of that mufic itself; for the rudeness of which, Horace, in effect, apologizes in defending it only on the fcore of the imperfect ftate of the ftage, and the fimplicity of its judges. But what shall we fay then to thofe lines, Indoctus quid enim faperet liberque laborum, Rufticus urbano confufus, turpis honefto? which feem to imply a cenfure on these improvements, as unworthy the approbation of wife men; contrary to what I have juft now supposed to be the fcope of this whole paffage. On the ftri&teft attention, I believe we are to understand them as a fneer, in paffing, on what grave and philofophic men have observed of thefe refinements, which they conftantly treat as corruptions. See note on line 218. But the mixed auditories of thefe days, fays the poet with his ufual badinage, were not fo wife. It is, as if he had faid, "What I mention here as an improvement in dramatic mufic is, in the ideas and language of fome grave men, an abuse and perverfion of it to immoral purpofes. It may be fo: but confider, for what forts of people these theatrical entertainments were defigned: for the ignorant clown and citizen, the plebeian and gentleman, huddled together into one confused mafs, and crowding to the theatre, on a holiday, for fome relief from their ordinary toils and occupations. And 157 And alas, what do these men know, or confider, of this auftere wisdom? But the caft of the whole paffage is, befides, fuch as favours the fuppofition of an intended irony. Hence the tibia non, ut nunc, orichalco vinta, &c. delivered in the ufual tone of declaimers against modern manners. Hence the epithets, frugi caftufque verecundufque, to denote the quality of those who affifted, of old, at these virtuous entertainments. And hence the enormity of that state of things, when the people were afterwards permitted to regale on holidays, impune. This intention too accounts for the terms licentia, luxuries, facundia, præceps, and others, which, being of ambiguous interpretation, the poet purposely chofe, to mimic, and humour, as it were, the objectors in their favourite language on this occafion. Till at last, impatient to continue the raillery any further, he concludes at once with an air of folemnity very proper to confound the impertinence of fuch criticifin, Utiliumque fagax rerum, et divina futuri All this the reader fees is agreeable to the poet's prescription elsewhere, -Sermone opus eft trifti, fæpe jocofo. and and indeed to his own practice on an hundred occafions. So that on the whole there is little doubt of his intention in the lines, Indoctus quid enim faperet, &c. At leaft, in this view, the poet, I am apt to think, will be found intelligible, and even elegant. Whereas, on any other fuppofition of his numerous commentators, I cannot fee that the verfes before us (as they here ftand) have either propriety or common sense. The interpretation then of this whole passage, from line 202 to 220, will ftand thus. "The "tibia, fays the poet, was at firft low and fimple. "The first, as beft agreeing to the fate of the "Stage, which required only a soft music to go "along with, and affift the chorus; there being "no large and crouded theatres to fill in those "days. And the latter, as fuiting beft to the "flate of the times; whofe fimplicity and frugal 66 manners exacted the fevereft temperance, as in ́ 66 every thing else, fo, in their dramatic orna"ments and decorations. But, when conqueft "had enlarged the territory, and widened the "walls of Rome; and, in confequence thereof, "a focial spirit had difpelled that feverity of. "manners, by the introduction of frequent "festival folemnities; then, as was natural to ❝ expect, a freer and more varied harmony `took "place. place. Nor let it be objected, that this freer "harmony was itself an abuse, a corruption of "the severe and moral music of ancient times. "Alas! we were not as yet fo wife, to see the "inconveniencies of this improvement. And "how fhould we, confidering the nature and "end of thefe theatrical entertainments, and "the sort of men of which our theatres were "made up? But, leaving the philofopher to 66 fpeculate at his ease on this matter, thus, in "fact, it was, that the Tibicen, the musician, "who played to the declamation in the acts, in"stead of the rude and fimpler ftrain of the old "times, gave a richness and variety of tone; "and, instead of the old inactive posture, added "the grace of motion to his art. Juft in the "fame manner, continues he, it happened to "the lyre, i. e. the music in the chorus, which "originally, as that of the tibia, was fevere "and fimple; but, by degrees, acquired a "quicker and more expreffive modulation, fuch "as correfponded to the more elevated and paf fionate turn of the poet's style, and the diviner "enthusiasm of his fentiment." All that is further wanting to fupport and juftify this interpretation, will be found in the notes on particular paffages. 203. TE 203. TENUIS SIMPLEXQUE, &c.] It may here be obferved of the manner, in which the poet hath chosen to deliver this whole part [from] line 202 to 295] that, befides its other uses, it tends directly to convey to his readers, and imprefs upon them in the strongest manner, the principal inftruction he has in view, and with which the epiftle more exprefly concludes, viz. The uses and importance of a spirit of critical application. For, in fpeaking of the stage mufic, of the fatyrs, and the Greek tragedy (all which come naturally in his way, and are very artfully connected) he chufes to deduce the account of each from its ruder and lefs 'polished original; tracing it through its feveral fucceffive ftages, and marking out to us the gradual polish and refinement, which it acquired from increasing dili-' gence and correctnefs. The tibia at firft was fimple and rude-The fatyrs naked and barbarousand the Greek tragedy itself deformed and shapeless in the cart of Thefpis. Care and attention reformed each. It follows, Nil intentatum noftri liquere poetæ, &c. i. e. our poets have not been wanting in their ättempts to excel in these feveral particulars. What is neceffary to their fuccefs is, lima labor et mora. If the reader bear this in mind, it will help |