or their affections. When they have played their fymphony with the throat, they believe they have fulfilled all the duties of their art. Hence the audience keep their hearts in the most perfect tranquillity, and expect the performers merely to tickle their ears. "For this purpose there is no occafion for good dramas; on the contrary, I should wish that not only words were banished from our theatres, but the whole alphabet except a pair of vowels." "If Metastasio were now living, (fays Dr Burney in his life of that writer) he might have faid except a fingle vowel.' In his time, divifions were frequently given to the vowel o, but at present Italian compofers affign them only to a, on which more labour is bestowed by the maestro, and attention by the audience, than on all the poetry and fentiments of the fingers. If forty years ago Metastasio speaks with fo much indignation of the abuse of execution, which has been increafing ever fince, what would he fay now?" Note (q) p. 57. Il est bien aisé de reprendre, I believe it may be established as a general rule, that the finest is the best natured tafte. This holds among those perfons with whom I have been acquainted; and I have before me a number of extracts from the lives of Virgil, Fracaftoro, and others, establishing the fame remark. I remember a friend of mine, after he had studied algebra a few weeks, was often telling me of Euler's errors and imperfections. Stay, (it was replied) till you become a better algebraist, and you will difcover fewer errors in Euler. Accordingly, after fome time, I heard of fewer discoveries; and obferved that my friend's perfpicacity in this respect was always in the inverse ratio of his progrefs, i. e. the greater his progrefs, the lefs his power of discovering errors, and vice versa. Note (r) p. 57.-Voltaire, in his account of the fupper at Mr An drews', fays: "The company made a quick tranfition from the age of Auguftus to that of Louis XIV. A lady afked why, with great talents, we fcarcely ever now compofe works of genius? -Man "Mr Andrews replied, Because works of genius were compofed in the last age. This idea was ingenious and deep, yet true."of Forty Growns. In another place, Voltaire has the following lines: Heureux qui les premiers marchent dans la carriere! Fame then was cheap, and the first comers fped; Whenever it becomes fashionable to praise an old writer, it is aftonishing what eulogies are lavifhed upon him; even his having had common fenfe becomes a fubject of wonder and admiration. Thus the old editors of the Greek tragedians generally mark with commas thofe paffages in which it is afferted that life is fhort, or fortune is changeable, aftonished that Pagans fhould make such profound discoveries. The Earl of Orford in his Anecdotes, and J. Warton in his Effay on Pope, extol Milton to the fkies, and pronounce him the father of modern gardening, becaufe he has not introduced clipt hedges, gravel walks, and marble fountains, into the Garden of Eden; as if there was much merit in avoiding a fault which no writer of common fenfe could poffibly have committed. We fee that Leifure is painted by him as taking his pleasure in trim gardens; but he had judgement enough to avoid painting the hand of art as appearing where Nature "wanton'd as in her prime." Thefe critics might as well praise that moft divine of bards becaufe he does not defcribe Adam as wearing a cocked hat, or, instead of a bower, living in a palace adorned with paintings fimilar to those of Titian and Corregio. An expreffion of this last painter is often quoted. I think one of Dominichino ought to be as well known. This great painter, being a modest patient man, met with many directors. One day, his rival Lanfranc, among other criticisms, faid, that a certain limb was too short: "It will be long enough (replied Dominichino) a few years hence." Note (s) p. 58.—When Voltaire was attacked by the journalists of Trevoux, he was not quite fo patient as Malebranche when in the fame predicament. This philofopher being urged to reply to the journalists," Je ne dispute (replied he) avec des gens, qui font un livre tous les mois." Both Pope and Voltaire indeed pretended to laugh at their opponents, but "utinam qui male mihi volunt, fic rideant." Note (t) p. 59. Mais il revient; il répare fa honte ; Le temps l'éclaire: oui, mais la mort plus prompte En attendant que les fiens foient ouverts: Voltaire Epitre a Madame Denis. I am forry at the use of the word pauvre in this passage; it injures the tender melancholy of the other lines. END OF THE NOTES. |