THE Author then begins with cenfuring Moliere, (whofe Genius he at the fame time applauds highly, and declares, that in him all the Wit of Aristophanes, the Feftivity of Plautus, the moral Knowledge of Terence were united) for corrupting the Minds of the French. He -afterwards inveighs against thofe comick Writers, who not being able to copy Moliere's Beauties, imitated his Faults and Imperfections. Those also, who being unwilling to write obfcenely, did yet fhadow the most filthy Images under the most delicate Expreffions, which is of more dangerous confequence. Such likewife as, for the fake of pleafing the Vulgar, interfpers'd their Pieces with low, petulant Jefts; not reflecting, that all this is derogating to Comedy, whofe whole aim fhould be to correct and improve the Mind.

THIS the Authors of the mufical Drama cannot be faid to effect. But thefe will compare their School to a royal or publick Garden, every part of which is laid out and dispos'd merely to delight the Eye, and not to benefit Mankind. So far would be allowable, but then they ought not to raise venomous Flowers and Plants in this Garden.

We then have a pitturefque Defcription of fuch a Garden, in which Pleasure, crown'd with Rofes, is fuppos'd to be feated on a verdant Throne, the little Loves hovering about her, and Reason, bound in flowery Wreaths, lying proftrate at her feet. Hither all the Gods and Goddeffes of Antiquity, the Heroes and Heroines, the Fauns and Dryads, the Tritons and Nayads, &c. are imagin'd to refort. All these are fuppos'd to be enflam'd with Love, and to be taught the most pernicious

Maxims by the Deity Pleafure, who prefides there. This the Author declares is a juft Picture of Operas, and thereupon appeals to the Reader, whether fuch a School can conduce to the forming our Minds to Virtue. He then accuses the Authors of the mufical Drama, for applying the heavenly Talents, which Providence has indulg'd them, to fuch ill Uses. But many of thefe, fays he, confefs their Crime, and the two moft fam'd Lyric Poets in France bewail'd their having fo much fomented the loofe Paffions.

Bur will Actors, whether in Tragedy or Comedy, or Opera Singers, not confefs themfelves in fome meafure Criminal? Is not the Drama in their Hands, what a Bow and Arrow is in that of a fkilful Archer? The more skilfully they reprefent a vicious Character, the greater is their Guilt. And there are very few but endeavour to refine upon the Poet on thefe Occafions, and fet off his Words with the greatest Beauty of Voice and Action. The Actreffes too, who reprefent foft tender Characters, and endeavour to charm by their Drefs, and employ the feveral Blandifhments which their Sex fo artfully use, are far from being excufable.

BUT how muft Actors behave in order to be innocent? Receive none but virtuous Plays, fince 'tis in their power to accept or refufe them. But it must be confefs'd, that the Audience are generally pleas'd with those in the loofeft Caft; and therefore they are principally to be blam'd, fince both Poets and Players write and act in a view of pleafing them. Let us now examine what fort of People generally form an Audience.

IT

IT confifts generally of the inquifitive and volatile, of the indolent, lazy part of Mankind; of those who are distracted with their private Affairs, and tormented with domeftick Broils; of Perfons of all, and of no Rank; who cannot be called either virtuous or wicked, trifling or ferious, idle or induftrious; flocking to the Play-Houfe or to the Church, to a Comedy or a Sermon, with the fame religious Spirit and Reflection; that is, without any.

HOWEVER, these form the least vicious

part of an Audience, for it likewife confifts of the juvenile, debauch'd part of both Sexes, who have been ruin'd by the indulgence of their Parents; of Husbands and Wives who hate one another mortally, and are immers'd in all the Vices of Concupifcence. Now what can fuch an Audience as this defire to fee exhibited? Plays of the fame Caft with their own leud Actions. And therefore we are not to wonder that the Poets and Players fhould entertain them with fuch.

BUT if the Audience wou'd approve of none but virtuous Pieces, they would be entertain'd with fuch only; if the Poet has fallen into an Impropriety of Thought or Diction, or the Action of the Player is not juft, immediately a Hifs arises; but how much rather ought they to hifs things of a vicious turn?

BUT fhou'd any one object here, that Youth is made for Folly, that we are to indulge in the wild Frenzy of Love; I anfwer, that no Age is made for Folly, and that Love ought always to be regulated by Reason.

'Tis therefore the Bufinefs of the Audience to prescribe Laws to both Poets and Players,

to

to cenfure vicious Pieces, and to applaud those of a virtuous kind. This being done, the Stage, instead of depraving and corrupting the Mind, would be found a School proper for forming it to Virtue.

So far our Author. The Original is writ in a nervous, declamatory Style, which tends indeed to Fustian, but 'tis a Fuftian of the noblest kind, and fuch as, finely spoke, cou'd not but make a deep impreffion on the Audience. The Figures are ftrong and lively, the Arguments folid and judicious, and we believe it may be affirm'd, that no Writer has fet this Subject in fo juft and beautiful a Light as our Author. Some zealous Advocates for the Stage, will not allow it to have one Defect, while others will not allow it one Perfection; but our Author has judicioufly pointed out the most happy Medium on this Occafion, and by declaring what the Stage is in itself, and how much 'tis abus'd, lays down a Method by which it may be made a School of Wisdom and Virtue. And as fuch a School is fo highly conducive to our Happinefs, this Piece, an Englib Tranflation of which will speedily be publifh'd, ought to be carefully perus'd by Perfons of all Ranks and Conditions.

.D

AR

ARTICLE XXIII.

A Second Extract of Sir ISAAC NEWTON'S Obfervations upon the Prophecies of DANIEL and the Apocalypfe of ST. JOHN. (See the first Abstract in No. XXI. Art. 13. p. 245.)

N the ninth Chapter, Sir Ifaac Newton treats

IN

of the Kingdoms reprefented in Daniel*, by the Ram and He-Goat. The former part of this Prophecy is explained by the Prophet himfelf, who tells us, that the Ram having two Horns, are the Kings of Media and Perfia; not two Perfons, fays our Author, but two Kingdoms and the Kingdom of Perfia was the higher Horn that came up laft. The Kingdom of Perfia rofe up, when Cyrus having newly conquered Babylon, revolted from Darius, King of the Medes, and beat him at Pafargada, and fet up the Perfians above the Medes. The Horn that came up firft, was the Kingdom of the Medes, from the time that Cyaxares and Nebuchadnezzar overthrew Niniveh, and fhared the Empire of the Affyrians between them. As the Ram reprefents the Kingdom of Media and Perfia, from the Beginning of the four Empires; fo the He-Goat reprefents the Empire of the Greeks, to the End of thofe Monarchies. In the Reign of his great Horn, and of the great Horns which fucceeded it, he reprefents the Empire, during the Reign of the Leopard; and in the Reign of his little Horn, which ftood up in the latter time of the Kingdom of the Four, and after their Fall became mighty, but not by

* Ch. viii.