Who among the following was NOT one of the original members of Johnson’s Literary Club?

The correct option is John Dryden.

Samuel Johnson’s Literary Club, famously known simply as "The Club," was founded in London in 1764 by the prominent writer Samuel Johnson and the celebrated painter Joshua Reynolds. The club initially consisted of nine original members who met weekly for dinner, conversation, and literary debate.

The original members of the Literary Club included:
1. Samuel Johnson (writer, lexicographer, and moralist)
2. Joshua Reynolds (painter)
3. Edmund Burke (statesman and philosopher)
4. Oliver Goldsmith (novelist, playwright, and poet)
5. John Hawkins (writer and music historian)
6. Bennet Langton (writer and scholar)
7. Topham Beauclerk (book collector and intellectual)
8. Anthony Chamier (politician and administrator)
9. Christopher Nugent (physician)

As seen from this historical list, Oliver Goldsmith, Edmund Burke, and John Hawkins were all founding members of the club. John Dryden, however, lived much earlier (1631–1700) and died more than six decades before the club was established in 1764. Therefore, John Dryden was NOT one of the original members.