FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  
ny hands, must, of necessity, go forward. "Is it not evident, in these last hundred years, when the study of Philosophy has been the business of all the _Virtuosi_ in Christendom, that almost a new Nature has been revealed to us? that more errors of the School have been detected, more useful experiments in Philosophy have been made, more noble secrets in Optics, Medicine, Anatomy, Astronomy, discovered; than, in all those credulous and doting Ages, from ARISTOTLE to us [p. 520]? So true it is, that nothing spreads more fast than Science, when rightly and generally cultivated. "Add to this, _the more than common Emulation that was, in those times, of writing well_: which, though it be found in all Ages and all persons that pretend to the same reputation: yet _Poesy, being then in more esteem than now it is, had greater honours decreed to the Professors of it, and consequently the rivalship was more high between them_. They had Judges ordained to decide their merit, and prizes to reward it: and historians have been diligent to record of AESCHYLUS, EURIPIDES, SOPHOCLES, LYCOPHRON, and the rest of them, both who they were that vanquished in these Wars of the Theatre, and how often they were crowned: while the Asian Kings and Grecian Commonwealths scarce[ly] afforded them a nobler subject than the unmanly luxuries of a debauched Court, or giddy intrigues of a factious city. _Alit oemulatio ingenia_, says PATERCULUS, _et nunc invidia, nunc admiratio incitationem accendit_: 'Emulation is the spur of wit; and sometimes envy, sometimes admiration quickens our endeavours.' "But now, since the rewards of honour are taken away: that Virtuous Emulation is turned into direct Malice; yet so slothful, that it contents itself to condemn and cry down others, without attempting to do better. 'Tis a reputation too unprofitable, to take the necessary pains for it; yet wishing they had it, is incitement enough to hinder others from it. And this, in short, EUGENIUS, is the reason why you have now so few good poets, and so many severe judges. Certainly, to imitate the Ancients well, much labour and long study is required: which pains, I have already shown, our poets would want encouragement to take; if yet they had ability to go through with it. "Those Ancients have been faithful Imitators and wise Observers of that Nature, which is so torn and ill-represented in our Plays. They have handed down to us a perfect Resemblance of Her, which
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Emulation

 

Ancients

 
reputation
 

Philosophy

 
Nature
 

slothful

 

turned

 

Virtuous

 

direct

 

condemn


contents

 
Malice
 

ingenia

 

PATERCULUS

 
invidia
 
oemulatio
 
intrigues
 

factious

 

admiratio

 
incitationem

attempting
 

rewards

 

honour

 

endeavours

 
quickens
 
accendit
 

admiration

 

wishing

 

encouragement

 

ability


required
 

faithful

 

handed

 

perfect

 

Resemblance

 

represented

 

Imitators

 

Observers

 

labour

 
incitement

hinder

 
unprofitable
 
EUGENIUS
 

judges

 

severe

 
Certainly
 

imitate

 
reason
 

spreads

 
credulous