the time completely won over by Settle's heroic tragedies, passages from which were quoted against Dryden's ‘Tyrannic Love’ and ‘Conquest of Granada;’ at the universities, where it was keenly discussed whether Dryden or Settle were the greater genius, the younger fry, said Wood, inclined to Elkanah. As his enemies had anticipated, Dryden's temper was stirred, and with Crowne and Shadwell he clubbed to crush the upstart by an unworthy and abusive pamphlet (Notes and Observations on the Empress of Morocco). Settle was undismayed, and retorted vigorously in ‘Notes and Observations on the Empress of Morocco Revised,’ 1674, 4to, to which he added, by way of counter-attack, ‘Some few Erratas to be printed, instead of the Postscript, with the next edition of the “Conquest of Granada.”’ Apart from his success, Settle appears to have given the poet small provocation; but Dryden nursed his jealousy, and gave vent to his resentment in the second part of his ‘Absalom and Achitophel,’ published about November 1682, where his former rival is described as
Doeg, though without knowing how or why,
Made still a blundering kind of melody,
Spurr'd boldly on, and dashed through thick and thin,
Through sense and nonsense never out or in;
Free from all meaning, whether good or bad,
And, in one word, heroically mad.
Dryden's intention to signalise him had doubtless reached Settle's ears, for he produced almost at the same time his ‘Absalom Senior, or Achitophel Transpros'd’ (published at the sign of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey, near Fleetbridge, 1682), a whig reply to the first part of Dryden's satire, with a free description of its author. In several of his later plays the laureate referred contemptuously to Settle, for whom he predicted an audience in Bartholomew Fair. Elkanah took leave of his tormentor in ‘Reflections on several of Mr. Dryden's Plays,’ 1687, 4to.
In the meantime, notwithstanding the transference of Rochester's patronage to Crowne and Otway, Settle ‘rhymed and rattled’ persistently. His ‘Love and Revenge,’ founded upon the ‘Fatal Contract’ of William Hemings [q. v.], was produced at Dorset Garden in 1675 and printed. In the dedication the dramatist congratulates providence on lengthening the Duke of Newcastle's life, so that he might ‘witness the prosperous reign of a great and pious monarch.’ In a ‘postscript’ he attacked Shadwell, a much better writer than himself. His ‘Conquest of China by the Tartars’ was given at the same theatre, Jevon, who had a leading part, taking great liberties with its turgid periods (Downes, p. 35; printed London, 1676, 4to). His ‘Ibrahim, the Illustrious Bassa: a Tragedy’ (based on Georges de Scudéry's ‘L'Illustre Bassa’), was licensed on 4 May 1676 and printed (1677 and 1692, 4to), with a dedication to the Duchess of Albemarle, and his ‘Fatal Love; or the Forced Inconstancy,’ a fustian version of the legend of Clitophon and Leucippe, was given at the Theatre Royal (Drury Lane) in 1680.
Neglected by the court, Settle made overtures to the opposition, and his political bias is sufficiently shown in his next play, ‘The Female Prelate, being the History of the Life and Death of Pope Joan,’ which was produced at the Theatre Royal in 1680, and printed immediately, with a dedication to Shaftesbury. The invective is outrageous, but the plot and incidents, says Genest, are good (Hist. i. 275). Settle's mastery of scenic effect and the violence of his protestantism led to his unanimous election as organiser-in-chief of the pope-burning procession on Queen Elizabeth's birthday (17 Nov. 1680); and Roger L'Estrange, in ‘Heraclitus Ridens’ (No. 50), described him as poet-laureate and master of ordnance to the whig party, who would vindicate Lucifer's first rebellion for a few guineas. Next year he wrote, at Shaftesbury's instance, his ‘Character of a Popish Successor’ (1681), which evoked a storm of remonstrance. Settle accentuated his remarks in a revised edition, which he afterwards alleged that Shaftesbury, dissatisfied by its moderation of tone, had retouched. His personal attacks upon the Duke of York are said to have involved him in a duel with Thomas Otway. Of these passages in his life he wrote: ‘I now grew weary of my little talent for Dramaticks, and forsooth must be rambling into politics … and much have I got by it’ (pref. to Distressed Innocence). Determined, at least, not to lose by politics, Settle, upon the dissolution of the Oxford parliament, promptly recanted, and wrote ‘A Narrative of the Popish Plot,’ 1683, fol., exposing the perjuries of ‘Doctor’ Oates, and covering with abuse Shaftesbury and his old associates at the ‘Green Ribbon Club.’ Written with a clever assumption of fairness, the ‘Narrative’ evoked a cloud of answers and letters, and a heated ‘Vindication of Titus Oats.’ Settle was undeterred from publishing hostile ‘animadversions’ upon the dying speeches of William, lord Russell, and Algernon Sidney, and he went so far as to issue ‘A Panegyrick on Sir George Jefferies’ (1683) on his elevation to the chief-justiceship, Jeffreys having been conspicuous as ‘Shimei’ in his satire of ‘Achi-
