‘Religio Laici’ he says that he was ‘naturally inclined to scepticism in philosophy.’ The courtiers of Charles II varied between ‘Hobbism’ and catholicism. Dryden, first inclined to Hobbism, may well have been led to catholicism by a not unusual route. If all creeds are equally doubtful, a man may choose that which is politically most congenial, or he may accept that which offers the best practical mode of suppressing painful doubts. Dryden's language in the ‘Religio Laici,’ while retailing the ordinary arguments for the Anglican position, expresses a marked desire for an infallible guide. His critical writings show a mind curiously open to accept new opinions. It may well be that, holding his early creed on very light grounds, he thought that the argument for an infallible church, when presented to him for the first time, was as unanswerable as it appeared for a time to Chillingworth and Gibbon. Though interested motives led him to look into the question, the absence of any strong convictions would make it easy to accept the solution now presented. Once converted, he appears to have grown into a devoted member of the church in his age. He was speedily employed in defence of his new faith. He translated Varillas's ‘History of Religious Revolutions.’ Burnet asserts (Defence of his Reflections upon Varillas) that his own attack upon Varillas caused the publication to be abandoned. He was employed by James to answer Stillingfleet, who had assailed the papers upon catholicism published by James himself and attributed to his first wife and his brother. Some sharp passages followed, in which Stillingfleet had the advantage due to his superior learning and practice in controversy. Dryden's most important work, ‘The Hind and the Panther’ (said to have been composed at Rushton, a seat of the Treshams in Northamptonshire), was published in April 1687. Although the poem is written in Dryden's best manner, and has many spirited passages, especially the attack upon Burnet as ‘the Buzzard,’ it must be said that not even Dryden's skill could make versified theological controversy very readable. The most famous retort was by Charles Montagu (afterwards Lord Halifax) and Matthew Prior, called ‘The Hind and Panther transversed to the story of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse.’ This is a kind of supplement to the ‘Rehearsal,’ in which Bayes produces a new allegory intended as a parody of ‘The Hind and the Panther.’ Dean Lockier told Spence (improbably enough) that Dryden wept when speaking of this ‘cruel usage’ from ‘two young fellows to whom he had always been very civil’ (Spence, Anecdotes, p. 61).
Dryden translated a life of St. Francis Xavier, and in a dedication to the queen declared that her majesty had chosen the saint for a patron and that her prayers might be expected to bring an heir to the throne. When an heir actually appeared (10 June 1688) Dryden brought out a congratulatory poem, ‘Britannia Rediviva,’ before the end of the month.
The revolution of 1688 put an end to any hopes which Dryden might have entertained from James's patronage. He lost all his offices, Shadwell succeeding him as poet laureate. He received some considerable benefaction from his old friend Buckhurst, now earl of Dorset, which Prior probably exaggerated in a dedication to Dorset's son, where he says that Dorset made up the loss of the laureate's income. Dryden remained faithful to his creed. Recantation, it is true, was scarcely possible, and could have brought nothing but contempt. Dryden, however, behaved with marked dignity during his later years. He laboured at his calling without querulous complaint or abject submission. He returned for a time to dramatic writing. In 1690 were performed a tragedy ‘Don Sebastian’ and his successful comedy called ‘Amphitryon.’ ‘Don Sebastian’ divides with ‘All for Love’ the claim to be his best play, especially on the strength of the famous scene between Sebastian and Dorax. In 1691 he brought out ‘King Arthur,’ altered to fit it to the times by omitting the politics. Purcell composed the music, and it had a considerable success. In 1692 he produced ‘Cleomenes,’ the last act of which, in consequence of his own illness, was finished by Southerne. A tragi-comedy called ‘Love Triumphant’ was announced as his last play, and failed completely in 1694. Congreve had been introduced to Dryden by Southerne. Dryden recognised the merits of the new writer with generous warmth. He addressed some striking lines to Congreve on the appearance of the ‘Double Dealer’ (1693), in which the old dramatist bequeathed his mantle and the care of his reputation to the rising young man. Dryden with his disciple came in for a share of the assault made by Jeremy Collier upon contemporary dramatists in 1698. Dryden, with good judgment and dignity, confessed to the partial justice of the attack, though saying, truly enough, that Collier's zeal had carried him too far (Preface to Fables).
As his dramatic energy slackened, Dryden laboured the more industriously in other directions. His poem ‘Eleonora’ (1692), written in memory of the Countess of Abingdon (Chris-
