natural, more soft, or more passionate, than that line in Statira's speech, where she describes the charms of Alexander's conversation? "Then he would talk➡Good gods! how he would talk !” The author has here expressed his sentiments with felicity. The language is correct and polished; and though abounding in metaphor, it is free from affectation or impropriety. "That unexpected break in the line, and turning the description of his manner of talking, into an admiration of it, is inexpressibly beautiful, aud wonderfully suited to that fond character of the person that speaks it." As the words wonderfully suited occur in a sentence not far distant from this, they ought not to have been so soon repeated. The period might have closed thus: "and finely adapted to the fond character of the person by whom it is uttered." This arrangement would remove the intrusive particle it from the honourable situation which it now maintains. "There is a simplicity in the words which outshines the utmost pride of expression." This sentence possesses considerable beauty: "Otway has followed nature in the language of his tragedy, and therefore shines in the passionate parts, more than any of our English. poets." The verb shines is placed too near its compound outshines. "As there is something familiar and domestic in the fable of his tragedy, more than in those of any other poet, he has little pomp, but great force in his expressions. For which reason, though he has admirably succeeded in the tender and melting part of his tragedies, he sometimes falls into too great a familiarity of phrase in those parts, which, by Aristotle's rule, ought to have been raised and supported by the dignity of expression.” Of Of the four sentences last quoted, three conclude with the substantive expression either in its singular or its plural form. "It has been observed by others, that this poet has founded his tragedy of Venice Preserved on so wrong a plot, that the greatest characters in it are those of rebels and traitors." The word character, when applied in this manner, denotes some person together with the assemblage of his qualities. It is improper to say "The greatest persons are the persons of rebels and traitors ;" an expression to which that contained in the conclusion of the above passage is equivalent, The words those of should have been omitted. "Had the hero of his play discovered the same good qualities in the defence of his country, that he shewed for its ruin and subversion, the audience could not enough pity and admire him; but as be is now represented, we can only say of him, what the Roman historian says of Catiline, that his fall would have been glorious (si pro putria sic concidisset) had he so fallen in the service of his country.** This, though an agreeable sentence, is not free from faults. The author speaks of the good qualities which the hero of Venice Preserved shews for the ruin of his country. This is certainly an attempt in which good qualities were never exhibited. In this passage the words ruin and subversion are both used, though they do not serve to mark any different shades in the idea. * Spectator, No. 39. CHAP. CHAP. XXVIII. CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF A PASSAGE IN 66 THE players having now almost done with the comedy called the Beggar's Opera, for the season; it may be no unplea sant speculation, to reflect a little upon this dramatic piece, so singular in the subject and manner, so much an original, and which hath frequently so very agreeable an entertainment." This introductory sentence is not entitled to much commendation. The players having now almost done. with the comedy, is a phrase not altogether free from vulgarity. "Although an evil taste be very apt to prevail, both here and in London; yet there is a point which whoever can rightly touch, will never fail of pleasing a very great majority; so great, that the dislikers out of dulness or affectation, will be silent, and forced to fall in with the herd; the point I mean is what we call humour ; which, in its perfection, is allowed to be much preferable to wit; if it be not rather the most useful and agreeable species of it." This sentence, though sufficiently perspicuous, is certainly devoid of elegance. There is a point which whoever can rightly touch, is uncouth phraseology. “】 agree with Sir William Temple, that the word is peculiar to our English tongue; but I differ from him in opinion, that the thing itself is peculiar to the English nation; because the contrary may be found in many Spanish, Italian, and French productions; and particularly, whoever hath a taste for true humour, will find” an hundred instances of it, in those volumes printed in France under the name of Le Theatre Italien; to say nothing of Rabelais, Cervantes, and many others." The EXAMINATION OF A PASSAGE OF SWIFt. 231 The word to which the author refers in the beginning of this sentence, is humour: though, as he had mentioned wit at the close of the last, a slight degree of ambiguity is occasioned. It would be more perspicuous to say "The word humour is peculiar to our English tongue." In this clause, the seems more proper than our. This sentence is but unskilfully constructed. The member by which it is closed, follows with a very halting pace. I shall venture to suggest a few alterations: "I agree with Sir William Temple that the word humour is peculiar to the English Tongue; but I differ from him in the opinion, that the quality which it denotes, is peculiar to the English nation. We find abundant proofs of the contrary in many Spanish, Italian, and French productions. Whoever hath a taste for true humour, will find an hundred instances of it, in those volumes printed in France under the title of Le Theatre Italien. "Now I take the comedy or farce, (or whatever name the critics will allow it) called the Beggar's Opera, to excel in this article of humour; and upon that merit to have met with such prodigious success, both here and in England." This sentence is very deficient in elegance. "As to poetry, eloquence, and music, which is said to have most power over the minds of men; it is certain, that very few have a taste or judgment of the excellencies of the two former; and if a man succeed in either, it is upon the authority of those few judges, that lend their taste to the bulk of readers, who have none of their own, I am told, there are as few good judges in music'; and that among those who crowd the Operas, nine in ten go thither merely out of curiosity, fashion, or affectation. This paragraph suggests no material observation, "But a taste for humour is in some measure affixed to the very nature of man, and generally obvious to the vulgar, except upon subjects too refined, and superior to their understanding." A taste for humour is obvious to the vulgar, is a very inaccurate expression. It is humour itself that is obvious to the vulgar, not a taste for humour. "And as this taste for humour is purely natural, so is humour itself; neither is it a talent confined to men of wit or learning; for we observe it sometimes among common servants, and the meanest of the people, while the very owners are often ignorant of the gift they possess." By humour itself, the author must mean the exertions of the natural talent of humour: but in the next clause he confounds the talent with its exertions. The owners of a talent, is an expression by no means elegant. "I know very well, that this happy talent is contemptibly treated by critics, under the name of low humour, or low comedy; but I know likewise, that the Spaniards and Italians, who are allowed to have the most wit of any nation in Europe, do most excel in it, and do most esteem it." Still the author discovers a want of precision in his ideas. A talent for humour can never with any pro priety be termed low comedy. "By what disposition of the mind, what influence of the stars, or what situation of the climate, this endowment is bestowed upon mankind, may be a question fit for philosophers to discuss. It is certainly the best ingredient towards that kind of satyr, which is most useful, and gives the least offence; which, instead of lashing, laughs men out of their follies and vices; and is the character that gives Horace the preference to Juvenal." The first of these sentences is unexceptionable, but the last cannot be commended.-It is certainly the best ingredient towards that kind of satyr. Here the preposition towards is used with little propriety; either in or of |