12 Milton D. Baumgartner 



well imitated the humors of Jonson, while Postel emulated Eurip- 

 ides) ; the satirizing of their opponents' works and characters; 

 the lame verses in Shadwell's opera, Psyche, and the effusive 

 style in Postel's works ; and the musical ability of the two 

 opponents.^* 



With few exceptions, the motives which Dryden applied to his 

 English opponent, Wernicke applied to his German opponent with 

 equal force. Some of the most striking variations in motives are 

 in connection with the seat of the coronation, the attending throng, 

 and the disappearance of the sire king at the conclusion. Dry- 

 den has Mac Flecknoe erect Shadwell's throne in the nursery, a 

 training school for young actors, which is situated near the Bar- 

 bican, formerly a watchtower, but now a ruin surrounded by 

 brothel houses. He has Decker prophesy that a prince of dull- 

 ness should reign here, while Wernicke substitutes a witch for 

 Decker. 



In Mac Flecknoe the throng comes to the crowning festivity 

 from " near Bunhill and distant Watling Street," London ceme- 

 teries, while in Hans ^'ac/w Wernicke prefers to have it come from 

 " Dreck wall," " Mistberg " and " Ganse-Marckt,"^= thereby sub- 

 stituting for the throng of the forgotten past, the living rabble 

 inhabiting Hamburg. 



Dryden's motive of having Mack Flecknoe disappear through a 

 trap door, is a parody on Shadwell's play, Virtuoso, in. which 

 Bruce and Longville, two of the characters, make a third. Sir 

 Formal Trifle, similarly disappear. Wernicke apparently was 

 pleased with the motive, and finding no parallel in Postel's Works, 

 has " V-1 " (Vogel),^® who sang the comical roles in Postel's 

 operas, manipulate the trap door which sent Hans Sachs beneath. 



3* Shadwell claimed to have assisted in composing the music for his 

 operas, hence Dryden has him perform on. the lute, while Postel paraded 

 his performing on the prano, which Wernicke ridiculed. 



35 While these ludicrous names of streets in Hamburg are not neces- 

 sarily in the slum district, yet they were supposed to suggest the rabble. 



36 Bodmer (Critische Schriften, 1741) in a footnote to his first edition 

 of Hans Sachs says : " Vogel war ein Sanger in der Opera, der die lustige 

 Partien von Postels Erfindung abzusingen pfiegte, und dem zu gefallen 

 der Pofel sehr in die Opera lief." 



300 



