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Oh, Desdemona! Defdemona! dead! dead! oh,

oh!

Othello, at 5. fc. 9.

The sentiments here difplay'd flow so naturally from the paffions reprefented, and are fuch genuine expreffions of these pasfions, that it is not poffible to conceive any imitation more perfect.

With regard to the French author, truth obliges me to acknowledge, that he describes in the style of a fpectator, instead of expreffing paffion like one who feels it; and also that he is thereby betray'd into the other faults above mentioned, a tiresome monotony, and a pompous declamatory ftyle*. It is fcarce neceffary to produce

This criticifm reaches the French dramatic writers in general, with very few exceptions. Their tragedies are mostly, if not totally, defcriptive. Corneille led the way and later writers following his track, have accustomed the French ear to a ftyle, formal, pompous, declamatory, which fuits not with any paffion. Hence it becomes an eafy task to burlesk a French tragedy: it is not more difficult than to burlefk a ftiff folemn fop. The facility of the operation has in Paris introduced a fingular amusement, which is, to burlesk

the

duce particular inftances; for he never varies from this tone. I fhall however take two paffages at a venture, in order to be confronted

the more fuccessful tragedies in a fort of farce, called a pa-. rody. La Motte, who himself appears to have been forcly galled by fome of these burlesk compofitions, acknowledges, that no more is necessary to give them a run, than barely to vary the dramatis perfonæ, and in place of kings and heroes, queens and princeffes, to fubftitute tinkers and tailors, milkmaids and feamftreffes. The declamatory ftyle, fo different from the genuine expreffion of paffion, paffes in fome measure unobserved, when great perfonages are the speakers. But in the mouths of the vulgar, the impropriety, with regard to the speaker as well as to the paffion reprefented, is fo remarkable as to become ridiculous. A tragedy, where every paffion is made to speak in its natural tone, is not liable to be thus burlesked. The fame paffion is by all men expreffed nearly in the fame manner and therefore the genuine expreffions of paffion cannot be ridiculous in the mouth of any man, provided only he be of fuch a character as to be fufceptible of the paf

fion.

It is a well-known fact, that to an English car the French actors appear to pronounce with too great rapidity; a complaint much infifted on by Cibber in particular, who had frequently heard the famous Baron upon the French ftage. This may in fome measure be attributed to our want of facility in the French language; as foreigners generally imagine, that every language is pronounced too quick by natives. But that it is not the fole caufe, will be probable from a fact directly oppofite, that the French are not a little difgufted with the languidness, as they term it, of the English pronunciation. I

conjecture

confronted with thofe tranfcribed above. In the tragedy of Cinna, Emilia, after the confpiracy was difcovered, having nothing in view but racks and death to herself and her lover, receives a pardon from Augustus, attended with the brightest circumstances of magnanimity and tenderness. This is a happy fituation for representing the paffions of surprise and gratitude in their different ftages. These paffions, raised at once to the utmost pitch, are at firft too big for utterance; and Emilia's feelings muft, for fome moments, have been expreffed by violent geftures only. So foon as there is a vent for words, the

conjecture this difference of tafte may be derived from what is obferved above. The pronunciation of the genuine language of paffion is neceffarily directed by the nature of the paffion, and by the flowness or celerity of its progrefs. In par ticular, plaintive paffions, which are the most frequent in tragedy, having a flow motion, dictate a flow pronunciation. In declamation again, which is not the genuine language of any paffion, the speaker warms gradually; and as he warms, he naturally accelerates his pronunciation. But as the French have formed their tone of pronunciation upon Corneille's decla matory tragedies, and the English upon the more natural language of Shakespear, it is not furprising that cuftom should produce fuch difference of taste in the two nations.

VOL. II.

X

firft

first expreffions are naturally broken and
interrupted. At laft we ought to expect à
tide of intermingled fentiments, occafioned
by the fluctuation of the mind betwixt the
two paffions. Æmilia is made to behave
in a very different manner.
different manner. With extreme
coolness the defcribes her own fituation, as
if he were merely a fpectator; or rather
the poet takes the tafk off her hands.

Et je me rens, Seigneur, à ces hautes bontés,
Je recouvre la vûe auprés de leurs clartés,
Je connois mon forfait qui me fembloit justice,
Et ce que n'avoit pû la terreur du fupplice,
Je fens naitre en mon ame un repentir puissant;
Et mon cœur en fecret me dit, qu'il y consent.
Le ciel a réfolu votre grandeur fuprême,

Et pour preuve, Seigneur, je n'en veux que moimême;

J'ofe avec vanité me donner cet éclat,

Puifqu'il change mon cœur, qu'il veut changer l'état.

Ma haine va mourir que j'ai crue immortelle,
Elle eft morte, et ce cœur devient fujet fidéle,
Et prenant déformais cette haine en horreur,
L'ardeur de vous fervir fuccede à fa fureur.

Act 5. fc. 3.

In the tragedy of Sertorius, the Queen, furprised with the news that her lover was affaffinated, inftead of venting any paffion, degenerates into a cool fpectator, even fo much as to inftruct the by-ftanders how a queen ought to behave on fuch an occasion.

Viriate. Il m'en fait voir enfemble, et l'auteur,
et la caufe.

Par cet affaffinat c'eft de moi qu'on difpofe,
C'est mon trône, c'ft moi qu'on pretend conquerir,
Et c'est mon jufte choix qui feul l'a fait perir.
Madame, aprés fa perte, et parmi ces alarmes,
N'attendez point de moi de foupirs, ni de larmes;
Ce font amusemens que dédaigne aisement
Le prompt et noble orgueil d'un vif ressentiment.
Qui pleure, l'affoiblit, qui soupire, l'exhale,
Il faut plus de fierté dans une ame royale;
Et ma douleur foumife aux foins de le venger, &c.
Act 5. fc. 3.

So much in general upon the genuine fentiments of paffion. I proceed now to particular observations. And, firft, Paffions are feldom uniform for any confider- v able time they generally fluctuate, fwelling and fubfiding by turns, often in a quick fucceffion.

X 2

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