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the latter no degree for moral inftruction. The fecond propofition is, That the history of a wicked perfon in a change from mifery to happiness, ought not to be reprefented. It excites neither terror nor compaffion, nor is agreeable in any refpect. The third is, That the misfortunes of a wicked perfon ought not to be reprefented. Such reprefentation may be agreeable in fome measure upon a principle of juftice: but it will not move our pity; nor any degree of terror, except in thofe of the fame vicious difpofition with the perfon reprefented. The laft propofition is, That the only character fit for reprefentation lies in the middle, neither eminently good nor eminently bad; where the misfortune is not the effect of deliberate vice, but of fome involuntary fault, as our author expreffes it. The only objection I find to Ariftotle's account of tragedy, is, that he confines it within too narrow bounds, by refufing admittance to the pathetic kind: for if terror be effential to tragedy, no reprefentation deferves that name but the moral kind, where the misfortunes exhibited are caufed by a wrong balance of mind, or fome diforder in the internal conflitution: fuch misfortunes always fuggest moral inftruction; and by fuch misfortunes only, can terror be excited for our improvement.

Thus Ariftotle's four propofitions above mentioned, relate folely to tragedies of the moral kind. Thofe of the pathetic kind, are not confined within fo narrow limits fubjects fitted for the theatre, are not in fuch plenty as to make us reject innocent inisfortunes which roufe our fympathy, though they inculcate no moral. With refpect indeed to fubjects of that kind,

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*If any one can be amufed with a grave difcourfe which promifeth much and performs nothing, I refer to Brumoy in his Theatre Grec, Preliminary difcourfe on the origin of tragedy,

it may be doubted, whether the conclufion ought not always to be fortunate. Where a perfon of integrity is reprefented as fuffering to the end under misfortunes purely accidental, we depart difcontented, and with fome obfcure fenfe of injuftice: for feldom is man fo fubmiffive to Providence, as not to revolt against the tyranny and vexations of blind chance ; he will be tempted to fay, This ought not to be. Chance, giving an impreffion of anarchy and mifrule, produces always a damp upon the mind. I give for an example the Romeo and Juliet of Shakespear, where the fatal catastrophe is occafioned by Friar Laurence's coming to the monument a minute too late we are vexed at the unlucky chance, and go

away diffatisfied. Such impreffions, which ought

not to be cherished, are a fufficient reafon for excluding ftories of that kind from the theatre. The misfortunes of a virtuous perfon, arifing from neceffary causes or from a chain of unavoidable circumstances, are confidered in a different light. A regular chain of caufes and effects directed by the general laws of nature, never fails to fuggeft the hand of Providence ; to which we fubmit without refentment, being confcious that fubmiffion is our duty.* For that reafon, we are not difgufted with the diftreffes of Voltaire's Marianne, though redoubled on her till her death, without the leaft fault or failing on her part: her misfortunes are owing to a caufe extremely natural, and not unfrequent, the jealoufy of a barbarous hufband. The fate of Defdemona, in the Moor of Venice, affects us in the fame manner, We are not fo cafily reconciled to the fate of Cordelia in King Lear: the caufes of her misfortune are by no means fo evident, as to exclude the gloomy notion of chance, In fhort, a perfect character fuffering under misfor

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* See Eflays on the Principles of Morality, edit. 2. p. 291.

tunes, is qualified for being the fubject of a pathetic tragedy, provided chance be excluded. Nor is a perfect character altogether inconfiftent with a moral tragedy it may fuccefsfully be introduced in an under-part, if the chief place be occupied by an imperfect character, from which a moral can be drawn. This is the cafe of Defdemona and Mariamne juft mentioned; and it is the cafe of Monimia and Belvidera, in Otway's two tragedies, The Orphan, and Venice Preferv'd.

I had an early opportunity to unfold a curious doctrine, That fable operates on our paffions, by reprefenting its events as paffing in our fight, and by deluding us into a conviction of reality.* Hence, in epic and dramatic compofitions, every circumftance ought to be employ'd that may promote the delufion; fuch as the borrowing from history fome noted event, with the addition of circumftances that may anfwer the author's purpofe: the principal facts are known to be true; and we are difpofed to extend our belief to every circumstance. But in choosing a fubject that makes a figure in hiftory, greater precaution is neceffary than where the whole is a fiction. In the latter cafe there is full scope for invention : the author is under no restraint other than that the characters and incidents be juft copies of nature. But where the ftory is founded on truth, no circumftances must be added, but fuch as connect naturally with what are known to be true; hiftory may be fupplied, but muft not be contradicted: further, the fubject chofen must be diftant in time, or at leaft in place; for the familiarity of recent perfons and events ought to be avoided. Familiarity ought more efpecially to be avoided in an cpic poem, the peculiar character

Chap. 2. part 1. feet. 7.

character of which is dignity and elevation: modern manners make no figure in fuch a poem."

After Voltaire, no writer, it is probable, will think of rearing an epic poem upon a recent event in the hiftory of his own country. But an event of that kind is perhaps not altogether unqualified for tragedy it was admitted in Greece; and Shakefpcar has employ'd it fuccefsfully in feveral of his pieces. One advantage it poffeffes above fiction, that of more readily engaging our belief, which tends above any other circumftance to raise our sympathy. The scene of comedy is generally laid at home: familiarity is no objection; and we are peculiarly fenfible of the ridicule of our own manners.

After a proper fubject is chofen, the dividing it into parts requires fome art. The conclufion of a book in an epic poem, or of an act in a play, cannot be altogether arbitrary; nor be intended for fo flight a purpofe as to make the parts of equal length. The fuppofed paufe at the end of every book, and the real paufe at the end of every act, ought always to coincide with fome paufe in the action. In this respect, a dramatic or epic poem ought to refemble a fentence or period in language divided into members that are diftinguifhed from each other by proper paufes; or it ought to refemble a piece of mufic, having a full clofe at the end, preceded by imperfect clofes that contribute to the melody. Every act in a dramatic poem ought therefore to clofe with fome incident that makes a paufe in the action; for other

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* I would not from this obfervation be thought to undervalue modern manners. The roughness and impetuofity of ancient manners, may be -better fitted for an epic poem, without being better fitted for fociety. But without regard to that circumftance, it is the familiarity of modern manners that unqualifies them for a lofty fubject. The dignity of our prefent manners, will be better understood in future ages, when they are no longer familiar.

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wife there can be no pretext for interrupting the rep refentation: it would be abfurd to break off in the very heat of action; against which every one would exclaim the abfurdity ftill remains where the action relents, if it be not actually fufpended for fome time. This rule is also applicable to an epic poem: though in it a deviation from the rule is lefs remarkable; because it is in the reader's power to hide the abfurdity, by proceeding instantly to another book. first book of Paradife Loft ends without any close, perfect or imperfect it breaks off abruptly, where Satan, feated on his throne, is prepared to harangue the convocated hoft of the fallen angels; and the fecond book begins with the fpeech. Milton feems to have copied the neid, of which the two first books are divided much in the fame manner. Neither is there any proper paufe at the end of the fifth book of the Aneid. There is no proper paufe at the end of the feventh book of Paradife Loft, nor at the end of the eleventh. In the Iliad little attention is given to this rule.

This branch of the fubject fhall be closed with a general rule, That action being the fundamental part of every compofition whether epic or dramatic, The fentiments and tone of language ought to be fubfervient to the action, fo as to appear natural, and proper for the occafion. The application of this rule to our modern plays, would reduce the bulk of them to a skeleton.*

After

*En général il y a beaucoup de difcours et peu d'action fur la fcene Francoife. Quelqu'un difoit'en fortant d'une piece de Denis le Tiran, Je n'ai rien vu, mais j'ai entendu force paroles. Voila ce qu'on peut dire en fortant des pieces Françoifes. Racine et Corneille avec tout leur génie ne font eux-mêmes que des par leurs ; et leur fucceffeur eft le premier qui, à l'imitation des Anglois ait olé metre quelquefois la feene en repréfentation. Communément tout fe paffe en beaux dialogues bien agencés, bien ronflans, où l'on voit d'abord que le premier foin de

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