Annus Mirabilis

by John Dryden

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1915 edition. Excerpt: ... ANNUS MIRABILIS: THE YEAR OF WONDERS, 1666. In thriving arts long time had Holland grown, Crouching at home and cruel when abroad; Scarce leaving us the means to claim our own, Our King they courted and our merchants awed. 2 Trade, which like blood should circularly flow, Stopped in their channels, found its freedom lost: Thither the wealth of all the world did go, And seemed but shipwracked on so base a coast. 3 For them alone the heavens had kindly heat, In eastern quarries* ripening precious dew; For them the Idumsean balm did sweat And in hot Ceylon spicy forests grew. 4 The sun but seemed the labourer of their year; Each wexing moonb supplied her watery store To swell those tides which from the Line did bear Their brim-full vessels to the Belgian shore. 5 Thus mighty in her ships stood Carthage long And swept the riches of the world from far, Yet stooped to Rome, less wealthy but more strong; And this may prove our second Punic war. * In eastern quarries. Precious stones at first are dew condensed, and hardened by the warmth of the sun or subterranean fires. b Each wexing moon. According to their opinions who think that great heap of the waters under the Line is depressed into tides by the moon toward the poles. 13 6 What peace can be, where both to one pretend, But they more diligent and we more strong? Or if a peace, it soon must have an end, For they would grow too powerful, were it long. 7 Behold two nations then engaged so far That each seven years the fit must shake each land; Where France will side to weaken us by war Who only can his vast designs withstand. 8 See how he feeds the Iberian0 with delays To render us his timely friendship vain; And while his secret soul on Flanders preys, He rocks the cradle of the babe of...

Genres: Poetry, 17th Century, History

41 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1667

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. Walter Scott called him "Glorious John."

Reviews

[Amaranta · Rating 3 out of 5]

218:
Then, in some close-pent room it crept along, / And, smouldring as it went, in silence fed: / Till th' infant monster, with devouring strong, / Walk'd boldly upright with exalted head.

241:
He wept the flames of what he lov'd so well, / And what so well had merited his love. / For never Prince in grace did more excel, / Or Royal City more in duty strove.

278:
And now four days the Sun had seen our woes, / Four nights the Moon beheld th' incessant fire: / It seem'd as if the Stars more sickly rose, / And farther from the feav'rish North retire.

[Shane · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a time when people prospered by telling the king that he moved the oceans, caused the sun to rise, was the master from whom everything emanated. Looking into that time to see how galling it is to even rehearse such mendacity.

[Natalie Dark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally hate poems, and having to analyze it for English literature is worse, but this one was easy, straight forward, and actually a good poem. The theme isn't a novelty but it was good anyways. Don't get the low ratings

[jb-rand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this because it feels like it's showing a basic understanding that survival and perseverance matters.

[tanita · Rating 2 out of 5]

he’s so embarrassing for this… john dryden hater till i die!

[Courier · Rating 3 out of 5]

"By viewing Nature, / Nature's handmaid Art / Makes mighty things from small beginnings grow"

I guess he can rhyme, yes. But can be stop sucking up to the king? NO. To be fair, it was his job, being poet laureate and all. All the praising he got up to did make the poem rather boring, though. Like, I get it, the king is great the dutch suck and all the bad things (plague, fire) were actually tests from God and you guys passed it. The formulaic structure also made the poem somewhat forgettable in my mind. I couldn't really cite you any lines. I'm not saying it's simple prose, but it definitely follows a structure without any variation. I get that Dryden shaped late 17th and 18th century poetry, but I can't say that he is as exciting as Milton or as beautiful as the Graveyard poetry.

[Joe]

"Instructed ships shall sail to quick commerce, / By which remotest regions are allied; / Which makes one city of the universe, / Where some may gain, and all may be supplied" Dryden, 1667.

Well, you got to give this royalist/Imperialist credit for being kind of absolutely right in forecasting a world of globalized trade where imperial centers refurbished their own ruin (London Fire 1666) by appropriating foreign wealth. Here he is on London:

"Now, like a maiden queen, she will behold,
From her high turrets, hourly suitors come;
The East with incense, and the West with gold,
Will stand, like suppliants, to receive her doom!"

Whew.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful panegyric by John Dryden written after the Great Fire of London. He's basically just kissing King Charles II's ass. He uses super lofty language to describe the city after the fire as a phoenix rising from the ashes and other really nationalistic stuff like that. The ass kissing worked as Charles II awarded him the Poet Laureate and that's how the first official Poet Laureate came to be. #funfacts