the expreffion, lay claim to the critic's panov, but may be fo managed by the poet's skill, as to become confiftent with the bafis or foundation of her character, that is, to be ὁμαλῶς ἀνώμαλον. And that this, in fact, was the meaning of the critic, is plain from the fimilar example to his own rule, given in the cafe of Iphigenia: which he fpecifies (how juftly, will be confidered hereafter) as an instance of the avμáne, irregular, or ununiform character, ill-expreffed, or made inconfiftent. So that the genuine sense of the precept is, "Let the manners be uniform; or, ❝ if ununiform, yet confiftently fo, or uniformly "ununiform :" exactly copied, according to the reading here given, by Horace. Whereas in the other way, it ftands thus: "Let your "characters be uniform, or unchanged; or, if you paint an ununiform character (such as "Tigellius) let it be ununiform all the way; "i. e. fuch an irregular character to the end of "the play, as it was at the beginning; which "is, in effect, to fay, let be uniform:" which apparently deftroys the latter part of the precept, and makes it an unmeaning tautology with the former. 127. AUT SIBI CONSTET.] The ELECTRA and IPHIGENIA of Euripides have been quoted, in the preceding note, as instances of ununiform characters, characters, juftly fuftained, or, what Aristotle calls, uniformly ununiform: and this, though the general opinion condemns the one, and the great critic himself the other. The reader will expect fome account to be given of this singularity. 1. The objection to Electra is, that her character is drawn with fuch heightenings of implacability and resentment, as make it utterly incredible, she should, immediately on the murder. of Clytemneftra, fall into the fame excess of grief and regret, as Oreftes. In confutation of this cenfure I obferve, 1. That the objection proceeds on a mistaken presumption, that the distress of Electra is equally violent with that of Oreftes. On the contrary, it is difcriminated. from it by two plain marks. 1. Oreftes's grief is expreffed in ftronger and more emphatic terms he accufes the Gods- he reproaches his fifter he dwells upon every horrid circumftance, that can enhance the guilt of the murder. Electra, in the mean time, confeffes the scene to be mournful-is apprehenfive of bad confequences— calmly fubmits to the just reproaches of her brother. 2. He labours, as much as poffible, to clear himself from the imputation of the act. She takes it wholly on herself, but, regarding it rather as her fate, fate, than her fault, comforts herself in reflecting on the justice of it. Πατρὸς δ ̓ ἔτισας φόνον δικαίως. Α ν. This laft circumftance puts the wideft difference between the two cafes. The one fhews a perfect diftraction of mind, which cannot even bear the confcioufnefs of its crimes: the other, a firm and steddy spirit, fenfible indeed to its mifery, but not oppreffed or aftonished by it. 2. But this measure of grief, so delicately marked, and, with fuch truth of character, afcribed to Electra, ought not, it is further infifted, to have fhewn itself immediately on the murder of Clytemneftra. But why not? There is nothing in the character of Electra, the maxims of thofe times, or in the difpofition of the drama itself, to render this change improper or incre dible. On the contrary, there is much under each of thefe heads, to lead one to expect it. 1. Electra's character is indeed that of a fierce, and determined, but withall of a generous and virtuous woman. Her motives to revenge were, principally, a ftrong fenfe of juftice, and fuperior affection for a father; not a rooted, unnatural averfion to a mother. She acted, as appears, not from the perturbation of a tumultuous revenge (in that cafe indeed the objection had been FL been of weight) but from a fixed abhorrence of wrong, and a virtuous fenfe of duty. And what fhould hinder a perfon of this character from being inftantly touched with the distress of such a spectacle ? 2. The maxims of thofe times alfo favour this condu7. For, 1. The notions of ftrict remunerative juftice were then carried very high. This appears from the lex talionis, which, we know, was in great credit in elder Greece; from whence it was afterwards transferred into the Law of the XII Tables. Hence blood for blood [αἷμα δ' αἵματος δανεισμός,as the meffenger, in his account of the death of Egyfthus, expreffes it, Act iv.] was the command and rule of juftice. This the chorus, as well as the parricides, frequently infift upon, as the ground and juftification of the murder. 2. This fevere vengeance on enormous offenders was believed, not only confonant to the rules of human, but to be the object, and to make the especial care, of the divine, juftice. And thus the antients conceived of this very cafe. Juvenal, fpeaking of Oreftes, Quippe ille DEIS AUCTORIBUS ultor Patris erat cæfi media inter pocula. Sat. viii. And to this opinion agrees that tradition, or rather fiction, of the poets, who, though they represent represent the judges of the Areopagus as divided in their fentiments of this matter, yet make no fcruple of bringing in Minerva herself to pronounce his abfolution. Hoc etiam fitis fabulis doctiffimi bomines memoria prodiderunt, eum, qui patris ulcifcendi caufâ matrem necaviffet, variatis hominum fententiis, non folum divinâ, fed etiam fapientiffima Dea fententiâ abfolutum [Cic. pro MILON.] The venerable council of Areopagus, when judging by the fevere rules of written juftice, it feems, did not condemn the criminal ; and the unwritten law of equity, which the fable calls the wisdom of Pallas, formally acquitted him. The murder then was not against human, and directly agreeable to the determinations of divine, juftice. Of this too the chorus takes care to inform us : Νέμει τοι δίκαν Θεὸς ὅταν τύχῃ. Ad iv. This explains the reafon of Electra's question to Oreftes, who had pleaded the impiety of murdering a mother, Καὶ μὲν ἀμύνων πατρὶ, δυσσεβὴς ἔση; the force of which lies in this, that a father's death revenged upon the guilty mother, was equally pious as juft. 3. This vengeance was, of course, to be executed by the nearest relations of the deceased. This the law prescribed in judicial profecutions. Who then fo fit inftru ments |