Hitherto we have feen the Italian Stage entirely corrupted, as to Tafte and Regularity of Compofition; but our Author tells us further, that when he first began to practise that Profeffion, about the Year 1690, not only good Tragedies and Comedies, but good Action was fo rare a thing, that there were few tolerable Comedians at that time in Italy; that. they were neceffitated to find their Harlequins, and principal Mafques among the common ftroling Rope-dancers: fo that the Stage was now at its lowest ebb in Italy, having neither Authors nor Actors.

Things were in this State when the Sieur Riccoboni, at twenty-two years of age, put himfelf at the Head of a Company, and apply'd, with all his might, to the Reformation of the Stage, by prefenting firft Tranflations of the best French, and reviving fome of the old Italian Tragedies and being animated by Succefs, he' attempted the Revival of good Comedy alfo, in which he proceeded after the fame manner, giving firft Tranflations from the French, which fucceeded tolerably well, as did alfo a Comedy of his own compofing, call'd, The Jealous Woman. But when he attempted to revive the old Italian Comedies, and had pitch'd upon the Scolaftica of Arifto for the first trial, he fucceeded fo ill, that having with much difficulty got through four Acts, he was obliged to let fall the Curtain, and give it over; which gave him fuch a difguft at the vitiated Tafte of his own Country, that he foon afterwards left Italy and came into France.

Having given an account of the ingenious Author's Hiftory of the Italian Stage, we fhall now give fome account of his Differtation on modern Tragedy,

After

After having made fome Apology for the Freedom he takes in remarking on the French Dramatick Performances, he begins his Differtation, by obferving the Difference betwixt the Greeks (who were the first Inventers of Tragedy) and the Moderns, in the End and Intention of it. The Greek Poets had a double Defign, viz. The Correction of the Paffions, which is the immediate and natural Tendency of Tragedy, and the Inftruction of the Senates and Princes under whom they liv'd. He inftances in the Palamedes of Euripides, in which the Poet (befides the Perfecution of Ulyffes against Palamedes) intended to make the Athenians fenfible of the Injuftice of their Sentence against Socrates. Aristotle ('tis true) affigns no other End of Tragedy but the Correction of the Paffions; but that is not to be wonder'd at: for befides that the Poets were at a great deal of pains to couch their Precepts, (it being found to be dangerous in all Ages and Countries to fhow an Inclination to teach our Betters) his Situation obliged him to approve, at least not to blame the Conduct of his Pupil Alexander the Great. Which was directly contrary to the Moral of the Greek Tragedies, which were mostly calculated to fhow the bad Effects of Tyranny and Ambition; and therefore that Moral was not proper to be explain'd and infifted on by Ariftotle.

After the Grecians, the Romans, and after them the Moderns writ Tragedies; but (as our Author thinks) only for the fake of writing Tragedies, without having any political End in view: which Obfervation I believe will hold pretty generally, with regard to the Italian and French Tragedies; for the Manner of Government in Italy and France is fuch, as not to

admit

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admit of those ftrong Sentiments of Liberty, which were fo beautiful and ufeful in the ancient Dramatick Performances but it will by no means be found juft, with refpect to the British Stage: tho' our Author may well be excufed, fince the profeffes not to be acquainted with it.

Before the Year 1500, or thereabouts, it was ufual in Italy, during Lent, and upon folemn Occafions, to exhibit in the Churches Reprefentations of the Paffion of Christ, the Sufferings of the Martyrs, and Lives of the Saints; at which the People affifted out of a Principle of Devotion, which made the Introduction of regular Tragedy into Italy the more difficult for as the People came generally away from thofe facred Spectacles with Hearts full of religious Sorrow, they did not care to have Grief and Sadnefs excited in them oftener than was necessary, While the Belles Lettres flourished in Italy, Tragedy was, for fome time, fupported by the Litterati, who were charm'd with the Imitations of the Ancients; but the Grofs of the People, who make the better part of the Audience, efpecially in Italy, not relifhing that polite: Entertainment, it foon fell into decay. Trifino was the first that made a Tragedy in the Italian Language, upon the Subject of Sophonisha, which our Author fays, is an excellent Performance; and if fucceeding Writers had follow'd his Example, Tragedy might have taken furer footing in Italy. But they, by mixing too much Horror in their Pieces, frighted People from feeing them, and there is but small hope of its being reftored to its former Efteem, tho' fince 1700, it has been a little revived by Gravina, and the celebrated Marquis Moffe..

From

From the Italian, our Author paffes to the French Stage, which was much later, and indeed was not brought to any degree of Perfection before Peter Corneille; who may be reckon'd not only the Reformer, but Inventer of the French Tragedy, because he and his Succeffors writ in. a manner different from either Greeks, Latins, or Italians; and which was entirely accommodated to the Gallantry and Politenefs of the French Court: infomuch that their Tragedies feem to be nearly allied to, if not the immediate Offspring of Romance; for Love and Romantick Gallantry is fo much in vogue on the French Stage, that in all their Performances, even where the Characters feem to forbid it, Love is the prevailing Paffion. Who would think (fays our Author) that Sertorius and Pompey would conclude a grave and ferious Converfation upon Politicks and Matters of State, with a Conference about their Amours? This romantick takes up three fourths of the Play, and without it the whole five Acts might be reduc'd to one or two at moft, and the Action not in the leaft interrupted by that Retrenchment; which he proves by feveral Instances: nor does he think it a fufficient Excufe to fay (as is commonly done) that without a great deal of Love and Gallantry, their Tragedies would never be agreeable to the French Ladies; for he obferves, that Athaliab had great Succefs; and the greatest Objection to Monfieur de Voltaire's Oedipus, was the Amours of Philoctetes and Jocasta. But the true reafon (he imagines) is, that it fwells the Piece, fupplies the Barrennefs of Invention, and throws a Mift before the Readers or Spectators Eyes, and thereby hin

Gallantry often

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ders

ders them to perceive the Irregularity and Imperfection in the Conduct of the main Action.

Another Particularity in the French Tragedy, is the Exclufion of the Chorus, and the Introduction of Confidants, which are a fort of Perfonages both useless and impertinent very often on the Stage, and which feem alfo to be borrowed from Romance; in which the Knight and the Squire gave the hint of the Principal and Confidant on the Stage. M. Rouffeau, in his Letter to our Author (which is prefix'd to the fecond Volume) thinks this Reflection a little too fevere, and puts him in mind that Confidants are frequently very conveniently brought upon the Stage; and were alfo made ufe of by the Ancients, particularly Euripides: which our Author does not deny, but fays, what he finds fault with, is the bringing in Confidants right or wrong, as if they were effential to a Tragedy.

He comes next to what Criticks call the three fundamental Rules of Tragedy, viz. The Unities of Place, Time and Action. Ariftotle has faid nothing of the Unity of Place, because the Time being once determin'd, he thought that, from the Nature of the Thing, must determine the Place: befides, the Ancients Manner of Reprefentation was at firft very fimple, having neither Machines, nor Variety of Decorations, which are neceffary to help the Imagination when the Place of Action changes: for which reason the first Authors of Tragedy were obliged to chufe fuch Subjects as could be acted on the fame invariable Spot; and the Decora tions and Machines were afterwards introduc'd to heighten the Magnificence of their Shows: yet those Decorations were only Ornaments of the fame Scene, and the Machines were for the

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