1 Empedocles. See Plutarch, vol. I. p. 15. Par. 1624.

2 See Strabo, l. i. p. 15. Par. 1620.

3 Adv. of Learning, vol. i, p. 50. Dr. Birch’s Ed. 1765.

4 Aristotle was of the same mind, as appears from his definition of comedy, which, says he, is ????S?S F???????O?; [?. e.] that is, the imitation of characters, whatever be the distinct meaning of the term fa???te???. It is true, this critic, in his account of the origin of tragedy and comedy, makes them both the imitations of ACTIONS. ?? ?? se??te??? ??S ????S ?????t? ??????S, ?? d? e?te??ste??? ??S t?? fa????. [?. d.] Yet, even here, the expression is so put, as if he had been conscious that persons, not actions, were the direct object of comedy. And the quotation, now alledged from another place, where a definition is given more in form, shews, that this was, in effect, his sentiment.

5 The neglect of this is one of the greatest defects in the modern drama; which in nothing falls so much short of the perfection of the Greek scene as in this want of simplicity in the construction of its fable. The good sense of the author of the History of the Italian Theatre (who, though a mere player, appears to have had juster notions of the drama, than the generality of even professed critics) was sensibly struck with this difference in tragedy. “Quant À l’unitÉ d’action, says he, je trouve un grande difference entre les tragedies Grecques et les tragedies FranÇoises; j’apperÇois toÛjours aÍsÉment l’action des tragedies Grecques, et je ne la perds point de vÛe; mais dans les tragedies FranÇoises, j’avoÜe, que j’ai souvent bien de la peine À demÊler l’action des episodes, dont elle est chargÉe.” [Hist. du Theatre Italian, par Louis Riccoboni, p. 293. Paris 1728.]

6 Non hominem ex Ære fecit, sed iracundiam. Plin. xxxiv. 8.

7 P. Alvarez Semedo, speaking of their poetry, says, “Le plus grand advantage et la plus grande utilitÉ qu’en ont tirÉ les Chinois, est cette grande modestie et retenuË incomparable, qui se voit en leurs ecrits, n’ayant pas meme une lettre en tous leurs livres, ni en toutes leurs ecritures, pour exprimer les parties honteuses de la nature.” [Hist. Univ. de la Chine, p. 82, À Lyon 1667. 4^to.]

8 Le ridicule est ce qu’il y a de plus essentiel a la Comedie. [P. Rapin, Reflex. sur la poes. p. 154. Paris 1684.]

9 ?? ?? se??te??? t?? ?a??? ?????t? p???e??, ?a? t?? t?? t????t?? t??a?? ?? d? e?te??ste???, t?? t?? fa????, ??O??? ??G??S ????????S, OS??? ?????? ?????S ??? ?G?O???. [???. ?????. ?d.] This is Aristotle’s account of the origin of the different species of POETRY. They were occasioned, he says, by the different and even opposite tempers and dispositions of men: those of a loftier spirit delighting in the encomiastic poetry, while the humbler sort betook themselves to satire. But this, also, is the just account of the rise and character of the different species of the Drama. For they grew up, he tells us in this very chapter, from the Dithyrambic, and Phallic songs. And who were the men, who chaunted these, but the S?????????, and ??????S?????, before-mentioned? And how were they employed in them, but the former, in hymning the praises of Bacchus; the latter, in dealing about obscene jokes and taunting invectives on each other? So that the characters of the men, and their subjects, being exactly the same in both, what is said of the one is equally applicable to the other. It was proper to observe this, or the reader might, perhaps, object to the use made of this passage, here, as well as above, where it is brought to illustrate Aristotle’s notion of the natures of the tragic and comic poetry.

10 Pref. generale, tom. vii. Par. 1751.

11 “On attache par le grand, par le noble, par le rare, par l’imprÉvÛ. On Émeut par le terrible ou affreux, par le pitoyable, par le tendre, par le plaisant ou ridicule.” p. xiv.

12 “Que nous sommes en droit d’examiner si, en fait de Theatre, nous n’aurions pas quelquefois des habitudes au lieu de regles, car les regles ne peuvent l’Être qu’ aprÈs avoir subi les rigueurs du tribunal de la raison.” p. 37.

13 ?? p?sa? de? ??te?? ?d???? ?p? t?a??d?a?, ???? t?? ???e?a?. ????t. ?. ?d?.

14 Reflex. sur la Poes. p. 132.

15 “Ces sortes de speculations ne donnent point de genie À ceux qui en manquent; elles n’aident beaucoup ceux qui en ont: et le plus souvent mÊme les gens de gÉnie sont incapables d’Être aidÉes par les speculations. A quoi donc sont-elles bonnes? A faire remonter jusqu’aux premieres idÉes du beau quelques gens qui aiment la raisonnement, et se plaisent À reduire sous l’empire de la philosophie les choses qui en paroissent le plus indÉpendantes, et que l’on croit communÉment abandonnÉes À la bizarrerie des goÛts.”

M. de Fontenelle.

16 ?e?a??e? te, says Dionysius of Halicarnassus, speaking of his figurative manner, t? saf?? ?a? ??f? p??e? pa?ap??s???? [T. ii. p. 204. Ed. Hudson.]

17 Plato De Repub. lib. x.

18 Spectator, No. 56.

19 Quinctil. lib. x. c. 11.

20 Botanists give it the name of oriental bind weed. It is said to be a very rambling plant, which climbs up trees, and rises to a great height in the Levant, where it particularly flourishes.

21 Arist. Rhet. lib. iii. c. xi.

22 ?ta? ? ?e???, ?p’ ?????s?as?? ?a?` p????? ??pe?? d????, ?a?` ?p’ ???? t???? ??????s??. [???. ??. § xv.]

23 What is here said of poetical fiction, Quinctilian hath applied to oratorial narration; the credibility of which will depend on the observance of this rule. Credibilis erit narratio antÈ omnia, si priÙs consuluerimus nostrum ANIMUM, nequid naturae dicamus adversum. [L. iv. 2.]

24 So the great philosopher, ? ??? pe?? ???a? s?a??e? p???? ????? ?s?????, t??t? ?? p?sa?? ?p???e?. t? d? ?tt?? d?af??e?, ?a? t? ?????. ?????. T. Whence our Hobbes seems to have taken his aphorism, which he makes the corner-stone of his philosophy. “That for the similitude of the thoughts and passions of one man to the thoughts and passions of another, whosoever looketh into himself, and considereth what he doth, when he does think, opine, reason, hope, fear, &c. and upon what grounds; he shall thereby read and know, what are the thoughts and passions of all other men, upon the like occasions.”

Leviathan, Introd. p. 2. fol. London. 1651.

25 M. de la Bruyere, Tom. 1. p. 91. Amst. 1701.

26 Dr. Duport.

27 Jeremias Hoelslinus, Prolegom. ad. Apollon. Rhodium.

28 Div. Leg. vol. ii. par. 1. p. 355. ed. 1741.

29 Sir William Temple’s Works, vol. i. p. 245. ed. 1740. fol.

30 “La machine du merveilleux, l’intervention d’un pouvoir cÉleste, la nature des episodes, tout ce qui depend de la tyrannie de la coutume, & de cet instinct qui on nomme goÛt; voilÀ sur quoi il y a mille opinions, & point de rÉgles gÉnÉrales.” M. de Voltaire, Essaye sur la poËsie Epique, chap. i.

31 De augm. Scient. lib. ii. c. 13.

32 A Critical and Philosophical Inquiry into the causes of prodigies and miracles, &c. p. 130.

33 Letter to Mr. Mason.

34 Mr. Addison.

35 Somn. Scip. ii. c. 10.

36 Plato, Alcibiad.

37 Reflex. sur la PoËs. et sur la Peint. tom. ii. 80. Par. 1746.

38 Inquiry into the L. and W. of Homer, p. 174.

39 Macrobius, V. Saturnal.

40 Inquiry into L. &c. of Homer, p. 319.

41 Mem. de l’Acad. des Inscript. &c. tom. vi. p. 445.

42 Mr. Pope’s Preface to his Works.

43 Pref. to Gondibert, p. 2. Lond. 1651, 4^to.

44 Ibid. p. 30.

45 Pref. to Gondibert, p. 3. Lond. 1651, 4^to.

46 Answer to the Preface, p. 81.

47 P. 214.