PREFACE. THE contemplation of a Græcian Drama under every point of view conftitutes the defign of these Illustrations. The Preliminary Effay difcuffes the Hiftory, Mythology, Laws, and Customs, on which the Fable is founded, and is intended to prepare the mind of the Reader by connecting feveral obfervations, which would obtrude on his attention with more inconvenience, if they were feparately dispersed. The Intermediate Notes arise from the paffage, to which they refer in the Original and English Translation by fubftituting the different texts, and are confequently very miscellaneous in the feveral objects of their critical inquiry. As the Author was not limited in the narrow boundary of an Editor's or Tranflator's page, he has often indulged himself with the full inveftigation of the subject, when the nature of it has been interefting enough, or the materials fufficiently copious to require it. The Final Effay contains an analysis of the feveral beauties and defects of the Drama, confidered under the conftituent parts of its Plot, Characters, Sentiments, and Language: It traces the delicate connexion a connexion of the Choral Odes, that important and beautiful part of an ancient Tragedy, and illuftrates the Hiftory of the Græcian Theatre in a new and comprehenfive mode of Criticifm: It alfo extends its inquiry to the more modern Plays on the same subject, which have been reprefented on the Roman, Italian, French, and English ftages. The few Annotations, which follow this Final Effay, are only calculated for the attentive Reader of the Original, as they chiefly relate to the Greek Text, and therefore the tranflation of the lines, to which they refer, has been omitted. It remains to inform the Publick, why the two plays of the Ion and Baccha were here felected by the Author for the particular purpose of these Illustrations; And this circumftance arofe from the communication by the English Translator of his intention to publish his poetical verfion of Euripides with a view to the chronological æra of the feveral dramas and not according to the printed form of the Greek Editions in the fame manner as he had formerly done Æfchylus: His original defign therefore was to have followed that feries of chronology, delineated by the Pere Brumoy', who has given the precedence to the Ion: On this information and authority the Commentator began to employ his attention on this particular Drama, as the first object, and had nearly completed his remarks upon it before he difcovered the Théatre des Grecs, tom. 4. p. 93. Ed. 1732. error error in the calculation of the French Critick, and found that the Tragedy of the Baccha was in point of æra antecedent to the Ion: But he would not have been able to have accomplished the publication of this book by the time, in which he understood, that the English Tranflator intended to produce his firft volume, if he had not begun to commit to the Prefs his obfervations on the Ion, while he was employed in collecting and arranging the materials for the Bacchæ; And in his judgment the era of chronology of the Græcian Dramas in regard to the contemplation of the Modern Reader is a matter of the moft trifling confideration. When the author engaged originally in the attempt, he was not aware of the extended field of Criticifm, which gradually expanded itself to his view; And his defign was to have prefixed to this volume the life of Euripides, but neither the space of his work nor the time of performance would permit the execution of this idea3: If he fhould be flattered by any fuccefs, attending thefe Illuftrations, to purfue this Plan of dramatick inquiry on other Plays of this Græcian Poet, the hif 2 See my Notes No. 1. on v. 192 of the Lon, p. 87. & No. 1. on v. 2. of the Bacchæ, p. 317. 3 These Illustrations were intended to form One Volume, and therefore the number of the pages has been continued; but a second frontispiece was afterwards added on the completion of the Work to enable the book to be bound with more convenience to the Reader. tory of his life will become the firft object of attention: But if this event fhould not happen, the commentary on these detached Plays may be confidered an entire work, as far as it extends, and may fuggeft - perhaps to fome abler Writer the great idea of açcomplishing an Hiftory of the Græcian Theatre on an enlarged plan, of which the Pere Brumoy has only furnished an elegant abridgment in miniature. With respect to the performance, now humbly submitted to the Publick, the Author .concludes by borrowing the following remark from Quintilian*: In cæteris enim admifcere tentavimus aliquid nitoris, non jactandi ingenii gratiâ (namque in id eligi materia poterat uberior) fed ut hoc ipfo alliceremus magis ju ventutem ad cognitionem eorum, quæ neceffaria ftudiis arbitramur, fi ducti jucunditate aliquâ lectionis libentius difcerent ea, quorum ne jejuna atque arida traditio averteret animos, & aures præfertim tam delicatas raderet, verebamur. Inft: Orat: 1. 3. c. 1. p. 211. Ed. Burman. DRA |