tions of
tragedy. The spectators of a shipwreck may be attracted by the dignity
and novelty of the object; and from these may be said to receive
pleasure; but not from the distress of the sufferers. An ingenious
writer, who has criticised this dialogue in the English Review for
August, 1789, adds, that one great source of our pleasure from scenical
distress arises from our, at the same time, generally contemplating one
of the noblest objects of nature, that of Virtue triumphant over
every difficulty and oppression, or supporting its votary under every
suffering: or, where this does not occur, that our minds are relieved
by the justice of some signal punishment awaiting the delinquent. But,
besides this, at the exhibition of a good tragedy, we are not only amused
by the dignity, and novelty, and beauty, of the objects before us; but,
if any distressful circumstances occur too forcible for our sensibility,
we can voluntarily exert ourselves, and recollect, that the scenery is
not real: and thus not only the pain, which we had received from the
apparent distress, is lessened, but a new source of pleasure is opened
to us, similar to that which we frequently have felt on awaking from a
distressful dream; we are glad that it is not true. We are at the same
time unwilling to relinquish the pleasure which we receive from the other
interesting circumstances of the drama; and on that account quickly
permit ourselves to relapse into the delusion; and thus alternately
believe and disbelieve, almost every moment, the existence of the objects
represented before us.

_B_. Have those two sovereigns of poetic land, HOMER and SHAKESPEAR, kept
their works entirely free from the Horrid?--or even yourself in your
third Canto?

_P_. The descriptions of the mangled carcasses of the companions of
Ulysses, in the cave of Polypheme, is in this respect certainly
objectionable, as is well observed by Scaliger. And in the play of Titus
Andronicus, if that was written by Shakespear (which from its internal
evidence I think very improbable), there are many horrid and disgustful
circumstances. The following Canto is submitted to the candour of the
critical reader, to whose opinion I shall submit in silence.

THE

LOVES

OF THE

PLANTS.

CANTO III.

And now the Goddess founds her silver shell,
And shakes with deeper tones the inchanted dell;
Pale, round her grassy thron