When was John Dryden born and where did he grow up?
John Dryden was born in the village rectory of Aldwincle near Thrapston in Northamptonshire. He lived nearby in Titchmarsh, where he likely received his first education.
Questions about John Dryden
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What year did John Dryden become England's first Poet Laureate?
John Dryden became England's first Poet Laureate in 1668 after establishing himself as the leading poet and literary critic of his day. This appointment followed his work Annus Mirabilis which described the English defeat of the Dutch naval fleet and the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Who attacked John Dryden on the 18th of December 1679 and why?
Thomas Shadwell hired thugs who attacked John Dryden whilst walking back from Will's Coffee House to his house on Gerrard Street. The attack occurred at around 8 pm on the 18th of December 1679 in Rose Alley behind the Lamb & Flag pub near his home in Covent Garden.
How much money did John Dryden receive for translating Virgil's works?
The publication of the translation of Virgil brought John Dryden the sum of £1,400. He translated the Aeneid into couplets turning Virgil's almost 10,000 lines into 13,700 lines in a project published in 1697.
When did John Dryden die and where is he buried now?
John Dryden died on the 12th of May 1700 and was initially buried in St. Anne's cemetery in Soho before being exhumed and reburied in Westminster Abbey ten days later. A Royal Society of Arts blue plaque commemorates him at 43 Gerrard Street in London's Chinatown.