of a negligence of the same kind. His Absalom sensibly contributed to the victory which the tories obtained over the whigs, after the exclusion of parliaments: yet could not this merit, aided by his great genius, procure him an establishment which might exempt him from the necessity of writing for bread. Otway, though a professed royalist, could not even procure bread by his writings; and he had the singular fate of dying literally of hunger. Thèse incidents throw a great stain on the memory of Charles, who had discernment, loved genius, was liberal of money, but attained not the praise of true generosity. t t Butler died in 1680, aged sixty-eight. INDEX. GENERAL INDEX. ABBEY BBEY LANDS, the immediate inconve- Abbeys, their rich revenues, iv. 150. Abbot, archbishop, is suspended and Abbots are excluded from their seats in Abhorrers and petitioners, an account Acadie is yielded to the French by the Acca, daughter of Ella, king of Deira, Adelfrid, king of Bernicia, establishes Adjournment of parliament, distinction Adrian, emperor, builds his famous ram- III. an English pope, his mo- VI. pope, his conduct towards Adultery, the legal composition for, another Saxon of that name, is Agitators, or representatives of the Agnes Sorrel, mistress of Charles VII. Agricola, Julius, finally subdues the Agriculture, evidence of the bad state Aix-la-Chapelle, treaty of, in result of Alasco, John, a Polish nobleman, being Albano, the pope's legate, excommuni- Albany, duke of, brother to Robert III. "› duke of, is invited over by the Y France, ib. Returns to Scotland, iv. 14. general Monk, created duke Albert and Theodin appointed legates Albigenses, who they were, ii. 63. A Albiney, William de, defends the castle Alderman and earl, synonymous terms note. Aldred, archbishop of York, crowns Ale, its price in the reign of Henry Alençon besieged by John king of jou, v. 171. duke of, created duke of An- Alexander II. pope, his motives for de- -III. pope, driven from Rome, 426. - IV. pope, publishes a cru- on the English clergy to carry it on, ib. III. king of Scotland, es- Alexis Comnenus, emperor of Greece, Alford, encounter there, between Alfred accompanies his father Ethel- —, a Saxon nobleman, accused of Alfric, duke of Mercia, his infamous Algiers is compelled to peace by ad- Alice Pierce becomes the favourite of Allen, John, his character, iii. 438. Is Alliance, triple, formed against Lewis |