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pears most in his defcription of actions; Milton's in that of wonderful and ftupendous objects.

But, while Milton excels most in fublimity, his work abounds in the beautiful, the pleafing, and the tender. When the scene is in Paradise, the imagery is gay and fmiling. His descriptions fhow a fertile imagination; and in his fimilies he is remarkably happy. If faulty, it is from their too frequent allufions to matters of learning, and to antient fables. It must also be confeffed, that there is a falling off in the latter part of Paradife Loft.

The language and versification of Milton have high merit. His blank verse is harmonious and diversified; and his style is full of majesty. There may be found indeed fome profaic lines in his poem. But in a work fo long and fo harmonious these may be forgiven.

Paradife Loft amid beauties of every kind has many inequalities. No high and daring genius was ever uniformly correct. Milton is too frequently theological and metaphysical; his words are often technical; and he is affectedly oftentatious of his learning. Many of his faults however are to be imputed to the pedantry of his age. He discovers a vigor, a grafp of genius, equal to every thing great; fometimes he rifes above every other poet; and sometimes he falls below himfelf.

DRAMATIC POETRY.

TRAGEDY.

IN all civilized nations dramatic poetry has been a

favorite amusement. It divides itself into the two forms of Tragedy and Comedy. Of these tragedy is the most dignified; as great and ferious objects intereft us more, than little and ludicrous ones. The former refts on the high paffions, the virtues, crimes, and sufferings of mankind; the latter on their humors, follies, and pleafures; and ridicule is its fole instrument.

Tragedy is a direct imitation of human manners and actions. It does not, like an epic poem, exhibit characters by description or narration; it fets the perfonages before us, and makes them act and speak with propriety. This fpecies of writing therefore requires deep knowledge of the human heart; and, when happily executed, it has the power of raising the strongest emotions.

In its general strain and spirit tragedy is favorable to virtue. Characters of honor claim our respect and approbation; and, to raife indignation, we must paint a person in the odious colors of vice and depravity. Virtuous men indeed are often represented by the tragic poet, as unfortunate; for this happens in real

life. But he always engages our hearts in their behalf; and never reprefents vice, as finally triumphant and happy. Upon the fame principle, if bad men fucceed in their defigns, they are yet finally conducted to punishment. It may therefore be concluded, that tragedies are moral compofitions.

It is affirmed by Aristotle, that the defign of tragedy is to purge our paffions by means of pity and terror. But perhaps it would have been more accurate, to have faid that the object of this fpecies of compofition is to improve our virtuous fenfibility. If a writer excite our pity for the afflicted, inspire us with proper fentiments on beholding the viciffitudes of life, and ftimulate us to avoid the misfortunes of others by exhibiting their errors; he has accomplished all the moral purposes of tragedy.

In a tragedy it is neceffary to have an interesting story, and that the writer conduct it in a natural and probable manner. For the end of tragedy is not fo much to elevate the imagination, as to affect the heart. This principle, which is founded on the cleareft reason, excludes from tragedy all machinery, or fabulous intervention of gods. Ghosts alone from their foundation in popular belief have maintained their place in tragedy.

To promote an impreffion of probability, the ftory of a tragedy according to feme critics fhould never be

a pure fiction, but ought to be built on real facts. This however is carrying the matter too far. For a fictitious tale, if properly conducted, will melt the heart as much, as real hiftory. Hence the tragic poet mixes many fictitious circumftances with well known facts. Most readers never think of separating the historical from the fabulous. They attend only to what is probable, and are touched by events, that refemble nature. Accordingly fome of the most affecting tragedies are entirely fictitious in their fubjects. Such are the Fair Penitent, Douglas, and the Orphan.

In its origin tragedy was rude and imperfect. A. mong the Greeks it was at first nothing more, than the fong, which was fung at the festival of Bacchus. These fongs were sometimes fung by the whole company, and fometimes by separate bands, anfwering alternately to each other, and making a chorus. To give this entertainment fome variety, Thefpis, who lived about five hundred years before the Chriftian æra, introduced a perfon between the fongs, who made a recitation in verfe. Æfchylus, who lived fifty years after him, introduced a dialogue between two perfons or actors, comprehending fome interesting story; and placed them on a stage, adorned with scenery. The drama now began to affume a regular form; and was foon after brought to perfection by Sophocles and Euripides..

It thus appears that the chorus was the foundation of tragedy. But, what is remarkable, the dramatic di

alogue, which was only an addition to it, at length became the principal part of the entertainment; and the chorus, lofing its dignity, came to be accounted only an acceffory in tragedy. At laft in modern tragedy it has entirely disappeared; and its abfence from the stage forms the chief distinction between the antient and modern drama.

The chorus, it must be allowed, rendered tragedy more magnificent, inftructive, and moral. But on the other hand it was unnatural, and leffened the interest of the piece. It removed the representation from the refemblance of life. It has accordingly been with propriety excluded from the stage.

The three unities of action, place, and time, have been confidered, as effential to the proper conduct of dramatic fable. Of these three unity of action is undoubtedly most important. This confifts in the relation, which all the incidents introduced bear to fome defign or effect, combining them naturally into one whole. This unity of fubject is most effential to tragedy. For a multiplicity of plots by diftracting the attention prevents the paffions from rifing to any height. Hence the abfurdity of two independent actions in the fame play. There may indeed be underplots; but the poet fhould make these fubfervient to the main action. They should confpire to bring forward the catastrophe of the play.

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