Poet in all his exceffes. It must be confeffed, that he has often carried the indulgence of his genius much too far: but, it is equally certain, that a rigid observance of the dramatic unities is not free from objections: for, as no one fimple and confined action can furnish many incidents, and thofe, fuch as they are, must tend to one common point, it neceffarily follows, that there must be a fameness and uniformity in the fentiments. What must be the result of this? Why, narration is fubftituted in the place of the action; the [r] weakness in the manners fupplied by elaborate defcriptions; and the quick and lively turns of paffion are loft in the detail, and pomp of declamation.

Hort. May we not add to thefe an objection, which has often ftruck me, and which

which extends to the conduct of the fable itself? When the action is confined to the time of the representation, the Poet must often bring events together within the space of four hours, which, in the natural course of things, would have taken up as many days. Thus, by a ftrange kind of management, he commits a violence on nature, in order to come nearer to truth.

Eug, Ir is, to foften, in fome measure, this impropriety, as well as to conform to the unities, that these events, instead of being brought into action, are so often thrown into [s] narration. But, this is a fubject which cannot be properly examined in a morning's conversation: befide, we

[3] Εσιν εν τραγωδία μίμησις πράξεως σπεδαίας και τέλειας τ - και ο δι αππαγελιας

Arift. De Poetica. Cap. vi.

have other objects which demand our at-. tention.

Ir is a point that has not yet been determined, how far Imagery may take place in the Pathetic. Were the imagination to have no fhare in our defigns upon the heart, the Poet's talk would be, indeed, a hard one. The difficulty then can only be, to fet bounds to this indulgence. It must be allowed, that in the extremities of paffion, all ftudied and ambitious ornaments are to be avoided: hence I fhould judge, that thofe images which are founded on comparison, can have little agreement with the fimplicity of the Pathos: and this disagreement will always be found to increase in proportion as the points of fimilitude are specified and enlarged. But this objection will not extend to fimple images: these are

often

often happily employed in the Pathetic; in thefe, Poetry co-operates with Painting; and even borrows her ideas from her fifter Art

Thus, in anger

Romeb.

Alive, in Triumph, and Mercutio flain? Away to heav'n respective lenity,

And [] fire-ey'd Fury be my conduct now! In grief

Juliet. Is there no pity fitting in the clouds, That fees into the the bottom of my grief? R. and J.

[t] Should this compound Epithet "fire-ey'd" be thought inconfiftent with the true Pathos, it will be the strongest proof that can be given, of the neceffity of a ftri& fimplicity on all fuch occafions.

OF

Of all our paffions, that of Love should seem to have the greatest connexion with the fancy. If, therefore, the distinction here made between fimple and comparative imagery, fhould hold good in this paffion, it will hardly be difputed in others. I fhall reft the truth of my obfervation, as I have hitherto done, on examples.

Juliet.

Sweet, good night;

This bud of love, by fummers ripening

breath,

May prove a beauteous flower when next

we meet.

R. and J.

THIS is not the language of nature; true paffion is impatient of studied embel

lishments