,
But toiled in vain for an ungenerous age.
They starved me living, nay, denied me fame,
And scarce, now dead, do justice to my name.
Would you repent? Be to my ashes kind;
Indulge the pledges I have left behind."--MALONE.

[77] [Transcriber's note: "Page 206, and vol. ix." in original. This is
to be found in Section V.]

[78] Mr. Malone says, "Edward Dryden, the eldest son of the last Sir
Erasmus Dryden, left by his wife, Elizabeth Allen, who died in London in
1761, five sons; the youngest of whom, Bevil, was father of the present
Lady Dryden. Sir John, the eldest, survived all his brothers, and died
without issue, at Canons-Ashby, March 20, 1770." [The subsequent history
of the family is as follows:--Elizabeth Dryden, the "present Lady
Dryden" referred to by Scott, married Mr. John Turner, to whom she
carried the estates. Mr. Turner assumed the name and arms of Dryden in
1791, and was created a baronet four years later. The title and property
passed successively to his two sons, and then to the son of the younger,
the present Sir Henry Dryden, a distinguished archaeologist.--ED.]

SECTION VIII.

_The State of Dryden's Reputation at his Death, and afterwards--The
General Character of his Mind--His Merit as a Dramatist--As a Lyrical
Poet---As a Satirist--As a Narrative Poet--As a Philosophical and
Miscellaneous Poet--As a Translator--As a Prose Author--As a Critic._

If Dryden received but a slender share of the gifts of fortune, it was
amply made up to him in reputation. Even while a poet militant upon
earth, he received no ordinary portion of that applause, which is too
often reserved for the "dull cold ear of death." He combated, it is
true, but he conquered; and, in despite of faction, civil and religious,
of penury, and the contempt which follows it, of degrading patronage,
and rejected solicitation, from 1666 to the year of his death, the name
of Dryden was first in English literature. Nor was his fame limited to
Britain. Of the French literati, although Boileau,[1] with unworthy
affectation, when he heard of the honours paid to the poet's remains,
pretended ignorance even of his name, yet Rapin, the famous critic,
learned the English language on purpose to read the works of Dryden.[2]
Sir John Shadwell, the son of our author's ancient adversary, bore an
honourable and manly testimony to the general regret among the men of
letters at Paris for the death of Dryden. "The men of letters here