[316]Quicquid agunt homines, votum, timor, ira, voluptas,Gaudia, discursus, nostri est farrago libelli.Whatever since that golden Age was done,What Human Kind desires, and what they shun,Rage, Passions, Pleasures, Impotence of Will,Shall this satirical Collection fill.Dryden.
[316]Quicquid agunt homines, votum, timor, ira, voluptas,Gaudia, discursus, nostri est farrago libelli.
Whatever since that golden Age was done,What Human Kind desires, and what they shun,Rage, Passions, Pleasures, Impotence of Will,Shall this satirical Collection fill.Dryden.
But however various the Matter of it is, it ought always to have somewhat of Keenness and Invective, to expose the Vices and Follies of Mankind with Raillery, or chastise them with Severity. Before Plays were brought toRome, theSaturnineandFescennineVerses were much in Vogue: They were a Sort of rude and unpolish'd Compositions, at best, full of Contumely, and often of Ribaldry. WhenceHorace,
[317]Fescennina per hunc inventa licentia moremVersibus alternis opprobria rustica fudit.Hence grew the Liberty of the looser Muse,Hence they grew scurrilous, and wou'd abuse.Creech.
[317]Fescennina per hunc inventa licentia moremVersibus alternis opprobria rustica fudit.
Hence grew the Liberty of the looser Muse,Hence they grew scurrilous, and wou'd abuse.Creech.
Afterwards, as theRomansgrew more polite, these kind of Verses refin'd in Proportion: But they retain'd, still, their Jibes and Banter and kept so far to their first Institution, as to make the Follies of human Life the Object of their Ridicule. From hence proceededSatire, so call'd from theFarragoand Variety of Matter it contain'd. It was improv'd, likewise, with Music and Dancing, which, considering its being carried on in Dialogue, made it resemble somewhat of the dramatic Kind; nor had theRomansany Thing, yet, that came so near the Drama as this did. Afterwards, when they had receiv'd both Tragedy and Comedy from theGrecians, they were so taken with the Novelty, that Satire, for some Time, lay neglected. But comingagain into Esteem, it was added, as a Kind ofExodium, to Comedy. Thus Things went on for some Years, tillEnniusarose, endu'd with Wit, and true poetic Fire, who observing how fond the People were of seeing the Vices of Mankind expos'd upon the Stage, thought a Poem on the same Subject, without the Decoration of Scenes and Action, might have the same Effect. Accordingly, he attempted Satires in the same Form we now see them, only he did not confine himself to the Hexameter, but made use of all Sorts of Measure. The Remains we have of this Poet, are noble Indications of the Strength of his Genius; andHoraceandVirgilhave shewn what Opinion they had of his Writings, by borrowing so much from them. AfterEnnius, succeededPacuvius; but his Works are all lost, excepting some Fragments, and those of uncertain Authority. Next cameLucilius, of whom, likewise, we have only some Fragments remaining. But his Excellencies and Imperfections are very amply set forth byHorace, whose Words I have no Occasion to cite here. I would observe, however, that those Lines,
[318]—Quid, cum est Lucilius aususPrimus in hunc operis componere carmina morem?How, Sir,Lucilius, that did first engageIn writing Satires, and that lash'd the Age.Creech.
[318]—Quid, cum est Lucilius aususPrimus in hunc operis componere carmina morem?
How, Sir,Lucilius, that did first engageIn writing Satires, and that lash'd the Age.Creech.
are not so to be understood, as if he was the first that attempted Satire; which bothEnniusandPacuvius, as we just now observ'd, had done before him: But thatLuciliusimprov'd it so far as to give it that new Face, under which it appear'd inHorace's Time: For that his Satires were of the same Form withHorace's, is maintain'd by MonsieurDacieragainstCasaubon[319]. It must be allow'd, however, that one Species of Satire owes its Perfection toHorace, as another does toJuvenal; both which we shall hereafter speak of separately. A third Kind was theVarronianorMenippeanSatire, so call'd fromMenippus, a Cynic Philosopher, among theGrecians,whose DoctrineVarrofollow'd. It was a Sort of Medley, consisting not only of all Kinds of Verse, but of Verse and Prose mix'd together; a Specimen of which we have inPetronius'sSatyricon[320]. We have none ofVarro's poetical Works remaining, except some small Fragments; which is the more to be lamented, considering the CharacterQuintiliangives of him, That he was the most learned of all theRomans.
The WordSatirewas anciently taken in a less restrain'd Sense than it is at present, not only as denoting a severe Poem against Vice, but as consisting of Precepts of Virtue, and the Praises of it: And even in the Satires, as they are call'd, ofHorace,Juvenal, andPersius, &c. which are principallylevell'd against the Weakness, the Follies, or Vices of Mankind; we find many Directions, as well as Incitements to Virtue. Such Strokes of Morality,Horace, particularly, is full of; and inJuvenalthey occur very frequently. Thus,
[321]Permittas ipsis expendere numinibus, quidConveniat nobis, rebusque sit utile nostris:Charior est illis homo, quam sibi.Intrust thy Fortune to the Pow'rs above,Leave them to manage for thee, and to grantWhat their unerring Wisdom sees thee want:In Goodness, as in Greatness, they excel;Ah! that we lov'd ourselves but half as well.Dryden.
[321]Permittas ipsis expendere numinibus, quidConveniat nobis, rebusque sit utile nostris:Charior est illis homo, quam sibi.
Intrust thy Fortune to the Pow'rs above,Leave them to manage for thee, and to grantWhat their unerring Wisdom sees thee want:In Goodness, as in Greatness, they excel;Ah! that we lov'd ourselves but half as well.Dryden.
And afterwards:
[322]Monstro, quod ipse tibi possis dare; semita certeTranquillæ per virtutem patet unica vitæ.The Path to Peace is Virtue: What I show,Thyself may freely on thyself bestow.Dryden.
[322]Monstro, quod ipse tibi possis dare; semita certeTranquillæ per virtutem patet unica vitæ.
The Path to Peace is Virtue: What I show,Thyself may freely on thyself bestow.Dryden.
All of them sometimes correct Vice, like Moralists, I may say, like Divines, rather than Satirists: What less can we say of this ofPersius?
[323]O curvæ in terras animæ, & cœlestium inanes!O Souls, in whom no heav'nly Fire is found.Dryden.
[323]O curvæ in terras animæ, & cœlestium inanes!
O Souls, in whom no heav'nly Fire is found.Dryden.
Sentiments, these, one would think, were fetch'd from true Religion, not from unassisted Reason; and which we might expect from theChristian, more than theStoic.
Notwithstanding the learned Arguments whichCasaubon,Dacier, and others have urg'd, for theEtymology of the Word Satire, I can't but think their Opinion has more Probability in it than Truth; nor can any sufficient Reason be assign'd, why it may not be as well deriv'd fromSatyrus, a Satyr, as fromSatur, full. There's certainly too much Reason to think that some Things inHorace,Juvenal, andPersius, were borrow'd from the suppos'd Manners and Customs of Satyrs; and I cannot but lament, that Writers so deserving in all other Respects, should reprove some Vices in such a Manner, as to teach them; and that while they are recommending Virtue, they should throw in some Expressions so injurious to it. This Controversy, then, about theNameofSatire, (which, it must be own'd, is the more material, because it in a great Measure defines itsNature) I shall leave in Uncertainty, withVossius, rather than determine upon it positively withDacier.
For I cannot but be surpriz'd to see this last Author so confidently assert[324], "ThatSatireis a Species of Poetry unknown to any but theRomans, and has no Relation to the satirical Compositions of theGrecians, as some learned Men, by Mistake, have thought[325]. Now, I'll be bold to say, that not onlysome, butmost, if not all the Learned, have thought so, and still think the same; and even Mons.Dacierhimself, I reckon among the Number, how much soever he seems here to have forgot himself. I appeal not only to what I have before said upon this Subject myself, but to what I have cited from him, whether it does not appear that theRoman Satirehad someAffinitywith theGrecian, and, particularly,that it ow'd its Rise to it.[326]Vossius, speaking of theGrecian, tells us, "That the Discourse was agreeable to the Characters of the Speakers; full of Ribaldry, Ridicule, and Scurrility. The Failings of Men were the Objects of their Scoffs, and to excite Laughter the Aim of them.Horace, in his Art of Poetry,
[327]Verum ita risores, ita commendare dicacesConveniet Satyros, ita vertere seria ludo."Yet Satires shou'd observe this decent Rule,And so turn serious Things to Ridicule,As,&c.Creech.
[327]Verum ita risores, ita commendare dicacesConveniet Satyros, ita vertere seria ludo."
Yet Satires shou'd observe this decent Rule,And so turn serious Things to Ridicule,As,&c.Creech.
Now will any one say, theGrecianandRomanSatire had nothing of this in common between them? Are Lasciviousness, Ridicule, and Banter, the exposing Vice, and the exciting Laughter, Properties in which theRomanSatire had no Share? We readily grant, indeed, that as it appear'd in adifferent Form, it was not the verysame Kindof Poem with theGrecian: But surely there was some, nay, a great deal of Affinity between them; and the one, particularly, owes its Rise to the other.
Eighteenth Lecture.
Thus much for the Etymology, the History of the Rise and Progress of Satire. With Respect to the Nature and different Species of it, I can by no means subscribe toVossius's Opinion, who observes[328], "That, as the Vices of Mankind may be corrected either publickly, or in private, the latter Method is much the more suitable to Satire: And thatJuvenalandPersius, setting aside the Metre, have deviated more from the true Nature of it, thanLucianin his Dialogues, orJulianin hisCæsars. For theformer shew their ill Nature more than their Wit, and don't so much put Vice out of Countenance, as themselves out of Temper; whereas the latter always keep up their Humour, and mix their Reproof with Facetiousness[329]. According to this, theHoratianSatire is the only true one; and the Writings ofJuvenalandPersiushave no Pretence to that Title. But the truer State of the Case is this: Satire ingeneral, is a Poem design'd to reprove the Vices and Follies of Mankind: It is twofold; either thejocose, as that ofHorace, or theserious. like that ofJuvenal. The former hidden, the latter open. That generally makes Sport with Vice, and exposes it to Ridicule: This probes it to the Bottom, and puts it to Torture: And so far is it from not deserving the Title of Satire, that, in my Opinion, it is the more noble Species of it; and the genteel Jokes ofHorace, how ingenious soever, are less affecting than the poetic Rage, and commendable Zeal ofJuvenal. I shall speak to both Kinds, asPersiushas well distinguish'd them, where he describes the Difference betweenLuciliusandHorace's Way of Writing:
[330]——Secuit Lucilius urbemTe Lupe, te Muti, & genuinum fregit in illis.Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amicoTangit, & admissus circum præcordia indit,Callidus excusso populum suspendere naso.Yet oldLuciliusnever fear'd the Times,But lash'd the City, and dissected Crimes.MutiusandLupusboth by Name he brought;He mouth'd 'em, and betwixt his Grinders caught.Unlike in Method with conceal'd Design,Did craftyHoracehis low Numbers join;And, with a sly insinuating Grace,Laugh'd at his Friend, and look'd him in the Face:Wou'd raise a Blush, where secret Vice he found;And tickle, while he gently prob'd the Wound.With seeming Innocence the Crowd beguil'd;But made the desp'rate Passes when he smil'd.Dryden.
[330]——Secuit Lucilius urbemTe Lupe, te Muti, & genuinum fregit in illis.Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amicoTangit, & admissus circum præcordia indit,Callidus excusso populum suspendere naso.Yet oldLuciliusnever fear'd the Times,But lash'd the City, and dissected Crimes.MutiusandLupusboth by Name he brought;He mouth'd 'em, and betwixt his Grinders caught.Unlike in Method with conceal'd Design,Did craftyHoracehis low Numbers join;And, with a sly insinuating Grace,Laugh'd at his Friend, and look'd him in the Face:Wou'd raise a Blush, where secret Vice he found;And tickle, while he gently prob'd the Wound.With seeming Innocence the Crowd beguil'd;But made the desp'rate Passes when he smil'd.Dryden.
Vossiusstill erring upon the same String, says, "It is not so much the Business of Satire to reprove all Sorts of Vice, as those that are the proper Subjects of Laughter[331]. If this Maxim is true,Juvenalwill scarce find a Place among the Satirists: For tho' he may sometimes laugh, he is, for the Generality, serious; and shews the Lash much more than his Teeth. Nay, his Smiles are very different from those ofHorace; they are not the genteel ones of a Courtier, but mix'd with Gall and ill Nature; such asVirgildescribes:
Ad quem subridens mista Mezentius ira.To whomMezentiuswith malignant Smile.
Ad quem subridens mista Mezentius ira.
To whomMezentiuswith malignant Smile.
The Argument whichVossiuscites for his Opinion, makes against it, rather than for it. He urges[332], "that those Vices are the proper Subjects of Satire, that were so of the ancient Comedy: HenceHorace;
[333]"Si quis dignus erat describi, quod malus, aut fur,Aut mœchus foret, aut sicarius, aut alioquiFamosus, multa cum libertate notabant."If they were to describe a vile, unjust,And cheating Knave, or scourge a lawless Lust,Or other Crimes; regardless of his Fame,They shew'd the Man, and boldly told his Name.Creech.
[333]"Si quis dignus erat describi, quod malus, aut fur,Aut mœchus foret, aut sicarius, aut alioquiFamosus, multa cum libertate notabant."
If they were to describe a vile, unjust,And cheating Knave, or scourge a lawless Lust,Or other Crimes; regardless of his Fame,They shew'd the Man, and boldly told his Name.Creech.
I ask, then, are Thieves, Whoremasters, and Robbers, guilty of those less Crimes which are only to be expos'd to Ridicule?
But the same learned Writer goes on: "The Diction of Satire, says he[334], ought to resemble Prose rather than Poetry, and appear with as much Ease as if it flow'dExtempore.Juvenalhas had little Regard to this Rule, whose Style is Epic[335]; andPersiusstill less, who is swelling, and lofty. Whereas nothing is so great an Ornament to Satire, as an Appearance of Truth and Simplicity, with which bold Metaphors are very inconsistent." Here he takes for granted that there is only one Kind of Satire, such asHoracewrit; which is begging a Question, that can by no means be granted him. All he says may be very true, in respect to that one Kind, but not at all applicable to the rest; and to blameJuvenalfor not writing in the familiar Style, is the same Absurdity, as if he should arbitrarily lay it down as an universal Rule, that every Dramatic Piece ought to be writ so too; and then very gravely tell us,ThatSophocleshas had little Regard to this Maxim. For, to say the Truth, there is scarce less Difference between the two Kinds of Satire, than there is between Comedy and Tragedy. But I cannot conceive what possess'd this Writer, when, to prove his Position, that Satire ought to be writ in the low Style, he urges this ofHorace[336]:
"Non ego inornata, & dominantia nominaSolum,Verbaque, Pisones, satyrorum scriptor amabo."You must not think that a satiric StyleAllows of scandalous and brutish Words.Roscom.
"Non ego inornata, & dominantia nominaSolum,Verbaque, Pisones, satyrorum scriptor amabo."
You must not think that a satiric StyleAllows of scandalous and brutish Words.Roscom.
"Here, says he, it is evident, that the Character of a Satirist is not to affect Ornament, but Strength and Propriety." Now, not to observe thatHoraceis not speaking of the Satire of his own Time, but of the satirical Drama that was us'd as an Interlude in Tragedy; to pass by, I say, the Occasion of the Words, the Sense of them is so far from favouring the Opinion they are brought for, that they directly overthrow it: He says, that in this Kind of Writing he does not chuseONLYWords of common Use, proving therefore that Satire may be writ in a sublimer Style.Vossius, I suppose, here tooknonfornihilo[337].
In the same Discourse he observes[338], "That it is the Business of the Satirist not so much to correct the Manners of past Times, as of the present.Persius, says he, often transgresses this Rule; for he taxes few of his own Age, and those only under general Names; such asTitius, orMævius. His Poems, therefore, scarce deserve to be call'd Satires, because they affect no one particularly. AndJuvenalsometimes deviates from this indubitableRule." I cannot help making a few Remarks on these Assertions, which will not a little serve to illustrate the Subject before us. In the first Place, I can't see why it is the Business of a Satirist to correct Mankind in Individuals, rather than in general. He may chuse, indeed, either Way, and it is hard to say which is more peculiarly his Province. But if any Difference is to be made, I should take the Side againstVossius, and avoid reproving Particulars. It is undoubtedly fairer to aim our Shafts against the Vice, rather than the Man. The latter, indeed, is sometimes justifiable, against some notorious Monsters, that deserve to be the Butts of Mankind: But even here the Poet does not point them out by their real Names, but under fictitious Characters; which is another Particular I have been oblig'd to observe against the foremention'd Author; who, for what Reason I know not, makes it essential to Satire to characterise by Name; a Property which I should much rather leave to the Libeller, than the Poet.HoraceandJuvenal, it is true, sometimes assume this Liberty; but, for the Generality, 'tis Vice they reprove in the Abstract; and when they seem to mention Names, it is to be observ'd, that we, at this Distance of Time, know not whether they are real or borrow'd ones. The other Observation ofVossius's,That it is the Business of a Satirist not so much to correct the Manners of past Times, as of the present, I readily assent to; and is so evident a Proposition, that it is needless to assert it. The Living, not the Dead, are capable of Amendment; the latter are accidentally only, brought upon the Stage, that the former, through their Sides, may receive the more advantageous Wound. To this End, we often seeJuvenal's Example follow'd:
[339]—Experiar, quid concedatur in illos,Quorum Flaminia tegitur cinis atque Latina.Since none the Living Villains dare implead,Arraign them in the Persons of the Dead.Dryden.
[339]—Experiar, quid concedatur in illos,Quorum Flaminia tegitur cinis atque Latina.
Since none the Living Villains dare implead,Arraign them in the Persons of the Dead.Dryden.
Which, by the Way, is a Confirmation of what we before alledg'd againstVossius's Opinion,viz.That, inJuvenal's at least, the Living ought to be noted in Satire under their real Names. But it is Time we should now return to the two different Species of it which I before mention'd.
They both agree in being pungent and cutting; yet are distinguish'd by very evident Marks: The one is pleasant and facetious; the other angry and austere: The one smiles; the other storms: The Foibles of Mankind, are the Object of the one; greater Crimes, of the other: The former is always in the low Style; the latter generally in the Sublime: That abounds with Wit only; this adds to the Salt Bitterness and Acrimony.Horace's Satires are of so fine and delicate a Turn, as may much easier be conceiv'd, than express'd: They are rightly term'dDiscourses, for some of them are scarce reducible under either Species of Satire.Juvenal's are all true Satires, except the fifteenth, which is of uncertain Authority. So far isVossiusfrom being in the right, when he makesHoracealmost the only Satirist, and scarce admitsJuvenalto the Title of one.
It is not very clear, then, whyHoraceshould say of himself,
[340]Sunt quibus in Satira videar nimis acer.Some fancy I am bitter when I jeer,Beyond the Rules of Satire too severe.Creech.
[340]Sunt quibus in Satira videar nimis acer.
Some fancy I am bitter when I jeer,Beyond the Rules of Satire too severe.Creech.
or who they were that thought so. I cannot, indeed,come into the Opinion of others whom he mentions:
[341]——Sine nervis altera, quicquidComposui, pars esse putat, similisque meorumMille die versus deduci posse.Some, that my Verse is dull, and flat; and sayA Man may write a Thousand such a Day.Creech.
[341]——Sine nervis altera, quicquidComposui, pars esse putat, similisque meorumMille die versus deduci posse.
Some, that my Verse is dull, and flat; and sayA Man may write a Thousand such a Day.Creech.
But surely too much Warmth was never his Fault; he ought sometimes, perhaps, to be condemn'd for the Want of it.
Either Kind of Satire may be writ in the Dialogue or Epistolary Manner, and we have Instances of both Forms inHorace,Juvenal, andPersius. As some ofHorace's, which are call'd Satires, are as truly Epistles; so many of his Epistles might as well be call'd Satires. For Example,[342]Qui fit Mecænas, &c. might, with equal Reason, be reckon'd among the Epistles; and[343]Prima dicte mihi, &c. among the Discourses or Satires, if the Author or Editor had so thought fit.
The distinguishing Nature ofJuvenalcannot be better known, than from the very Beginning of his Satires:
[344]Semper ego auditor tantum? nunquamne reponam,Vexatus toties rauci Theseide Codri?&c.Still shall I hear, and never quit the Score,Stunn'd with hoarseCodrus Theseid, o'er and o'er.Dryden.
[344]Semper ego auditor tantum? nunquamne reponam,Vexatus toties rauci Theseide Codri?&c.
Still shall I hear, and never quit the Score,Stunn'd with hoarseCodrus Theseid, o'er and o'er.Dryden.
At the first Onset, he declares open War, and gives sufficient Intimation of the Strength of his Spirit, and what the Reader may expect from it. He first sharpens his Style against the scribbling Poets of hisAge; and when he had, in a sarcastical Manner, mention'd the Reasons that induced him towrite,
[345]—Stulta est clementia, cum rot ubiqueVatibus occuras, perituræ parcere chartæ.But since the World with Writing is possest,}I'll versify in Spite; and do my best,}To make as much waste Paper as the rest.}Dryden.
[345]—Stulta est clementia, cum rot ubiqueVatibus occuras, perituræ parcere chartæ.
But since the World with Writing is possest,}I'll versify in Spite; and do my best,}To make as much waste Paper as the rest.}Dryden.
He sallies forth, a few Lines after, into a more extensive Field of Satire, and with no less Wit than Gall, tells us the Reasons why he chose thisKindofWriting:
[346]Cur tamen hoc potius libeat decurrere campo,Per quem magnus equos Auruncæ flexit Alumnus,Si vacat, & placidi rationem admittitis, edam.Cum tener uxorem ducat spado, Mævia TuscumFigat aprum, & nuda teneat venabula mamma;Patricios omnes opibus sum provocet unus,Quo tondente gravis juveni mihi barba sonabat;Cum pars Niliacæ plebis, cum verna Canopi,Crispinus, Tyrias humero revocante lacernas,Ventilet æstivum digitis sudantibus aurum,Nec sufferre queat majoris pondera gemmæ;Difficile est, Satiram non scribere: nam quis inquæTam patiens urbis, tam ferreus, us tentat se?But why I lift aloft the Satire's Rod,And tread the Path that fam'dLaciliustrod,Attend the Causes which my Muse have led:When sapless Eunuchs mount the Marriage-Bed,When mannishMævia, that two-handed Whore,Astride an Horseback hunts theTuscanBoar,When all our Lords are by his Wealth out-vy'd,Whose Razor on my callow Beard was try'd;When I behold the Spawn of conquer'dNile,Crispinusboth in Birth and Manners vile,Pacing in Pomp with Cloak ofTyrianDye,Chang'd oft a Day for needless Luxury;And finding oft Occasion to be fann'd,Ambitious to produce his Lady Hand;Charg'd with light Summer Rings, his Fingers sweat,Unable to support a Gem of Weight:Such fulsome Objects meeting ev'ry where,'Tis hard to write, and harder to forbear.Dryden.
[346]Cur tamen hoc potius libeat decurrere campo,Per quem magnus equos Auruncæ flexit Alumnus,Si vacat, & placidi rationem admittitis, edam.Cum tener uxorem ducat spado, Mævia TuscumFigat aprum, & nuda teneat venabula mamma;Patricios omnes opibus sum provocet unus,Quo tondente gravis juveni mihi barba sonabat;Cum pars Niliacæ plebis, cum verna Canopi,Crispinus, Tyrias humero revocante lacernas,Ventilet æstivum digitis sudantibus aurum,Nec sufferre queat majoris pondera gemmæ;Difficile est, Satiram non scribere: nam quis inquæTam patiens urbis, tam ferreus, us tentat se?
But why I lift aloft the Satire's Rod,And tread the Path that fam'dLaciliustrod,Attend the Causes which my Muse have led:When sapless Eunuchs mount the Marriage-Bed,When mannishMævia, that two-handed Whore,Astride an Horseback hunts theTuscanBoar,When all our Lords are by his Wealth out-vy'd,Whose Razor on my callow Beard was try'd;When I behold the Spawn of conquer'dNile,Crispinusboth in Birth and Manners vile,Pacing in Pomp with Cloak ofTyrianDye,Chang'd oft a Day for needless Luxury;And finding oft Occasion to be fann'd,Ambitious to produce his Lady Hand;Charg'd with light Summer Rings, his Fingers sweat,Unable to support a Gem of Weight:Such fulsome Objects meeting ev'ry where,'Tis hard to write, and harder to forbear.Dryden.
In these, and the Lines that follow, he lays down the chief Heads of Satire he design'd to treat of; this he does in an elegant and poetical Manner, not by proposing them in general Terms, but by Particulars. Afterwards, having weigh'd the Reasons his Friend alledges to dissuade him from so dangerous an Attempt, he replies, with a Quickness and Vivacity Worthy of a Satirist:
[347]Qui dedit ergo tribus patruis aconita, veheturPensilibus plumis, atque illinc despiciet nos?Shall they who drench'd three Uncles in a DraughtOf pois'nous Juice, be then in Triumph brought?Dryden.
[347]Qui dedit ergo tribus patruis aconita, veheturPensilibus plumis, atque illinc despiciet nos?
Shall they who drench'd three Uncles in a DraughtOf pois'nous Juice, be then in Triumph brought?Dryden.
What a Poignancy in the Words, and how swift a Turn in the Thought?
I agree withVossius, but for a different Reason from his, thatPersiusscarce deserves a Place among the Satirists. He has dropp'd, indeed, many fine Expressions in describing the Beauty of Virtue, and the Deformity of Vice: But he wants Poignancy and Sting; he never laughs, and strikes but seldom: He does not correct Faults so much, as find them; hisReproof, at best, is too mild, and more like the Evenness of aPhilosopher, than the Severity of aSatirist.
To come now to our own Times. There are few Kinds of Writing, in which the Moderns, of our own Country especially, are less exceeded than in this[348]; I mean in that Species of it in whichJuvenalwrit: For theHoratianSatire is but little affected among us. That Author, particularly[349], who not long since attack'd theJesuits, tho' his Works, either through want of Care, or Judgment, or, more probably, considering his Youth, for want of both, are not so correct as might have been wish'd; yet his shewn a true poetical Vein, and a Fire not unworthyJuvenalhimself. No one can be a Stranger toDryden, who, as he exceeds others in every Kind of Poetry, so, in this, exceeds himself. But to pass by the rest of our own Countrymen whom I might mention, that deservedly celebratedFrenchPoet[350]has so happily blendedHoraceandJuvenaltogether, that he seems to have found out a beautiful Species of Satire between both. He claims the poetical Laurel, but in Satire more particularly, from all the Writers of this Age, by universal Consent; and that is an Authority, to which I shall never think fit to oppose my private Judgment, whatever it is.
We are come, at last, to that Species ofPoetrywhich is chiefly and primarily so call'd, because it agrees best with the Sense of the original Word,poiein, whencePoemais deriv'd. For such is the comprehensive Signification of this Word, that it denotes not only the Invention, but the Contexture of the Fable, the Conduct of the Action, and the Disposal of the Parts: All which concern the two Sorts of Poems that now remain to be discours'd of,viz.the Epic and Dramatic, but more especially the latter. The former, indeed, is, upon the whole, more noble in its Nature; but, in some Circumstances, is inferior to the other; in the Action, particularly, as the Etymology of the WordDrama, fromdran, toact, implies. In Epic, indeed, Heroes and Gods are represented speaking: But the Poet there performs only the Part of an Historian, and the Speeches are no more than Narrations. Whereas, in the Dramatic Writings, the Persons themselves are introduced, every Thing is transacted in our Sight, and our Eyes and Ears at once are gratified. NowHorace's Observation is undoubted just:
[351]Segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem,Quam quæ sunt oculis commissa fidelibus.But what we hear, moves less than what we see.Roscommon.
[351]Segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem,Quam quæ sunt oculis commissa fidelibus.
But what we hear, moves less than what we see.Roscommon.
Besides, the Action in the Drama is much more simple, and compendious, than in the Epic; it takes up less Time, and therefore requires more Art to conduct it. It excites in the Mind more rapid Motions, and consequently makes the Pleasure and Admiration more intense. For these, and other Reasons,Aristotle, in the last Chapter of his Book of Poetry, does not scruple to give the Preference to Tragedy before Epic. Not that I think he reckons it a more noble Kind ingeneral, (for that would be contrary to Truth and Reason) but only so far as its Sphere extends: And this is a Difference, which, I humbly conceive, is very distinguishable. This Excellence of the Drama, which I here speak of, is the Reason, no doubt, why, tho' his Book bears the Title ofPoetryin general, yet he dwells solely upon that Species of it. I am not ignorant, indeed, that this Work of his, as it is now extant, is imperfect, and part of it lost. But by what we have now remaining, the rest of it appears to have been spent on the same Subject. AndHorace, the best Interpreter ofAristotle, in his famous Epistle to thePiso's, keeps chiefly in this Track. The other Kinds of Poetry he does but lightly touch: But the Laws of the Drama he treats of fully and professedly. After his Example, various Writers upon theArt of Poetryin different Ages and Languages, have chose to dwell chiefly upon theDrama, and have left abundance of elaborate Treaties upon that Subject. I shall make it my Business to collect what others havesaid, into as short a Compass as I can, and explain more fully what I have now to add of my own.
The principal Species of the Drama are two, Comedy and Tragedy: Some others there are, of less Note; as Pastoral, and Satire, both which we have already spoke of. Tragi-Comedy I don't reckon one of them, because I think it the greatest Absurdity in Nature, and is not so properly a Species distinct from the other two I first mention'd, as the Abuse and Corruption of them. For what can be more ridiculous, than, in the Compass of three Hours, to distract the Mind with Joy and Grief, in such a Manner, that the two contrary Passions may debilitate, or totally extinguish each other? How ill are such incoherent Parts united? And what is it but a monstrous Production?
[352]——Turpiter atrumDesinit in piscem mulier formosa superne.A Handsome Woman with a Fish's Tail.Roscom.
[352]——Turpiter atrumDesinit in piscem mulier formosa superne.
A Handsome Woman with a Fish's Tail.Roscom.
How irrational a Transition is it, from beholding the Conflicts of Kings and Heroes with Misfortunes, to descend, on a sudden, to low Scenes of Ribaldry, and to return again from these to so moving a Spectacle! A Poem, indeed, should be adorn'd with Variety, but not with Inconsistencies. The Passions, likewise, and Affections of the Mind, should be bent and bow'd down; but so bent, that they may not grow languid, but recover new Strength. This poetic Kind of Prodigy, I think, is altogether modern, and chiefly ofBritishExtraction; for it was the last Age produc'd Multitudes of them in our own Tongue. I know very well that the learnedVossius[353], speaking of the Plays of the Ancientsdivided intoPrætextatæandTogatæ, observes, that "there was amix'dKind, call'dTabernariæ, where some of the Persons appear'd in thePrætexta, others in theToga. ThusFestusinPomponius Lætus:TheTogatæwere of two kinds, viz.thePrætextatæ,when the Actors represented Persons of Quality, such as had the Liberty of wearing thePrætexta;and theTabernariæ,when Persons of low Rank were mix'd with others of Birth and Figure. From hence it is plain, if thePrætextatæwere a Sort of Tragedies, and theTogatæComedies; theTabernariæbeing of a mix'd Nature, were whatPlautuscalls Tragi-Comedies. Such is theAmphitryoofPlautus, andHercules Licymniusof theGreeks." And as absurd as these Poems were, they agreed so far, only, with our Tragi-Comedies, that they mix'd Persons of high and low Rank together; but they never debas'd the Misfortunes of the former with the Lasciviousness of the latter, as is usual with our Writers. As to theMimi,Pantomimi, theNomi, and theAttellani, they don't so much come within the Province of a Criticism on Poetry, as of a History of it; since the Writings of the Ancients, in this Way, are now quite out of Date. They that are desirous of this Part of Knowledge, may consult other Writers, andVossiusparticularly. But there's another Species of Dramatic Folly, which the Ancients were utter Strangers to, theOpera's, I mean, introduc'd among us from foreign Parts, by the mercenary Traffic of Eunuchs and Courtezans: Among us, I say, and it is with Shame I speak it, who set a Value upon every Thing that is foreign; and are laugh'd at, on that Account, by the very Foreigners we admire. Too fatal an Indication this, of the Depravity of our Taste, as well as of our Manners, when we place the Height of our Pleasure in those Things, which itwould be too much to honour, even with a Toleration. Metre, no doubt, is very suitable to Poetry, especially to the Dramatic Kind, and ought often to be us'd there, as it is a proper Instrument of raising or soothing the Passions: But that the whole Drama should be Sing-Song, that the Actors should always appear
[354]Etcantarepares, & respondere paratos.Well pair'd to sing,And ready with each other's Skill to vie.
[354]Etcantarepares, & respondere paratos.
Well pair'd to sing,And ready with each other's Skill to vie.
that the most insignificant Action, as well as the deepest Passion, should be express'd in Tune; and whether they send a Message, or read a Letter; whether they quarrel, fight, kill, or are kill'd; whether they laugh, or storm, or die; that this should all be perform'd in Song, is somewhat more monstrous than the Poets ever yet describ'd[355]. Whatever Share of Poetry these Performances can pretend to, is so wretchedly silly, that it does not deserve our Notice. Those Words ofHoraceare truly applicable to them, and in a more proper Sense, than he was ever aware of:
[356]—Versus inopes rerum, nugæquecanoræ.Mere sounding Trifles, Verses void of Sense.
[356]—Versus inopes rerum, nugæquecanoræ.
Mere sounding Trifles, Verses void of Sense.
'Tis then for the Music, only, they are follow'd. My sincere Wishes are, that Music may for ever flourish; but by no Means at the Expulsion of Poetry, whereas both Comedy and Tragedy seem, at present, to have been banish'd our Country, and yielded up the Stage to theOpera; I will farther add, if I may say so much, with humble Submission to better Judges, even Music itself, when join'd with these empty Rhythms, seems too light and childish, and, by the frequent Repetition of the same Sound, tiresome. And tho' I readily grant, that the great Masters ofItaly, in former Ages, far exceeded ours; yet we have now such Artists, as, from imitating the immortalPurcell, are arriv'd to a greater Perfection than any whichItaly,France, orGermanysend us. For, you must know,
[357]—Huc omnes tanquam ad vivaria currunt.Chas'd from their Woods and Bogs the Padders come,To this vast City, as their native Home.Dryden.
[357]—Huc omnes tanquam ad vivaria currunt.
Chas'd from their Woods and Bogs the Padders come,To this vast City, as their native Home.Dryden.
They live upon us; our ambitious Poverty, our Luxury, Folly, and Vices, are all subservient to their Advantage; to the utter Neglect and Contempt of our own Countrymen. Broken and unnerv'dBritains! into what a shameful Effeminacy are we sunk? Far, far be it from us, to detract, in the least, from the Merit of our Neighbours; but let us not be injurious to our own Countrymen, merely because they are such: Let the Rule hold, not only in greater Things, but even in these of less Moment, (which are yet of greater than they seem to be)