,,the ,,augustan ,,reprint ,,society ,a4 ,,dacier ,,the ,,preface ,,to ,,aristotle',s ,,art ,,of ,,poetry 7#agje7 ,publication ,number #gf ,william ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library ,university of ,california ,los ,angeles #aiei ,,general ,,editors ,richard ,c4 ,boys1 ,university of ,michigan ,ralph ,cohen1 ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,vinton ,a4 ,dearing1 ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,lawrence ,clark ,powell1 ,clark ,memorial ,library ,,assistant ,,editor ,w4 ,earl ,britton1 ,university of ,michigan ,,advisory ,,editors ,emmett ,l4 ,avery1 ,state ,college of ,washington ,benjamin ,boyce1 ,duke ,university ,louis ,bredvold1 ,university of ,michigan ,john ,butt1 ,king's ,college1 ,university of ,durham ,james ,l4 ,clifford1 ,columbia ,university ,arthur ,friedman1 ,university of ,chicago ,louis ,a4 ,landa1 ,princeton ,university ,samuel ,h4 ,monk1 ,university of ,minnesota ,ernest ,c4 ,mossner1 ,university of ,texas ,james ,sutherland1 ,university ,college1 ,london ,h4 ,t4 ,swedenberg1 ,jr41 ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,,corresponding ,,secretary ,edna ,c4 ,davis1 ,clark ,memorial ,library ,,introduction ,andr ,dacier's ,potique d',aristote ,traduite en ,franois avec des ,remarques was published in ,paris in #afib4 ,his translation of ,horace with critical remarks 7#afha-afhi7 had helped to establish his reputation in both ,france and ,england4 ,dryden1 for example1 borrowed from it extensively in his ,discourse ,concerning the ,original and ,progress of ,satire 7#afic74 ,no doubt this earlier work assured a ready reception and a quick response to the commentary on ,aristotle3 how ready and how quick is indicated by the fact that within a year of its publication in ,france ,congreve could count on an audience's recognizing a reference to it4 ,in the ,double ,dealer 7,,ii1 ii7 ,brisk says to ,lady ,froth3 ,i presume your ladyship has read ,bossu8 ,the reply comes with the readiness of a clich3 ,o yes1 and ,rapine and ,dacier upon ,aristotle and ,horace4 ,a quarter of a century later ,dacier's reputation was still great enough to allow ,charles ,gildon to eke out the second part of his ,complete ,art of ,poetry 7#agah7 by translating long excerpts from the ,preface to the admirable ,dacier's ,aristotle4#a ,addison ridiculed the pedantry of ,sir ,timothy ,tittle 7a strict ,aristotelian critic7 who rebuked his mistress for laughing at a play3 ,but ,madam1 says he1 you ought not to have laughed2 and ,i defie any one to show me a single rule that you could laugh by4444 ,there are such people in the world as ,rapin1 ,dacier1 and several others1 that ought to have spoiled your mirth4#b ,but the scorn is directed at the pupil1 not the master1 whom ,addison considered a true critic4#c ,a work so much esteemed was certain to be translated1 and so in #agje an ,english version by an anonymous translator was published4 ,it cannot be claimed that ,dacier's ,aristotle introduced any new critical theories into ,england4 ,actually it provides material for little more than an extended footnote on the history of criticism in the ,augustan period4 ,dacier survived as an influence only so long as did a respect for the rules2 and he is remembered today merely as one of the historically important interpreters--or misinterpreters--of the ,poetics4#d ,he was1 however1 the last ,aristotelian formalist to affect ,english critical theory1 for the course of such speculation in the next century was largely determined by other influences4 ,none the less1 his preface and his commentary are worth knowing because they express certain typically neo-classical ideas about poetry1 especially dramatic poetry1 which were acceptable to many men in ,england and ,france at the end of the seventeenth century4 ,dacier's immediate and rather special influence on ,english criticism may be observed in ,thomas ,rymer's proposal to introduce the chorus into ,english tragedy and in the admiration which the moralistic critics at the turn of the century felt for his theories4 ,in the very year of its publication ,rymer read with obvious approbation ,dacier's ,potique d',aristote4 ,in the preface to ,a ,short ,view of ,tragedy 7#afib7 he announced that we begin to understand the ,epick ,poem by means of ,bossu2 and ,tragedy by ,monsieur ,dacier4#e ,that ,rymer admired ,dacier's strict formalism is plain1 but he was especially moved by the ,french critic's argument that the chorus is the essential part of true tragedy1 since it is necessary both for vraisemblance and for moral instruction4#f ,he therefore boldly proposed that ,english tragic poets should henceforth use the chorus in the manner of the ancients1 since it is the root and original1 and 444 certainly always the most necessary part of ,tragedy4#g ,moreover he praised 7as had ,dacier7 the example of ,racine1 who had introduced the chorus into the plays that he had written for private performance1 by the young ladies of ,st4 ,cyr--,esther 7#afhi7 and ,athalie 7#afia74 ,as is well known1 he even went so far as to write the synopsis of what inevitably would have been an absurd ,aeschylean tragedy on the defeat of the ,armada4#h ,rymer's proposal provoked a public debate1 which was begun by ,john ,dennis1 at that time an almost unknown young critic4 ,though ,the ,impartial ,critick 7#afic7 was directed against ,rymer 7who had given grave offence to ,dryden and others by his attack on ,shakespeare in the ,short ,view71 ,dennis knew ,dacier's ideas intimately1 and his discussion of the chorus in the first and the fourth dialogues1 is more directly a refutation of the ,french than of the ,english critic4#i ,this lively treatise established whatever intimacy existed between young ,dennis and the aging ,dryden4#aj ,though ,dryden avoided any extended public argument with ,rymer1 he obviously knew both the ,short ,view and ,dacier's ,aristotle4 ,in the ,parallel of ,poetry and ,painting 7#afie71 he followed ,rymer's lead in equating ,dacier1 the critic of tragedy 7in his late excellent ,translation of ,aristotle and his notes upon him#aa7 with ,le ,bossu1 the framer of exact rules for the ,epic ,poem4444 ,but he disagreed with ,dacier's opinions on the chorus and explained away ,racine's use of it on the sensible grounds that ,esther had not been written for public1 but for private performances which gave occasion to the young ladies of ,st4 ,cyr of entertaining the king with vocal music1 and of commending their voices4#ab ,he also suggested the practical consideration that plays with choruses would bankrupt any company of actors because it would be necessary to provide a number of costumes for the additional players and to enlarge the stage 7and consequently the theater7 to make room for the choral dances4 ,dacier's insistence that the primary function of poetry is to instruct and that pleasure is merely an aid to that end could easily be distorted into a crudely moralistic view of the art4 ,doubtless it was this that recommended the treatise to minor critics and poets who were creating the atmosphere out of which came ,jeremy ,collier's attack on contemporary dramatists in #afih4 ,blackmore's preface to ,prince ,arthur 7#afie7 is a long plea for the reformation of poetry1 whose true and genuine ,end is1 by universal ,confession1 the ,instruction of our ,minds and ,regulation of our ,manners4444 ,one is not surprised1 when toward the end he names his authorities1 that they turn out to be ,rapin1 ,le ,bossu1 ,dacier 7as commentators on ,aristotle and ,horace7 and our own excellent ,critick1 ,mr4 ,rymer4#ac ,w4,j4 who translated ,le ,bossu in #afie1 dedicated his work to ,blackmore4 ,in his preface he linked ,blackmore and ,dacier as proponents of the thesis that poetry's true ,use and ,end is to instruct and profit the world more than to delight and please it4#ad ,and ,jeremy ,collier himself quoted ,dacier from time to time1 and on one occasion invoked his commentary on ,horace1 ,the ,theater condemned as inconsistent with ,prudence and ,religion1 as one of many answers to the unrepentant ,congreve4#ae ,but besides starting these minor controversies ,dacier's preface states some of the typical themes of neo-,aristotelian criticism3 the idea that proper tragedy is based on a fable that imitates an ,allegorical and ,universal ,action intended to ,form the ,manners1 a view that closely relates tragic fable to epic fable as interpreted by ,le ,bossu2#af that modern tragedy1 being concerned with individuals and their intrigues1 cannot be universal and is therefore necessarily defective2 that love is an improper subject for tragedy2 that the ,aristotelian katharsis proposes as its end not the expulsion of passions from the soul1 but the moderation of excessive passions and the inuring of the audience to the inevitable calamities of life1 and so on4 ,finally1 he is nowhere more typical of ,french critics in his time than in his vigorous defense of the rules1 which he declares are valid because of the nature of poetry which1 being an art1 must have an end1 and there must necessarily be some way to arrive at it2 because of the authority of ,aristotle1 whose knowledge of our passions equipped him to give rules for poetry2 because of the illustrious works from which ,aristotle deduced his rules2 because of the quality of the poetry that they produce when followed2 because1 since they are drawn from the common ,sentiment of ,mankind1 they must be reasonable2 because nothing can please that is not conformable to the rules1 for good ,sense and right ,reason1 is of all ,countries and places2 and finally because they are the ,laws of ,nature who always acts uniformly1 reviews them incessantly1 and gives them a perpetual ,existence4 ,it is his simultaneous appeal to the authority of the ancients1 to the consensus gentium1 to general nature1 and to good sense that makes ,dacier seem to us to represent the final phase of ,french neo-classical critical theory4 ,samuel ,holt ,monk ,university of ,minnesota ,notes to the ,introduction #a ,willard ,h4 ,durham1 ed41 ,critical ,essays of the ,eighteenth ,century1 ,new ,haven1 #aiae1 pp4 #fb-gb4 #b ,tatler #afe4 #c ,spectator #eib4 #d ,for ,dacier in ,england see ,a4,f4,b4 ,clark1 ,boileau and the ,french ,classical ,critics in ,england 7#affj-ahcj71 ,paris1 #aibe1 pp4 #bhf-bhh4 ,as late as #ahie1 ,s4,h4 ,butcher1 in ,aristotle's ,theory of ,poetry and ,fine ,art1 mentioned ,dacier frequently1 if only to disagree with him as often as he mentioned him4 #e ,thomas ,rymer1 ,critical ,works 7ed4 ,c4,a4 ,zimansky71 ,new ,haven1 #aief1 p4 #hc4 #f ,this view1 announced in the ,preface1 was elaborately argued by ,dacier in ,remarque #bg1 ,ch4 ,,xix4 #g ,rymer1 op4 cit41 p4 #hd4 ,zimansky1 in his introduction and notes1 discusses the influence of ,dacier on ,rymer and other ,english critics4 #h ,ibid4 p4 #hd and pp4 #hj-ic4 #i ,john ,dennis1 ,critical ,works 7ed4 ,edward ,n4 ,hooker71 ,baltimore 7#aici-dc71 ,i1 #cj-ce4 ,for a succinct account of the ,english controversy about the chorus see ibid41 ,i1 #dcg-dch4 ,though ,dennis did not agree with ,dacier on this point1 he admired him4 ,as late as #agbf1 in the preface to ,the ,stage ,defended1 he quoted ,dacier's preface and spoke of him as that most judicious ,critick4 ,ibid41 ,,ii1 #cji4 #aj ,john ,dryden1 ,letters 7ed4 ,c4,e4 ,ward71 ,duke ,university ,press1 #aidb1 pp4 #ga-gb4 ,hooker has noticed the similarity of two of ,dennis's opinions to views expressed by ,dryden in his then unpublished ,heads of an ,answer to ,rymer's ,tragedies of the ,last ,age1 #afgh4 #aa ,w4,p4 ,ker1 ,essays of ,john ,dryden1 ,oxford1 #aibf1 ,,ii1 #acf4 #ab ,ker1 ,,ii1 #add4 ,cf4 ,dennis's similar remark in ,the ,impartial ,critick1 ,hooker1 ,i1 #ca4 ,racine1 in his preface to ,esther1 said nothing doctrinaire about the use of the chorus4 ,he merely mentioned that it had occurred to him to introduce the chorus in order to imitate the ancients and to sing the praises of the true ,god4 #ac ,j4,e4 ,spingarn1 ,critical ,essays of the ,seventeenth ,century1 ,oxford1 #aijh-ji1 ,,iii1 #bbg and #bdj4 #ad ,treatise of the ,epick ,poem1 ,london1 #afie1 sig4 ,a #c verso- ,a #d1 recto4 #ae ,jeremy ,collier1 ,a ,defence of the ,short ,view4444 ,being a ,reply to ,mr4 ,congreve's ,amendments1 ,a ,short ,view of the ,profaneness and ,immorality of the ,english ,stage1 etc41 ,london1 #agch1 p4 #bea4 #af ,trait du ,pome ,epique1 ,i1 ch4 vi and vii4 ,,aristotle',s ,,art ,,of ,,poetry4 ,translated from the ,original ,greek1 according to ,mr4 ,theodore ,goulston's ,edition4 ,,together1 ,with ,mr4 ,d',,acier's ,notes ,translated from the ,french4 ----,vero nomine poena ,non ,honor est4---- ,ovid ,metam4 lib4 #b4 ,,london3 ,printed for ,dan4 ,browne at the ,blalk ,swan without ,temple ,bar1 and ,will4 ,turner at the ,angel at ,lincolns-,inn ,back ,gate1 #agje4 ,,the ,,preface ,if ,i was to speak here of ,aristotle's ,merit only1 the excellence of his ,poetick ,art1 and the reasons ,i had to publish it1 ,i need do no more than refer the ,reader to that ,work1 to shew the disorders into which the ,theatre is long since fallen1 and to let him see that as the ,injustice of ,men1 gave occasion to the making of ,laws2 so the decay of ,arts and the ,faults committed in them1 oblig'd first to the making ,rules1 and the renewing them4 ,but in order to prevent the ,objections of some1 who scorn to be bound to any ,rules1 only that of their own fancy1 ,i think it necessary1 to prove1 not only that ,poetry is an ,art1 but that 'tis known and its ,rules so certainly those which ,aristotle gives us1 that 'tis impossible to succeed any other way4 ,this being prov'd1 ,i shall examine the two ,consequences which naturally flow from thence3 ,first1 that the ,rules1 and what pleases1 are never contrary to one another1 and that you can never obtain the latter without the former4 ,secondly1 ,that ,poesie being an ,art can never be prejudicial to ,mankind1 and that 'twas invented and improv'd for their advantage only4 ,to follow this ,method1 'tis necessary to trace ,poetry from its ,original1 to shew that 'twas the ,daughter of ,religion1 that at length 'twas vitiated1 and debauch'd1 and lastly1 brought under the ,rules of ,art1 which assisted1 in ,correcting the defaults of ,nature4 ,god touch'd with ,compassion for the ,misery of ,men1 who were obliged to toil and labour1 ordain'd ,feasts to give them some rest2 the offering of ,sacrifices to himself1 by way of ,thanksgiving1 for those ,blessings they had received by his ,bounty4 ,this is a ,truth which the ,heathens themselves acknowledged2 they not only imitated these ,feasts1 but spake of them as a ,gift of the ,gods1 who having granted a time of ,repose1 requir'd some tokens of their grateful remembrance4 ,the first ,feasts of the ,ancients were thus1 ,they assembled at certain times1 especially in ,autumn1 after the gathering in their ,fruits1 for to rejoyce1 and to offer the choicest of them to ,god2 and this 'tis1 which first gave birth to ,poetry3 ,for ,men1 who are naturally inclined to the imitation of ,musick1 employ'd their ,talents to sing the praises of the ,god they worshipped1 and to celebrate his most remarkable ,actions4 ,if they had always kept to that ,primitive ,simplicity1 all the ,poesie we should have had1 would have been1 only ,thanksgivings1 ,hymns1 and ,songs1 as amongst the ,jews4 ,but 'twas very difficult1 or rather impossible1 that ,wisdom and ,purity1 should reign long in the ,heathen ,assemblies2 they soon mingl'd the ,praises of ,men1 with those of their ,gods1 and came at last1 to the ,licentiousness of filling their ,poems with biting ,satyrs1 which they sung to one another at their drunken ,meetings2 ,thus ,poetry was entirely ,corrupted1 and the present scarce retains any ,mark of ,religion4 ,the ,poets which followed1 and who were 7properly speaking17 the ,philosophers and ,divines of those ,times1 seeing the desire the ,people had for those ,feasts1 and ,shows1 and impossibility of retrieving the first ,simplicity2 took another way to remedy this ,disorder1 and making an advantage of the ,peoples ,inclinations1 gave them ,instructions1 disguis'd under the ,charmes of ,pleasure1 as ,physicians gild and sweeten the bitter ,pills they administer to their ,patients4 ,i shall not recount all the different ,changes1 which have happen'd in ,poetry1 and by what degrees it has arrived to the ,perfection1 we now find it2 ,i have spoken of it already in my ,commentaries on ,horace's ,art of ,poetry1 and shall say more in explaining1 what ,aristotle writes in this ,treatise4 ,homer was the first that invented1 or finished1 an ,epick ,poem1 for he found out the ,unity of the ,subject1 the ,manners1 the ,characters1 and the ,fable4 ,but this ,poem could only affect ,customes1 and was not moving enough to ,correct the ,passions1 there wanted a ,poem1 which by imitating our ,actions1 might work in our ,spirits a more ready and sensible effect4 ',twas this1 which gave occasion for ,tragedy1 and banished all ,satyrs1 by this means ,poetry was entirely purg'd from all the disorders its ,corruption had brought it into4 ,this is no proper place to shew1 that ,men who are quickly weary of regulated ,pleasures1 took pains to plunge themselves again into their former ,licentiousness by the invention of ,comedy4 ,i shall keep my self to ,tragedy1 which is the most noble ,imitation1 and principal ,subject of this ,treatise1 all the ,parts of an ,epick ,poem are comprized in a ,tragedy4 ,however short this account may be1 it suffices to let you see that ,poesie is an ,art1 for since it has a certain ,end1 there must necessarily be some way to arrive there3 ,no body doubts of this constant ,truth1 that in all concerns where you may be in the right1 or the wrong1 there is an ,art and sure ,rules to lead you to the one1 and direct you1 how to avoid the other4 ,the question then is1 whether the ,rules of this ,art are known1 and whether they are those which ,aristotle gives us here8 ,this question is no less doubtful1 than the former1 ,i must also confess that this cannot be determined1 but by the unlearned2 who because they are the greater number1 ,i shall make my ,examination in their favour4 ,to do this with some sort of ,method1 there are four ,things to be consider'd1 who gives the ,rules1 the time when he gives them2 the manner in which he gives them1 and the effects they have in divers times wrought on different ,people3 ,for ,i believe from these four ,circumstances1 ,i can draw such ,conclusions1 that the most obstinate shall not be able to gainsay4 ,he who gives these ,rules1 is one of the greatest ,philosophers that ever was1 his ,genius was large1 and of vast extent1 the great ,discoveries he made in all ,sciences1 and particularly in the ,knowledge of ,man1 are certain ,signs1 that he had a sufficient insight into our ,passions1 to discover the ,rules of the ,art of ,poetry1 which is founded on them4 ,but ,i shall suspend my ,judgment1 and pass on to the time in which he gave these ,rules4 ,i find that he was born in the ,age in which ,tragedy first appear'd1 for he lived with the ,disciples of schylus1 who brought it out of ,confusion2 and he had the same ,masters with ,sophocles1 and ,euripides1 who carried it to its utmost ,perfection3 ,besides he was witness of the ,opinion the most nice and knowing ,people of the ,world had of this ,poem4 ',tis therefore impossible that ,aristotle should be ignorant of the ,origine1 ,progress1 ,design and ,effects of this ,art2 and consequently even before ,i examine these ,rules1 ,i am well assur'd upon his account who gives them1 that they have all the ,certainty1 and ,authority1 that ,rules can possibly have4 ,but when ,i come to examine the ,manner in which ,aristotle delivers them1 ,i find them so evident and conformable to ,nature1 that ,i cannot but be sensible they are true2 for what does ,aristotle8 ,he gives not his ,rules as ,legisltors do their ,laws1 without any other reason than their ,wills only2 he advances nothing but what is accompanied with ,reason1 drawn from the common ,sentiment of ,mankind1 insomuch that the ,men themselves become the ,rule and ,measure of what he prescribes4 ,thus without considering that the ,rules are of almost equal ,date with the ,art they ,teach1 or any prejudice1 in favour of ,aristotle's ,name1 7for 'tis the ,work which ought to make the ,name valued1 and not the ,name the ,work7 ,i am forced to submit to all his ,decisions1 the ,truth of which ,i am convinc'd of in my self1 and whose ,certainty ,i discover by ,reason and ,experience1 which never yet deceiv'd any body4 ,to this ,i shall add1 the ,effects which these ,rules have produc'd in all ,ages1 on different sort of ,people1 and ,i see1 that as they made the ,beauty of ,homer's ,sophocles1 and ,euripides ,poems in ,greece1 from which they were drawn2 so four or five ,hundred ,years after1 they adorn'd the ,poems of ,virgil and other famous ,latin ,poets1 and that now after ,two ,thousand ,years they make the best ,tragedies we have1 in which all that pleases1 only does so1 as 'tis conformable to these ,rules1 7and that too without our being aware of it17 and what is displeasing1 is such1 because it is contrary to them1 for good ,sense1 and right ,reason1 is of all ,countries and ,places1 the same ,subjects which caus'd so many ,tears to be shed in the ,roman ,theatre1 produce the same ,effects in ours1 and those ,things which gave distaste then1 do the same now1 from whence ,i am convinced1 that never any ,laws had either so much ,force1 ,authority1 or ,might4 ,humane ,laws expire or ,change very often after the ,deaths of their ,authors1 because ,circumstances ,change1 and the ,interests of ,men1 whom they are made to serve1 are different2 but these still take new vigor1 because they are the ,laws of ,nature1 who always acts uniformly1 renews them incessantly1 and gives them a perpetual ,existence4 ,i won't pretend nevertheless that the ,rules of this ,art1 are so firmly established1 that 'tis impossible to add any thing to them1 for tho' ,tragedy has all its proper ,parts1 'tis probable one of those may yet arrive to greater ,perfection4 ,i am perswaded1 that tho' we have been able to add nothing to the ,subject1 or ,means1 yet we have added something to the ,manner1 as you'l find in the ,remarks1 and all the new ,discoveries are so far from destroying this ,establishment1 that they do nothing more than confirm it2 for ,nature is never contrary to herself1 and one may apply to the ,art of ,poetry1 what ,hippocrates says of ,physick1#ag ,physick is of long standing1 hath sure ,principles1 and a certain way by which in the ,course of many ,ages1 an ,infinity of ,things have been discovered1 of which1 ,experience confirms the ,goodness2 ,all that is wanting1 for the perfection of this ,art1 will without doubt be found out1 by those ,ingenious ,men1 who will search for it1 according to the ,instructions and ,rules of the ,ancients1 and endeavour to arrive at what is unknown1 by what is already plain3 ,for whoever shall boast that he has obtained this ,art by rejecting the ways of the ,ancients1 and taking a quite different one1 deceives others1 and is himself deceived2 because that's absolutely impossible4 ,this ,truth extends it self to all ,arts and ,sciences1 'tis no difficult matter to find a proper ,example in our ,subject1 there is no want of ,tragedies1 where the management is altogether opposite to that of the ,ancients4 ,according to the ,rules of ,aristotle1 a ,tragedy is the ,imitation of an ,allegorical and ,universal ,action1 which by the means of ,terror1 and ,compassion1 moderates and corrects our ,inclinations4 ,but according to these new ,tragedies 'tis an imitation of some particular ,action1 which affects no body1 and is only invented to amuse the ,spectators1 by the ,plot1 and unravelling a vain ,intrigue1 which tends only to excite and satisfie their ,curiosity1 and stir up their ,passions1 instead of rend'ring them calm and quiet4 ,this is not only not the same ,art1 but can be none at all1 since it tends to no good1 and 'tis a pure ,lye without any mixture of ,truth2 what advantage can be drawn from this ,falshood8 ,in a word1 'tis not a ,fable1 and by consequence1 is in no wise a ,tragedy1 for a ,tragedy cannot subsist without a ,fable1#ah as you will see elsewhere4 ,we come now to the first ,consequence1 which we draw1 from what we have ,establish'd1 and shall endeavour to prove1 that our ,laws1 and what pleases1 can never be opposite1 since the ,rules were made only for what pleases1 and tend only to show the way you must walk in1 to do so4 ,by this we shall destroy the false ,maxim1 ,that1 all that pleases is good1 and assert that we ought on the contrary to say1 ,that1 all that is good pleases1 or ought to please4 ,for the goodness of any ,work whatsoever1 does not proceed from this1 that it gives us pleasure1 but the pleasure that we have proceeds from its goodness1 unless our deluded ,eyes and corrupt ,imaginations mislead us1 for that which causes our mistakes1 is not1 where is1 but what is not4 ,if the ,rules1 and what pleased1 were things opposite1 you would never arrive at the giving pleasure1 but by meer chance1 which is absurd3 ,there must for that reason be a certain way1 which leads thither1 and that way is the ,rule which we ought to learn2 but what is that ,rule8 ',tis a ,precept1 which being drawn from the ,pleasant and ,profitable1 leads us to their source4 ,now what is the ,pleasant and ,profitable8 ',tis that which pleases naturally1 in all ,arts 'tis this we consult1 'tis the most sure and perfect ,model we can ,imitate2 in it we find perfect ,unity and ,order1 for it self is ,order1 or to speak more properly1 the effect of ,order1 and the ,rule which conducts us thither2 there is but one way to find ,order1 but a great many to fall into ,confusion4 ,there would be nothing bad in the ,world1 if all that pleas'd were good2 for there is nothing so ridiculous1 but what will have its ,admirers4 ,you may say indeed1 'tis no truer1 that what is good pleases1 because we see ev'ry day ,disputes about the ,good and ,pleasant1 that the same ,thing pleases some1 and displeases others2 nay1 it pleases and displeases the very same ,persons at different times3 from whence then proceeds this difference8 ,it comes either from an absolute ,ignorance of the ,rule1 or that the ,passions alter it4 ,rightly to clear this ,truth1 ,i believe ,i may lay down this ,maxim1 that all sensible ,objects are of two sorts2 some may be judged of1 by ,sense independantly from ,reason4 ,i can ,sense that ,impression which the animal ,spirits make on the ,soul1 others can't be judged of but by ,reason exercised in ,science1 ,things simply agreeable1 or disagreeable1 are of the first ,sort1 all the ,world may judge alike of these1 for example the most ,ignorant in ,musick1 perceives very well1 when a ,player on the ,lute strikes one ,string for another1 because he judges by his ,sense1 and that ,sense is the ,rule2 in such occasions1 we may therefore very well say1 that all that pleases is good1 because that which is ,good doth please1 or that which is ,evil never fails to displease2 for neither the ,passions1 nor ,ignorance dull the ,senses1 on the contrary they sharpen them4 ',tis not so in ,things which spring from ,reason2 ,passion and ,ignorance act very strongly on it1 and oftentimes choak it1 this is the ,reason1 why we ordinarily judge so ill1 and differently concerning those ,things1 of which1 that is the ,rule and the ,cause4 ,why1 what is ,bad often pleases1 and that which is ,good doth not always so1 'tis not the fault of the ,object1 'tis the fault of him who judges2 but what is ,good will infallibly please those who can judge1 and that's sufficient4 ,by this we may see1 that a ,play1 that shall bring those ,things which are to be judg'd of by ,reason1 within the ,rules1 as also what is to be judg'd of by the ,sense1 shall never fail to please1 for it will please both the ,learned1 and ,ignorant3 ,now this ,conformity of suffrages is the most sure1#ai or according to ,aristotle the only ,mark of the ,good1 and ,pleasant1 as he proves in the following part of his ,discourse4 ,now these ,suffrages are not obtained1 but by the observation of the ,rules1 and consequently1 these ,rules are the only ,cause of the ,good1 and ,pleasant1 whether they are follow'd ,methodically and with ,design1 or by ,hazard only2 for 'tis certain1 there are many ,persons who are entirely ,ignorant of these ,rules1 and yet don't fail to succeed in several ,affairs3 ,this is far from destroying the ,rules1 and serves to shew their ,beauty1 and proves how far they are conformable to ,nature1 since those often follow them1 who know nothing of 'em4 ,in the ,remarks you shall find many ,examples of the vast difference1 the observance or neglect of the ,rules make in the same ,subject1 and by that be throughly convinc'd that they are the two only ,causes of ,good1 or ,bad ,works1 and that there can never be any occasion1 where the perfect ,harmony which is between the ,rules1 and what pleases1 shou'd be broken4 ',tis true to come to the last ,consequence1 that ,poetry is an ,art1 invented for the ,instruction of ,mankind1 and consequently must be profitable3 ',tis a general ,truth that ev'ry ,art is a good ,thing1 because there is none whose ,end is not ,good3 ,but1 as it is not less true1 that ,men ordinarily abuse the best ,things1 that which was design'd for an wholsome ,remedy1 may in time become a very dangerous ,poison4 ,i declare then that ,i don't speak of corrupted ,tragedy1 for 'tis not in vitious and depraved ,works1 that we must look for ,reason1 and the intent of ,nature1 but in those which are sound and perfect2 ,i speak of ,ancient ,tragedy1 that which is conform to ,aristotle's ,rules1 and ,i dare say1 'tis the most profitable1 and necessary of all ,diversions4 ,if 'twas possible to oblige ,men to follow the ,precepts of the ,gospel1 nothing could be more happy1 they would find there true ,peace1 solid ,pleasure1 and a ,remedy for all their ,infirmities1 and would look on ,tragedy as useless and below them4 ,how could they do otherwise than have this opinion8 since those ,pagans who apply'd themselves to the ,study of ,wisdome1 consider'd it with the same ,genius4 ,they themselves own1 that could the ,people be always brought up in the solid ,truths of ,philosophy1 the ,philosophers need have no recourse to ,fables1 to give their ,instructions3 ,but as so much ,corruption was inconsistent with such ,wisdom1 they were forc'd to seek for a ,remedy to the ,disorders of their ,pleasures2 they then invented ,tragedy1 and inspir'd them with it1 not as the best ,employment ,men could take up1 but as a means1 which was able to correct the excess1 into which they plung'd themselves at their ,feasts1 and to render those amusements profitable1 which ,custom and their ,infirmities had made necessary1 and their ,corruption very dangerous4 ,men are the same now1 they were then1 they have the same ,passions1 and run with the same ,eagerness after ,pleasures4 ,to endeavour to reclaim them from that ,state1 by the severity of ,precepts1 is attempting to put a ,bridle on an unruly ,horse in the middle of his carrier1 in the mean while1 there is no ,medium1 they run into the most criminal excess1 unless you afford them regular and sober ,pleasures4 ',tis a great ,happiness that their remaining ,reason inclines them to love ,diversions1 where there is ,order1 and ,shows1 where ,truth is to be found1 and ,i am perswaded1 that ,charity obliges us1 to take advantage of this1 and not to allow too much time for ,debauches1 which would extinguish that ,spark of ,reason1 which yet shines in them4 ,those ,people are distemper'd1 and ,tragedy is all the ,remedy they are capable of receiving any advantage from2 for it is the only ,recreation in which they can find the agreeable and ,profitable4 ,tragedy does not only represent the ,punishments1 which voluntary ,crimes always draw on their ,authors1 these are too common1 and well known ,truths1 and leave too much liberty to our ,passions2 this is the meanest sort of ,tragedy3 ,but it sets forth the misfortunes which even in voluntary ,crimes1 and those committed by ,imprudence1 draw on such as we are1 and this is perfect ,tragedy4 ,it instructs us to stand on our guard1 to refine and moderate our ,passions1 which alone occasion'd the loss of those unfortunate ones4 ,thus the aspiring may learn to give bounds to his ,ambition2 the ,prophane to fear ,god2 the ,malicious to forget his ,wrongs2 the ,passionate to restrain his ,anger2 the ,tyrant to forsake his ,violence and ,injustice1 c4 ,those idle and infirm ,men1 who are not able to bear the ,yoak of ,religion1 and have need of a grosser sort of ,instruction1 which falls under the ,senses1 can never have more profitable amusements2 'twere to be wish'd1 that they would renounce all other ,pleasures1 and love this only4 ,if any shall now condemn ,tragedy1 he must also condemn the use of ,fables1 which the most ,holy ,men have employ'd1 and ,god himself has vouchsaf't to make use of3 ,for ,tragedy is only a ,fable1 and was invented as a ,fable1 to form the ,manners1 by ,instructions1 disguis'd under the ,allegory of an ,action4 ,he must also condemn ,history2 for ,history is much less ,grave and ,moral than ,fable1 insomuch as 'tis particular1 when a ,fable is more general1 and universal1 and by consequence more profitable4 ,we may say too1 that the only ,aim of true ,politicks1 is to procure to the ,people ,virtue1 ,peace and ,pleasure1 this ,design cannot be contrary to ,religion1 because we chuse none of those ,pleasures which destroy ,virtue1 or ,peace4 ,tragedy is far from it1 and endeavours only their preservation2 for 'tis the only ,pleasure1 which disposes ,men to endure their ,passions1 to a perfect ,mediocrity1 which contributes more to the maintaining of ,peace1 and acquisition of ,virtue1 than any thing else2 ,i also believe that from this ,truth1 we might draw a sure ,rule to judge of those ,pleasures which might be permitted1 and those which ought to be forbidden4 ,you may say1 ,tragedy is dangerous1 by reason of the abuses which creep into it4 ,every ,thing is dangerous1 and may be condemn'd at this rate1 for there is nothing so excellent where ,abuses may not be committed1 and of which a bad1 or good use may not be made4 ,we must remember this ,truth1 that all ,arts and ,sciences1 by the ,ignorance and ,corruption of ,men1 ordinarily produce false ,arts1 and false ,sciences2 but these false ,arts and false ,sciences1 are more opposite to what they ,counterfeit than any thing besides2 for there is nothing more opposite to what is good1 than what is bad in the same ,kind4 ,if that which is false1 engages us to condemn what is true1 it has gain'd its point1 that's what it would have1 and having thus ,triumph'd over ,truth1 soon puts its self into its place1 than which nothing can be more ,pernicious4 ,since ,tragedy has no defect1 but what is external1 it follows from thence1 that 'tis good in its self1 and consequently profitable2 this cannot be contested1 and those who condemn it1 condemn1 not only the most noble ,diversion1 but the most capable to raise the ,courage1 and form the ,genius1 and the only one1 which can refine the ,passions1 and touch the most vicious and obdurate ,souls4 ,i could give many examples2 but shall content my self with relating the ,story of ,alexander of#bj ,pherea3 ,this barbarous ,man1 having order'd the ,hecuba of ,euripides to be ,acted before him1 found himself so affected1 that he went out before the end of the first ,act1 saying1 ,that he was asham'd to be seen to weep1 at the ,misfortunes of ,hecuba and ,polyxena1 when he daily imbrud his ,hands in the ,blood of his ,citizens2 he was affraid that his ,heart should be truly mollify'd1 that the ,spirit of ,tyranny would now leave the possession of his ,breast1 and that he should come a private person out of that ,theatre into which he enter'd ,master4 ,the ,actor who so sensibly touch'd him1 difficultly escaped with his ,life1 but was secur'd by some remains of that pity1 which was the cause of his ,crime4 ,a very grave ,historian1 makes reflection much to this purpose1 and which seems to me no indifferent one in ,politicks2 in speaking of the ,people of ,arcadia1 he says1 ,that their ,humanity1 sweetness of ,temper1 respect for ,religion1 in a word1 the ,purity of their ,manners1 and all their ,virtues proceeded chiefly from the ,love they had to ,musick1 which by its ,melody1 corrected those ill ,impressions1 a thick and unwholesome ,air1 joyn'd to a hard1 and laborious way of living1 made on their ,bodies and ,minds4 ,he says on the contrary1 ,that the ,cynethians fell into all sorts of ,crimes and ,impieties1 because they despised the wise ,institutions of their ,ancestors2 and neglected this ,art1 which was so much the more necessary for them1 as they liv'd in the coldest and worst place of ,arcadia3 ,there was scarcely any ,city in ,greece1 where wickedness was so great and frequent as here4 ,if ,polybius speaks thus of ,musick1 and accuses ,ephorus1 for having spoken a thing unworthy of himself1 when he said1 ,that 'twas invented to deceive ,mankind3 what ought we then to say of ,tragedy1 of which ,musick is only a small part2 and which is as much above it1 as a ,word is above an inarticulate ,sound1 which signifies nothing4 ,this is what1 according to my ,opinion1 may be truly said of ,tragedy1 and the ,mean we ought to keep4 ,but to the end this may be justly said1 the ,parts must conform themselves entirely to the ,rules of ,ancient ,tragedy1 that is to say1 which endeavours rather to ,instruct than ,please1 and regard the ,agreeable1 as a means only to make the ,profitable more taking2 they must paint the ,disorders of the ,passions1 and the inevitable ,mischiefs which arise from thence4 ',twas for this the ,greek ,tragedians were so much ,honour'd in their own ,age1 and esteemed in those which follow'd4 ,their ,theatre was a ,school1 where ,virtue was generally better ,taught1 than in the ,schools of their ,philosophers1 and at this very ,day1 the reading their ,pieces will ,inspire an ,hatred to ,vice1 and a ,love to ,virtue4 ,to ,imitate them profitably1 we should re-establish the ,chorus1 which establishing the veri-,similitude of the ,tragedy1 gives an ,opportunity to set forth to the ,people1 those particular ,sentiments1 you would inspire them with1 and to let them know1 what is ,vicious or ,laudable1 in the ,characters which are ,introduc'd4 ,mr4 ,racine saw the necessity of this1 and cannot be sufficiently praised1 for having brought it1 into his two last ,pieces1 which have happily reconcil'd ,tragedy to its greatest ,enemies4 ,those who have seen the effects of these ,chorus's1 cannot but be sensible of their ,advantage1 and by ,consequence1 must ,consent to what ,i say in my ,remarks4 ,after ,examples1 and ,authorities of this ,nature1 ,i have no ,reason to fear my ,arguments4 ,but enough of this ,matter1 tis time to come to what respects my self1 and to give some ,account of this ,work4 ,i have endeavour'd to make the ,translation as literal as possible1 being perswaded1 that ,i could not do better1 than to stick close to the ,words of a ,man1 who wrote with wonderful ,exactness1 and puts in nothing1 but what is to the purpose4 ,i have nevertheless taken the ,liberty sometimes1 to enlarge his ,thoughts1 for what was understood in his time1 by half a ,word1 would hardly be ,intelligible now1 unless some ,pains was taken to explain it4 ,a simple ,translation of ,aristotle1 would be clear enough1 and there would be no need of ,commentaries1 if we were well ,instructed in those ,poets1 from whom he takes his ,rules1 but as almost all the ,world is ,ignorant of them1 and 'tis necessary to explain by ,example1 what is ,obscure in the ,rule4 ,this is what ,i have endeavour'd to do in my ,remarks1 which will seem short1 if you consider the many large ,volumes which have been wrote on this little ,treatise4 ,of all the ,latin ,commentators1 ,victorius seems to me the most ,wise1 ,knowing1 and ,exact1 but his ,assistance is not sufficient1 to give us an ,understanding of ,poesie4 ,the ,italian ,castelvetro1 has a great deal of ,wit1 and ,knowledge1 if we may call that ,wit1 which is only ,fancy1 and bestow on much ,reading the name of ,knowledge4 ,if we recollect all the ,qualities of a good ,interpreter1 we shall have an ,idea just contrary to that of ,castelvetro4 ,he knew neither the ,theatre1 the ,passions1 nor the ,characters2 he understood neither ,aristotle's ,reasons1 nor his ,method1 and strove rather to contradict1 than explain him4 ,on the other hand1 he is so ,infatuated with the ,author's of his own ,country1 that he forgot how to ,criticise well2 he talks without ,measure1 like ,homer's ,thersites1 and declares ,war to all that is fine4 ,indeed he has some good things1 but 'tis not worth while to spend our time in looking after them4 ,the ,french ,art of ,poetry by ,mesnardiere1 may pass for a ,commentary on some ,chapters of ,aristotle1 but that ,work is of little value2 for besides that ,author's being no good ,critick1 and perpetually deceiv'd1 he did not penetrate into the ,meaning of the ,philosopher4 ,the ,practice of the ,theatre by the ,abbot ,d',aubignac1 is infinitely better1 but is rather a ,sequel and ,supplement1 than an ,explication of ,aristotle2 on which1 a perfect ,instruction in the ,ancient ,rules1 will enable you to pass a ,judgment4 ,the ,treatise of ,epick ,poem by ,father ,bossu1 is above all the ,moderns have done in that ,kind1 and is the best ,commentary ,extant1 on what ,aristotle has wrote concerning that sort of ,poem2 none ever penetrated deeper into the bottom of that ,art1 and set in a better ,light 7according to ,aristotle's ,rules7 ,homer's1 and ,virgil's ,beauties1 or the ,solidity1 and ,beauty of ,aristotle's ,rules1 by the marvellous ,conduct of those two great ,poets4 ,if he had ,treated of ,tragedy1 as throughly1 as he has done of the ,epopoeia1 he had left almost nothing for me to have done after him2 but unfortunately1 he omitted the most difficult1 which he could have ,explain'd much better than my self1 had he had spare time4 ,his ,work however has done me great ,service4 ,i have profited by the good1 which others have ,wrote1 and must confess1 that their ,faults have been useful to me4 ,but after all1 the most excellent ,commentators on the ,poetick ,art1 are the ,ancient ,poems1 and as they gave the hint to make ,rules1 'tis by them1 that these ought to be ,explain'd4 ,i hope1 ,i have not followed such good ,guides in vain4 ,if ,i have wander'd1 by following them1 without a true ,understanding1 ,i should be very well pleased to be put in the right way1 by any1 who would advise me of my ,faults1 or make them publickly known4 ,perhaps some may ,reproach me1 as ,mr4 ,corneille did all the precedent ,commentators4 ,they have ,explain'd ,aristotle 7says that great ,man7 as ,grammarians1 or ,philosophers1 and not as ,poets2 because they had more of the ,study1 and ,speculation1 than ,experience of the ,theatre4 ,the ,reading them may make us more ,learned1 but can give us no further ,insight1 how we may succeed4 ,this ,reproach is founded on this general ,maxim1 ,that every one ought to be believ'd in his own ,art4 ,it seems then1 that those should not pretend to explain the ,rules of ,poesie1 who never yet made ,poems4 ,the ,principle is true1 but the ,consequence is not so1 for before that is drawn1 we must see to whom the ,art of ,poetry1 and what it produc'd1 does property belong4 ',tis not ,poesie it self which is produced1 for then it would have been1 before it was4 ',tis ,philosophy that brought it first into play1 and consequently1 it belongs to ,philosophy1 to give1 and explain its ,rules4 ,this is so true1 that ,aristotle made not these ,rules as a ,poet1 but as a ,philosopher3 ,and if he made them as such1 why may they not be explain'd that way too8 ,and as it was not necessary to make ,dramatick ,poems1 to give ,rules to that ,art1 so 'tis no more necessary that they should be made1 to ,explain those ,rules4 ,i don't know indeed1 whether he who has made ,pieces for the ,theatre1 is so proper to explain the ,rules of this ,art1 as he that never did1 for 'twould be a ,miracle if one was not biass'd by self-,love1 when the other is a dis-interested ,judge1 who has no other ,aim1 than discovering the ,truth1 and making it known4 ,mr4 ,corneille himself may be an ,example of this4 ,all that he would ,establish in his new ,discourse of ,dramatick ,poetry1 is less founded on ,nature1 than his own proper ,interest4 ,it appears by his own ,words1 that the design he had of defending what he had ventured on the ,stage1 obliged him to forsake ,aristotle's ,rules1 and to ,establish new ones1 which should be more favourable to himself2 we shall see in the ,remarks1 whether they can bear the ,test4 ',tis therefore no ways necessary to have made ,poems1 to prescribe ,rules for ,poesie1 and yet much less to explain them4 ,if it was so1 ,i would say there were none1 for of all those which have given any1 ,i knew but one that was a ,poet2 ,horace himself never made an ,epick ,poem or a ,tragedy1 but to prescribe ,rules for ,poesie1 as also to explain them2 it is sufficient to know the ,origine1 and ,scope of the ,art ,treated of2 to have examin'd those ,poems1 which are the ,basis and ,foundation1 to have made ,reflections on what is agreeable1 and disagreeable1 and rightly to discover the ,causes2 this is the only necessary ,knowledge ,i have endeavour'd to acquire1 and ,philosophy alone can lead me thither4 ,i shall add once more1 that if we make a ,man more ,learned1 by explaining the ,rules as a ,philosopher1 'tis ,impossible1 but he must attain a surer ,knowledge1 to succeed in this ,art4 ',tis true1 we can't give a ,genius1 that's not done by ,art1 but we can shew the ,path a ,genius ought to ,tread in1 and that is the only ,design of all ,rules4 ,i have not made the ,apology of ,commentators1 to praise my self1 for although ,i am no ,poet1 it does not follow that ,i cannot be a good ,philosopher2 ,i leave it to the ,publick1 and time1 to ,judge of my ,work1 for ,i will neither ,court1 nor slight their ,favours4 ,i have spoken very freely1 in what ,i have pass'd my ,judgment on1 and in so doing1 ,imitated the ancient ,criticks1 who spared neither ,demosthenes1 nor ,thucidides1 nor ,plato1 nor any that was ,great1 or ,venerable in ,antiquity4 ,a flattering ,criticism would be a pleasant sort of one1 when we should seek to ,applaud1 and the ,respect due to the ,name1 should check the ,censure due to the ,fault4 ,i am not so scrupulous1 and if any one be offended1 ,i shall ,answer him as ,dionysius ,halicarnassus answered ,pompey the ,great1 who wrote to him1 to complain1 that he had tax'd ,plato with some ,faults4 ,the ,veneration you have for ,plato is ,just1 7says that excellent ,critick17 but the ,blame you lay on me1 is not so4 ,when any one writes on a ,subject1 to shew what is ,good or ,bad in it1 he ought to discover1 and mark very exactly all its ,virtues1 and ,vices1 for that is a sure way to find out the ,truth1 which is more valuable than all things else whatever4 ,if ,i had written against ,plato with a ,design to ,decry his ,works1 ,i should be as ,impious as#ba ,zoilus1 but on the contrary1 ,i would praise him1 and if in doing so ,i have ,improved any of his ,defects1 ,i have done nothing worthy of ,complaint1 and which was not necessary for my ,design4 ,notwithstanding this1 ,i have put some ,bounds to this ,liberty1 and if ,i have discovered some ,faults1 ,i have conceal'd some others1 that seem'd to me not so considerable4 ,i had respect in them1 to the ,approbation of many ,persons of ,merit1 for ,i would not run ,counter to an almost ,universal ,consent1 which always is of great ,weight1 and ought at least to oblige us to be cautious4 ,but that ,i might give to those ,persons1 an ,opportunity of recollecting themselves1 ,i have endeavoured to explain the ,rule1 in such a manner1 that they may perceive those very ,faults1 if they will ,read the ,remarks with attention4 ,as for the rest1 ,i had no design to offend any ,body2 if there are some things which make them uneasie1 'tis impossible to write any ,work of this nature1 without disgusting some4 ',tis also the ,mark of good ,criticism1 as well as good ,philosophy4 ,from hence it proceeded1 that ,plato was blamed for having taught his ,philosophy a long time1 without displeasing any one ,person2 and they pretended by that1 to say that either his ,doctrine was not good1 or his ,method defective1 since none had by ,hearing him been made sensible of that ,uneasiness1 which ,people naturally have1 when they perceive themselves to be ,vitious4 ,it would be unjust to finish this ,preface1 without saying something of ,aristotle's ,life1 that those who read his ,work1 may know something of him4 ,he was the ,son of ,nicomachus1 ,physician of#bb ,amyntas1 and descended from ,esculapius4 ,his ,mother was the ,daughter of one of the ,descendants of those1 who ,transplanted a ,colony1 from ,chalcis to ,stagira1 in ,macedonia2 that is to say1 she was of ,noble ,extraction1 on both sides4 ,he was born at ,stagira1 about four ,hundred ,years1 before our ,saviour4 ,at ,eighteen ,years of ,age1 he went to ,athens1 and abode with ,plato1 he pass'd twenty ,years in his ,school1 and when his ,master was dead1 he went to ,hermeas the ,tyrant of ,atarna1 a ,city of ,mysia2 he went from thence to ,mytelene1 from whence he was call'd by ,philip1 to be his ,son ,alexander's ,tutor2 he was eight ,years1 with that ,young ,prince1 and after ,philip's ,death1 returned to ,athens1 where he ,taught1 in the ,lyceum twelve ,years1 till the ,death of ,alexander4 ,for ,antipater having carried the ,war into ,greece1 ,aristotle1 who fancied1 the ,athenians suspected him1 by reason of the strict ,friendship1 which was between him1 and the ,viceroy of ,macedonia1 retir'd to ,calchis1 where he died soon after1 by a ,fit of ,sickness in the sixty third ,year of his ,age4 ,he left one ,son1 and one ,daughter1 both ,young1 and made ,antipater ,executor of his ,will1 and ,administrator of all his ,goods1 which were very considerable1 if we may judge of them by ,alexander's ,liberality1 who gave him eight ,hundred ,talents1 for his ,history of ,animals1 that is according to the lesser ,talent1 one hundred and forty ,thousand ,pounds ,sterling1 or according to the greater1 one ,hundred eighty six ,thousand1 six ,hundred1 sixty five ,pounds1 thirteen ,shillings and four ,pence4 ,the most precious of his ,moveables was his ,library1 which was afterwards ,sold to ,ptolomy ,philadelphus1 and which he had ,enrich'd with four ,hundred ,volumes1 of his own making4 ,in those of his ,writings which now remain1 and are happily a considerable ,number1 we find a very discerning ,spirit1 a solid ,judgment1 a wonderful ,method1 prodigious ,knowledge1 and an ,eloquence both strong and sweet4 ,he himself found out more1 than the most ,knowing now1 learn with a great deal of ,labour and ,pains1 and as for those things which depended on the ,vivacity of the ,spirit1 no ,man ever carried his ,knowledge further1 or ,establish'd more sure1 or extensive ,principles4 ,in ,dialecticks1 ,logick1 ,rhetorick1 ,politicks1 and ,morality1 we have little but what he taught us4 ,by making a proper use of his ,informations1 there have appear'd ,works in some of these ,sciences1 preferable to his1 but his ,rhetorick is the most ,preferable we as yet have4 ,his ,art of ,poetry is more to be admir'd1 for in his ,rhetorick1 he made use of the ,precepts of those1 who ,wrote before him4 ,but he is the first that discovered the ,grounds1 and ,secrets of ,poesie1 and none since have undertaken to ,write1 but in ,explication of his ,thoughts1 which have serv'd1 and will always serve as the ,rule4 ,he alone has ,reviv'd ,tragedy more than once4 ,in effect after it was brought to its ,perfection1 under the ,reign of ,alexander1 the ,son of ,amyntas1 under the ,reigns of ,perdiccas1 and ,archelaus1 and degenerated in those which follow'd1 but under that of ,philip1 and ,alexander1 the ,poets being ,encourag'd by those ,glorious ,princes1 and guided by ,aristotle's ,genius1 made it flourish as before4 ,after the ,death of ,alexander1 it began to ,languish1 and never recover'd its entire ,strength till the ,reign of ,augustus1 in which the ,rules of this ,philosopher were ,reviv'd4 ,since the ,death of ,augustus1 it has grown ,feeble1 for more than sixteen ,hundred ,years1 till in this last ,age 'twas recover'd out of its long ,decay1 by ,mr4 ,corneille1 and ,mr4 ,racine1 who upheld themselves by ,aristotle's ,rules4 ,so true is it1 that ,time is the ,faithful ,guardian1 not only of ,great ,men1 as ,pindar saith1 but also of the ,liberal ,arts1 which it revives as occasion offers1 and always1 under the greatest ,princes4 ,for what a good ,soil and ,air1 are to ,seeds and ,fruits1 such is the ,glory1 ,grandeur1 ,magnificence1 and ,liberality of ,princes1 to ,arts1 and ,sciences1 which do not so much flourish under them1 as by them2 and we may very properly apply to this ,subject the fallowing ,verse of ,agathon4 ,art favours ,fortune1 ,fortune favours ,art4 ,if ,tragedy shall some time hence suffer any sort of ,eclipse1 'twill be by the ,laziness1 and ,haste of those ,poets1 who ,write without being rightly ,instructed4 ,plato in his ,phedrus ,introduces a young ,poet seeking ,sophocles and ,euripides1 and ,accosting them thus4 ,i can make ,verses tolerably well2 and ,i know how in my ,descriptions to extend a mean ,subject1 and ,contract a great one3 ,i know how to excite ,terror1 and ,compassion1 and to make pitiful things appear ,dreadful and ,menacing4 ,i will therefore go1 and write ,tragedies4 ,sophocles and ,euripides answer'd him1 ,don't go so fast1 ,tragedy is not what you take it to be2 'tis a ,body1 composed of many different1 and well-suited ,parts1 of which you will make a ,monster1 unless you know how to adjust them2 you may know what is to be learn'd1 before the ,study of the ,art of ,tragedy2 but you don't yet know that ,art4 ,if there are ,poets now1 which don't know so much as the ,young ,man1 of whom ,plato speaks1 these ,rules can be of no ,advantage to them2 but those who are like him1 and in the same ,circumstances1 need only keep to these ,rules1 which will teach them what they are ,ignorant of1 and the fourth time restore ,tragedy to its first ,lustre and ,brightness4 ,this is the most profitable ,present1 can be made them1 if by ,meditation and ,practice they will endeavour to make a right use of it2 for ,precepts alone are not sufficient to make us ,learned1 the ,advantage1 and ,profit of any ,rules1 depend on our ,labour and ,pains4 ,if these ,rules are not for them1 they will be against them1 and their ,works shall be ,judg'd by them4 ,footnotes3 #ag ,in his ,treatise of ,ancient ,physick4 #ah ,chap4 #ah4 ,rem4 #h4 c4 #ai ,chap4 #ac4 ,rem4 #be4 #bj ,a ,town in ,thessaly4 #ba ,called ,impious1 because he writ against ,homer4 #bb ,grandfather to ,alexander the ,great4 ,notes on ,dacier's ,preface ,sig4 ,a #c1 recto1 #aa4 #ag-ah4 ,horace's ,art of ,poetry4 ,published1 ,paris1 #afhi1 in ,vol4 ,x of ,dacier's ,remarques ,critiques sur les ,oeuvres d',horace ,avec une ,nouvelle ,traduction4 ,sig4 ,a #e1 verso1 #a4b1 note4 ,chap4 #ah1 ,rem4 #h4 ,in this remark1 ,dacier explicates ,aristotle's injunction that the poet should sketch the general outline of the fable before filling in episodes and naming characters1 thus making it general and universal4 ,sig4 ,a #f1 verso1 #a4g1 note4 ,chap4 #ac1 ,rem4 #be4 ,dacier says in this remark that a regular tragedy submitted to the judgment of the learned and the ignorant will always please best1 car l'un remarque une chose1 l'autre une autre1 tous ensemble ils remarquent tout4 ,sig4 ,a #h1 recto1 #a4g4 ,history is much less grave4 ,ch4 ,,ix1 ,rem4 #e 7,dacier's note7 ,dacier adds nothing to the traditional discussion of the superiority of poetry to history and philosophy4 ,sig4 ,a #h1 verso1 #a4ah4 ,alexander of ,pherea4 ,see ,plutarch's oration ,on the ,fortune or the ,virtue of ,alexander1 ,,ii1 in ,moralia 7tr4 ,f4,c4 ,babbitt1 ,loeb ,classical ,library71 ,,iv1 #dbd4 ,sig4 b #a1 recto1 #a4a4 ,a ,very ,grave ,historian4 ,polybius1 ,histories1 ,,iv1 #bj4 ,sig4 b #a1 verso #a4bj4 ,mr4 ,racine 444 his last two pieces444 ,esther 7#afhi7 and ,athalie1 #afia4 ,sig4 b #b1 recto1 #aa4 #bc-bd4 ,victorius4 ,pietro ,vettori1 ,commentarii in ,primum ,librum ,aristotelis de ,arte ,poetarum1 ,florentiae1 #aefj4 ,ibid41 #a4bg4 ,castelvetro4 ,ludovico ,castelvetro1 ,la ,poetica d',aristotele vulgarizzata et sposta1 #aegj4 ,this view of ,castelvetro1 who was remarkable for his independence of ,aristotle1 was fairly common in ,france4 ,la ,mesnardire1 for instance1 was extremely hostile to him4 ,sig4 b #b1 verso1 #a4ac4 ,mesnardire4 ,jules de ,la ,mesnardire1 ,la ,potique1 ,paris1 #afic4 ,ibid41 #a4bj4 ,d',aubignac4 ,aubignac 7abb ,hdelin d'71 ,la ,pratique du ,theatre1 ,paris1 #afeg4 ,english translation1 #afhd4 ,ibid41 #a4bf4 ,father ,bossu4 ,trait du ,pome ,epique1 ,paris1 #afge4 ,sig4 b #c1 recto1 #a4bb4 ,corneille4 ,discours de l',utilit et des ,parties du ,pome ,dramatique1 ,oeuvres 7ed4 ,ch4 ,marty-,laveaux71 ,paris1 #ahfb1 ,i1 #af4 ,sig4 b #d1 verso1 #a4 #ab4 ,dionysius of ,halicarnassus4 ,see ,epistola ad ,cn4 ,pompeio de ,platone1 ,dionysii ,halicarnassensis1 ,opera ,omnia1 ,lipsiae1 #aggd-aggg1 ,,vi1 #gej-geb4 ,sig4 b #f1 verso1 #a4 #bg4 ,pindar ,fragment #aei1 ,odes 7tr4 ,sir ,john ,sandys1 ,loeb ,classical ,library7 p4 #fjj4 ,sig4 b #g1 recto1 #a4 #e4 verse of ,agathon ,ars atque fortuna invicem se diligunt4 ,agathones ,fragmenta #f1 in ,fragmenta ,euripides 7ed4 ,f4,g4 ,wagner71 ,paris1 #ahdc-ahdf1 ,,ii1 #eh4 ,ibid41 #a4aj4 ,plato in his ,phaedrus4 ,phaedrus1 #bfh1 ,dialogues 7tr4 ,b4 ,jowett7 ,third ,edition1 ,oxford1 #ahib1 ,i1 #dgg4 ,william ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library3 ,university of ,california ,,the ,,augustan ,,reprint ,,society ,general ,editors ,r4,c4 ,,boys ,university of ,michigan ,,ralph ,,cohen ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,,vinton ,a4 ,,dearing ,university of ,california1 ,los ,angeles ,,lawrence ,,clark ,,powell ,wm4 ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library ,corresponding ,secretary3 ,mrs4 ,,edna ,c4 ,,davis1 ,wm4 ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library ,the ,society exists to make available inexpensive reprints 7usually facsimile reproductions7 of rare seventeenth and eighteenth century works4 ,the editorial policy of the ,society remains unchanged4 ,as in the past1 the editors welcome suggestions concerning publications4 ,all income of the ,society is devoted to defraying cost of publication and mailing4 ,all correspondence concerning subscriptions in the ,united ,states and ,canada should be addressed to the ,william ,andrews ,clark ,memorial ,library1 #bbje ,west ,adams ,boulevard1 ,los ,angeles #ah1 ,california4 ,correspondence concerning editorial matters may be addressed to any of the general editors4 ,the membership fee is #c4jj a year for subscribers in the ,united ,states and ,canada and #ae_/- for subscribers in ,great ,britain and ,europe4 ,british and ,european subscribers should address ,b4 ,h4 ,blackwell1 ,broad ,street1 ,oxford1 ,england4 ,publications for the thirteenth year #aieh-aiei 7,at least six items1 most of them from the following list1 will be reprinted47 ,andr ,dacier1 ,preface to ,aristotle's ,art of ,poetry 7#agje74 ,introduction by ,samuel ,holt ,monk4 ,william ,herbert1 ,third ,earl of ,pembroke4 ,poems 7#affj74 ,introduction by ,gaby ,onderwyzer4 ,francis ,hutcheson1 ,reflections on ,laughter 7#agbi74 ,introduction by ,scott ,elledge4 ,eighteenth-,century ,newspaper ,essays on the ,theatre4 ,selected1 with an introduction1 by ,john ,loftis4 ,samuel ,johnson1 ,notes to ,shakespeare1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 ,tragedies4 ,edited by ,arthur ,sherbo4 ,john ,joyne1 ,a ,journal 7#afgi74 ,edited by ,r4 ,e4 ,hughes4 ,richard ,savage1 ,an ,author to be ,let 7#agcb74 ,introduction by ,james ,sutherland4 ,seventeenth-,century ,tales of the ,supernatural4 ,selected1 with an introduction1 by ,isabel ,m4 ,westcott4 ,,the ,,augustan ,,reprint ,,society ,,william ,,andrews ,,clark ,,memorial ,,library #bbje ,,west ,,adams ,,boulevard1 ,,los ,,angeles #ah1 ,,california ,make check or money order payable to ,,the ,,regents ,,of ,,the ,,university ,,of ,,california4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,the origianl text of ,aristotle's ,art of ,poetry is printed in italic font with plain font used for emphasis4 ,for ease of reading1 the transcriber has used underscore to represent the plain text4 ,in all other sections of this document1 underscore is used to represent italic text4 ,elongated s has been modernized4 ,additional spacing after some of the quotes is intentional to indicate both the end of a quotation and the beginning of a new paragraph as presented in the original text4