John Dryden was a British poet. He was born in 1631 at Aldwinkle All-Saints, Northamptonshire and died in 1700. He was was descended from an ancient family, his grandfather being Sir Erasmus Dryden of Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire. He was admitted a king's scholar at Westminster under the celebrated Dr. Busby, whence he went to Trinity College, Cambridge, being here elected to a scholarship.
After university he appears to have settled at London in 1657, where he acted as secretary to his cousin Sir Gilbert Pickering, a favourite of Oliver Cromwell; and on the death of the Protector he wrote his Heroic Stanzas on that event. At the Restoration, however, he hailed the return of Charle II in Astraea Redux, and from that time his devotion to the Stuarts knew no decay.
In 1661 he produced his first play, The Duke of Guise; but the first that was performed was The Wild Gallant, which appeared in 1663 and was not a success. This was followed by The Rival Ladies, and The Indian Queen, a tragedy on Montezuma in heroic verse, written in collaboration with Sir Robert Howard, whose sister, Lady Elizabeth Howard, John Dryden married in 1663. He followed up The Indian Queen with The Indian Emperor, which at once raised John Dryden to the highest pitch of public estimation, an elevation which he retained until his death.
The great fire of London put a stop for some time to theatrical exhibitions. In the interval John Dryden published the Annus Mirabilis, an historical account of the events of the year 1666, one of the most elaborate of his productions. In 1668 he also published his celebrated Essay on Dramatic Poesy - the first attempt to regulate dramatic writing. In 1668 the Maiden Queen, a tragi-comedy, was represented. This was followed in 1670 by the Tempest, an alteration from William Shakespeare, in which he was assisted by Sir William Davenant. It was received with general applause, notwithstanding the very questionable taste and propriety of the added characters.
John Dryden was shortly afterwards appointed to the offices of royal historiographer and poet-laureate, with a salary of 200 pounds a year. He now became professionally a writer for the stage, and produced many pieces, some of which have been strongly censured for their licentiousness and want of good taste. The first of his political and poetical satires, Absalom and Achitophel (Monmouth and Shaftesbury), was produced in 1681, and was followed by The Medal, a satire against sedition; and MacFlecknoe, a satire on the poet Shadwell.
On the accession of James in 1685 John Dryden became a Roman Catholic, a conversion the sincerity of which has been not unreasonably regarded with suspicion, considering the time at which it occurred. At court the new convert was received with open arms, a considerable addition was made to his pension, and he defended his new religion at the expense of the old one in a poem, The Hind and the Panther. Among his other services to the new king were a savage reply to an attack by Stillingfleet, and panegyrics on Charles and James under the title of Britannia Rediviva.
At the Revolution John Dryden was deprived of the offices of poet-laureate and historiographer, and of the certain income which these offices secured him. During the remaining ten years of his life he produced some of his best work, including his admirable translations from the classics. He published, in conjunction with Congreve, Creech, and others, a translation of Juvenal, and one of Persius entirely by himself. About a third part of Juvenal was translated by John Dryden, who wrote an essay on satire which was prefixed to the whole. His poetic translation of Virgil appeared in 1697, and, soon after that masterpiece of lyric poetry, Alexander's Feast, his Fables, etc.
He died on May the 1st, 1700, at the age of sixty-nine, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. John Dryden is unequalled as a satirist among English poets, and the best of his tragedies are unsurpassed by any since written. His poetry as a whole is more remarkable for vigour and energy than beauty, but he did much to improve English verse. He was also an admirableprosewriter. Personally he waa modest and kindly. The whole of his works, edited by Sir Walter Scott, were published in 1818 they were later re-published with additional notes, etc, by George Saintsbury. Research John Dryden
Barton Booth was an English actor during the reigns of Queen Anne and George I. He was born in 1681 and died in 1733. He was placed under Dr. Busby, at Westminster School, but he eloped from school at the age of seventeen, and joined a company of strolling players. After performing in the Irish capital to great applause he retuned to London in 1701, where, having joined the Drury Lane Company, his reputation reached its height with his performance of Cato in Addison's famous tragedy. Research Barton Booth
Dames is a musical comedy starring Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler in a story about a songwriter struggling to find the money to stage his musical until he meets a chorus girl who believes she can raise the money. Dames was directed by Ray Enright in 1934 and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. Research Dames
Footlight Parade is a musical starring James Cagney and Joan Blondell in a story about talking pictures putting a musical producer out of work and his efforts to recapture his fame. Footlight Parade was directed by Lloyd Bacon and Busby Berkeley in 1933. Research Footlight Parade
Gold Diggers Of 1933 is a Busby Berkeley musical starring Dick Powell. It is the story of a producer and three out-of-work dancers who team up to put on a show. Gold Diggers of 1933 was directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Research Gold Diggers of 1933
Abbreviations
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