Eighteenth century literature; an Oxford miscellany

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• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 5
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

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EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
LITERATURE
AN OXFORD MISCELLANY
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1909M.A.HENRY FROWDE,
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDPUBLISHER
NEW YORKLONDON, EDINBURGH,
AND MELBOURNETORONTO
44-3
m ENGLAND.PRINTEDTABLE CONTENTSOF
PAGE
I. STEELE AND THE SENTIMENTAL COMEDY. By
M. E. Hare 5
II. LADY Elsie .WINCHELSEA. Drew . 42By
III. FIELDING'S JONATHAN WILD. G. T.By
. . . . . .50.Bispham
THE OP LADY MARY WORTLEY MON-IV. LETTERS
TAGU. Violet L. ... 76By Jacquier
V. YOUNG'S NIGHT THOUGHTS. Michael West 86By
VI. HORACE WALPOLE'S VIEWS ON LITERATURE.
J. G. Fairfax 103By
VII. ENTHUSIASM. J. E. V. Crofts . . .127By
VIII. WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES, T. E, Casson , 151BySTEELE AND THE SENTIMENTAL
COMEDY
onTHERE is an of the theatricalGoldsmith's,essay pro-
ductions of his which a writer on the Sentimentaltime,
And for thiswould like to in extenso.Comedy quote
reason that this kind of which Goldsmithcomedy,
humour but with indescribed with great perfect justice
in is a difficult tothe piece question, thing exceedingly
define. it is too near to us. We know it too wellPerhaps
to able to it. one can it atbe define Every recognize
ora If into a written after 1710dip play so,glance. you
and find such a as this :
passage
child ! child ! ami a comic ser-Oh, my my her,[Embraces
vant or trusted lutler sheds manly tear$J\
! ! IChild. Heaven is it Do em-All-gracious possible
brace father ?my
will know without the need of definition thatyou any you
have struck a of that dolorous fountain ofgenuine spring
sham tears and sham Lawit Comedie TheLarmoyante,
of shall be to cries of inComedy Sighs (that changed joy
the Fifth the of our The SentimentalAct), subject essay
invented the Sir Richard Steele.Comedy by great essayist
This is how citedGoldsmith describes it. He has just
the of the ancients in deal withpractice making tragedy
the misfortunes of the and with humoursthegreat comedy
of low life and were never in the best; tragedy comedy
classical times mixed to make what a 'trades-Voltaire calls
'man's
:tragedy6 STEELE AND THE SENTIMENTAL COMEDY
this of and theYet notwithstanding weight authority,
universal of all a new of dramaticpractice ages, species
has been introduced under the name of the
composition
Sentimental in which the virtues of lifeComedy, private
are exhibited rather than the vices and the dis-
;exposed
mankind ourtresses rather than the faults of make interest
in the piece.
have had of lateThese comedies success,great perhaps
from their and also from theirnovelty; flattering every
man in his favourite foible. In these almost all the
plays
andcharacters are aregood, exceedingly generous; they
lavish of their tin on the andstage;enough money
want humour have abundance of sentimentthough they
and If to have faults and foibles thefeeling. they happen
is not to but tospectator them,taught only pardon applaud
in consideration of the of their hearts so thatgoodness ;
instead of is commended and theFolly, being ridiculed, ;
aims at our without thecomedy touching passions power
of being truly pathetic.
Goldsmith's to that the Sentimentalarguments prove
is an undesirable form of entertainment areComedy by
no means so as his wethem,good description. Omitting
come to the of his of which theperoration essay, following
is a short :passage
But there is one in favour of Sentimentalargument
which will it on the in of all thatComedy keep stage, spite
can be said it. It is of all others the mostagainst easily
written. Those abilities that can hammer out a novel are
sufficient for the of a Sentimentalfully production Comedy.
It is to raise the characters a to deck outonly little,
the hero with a or the heroine a titleriband, ;give then,
to an without character or humourput insipid dialogue
into their them hearts andmouths, give mighty good very
furnish afine new set of make aclothes, scenes, pathetic
scene or two with a of tender con-
sprinkling melancholy
isversation the whole and there no doubt but;through
that all the ladies will and all the applaud.cry gentlemen