Humani voltus. fi vis me flere, dolendum est COMMENTARY. III 119] the properties of the TRAGIC STYLE; which will be different, 1. [to] according to the internal state and character of the speaker: thus one fort of expreffion will become the angry, another, the forrowful; this, the gay, that, the fevere. And, z. [from 111 to 119] according to the outward circumftances of rank, age, office, or country. II. Next [to 179] he treats of the CHARACTERS, which are of two forts. 1. Old ones, revived: and 2. Invented, or new ones. In relation to the first [from Aut famam fequere, aut fibi convenientia finge, Jura neget fibi nata, nihil non arroget armis. 121 Si quid inexpertum fcenae conmittis, et audes 125 Non circa vilem patulumque moraberis orbem; COMMENTARY. 119 to 125] the precept is, to follow fame; that is, to fashion the character according to the received, ftanding idea, which tradition and elder times have confecrated; that idea being the fole teft, whereby to judge of it. 2. In refpect of the latter [from 125 to 128] the great requifite is uniformity, or confifiency of reprefentation. But the formation of quite new characters is a work of great difficulty and hazard. For here, there is no generally received and fixed archetype to work after, but every one judges, of common right, according to the extent and compre. henfion Nec fic incipies, ut fcriptor cyclius olim: 136 FORTUNAM PRIAMI CANTABO, ET NOBILE BELLUM. Quid dignum tanto feret hic promiffor hiatu? Parturiunt montes: nafcetur ridulus mus. Quanto rectius hic, qui nîl molitur inepte! 140 DIC MIHI, MUSA, VIRUM, CAPTAE POST MOENIA TROJAE, QUI MORES HOMINUM MULTORUM VIDIT ET URBIS. Non fumum ex fulgore, fed ex fumo dare lucem Cogitat, ut fpeciofa dehinc miracula promat, Antiphaten, Scyllamque, et cum Cylope Charyb din. 145 COMMENTARY. henfion of his own idea. Therefore [to y 136] he advifes to labour and refit old characters and subjects; particularly thofe, made known and authorized by the practice of Homer and the epic writers; and directs, at the fame time, by what means to avoid that servility · and unoriginal air, fo often charged upon fuch pieces. I faid characters and subjects, for his method leading him to guard against servility of imitation in point of characters, the poet chofe to dispatch the whole affair of fervile imitation at once, and therefore [to y 136] includes fubjects, as well as characters. But this very advice, about taking the fubjects and characters from the epic poets, might be apt to lead into two faults, arifing from the ill conduct of those 2 poets Nec reditum Diomedis ab interitu Meleagri, COMMENTARY. poets themfeves. For, 1. [to 146] the dignity and importance of a fubject, made facred by antient fame, had fometimes occafioned a boaftful and oftentatious beginning, than which nothing can be more offenfive. And, 2. The whole ftory being compofed of great and ftriking particulars, injudicious writers, for fear of lofing any part of it, which might ferve to adorn their work, had been led to follow the round of plain hiftoric order, and so had made the difpofition of their piece uninterefting and unartful. Now both thefe improprieties, which appear so shocking in the epic poem, muft needs, with ftill higher reafon, deform the tragic. For, taking its rife, not from the flattering views of the poet, but the real fituation of the actor, its opening muft, of neceffity, be very simple and unpretending. And being, from its short term of action, unable naturally to prepare and bring about many events, it, of course, confines itself to one; as alfo for the fake of producing a due diftrefs in the plot; which can never be wrought up to any trying pitch, unless the whole attention be made to fix on one fingle object. The way to avoid both these faults, 155 Tu, quid ego et populus mecum defideret, audi; COMMENTARY. will be to obferve (for here the imitation cannot be too close) the well-judged practice of Homer. Having thus confidered the affair of imitation, and fhewn how old characters, and, to carry it still further, old fubjects, may be fuccefsfully treated, he refumes the head of characters, and proceeds more fully [from 153 to 179] to recommend it as a point of principal concern in the drawing of them, to be well acquainted with the manners, agreeing to the feveral fucceffive periods and stages of human life. And this with propriety: for, though he had given a hint to this purpose before, Maturufne fenex, an adhuc florente juventâ Fervidus, yet, as it is a point of fingular importance, and a regard to it, befides other diftinctions, must be conftantly had in the draught of every character, it well deserved a feparate confideration. III. These inftructions, which, in fome degree, respect all kinds of poetry, being dismissed; he now delivers fome rules more peculiarly relative to the cafe of the drama. And, as the misapplication of manners, which was the point he had been confidering, was de ftructive |