necessity for its introduction, the antient criticks have laid down rules which reduce the times of its employment to the fewest possible number; and the moderns, with an implicit attachment to their authority, have taken up their principles, and endeavoured to square and apply them to the existing state of the drama.

Among the first of these, Aristotle directs that no divinity should be introduced for the mere purpose of unravelling a knot in the intrigue of the plot. It seems to be a fundamental principle of his criticism, that the incidents of the story should unfold themselves in a natural train. To preserve this principle inviolable, he directs, that if a deity is introduced, for the purpose of making a disclosure, it should be something which happens out of the dramatick action; at the same time premising that it should be something necessary to the intelligence of the subject, and such as a spiritual intelligence can be supposed to know. By the

Ιλιάδι τα

Φανερον ουν και τας λυςεις των μύθων εξ αυτε μυθε συμβαι γειν, και μη ωςπερ εν τη Μήδεια απο μηχανης, και εν τη περί τον αποπλων αλλα μηχανη χρηστέον επί τα έξω το δράματος, η όσα προ τα γεγονεν, ά εχ οιον τε ανθρωπον ειδεναι, η όςα ύστερον έςα ἃ δεῖται προαγορευςεως και αγγελειας· άπαντα γαρ αποδίδομεν τοις

former part of this observation he makes a provision, that the contexture of the fable shall not be interrupted by marvellous intervention; as by the latter he takes precaution, that a divinity shall not be introduced on a trivial or unnecessary occasion. Of this principle it may be remarked, that it is exemplified in "Hamlet," and, generally speaking, in "Macbeth" but it extends not to the machinery employed in the other dramas of Shakespeare; nor indeed, as the Abbate Metastasio has observed, to the practice of the Greek theatre. So far it may be allowed to be a principle too confined in its application for the general purposes of poetry; in which light it seems not to have been recommended by its authour.

The steps of Aristotle, as has been frequently observed, are followed by Horace, who prohibits the use of a machine unless for the purpose of solving some important difficulty in the action;

Nec deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus
Inciderit.

De Art. Poet. v. 191.

Θεοις όραν. Αλογον δε μηδεν είναι εν τοις πραγμαςιν ει δε της τραγωδίας διον το εν τω Οιδιποδι το Σοφοκλέος.

y, Eğu

De Poet. § 28.

It has been observed by the Abbate Metastasio on this rule, that it is the best which can be given to persons possessed of a good judgment; without which, he subjoins, every precept is not only useless but may be dangerous. With much greater pertinency he objects to it on another occasion; “Ma egli non c'insegna quali circostanze debba avere questo nodo per meritare d'essere disciolto da un nume." Which is a remark that throws the question back to its original difficulty.

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Nor does it appear that the solution, which the same critick has offered elsewhere of this difficulty, is at all satisfactory. "Io non saprei a qual canone, o a quale esempio autorevole ottenermi per far uso regolare delle machine suddette, se non mi determinassi a credere, che la grandezza, e la maestà d'un soggetto, e l'eroica dignità de' personaggi introdotti, e supposti in ispezial cura de' numi, vagliano a rendere analogo, e connesso questo mirabile col verisimile. But surely something more is requisite, to justify the introduction of preternatural

METASTASIO. Not. all' Art. Poet. d' Oraz. v. 191. " Id. ibid.

agency into the scene, and to guide the poet in the management of it than a rule from which it may be inferred that the action would be benefited by its exclusion; for a dramatick subject might be unravelled without such aid, in a manner to which the critick has given a decided preference; "E indubitato, come lo asserisce Aristotele, che quella è la più artificiosa, e commendabile catastrofe, la quale scioglie il viluppo d'una favola, nascendo intrinsecamente dal corso della favola medesima: il modo che il popolo, che non l'aspettava, riflettendo alle cose, da lui nel corso della rappresentazione ascoltate, e vedute, si trovi convinto, che dovea quello scioglimento necessariamente, e verisimilmente succedere."

It appears to to me that the matter is brought somewhat nearer an issue by the explanation of M. de Voltaire, who proceeds on the grounds taken by Horace, and with a like reference to the opinion of Aristotle; "Je voudrais que de telles hardiesses ne fusent employée que quand elles servent à la fois a mettre dans la piéce de l'intrigue, et de la terreur: et je voudrais, sur tout, que

▾ Id. ibid. See also Estrat. dell. Poet. d' Aristot. cap. xv.

l'invention de ces êtres surnaturels ne parût pas absolument necessaire. Je m'explique: si le nœud d'un poëme tragique est tellement embrouillé qu'on ne puisse se tirer d'embarras que par le secours d'un prodige, le spectateur sent la gêne où l'auteur s'est mis, et la faiblesse de la resource.

Il ne voit qu'un écrivain qui se tire mal-adroitment d'un mauvais pas. Plus d'illusion, plus d'interêt. Quodcunque ostendis mihi sic, incredulus odi. Mais je suppose que l'auteur d'un tragédie se fût proposé pour but d'avertir les hommes, que Dieu punit quelquefois de grands crimes par des voies extraordinaires; je suppose que sa piéce fût conduite avec un tel art, que le spectateur attendit à tout moment l'ombre d'un prince assassiné, qui demande vengeance, sans que cette apparition fût une resource absolument necéssaire à une intrigue embarrassée: je dis qu'alors ce prodige, bien ménagé, ferait un tres grand effet en toute langue, en tous tems, et en tout pays.

From these desultory remarks the solution of the question before us may be extracted. The necessity of enforcing the ob

w VOLTAIRE. Dissert. sur la Tragéd. Anc. et Mod. P. III.