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Page 15
What makes me wonder that no _English_ Writer has ever attempted a
profess'd Performance in the _Characteristic-Way_ is, that we are,
certainly, more able to undertake a Work of this Nature than any other
Nation; because our Countrymen afford a greater Variety of Subject
Matter than any other People.--Human Nature, as I observ'd before, in
its various Forms and Affections, is the Subject of _Characteristic-
Writings_: And from this Diversity of Manners arises that, which is
properly call'd _Humour_, and which, upon a double Account, seems to
be peculiar to our Nation; not only because there is no Word in any
other Language so expressive, but also because there is no Nation, in
which we can find a greater Variety of original _Humour_, than amongst
the _English_. Sir _William Temple_, speaking of the Dramatic
Performances of the Stage, expresses himself after the following
Manner.--[Z]
[Z: Essay on Poetry, p. 355, _&c_.]
In this the _Italian_, the _Spanish_, and the _French_, have all had
their different Merit, and receiv'd their just Applauses. Yet I am
deceiv'd, if our _English_ has not in some Kind excell'd both the
Modern and the Antient; which has been by Force of a Vein, natural
perhaps to our Country, and which with us is call'd _Humour_, a Word
peculiar to our Language too, and hard to be express'd in any other;
nor is it (that I know of) found in any Foreign Writers, unless it be
_Moliere_, and yet his it self has too much of the Farce, to pass for
the same with ours. _Shakespear_ was the first that opened this Vein
upon our Stage, which has run so freely and so pleasantly ever since,
that I have often wonder'd to find it appear so little upon any
others; being a Subject so proper for them, since _Humour_ is but
a Picture of particular Life, as Comedy is of general; and tho' it
represents Dispositions and Customs less common, yet they are not
less natural than those that are more frequent among Men.
_Humour_ is the only genuine Source of all that agreeable Variety of
original Characters, which is so entertaining to a Spectator and
Reader: And Sir _William Temple_ proceeds to observe, that in this
Point the Moderns in general, and the _English_ in particular, have
far excell'd the Antients. This Observation is very just, however
partial it may seem to a Foreigner, and the Reason of it is very
obvious. I shall represent 'em both in Sir _William_'s own Words. The
Passage is somewhat long, but the Goodness of it will amply pay the
Reader for his Trouble in perusing it.
It may seem a Defect (says he) in the antient Stage, that the
Characters introduc'd were so few, and those so common, as a
covetous old Man, an amorous young, a witty Wench, a crafty Slave,
a bragging Soldier. The Spectators met nothing upon the Stage, but
what they met in the Streets, and at every Turn. All the Variety is
drawn only from different and uncommon Events; whereas if the
Characters are so too, the Diversity and the Pleasure must needs be
the more. But as of most general Customs in a Country, there is
usually some Ground, from the Nature of the People or Climat, so
there may be amongst us for this Vein of our Stage, and a greater
Variety of _Humour_ in the Picture, because there is a greater
Variety in the Life. This may proceed from the native Plenty of our
Soil, the Unequalness of our Climat, as well as the Ease of our
Government, and the Liberty of professing Opinions and Factions,
which perhaps our Neighbours may have about them, but are forc'd to
disguise, and thereby they may come in Time to be extinguish'd.
Plenty begets Wantonness and Pride, Wantonness is apt to invent,
and Pride scorns to imitate; Liberty begets Stomach or Heart,
and Stomach will not be constrain'd. Thus we come to have more
Originals, and more that appear what they are; we have more
_Humour_, because every Man follows his own, and takes a Pleasure,
perhaps a Pride, to shew it.
--_Shakespear_, _Johnson_, _Shadwell_, _Etherege_, and _Wycherly_ have
shewn the Richness of this Source: They excell'd in the Variety and
_Humour_ of the Characters which they exhibited; and in this they have
receiv'd just Applauses: But yet they did not exhaust the Spring from
whence they drew: The ingenious Mr. _Congreve_ has pursu'd the same
Vein of _Humour_; and he has imitated his Predecessors so well, that
he has by far out-done 'em all. In his Dramatic-Pieces there is the
greatest Variety of _Humour_ and of original Characters, set off by
the greatest Delicacy of Sentiments, and adorn'd with the Beauties of
the justest Diction that can possibly be imagined. Mr. _Dryden_ must
be allow'd to be a competent Judge in an Affair of this Nature, and he
has given us the true Character and Panegyric of Mr. _Congreve_ in the
following Lines.
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