matter and more choice thoughts than twice the number of any other Language. Here is something more fortunate than the boldest fancy has yet reached, and something more just than the severest reason has observed. Here are the flights of Statius and Marino temper'd with a more 5 discerning judgment, and the judgment of Virgil and Tasso animated with a more sprightly Wit. Nothing has been said so expressive and so home in any other Language as the first Verse in this description. The second is Statius improv❜d. ΙΟ Et simulant fessos curvata cacumina somnos, Saith Statius, where simulant is a bold word in comparison of our English word seem, being of an active signification; and cacumina may as well be taken for the tops of Trees as the tops of Mountains, which doubtful meaning 15 does not so well content the Reader as the certainty. In the third Verse, 'tis not said that the Birds sleep, but what is more new and more Poetical, their sleep is imply'd by their dreams. Somewhat like to the Fourth we have in Marino: - E languidetti i fiori Giaceano a l'herba genitrice in seno. (Adonis, Canto 20.) 20 Which is a pretty image, but has not so near a resemblance with truth, nor can so generally be apply'd to 25 all flowers. Our Author here dares not say directly that the flowers sleep, which might sound a little harsh, but slurs it over in the participle as taken for granted, and affirms only that they sweat, which the Night-dew makes very easie. 30 In the last Half-verse, we may see how far our Author has out-done Apollonius. 'Twas no such strange thing in the sorrowful Woman, when she had spent her tears, for sleep to close her eyes; but here we have the most raging and watchful passions, Lust and Envy. And these, too, 35 instead of the lustful and the envious, for the greater force and emphasis in the abstract. Some may object, That the third Verse does contradict the first. How can all things be hush'd, if Birds in dreams 5 repeat their Songs? Is not this like the indiscretion of Marino, who says, That the Winds and all things are husht, and the Seas so fast asleep that they snore. (Canto 20.) It may be answer'd, That in this place 'tis not the Poet that speaks, but another person; and that the Poet here 10 truly represents the nature of man, whose first thoughts break out in bold and more general terms, which by the second thoughts are more correct and limited. As if one should say all things are silent or asleep; however, if there is any noise, 'tis still but the effect of sleep, as the dreams 15 of Birds, &c. This comparison might be much further improved to our advantage, and more observations made, which are left to the Readers ingenuity. II. FROM THE TRAGEDIES OF THE LAST AGE 1678 ΤΟ Fleetwood Shepheard, Esq; HAving several mornings, and early, travell'd to St. James's, with the only design of being with you, 20 and missing you as often, I became so mortifi'd with the misfortune that I resolv'd to come into the Town no more till assur'd of your return from Copt-Hall; but because I meant not altogether to kill my self, for my entertainment I provided me some of those Master-pieces of Wit, so renown'd every-where and so edifying to the Stage,-I mean the choicest and most applauded English Tragedies of this last age, as Rollo, A King and no King, the Maids Tragedy by Beaumont and Fletcher, Othello and Julius Caesar 5 by Shakespear, and Cataline by Worthy Ben. These I perus'd with some attention, and some reflections I made, in which how far I mistake your sense, that is, how far I am mistaken, I desire to be inform❜d. I had heard that the Theater was wont to be call'd the 10 School of Vertue, and Tragedy a Poem for Kings: That they who first brought Tragedy to perfection were made Vice-Roys and Governors of Islands, were honoured everywhere with Statues of Marble and Statues of Brass, were stil'd the Wise Sophocles, the Wise Euripides by God and 15 Man, by Oracles and Philosophers: That for teaching Morality Crantor and Chrysippus were no-body to 'em (This latter transcrib'd the whole Medea of Euripides into his works): That so refin'd a People and so frugal a Common-wealth as Athens did tax and assess themselves, 20 and laid out more of their publick Exchequer upon the representation of these Plays than all their Wars stood them in, though sometimes both Seas and Land were cover'd with Pagan Enemies that invaded them. And not Athens only, but (who hated Athens) so austere and glum 25 a generation as those of Sparta, by the care of Lycurgus, agreed the same honour to these Athenian Poets. These things coming into my mind, surely (thought I) mens brains lye not in the same place as formerly, or else Poetry is not now the same thing it was in those days of 30 yore. I therefore made enquiry what difference might be in our Philosophy and Manners. I found that our Philosophers agreed well enough with theirs in the main; however, that our Poets have forc'd another way to the wood,—a by- 35 and Euripides left it, had they either built on the same foundation or after their model, we might e're this day have seen Poetry in greater perfection, and boasted such Monuments of wit as Greece or Rome never knew in all 5 their glory. ACCORDING to the best account I can gather from old Authors, Tragedy was originally with the Ancients a piece of Religious worship, a part of their Liturgy. The Priests sung an Anthem to their god Dionysus, whilst the 10 Goat1 stood at his Altar to be sacrific'd. And this was call'd the Goat-song, or Tragedy. 15 These Priests were call'd the Chorus, and now the whole Ceremony was perform'd by them, till Thespis introduced the Episode and brought an Actor on the Stage. Which Episode the Priests at first mutini'd against as an Innovation; they listen'd a long while, thought it ran off from the Text, and wonder'd how it wou'd be appli'd, till at last their patience could hold no longer, and they roar'd out, Nothing to Dionisus, nothing to Dionysus, which gave 20 beginning to the Proverb. But the Poet, gaining upon them by little and little, enlarged the Episod till it grew the main part, the part which only is by us call'd the Tragedy. And to make amends to Dionysus, the Theaters were all consecrated to 25 him, and the Plays acted there call'd Dionysus's Plays. After much new-modelling, many changes and alterations, Eschylus came with a second Actor on the stage, and lessen'd the business of the Chorus proportionably. But Sophocles, adding a third Actor and painted Scenes, gave 30 (in Aristotle's opinion) the utmost perfection to Tragedy. 1 Would therefore read in Horace, Vilem certavit ad hircum, as Rhetor dicturus ad aras,-not being satisfied in Antiquity with what the Commentators devise when they read, Vilem certavit ob hircum. 2 Οὐδὲν πρὸς Διόνυσον. And now it was that (the men of sense grown weary with discoursing of Atoms and empty Space, and the humour of Mechanical Philosophy near spent) Socrates set up for Morality, and all the buz in Athens was now about vertue and good life. Camerades with him, and Confederates in his worthy design, were our Sophocles and Euripides: But these took a different method. He instructed in a pleasant, facetious manner, by witty questions, allusions, and parables. 5 IO These were for teaching by examples, in a graver way, yet extremely pleasant and delightful. And finding in History the same end happen to the righteous and to the unjust, vertue often opprest, and wickedness on the Throne, they saw these particular yesterday-truths were imperfect and unproper to 15 illustrate the universal and eternal truths by them intended. Finding also that this unequal distribution of rewards and punishments did perplex the wisest, and by the Atheist was made a scandal to the Divine Providence, They concluded that a Poet must of necessity see justice exactly administred, 20 if he intended to please. For, said they, if the World can scarce be satisfi'd with God Almighty, whose holy will and purposes are not to be comprehended, a Poet, in these matters, shall never be pardon'd, who, they are sure, is not incomprehensible, whose ways and walks may without impiety 25 be penetrated and examin'd. They knew, indeed, that many things naturally unpleasant to the World in themselves, yet gave delight when well imitated. These they consider'd as the picture of some deform'd old Woman, that might cause laughter or some light, superficial, and 30 comical pleasure, but never to be endur'd on serious occasions, where the attention of the mind and where the heart was engaged. We have pictures that yield another sort of pleasure, as 1 Aristotle, Poet. |