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SPANISH COMEDY.

THE most prominent object in modern comedy is

the Spanish theatre. The chief commedians of Spain are Lopez de Vega, Guillen and Calderon. The first, who is the most famous of them, wrote above a thoufand plays; and was infinitely more irregular, than Shakespeare. He totally disregarded the three unities, and every established rule of dramatic writing. One play often includes many years, and even the whole life of a man. The scene, during the firft act, is in Spain; the next in Italy; and the third in Africa.. His plays are chiefly historical; and are a mixture of: heroic fpeeches, ferious incidents, war and flaughter, ridicule and buffoonery. He jumbles together chrif tianity and paganism, virtues and vices, angels and gods. Notwithstanding his faults, he poffeffed genius, and great force of imagination. Many of his characters are well painted; many of his fituations are happy; and from the fource of his rich invention dramatic writers of other nations have frequently drawn their materials. He was confcious himfelf of his extreme ir regularities, and apologized for them from the prevailing taste of his countrymen..

FRENCH COMEDY.

THE comic theatre of France is allowed to be

correct, chate, and decent. The comic author, in

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whom the French glory moft, is Moliere.

In the judgment of French critics he has nearly reached the fummit of perfection in his art. Nor is this the decifion of mere partiality. Moliere is the fatirist only of vice and folly. His characters were peculiar to his own times; and in general his ridicule was justly directed. His comic powers were great; and his pleasantry is always innocent. His Mifanthrope and Tartuffe are in verfe, and conftitute a kind of dignified comedy, in which vice is expofed in the style of elegant and polite fatire. In his profe comedies there is a profufion of ridicule; but the poet never gives alarm to modefty, nor cafts contempt on virtue. With thefe high qualities however confiderable defects are mingled. In un#avelling his plots he is unhappy; as this is frequently brought on with too little preparation, and in an improbable manner. In his verfe comedies he is not always fufficiently interesting; and he is too full of long. fpeeches. In his rifible pieces in profe he is too farcieal. But upon the whole it may be affirmed, that few writers ever attained fo perfectly the true end of comedy. His Tartuffe and Avare are his two capital pro

ductions.

FROM

ENGLISH COMEDY.

ROM the English theatre is naturally expected a greater variety of original characters in comedy, and bolder frokes of wit and humor, than from any other

modern ftage. Humor is in fome degree peculiar to England. The freedom of the government and the unrestrained liberty of English manners are favorable, to humor and fingularity of character. In France the influence of a defpotic court fpreads uniformity over the nation. Hence comedy has a more amplified and a freer vein in Britain, than in France. But it is to be regretted, that the comic fpirit of Britain is often dif graced by indecency and licentiousness.

The first age however of English comedy was not infected by this spirit. The plays of Shakespeare and Ben Johnson have no immoral tendency. The come dies of the former difplay a ftrong, creative genius; but are irregular in conduct.. They are fingularly rich in characters and manners; but often defcend to please the mob. Johnfon is more regular, but ftiff and pe dantic; though not void of dramatic genius. Much: fancy and invention, and many fine passages, are found in the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher. But in general they abound in romantic incidents, unnatural charac-ters, and coarse allufions..

Change of manners has rendered the comedies of the. laft age obfolete. For it is the exhibition of prevailing. modes and characters, that gives a charm to comedy.. Thus Plautus was antiquated to the Romans in the. days of Auguftus.. But to the honor of Shakespeare. his Falstaff is still admired, and his Merry Wives of Winfor read with pleafure.

After the restoration of Charles II. the licentioufnels, which polluted the court and nation, feized upon comedy. The rake became the predominant character. Ridicule was thrown upon chastity and fobriety. At the end of the play indeed the rake becomes a sober man; but through the performance he is a fine gentleman, and exhibits a picture of the pleasurable enjoyments of life. This fpirit of comedy had the worst ef. fect on youth of both fexes, and continued to the days. of George II.

In the comedies of Dryden there are many ftrokes of genius; but he is hasty and careless. As his object was to pleafe, he followed the current of the times, and gave way to indelicacy and licentioufnefs. His indecency was at times fo grofs, as to occafion a prohibition of his plays on the ftage.

After Dryden flourished Cibber, Vanburgh, Farquhar, and Congreve. Cibber has fprightlinefs and a pert vivacity; but his incidents are fo forced and unnatural, that his performances have all funk into obfcurity, excepting The Careless Husband and The Provoked Husband. Of these the firft is remarkable for the eafy politeness of the dialogue; and it is tolerably moral in its conduct. The latter, in which Cibber was affift. ed by Vanburgh, is perhaps the best comedy in the English language; and even to this it may be object. ed, that it has a double plot. Its characters however are natural, and it abounds with fine painting and hap py ftrokes of humor.

Wit, fpirit, and ease characterize Sir John Vanburgh; but he is the moft indelicate and immoral of all our comedians. Congreve undoubtedly poffeffed genius. He is witty and sparkling, and full of character and action. Indeed he overflows with wit; for it is often introduced unfeasonably; and in general there is too much of it for well bred converfation. Farquhar is a light and gay writer; lefs correct and lefs brilliant, than Congreve; but he has more ease, and much of the Vis Comica. Like Congreve he is licentious; and modefty must turn from them both with abhorrence. The French boat with juftice of the fuperior decency of their stage, and speak of the English theatre with aftonishment. Their philofophical writers afcribe the profligate manners of London to the indelicacy and corruption of English comedy.

Of late years a sensible reformation has taken place in English comedy. Our writers of comedy now appear afhamed of the indecency of their predeceffors. They may be inferior to Farquhar and Congreve in fpirit, ease, and wit; but they have the merit of being far more innocent and moral.

To the French ftage we are much indebted for this reformation. The introduction within a few years of a graver comedy in France, called the ferious or tender comedy, has attracted the attention and approbation of our writers. Gaiety and ridicule are not excluded from this fpecies of comedy; but it lays the chief stress on tender and interefting fituations. It is fentimental,

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