Rogue; of Sinon, as notorious amongst his Companions, as was Judas amongst the Apostles.

Flettere fi nequeo fuperos, Acheronta movebo.

This by every body is allowed to be a very wicked faying. But why may not Juno fometimes take as much liberty of her Tongue, as Job's Wife, or any other OldTeftament Matron? There is no question but we find more abuse of the fayings in holy Scripture, and the confequence more Tragical, than from any perverted Text in Poetry. Curfe ye Meroz, ferves any bodies purpose, that would be cutting Throats. Campanella and Pedro de Guzman would urge as much against the S.S. in our Mother Tongue, on this account, as against this Nurfe of Herefte, this Hydra's Head of Dramatick representations.

If there be any eye and infpection on the Pulpits, that they be kept to decency and Rule; May not the King and Queens Theatre deserve the like care, and have its Committee of Lay-Bishops to fee that no Doctrine be there broached,but what tends to the Edification, at well as to the Delight of the Spectators.

If Euripides brought on the Stage Har

lot's

lots (f) Æfchylus fhew'd none; nor any Woman that might be fo much as fufpected to be in Love. What was an errour in one, is not to be charged on the reft; nor a Reflection on the Art. Indeed, when the Art is abused, one may with Tully cry out, O præclaram Morum Emendatricem Poeticam! But the fame Irony is as applicable to the Pulpit, as to the Stage.

Grant there, in a Tragedy, the felicity of the Invention, the novelty of the Fictions, the strength of Verfe, the eafinefs of Expreffion, the folid Reason, the warmth of Paffion, ftill heightened and rifing from Act to Act; together with the richness of Figures, the pomp of the Theatre, the habits, gefture and voice of the Actors, at the fame inftant charming both the Eyes and the Ears; fo the Senfes being won, the Judgment is furprifed, and the whole Man at once led captive: A body must be of Brass or Stone to refift fo many Charms, and be Master of himself amidst fo much allurement and temptation.

Grant all this, I fay, where is the hurt? what is the danger? If the End of all is to fhew Virtue in Triumph. The noblest thoughts make the ftrongeft impreffion; and the juster paffions find the kindest re(4) Ariftoph. Frogs.

E

ception

ception amongst us The Medicine is not lefs wholefom, for the Honey, or the gilded Pill. Nor can a Moral efion be less profitable, when dreffed and fet off with all the advantage and decoration of the Theatre.

This is, indeed, of all diverfions the most bewitching; and the Theatre is a Magazine, not to be trufted, but under the fpecial eye and direction of a Virtuous Government, otherwife, according to the course of the World, it might, poffibly, degenerate; to deserve the Afperfions, and ill names, whereby the Jefuits would render it odious, calling it the School of Vice, the Sanctuary of Venus, the Temple of Impiety, the Furnace of Babylon, the Confiftory of Impurity, the Shop of Leudness, the rest of Common-wealths, the Seminary of Debauchery, Satan's Feftival, and the Devil's Dancing-School.

CHAP.

CHAP. V.

Of Poetry in Italy. Aristotle's Works. Tramontains. Cardinal Bibiena. Tragedy there with Chorus. Strolers. Chrift's Paffion.

Of Poetry in France. Clem. Marot. Strolers there. Proceedings at Law against them. Report of their Cafe. Their Old Teftament. Acts of the Apoftles, and Christ's Paffion. Banisht from France. Comedy there. Tragedy by Hardy, Corneille, Richilieu. Academy Royal. The Theatre. Caution that no Equivoque, nor ought against good Manners. More nice than the Pulpit. Their Gallantry, Verse, Language, unfit for Tragedy. Dramatick representations banish'd from Spain. Nurfe of Herefie. Father Guzman Efcobar.

Of Poetry in England. British, Saxon, Norman, Latin and Provencial Poetry there. Richard Ceur de Lion, a Provencial Poet. Our Monks and Hiory falfe on that account. The Gay Science. That and the Albigenfes contemporany, and from the fame Countrey. King Richard's Fellow-Poets. Jeffry Rudel, and Countess of Tripoly.

I

N the beginning of the last Century, when People began to open their Eyes, and look farther into the Matters of Religion and good Litterature, Italy had much the start and advantage from the rest of E 2 Europe.

Europe, thither were Ariftotle's Works first brought a-fhoar; and there were they tranflated, conn'd, and commented by the chiefest Wits amongst them. And above all, his Poetica engag'd their utmost care and application.

So many Comments had they made,and fo many Critical Obfervations, before, on this fide the Alps, any thing, in that way, was understood, that they began to lay it down for a truth, that the Tramontans had no gusto. Oltramontani, fays one of them, Non fono zelanti delle buone regole de Greci, & de Latini. They make no Gonfcience of breaking the good Laws of the Greeks and

Latins.

Others undertook to put in practice, and write by his Principles and Direction. Bibiena (afterwards a Cardinal) first try'd his Talent on a Comedy; and was followed by Aciofto, Piccolomini, Machiavel, and many others, who took Plautus and Terence for their Patterns.

Triffino, Rufcalli, Cinthio, Tasso, with many more, wrote Tregedies in blank Verfe, with the Chorus. and every thing to the best of their power, after the Athenian Models.

But Italy had no Fund for the vast charge of Dramatick representations; they had no

standing