Dryden had evidently by this time become aware of Purcell's superiority to his contemporary musical brethren; the poet and musician met on intimate and friendly terms. It is recorded that Purcell, by virtue of his court appointments, had an apartment in the clock tower of St. James's Palace, and that Dryden when in debt availed himself of his friendship with Purcell, to escape arrest by taking refuge in Purcell's room, where he was perfectly safe, and could moreover enjoy the air and exercise in the Palace gardens.[40]
King Arthur after many years of neglect, possibly in consequence of the loss of the score of the music, was revived at Drury Lane theatre in 1770 with enormous success; again in 1781, in 1784, in 1803, and in 1842. The music remained unpublished until 1843, when it was edited by Edward Taylor, the Gresham music professor, and printed by the "Musical Antiquarian Society." Unfortunately the edition is imperfect, several pieces being still wanting, and of those which are printed we can be quite certain that they are not presented to us in the complete form composed by Purcell: for instance, the first overture is simply scored for strings, whereas Purcell freely uses flutes, hautboys, and trumpets in other parts of the work. Professor Taylor could find no trace of this overture excepting in the Theatre Ayres published by Mrs. Purcell in 1697, a collection which only gave string parts. Whilst speaking of Dryden and Purcell it will be well to correct a great blunder made by Hawkins in his History of Music; he writes:—
"It is said that Dryden wrote his Alexander's Feast with a view to its being set by Purcell, but that Purcell declined the task, as thinking it beyond the power of music to express sentiments so superlatively energetic as that ode abounds with; the truth of the assertion may well be questioned, seeing that he composed the Te Deum, and scrupled not to set to music some of the most sublime passages in the Psalms, the Prophecy of Isaiah, and other parts of Holy Scriptures."[41]
Had Hawkins made proper inquiry he would have discovered that Alexander's Feast was not written by Dryden until two years after Purcell's death. This fact is verified by a letter addressed by Dryden to his son in September, 1697, in which he says: "I am writing a song for St. Cecilia's Feast," and by the additional testimony of Mr. St. John, afterwards Lord Bolingbroke.[42]
In 1691 Purcell composed the music for Distressed Innocence, a tragedy by Elkanah Settle, and also for the comedies called the Gordian Knot Untyed, by an anonymous author, and Sir Anthony Love by Southerne. In addition to these works he wrote an "Ode for the Queen's Birthday," commencing "Welcome glorious morn."
In 1692, he composed music for the plays, entitled, the Wife's Excuse, by Southerne; the Indian Queen, by Howard and Dryden; the Indian Emperour, by Dryden; Œdipus, a tragedy by Dryden and Lee; the Marriage-hater match'd, by D'Urfey; and the so-called opera, the Fairy Queen, anonymously adapted from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. The music of the Indian Queen abounds in very striking passages; it is only necessary to recall the titles of "Ye Twice ten Hundred Deities," which Dr. Burney considered the best recitative in the English language; the dramatic air, "By the Croaking of the Toad," and the delightful song, "I Attempt from Love's Sickness to fly," a ditty again made popular by the exquisite singing of Hobbs in the generation just passed away.[43]
Three years after the first performance of the Indian Queen, some portion of the music was published without the consent, or even consultation, of the composer; the publication, now become very rare, has the following title:—
"The songs in the Indian Queen, as it is now compos'd into an opera by Mr. Henry Purcell, composer in ordinary to his Majesty, and one of the organists of his Majesty's Chapel Royal, London. Printed by J. Heptinstall, and are now to be sold by John May, at his shop under St. Dunstan's church; and for John Hudgbutt at Thomas Dring's, bookseller at the Harrow at Clifford's-lane-end in Fleet Street, 1695."
The preface is too curious to be omitted:—
"The publishers to Mr. Henry Purcell. Sir, having had the good Fortune to meet with the Score or Original Draught of your Incomparable Essay of Musick compos'd for the Play, call'd the Indian Queen, It soon appear'd that we had found a Jewel of very great Value; on which account we were unwilling that so rich a Treasure should any longer lie bury'd in Oblivion; and that the Commonwealth of Musick should be depriv'd of so considerable a Benefit. Indeed, we well knew your innate Modesty to be such, as not to be easily prevailed upon to set forth anything in Print, much less to Patronize your own Works, although in some respects Inimitable. But in regard that (the Press being now open) any one might print an imperfect Copy of these admirable Songs, or publish them in the nature of a Common Ballad, We were so much the more emboldened to make this Attempt, even without acquainting you with our Design; not doubting but your accustomed Candor and Generosity will induce you to pardon this Presumption. As for our parts, if you shall think fit to condescend so far, we shall always endeavour to approve ourselves your obedient servants,
"J. May,
J. Hudgebutt."