Dryden, John
Dryden, John ( 1631 – 1700 ),educated at Westminster School under Busby and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He inherited a small estate, but supported himself mainly by his writing. His first major poem was the Heroique Stanza's ( 1658 ) on the death of Cromwell: he later celebrated the king's return with Astraea Redux and To His Sacred Majesty. Other poems were addressed to Sir Robert Howard , whose sister Lady Elizabeth Dryden married in 1663 ; the earl of Clarendon , Charleton , and Lady Castlemaine . He also published a long poem in quatrains, Annus Mirabilis ( 1667 ), but most of his early writing was for the theatre and included several rhymed heroic plays, The Indian Queen ( 1664 , in collaboration with Sir Robert Howard ), The Indian Emperour ( 1665 , which has the Mexican ruler Montezuma as subject), Tyrannick Love ( 1669 ), and The...
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