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"him whom he has murdered, or who have "been the occafion of the tragedy. The "terror is likewife in the punishment of "the fame criminal; who, if he be repre"fented too great an offender, will not be pitied: if altogether innocent, his punish"ment will be unjust.

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"Another obfcurity is, where he says Sophocles perfected tragedy by introducing "the third actor; that is, he meant, three "kinds of action; one company finging, "or another playing on the mufick; a "third dancing,

"To make a true judgement in this competition betwixt the Greek poets and the English, in tragedy:

"Confider, firft, how Ariftotle has de"fined a tragedy. Secondly, what he affigns the end of it to be. Thirdly, what "he thinks the beauties of it. Fourthly, "the means to attain the end propofed.

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"Compare the Greek and English tragick poets justly, and without partiality, according to those rules.

"Then

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: "Then fecondly, confider whether Ari*stotle has made a just definition of tragedy; of its parts, of its ends, and of its "beauties; and whether he, having not feen any others but those of Sophocles, Euripides, &c, had or truly could determine "what all the excellences of tragedy are, "and wherein they confift.

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"Next shew in what ancient tragedy was "deficient: for example, in the narrowness "of its plots, and fewness of perfons, and

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try whether that be not a fault in the "Greek poets; and whether their excellency was fo great, when the variety was " vifibly fo little; or whether what they ❝ did was not very easy to do.

"Then make a judgement on what the English have added to their beauties: as, "for example, not only more plot, but also

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new paffions; as, namely, that of love, "fcarce touched on by the ancients, except "in this one example of Phædra, cited by "Mr. Rymer; and in that how short they "were of Fletcher !

❝ Prove

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"Prove also that love, being an heroick paffion, is fit for tragedy, which cannot be denied, because of the example alledged "of Phædra; and how far Shakspeare has "outdone them in friendship, &c.

"To return to the beginning of this en"quiry; confider if pity and terror be

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enough for tragedy to move: and I be"lieve, upon a true definition of tragedy, "it will be found that its work extends farther, and that it is to reform manners, by a delightful reprefentation of human "life in great perfons, by way of dialogue, "If this be true, then not only pity and "terror are to be moved, as the only means "to bring us to virtue, but generally love "to virtue and hatred to vice; by fhewing "the rewards of one, and punishments of "the other; at least, by rendering virtue "always amiable, tho' it be fhewn un"fortunate; and vice detestable, though it "be fhewn triumphant.

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If, then, the encouragement of virtue "and difcouragement of vice be the proper "ends of poetry in tragedy, pity and terror,

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"though good means, are not the only. "For all the paffions, in their turns, are to "be fet in a ferment: as joy, anger, love, "fear, are to be used as the poet's commonplaces; and a general concernment for "the principal actors is to be raised, by

making them appear fuch in their cha"racters, their words, and actions, as will "intereft the audience in their fortunes.

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"And if, after all, in a larger sense, pity comprehends this concernment for the good, and terror includes deteftation for "the bad, then let us confider whether the English have not answered this end of tragedy, as well as the ancients, or perhaps better.

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"And here Mr. Rymer's objections against these plays are to be impartially "weighed, that we may fee whether they are of weight enough to turn the balance against our countrymen.

" 'Tis evident those plays, which he ar"raigns, have moved both those paffions in "a high degree upon the stage.

"To

"To give the glory of this away from "the poet, and to place it upon the actors,

"feems unjust.

"One reafon is, because whatever actors "they have found, the event has been the "fame; that is, the fame paffions have been "always moved: which shews, that there is "fomething of force and merit in the plays "themselves, conducing to the design of

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raising these two paffions: and suppose "them ever to have been excellently acted, yet action only adds grace, vigour, and more life, upon the ftage; but cannot give it wholly where it is not first. But secondly, I dare appeal to those who have "never seen them acted, if they have not "found these two paffions moved with"in them and if the general voice will "carry it, Mr. Rymer's prejudice will take "off his fingle testimony.

"This, being matter of fact, is reasonably "to be established by this appeal; as if one

man fays 'tis night, the reft of the world "conclude it to be day; there needs no "farther argument against him, that it " is fo.

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