out violent paffions, or enormous corruption, the freedom and laxity of a ruftick life produces remarkable particularities of conduct or manner. In the province where I now refide, we have one lady eminent for wearing a gown always of the fame cut and colour; another for fhaking hands with those that vifit her; and a third for unfhaken refolution never to let tea or coffee enter her house.

But of all the female characters which this place affords, I have found none fo worthy of attention as that of Mrs. Bufy, a widow, who loft her husband in her thirtieth year, and has fince paffed her time in the manor-houfe, in the government of her children, and the management of the estate.

Mrs. Bufy was married at eighteen, from a boarding-fchool, where the had paffed her time like other young ladies in needle-work, with a few intervals of dancing and reading. When the became a bride, the spent one winter with her husband in town, where having no idea of any converfation beyond the formalities of a vifit, fhe found nothing to engage her paffions; and when the had been one night at court, and two at an opera, and feen the Monument, the Tombs, and the Tower, the concluded that London had nothing more to fhew, and wondered that when women had once feen the world they could not be content to stay at home. She therefore went willingly to the ancient feat, and for fome years ftudied housewifery under Mr. Buly's mother, with fo much affiduity, that the old lady, when she died, bequeathed her a caudle-cup, a foupdifh, two beakers, and a chest of tablelinen fpun by herself.

Mr. Bufy finding the economical qualities of his lady, refigned his affairs wholly into her hands, and devoted his life to his pointers and his hounds. He never vifited his eftates, but to deftroy the partridges or foxes; and often committed fuch devastations in the rage of pleafure, that fame of his tenants refufed to hold their lands at the ufual rent. Their landlady perfuaded them to be fatisfied, and entreated her husband to dif mifs his ogs, with many exact calculations of the ale drank by his companions, and corn confumed by the horfes, and remonstrances against the infolence of the huntfinan, and the frauds of the groom. The huntfman was too necef

fary to his happiness to be difcarded; and he had ftill continued to ravage his own eftate, had he not caught a cold and a fever by fhooting mallards in the fens. His fever was followed by a confumption, which in a few months brought him to the grave.

Mrs. Bufy was too much an economift to feel either joy or forrow at his death. She received the compliments and confolations of her neighbours in a dark room, out of which the stole privately every night and morning to fee the cows milked; and after a few days declared that the thought a widow might employ herself better than in nurfing grief; and that, for her part, fhe was refolved that the fortunes of her children fhould not be impaired by her neglect.

She therefore immediately applied herfelf to the reformation of abufes. She gave away the dogs, difcharged the fervants of the kennel and ftable, and fent the horfes to the next fair, but rated at fo high a price that they returned unfold. She was refolved to have nothing idle about her, and ordered them to be employed in common drudgery. They loft their fleeknefs and grace, and were foon purchased at half the value.

She foon difencumbered herself from her weeds, and put on a riding-hood, a coarfe apron, and fhort petticoats, and has turned a large manor into a farm, of which he takes the management wholly upon herfelf. She rifes before the fun to order the horses to their geers, and fees them well rubbed down at their return from work; fhe attends the dairy morning and evening, and watches when a calf falls, that it may be carefully nursed; fhe walks out among the sheep at noon, counts the lambs, and obferves the fences, and, where the finds a gap, ftops it with a bufh till it can be better mended. In harveft the rides afield in the waggon, and is very liberal of her ale from a wooden bottle. At her lei. fure hours the looks goofe eggs, airs the wool-room, and turns the cheefe.

When refpect or curiofity brings vifitants to her houfe, the entertains them with prognofticks of a scarcity of wheat, or a rot among the sheep, and always thinks herfelf privileged to difmifs them, when he is to fee the hogs fed, or to count her poultry on the rooft.

The only things neglected about her are her children, whom he has taught nothing but the lowest household duties.

In laft vifit I met Mifs Bufy carrymy ing grains to a fick cow, and was entertained with the accomplishments of her eldest fon, a youth of fuch early maturity, that though he is only fixteen, fhe can trust him to fell corn in the market. Her younger daughter, who is eminent for her beauty, though fomewhat tanned in making hay, was bufy in pourring out ale to the ploughmen, that every one might have an equal share.

Tis required by Ariftotle to the per

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rious purpofes by the fame act; and the

neceffary to every other fpecies of regular compofition, that it fhould have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning, fays he,' is that which has nothing neceffarily previous, but to which that which follows is naturally confequent; the end, on the contrary, is that which by neceffity, or at leaft according to the common courfe of things, fucceeds fomething elfe,but which implies nothing confequent to itfelf; the middle is connected on one fide to fomething that naturally goes • before, and on the other to fomething that naturally follows it.'

Such is the rule laid down by this great critick for the difpofition of the different parts of a well conftituted fable. It must begin, where it may be made intelligible without introduction; and end, where the mind is left in repole, without expectation of any farther event. The intermediate pallages mult join the last effect to the firit caufe, by a regular and unbroken concatenation; nothing must be therefore inferted which does not apparently arife from fomething foregoing, and properly make way for fomething that fucceeds it.

This precept is to be understood in it's rigour only with respect to great and effential events, and cannot be extended in the fame force to minuter circumftances and arbitrary decorations, which yet are more happy as they contribute more to the main defign; for it is al ways a proof of extenlive thought and accurate circumfpection, to promote va

it feems to exclude neceffity.

Whoever purpotes, as it is expreffed by Milton- to build the lofty rhime," must acquaint himself with this law of poetical architecture, and take care that his edifice be folid as well as beautiful; that nothing ftand fingle or independent, fo as that it may be taken away without injuring the reft; but that from the foundation to the pinnacles one part rest firm upon another.

This regular and confequential diftribution is among common authors frequently neglected; but the failures of thofe whofe example can have no influence, may be fafely overlooked, nor is it of much ufe to recall obfcure and unregarded names to memory for the fake of fporting with their infamy. But if there is any writer whofe genius can embellith impropriety, and whofe authority can make crror venerable, his works are the proper objects of critical inquifition. To expunge faults where there are no excellencies, is a task equally ufelefs with that of the chemift, who employs the arts of feparation and refinement upon ore in which no precious metal is contained to reward his operations.

The tragedy of Samfon Agonistes has been celebrated as the fecond work of the great author of Paradife Loft, and oppofed with all the confidence of triumph to the dramatick performances of other nations. It contains indeed jut fentiments, maxims of wisdom, and oracles of piety, as many paffages written with the ancient fpirit of choral poetry,

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poetry, in which there is a juft and pleafing mixture of Seneca's moral declamation, with the wild enthusiasm of the Greek writers. It is therefore worthy of examination, whether a performance thus illuminated with genius, and enriched with learning, is compofed according to the indifpenfible laws of Ariftotelian criticifm: and, omitting at prefent all other confiderations, whether it exhibits a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The beginning is undoubtedly beautiful and proper, opening with a graceful abruptnefs, and proceding naturally to a mournful recital of facts neceffary to be known.

To thefe dark fteps, a little farther on;
For yonder bank hath choice of fun and fhade;
There I am wont to fit when any chance
Relieves me from my tafk of fervile toil,
Daily in the common prifon elfe enjoin'd me.
-O wherefore was my birth from Heav'n
foretold

Twice by an angel?-
-Why was my breeding order'd and pre-
fcrib'd,

As of a perfon feparate to God,
Defign'd for great exploits; if I must die
Betray'd, captiv'd, and both my eyes put out?
-Whom have I to complain of but myself?
Who this high gift of ftrength, committed

This part of the dialogue, as it might tend to animate or exafperate Samfon, cannot, I think, be cenfured as wholly fuperfluous; but the fucceeding difpute, in which Samfon contends to die, and which his father breaks off, that he may go to folicit his release, is only valuable for it's own beauties, and no tendency to introduce any thing that follows it.

The next event of the drama is the

arrival of Dalilah; with all her graces, artifices, and allurements. This produces a dialogue, in a very high degree elegant and inftructive, from which the fuafions, and is no more feen nor heard retires, after he has exhausted her perof; nor has her vifit any effect but that of raifing the character of Samfon.

In the fourth act enters Harapha, the giant of Gath, whofe name had never been mentioned before, and who has now no other motive of coming than to fee the man whofe ftrength and actions are fo loudly celebrated.

Haraph.- -Much I have heard of thy prodigious might, and feats perform'd, Incredible to me; in this difpleas'd, That I was never prefent in the place Of thofe encounters, where we might have tried

Each other's force in camp or lifted fields: And now am come to fee of whom fuch noife Hath

Hath walk'd about, and each limb to furvey, If thy appearance answer loud report.

Samfon challenges him to the combat; and, after an interchange of reproaches, elevated by repeated defiance on one fide, and imbittered by contemptuous infults on the other, Harapha retires; we then hear it determined, by Samfon and the chorus, that no confequence good or bad will proceed from their interview.

Chorus. He will directly to the lords, I fear, And with malicious counsel ftir them up Some way or other farther to afflict thee. Samf. He must alledge fome caufe, and offer'd fight

Will not dare mention, left a queftion rife, Whether he durft accept the offer or not; And that he durf not, plain enough appear'd.

At laft, in the fifth act, appears a meffenger from the lords affembled at the feitival of Dagon, with a fummons by which Samfon is required to come and entertain them with fome proof of his ftrength. Samfon, after a fhort expoftulation, difmiffes him with a firm and refolute refufal; but during the abfence of the meffenger, having a defended the propriety of his conduct, he at laft declares himself moved by a fecret impulfe to comply, and utters fome dark prefages of a great event to be brought to pafs by his agency, under the direction of Providence.

while

Samf. Be of goodwurage; I begin to feel Some roufing motions in me, which dispose To fomething extraordinary my thoughts. I with ths meffenger will go along, Nothing to do, befure, that may dishonour

Our law, or stain my vow of Nazarite.
If there be ought of prefage in the mind,
This day will be remarkable in my life
By fome great act, or of my days the last.

While Samfon is conducted off by the meffenger,, his father returns with hopes of fuccefs in his folicitation, upon which he confers with the chorus till their dialogue is interrupted, firft by a fhout of triumph, and afterwards by fcreams of horror and agony. As they ftand deliberating where they fhall be fecure, a man who had been present at the fhew enters, and relates how Samfon having prevailed on his guide to suffer him to lean against the main pillars of the theatrical edifice, tore down the roof upon the spectators and himself.

-Those two maffy pillars,

With horrible confufion, to and fro, He tugg'd, he shook, till down they came, and drew

The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder,

Upon the heads of all who fat beneath

-Samfon with these immixt, inevitably Pull'd down the fame deftru&tion on himself.

This is undoubtedly a juft and regular catastrophe, and the poem, therefore, has a beginning and an end which Ariftotle himself could not have difapproved; but it must be allowed to want a middle, fince nothing paffes between the first act and the laft, that either haftens or delays the death of Samfon. The whole drama, if it's fuperfluities were cut off, would fcarcely fill a fingle act; yet this is the tragedy which ignorance has admired, and bigotry ap plauded.

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I

gree of virtue or reputation is able to secure an informer from publick hatred. The learned world has always admitted the ufefulness of critical difquifitions, yet he that attempts to fhew,

however

ce

however modeftly, the failures of a ce lebrated writer, fhall furely irritate his admirers, and incur the imputation of envy, captiouineis, and malignity.

With this danger full in my view, I fhall proceed to examine the fentiments of Milton's tragedy, which, though much lets liable to cenfure than the difpofition of his plan, are, like those of other writers, fometimes expofed to just exception for want of care, or want of difcernment.

Sentiments are proper and improper as they confift more or lefs with the character and circumstances of the perfon to whom they are attributed, with the rules of the compofition in which they are found, or with the, fettled and unalterable nature of things.

It is common among the tragick poets to introduce their perfons alluding to events or opinions, on which they could not poffibly have any knowledge. The barbarians of remote or newly-difcovered regions often difplay their skill in European learning. The god of love is mentioned in Tamerlane with all the familiarity of a Roman epigrammatit; and a late writer has put Harvey's doctrine of the circulation of the blood into the mouth of a Turkish ftate finan, who lived near two centuries before it was known even to philofophers or anatomists.

Milton's learning, which acquainted him with the manners of the ancient eastern nations, and his invention, which required no affiftance from the common cant of poetry, have preferved him from frequent outrages of local or chronological propriety. Yet he has mentioned Chalybean Steel, of which it is not very likely that his chorus fhould have heard, and has made Alp the general name of a mountain, in a region where the Alps could fcarcely be known.

No medicinal liquor can affwage,
Nor breath of cooling air from snowy Alp.

He has taught Samfon the tales of Circe, and the Syrens, at which he apparently hints in his colloquy with Dalilah.

I know thy trains,

Tho' dearly to my coft, thy gins and toils;

the folemn introduction of the Phoenix in the laft fcene, which is faulty, not only as it is incongruous to the perfonage to whom it is afcribed, but as it is fo evidently contrary to reafon and nature, that it ought never to be mentioned but as a fable in a serious poem.

Virtue giv'n for loft,
Depreft, and overthrown, as feem'd,
Like that felf-begotten bird

In the Arabian woods embost
That no fecond knows, nor third,
And lay ere while a holocauft;
From out our afhy womb now teem'd
Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most
When most unactive deem'd;
And tho' her body die, her fame furvives,
A fecular bird ages of lives.

Another fpecies of impropriety, is the unfuitableness of thoughts to the general character of the poem. The ferioufnels and folemnity of tragedy neceffarily rejects all pointed or epigrammatical expreffions, all remote conceits and oppofition of ideas. Samfon's complaint is therefore too elaborate to be natural.

As in the land of darkness, yet in light,
To live a life half dead, a living death,
And bury'd; but O yet more miferable!
Myfelf my fepulchre, a moving grave!
Bury'd, yet not exempt,
By privilege of death and burial,
From worst of other evils, pains and wrongs.

All allufions to lay and trivial objects, with which contempt is ufually affociated, are doubtlefs unfuitable to a fpecies of compofition which ought to be always awful, though not always magnificent. The remark therefore of the chorus on good and bad news, seems to want elevation.

Manoab. A little ftay will bring some notice hither

Chor. Of good or bad fo great, of bad the fooner;

For evil news rides poft, while good news baits.

But, of all meannefs, that has least to plead which is produced by mere verbal

No more on me have pow'r.

founds, lose their existence by the change of a fyllable, Of this kind is the fol

Chor