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The affectation of elaborate art is certainly among the false refinements of the modern Stage. The first masters in theatrical representations made use of a diction, which united the harmony of verse to the easy and natural air of prose, and was suited to the movement and bustle of Action, being considered only as subservient to the Fable, and not as the principal object of the Poet or the Audience.

The first endeavour of the Poet should be to touch the heart, the next to mend it. What would the ancients say, who would not suffer even the inarticulate sounds of music to utter tones that might enervate the mind, if they could hear the stage, from whence issued precepts that awakened the Magistrate, animated the Chief, and improved the Citizen, now giving lessons of Love; and the dramatic art, no longer attempting to purge the passions by Pity and Terror, but by false delicacy divested of its power, and diverted from its end, melting away in the strains of Elegy and Eclogue? May we not venture to affirm such refinements to be rather abuse and degeneracy, than advances towards perfection? These Poets have plainly neglected the moral ends which were the object of the Drama; and the manner of conducting their Tragedy seems no less a deviation from that which the great Poets practised, and the best Critics taught. If they have avoided monstrous errors and absurdities, it is but the common privilege of Mediocrity to do so; but let not Mediocrity assume the airs and presumption of Excellence and Perfection, nor pretend to obtrude on others, as rules, any fantastical forms which affectation or fashion may have imposed on them.

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It cannot be denied, but there should be some compliance with the change of manners and opinions. Our Delicacy would be justly offended, if the loud groans and nauseous wounds of Philoctetes were imitated on the Stage; but would Good sense be less offended,

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fended, if, in the conduct of the play, his fierce resentments of his wrongs, the noble frankness of the son of Achilles, and the crafty wiles of Ulyffes, which are so finely exhibited in the Tragedy of Sophocles, and so deeply interest us, in the dispute for the arrows, were all neglected, in order to engage our attention to some love-scenes between Neoptolemus, and a fair nymph of Lemnos? Would the Poet be excused by pleading the effeminacy and gallantry of an audience, who would not endure so unpleasing an object as a wounded man, nor attend to any contest but about a heart? In fuch a country the lyre should warble melting strains: but let not example teach us to fetter the energy, and enervate the noble powers of the British muse, and of a language fit to express sublimer sentiments. The bleeding, sightless eyes of Edipus are objects of too great horror for the spectator; but is not Theseus, in the midst of plagues and famine, adoring les beaux yeux of the princess Dirce as much an object of ridi

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Fine dialogues of love, interwoven with a tale of incest and murder, would not have been endured in any country, where taste had not been absolutely perverted. Mr. Voltaire has the candor to own, this is a bad Tragedy; but Corneille tells us, it was his good fortune to find it the general opinion, that none of his pieces was composed with more art; so little was the dramatic art understood in the polite court of Louis XIV. The Edipus of Corneille is so far below criticism, that I should not have taken any notice of it but as it was necessary to bring a strong proof of the depravity of taste in those times.

Mr. Voltaire has endeavoured to convince his countrymen, that the metaphyfics of love, and the sophistry of politics, are not adapted to the Theatre: but he durst not bring the story of Edipus on the Stage without the addition of a love-intrigue; and Philoctetes, the companion of Hercules, is introduced fighing

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for the autumnal charms of Jocasta. One may furely say with her,

JOCASTA.

D'un lien charmant le soin tendre & timide
Ne dut point occuper le fuccesseur d'Alcide.

Tragedy thus converted into mere amorous ditty, drops all the ends of her institution, which were, says Sir P. Sidney*,

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to open the greatest wounds, and to shew " forth the ulcers that are covered with " tissue; to make kings fear to be tyrants, "tyrants to manifest their tyrannical hu

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mours; that stirring the effects of admi"ration and commiferation, teacheth the

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uncertainty of this world, and upon how " weak foundations gilded roofs are build"ed; that maketh us know, qui sceptra "sævus duro imperio regit, timet timentes, " metus in autorem redit." The example to the great; the warnings to the people; all high and public precepts are neglected; and by making the interest of the play turn

• Defence of Poefy.

upon

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