36

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP iVII.

1GS7.

the kingly lion. The Church of England was typified by thepanther, spotted indeed, but beautiful, too beautiful for a beastof prey. The hind and the panther, equally hated by the fe-rocious population of the forest, conferred apart on their com-mon danger. They then proceeded to discuss the points onwhich they differed, and, while wagging their tails and lickingtheir jaws, hold a long dialogue touching the real presence,the authority of Popes and Councils, the penal laws, the TestAct, Oates’s perjuries, Butler’s unrequited services to theCavalier party, Stillingfleet’s pamphlets, and Burnet’s broadshoulders and fortunate matrimonial speculations.

The absurdity of this plan is obvious. In truth the allegorycould not be preserved unbroken through ten lines together.No art of execution could redeem the faults of such a design.Yet the Fable of the Hind and Panther is undoubtedly themost valuable addition which was made to English literatureduring the short and troubled reign of James the Second. Innone of Dryden’s works can be found passages more patheticand magnificent, greater ductility and energy of language, ora more pleasing and various music.

The poem appeared with every advantage which royalpatronage could give. A superb edition was printed forScotland at the Roman Catholic press established in HolyroodHouse. But men were in no humour to be charmed by thetransparent style and melodious numbers of the apostate. Thedisgust excited by his venality, the alarm excited by the policyof which he was the eulogist, were not to be sung to sleep.The just indignation of the public was inflamed by many whowere smarting from his ridicule, and by many who were en-vious of his renown. In spite of all the restraints under whichthe press lay, attacks on his life and writings appeared daily.Sometimes lie was Bayes, sometimes Poet Squab. He wasreminded that in his youth he had paid to the House of Crom-well the same servile court which he was now paying to theHouse of Stuart. One set of his assailants maliciously reprint-ed the sarcastic verses which he had written against Poperyin days when he could have got nothing by being a Papist. Ofthe many satirical pieces which appeared on this occasion, the