liberal, manly, and fuch as do honour to the writer; and now to be dull, trite, and to fhew no knowledge of the human heart. Nay, the very words have been mifquoted, and the author has been defired not to write nonsense, because the Critic, happening not to hear diftinctly, miftook Panoply for Canopy.

To these vague and contradictory affertions, all the reply that becomes either the author's character, or the respect he bears the enlightened Public, is fimply to elucidate his own ideas of the drama, and fubmit it to the impartial judgment of those who are competent to the question, to determine how far his opinions and practice will ftand the teft of true and candid criticism.

He has accordingly annexed a few pages of cur fory remarks on the fubject of Tragedy, by way of Postscript, and, having done this, means to take leave of the fubject. Those Readers who are indifferent to difcuffions of this fort, may neglect these remarks as of no confequence.. Those who love, and are converfant with fuch kind of difquifitions, will, he hopes, find here and there a reflection not totally unworthy their attention. On their candour he relies, to excufe thofe inaccuracies which must of course attend any performance drawn up with the hafte in which the greater part of these observations have been written. He means not to dogmatize, he pretends not to inftruct; he only aims at expreffing his manner of thinking with diffident fimplicity. If his ideas are falfe, his opinions erroneous, he has only to fay, that he shall be happy to be enlightened and corrected by more cultivated tafte, more accu

rate

rate judgment. Should that taste and judgment stamp a value on these few trivial remarks by their fuffrage, all the pride it will excite in him will be that of endeavouring more truly to merit their approbation*.

• The fenfible Arnaud obferves-" Parler de foi ennuie, et fouvent revolte. S'entretenir fur fon art avec le public connaiffeur, avec cette portion d'hommes éclairés, qui seul affure le vrai fuccès, et indique les moyens de l'obtenir, c'eft converfer, s'inftruire avec fes maîtres, et contribuer, autant qu'on le peut, à la perfection du talent."-Difc. Prelim. au Drame du Comte de Cominges.

PRO

́N days long past, when every mufe was young,

IN

Perfuafion dwelt on every poet's tongue;

By means most obvious were the paffions rais'd,
And, pleas'd with novelty, the public prais'd.
Now, when Melpomene, from year to year,
Calls Terror forth, or draws Compaffion's tear,
By plenty cloy'd, and difficult of choice,
Fame gives, reluctant, her affenting voice.

The tragic mufe demands no common dress,
And excellence ftill borders on excess.
If unaffectedly the language flows,
How eafy to exclaim, " mere vulgar profe !”.
Or fwear the dull, uninterefting theme,
Lulls like the murmurs of a purling stream.
If the bold numbers, like a torrent's course,
Roll with impetuous, overwhelming force;
If paffion make the broken measures pant,
Who but condemns it, as unmeaning rant:
Or if the quick, the Spirited reply,

The pause, the start, the forrow-breathing figh,
And every varied gefture, which, impress'd
By nature, rifes from the feeling breast,
The fcene embellish, these we may reject
As the mere pantomime of stage effect.
If, brooding o'er its wrongs, in thought refin'd,
The poet trace the workings of the mind;
If, funk in paffive grief, the wretched groan,

Or

Or make in fond complaint their fuff'rings known,
Here pride difdains the forrow's plaintive flow,
And there derides the fophiftry of woe.

Not more the shapes, by changeful Proteus worn,
Than wit faftidious takes to mark its scorn;
With nobler purpose has our bard employ'd
His utmost ftrength, your cenfure to avoid:
Confcious of failings, ftudious of applause,
To your tribunal be fubmits his caufe.
Here wisdom judges each attempt to please;
Here mercy tempers all your juft decrees.
This night prefents an Oriental Tale,
Where customs, different as the clime, prevail;
Where paffions, fir'd by nearer funs, impart
A glow more ardent to th' expanding heart;
And language, brilliant as their beams, displays
Its daring fight in more afpiring phrafe.

These to pourtray in colours bold, yet true,
As nature gives them in thoje climes to view,
Our author aims; but while th' approaching hour
Decides his fate, from your acknowledg'd pow'r,
Your candour trusting, as he knows your skill,
Tho' hope and fear, his breaft alternate fill,
Yet hope, fuperior, whispers in his ear-
The most judicious-are the leaft fevere.

By the fame FRIEND, as originally written,

IN

N days long past, when ev'ry mufe was young,
Perfuafion dwelt on ev'ry poet's tongue;

By means most obvious were the paffions rais'd,
And, pleas'd with novelty, the public prais'd:
Now, when Melpomene, from year to year,
Calls Terror forth, or draws Compassion's tear,
By plenty cloy'd, and difficult of choice,
Fame gives reluctant her affenting voice;
And ev'ry critic claims the right fupreme
With watchful eye to scan the poet's dream.
Hard as the task appears, new dangers rise,
To guard the conqueft of the tragic prize;
* When here fo late Thalia's fav'rite fon

Crown'd with your faireft wreaths his course hath run ;
And while with jufteft aim his glittʼring Spear
Stops each prentender in his vain career;
So bright his fatire strikes the dazzled view,
That, with falfe arts, he almoft damns the true.
The tragic mufe demands no common dress,
And excellence ftill borders on excess;

If, brooding o'er its wrongs, in thought refin'd,
The poet trace the workings of the mind;
If, funk in paffive grief, the wretched groan,
Or make with fond complaint their juff'rings known,
Here pride difdains the forrow's plaintive flow,
There feoff derides the fophiftry of woe.

'Mid fuch extremes perplex'd, with firmer hand

A hapless author should his helm command,

*

Alluding to Mr. Sheridan's after-piece of the Critic, represented a few weeks before Zoraida.

Than