The Names of the Greek Comic Poets have been taken Notice of already. Among the Romans, the most distinguish'd were two, whose Works are lost, Cæcilius, and Afranius; and two, which we now have, Plautus, and Terence. Horace has observ'd of them,
[418] Vincere Cæcilius gravitate, Terentius arte.
Compar'd in Character, Cæcilius' Part Is Gravity, and Terence's is Art.
The latter Part of this Observation is clear and obvious, but what that Gravity was, in which Cæcilius excell'd Terence, and which itself seems in him to superabound, is difficult to guess. By Art, says Acro, as Vossius quotes him, is meant, the Propriety of Language, in which Terence was superior to all other Poets. But I should rather think, as Vossius does, that by Art is meant the Management and Disposition of the Plot; in which he far excell'd Plautus also. In Comedy, as the same learned Author observes, the Romans are much inferior to the Greeks; and he cites Quintilian[419] in Support of his Opinion, who has deliver'd his Thoughts of Terence with great Freedom. Miratus sæpius ego sum, qui tanta fuerit populi Romani gravitas atque constantia, tantusque latinæ dictionis amor, ut Terentianis fabulis capi potuerit; in quibus tam pauci risus, usque adeo rara scommata, &c. Sed agnosco tempora: Vivebant tum Scipiones; Catonesque erant in pretio: Et incrementa fiebant tum temporis illius imperii. Moribus populi in voluptatem prolabentibus, oratio facta est solutior. "I have wonder'd," says he, (and I am no less surpriz'd at the Man's wonderful Way of Thinking) "that the Romans should have so much Gravity and Composure in their Tempers, such a violent Affection for the Elegancies of their own Language, as to be fond of Terence's Plays, where there is so little Mirth, scarce a Joke to be found. But it was the Turn of that Age: The Scipio's, and Cato's, were their Men of Taste, and in high Esteem: They were all Gravity, and their Thoughts ran only upon Conquests, and Increase of Power. But as the Morals of that People grew less severe, their Writings had in them more Gaiety and Pleasure." This is Quintilian's Opinion, as partial, as it is severe. The Verses which Cæsar wrote upon Terence, and Suetonius has handed down to us, are so well known, that it might be thought an unpardonable Omission, when we are treating upon this Subject, to take no Notice of them:
Tu quoque, tu in summis, ô dimidiate Menander, Poneris, & merito, puri sermonis amator; Lenibus atque utinam dictis adjuncta foret vis Comica, & æquato virtus polleret honore Cum Græcis, neque in hac despectus parte jaceres: Unum hoc maceror, & doleo tibi deesse, Terenti.
And thou, who mak'st Mænander's Beauties thine, Shalt foremost in the List of Writers shine; Correct in Language, chaste in ev'ry Thought, In all the Rules of Art without a Fault. Oh! did thy gently-pleasing Scenes impart As much the Force of Nature, as of Art, Did but those Strokes of Wit attend thy Lines, Which thro' the Grecian Page distinguish'd shines, Thy Works with Rapture wou'd be studied o'er, Nor Roman Elegance have wish'd for more.
But granting that Terence was no way remarkable for his Talent at Wit and Repartee, yet (with Submission to so great a Judge) so sharp and severe a Censure seems more than he deserves. For there are many, and those of the best Taste, who are more pleas'd with a Writer, that perpetually keeps up an agreeable Smile, and an easy Chearfulness; than one, who is every now and then throwing them into Fits of Laughter, and violent Emotions.
Our modern Comedy, as I observ'd before, has a much greater Resemblance with what the Ancients call'd the Middle Comedy, than either the Old, or New. It is much graver, and less satirical than the first, and has more delicate Touches of Wit and Raillery than the last. Terence seems neither by Genius, nor Inclination, to have had the least Turn for the sharp and satirical Way of Writing: His Excellency lies rather in copying the common Characters of Human Nature, and drawing them in the exactest Manner, and truest Light; than in painting any of its Extravagancies, whether in Vice, or Folly. The modern Comedies have certainly more Wit and Humour in their Composition, than the ancient; more Art in working up, and unravelling their Plots; and a greater Variety of Persons concern'd in them: And especially in genteel Comedy, our Characters have more good Breeding, and Politeness; and even in Low Life, our comical Figures are more ridiculous. But then, on the other Hand, the Language of Terence is more pure and correct, more expressive and elegant than ours: He has drawn his Characters more natural, and more accurately observ'd the Rules of Art. But to give the Moderns an absolute Superiority in this Way of Writing, they have nothing more to do, than to prune and retrench some Excrescencies, without studying for any further Improvements: Let them abate of their Luxuriancy, and the Business is done at once. Nay, they seem to me already superior to them in all other Respects, except (which I am asham'd to own) in that intire Regard to Modesty which is preserv'd in all Terence's Characters. If we compare the modern Comic Writers in the several Parts of Europe, Mons. Rapin tells us, that the Spaniards have one or two, but one, especially, that is considerable; the Italians have none worth taking Notice of. The Dispute, therefore, will lie betwixt the French and us. And who has more Wit and Humour, is more elegant in Style, or natural in his Characters, than Moliere? Tho', in general, if we are not too partial to our own Performances, we are in this, as in all other Parts of Poetry, superior to the French; but the Superiority is no where so disputable.
As to our English Comedies, which are written in Prose, if any over-nice Critic questions whether they can be justly reckon'd poetical Compositions, because in the Definition of Poetry, which we have already given, some Sort of Numbers are made essential to it; the plain Answer is this: If we keep close to the Terms of that Definition, our Comedies may justly be consider'd as Poems, in every other Respect but this: The Definition is form'd upon the universal Practice of the Ancients, who are, and ought to be our great Masters in this Art; and it is more reasonable to continue, than alter it, in Compliance with the Practice of modern Writers. But the Question, whatever Way it is determin'd, is only an idle Controversy about Words, and of very little Moment: For the Verses of the ancient Comedies differ'd so little from Prose, that the nicest Ear could not always distinguish them: They had their proper Measures, but so loose and uncertain, that it is often difficult to determine which is the true Way of scanning them: And in Comedy more regular and confin'd Measures had been ridiculous. How inexcusable, then, is the Practice of the French Poets, who have written whole Comedies in Rhyme, and Heroic Verse? Rhymes are ridiculous enough in Tragedy; but that an easy and familiar Conversation, such as Comedy is suppos'd to be, should be all in Rhyme and Epic Verse, has something in it so extravagantly absurd, that I am surpriz'd a Nation, so remarkable for Wit and good Sense, could bear with it.
The Source of those agreeable Reflections, that Comedy supplies us with, is so obvious, that it needs no Enquiry. Mirth is always pleasing, and so is a lively Representation of Human Nature, of the Incidents of common Life, and those Characters which are every Day before us. Nor is the Cause of that ill-natur'd Pleasure less easy to be assign'd, which arises from Satire, and Ridicule: Every Body is so civil to himself, as to suppose he is not the Person aim'd at. Who, upon these Occasions, ever thinks of Horace's Observation?