conducted poem, the art of the poet is such that by the power of illusion he is so impressed with what immediately occupies him that the recollection of what he knows on the subject is driven out of his mind, and he feels too much interested in what is before him to reflect upon it.

356. The catastrophe may be brought about in two ways, either by recognition (recognitio, as the rhetoricians call it,) or by revolution (eputetia.) When the unravelling of the plot discloses circumstances of which the principal personage was ignorant, and its resolution depends upon these circumstances, it is said to take place by recognition.

357. When the unravelling of the plot turns upon the weakness of the principal personage, and its resolution is brought about by removing the obstacles in his way, and by destroying the force opposed to his efforts for the consummation of the action, it is said to be by revolution. This is always the case. when there is a change of fortune.

358. The catastrophe may be brought about in the same piece both by recognition and revolution.

The more intricate the plot is, that is, the greater the obstacles may be that retard the action, the greater the perils the hero or principal personage encounters, and the more contrary the solution is to the expectation of the reader or spectator, the more striking and interesting the piece will be rendered, provided unity of design be strictly observed, and all the incidents and episodes introduced necessarily depend upon the main action and conspire to its accomplishment.

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The catastrophe may either be fortune individual tunate, or it may be both at the same timevidualized Ex. It is fortunate in The Odyssey, happens Eneid, Coriolanus, in Iphigenia in Taurus aliis unfortunate in Othello, Edipus Tyrannus; it is both in The Iliad, Paradise Lost, Hamlet, Athalie.

ART. II. OF THE QUALITIES OF THE ACTORS.

359. The actors or personages introduced into the poem should neither be more nor less numerous than is necessary for the accomplishment of the action. No one ought to be introduced who does not in some way or other concur in facilitating or retarding the progress of the action. The character and manners of each ought to be peculiar to himself and distinctly marked.

360. The character of a person is the natural inclination which he has of speaking and acting in one particular way rather than other.

The manners are simply this same natural inclination, modified by education, by country, by age, by habit, by example, by the passions, and by rea

son.

may have acquired But, as it is imposin the natural cha

Accordingly, a man may have by nature a bad inclination or character, and yet good manners, and vice versâ. sible to effect an entire change racter, it will always maintain a powerful influence over the manners, and will always discover itself in the general tenor of the conduct, and be espe

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conducted poyed in the workings of passion.

The

the power refore, ought to mark distinctly those qua immed whether natural or acquired, which distinguish ach of his personages.

wh

361. The manners are distinctly marked when we can easily recognise in the discourse or the actions of a person what is his peculiar character, his genius, his passions, and actual dispositions. The poet should not suppose he makes his heroes known to us by description, or by giving us their portraits; he must make them speak and act.

362. The manners, moreover, ought to be appropriate, that is, the personages ought to speak and act conformably to the period in which they live, their country, their sex, their age, their condition, their passions, and their actual dispositions, and, if it is known, according to the opinion history or fable has transmitted to us of their character.

363. They ought also to be well sustained, that is, each personage in his discourse and actions ought to appear throughout and to the end of the piece, such as he has shown himself at the beginning, and opposite or inconsistent qualities ought not to appear in the same personage or character.

364. In fine, the manners of the different personages ought to be so diversified as to contrast with and mutually set each other off to advantage. Thus, it is not sufficient that the actors are distinguished from each other merely by age, as Achilles and Nestor: by rank, as Agamemnon and Achilles; by country and national character: they must exhibit

the peculiar features that distinguish one individual from another; in short, they must be individualized by their predominant qualities. Or, if it happens. that several heroes have similar predominant qualities, they will possess them in different degrees; or, perhaps, the admixture of some other quality will modify the character of each, according as it is influenced by temper or other causes, or combined with other dispositions.

No poet, ancient or modern, has surpassed Homer in drawing his characters. All his heroes, Achilles, Hector, Ajax, Diomed, Ulysses, for example, are equally brave; but observe how this predominant quality is tempered by other dispositions. Achilles is young, fierce, and impetuous; Hector, more humane; Diomed, bold and daring; Ulysses, cunning and crafty; while the valour of Ajax borders on the savage and barbarous. Each has his peculiar features, each his distinctive character, which cannot be confounded with that of another. The same may be said of the characters of Shakspeare and of Sir Walter Scott.

365. The hero or the principal personage of the poem ought to be distinguished above the other actors, either by his rank, or by the energy or goodness of his character. Because the interest we take in the issue of the enterprise, the fear or the hope we experience from the obstacles he meets with, or the dangers that surround him, the joy or admiration which his triumph or fall causes us, or the terror or pity which his misfortunes excite in us, all

ought to refer to him alone, and should spring from the attachment or the horror with which he inspires

us.

Such are some of the general principles which belong equally to the drama and to epic poetry; each of these two kinds of poetical composition, however, has its particular rules which we shall now proceed to explain.

CHAPTER II.

Of Particular Principles.

ART. I. OF THE DRAMA.

366. The DRAMA (Sgaua, action,) is the representation of an action.

Sect. 1. Of the manner in which the Dramatic Action should be conducted.

367. It is not required that all the circumstances of the action should be represented upon the stage. There are some things which would be revolting to the spectator, which would shock probability, or which it would be impossible to represent. Such circumstances as these are supposed to have taken place behind the scenes, and the poet puts the recital of them into the mouth of one of the actors, so that the spectators and the other personages of the drama are informed of what is necessary for them to know.

368. The action of the drama ought to pass in