Who both of them does judge, and both compare;
If amongst poets one more bold there be,
The man that dare attempt in either way, is he."
Covent Garden drolery, London, 1672. 8o p. 9.
A short historical comment on the above extracts is all that must be expected. The rest shall be left to the critical discernment of those persons who may be attracted by the heading of this Note—Dryden on Shakspere.
When Johnson wrote his preface to Shakspere, he quoted the first of the above extracts to prove that the plays were once admired without the aid of comment. This was written in 1765. In 1769 Garrick placed the same extract at the head of his collection of undeniable prose-testimonies to the genius of Shakspere. Johnson afterwards pronounced it to be "a perpetual model of encomiastic criticism;" and Malone quoted it as an admirable character of Shakspere. Now, admirable as it is, I doubt if it can be considered as expressive of the deliberate opinion of Dryden. The essayist himself, in his epistolary address to lord Buckhurst, gives a caution on that point. He observes, "All I have said is problematical." In short, the essay Of dramatick poesie is in the form of a dialogue—and a dialogue is "a chace of wit kept up on both sides."
I proceed to the second extract.—Who wrote the Prologue to Julius Cæsar? To what master-hand are we to ascribe this twofold specimen of psychologic portraiture? Take up the dramatic histories of Langbaine and Baker; take up the Theatrical register of the reverend Charles Burney; take up the voluminous Some account of the reverend John Genest; examine the mass of commendatory verses in the twenty-one-volume editions of Shakspere; examine also the commendatory verses in the nine-volume edition of Ben. Jonson. Here is the result: Langbaine calls attention to the prologue in question as an excellent prologue, and Genest repeats what had been said one hundred and forty years before by Langbaine. There is not the slightest hint on its authorship.
I must therefore leave the stronghold of facts, and advance into the of conjecture. I ascribe the prologue to John Dryden.
It appears by the list of plays altered from Shakspere, as drawn up by Steevens and Reed, that Julius Cæsar had been altered by sir William D'Avenant and Dryden jointly, and acted at the Theatre-royal in Drury-lane. It would therefore seem probable that one of those poets wrote the prologue on that occasion. Nevertheless, it does not appear in the works of either poet.
The Works of sir William D'Avenant were edited by Mr. Herringman, with the sanction of lady D'Avenant, in 1673; and its exclusion so far decides the question.