THE

CONTENTS.

E

SSAY on tragedy. In a letter to the

late lord Bolingbroke.

page I

Of love-intrigues in tragedy. In a letter

to father Porée a jefuit.

34

On the neceffity of writing dramatic pieces

in verse, against the opinion of mon-

fieur de la Motte. In a preface to

Edipus.

4.0

On

On elegance of expreffion in tragedy.

In a preface to Herod and Mariamne.

page 67

Of french and english tafte, with regard

to dramatic compofition. In a letter

to Sir Everard Falkener..

78

On the fame fubject, in a fecond letter to

On the usefulness of fhewing the dan-

ger of fanaticifm in dramatic perform-

In an advertisement prefixed to

ances.

Mahomet.

129

On the fame fubject. In a letter to the

king of Pruffia.

137

On the noble fimplicity of greek tragedy.

In a letter to fignor Maffei,

157

On Shakespear. In an advertisement pre-

fixed to the Death of Cæfar.

On ancient and modern tragedy.

dreffed to cardinal Quirini.

181

Ad-

185

On the contraft of merry and affecting

fentiments, and on the caufe of laugh-

ter, in comedy. In a preface to the

Prodigal Son.
226

On the proper provinces of tragedy, and

of comedy. In a preface to Nanine.

234

Of

Of the excellencies of the greek, and de-

fects of the french drama.

to the dutchefs of Maine.,

Addreffed

242

On chinese tragedy. In a dedication to

the duke of Richelieu.

264

CRI-

CRITICAL ESSAYS.

ESSAY on TRAGEDY;

Addreffed to Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke.

T

HOUGH I dedicate to an Englishman a play represented at Paris, it is not, my lord, that there are wanting in France men of great me rit, and excellent judges, to whom I might have paid that homage. But, you know, the tragedy of Brutus * was begun in England: you remember when I was re

* There is an English Brutus by an author named Lee; but it is a performance unknown, and never reprefented in London. Voltaire. B

tired