XLV.

LECT. fuppofed to pass, than is employed in the represent ation of that act. This is a rule which the French Tragedians regularly obferve. To violate this rule, as is too often done by the English; to change the Place, and fhift the Scene, in the midst of one Act, fhews great incorrectnefs, and destroys the whole intention of the divifion of a Play into Acts. Mr. Addison's Cato is remarkable, beyond most English Tragedies, for regularity of conduct. The Author has limited himself, in time, to a fingle day; and in place, has maintained the most rigorous Unity. The Scene is never changed; and the whole action paffes in the hall of Cato's house, at Utica.

In general, the nearer a Foet can bring the Dramatic Representation, in all its circumftances, to an imitation of nature and real life, the impreffion which he makes on us will always be the more perfect. Probability, as I obferved at the beginning of the lecture, is highly effential to the conduct of the Tragic Action, and we are always hurt by the want of it. It is this that makes the obfervance of the Dramatic Unities to be of confequence, as far as they can be obferved, without facrificing more material beauties. It is not, as has been fometimes faid, that by the prefervation of the Unities of Time and Place, Spectators are deceived into a belief of the reality of the objects which are fet before them on the Stage; and that, when thofe Unities are violated, the charm is

broken,

XLV.

broken and they discover the whole to be a fiction. LECT No fuch deception as this can ever be accomplished. No one ever imagines himself to be at Athens, or Rome, when a Greek or Roman fubject is presented on the Stage. He knows the whole to be an imitation only: but he requires that imitation to be conducted with skill and verifimilitude. His pleasure, the entertainment which he expects, the interest which he is to take in the Story, all depend on its being fo conducted. His imagination, therefore, feeks to aid the imitation, and to reft on the probability; and the Poet, who fhocks him by improbable circumstances, and by awkward, unskilful imitation, deprives him of his pleasure, and leaves him hurt and displeased. This is the whole mystery of the theatrical illufion.

LECTURE XLVI.

LECT.
XLVI.

TRAGEDY.-GREEK-FRENCH-ENGLISH
TRAGEDY.

HAVING treated of the Dramatic Action in Tra-
gedy, I proceed next to treat of the Cha-
racters most proper to be exhibited. It has been
thought, by feveral Critics, that the nature of Tra-
gedy requires the principal perfonages to be always
of illuftrious character, and of high or princely
rank; whose misfortunes and fufferings, it is faid,
take faster hold of the imagination, and imprefs the
heart more forcibly than fimilar events, happening
to perfons in private life. But this is more fpe-
cious than folid. It is refuted by facts. For the
diftreffes of Desdemona, Monimia, and Belvidera,
interest us as deeply as if they had been princesses
or queens. The dignity of Tragedy does, indeed,
require, that there fhould be nothing degrading or
mean, in the circumftances of the persons which it
exhibits; but it requires nothing more.
Their high
rank may render the fpectacle more splendid, and
the subject seemingly of more importance, but

'conduces

XLVI.

conduces very little to its being interesting or LE CT. pathetic; which depends entirely on the nature of the Tale, on the art of the Poet in conducting it, and on the sentiments to which it gives occafion. In every rank of life, the relations of Father, Hufband, Son, Brother, Lover, or Friend, lay the foundation of thofe affecting fituations, which make man's heart feel for man.

THE moral characters of the perfons represented, are of much greater confequence than the external circumstances in which the Poet places them. Nothing, indeed, in the conduct of Tragedy, demands a Poet's attention more, than fo to defcribe his perfonages, and fo to order the incidents which relate to them, as fhall leave upon the Spectators, impreffions favourable to virtue, and to the administration of Providence. It is not neceffary, for this end, that poetical justice, as it is called, fhould be observed in the catastrophe of the Piece. This has been long exploded from Tragedy; the end of which is, to affect us with pity for the virtuous in diftrefs, and to afford a probable reprefentation of the state of human life, where calamities often befal the best, and a mixed portion of good and evil is appointed for all. But, withal, the Author + must beware of shocking our minds with fuch re presentations of life as tend to raife horror, or to render virtue an object of averfion. Though innocent perfons fuffer, their fufferings ought to be attended with fuch circumftances, as fhall make

XLVI.

LECT. virtue appear amiable and venerable; and fhall render their condition, on the whole, preferable to that of bad men, who have prevailed against them. The ftings, and the remorfe of guilt, must ever be represented as productive of greater miseries, than any that the bad can bring upon the good.

pro

ARISTOTLE'S obfervations on the characters per for Tragedy, are very judicious. He is of opinion, that perfect unmixed characters, either of good or ill men, are not the fitteft to be introduced. The diftreffes of the one being wholly unmerited, hurt and fhock us; and the fufferings of the other, occafion no pity. Mixed characters, fuch as in fact we meet with in the world, afford the most proper field for displaying, without any bad effect on morals, the viciffitudes of life; and they interest us the more deeply, as they difplay emotions and paffions, which we have all been confcious of. When fuch perfons fall into distress through the vices of others, the subject may be very pathetic; but it is always more inftructive, when a perfon has been himself the cause of his misfortune, and when his misfortune is occafioned by the violence of paffion, or by fome weakness incident to human nature. Such fubjects both difpofe us to the deepest sympathy, and administer ufeful warnings to us for our own conduct.

UPON these principles, it furprises me that the ftory of Edipus fhould have been fo much celebrated