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Of that fort of Dramatic Poem which is call'd Tragedy.

TR

RAGEDY, as it was anciently compos'd, hath been ever held the gravest, moraleft, and most profitable of all other poems: therefore faid by Ariftotle to be of power by raising pity and fear, or terror, to purge the mind of those and fuch like paffions, that is, to temper and reduce them to just measure with a kind of delight, ftirr'd up by reading or feeing those passions well imitated. Nor is Nature wanting in her own effects to make good his affertion: for fo in phyfic things of melancholic hue and quality are us'd against melancholy, four against four, falt to remove falt humors. Hence philofophers and other graveft writers, as Cicero, Plutarch and others, frequently cite out of tragic poets, both to adorn and illuftrate their discourse. The Apostle Paul himself thought it not unworthy to insert a verse of Euripides into the text of Holy Scripture, 1 Cor. xv. 33. and Paræus commenting on the Revelation, divides the whole book as a tragedy, into acts diftinguish'd each by a chorus of heavenly harpings and fong between. Heretofore men in highest dignity have labor'd not a little to be thought able to compose a tragedy. Of that honor Dionyfius the elder was no lefs ambitious, than before of his attaining to the tyranny. Auguftus Cæfar also had begun his Ajax, but unable to please his own judgment with what he had begun, left it unfinish'd. Seneca the philofopher is by fome thought the author of those tragedies (at least the

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beft of them) that go under that name. Gregory Nazianzen, a Father of the Church, thought it not unbefeeming the fanctity of his person to write a tragedy, which is intitled Chrift fuffering. This is mention'd to vindicate tragedy from the small efteem, or rather infamy, which in the account of many it undergoes at this day with other common interludes; hap'ning through the poets error of intermixing comic ftuff with tragic fadness and gravity; or introducing trivial and vulgar perfons, which by all judicious hath been counted abfurd; and brought in without difcretion, corruptly to gratify the people. And though ancient tragedy ufe no prologue, yet using fometimes, in case of self-defense, or explanation, that which Martial calls an Epistle; in behalf of this tragedy coming forth after the ancient manner, much different from what among us passes for beft, thus much before-hand may be epiftl'd; that chorus is here introduc'd after the Greek manner, not ancient only but modern, and ftill in use among the Italians. In the modeling therefore of this poem, with good reafon, the Ancients and Italians are rather followed, as of much more authority and fame. The measure of verse us'd in the chorus is of all forts, call'd by the Greeks Monoftrophic, or rather Apolelymenon, without regard had to Strophe, Antiftrophe or Epod, which were a kind of ftanza's fram'd only for the music, then us'd with the chorus that fung; not effential to the poem, and therefore not material; or being divided into stanza's or pauses, they may be call'd

Allæo

Allæoftropha. Division into act and scene referring chiefly to the stage (to which this work never was intended) is here omitted.

It fuffices if the whole drama be found not produc'd beyond the fifth act. Of the ftile and uniformity, and that commonly call'd the plot, whether intricate or explicit, which is nothing indeed but such œconomy, or difpofition of the fable as may stand best with verfimilitude and decorum; they only will beft judge who are not unacquainted with AEfchylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the three tragic poets unequal'd yet by any, and the best rule to all who endevor to write tragedy. The circumfcription of time, wherein the whole drama begins and ends, is according to ancient rule, and beft example, within the space of twenty four hours.

Samfon made captive, blind, and now in the prifon at Gaza, there to labor as in a common work-houfe, on a feftival day, in the general ceffation from labor, comes forth into the open air, to a place nigh, somewhat retir'd, there to fit a while and bemoan his condition. Where he happens at length to be vifited by certain friends and equals of his tribe, which make the Chorus, who feek to comfort him what they can; then by his old father Mạnoah, who endevors the like, and withal tells him his purpofe to procure his liberty by ranfome; laftly, that this feaft was proclam'd by the Philiflines as a day of thanksgiving for their deliverance from the hands of Samfon, which yet more troubles him. Manoah then departs to profecute his endevor with the Philiftian lords for Samfon's redemption; who in the mean while is vifited by other perfons; and lafly by a public officer to require his coming to the feaft before the lords and people, to play or fhow his ftrength in their prefence; he at first refufes, difmiffing the public officer with abfolute denial to come; at length perfuaded inwardly that this was from God, he yields to go along with him, who came now the fecond time with great threatnings to fetch him: the Chorus yet remaining on the place, Manoah returns full of joyful hope, to procure ere long his fon's deliverance: in the midst of which difcourfe an Hebrew comes in hafte, confufedly at first, and afterward more distinelly relating the catastrophe, what Samfon had done to the Philiftines, and by accident to himfelf; wherewith the tragedy ends.

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