and Activity. He was generally healthful, and capable of much Labour and long Application; but in the latter Years of his Life was afflicted with the Gout, which he endeavoured to cure or alleviate by a total Abftinence oth from ftrong Liquors and ani mal Food. From animal Food he abftained about four Years, and from strong Liquors much longer; but the Gout continued unconquered, perhaps unabated.

His Refolution and Perfeverance were very uncommon; in whatever he under took, neither Expence nor Fatigue were able to reprefs him: but his Conftancy was calm, and, to those who did not know him, appeared faint and languid, but he always went forward though he moved flowly.

The fame Chilnefs of Mind was obfervable in his Converfation; he was watching the minuteft Accent of thofe whom he difgufted by feeming Inattention; and his Vifitant was furprized when he came a fecond Time, by Preparations to execute the Scheme which he fuppofed never to have been heard.

He was, confiftently with this general Tranquillity of Mind, a tenacious Maintainer, though not a clamorous Demander of his Right. In his Youth having fummoned his fellow Journeymen to concert Measures against the Oppreffion of their Mafters, he mounted a Kind of Roftrum, and harangued them so efficaciously, that they determined to refift all fature Invafions; and when the Stamp Officers demanded to ftamp the laft half Sheet of the Magazines, Mr. Cave alone defeated their Claim, to which the Proprietors of the rival Magazines would meanly have fubmitted.

He was a Friend rather eafy and conftant, than zealous and active; yet many Inftances might be given, where both his Money and his Diligence were employed liberally for others. His Enmity was in like Manner cool and deliberate; but though cool

is

it was not infidious, and though deliberate, not per tinacious.

His mental Faculties were flow. He faw little at a Time, but that little he faw with great Exactnefs. He was long in finding the Right, but feldom failed to find it at laft. His Affections were not easily gained, and his Opinion not quickly discovered. His Reserve, as it might hide his Faults, concealed his Virtues But fuch he was, as they who beft knew him, have moft lamented.

A DISSER

A

DISSERTATION

UPON THE

I

GREEK COMEDY.

1.

I

may be re

tirely.

WAS in doubt a long Time, whe- Reasons why ther I fhould meddle at all with the Ariftophanes Greek Comedy, both, because the Pieces viewed withwhich remain are very few, the Licen- out tranflattioufnefs of Ariftophanes, their Authour, ing him enis exorbitant, and it is very difficult to draw from the Performances of a fingle Poet, a just Idea of Greek Comedy. Befides, it feemed 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 wifer 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 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.

*There was a Law which forbad any Judge of the Areopagus to write Comedy.

VOL. I.

X

I then

I then confidered, that it was not wholly im poffible 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 present Subject. Though Ridicule, which is the Business 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 difguife the Paffions themselves, how much more greater Change will be made in Jocularities? The Truth is, that they are fo much changed by the Course of Time, that Pleafantry and Ridicule become dull and flat much more easily 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 lofe this Point, we lose the Jocularity, and find nothing but Dulness in its Place. A lucky Sally, which has filled a Company with Laughter, will have no Effect in Print, because it is fhewn fingle and feparate from the Circumftance which gave it Force. Many fatirical Jefts, found in ancient Books, have had the fame Fate; their Spirit has evaporated by Time, and have left nothing to us but Infipidity. None but the most biting Paffages have preferved their Points unblunted.

But, befides this Objection, which extends univerfally to all Translations of Aristophanes, and many Allufions, of which Time has deprived us, there are loose Expreffions thrown out to the Populace to raise Laughter from corrupt Paffions, which are un

+ Madame Dacier, M, Boivin,

worthy

worthy of the Curiofity of decent Readers, and which ought to reft eternally in proper Obfcurity. Not every thing in this Infancy of Comedy was excellent, at least it would not appear excellent at this Distance of Time, in Comparifon of Compofitions of, the fame Kind, which lie before our Eyes; and this is Reafon enough to fave me the Trouble of tranflating, and the Reader that of perufing. As for that fmall Number of Writers who delight in thofe Delicacies, they give themfelves very little Trouble about Tranflations, except it be to find fault with them; and the Majority of People of Wit, like Comedies that may give them Pleafure, without much Trouhle of Attention, and are not much difpofed to find Beauties in that which requires long Deductions to find it beautiful. If Helen had not appeared beautiful to the Greeks and Trojans but by Force of Argument, we had never been told of the Trojan War.

On the other Side, Ariftophanes is an Authour more confiderable than one would imagine. The Hiftory of Greece could not pafs over him, when it comes to touch upon the People of Athens; this alone might procure him Refpect, even when he was not confidered as a comic Poet. But when his Writings are taken into View, we find him the only Authour from whom may be drawn a juft Idea of the Comedy of his Age; and farther, we find in his Pieces, that he often makes Attacks upon the tragic Writers, particularly upon the three Chief, whofe valuable Remains we have had under Examination; and, what is yet worse, fell fometimes upon the State, and upon the Gods themselves.

II. Thefe Confiderations have deter- The chief mined me to follow, in my Reprefenta- Heads of this tion of this Writer, the fame Method Difcourse. which I have taken in several tragic Pieces, which is that of giving an exact Analyfis, as far as the Matter would

X 2