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COMEDY.

THE ftrain and fpirit of comedy discriminate it

It is

fufficiently from tragedy. While pity, terror, and the other strong paffions form the province of the latter; the fole inftrument of the former is ridicule. Follies and vices, and whatever in the human character is improper, or exposes to cenfure and ridicule, are objects of comedy. As a fatirical exhibition of the improprie. ties and follies of men, it is useful and moral. commendable by this fpecies of compofition to correc and to polish the manners of men. Many vices are more fuccefsfully exploded by ridicule, than by ferious arguments. It is poffible however to employ ridicule improperly; and by its operation to do mifchief inftead of good. For ridicule is far from being a proper test Licentious writers therefore of the comic clafs have often caft ridicule on objects and characters, which did not deferve it. But this is not the fault of comedy, but of the turn and genius of certain writers. In the hands of loofe men comedy will mislead and corrupt; but in thofe of virtuous writers it is not only a gay and innocent, but a laudable and useful entertainment. English comedy however is frequently a fchool of vice.

of truth.

The rules of dramatic action, that were prescribed for tragedy, belong alfo to comedy. A comic writer muft obferve the unities of action, time, and place./ He must attend to nature and probability. The imi

tation of manners ought to be even more exact in comedy, than in tragedy; for the fubjects of comedy are more familiar and better known.

The fubjects of tragedy are confined to no age, nor country; but it is otherwise in comedy. For the decorums of behaviour, and the nice difcriminations of character, which are the fubjects of comedy, change with time and country; and are never fo well underfood by foreigners, as by natives. We weep for the heroes of Greece and Rome; but we are touched by the ridicule of fuch manners and characters only, as we fee and know. The scene therefore of comedy fhould always be laid in the author's own country and age. The comic poet catches the manners living, as they rife.

It is true indeed, that Plautus and Terence did not follow this rule. The fcene of their comedies is laid in Greece, and they adopted the Greek laws and cuf toms. But it is to be remembered, that comedy was in their age a new entertainment in Rome, and that they were contented with the praife of tranflating Me nander and other comic writers of Greece. In pofte rior times the Romans had the "Comoedia Togata," or what was founded on their own manners, as well, as the "Comedia Palliata," which was taken from the Greeks.

There are two kinds of comedy, that of character, and that of intrigue. In the last the plot or action of the play is the principal object. In the firft the dif

play of a peculiar character is the chief point; and to this the action is fubordinate.

The French abound.

moft in comedies of character. Such are the capital pieces of Moliere. The English have inclined more to comedies of intrigue. Such are the plays of Congreve; and in general there is more story, action, and bustle in English, than in French comedy.

The perfection of comedy is to be found in a proper mixture of these two kinds. Mere conversation without an interesting story is infipid. There fhould ever be fo much intrigue, as to excite both fears and wishes. The incidents should be striking, and afford a proper field for the exhibition of character. The piece however fhould not be overcharged with intrigue; for this would be to convert a comedy into a novel.

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With respect to characters it is a common error of comic writers, to carry them much beyond real life;. indeed it is very difficult to hit the precise point, where wit ends, and buffoonery begins. The comedian may exaggerate; but good sense must teach him, where: to ftop.

In comedy there ought to be a clear diftinction in characters. The contrast of characters however by pairs, and by oppofites, is too theatrical and affected. It is the perfection of art to conceal art. A masterly writer gives us his characters, diftinguished rather by fuch fhades of diverfity, as are commonly found in fociety, than marked by fuch oppofitions, as are feldom

brought into actual contrast in any of the circumftances of life.

The ftyle of comedy ought to be pure, lively, and elegant, generally imitating the tone of polite converfation, and never defcending into grofs expreffions. Rhyme is not suitable to comic compofition; for what has poetry to do with the conversation of men in common life? The current of the dialogue fhould be easy without pertnefs, and genteel without flippancy. The wit fhould never be ftudied, nor unfeasonable.

ANTIENT COMEDY.

THE antient comedy was an avowed fatire against

particular persons, brought upon the ftage by name. Such are the plays of Ariftophanes; and compofitions of fo fingular a nature illustrate well the turbulent and lieentious state of Athens. The moft illuftrious perfonages, generals and magiftrates, were then made the subjects of comedy. Vivacity, fatire, and buffoonery are the characteristics of Aristophanes. On many occa fions he difplays genius and force; but his performances give us no high idea of the attic taste for wit in his age. His ridicule is extravagant; his wit farcical; his perfonal raillery cruel and biting; and his obfcenity intolerable.

Soon after the age of Ariftophanes the liberty of attacking perfons by name on the ftage was prohibited

by law. The middle comedy then took its rife. Liv. ing perfons were ftill attacked, but under fictitious. names. Of these pieces we have no remains. They were fucceeded by the new comedy; when it became, as it is now, the bufinefs of the stage to exhibit manners and characters, but not thofe of particular perfons. The author of this kind, most celebrated among the Greeks, was Menander; but his writings are perished.

Of the new comedy of the antients the only remains are the plays of Plautus and Terence. The first is emi nent for the vis comica, and for an expreffive phrafeology. He bears however many marks of the rudeness of the dramatic art in his time. He has too much low wit and fcurrility; and is by far too quaint and full of conceit. He has more variety and more force, than Terence; and his characters are strongly marked, though fometimes coarfely.

Terence is polished, delicate, and elegant. His ftyle. is a model of the most pure and graceful latinity. His dialogue is always correct and decent; and his relations have a picturesque and beautiful fimplicity. His morality is in general unexceptionable; his fituations are interefting; and many of his fentiments touch the heart. He may be confidered, as the founder of ferious comedy. In fprightlinefs and ftrength he is deficient. There is a famenefs in his characters and plots; and he is faid to have been inferior to Menander, whom he copied. To form a perfect comic author, the spirit and fire of Plautus ought to be united with the grace and correctness of Terence.

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