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ble. The poor, affecting the manners of the rich, might be carried on through one character or two at the moft with great propriety; but to have almost every perfonage on the scene almoft of the fame character, and reflecting the follies of each other, was unartful in the poet to the laft degree.

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The fcene was alfo almoft a continuation of the fame abfurdity and my Lord Duke and Sir Harry (two footmen who affume thefe characters) have nothing elle to do but to talk like their mafters, and are only introduced to speak, and to fhew themselves. Thus, as there is a famenefs of character, there is a barrennefs of incident, which, by a very small share of addrefs, the poet might have eafily avoided.

From a conformity to critic rules, which perhaps on the whole have done more harm than good, our author has facrificed all the vivacity of the dialogue to Nature; and though he makes his characters talk like fervants, they are feldom abfurd enough, or lively enough, to make us merry. Though he is always natural, he happens feldom to be hu

morous.

The fatire was well intended, if we regard it as being mafters ourselves; but probably a philofopher would rejoice in that liberty which Englishmen give their domeftics; and for my own part I cannot avoid being pleafed at the happiness of thofe poor creatures, who in fome meafure contribute to mine. The Athenians, the politeft and beft-natured people upon earth, were the kindeft to their flaves; and if a person may judge, who has feen the world, our English fervants are the best treated, becaufe the generality of our English gentlemen are the politeft under the fun.

But not to lift my feeble voice among the pack of critics, who probably have no other occupation but that of cutting up every thing new, I muft own,

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there are one or two scenes that are fine fatire, and fufficiently humorous; particularly the firft interview between the two footmen, which at once ridicules the manners of the great, and the abfurdity of their imitators.

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Whatever defects there might be in the compofition, there were none in the action; in this the performers fhewed more humour than I had fancied them capable of. Mr. Palmer and Mr. King were entirely what they defired to reprefent; and Mrs. Clive (but what need I talk of her, fince without the least exaggeration fhe has more true humour than any actor or actress upon the English or any other stage I have feen); fhe, I fay, did the part all the juftice it was capable of. And upon the whole a farce, which has only this to recommend it, that the author took his plan from the volume of Nature, by the sprightly manner in which it was performed, was for one night a tolerable entertainment. Thus much may be faid in its vindication, that people of fashion feemed more pleafed in the reprefentation than the fubordinate ranks of people,

UPON UNFORTUNATE MERIT,

EVERY

age feems to have its favourite purfuits, which ferve to amuse the idle, and relieve the attention of the induftrious. Happy the man who is born excellent in the purfuit in vogue, and whofe genius feems adapted to the times in which he lives. How many do we fee, who might have excelled in arts or fciences, and who feem furnished with talents equal to the greatest difcoveries, had the road not been already beaten by their predeceffors, and nothing left

for

for them, except trifles to difcover, while others. of very moderate abilities become famous, because happening to be first in the reigning pursuit!

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Thus, at the renewal of letters in Europe, the tafte was not to compofe new books, but to comment on the old ones. It was not to be expected that new books fhould be written, when there were fo many of the Antients either not known or not underftood. It was not reasonable to attempt new conquefts, while they had fuch an extenfive region lying wafte for want of cultivation. At that period criticism and erudition were the reigning ftudies of the times; and he, who had only an inventive genius, might have languished in hopelefs obfcurity. When the writers of antiquity were fufficiently explained and known, the learned fet about imitating them : hence proceeded the number of Latin orators, poets and hiftorians in the reigns of Clement the feventh and Alexander the fixth. This paffion for antiquity lafted for many years, to the utter exclufion of every other purfuit, till fome began to find, that those works which were imitated from Nature, were more like the writings of antiquity, than even those written in exprefs imitation. It was then modern language began to be cultivated with affiduity, and our poets and orators poured forth their wonders upon the world.

As writers become more numerous, it is natural for readers to become more indolent; whence must neceffarily arife a defire of attaining knowledge with the greateft poffible eafe. No fcience or art offers its inftruction and amusement in fo obvious a manner as ftatuary and painting. Hence we fee, that a defire of cultivating thofe arts generally attends the decline of fcience. Thus the finest ftatues and the most beautiful paintings of antiquity preceded but a little the abfolute decay of every

other

other fcience. The ftatues of Antoninus, Comodus, and their cotemporaries, are the finest productions of the chiffel, and appeared but juft before learning was deftroyed by comment, criticifm, and barbarous invafions.

What happened in Rome may probably be the cafe with us at home. Our nobility are now more folicitous in patronizing painters and sculptors than thofe of any other polite profeffion; and from the lord, who has his gallery, down to the 'prentice, who has his two-pennny copper-plate, all are admirers of this art. The great by their careffes feem infenfible to all other merit but that of the pencil; and the vulgar buy every book rather from the excellence of the fculptor than the writer.

How happy were it now, if men of real excellence in that profeffion were to arife! Were the painters of Italy now to appear, who once wandered like beggars from one city to another, and produce their almoft breathing figures, what rewards might they not expect! But many of them lived without rewards, and therefore rewards alone will never produce their equals. We have often found the great exert themfelves not only without promotion, but in fpite of oppofition. We have often found them flourishing, like medical plants, in a region of favagenefs and barbarity, their excellence unknown, and their virtues unheeded.

They who have feen the paintings of Caravagio are fenfible of the furprifing impreffion they make bold, fwelling, terrible to the laft degree; all feems animated, and fpeaks him among the foremost of his profeffion; yet this man's fortune and his fame feemed ever in oppofition to each other.

Unknowing how to flatter the great he was driven from city to city in the utmoft indigence, and might truly be faid to paint for his bread.

Having one day infulted a perfon of diftinction, who refused to pay him all the refpect which he thought his due, he was obliged to leave Rome, and travel on foot, his ufual method of going his journeys down into the country, without either money or friends to fubfift him.

After he had travelled in this manner as long as his ftrength would permit, faint with famine and fatigue he at laft called at an obfcure inn by the way fide. The hoft knew, by the appearance of his gueft, his indifferent circumftances, and refufed to furnish him a dinner without previous payment.

As Caravagio was entirely deftitute of money, he took down the innkeeper's fign, and painted it anew for his dinner.

Thus refreshed he proceeded on his journey, and left the innkeeper not quite fatisfied with this method of payment. Some company of dictinction however coming foon after, and ftruck with the beauty of the new fign, bought it at an advanced price, and aftonished the innkeeper with their generofity; he was refolved therefore to get as many figns as poffible drawn by the fame artist, as he found he could fell them to good advantage; and accordingly fet out after Caravagio, in order to bring him back. It was night-fall before he came up to the place, where the unfortunate Caravagio lay dead by the road fide, overcome by fatigue, refentment, and defpair.

THE

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