“Nothing! thou elder brother ev’n to shade,
   That had’st a being ’ere the world was made,
   And (well fixt) art alone of ending not afraid. 
   Ere Time and Place were, Time and Place were not,
   When primitive Nothing, Something straight begot,
   Then all proceeded from the great united—­What?”

Sometimes he amused himself writing libels on the king, and some of his satires contain more or less truth, as—­

  “His father’s foes he does reward,
   Preserving those that cut off’s head,
   Old Cavaliers, the crown’s best guard,
   He lets them starve for want of bread. 
     Never was a King endued
   With so much grace and gratitude.”

Buckingham does not appear to have agreed with Rochester about Charles, for he writes, “He was an illustrious exception to all the common rules of physiognomy, for with a most saturnine and harsh sort of countenance, he was both of a merry and merciful disposition.”  Buckingham’s humour was of a very poor description, but he wrote a Comedy “The Rehearsal,” which was highly approved, mostly, however, because aimed at Dryden, and the heroic drama.  From one passage in it, we observe that he noticed the difference between the effect of humour in the plot, and in the dialogue of the play—­

     Prettyman. Well, Tom, I hope shortly we shall have another coin
     for thee; for now the wars are coming on, I shall grow to be a man
     of metal.

     Bayes. O, you did not do that half enough.

     Johnson. Methinks he does it admirably.

     Bayes. I, pretty well, but he does not hit me in’t, he does not
     top his part.

     Thimble. That’s the way to be stamped yourself, Sir, I shall see
     you come home like an angel for the king’s evil, with a hole bored
     through you.

     Bayes. There he has hit it up to the hilt.  How do you like it
     now, gentlemen? is not this pure wit?

     Smith. ’Tis snip snap, Sir, as you say, but methinks not pleasant
     nor to the purpose, for the play does not go on.  The plot stands
     still.

     Bayes. Why, what the devil is the plot good for but to bring in
     fine things.

Dryden could scarcely be expected to remain silent under the blow here aimed at his plays.  An opportunity for revenge soon presented itself, when he undertook to compose a political satire upon Monmouth and his intrigues.  Some say that this remarkable poem was written at the command of Charles.  It had a great success, five editions being sold within the year—­one cause of its popularity being its novel character.  The idea of introducing Scriptural impersonations into a poem was new or nearly so, and very successful.  Monmouth had already been called Absalom, and as the King (David) was very fond of him, it was desirable to place his shortcomings to the account of his advisers, represented by Achitophel.  The way in which Dryden handled his adversaries may be understood from such passages as:—­