may be fed. Others think they have obferved fomething of contrivance and policy among thefe mifchievous beings; and those that hover more closely round them, pretend, that there is, in every herd, one that gives directions to the reft, and feems to be more eminently delighted with a wide carnage. What it is that entitles him to fuch pre-eminence we know not; he is feldom the biggest or the fwifteft, but he fhews by his eagerness and diligence that he is, more than any of the others, a friend to the vultures.

A DIS

Ico

CONCLUDE this work according to my promife, with an account of the Comic Theatre, and intreat the reader, whether a favourer or an enemy of the ancient Drama, not to pafs his cenfure upon the authors or upon me, without a regular perufal of this whole

Published by Mrs. Lennox in 4to. 1759. To the third volume of this work the following Advertisement is prefixed.

In this volume, the Difcourfe on the Greek Comedy, and the General "Conclufion, are tranflated by the celebrated author of the Ram"bler. The Comedy of the Birds, and that of Peace, by a young "Gentleman. The Comedy of the Frogs, by the learned and ingenious Dr. Gregory Sharpe. The Difcourfe upon the Cyclops, "by John Bourrya, fq. The Cyclops, by Dr. Grainger, au"thor of the tranflation of Tibullus." E.

work,

work. For, though it feems to be compofed of pieces of which each may precede or follow without dependance upon the other, yet all the parts, taken together, form a fyftem which would be destroyed by their disjunction. Which way shall we come at the knowledge of the ancients fhews, but by comparing together all that is left of them? The value and neceffity of this comparison determined me to publifh all, or to publish nothing. Befides the reflections on each piece, and on the gene ral taste of antiquity, which in my opinion, are not without importance, have a kind of obfcure gradation, which I have carefully endeavoured to preferve, and of which the thread would be loft by him who should flightly glance fometimes upon one piece, and fometimes upon another. It is a structure which I have endeavoured to make as near to regularity as I could, and which must be feen in its full extent and in proper fucceffion. The reader who fkips here and there over the book, might make a hundred objections which are either anticipated, or answered in those pieces which he might have overlooked. I have laid fuch ftrefs upon the connection of the parts of this work, that I have declined to exhauft the fubject, and have fuppreffed many of my notions, that I might leave the judicious reader to please himself by forming fuch conclufions as I fuppofed him like to difcover, as well as myself. I am not here attempting to prejudice the reader by an apology either for the ancients, or my own manner. have not claimed a right of obliging others to determine, by my opinion, the degrees of efteem which I

think due to the authors of the Athenian Stage; nor do I think that their reputation in the prefent time, ought to depend upon my mode of thinking or expreffing my thoughts, which I leave entirely to the judgment of the public.

A

DISSERTATION, &c.

I. I

Reasons why 4riftophanes may

be reviewed

without tranf lating him en

tirely.

WAS in doubt a long time, whether I fhould meddle at all with the Greek comedy, both, because the pieces which remain are very few, the licentioufnefs of Aristophanes, their author, is exorbitant, and it is very difficult to draw from the performances of a fingle poet, a just idea of Greek comedy. Befides, it seemed that tragedy was fufficient to employ all my attention, that I might give a complete representation of that kind of writing, which was most esteemed by the Athenians and the wiser Greeks *, particularly by Socrates, who fet no value upon comedy or comic actors. But the very name of that drama, which in polite ages, and above all others in our own, has been fo much advanced, that it has become equal

• There was a law which forbad any judge of the Areopagus to write comedy,

to

to tragedy, if not preferable, incline me to think that I may be partly reproached with an imperfect work, if, after having gone as deep as I could into the nature of the Greek tragedy, I did not at least sketch a draught of the comedy.

I then confidered, that it was not wholly impoffible to furmount, at least in part, the difficulties which had ftopt me, and to go fomewhat farther than the learned writers *, who have published in French fome pieces of Ariftophanes; not that I pretend to make large tranflations. The fame reasons which have hindered with refpect to the more noble parts of the Greek drama, operate with double force upon my prefent fubject. Though ridicule, which is the bufinefs of comedy, be not lefs uniform in all times, than the paffions which are moved by tragic compofitions; yet, if diverfity of manners may fometimes disguise the paffions themselves, how much more greater change will be made in jocularities? The truth is, that they are fo much changed by the courfe of time, that pleafantry and ridicule become dull and flat much more eafily than the pathetic becomes ridiculous.

That which is commonly known by the term jocular and comic, is nothing but a turn of expreffion, an airy phantom, that must be caught at a particular point. As we lose this point, we lofe the jocularity, and find nothing but dulnefs in its place. A lucky fally, which has filled a company with laughter, will have no effect in print, because it is fhewn fingle and feparate from

* Madamé Dacier, M. Boivin.