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dern comedy, what is one of the first how is this irregularity compensated? objects which presents itself; and of it, At what are we surprised; and why? what is observed? Who are the chief What is said of Sir John Vanburgh? Spanish comedians? Of Lopez de How is this illustrated? Of Congreve, Vega, what is remarked? Of these what is observed; and what is his chief plays, what is the nature? At the same fault? How is this illustrated? What ime, what is generally admitted? kind of a writer is Farquhar? Which What apology does he himself give, are his two best plays? Why does our for the extreme irregularity of his com- author say the least exceptionable? positions? What are the general cha- How is this fully illustrated? Of the racters of the French comic theatre? censure which our author has now What writers of note has it produced? passed, what is observed; and why? Of Moliere, what is farther observed? How do foreigners speak of this? How What does Voltaire boldly pronounce is this illustrated? Of what, therefore, him? Of this decision, what is obser- is there no wonder, and what does he vea? Of what is Moliere always the say? To have what in his power, howsatirist; and what has he done? What ever, is our author happy ; and of what does he possess, and of what is he full? have we at last become ashamed? Of his comedies in verse, what is ob- What remark follows? For this reforserved; and also of those in prose, mation, to what are we indebted; and what is remarked? Together with of it what is observed? From what those high qualities what defects has does it appear that this is not altoge he? Few writers, however, have done ther a modern invention? Of the nawhat, so perfectly as he has? Which are ture of this composition, what is obseraccounted his two capital productions? ved? What comedy have we in Eng From the English theatre, what are we lish that approaches this character; naturally led to expect; and why? What and what is said of it? In French, afford full scope to the display of singu- what are there; and name them? larity of character, and to the indulgence When this form of comedy first ap of humour? What is the case in France? peared in France. how was it received? Hence, what follows; but what is ex- Why was it objected to; and what tremely unfortunate? How does it ap-was said of it? But of this, what is ob pear that the first age of English come- served? Why should not all comedies dy was not infected by this spirit? Of be formed on one precise model? Of Shakspeare's general character, par-serious and tender comedy, what is farticularly, what is observed? What is ther remarked? But when may it prove also said of Jonson? What is remarked both an interesting and an agree of the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher; able species of dramatic writing? If it but in general, with what do they become insipid and drawling, to what abound? How have these comedies be- must this be imputed? What may alcome too obsolete to be very agreeable; ways be esteemed a mark of society and why? With what comedies is this advancing in true politeness? Repeat especially the case; and for what reason? the closing remark. Of Plautus, what is here observed; and what is a high proof of Shakspeare's genius? When did licentiousness seize on comedy for its province? Who then became the hero of every comedy; and upon what was the ridicule thrown? At the end of the play, what commonly took place? But for what is he set up throughout it, and what is the consequence? What remark follows; and how long did this spirit prevail upon the comic stage? What is said of Dryden? As he sought to please only, what was the consequence? Since his time, who have been the writers of greatest note? Of Cibber, what is remarked? Of the former, what is observed; and what is said of the latter? To what is it liable; and why? Butl

Comedy.

ANALYSIS.

1. The nature of comedy.
2. Rules respecting it.

3. The scene and subjects.
4. The different kinds of comedy.
5. The characters.

6. The style.

7. The origin of comedy.
8. Greek comedy.

A. The different stages of it.
9. Spanish comedy.
A. Lopez de Vera.
10. French comedy.

A. Moliere.

11. English comedy.

A. Shakspeare-Beaumont-Fletcher.
B. Dryden-Cibber-Vanburgh--Con-

greve.

c. A new species of comed.

INDEX.

Accents, throw a farther back from the ter-
mination in the English than in any oth-
er language, 99. Seldom more than
one in English words, 368. Govern the
measure of English verse, 430.
Achilles, his character in the Iliad examin-
ed, 485

Action, much used to assist language in an
imperfect state, 63. And by ancient ora-
tors and players, 64. Fundamental rule
of propriety in, 374. Caution with res-
pect to, 376. In epic poetry, the requi-
sites of, 474.

Acts, the division of a play into five, and
arbitrary limitation, 513. These pauses
in representation ought to fall proper-
ly, 514.

Adam, his character in Milton's Paradise
Lost, 504.

Addison, general view of his Essay on the
Pleasures of the Imagination, 31. His
invocation of the muse in his Campaign
censured, 48. Blemishes in his style,
115, 116, 124. Ease and perspicuity of,
127, 128, 130. His beautiful description
of light and colours, 155. Instance of
his use of metaphor, 165. Improper
use of similes, 184. His general cha-
racter as a writer, 208. Character of
his Spectator, 216. Critical examina-
tion of some of those papers, ibid. Re-
marks on his criticism of Tasso's Amin-
ta, 441, note. His tragedy of Cato cri-
tically examined, 511, 518, 522, 524.
Adjectives, common to all languages, 88.
How they came to be classed with nouns,
ibid.

Adverbs, their nature and use defined, 93.
Importance of their position in a sen-
tence illustrated, 115.

Eneid, of Virgil, critical examination of
that poem, 489. The subject, ibid. Ac-
tion, 490, is deficient in characters,
ibid. Distribution and management of
the subject, ibid. Abounds with awful
and tender scenes, 491. The descent
of Eneas into hell, 492. The poem left
finished by Virgil, 493.

JEschines, a comparison between him and
Demosthenes, 272.

schylus, his character as a tragic writer,
526.

Ema, remarks on Virgil's description of

that mountain, 46. And on that by Sir
Richard Blackmore, ibid.

Affectation, the disadvantages of, in public
speaking, 376.

Ages, four, peculiarly fruitful in learned
men, pointed out, 388.

Akenside, his comparison between sublinu-
ty in natural and moral objects, 36, note.
Instance of his happy allusion to figures,
155. Characters of his Pleasures of the
Imagination, 449.

Alphabet of letters, the consideration which
led to the invention of, 76. Remote ob.
scurity of this invention, ibid. The al-
phabets of different nations derived from
one common source, 77.
Allegory, explained, 168. Anciently a fa-
vourite method of conveying instruc-
tions, 169. Allegorical personages im-
proper agents in epic poetry, 172, 230.
Ambiguity n style, from whence it pro-
ceeds, 114.

Amplification in speech, what, 191. Its
principal instrument, ibid.
American languages, the figurative style
of, 67, 152.

Anagnorisis, in ancient tragedy explained,

515.

Annals and history, the distinction be-
tween, 408.

Ancients and moderns distinguished, 388.
The merits of ancient writers are now
finally ascertained, 389. The progress
of knowledge favourable to the moderns,
in forming a comparison between them,
390. In philosophy and history, ibid
The efforts of genius greater among the
ancients, 391. A mediocrity of genius
now more diffused, 392.
Antithesis, in language explained, 188.
The too frequent use of, censured, ibid.
Apostrophe, the nature of this figure ex-
plained, 179. Find one from Cicero,
290, note.
Arabian Nights Entertainments, a charac-
ter of those tales, 418.
Arabian poetry, its character, 425.
Arbuthnot, character of his epistolary writ
ing, 416.

Architecture, sublimity in, whence it arises,
35. The sources of beauty in, 54.
Arguments, the proper management of in
a discourse, 353. Analytic and synthe

tic methods, 354. Arrangement of, 355.
Are not to be too much multiplied, 357.
Ariosto, character of his Orlando Furioso,
419, 498.

Aristotle, his rules for dramatic and epic
composition, whence derived, 27. His
definition of a sentence, 12. His ex-
tended sense of the term metaphor, 159.
Character of his style, 197, 201. His in-
stitutions of rhetoric, 270, 386. His de-
finition of tragedy considered, 507. His
observations on tragic characters, 520.
Aristophanes, character of his comedies,
537.

Arithmetical figures, universal characters,
75.

irk of the covenant, choral service per-
formed in the procession of bringing it
back to Mount Zion, 461.
Armstrong, character of his Art of Preserv-
ing Health, 419.

Art, works of, considered as a source of
beauty, 54.

Articles, in language, the use of, 81. Their
importance in the English language il-
lustrated, ibid.

Articulation, clearness of, necessary in
public speaking, 367.
Associations, academical, recommended,
384. Instructions for the regulation of,
385.

Athenians, ancient character of, 266. Elo-
quence of, ibid.

Atterbury, a more harmonious writer than
Tillotson, 142. Critical examination of
one of his sermons, 326. His exordium
to a 30th of January sermon, 345.
Allici and Asiani, parties at Rome, account
of, 275.

Authors, petty, why no friends to criticism,

28. Why the most ancient afford the
most striking instances of sublimity, 39.
Must write with purity to gain esteem,
100, 101.

B.

Bacon, his observations on romances, 417.
Ballads, have great influence over the man-
ners of a people, 417. Were the first
vehicles of historical knowledge and in-
struction, 423.

Bar, the eloquence of defined, 263 Why
inore confined than the pleadings before
ancient tribunals, 283. Distinction be-
tween the motives of pleading at the
bar, and speaking in popular assemblies,
299. In what respect ancient pleadings
differ from those of modern times, ibid.
Instructions for pleaders, 301, 350.
Bards, ancient, the first founders of law
and civilization, 424.

Barrow, Dr. character of his style, 199.
Character of his sermons, 325.
Beaumont and Fletcher, their characters
as dramatic poets, 540.
Beauty, the emotion raised by, distinguish-
ed from that of sublimity, 49. Is a term

of vague application, 50. Colours, ibid.
Figures, 51. Hogarth's line of beauty
and line of grace considered, 51. The
human countenance, 53. Works of art,
ibid The influence of fitness and de-
sign in our ideas of beauty, 54. Beauty
in literary composition, ibid. Novelty,
55. Imitation, ibid.

Bergerus, a German critic, writes a treatise
on the sublimity of Cæsar & Commenta-
ries, 38.

Berkeley, bishop, character of his Dia-
ogues on the existence of Matter, 413
Biography, as the class of historical com-
position, characterized, 409.
Blackmore, Sir Richard, remarks on his
description of Mount Ætna, 46.
Blackwell, his character as a writer, 210
Boileau, his character as a didactic poet,
451.

Bolingbroke, instances of inaccuracy in his
style, 121, 1832. A beautiful climax
from, 129. A beautiful metaphor from,
169. His general character as a politi-
cian and philosopher, 160. His general
character as a writer, 211, 383.
Bombast, in writing described, 48.
Bossu, his definition of an epic poem, 470
His account of the composition of the
Iliad, 471.

Bossuet, M. instances of apostrophes to
personified objects, in his funeral ora-
tions, 179, note. Conclusion of his tu
neral oratiou on the Prince of Conde, 364.
Britain, Great, not eminent for the study
of Eloquence, 280. Compared with
France in this respect, 281.

Bruyere, his parallel between the elo-
quence of the pulpit and the bar, 313,
note.

Buchanan, his character as an historian,
407.

Building, how rendered sublime, 35.
C.

Cadmus, account of his alphabet, 76.
Casar's commentaries, the style of charac.
terized, 38. Is considered by Bergerus
as a standard of sublime writing, ibid
Instance of his happy talent in historical
painting, 404, note. His character of
Terence the dramatist, 538.
Cameons, critical examination of his Lusi-
ad, 499. Confused machinery of, ibid.
Campbell, Dr. his observations on English
particles, 87, note.

Carmel, Mount, metaphorical allusions to
in Hebrew poetry, 464.
Casimir, his character as a lyric poet, 446.
Catastrophe, the proper conduct of, in dra-
matic representations, 514.
Caudine Forks, Livy's happy description
of the disgrace of the Roman army there,

402.

Celtic language, its antiquity and charac-
ter, 95.
The remains of it where to be
found ibid. Poetry, its character, 424.

Characters, the dangers of labouring them
too much in historical works, 405. The
due requ sites of, in tragedy, 519.
Chinese language, character of, 64. And
writing, 74.

Chivalry, origin of, 418.

Chorus, ancient, described, 509. Was the
origin of tragedy, ibid. Inconveniences
of, ibid. How it might properly be in
troduced on the modern theatre, 503.
Chronology, a due attention to, necessary

to historical compositions, 397.
Chrysostom St. his oratorical character,
280.

Cibber, his character as a dramatic writer,
541.

Cicero, his ideas of taste, 17, note. His dis-
tinction between amare and diligere, 108.
His observations on style, 113. Very
attentive to the beauties of climax, 129.
Is the most harmonious of all writers,
135. His remarks on the power of mu-
sic in orations, 137. His attention to
harmony too visible, 141. Instance of
his happy talent of adapting sound to
sense, 113. His account of the origin
of figurative language, 152. His obser-
vations on suiting language to the sub-
ject, 161. His rule for the use of meta-
phor, 162. Instance of antithesis in, 187.
The figure of speech called vision, J.
His caution against bestowing profuse
ornaments on an oration, 193. His dis-
tinction of style, 196. His own charac-
ter as a writer, 197. His character of
the Grecian orators, 268. His own cha-
racter as an orator, 274. Compared
with Demosthenes, 276. Masterly apos-
trophe in, 290, note. His method of
studying the judicial causes he under-
took to plead, 301. State of the prose-
cution of Avitus Cluentius, 305. Analysis
of Cicero's oration for him, ibid. The ex-
ordium of his second oration against Rul-
fus, 343. His method of preparing intro-
ductions to his orations, 344. Excelled in
narration, 351. His defence of Milo, ibid.
357. Instance of the pathetic in his last
oration against Verres, 362 Character of
his treatise de Oratore, 389. Character
of his dialogues, 12 His epistles, 415.
Clarendon, Lord, remarks on his style,

120. His character as an historian, 407.
Clarke, Dr. the style of his sermous cha-
racterized, 324.
Classics, ancient, their merits now finally
settles beyond controversy, 388. The
study of them recommended, 393.
Climar, a great beauty in composition,
129. In what it consists, 191.
Cluentius, Avitns, history of his prosecu
tion, 305 His cause undertaken by Ci-
cero, ibid. Analysis of Cicero's oration
for him, ibid.

Colours, considered as the foundation of
beauty, 50.

Comedy, how distinguished from tragedy,
506, 533. Rules for the conduct of, ibid.
The characters in, ought to be of our
own country and our own tin:e, 534.
Two kinds of, ibid. Characters ought
to be distinguished, 535. Style, 536.
Rise and progress of comedy, ibid. Spa-
nish comedy, 638. French comedy, 539.
English comedy, 540. Licentiousness of,
from the era of the restoration, 541.
The restoration of, to what owing, 643.
General remarks, 544.

Comparison, distinguished from metaphor,
158. The nature of this figure explain-
ed, 181.

Composition. See Literary composition.
Congreve, the plot of his Mourning Bride

embarrassed, 513. General character
of his tragedy, 532. His comedies, 541.
Conjugation of verbs, the varieties of, 90.
Conviction, distinguished from persuasion,
262.

Copulatives, caution for the use of them,
124.

Corneille, his character as a tragic writer,

528.

Couplets, the first introduction of, into
English poetry, 432.

Cowley, instances of forced metaphors in
his poems, 162. His use of similes cen-
sured, 186. His general character as a
poet, 446.

Crevier, his character of several eminent
French writers, 382, note.
Criticism, true and pedantic distinguished,
13. Its object, 27. Its origin, 28.
Why complained of by petty authors,
ibid. May sometimes decide against the
voice of the public, ibid.
Cyphers, or arithmetical figures, a kind of
universal character, 75.

D.

David, King, his magnificent institutions
for the cultivation of sacred music and
poetry, 460. His character as a poet,
468.

Debate in popular assemblies, the eloquence
of, defined, 262. More particularly con
sidered, 285. Rules for, 287.
Declamation, unsupported by sound rea-
soning, false eloquence, 286.
Declension of nouns considered in various
languages, 84. Whether cases or pre-
positions were most anciently used, 85.
Which of them are most useful and
beautiful, 86.

Deities, heathen, probable cause of the
number of, 173.
Deliberative orations what, 284.
Delivery, the importance of,in public sper

ing, 292, 365. The four chief requisites
in, 366. The powers of voice, ibid
Articulation, 367. Pronunciation, 368.
Decla-
Emphasis, 369. Pauses, 370.

matory delivery, 374. Action ibid. Af-
fectation 376.

Demetrius, Phaleras, the rhetorician, his
character, 273.

Demonstrative orations, what, 284.
Demosthenes, his eloquence characterized,
267. His expedients to surmount the
disadvantages of his person and address,
271. His opposition to Philip of Ma-
cedon, ibid. His rivalship with Es-
chines, 272. His style and action, ibid.
Compared with Cicero, 276. Why his
orations still please in perusal, 286.
Extracts from his Philippics, 293. His
definition of the several points of orato-
ry, 365.

Description, the great test of a poet's ima-
gination, 452. Selection of circum-
stances, ibid. Inanimate objects should
be enlivened, 455. Choice of epithets,
456.

Description and imitation, the distinction
between, 56.

Des Brosses, his speculations on the ex-
pressive power of radical letters and
syllables, 61, note.

Dialogue writing, the properties of, 411.
Is very difficult to execute, 412. Mo-
dern dialogues characterized, ibid.
Didactic poetry, its nature explained, 447.
The most celebrated productions in this
class specified, ibid. Rules for composi
tions of this kind, 448. Proper embel-
lishments of, ibid.

Diderot, M. his character of English co-
medy, 543.

Dido, her character in the Æneid examin-
ed, 490.

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, his ideas of
excellency in a sentence, 136 His dis-
tinction of style, 196. Character of his
treatise on Grecian oratory, 269. His
comparison between Lysias and Iso-
crates, 270, nole. His criticism on Thu-
cydides, 397.
Discourse. See Oration.
Dramatic poetry, the origin of, 425. Dis-

tinguished by its objects, 505. See Tra-
gedy and Comedy.

Dryden, one of the first reformers of our
style, 200. Johnson's character of his
prose style, ibid, note. His character as
a poet, 432. His character of Shak-
speare, 530, note. His own character as
a dramatic writer, 531, 541.

Du Bos, Abbé, his remark on the theatri-
cal compositions of the ancients, 137.
E.
Education, liberal and essential requisite
for eloquence, 380.

Egypt, the style of the hieroglyphical writ-
ing of, 73. This an early stage of the
art of writing, ibid. The alphabet pro-
bably invented in that country, 76.
Emphasis, its importance in public speak-
ing, 369. Rule for, ibid.

Eloquence, the several objects of considera-

tion under this head, 261. Definition of

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the term, 262, 377. Fundamental max-
ims of the art, 262. Defended agains:
the objection of the abuse of the art vi
persuasion, ibid. Three kinds of elo
quence distinguished, 263. Oratory, the
highest degree of, the offspring of pas
sion, 264. Requisites for eloquence, ibia.
French eloquence, 265. Grecian, 266
Rise and character of the rhetoricians of
Greece, 268. Roman, 274. The attici
and asiani, 276. Comparison between
Cicero and Demosthenes, ibid. The
schools of the declaimers, 279. The
eloquence of the primitive fathers of the
church, 280. General remarks on mod.
ern eloquence, ibid. Parliament, 283.
The bar and pulpit, ibid. The three kinds
of orations distinguished by the ancients,
284. These distinctions how far cortes-
pondent with those made at present,
285. Eloquence of popular assemblies
considered, ibid The foundation of elo-
quence, 286. The danger of trusting to
prepared speeches at public meetings,
287. Necessary premeditation pointed
out, ibid. Method, 288. Style and ex-
pression, ibid. Impetuosity, 289.
tention to decorums, 290. Delivery,
292, 366. Summary, 292. See Cicero,
Demosthenes, Oration, and Pulpit.
English language, the arrangement of
words in, inore refined than that of an-
cient languages, 70. But more limited,
ibid. The principles of general grammar
seldom applied to it, 78. The important
use of articles in, 81. All substantive
nouns of inanimate objects of the neuter
gender, 82. The place of declension in,
supplied by prepositions, 85. The va-
rious tenses of English verbs, 91. His-
torical view of the English language,
95. The Celtic the primitive language of
Sritain, ibid. The Teutonic tongue the
basis of our present speech, 96. Its ir
regularities accounted for, ibid. Its
copiousness, ibid. Compared with the
French language, 97. Its style charac-
terized, ibid. its flexibility, 98. Is more
harmonious than is generally allowed,
ibid. Is rather strong than graceful, 99.
Accent thrown farther back in English
words, than in those of any other lan
guage, ibid. General properties of the
English tongue, ibid. Why so loosely
and inaccurately written, 100.
fundamental rules of syntax, common
both to the English and Latin, ibid.
No author can gain esteem if he does
not write with purity, 101. Grammati
cal authors recommended, ibid, nole.
Epic poetry, the standards of, 393. Is the
highest effort of poetical genius, 470
The characters of, obscured by critics,
ibid. Examination of Bossu's account
of the formation of the Iliad, ibid. Epic
poetry considered as to its moral tenden-

The

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