wife." Dryden was an advocate of rhyme; and the controversy on
this point began with the publication in 1668 of his 'Essay of
Dramatic Poesy.' It was afterward carried on by both parties, in
prefaces to the plays they successively published. The prefaces to
these productions regularly became later the place where Dryden laid
down his critical doctrines on all points that engaged his attention;
and whether we agree with his views or not, we are always sure to be
charmed with the manner in which they are expressed.

In 1667 Dryden published a long poem entitled 'Annus Mirabilis.' It
was in the same measure as the stanzas on Oliver Cromwell. It gave him
a good deal of reputation at the time; but though it is far from being
a despicable performance, few there are now who read it and still
fewer who re-read it. Far different has been the fate of his next
work. It was not until 1681, when England was beginning to emerge
slowly from the excitement and agitation growing out of the alleged
Popish plot, that he brought out his 'Absalom and Achitophel,' without
question the greatest combined poetical and political satire to be
found in our tongue. Here it was that for the first time he fully
displayed his mastery over heroic verse. The notion once so widely
prevalent--for the vogue of which, indeed, Dryden himself is mainly
responsible--that Waller and Denham brought this verse to perfection,
it now requires both extensive and special ignorance of our earlier
authors to entertain; but on the other hand, there is no question that
he himself imparted to the line a variety, vigor, and sustained
majesty of movement such as the verse in its modern form had never
previously received. There is therefore a fairly full measure of truth
in the lines in which he was characterized by Pope:--

"Waller was smooth; but Dryden taught to join
The varying verse, the full resounding line,
The long majestic march and energy divine."

These lines of Pope, it may be added, exemplify purposely two
peculiarities of Dryden's versification,--the occasional use of the
triplet instead of the regular couplet, and of the Alexandrine, or
line of six feet, in place of the usual line of five.

The poem is largely an attack upon the Earl of Shaftesbury, who in it
bears the title of Achitophel. The portrayal of this statesman, which
is given in this volume, is ample evidence of that skill of the poet
in characterization which has made the pictures he drew