FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151  
152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  
uestion, whether Rhyme or not Rhyme be best or most natural for a grave or serious Subject: but what is _nearest the nature_ of that which it presents. Now, after all the endeavours of that Ingenious Person, a Play will still be supposed to be a Composition of several persons speaking _ex tempore_ and 'tis as certain, that good verses are the hardest things that can be imagined, to be so spoken [p. 582]. So that if any will be pleased to impose the rule of measuring things to be the best, by _being nearest_ Nature; it is granted, by consequence, that which is most remote from the thing supposed, must needs be most improper: and, therefore, I may justly say, that both I and the question were equally mistaken. For I do own I had rather read good verses, than either Blank Verse or Prose; and therefore the author did himself injury, if he like Verse so well in Plays, to lay down Rules to raise arguments, only unanswerable against himself. But the same author, being filled with the precedents of the Ancients writing their Plays in Verse, commends the thing; and assures us that "our language is noble, full, and significant," charging all defects upon the ill placing of words; and proves it, by quoting SENECA loftily expressing such an ordinary thing, as "shutting a door." _Reserate clusos regii postes Laris_. I suppose he was himself highly affected with the sound of these words. But to have completed his Dictates [_injunctions_]; together with his arguments, he should have obliged us by charming our ears with such an art of placing words, as, in an English verse, to express so loftily "the shutting of a door": that we might have been as much affected with the sound of his words. This, instead of being an argument upon the question, rightly stated, is an attempt to prove, that Nothing may seem Something by the help of a verse; which I easily grant to be the ill fortune of it: and therefore, the question being so much mistaken, I wonder to see that author trouble himself twice about it, with such an absolute Triumph declared by his own imagination. But I have heard that a gentleman in Parliament, going to speak twice, and being interrupted by another member, as against the Orders of the House: he was excused, by a third [member] assuring the House he had not yet spoken to the question. But, if we examine the General Rules laid down for Plays by strict Reason; we shall find the errors equally gross: for the grea
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151  
152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
question
 

author

 

mistaken

 

equally

 

placing

 
affected
 
member
 

shutting

 
loftily
 

arguments


verses

 

things

 
spoken
 

nearest

 
supposed
 

postes

 
suppose
 
natural
 

express

 

clusos


rightly

 

stated

 

attempt

 

Reserate

 

argument

 

English

 

Dictates

 

injunctions

 

completed

 

charming


highly

 
obliged
 

Subject

 

assuring

 

excused

 
uestion
 

Orders

 
examine
 

General

 
errors

strict
 

Reason

 
interrupted
 
trouble
 

fortune

 

Something

 
easily
 

absolute

 
gentleman
 

Parliament