years, a sensible reformation has begun to take place in English comedy. We have, at last, become ashamed of making our public entertainments rest wholly upon profligate characters and scenes; and our later comedies, of any reputation, are much purified from the licentiousness of former times. If they have not the spirit, the ease, and the wit of Congreve and Farquahar, in which respect they must be confessed to be somewhat deficient: this praise, however, they justly merit, of being innocent and moral.
For this reformation, we are, questionless, much indebted to the French theatre, which has not only been, at all times, more chaste and inoffensive than ours, but has, within these few years, produced a species of comedy, of a still graver turn than any that I have yet mentioned. This which is called the serious, or tender comedy, and was termed by its opposers, La Comedia Larmoyante, is not altogether a modern invention. Several of Terence's plays, as the Andria, in particular, partake of this character; and as we know that Terence copied Menander, we have sufficient reason to believe that his comedies also, were of the same kind. The nature of this composition does not, by any means, exclude gayety and ridicule; but it lays the chief stress upon tender and interesting situations; it aims at being sentimental, and touching the heart by means of the capital incidents; it makes our pleasure arise, not so much from the laughter which it excites, as from the tears of affection and joy which it draws forth.
In English, Steele's Conscious Lovers is a comedy which approaches to this character, and it has always been favourably received by the public. In French, there are several dramatic compositions of this kind, which possess considerable merit and reputation; such as the "Melanide," and " Prejugé à la Mode," of La Chaussée; the Père de Famille," of Diderot; the "Cénie," of Mad. Graffigny; and the "Nanine," and "L'Enfant Prodigue," of Voltaire.
When this form of comedy first appeared in France, it excited a great controversy among the critics. It was objected to, as a dangerous and unjustifiable innovation in composition. It is not comedy, said they, for it is not founded on laughter and ridicule. It is not tragedy, for it does not involve us in sorrow. By what name then can it be called? or what pretensions bath it to be comprehended under dramatic writing? But this was trifling, in the most egregious manner, with critical names and distinctions, as if these had invariably fixed the essence, and ascertained the limits, of every sort of composition. Assuredly, it is not necessary that all comedies should be formed on one precise model. Some may be entirely light and gay; others may incline more to the serious; some may partake of both; and all of them, properly executed, may furnish agreeable and useful entertainment to the public, by suiting the different tastes of men.* Serious and tender comedy has no title to claim to itself the possession of the stage, to the exclusion of ridicule and gayety. But when it retains only its proper place, without usurping the province of any other; when it is carried on with resemblance to real life, and without introducing romantic and unnatural situations, it may certainly prove both an interesting and an agreeable species of dramatic writing.
*«Il y a beaucoup de très bonnes pièces où il ne regne que de la gayeté: d'autres toutes serieuses; d'autres melangèes; d'autres où l'attendrissement va jusq'aux larmes. Il ne faut donner éxclusion à aucune genre ; et si l'on me demandoit, que! genre est le meilleur? Je répondrois celui qui est le mieux traite." VOLTAIRE
If it become insipid and drawling, this must be imputed to the fault of the author, not to the nature of the composition, which may admit much liveliness and vivacity.
In general, whatever form comedy assumes, whether gay or serious, it may always be esteemed a mark of society advancing in true politeness, when those theatrical exhibitions, which are designed for public amusement, are cleared from indelicate sentiment or immoral tendency. Though the licentious buffoonery of Aristophanes amused the Greeks for a while, they advanced, by degrees, to a chaster and juster taste; and the like progress of refinement may be concluded to take place among us, when the public receive with favour, dramatic compositions of such a strain and spirit, as entertained the Greeks and Romans, in the days of Menander and Terence.
Accents, thrown farther back from the ter-
mination in the English than in any other
language, 89. Seldom more than one in
English words, 329. Govern the mea-
sure of English verse, 383.
Achilles, his character in the Iliad examin-
ed, 433.
Action, much used to assist language in an
imperfect state, 57. And by ancient ora-
tors and players, 58.
Fundamental rule
of propriety in, 335. Caution with res-
pect to, 336. In epic poetry, the requi-
sites of, 423.
Acts, the division of a play into five, an
arbitrary limitation, 458. These pauses
in representations ought to fall proper-
ly, 459.
Adam, his character in Milton's Paradise
Lost, 451.
Addison, general view of his Essay on the
Pleasures of the Imagination, 28.
invocation of the muse in his Campaign,
His
censured, 44. Blemishes in his style, 103,
104, 111. Ease and perspicuity of, 114,
115. 117. His beautiful description of
light and colours, 139. Instance of his
use of metaphor, 148. Improper use of
similes, 165. His general character as a
writer, 187. Character of the Spectator,
193. Critical examination of some of those
papers, 194. Remarks on his criticism
of Tasso's Aminta, 395, note.
gedy of Cato critically examined, 457.
463. 467. 469.
Adjectives, common to all languages, 80.
How they came to be classed with nouns,
ibid.
Adverbs, their nature and use defined, 84.
Importance of their position in a sentence
illustrated, 103.
Eneid of Virgil, critical examination of that
poem, 437. The subjects, ibid. Action,
438. Is deficient in characters, ibid.
Distribution and management of the sub-
ject, ibid.
Abounds with awful and ten-
der scenes, 439. The descent of Eneas
into hell, ibid. The poem left unfinished
by Virgil, 440.
Eschines, a comparison between him and
Demosthenes, 243.
Eschylus, his character as a tragic writer,
470.
Etna, remarks on Virgil's description of
that mountain, 42. And on that by Sir
Richard Blackmore, 43.
Affectation, the disadvantages of, in public
speaking, 336.
Ages, four, peculiarly fruitful in learned
men, pointed out, 347.
Akenside, his comparison between sublimity
in natural and moral objects, 33. note.
Instance of his happy allusion to figures,
139. Character of his Pleasures of the
Alphabet of letters, the consideration which
Imagination, 401.
led to the invention of, 68. Remote ob-
scurity of this invention, 69. The alpha-
bets of different nations derived from one
Allegory, explained, 150. Anciently a fa-
common source, ibid.
vourite method of conveying instructions,
151. Allegorical personages improper
Ambiguity in style, from whence it pro-
agents in epic poetry, 429. 449.
Amplification in speech, what, 171.
ceeds, 103.
American languages, the figurative style of,
principal instrument, ibid.
Anagnorisis, in ancient tragedy explained,
Annals, and history, the distinction between,
Ancients and moderns distinguished, 347.
The merits of ancient writers are now
finally ascertained, 348. The progress of
knowledge favourable to the moderns, in
forming a comparison between them, 349.
In philosophy and history, ibid. The ef-
forts of genius greater among the ancients,
350. A mediocrity of genius now more
diffused, 351.
Antithesis, in language explained, 167.
Apostrophe, the nature of this figure explain-
The too frequent use of, censured, 168.
Arabian Nights entertainment, a character
ed, 161. Fine one from Cicero, 260, note.
of those tales, 373.
Arbuthnot, character of his epistolary wri-
Arabian poetry, its character, 380.
ting, 372.
Architecture, sublimity in, whence it arises,
Arguments, the proper management of, in
32. The sources of beauty in, 49.
a discourse, 316. Analytic and synthe
tic methods, 317. Arrangement of, 313.
Ariosto, character of his Orlando Furioso,
Are not to be too much multiplied, 320.
374. 445.
Aristotle, his rules for dramatic and epic
composition, whence derived, 25. His
definition of a sentence, 101. His extend-
ed sense of the term metaphor. 142.
Character of his style, 177. 180. His in
stitutions of rhetoric, 242. 345. His de
finition of tragedy considered, 453. His
Aristophanes, character of his comedies, 480.
observations on tragic characters, 465.
Ark of the covenant, choral service per-
Arithmetical figures, universal characters, 68.
formed in the procession of bringing it
Armstrong, character of his Art of Preserv
back to Mount Zion, 412.
ing Health, 402.
Art, works of, considered as a source of
beauty, 49.
Articles, in language, the use of,.73. Their
importance in the English language illus-
trated, 74.
Articulation, clearness of, necessary in pub-
lic speaking, 329.
Associations, academical, recommended,
343. Instructions for the regulation of,
344.
Athenians, ancient, character of, 238. Elo-
quence of, 239.
Allerbury, a more harmonious writer than
Tillotson, 128. Critical examination of
one of his sermons, 292. His exordium
to a 30th of January sermon, 309.
Altici and Asiani, parties at Rome, account
of, 247.
Authors, petty, why no friends to criticism,
26. Why the most ancient afford the most
striking instances of sublimity, 36. Must
write with purity to gain esteem, 90, 91.
B.
Bacon, his observations on romances, 373.
Ballads, have great influence over the man-
ners of a people, 373. Were the first ve-
hicles of historical knowledge and instruc-
tion, 379.
Bar, the eloquence of, defined, 236. Why
more confined than the pleadings before
ancient tribunals, 253. Distinction be.
tween the motives of pleading at the bar,
and speaking in popular assemblies, 268.
In what respects ancient pleadings differ
from those of modern times, ibid. In-
structions for pleaders, 269. 313.
Bards, ancient, the first founders of law and
civilization, 379.
Barrow, Dr. character of his style, 178.
Character of his sermons, 291.
Beaumont and Fletcher, their characters as
dramatic poets, 483.
Beauty, the emotion raised by, distinguish
ed from that of sublimity, 45. Is a term
of vague application, ibid. Colours, 46.
Figures, ibid. Hogarth's line of beauty,
and line of grace considered, 47. Motion,
ibid. A landscape the most complete
assemblage of beautiful objects, ibid. The
human countenance, 48. Works of art,
49. The influence of fitness and design
in our ideas of beauty, ibid. Beauty in
literary composition, 50. Imitation, 51.
Bergerus, a German critic, writes a trea-
tise on the sublimity of Cæsar's Com-
mentaries, 35.
Berkeley, bishop, character of his Dialogues
on the Existence of Matter, 369.
Biography, as a class of historical com-
position, characterized, 365.
Blackmore, Sir Richard, remarks on his
description of Mount Etna, 43.
Blackwell, his character as a writer, 188.
Boileau, his character as a didactic poet,
404.
Bolingbroke, instances of inaccuracy in his
style, 109. 119. A beautiful climax from,
116. A beautiful metaphor from, 143.
His general character as a politician and
philosopher, ibid. His general character
as a writer, 189. 343.
Bombast in writing described, 44.
Bossu, his definition of an epic poem, 420.
His account of the composition of the
Hiad, 421.
Bossuet, M. instances of apostrophes to
personified objects, in his funeral orations,
160, note. Conclusion of his funeral ora-
tion on the Prince of Conde, 326.
Britain, Great, not eminent for the study of
eloquence, 251. Compared with France
in this respect, 252.
Bruyere, his parallel between the eloquence
of the pulpit and the bar, 280, note.
Buchanan, his character as an historian,
364.
Building, how rendered sublime, 32.
Cadmus, account of his alphabet, 69.
Casar's Commentaries, the style of cha-
racterized, 35. Is considered by Bergerus
as a standard of sublime writing, ibid. In-
stance of his happy talent in historical
painting, 361, note. His character of
Terence the dramatist, 481, note.
Camoens, critical examination of his Lusiad,
446. Confused machinery of, ibid. 46.
Campbell, Dr. his observations on English
particles, 79, note.
Carmel, Mount, metaphorical allusions to
in Hebrew poetry, 415.
Casimir, his character as a lyric poet, 399,
Catastrophe, the proper conduct of, in dra-
matic representations, 460.
Caudina Furcæ, Livy's happy description of
the disgrace of the Roman army there,
Celtic language, its antiquity and character,
85. The remains of it where to be found,
86. Poetry its character, 380.
Characters, the dangers of labouring them
too much in historical works, 363. The
due requisites of, in tragedy, 464.
Chinese language, character of, 68. And
writing, 67.
Chivalry, origin of, 374.
Chorus, ancient, described, 455. Was the
origin of tragedy, ibid. Inconveniences
of, ibid. How it might properly be intro-
duced on the mydern theatre, 457.
Chronology, a due attention to, necessary in
historical compositions, 355.
Chrysostome, St., his oratorical character,
Cibber, his character as a dramatic writer,
484.
Cicero, his ideas of taste, 16, note. His dis-
tinction between amare and diligere, 97.
His observations on style, 102. Very at-
tentive to the beauties of climax, 116. Is
the most harmonious of all writers, 121.
His remarks on the power of music in
orations, 123. His attention to harmony
too visible, 127. Instance of his happy
talent of adapting sound to sense, 128.
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