y the same degree by Pope himself; but that by which
Pope was distinguished, was an essence which he alone possessed, and of
incomparable value on that sole account. Dryden's Epistles are
excellent, but inferior to Pope's, though they appear (particularly the
admirable one to Congreve) to have been the model on which the latter
formed his. His Satires are better than Pope's. His Absalom and
Achitophel is superior, both in force of invective and discrimination of
character, to any thing of Pope's in the same way. The character of
Achitophel is very fine; and breathes, if not a sincere love for virtue,
a strong spirit of indignation against vice.

Mac Flecknoe is the origin of the idea of the Dunciad; but it is less
elaborately constructed, less feeble, and less heavy. The difference
between Pope's satirical portraits and Dryden's, appears to be this in a
good measure, that Dryden seems to grapple with his antagonists, and to
describe real persons; Pope seems to refine upon them in his own mind,
and to make them out just what he pleases, till they are not real
characters, but the mere driveling effusions of his spleen and malice.
Pope describes the thing, and then goes on describing his own
description till he loses himself in verbal repetitions. Dryden recurs
to the object often, takes fresh sittings of nature, and gives us new
strokes of character as well as of his pencil. The Hind and Panther is
an allegory as well as a satire; and so far it tells less home; the
battery is not so point-blank. But otherwise it has more genius,
vehemence, and strength of description than any other of Dryden's works,
not excepting the Absalom and Achitophel. It also contains the finest
examples of varied and sounding versification. I will quote the
following as an instance of what I mean. He is complaining of the
treatment which the Papists, under James II. received from the church of
England.

"Besides these jolly birds, whose corpse impure
Repaid their commons with their salt manure,
Another farm he had behind his house,
Not overstocked, but barely for his use;
Wherein his poor domestic poultry fed,
And from his pious hand "received their bread."
Our pampered pigeons, with malignant eyes,
Beheld these inmates, and their nurseries;
Though hard their fare, at evening, and at morn,
(A cruise of water, and an ear of corn,)
Yet still they grudged that _modicum