because it was impoffible to discover what was proper for them at once; and new Graces were added to them, as the Nature of thefe Poems came better to be understood. 'Tis true, that the Idea of Tragedy was taken from the Iliads and Odyffes of Homer; and of Comedy from his Poem call'd Margites but that was after thefe Poems had been in ufe in a ruder manner; then indeed Homer infpir'd the Improvers and Reformers of the Stage with this noble Idea. Tragedy truly had a very advantageous Rife in Greece, falling immediately under the Infpection of the Magiftrate, being founded on Religion and this carry'd it so foon to Perfection, to which it wou'd never have arriv'd, had it been in the hands of private Perfons, and mercenary Players, ignorant of its Beauties and Defects, and whofe Thoughts reach no farther than what they are us'd to; which turning to a tolerable Advantage to their Pockets, they believe there is no greater Perfection. But Athens was too wife, too polite a State to let that fade, and remain useless in the hands of the Ignorant, which, by the care of the wife and knowing, might be turn'd to the Public Advantage, and Glory. 1 Tragedy, as I have said, had the Advantage of being grafted on the Goat-fong, or Vintage-fong, in the Honour of Bacchus which, being a Recitation only, Thefpis firft made a Stage, and introduc'd one Actor. Efchylus added a fecond Actor, and fix'd his Stage, and adorn'd it in a more magnificent manner; but then the fame Ornaments ferv'd all Plays. Sophocles added a third Actor, and vary'd the Ornaments, and brought Tragedy to Perfection, and into fuch Efteem with the Athenians, that they spent more in the Decorations of the Theatre, than in all their Perfian Wars; nay the Mony appropriated to that ufe, was look'd on as fo facred, that Demofthenes, with Difficulty and a great deal of Art, attempted to alienate fome of it to the Defence of Greece against Philip of Macedon. The Alterations that were made in this Poem in fo little al time, were almoft in every Part of it; in the very Numbers as well as in the Subject, Manners, and Diction: For the firft Verse of the earliest Tragedies were Tetrameters, or a fort of Burlesque, 19 Burlesque, and fit for Countrymens Songs, and not unlike our Doggrel. But on the reforming the Stage, it was turn'd into Trimeter Iambics: For, as Dacier from Ariftotle obferves, those Numbers were fitted for Tragedy, which were most like our common Discourse, and consequently it was Trimeter Iambics, for that was moft us'd in familiar Conversation and Tragedy, fays he, being an Imitation, ought to admit nothing but what is eafy and natural. But as this feems to relate chiefly to the Greek and Latin Diction, fo it will not be amifs to give you fomething like it in the English, at the Rise of the Drama here. I fhall take the Examples of both from Shakespear alone, to fhow this Error mended by himself, and brought to fuch a Perfection, that the higheft Praise is to imitate his Stile. What they call'd their Tetrameters may be anfwer'd by the Doggrel in the Comedy of Errours, and Love's Labour Loft. Bal. Good Meat, Sir, is common, that every Churle affords. E. Ant. And Welcome more common, for that's nothing but Words. S. Drom. Either get thee from the Door, or fit down at the Hatch: Doft thou conjure for Wenches, that thou call'ft for such Store ? When one is one too many, go get thee from the Door. But left this fhou'd be thought paffable in the Mouths of the Dromios, and their Mafters, we fhall fee, in those of Lords and Princes, in Love's Labour Loft; firft Boyet, of the Retinue of the Princess of France, and the Princess her self. Princess. It was well done of you to take him at his word. Boyet, I was as willing to grapple, as he was to board. Two hot Sheeps, Marry, and therefore not Ships. Maria one of the Ladies of Honour, S Princefs. Boyet. No Sheep, fweet Lamb, unless we feed on your Lips. Princess. Good Wits will be jangling, but Genteels agree---The civil War of Wits were much better us'd On Navarre, and his Book-men, for here 'tis abus'd. In fhort, these falfe Numbers and Rhimes are almost thro the whole Play; which muft confirm any one, that this was one of his first. But that Verse, which answers both the Latin and the Greek is our Blank Verfe, which generally confifts of Iambics, and fo fit for the Drama, that tho Mr. Dryden had once brought rhiming on the Stage fo much into fashion, that he told us plainly in one of his Prefaces, that we fhou'd scarce fee a Play take in this Age without it; yet as foon as The Rehearsal was acted, that violent and unnatural Mode vanish'd, and Blank Verse refum'd its place. A thousand beautiful Examples of this Verse might be taken out of Shakespear, there scarce being a Play of his which will not furnish us with many; I fhall fatisfy my felf here with an Inftance or two out of the Much Adoe about Nothing. And bid her steal into the pleased Bower, Comedy, on the other hand, lay long uncultivated in private Hands, among the Mob or Country Fellows, without any regard of the Government; till at laft Epicharmus and fome others taking the Idea from the Margites of Homer, and having purg'd the Country Railleries from their Licentioufnefs, the Magiftrates of Athens took it into their Confideration, that it might be of VOL. VII. ufe g Burlesque, and fit for Countrymens Songs, and not unlike our Doggrel. But on the reforming the Stage, it was turn'd into Trimeter Iambics: For, as Dacier from Ariftotle obferves, those Numbers were fitted for Tragedy, which were most like our common Discourse, and confequently it was Trimeter Iambics, for that was most us'd in familiar Conversation: and Tragedy, fays he, being an Imitation, ought to admit nothing but what is eafy and natural. But as this feems to relate chiefly to the Greek and Latin Diction, fo it will not be amifs to give you something like it in the English, at the Rife of the Drama here. I fhall take the Examples of both from Shakespear alone, to fhow this Error mended by himself, and brought to fuch a Perfection, that the higheft Praife is to imitate his Stile. What they call'd their Tetrameters may be anfwer'd by the Doggrel in the Comedy of Errours, and Love's Labour Loft. Bal. Good Meat, Sir, is common, that every Churle affords. E. Ant. And Welcome more common, for that's nothing but Words. S. Drom. Either get thee from the Door, or fit down at the Hatch: Doft thou conjure for Wenches, that thou call'ft for fuch Store ? When one is one too many, go get thee from the Door. But left this fhou'd be thought paffable in the Mouths of the Dromios, and their Mafters, we fhall fee, in those of Lords and Princes, in Love's Labour Loft; first Boyet, of the Retinue of the Princess of France, and the Princess her felf. Princess. It was well done of you to take him at his word. Boyet, I was as willing to grapple, as he was to board. Two hot Sheeps, Marry, and therefore not Ships. Maria one of the Ladies of Honour, S Princefs. Boyet. No Sheep, fweet Lamb, unless we feed on your Lips. Princess. Good Wits will be jangling, but Genteels agree---The civil War of Wits were much better us'd On Navarre, and his Book-men, for here 'tis abus'd. In fhort, these falfe Numbers and Rhimes are almost thro the whole Play; which muft confirm any one, that this was one of his firft. But that Verfe, which answers both the Latin and the Greek is our Blank Verfe, which generally confifts of Iambics, and fo fit for the Drama, that tho Mr. Dryden had once brought rhiming on the Stage fo much into fashion, that he told us plainly in one of his Prefaces, that we shou'd scarce fee a Play take in this Age without it; yet as foon as The Rehearsal was acted, that violent and unnatural Mode vanish'd, and Blank Verse refum'd its place. A thousand beautiful Examples of this Verse might be taken out of Shakespear, there scarce being a Play of his which will not furnish us with many; I fhall fatisfy my felf here with an Inftance or two out of the Much Adoe about Nothing. And bid her steal into the pleafed Bower, Comedy, on the other hand, lay long uncultivated in private Hands, among the Mob or Country Fellows, without any regard of the Government; till at laft Epicharmus and fome others taking the Idea from the Margites of Homer, and having purg'd the Country Railleries from their Licentiousness, the Magistrates of Athens took it into their Confideration, that it might be of VOL. VII. g ufe مه |