30 Milton D. Baumgartner 



finish which is so characteristic of the prose of Dryden and 

 Lessing. 



The esteem in which other critics held Nicolai at this time, is 

 reflected by their familiarity with the Nicolai translation. Schmid 

 opens his chapter on the satire with : " Cesabanus und Dryden 

 haben die griindlichsten Untersuchungen iiber den Ursprung und 

 die Alterthiimer der Satyre gemacht," then cites Nicolai's trans- 

 lation.®^ In dealing with Dorset as a satirist, he quotes Dryden: 

 " Graf Dorset hat nach Drydens Urtheil die Kunst der feineren 

 Spotterei verstanden."®- Flogel regards Dryden's treatise on the 

 Greek and Roman satire an authority : " Sie ist mit Geschmack 

 und Griindlichkeit abgefasst."®^ Blankenburg is even more em- 

 phatic in his commendation. After outlining the satire, he directs 

 the reader to Dryden as the one authority : " Wer mit einer aus- 

 f uhrlichen Untersuchung hieriibergedient seyn mag, den verweisen 

 wir auf Drydens Abhandlung von dem Ursprung und Fortgang 

 der Satire."®'^ 



Although less emphatic in his commendation, Bouterwek re- 

 gards it an exhaustive treatment : " Besonders lesenswerth ist 

 seine (Dryden's) ausfiirliche Zueignung oder eigentliche Abhand- 

 lung iiber die didaktische Satyre."^^ 



CHAPTER II. Essay on Dramatic Poesie (1668) 

 I. Early Noted by German Critics 



Aside from his satires, Dryden's Essay on Dramatic Poesie 

 exerted a greater influence upon Germany than any of his other 

 critical works. While the translation and Bodmer's revival of 

 Mac Flecknoe preceded the translation of the Essay, the latter 

 preceded the translation of the treatise On the Origin and Prog- 



^1 Loco citato, p. 235. 



82 Ibid., p. 238. 



83 Loco citato, I, p. 278. Throughout the work he quotes Dryden, L, 175, 

 278; II, 4, 7, 20, 354 ff., S^A-SJ-i, 384; III, 464; IV, 83, 90, 217, 300. 



8* Loco citato, IV, p. 129. 

 85 Loco citato, VIII, p. 55. 



