Lastly. Horace having expresly mentioned the beginning and progress of Comedy, discovers himself more fully: He advises a Poet to form his Work upon the Precepts of Socrates and Plato, and the Models of Moral Philosophy. This was the way to preserve Decency, and to assign a proper Fate and Behaviour to every Character.Ibid.[315] Now if Horace would have his Poet govern'd by the Maxims of Morality, he must oblige him to Sobriety of Conduct, and a just distribution of Rewards, and Punishments.
Mr. Dryden makes Homewards, and endeavours to fortifie himself in Modern Authority. He lets us know that Ben Johnson after whom he may he proud to Err, gives him more than one example of this Conduct;Pref. Mock. Astrol.[316] That in the Alchemist is notorius, where neither Face nor his Master are corrected according to their Demerits. But how Proud soever Mr. Dryden may be of an Errour, he has not so much of Ben Jonson's company as he pretends. His Instance of Face &c. in the Alchemist is rather notorious against his Purpose then for it.
For Face did not Council his Master Lovewit to debauch the Widdow; neither is it clear that the Matter went thus far. He might gain her consent upon Terms of Honour for ought appears to the contrary. 'Tis true Face who was one of the Principal Cheats is Pardon'd and consider'd. But then his Master confesses himself kind to a fault. He owns this Indulgence was a Breach of Justice, and unbecoming the Gravity of an old Man. And then desires the Audience to excuse him upon the Score of the Temptation. But Face continued, in the Cousenage till the last without Repentance.Ibid.[317] Under favour I conceive this is a Mistake. For does not Face make an Apology before he leaves the Stage? Does he not set himself at the Bar, arraign his own Practise, and cast the Cause upon the Clemency of the Company? And are not all these Signs of the Dislike of what he had done? Thus careful the Poet is to prevent the Ill Impressions of his Play! He brings both Man and Master to Confession. He dismisses them like Malefactours; And moves for their Pardon before he gives them their Discharge. But the Mock-Astrologer has a gentler Hand: Wild-Blood and Jacinta are more generously used: There is no Acknowledgment exacted; no Hardship put upon them: They are permitted to talk on in their Libertine way to the Last: And take Leave without the least Appearance of Reformation. The Mock-Astrologer urges Ben Johnson's Silent Woman as an other Precedent to his purpose. For there Dauphine confesses himself in Love with all the Collegiate Lady's. And yet this naughty Dauphine is Crowned in the end with the Possession of his Uncles Estate, and with the hopes of all his Mistresses.Ibid.[318] This Charge, as I take it, is somewhat too severe. I grant Dauphine Professes himself in Love with the Collegiate Ladies at first. But when they invited him to a private Visit, he makes them no Promise; but rather appears tired, and willing to disengage. Dauphine therefore is not altogether so naughty as this Author represents him.
Ben Johnson's Fox is clearly against Mr. Dryden. And here I have his own Confession for proof. He declares the Poets end in this Play was the Punishment of Vice, and the Reward of Virtue.Essay of Dramatick Poetry. p. 28.[319] Ben was forced to strain for this piece of Justice, and break through the Unity of Design. This Mr. Dryden remarks upon him: How ever he is pleased to commend the Performance, and calls it an excellent Fifth Act.
Ben Johnson shall speak for himself afterwards in the Character of a Critick; In the mean time I shall take a Testimony or two from Shakespear. And here we may observe the admir'd Falstaffe goes off in Disappointment. He is thrown out of Favour as being a Rake, and dies like a Rat behind the Hangings. The Pleasure he had given, would not excuse him. The Poet was not so partial, as to let his Humour compound for his Lewdness. If 'tis objected that this remark is wide of the Point, because Falstaffe is represented in Tragedy, where the Laws of Justice are more strickly observ'd, To this I answer, that you may call Henry the Fourth and Fifth, Tragedies if you please. But for all that, Falstaffe wears no Buskins, his Character is perfectly Comical from end to end.
The next Instance shall be in Flowerdale the Prodigal. This Spark notwithstanding his Extravagance, makes a lucky Hand on't at last, and marries a rich Lady.The London Prodigall.[320] But then the Poet qualifies him for his good Fortune, and mends his Manners with his Circumstances. He makes him repent, and leave off his Intemperance, Swearing &c. And when his Father warn'd him against a Relapse, He answers very soberly,
Heaven helping me I'le hate the Course of Hell.
I could give some instances of this kind out of Beaumount and Fletcher, But there's no need of any farther Quotation; For Mr. Dryden is not satisfied with his Apology from Authority: He does as good as own that this may be construed no better than defending one ill practise by another. To prevent this very reasonable objection he endeavours to vindicate his Precedents from the Reason of the Thing. To this purpose he makes a wide difference between the Rules of Tragedy and Comedy. That Vice must be impartially prosecuted in the first, because the Persons are Great &c.
It seems then Executions are only for Greatness; and Quality. Justice is not to strike much lower than a Prince. Private People may do what they please. They are too few for Mischief, and too Little for Punishment! This would be admirable Doctrine for Newgate, and give us a general Goal-Delivery without more ado. But in Tragedy (says the Mock Astrologer.) the Crimes are likewise Horrid, so that there is a necessity for Severity and Example. And how stands the matter in Comedy? Quite otherwise. There the Faults are but the follies of Youth, and the Frailties of Human Nature.Ibid.[321] For Instance. There is nothing but a little Whoring, Pimping, Gaming, Profaness &c, And who could be so hard hearted to give a Man any Trouble for This? Such Rigours would be strangely Inhumane! A Poet is a better natur'd Thing I can assure you. These little Miscarrages move Pity and Commiseration, and are not such as must of necessity be Punish'd.Ibid.[322] This is comfortable Casuistry! But to be Serious. Is Dissolution of Manners such a Peccadillo? Does a Profligate Conscience deserve nothing but Commiseration? And are People damn'd only for Humane Frailties? I perceive the Laws of Religion and those of the Stage differ extreamly! The strength of his Defence lies in this choice Maxim, that the Cheif End of Comedy is Delight. He questions whether Instruction has any thing to do in Comedy; If it has, he is sure 'tis no more then its secondary end: For the business of the Poet is to make you laugh.Ibid.[323] Granting the Truth of this Principle, I somewhat question the serviceableness of it. For is there no Diversion to be had unless Vice appears prosperous, and rides at the Head of Success. One would think such a preposterous, distribution of Rewards, should rather shock the Reason, and raise the Indignation of the Audience. To laugh without reason is the Pleasure of Fools, and against it, of something worse. The exposing of Knavery, and making Lewdness ridiculous, is a much better occasion for Laughter. And this with submission I take to be the End of Comedy. And therefore it does not differ from Tragedy in the End, but in the Means. Instruction is the principal Design of both. The one works by Terror, the other by Infamy. 'Tis true, they don't move in the same Line, but they meet in the same point at last. For this Opinion I have good Authority, besides what has been cited already.
1st. Monsieur Rapin affirms 'That Delight is the End that Poetry aims at, but not the Principal one. For Poetry being an Art, ought to be profitable by the quality of it's own nature, and by the Essential Subordination that all Arts should have to Polity, whose End in General is the publick Good. This is the Judgment of Aristotle and of Horace his chief Interpreter.Rapin Reflect. &c. p. 10.[324] Ben Johnson in his Dedicatory Epistle of his Fox has somewhat considerable upon this Argument; And declaims with a great deal of zeal, spirit, and good Sense, against the Licentiousness of the Stage. He lays it down for a Principle, 'That 'tis impossible to be a good Poet without being a good Man. That he (a good Poet) is said to be able to inform Young Men to all good Discipline, and enflame grown Men to all great Virtues &c.—That the general complaint was that the Writers of those days had nothing remaining in them of the Dignity of a Poet, but the abused Name. That now, especially in Stage Poetry, nothing but Ribaldry, Profanation, Blasphemy, all Licence of Offence to God and Man, is practised. He confesses a great part of this Charge is over-true, and is sorry he dares not deny it. But then he hopes all are not embark'd in this bold Adventure for Hell. For my part (says he) I can, and from a most clear Conscience affirm; That I have ever trembled to think towards the least Profaness, and loath'd the Use of such foul, and unwash'd Bawdry, as is now made the Food of the Scene.—The encrease of which Lust in Liberty, what Learned or Liberal Soul does not abhor? In whole Enterludes nothing but the Filth of the Time is utter'd—with Brothelry able to violate the Ear of a Pagan, and Blasphemy, to turn the Blood of a Christian to Water. He continues, that the Insolence of these Men had brought the Muses into Disgrace, and made Poetry the lowest scorn of the Age. He appeals to his Patrons the Universities, that his Labour has been heretofore, and mostly in this his latest Work, to reduce not only the antient Forms, but Manners of the Scene, the Innocence and the Doctrine, which is the Principal End of Poesy, to inform Men in the best Reason of Living.' Lastly he adds, that 'he has imitated the Conduct of the Antients in this Play, The goings out (or Conclusions) of whose Comedies, were not always joyful but oft-times the Bawds, the Slaves, the Rivals, ye and the Masters are multed, and fitly, it being the Office of a Comick Poet (mark that!) to imitate Justice, and Instruct to Life &c.' Say you so! Why then if Ben Johnson knew any thing of the Matter, Divertisment and Laughing is not as Mr. Dryden affirms, the Chief End of Comedy. This Testimony is so very full and clear, that it needs no explaining, nor any enforcement from Reasoning, and Consequence.