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I cannot however but mention fome of his principal and characteristic Excellencies, for which (notwithstanding his defects) he is juftly and univerfally elevated above all other Dramatick Writers. Not that this is the proper place of praifing him, but because I would not omit any occafion of doing it.

If ever any Author deferved the name of an Original, it was Shakespear. Homer himself drew not his art fo immediately from the fountains of Nature, it proceeded thro' Ægyptian strainers and channels, and came to him not without fome tincture of the learning, or fome caft of the models, of thofe before him. The Poetry of Shakespear was Infpiration indeed he is not fo much an Imitator, as an Inftrument, of Nature; and 'tis not fo juft to fay that he speaks from her, as that the fpeaks thro'

him.

His Characters are so much Nature her self, that 'tis a fort of injury to call them by so distant a name as Copies of her. Thofe of other Poets have a conftant resemblance, which fhews that they receiv'd them from one another, and were but multiplyers of the fame image: each picture like a mock-rainbow is but the reflexion of a reflexion. But every fingle character in Shakespear is as much an Individual, as those in Life it felf; it is as impoffible to find any two alike; and fuch as from their relation or affinity in any respect appear most to be Twins, will upon comparison be found remarkably distinct. To this life and variety of Character, we must add the wonderful Prefervation of it; which is fuch throughout his Plays, that had all the Speeches been printed without the very names of the Perfons, I be

lieve

lieve one might have apply'd them with certainty to every speaker.

The Power over our Paffions was never poffefs'd in a more eminent degree, or display'd in fo different inftances. Yet all along, there is feen no labour, no pains to raise them; no preparation to guide our guefs to the effect, or be perceiv'd to lead toward it: But the heart fwells, and the tears burst out, juft at the proper places: We are furpriz'd, the moment we weep; and yet upon reflection find the paffion fo juft, that we fhou'd be furpriz'd if we had not wept, and wept at that very mo

ment.

How astonishing is it again, that the Paffions directly oppofite to thefe, Laughter and Spleen, are no lefs at his command! that he is not more a mafter of the Great, than of the Ridiculous in human nature; of our nobleft tenderneffes, than of our vainest foibles; of our strongest emotions, than of our idleft fenfations!

Nor does he only excel in the Paffions: In the coolness of Reflection and Reasoning he is full as admirable. His Sentiments are not only in general the most pertinent and judicious upon every fubject; but by a talent very peculiar, fomething between Penetration and Felicity, he hits upon that particular point on which the bent of each argument turns, or the force of each motive depends. This is perfectly amazing, from a Man of no education or experience in those great and publick scenes of life which are ufually the fubject of his thoughts: So that he feems to have known the world by Intuition, to have look'd thro' human nature at one glance, and to be

the

the only Author that gives ground for a very new opinion, That the Philofopher and even the Man of the world, may be Born, as well as the Poet.

It must be own'd that with all these great excellencies, he has almost as great defects; and that as he has certainly written better, fo he has perhaps written worse, than any other. But I think I can in fome measure account for these defects, from feveral caufes and accidents; without which it is hard to imagine that fo large and fo enlighten'd a mind could ever have been fufceptible of them. That all these Contingencies fhould unite to his difadvantage. feems to me almost as fingularly unlucky, as that fo many various (nay contrary) Talents fhould meet in one man, was happy and extraordinary.

It must be allowed that Stage-Poetry of all other, is more particularly levell'd to please the Populace, and its fuccefs more immediately depending upon the Common Suffrage. One cannot therefore wonder, if Shakespear having at his first appearance no other aim in his writings than to procure a fubfiftence, directed his endeavours folely to hit the taste and humour that then prevailed. The Audience was generally compofed of the meaner fort of people; and therefore the Images of Life were to be drawn from those of their own rank: accordingly we find, that not our Author's only but almost all the old Comedies have their Scene among Tradesmen and Mechanicks: And even their Hiftorical Plays ftrictly follow the common Old Stories or Vulgar Traditions of that kind of people. In Tragedy, nothing was fo fure to Surprize and caufe Admiration, as the most strange, unexpected, and confequently

moft

most unnatural, Events and Incidents; the moft exaggerated Thoughts; the moft verbose and bombast Expreffion; the most pompous Rhymes, and thundering Verfification. In Comedy, nothing was fo fure to Please, as mean buffoonry, vile ribaldry, and unmannerly jefts of fools and clowns. Yet even in these, our Author's Wit buoys up, and is born above his fubject: his Genius in thofe low parts is like some Prince of a Romance in the disguise of a Shepherd or Peasant; a certain Greatness and Spirit now and then break out, which manifeft his higher extraction and qualities.

It may be added, that not only the common Audience had no notion of the rules of writing, but few even of the better fort piqu'd themselves upon any great degree of knowledge or nicety that way; 'till Ben Johnson getting poffeffion of the Stage, brought critical learning into vogue: And that this was not done without difficulty, may appear from those frequent leffons (and indeed almoft Declamations) which he was forced to prefix to his first plays, and put into the mouth of his Actors, the Grex, Chorus, &c. to remove the prejudices, and inform the judgment of his hearers. 'Till then, our Authors had no thoughts of writing on the model of the Ancients; their Tragedies were only Hiftories in Dialogue; and their Comedies followed the thread of any Novel as they found it, no less implicitly than if it had been true History.

To judge therefore of Shakespear by Ariftotle's rules, is like trying a man by the laws of one Country, who acted under those of another. He writ to the People; and writ at firft without patronage from

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the better fort, and therefore without aims of pleafing them: without affiftance or advice from the Learned, as without the advantage of education or acquaintance among them: without that knowledge of the best models, the Ancients, to infpire him with an emulation of them; in a word, without any views of Reputation, and of what Poets are pleas'd to call Immortality: Some or all of which have encourag'd the vanity, or animated the ambition, of other writers.

Yet it must be obferv'd, that when his performances had merited the protection of his Prince, and when the encouragement of the Court had fucceeded to that of the Town; the works of his riper years are manifeftly raised above those of his former. The Dates of his plays fufficiently evidence that his productions improved, in proportion to the refpect he had for his auditors. And I make no doubt this obfervation would be found true in every inftance, were but Editions extant from which we might learn the exact time when every piece was compofed, and whether writ for the Town, or the Court.

Another Cause (and no lefs ftrong than the former) may be deduced from our Author's being a Player, and forming himself first upon the judgments of that body of men whereof he was a member. They have ever had a Standard to themfelves, upon other principles than thofe of Ariftotle. As they live by the Majority, they know no rule but that of pleafing the prefent humour, and complying with the wit in fashion; a confideration which brings all their judgment to a short point.

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