French language who has real claim to poeti cal merit. Their language is not the language of verfe; nor are their thoughts, or their coftume, thofe of poetry, Fontaine uses their language familiarly, in which way only it can be used to advantage. His thoughts are likewife in the ftyle of mere familiar humour. Comic tales may be well written in French, but nothing else. Their profe writers, I readily allow, yield to none in the world; but of their poetry the bon mot faid by one of themselves to Voltaire, which was, Les François n'ont pas la tete epique, may be with great justice enlarged thus, LES FRANÇOIS N'ONT PAS LA TETE

POETIQUE.

.

IN English comedy Congreve, I believe, ftands without a rival. His plots have great depth and art; perhaps too much: his characters are new and strong: his wit genuine; and fo exuberant, that it has been alleged as his only fault, that he makes all his characters inherit his own wit. Yet this fault will not be imputed by adepts, who know that the dialogue of our comedy cannot poffibly be too spirited and epigrammatic, for it requires language as well as characters ftronger than nature.

SHAK

SHAKSPERE excells in the ftrength of his characters and in wit; but as plot must be regarded as an effential of good comedy, he must not be erected as a model in the comic academy; a lofs fufficiently compenfated by the reflection, that it were vain to place him as a model whose beauties tranfcend all imitation.

TRAGEDY and Comedy both ought certainly to approach as near the truth of life as poffible; in fo much that we may imagine we are placed with Le Diable Boiteux on the roof of the house, and perceive what paffes within. This rule in Tragedy cannot be too strictly observed, tho it has escaped almost every writer of modern Tragedy; the characters of which fpeak fimilies, bombaft, and every thing except the language of real life; fo that we are eternally tempted to exclaim, as Falstaff does to Pistol, Pr'ythee speak like a man of this world.'

IN comedy this rule ought by no means to be adhered to; as infipidity is the worst fault writing can have, but particularly comedy; whofe chief quality it is to be poignant. Now poignancy cannot be effected without strong character; but an excellent tragedy may be written

7

written without a strong character in it, witness Douglas. The characters of Tragedy therefore cannot have too much truth: but those of Comedy ought to refemble the painted fcenes, which, if examined too nearly, are mere daubings; but at a proper distance have the very truth of nature, while the beauties of more delicate paintings would not be perceived..

SENTIMENTAL Comedy, as it is called, tho of late birth in England, is yet the comedy of Menander and of Terence. Terence is quite full of fentiment, and of a tenderness which accompanies it; and fo barren of wit and humour, that I only remember two paffages in his fix comedies that provoke a fimile; for a fmile is all they can provoke. The one is that scene which paffes after the eunuch is fuppofed to have ravished a young lady. This is the only proof of the humour of Terence: and the only sample of his wit we have in the reply of an old mifer to one who he expected brought him tidings of a legacy, but who instead. thereof makes very gravely a moral obfervation to the impatient old man, who peevishly retorts, "What! haft thou brought nothing here but one maxim?”

SENTI

SENTIMENTAL Comedy bore a very thort fway in England. Indeed it was incompatible with the humour of an Englifh audience, who go to a comedy to laugh, and not to cry. It was even more abfurd, it may be added, in its faults than that of which Congreve is the model; for fentiments were fpoken by every character in the piece, whereas one fentimental character was furely enough. If a man met with his miftrefs, or left her; if he was fuddenly favoured by fortune, or fuddenly the object of her hatred; if he was drunk, or married; he fpoke a fentiment: if a lady was angry, or pleafed; in love, or out of it; a prude, or a coquet; make room for a fentiment! If a fervant girl was chid, or received a prefent from her mistress; if a valet received a pürfe, or a horfewhipping; good heavens, what a fine fentiment !

THIS fault I fay was infinitely more abfurd than that of Congreve; for a peafant may blunder on wit, to whofe mind fentiment is' totally heterogeneous. Befides, Congreve's wit is all his own; whereas moft of the faid fentiments may be found in the Proverbs of Solo

mon.

No

No wonder then this way of writing was foon abandoned even by him who was its chief leader. Goldsmith in vain tried to ftem the torrent by oppofing a barrier of low humour, and dullness and abfurdity, more dull and abfurd than English fentimental Comedy itself.

Ir is very much to the credit of that excel lent writer Mr. Colman, that, while other dramatists were loft in the fashion of fentiment, his comedies always prefent the happiest medi um of nature; without either affectation of fentiment, or affectation of wit. That the able tranflator of Terence fhould yet have fufficient force of mind to keep his own pieces clear of the declamatory dullness of that ancient, is certainly a matter deferving of much applause. The Jealous Wife, and the Clandestine Mar riage, with others of his numerous dramas, may be mentioned as the most perfect models of comedy we have: to all the other requifites of fine cómic writing they always add juft as. much fentiment and wit as does them good. This happy medium is the most difficult to hit in all compofition, and moft declares the hand of a master.

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