This branch of the fubject shall be closed with a general rule, That action being the fundamental part of every compofition whether epic or dramatic, the fentiments and tone of language ought to be fubfervient to the action, fo as in every respect to appear natural, and proper for the occafion. The application of this rule to our modern plays, would reduce the bulk of them to a skele

ton

After

En général il y a beaucoup de difcours et peu d'action fur la fcene Françoife. Quelqu'un difoit en fortant d'une piece de Denis le Tiran, Je n'ai rien vu, mais j'ai entendu force paroles. Voila ce qu'on peut dire en fortant des pieces Françoises. Racine et Corneille avec tout leur génie ne font eux mêmes que des parleurs, et leur fucceffeur eft le premier qui à l'imitation des Anglois ait osé mettre quelquefois la scene en repréfentation. Communément tout fe paffe en beaux dialogues bien agencés, bien ronflans, où l'on voit d'abord que le premier foin de chaque interlocuteur eft toujours celui de briller. Prefque tout s'enonce en maximes géné rales. Quelque agités qu'ils puiffent être, ils fongent toujours plus au public qu'a eux-mêmes; une fentence leur coute moins qu'un fentiment; les pieces de Racine et de Moliere exceptées, le je est prefque auffi fcrupuleufement banni de la fcene Françoife que des écrits de Port-Royal; et les paffions humaines, auffi modeftes que l'humilité Chrétienne, n'y parlent jamais que par on. Il y a encore une certaine dignité manierée dans le gefte et dans le propos, qui ne permet jamais à la paffion de parler exactement fon langage, ni à l'auteur de revetir fon perfonage, et de fe tranfporter au lieu de la fcene, mais le tient toujours enchainé fur le théatre, et fous les yeux des fpectateurs. Auffi les fituations les plus vives ne lui font-elles jamais oublier un bel arrangement de phrases, ni des attitudes élé gantes; et fi le defespoir lui plonge un poignard dans le cœur, non content d'obferver la décence en tombant comme Polixene, il ne

tombe

After carrying on together epic and dramatic compofitions, I proceed to handle them feparately, and to mention circumstances peculiar to each, beginning with the epic kind. In a theatrical entertainment, which employs both the eye and the ear, it would be a grofs abfurdity to introduce upon the ftage fuperior beings in a vifible shape. There is not place for this objection in an epic poem; and Boileau*, with many other critics, declares ftrongly for this fort of machinery in an epic poem. But waving authority, which is apt to impofe upon the judgement, let us draw what light we can from reafon. I begin with a preliminary remark, That this matter is but indiftinctly handled by critics: the poetical privilege of animating infenfible objects for enlivening a description, is very different from what is termed machinery, where deities, angels, devils, or other fupernatural powers, are introduced as real perfonages, mixing in the action, and contributing to the catastrophe; and yet these two things are constantly jumbled together in the reasoning. The former is founded on a natural principle +: but can the latter claim the fame authority? fo far from it, that nothing can be more unnatu

tombe point; le décence la maintient debout après fa mort, et tous ceux pui viennent d'expirer s'en retournent l'inftant d'après fur leurs jambes.

Third part of his art of poetry, + Chap. 20. fect. 1.

Rouleau.

ral.

ral. Its effects, at the fame time, are deplorable. First, it gives an air of fiction to the whole; and prevents that impreffion of reality which is requifite to intereft our affections, and to move our paffions*: this of itself is fufficient to explode machinery, whatever entertainment it may afford to readers of a fantastic taste or irregular imagination. And, next, were it poffible, by difguifing the fiction, to delude us into a notion of reality, which I think can hardly be; an infuperable objection would ftill remain, which is, that the aim or end of an epic poem can never be attained in any perfection where machinery is introduced; for an evident reafon, that virtuous emotions cannot be raised fuccefsfully but by the actions of those who are endued with paffions and affections like our own, that is, by human actions and as for moral inftruction, it is clear, that none can be drawn from beings who act not upon the fame principles with us. A fable in Efop's manner is no objection to this reasoning his lions, bulls, and goats, are truly men under difguife: they act and feel in every respect as human beings; and the moral we draw is founded on that fuppofition. Homer, it is true, introduces the gods into his fable: but he was authorised to take that liberty by the religion of his country; it being an article in the Grecian creed, that the gods often inter

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Sec chap. 2. part 1. fect. 6.

pofe

1

pofe vifibly and bodily in human affairs. I must however obferve, that Homer's deities do no honour to his poems: fictions that tranfgrefs the bounds of nature, feldom have a good effect; they may inflame the imagination for a moment, but will not be relished by any perfon of a correct tafte. Let me add, that of whatever ufe fuch fictions may be to a mean genius, an able writer has much finer materials of Nature's production, for elevating his fubject, and making it interesting.

One would be apt to think, that Boileau, declaring for the Heathen deities as above, intended them only for embellishing the diction: but unluckily he banishes angels and devils, who undoubtedly make a figure in poetic language, not inferior to what can be made by the Heathen deities. Boileau therefore by pleading for the latter in oppofition to the former, certainly meant, if he had any diftinct meaning, that the Heathen deities may be introduced as actors. And, in fact, he himself is guilty of this glaring abfurdity, where it is not fo pardonable as in an epic poem in his ode upon the taking of Namur, he demands with a most serious countenance, whether the walls were built by Apollo or Neptune : and in relating the paffage of the Rhine, anno 1672, he describes the god of that river as fighting with all his might to oppofe the French monarch. This is confounding fiction with reality at a strange rate. The French writers in general

run

run into this error: wonderful! that they should not be fenfible how ridiculous it is.

That this is a capital error in the Gierufalemme liberata, Taffo's greatest admirers must acknowledge: a fituation can never be intricate, nor the reader ever in pain about the catastrophe, fo long as there is an angel, devil, or magician, to lend a helping hand. Voltaire, in his essay upon epic poetry, talking of the Pharfalia, obferves judiciously, "That the proximity of time, "the notoriety of events, the character of the

age, enlightened and political, joined with the "folidity of Lucan's fubject, deprived him of all "liberty of poetical fiction." Is it not amazing, that a critic who reasons so juftly with respect to others, can be fo blind with refpect to himself? Voltaire, not satisfied to enrich his language with images drawn from invisible and superior beings, introduces them into the action: in the fixth canto of the Henriade, St Louis appears in perfon, and terrifies the foldiers; in the feventh canto, St Louis fends the god of Sleep to Henry; and, in the tenth, the demons of Difcord, Fanaticism, War, &c. affift Aumale in a fingle combat with Turenne, and are chafed away by a good angel brandifhing the fword of God. To blend fuch fictitious personages in the same action with mortals, makes a bad figure at any rate; and is intolerable in a hiftory fo recent as that of Henry IV. This fingly is fufficient to make the Henriade a fhort-liv'd poem, were it otherwise poffeffed