illustrations are given from Greek plays. It is interesting to notice in passing that Aristotle's four rules for Character, or at any rate three of them, will be found in the Ars Poetica of Horace, a work perhaps deriving much of its detail, though not directly, from the Poetics; and certainly written from an assured conviction that a Roman poet, writing for a grave Roman public, must above all things study Character.8

The third element of Tragedy, Thought, is only treated by reference to the C. 19. Rhetoric. For the stage speaker and the speaker of real life must draw upon the same faculty, to ensure that what they say shall be adapted to the circumstances under which they speak. Thus Ajax about to fall upon his sword, or Clytemnestra exulting over her accomplished deed of blood, go to the same storehouse of thought as a real speaker in a great crisis of affairs; and what Ajax or

Clytemnestra says the poet must conceive; so that the faculty of thought which he appears to copy is in fact part of his own equipment.

The fourth element, Diction, is also CC. 19-22. common to Rhetoric, but is treated independently. The various deviations from plain or literal speech which may make words and expressions poetical are carefully explained; the treatment of Metaphor, both simple and compound, being especially lucid.

The account of Tragedy is now com- CC. 23, 24. plete, and we pass to Epic Poetry, to which the results obtained for Tragedy are, so far as the conditions admit, applied. For Tragedy is, as we saw, the more complex organism, and of its six parts two (Music and Spectacle) have no place in Epic. Some interesting criticism of the Iliad and Odyssey, and of other so-called Homeric poems, is given; but the treatment is intentionally slight. A long and C. 25.

C

difficult chapter follows, in which difficulties currently alleged against poets, especially Homer, are stated, and methods C. 26. of solution offered. In the last chapter of the book Epic Poetry and Tragedy are compared in point of excellence, and the palm is, on the whole, awarded to Tragedy.

Vea

It will be seen that the treatise is far fuller on Tragedy than on any of the other branches of Poetry; also that it is partly speculative, where the phenomena of poetry are examined, and its nature. and office determined; in part critical, embodying rules for play, and for judging already in our hands.

writing a good

those which are

Let us look first

at Aristotle's theory of Tragedy, in which

much of his theory of Poetry is involved.

C. 6. "All Tragedy is a Mimesis, and it

effects a Katharsis." We will take the two terms in order.

In a certain superficial sense it is at

once plain that dramatic poetry is imitative, because it copies, or mimics, the doings of men. In another sense, also superficial, we can understand how some descriptive poetry is called imitative, the word being here borrowed from the art of Painting. But that neither of these will satisfy Aristotle's meaning we shall readily see if we consider the groups into which he arranges the various Fine Arts. Poetry in its several forms, Music in most of its forms, are all imitative arts. To the group thus formed he presently adds Dancing, or Pantomime; which, it need hardly be said, was so practised among the Greeks, and among other Southern European peoples, as to attain the dignity. of a Fine Art. Painting and Sculpture are also, no doubt, arts of imitation; but they belong to another group, and are always mentioned by way of illustration only.10 Can we then so far attain to Aristotle's point of view as to see how

Poetry, Music, and Dancing cohere, and form a homogeneous group?

You will remember that, after laying down the general principle of Imitation, Aristotle proceeded to consider the different members of this group; taking three points in the imitation-its instruments, its object, and its manner-which he used as so many criteria for distinguishing the several arts, and in particular for comparing Tragedy with each of the others. Let us take the same three points, and ask under each head what the arts of our group have in common with one another, but not with Painting or Sculpture. by what means, or instruments, do they all imitate? Aristotle gives the answer : by rhythm, melody, and language; or some one, or some combination of these. Now by what do Painting and Sculpture imitate? Again let him answer: by colours and outlines. Secondly, what is it which our arts have to imitate? The

First,