Humani voltus. fi vis me flere, dolendum eft COMMENTARY. 119] the properties of the TRAGIC STYLE; which will be different, 1. [to 1. 111] according to the internal fate and character of the speaker: thus one fort of expreffion will become the angry, another, the forrowful; this, the gay, that, the fevere. And, 2. [from 1. 111 to 119] according to the outward circumftances of rank, age, office, or country. II. Next [to 1. 179] he treats of the CHARACTERS, which are of two forts. 1. Old ones, revived: and 2. Invented, or new ones, In relation to the first [from 1. 119, Aut famam fequere, aut fibi convenientia finge, Jura neget fibi nata, nihil non arroget armis. Si quid inexpertum fcenae committis, et audes 125 Non circa vilem patulumque moraberis orbem ; COMMENTARY. 1. 119 to 125] the precept is, to follow fame; that is, to fashion the character according to the received fanding idea, which tradition and elder times have confecrated; that idea being the fole teft, whereby to judge of it. 2. In refpect of the latter [from 1. 125 to 128] the great requifite is uniformity, or confiftency of reprefentation. But the formation of quite new characters is a work of great difficulty and hazard. For here, there is no generally received and fixed archetype to work after; but every one judges, of common right, according to the extent and compre henfion Nec fic incipies, ut fcriptor cyclius olim : FORTUNAM PRIAMI CANTABO, ET NOBILE BELLUM. Quid dignum tanto feret hic promiffor hiatu ?... Parturiunt montes: nafcetur ridiculus mus. Quanto rectius hic, qui nîl molitur inepte! 140. DIC MIHI, MUSA, VIRUM, CAPTAE POST MOENIA TROJAE, QUI MORES HOMINUM MULTORUM VIDET ET URBIS. Non fumum ex fulgore, fed ex fumo dare lucem Cogitat, ut fpeciofa dehinc miracula promat, Antiphaten, Scyllamque, et cum Cylope Charyb din. 145 COMMENTARY. henfion of his own idea. Therefore [to 1. 136] he advises to labour and refit old characters and subjects; particularly thofe, made known and authorized by the practice of Homer and the epic writers; and directs, at the fame time, by what means to avoid that fervility and unoriginal air, fo often charged upon fuch pieces. I faid characters and fubjects; for his method leading him to guard against fervility of imitation in point of characters, the poet chofe to dispatch the whole affair of fervile imitation at once, and therefore [to l. 136] includes fubjects, as well as characters. But this very advice, about taking the subjects and characters from the epic poets, might be apt to lead into two faults, arifing from the ill conduct of those poets Nec reditum Diomedis ab interitu Meleagri, COMMENTARY. poets themselves. For, 1. [to 1. 146] the dignity and importance of a fubject, made facred by ancient fame, had fometimes occafioned a boastful and oftentatious beginning, than which nothing can be more offen• five. And, 2. The whole ftory being compofed of great and striking particulars, injudicious writers, for fear of lofing any part of it, which might fèrve to adorn their work, had been led to follow the round of plain hiftoric order, and so had made the disposition of their piece uninterefting and unartful. Now both thefe improprieties, which appear fo fhocking in the epic poem, muft needs, with ftill higher reafon, deform the tragic. For, taking its rife, not from the flatter ing views of the poet, but the real fituation of the actor, its opening muft, of neceffity, be very simple and unpretending. And being, from its fhort term of action, unable naturally to prepare and bring about many events, it, of course, confines itself to one; as alfo for the fake of producing a due distress in the plot; which can never be wrought up to any trying pitch, unless the whole attention be made to fix on ne fingle object. The way to avoid both thefe faults, Tu, quid ego et populus mecum defideret, audi; COMMENTARY. will be to obferve (for here the imitation cannot be too slofe) the well-judged practice of Homer. Having thus confidered the affair of imitation, and fhewn how old characters, and, to carry it ftill further, old fubjects, may be fuccefsfully treated, he refumes the head of characters, and proceeds more fully [from 1. 153 to 179] to recommend it as a point of principal concern in the drawing of them, to be well acquainted with the manners, agreeing to the feveral fucceffive periods and flages of huinan life. And this with propriety for, though he had given a hint tothis purpose before, Maturufne fenex, an adhuc florente juventâ Fervidus; yet, as it is a point of fingular importance, and a regard to it, befides other diftinctions, must be conftantly. had in the draught of every character, it well deferved a feparate confideration.. III. These inftructions, which, in fome degree, respect all kinds of poetry, being difmiffed; he now delivers fome rules more peculiarly relative to the cale of the drama. And, as the mifapplication of manners, which |