[420] —Quid rides? mutato nomine de Te Fabula narratur.
What, dost thou laugh, and think that thou art free? Fool, change the Name, the Story's told of thee.
The Images, then, of the Vices and Follies of other Men, flatter that Pride, which is too natural to Mankind; who are apt to think their own Characters rais'd, by the Ruin of others: This is such a Pleasure as we ought to be asham'd of. But some there are, of a quite different Turn, who are as much delighted with the Moral of the Play, the Success of Virtue, and the Punishments or Disappointments which Vice meets with in it: And others have no Regard to any Character but the Poet's, are taken only with the Turns of Wit, and the Genius of the Writer. But Errors and Imperfections are the great Source of Delight in all Dramatical Performances, especially in Comedy, which has, in general, more Friends and Admirers than Tragedy: Because there are few Persons of so great a Genius, or so refin'd a Taste, as to be sensible of those generous and agreeable Emotions, which arise from Tenderness, and Compassion, and even Distress itself. Scenes of Mirth are pleasing to every Imagination, those of Sorrow only to a few. I can only wish, that these different Passions which arise from the Gravity of Tragedy, or the Gaiety of Comedy, were made useful and instrumental to Virtue; and that our Theatres were not more frequented for the Amusements they supply us with, than for the Lessons of Morality and good Sense instill'd in them.
LECTURE XXVI, &c.
Of Tragedy.
In discoursing upon the Drama in general, I have already mention'd the Origin of Tragedy. The Word is deriv'd from τραγοϛ, a Goat, and ωδη, a Song: because a Goat was the Reward propos'd to the Competitors in this Art; as Horace has plainly intimated:
[421] Carmine qui tragico vilem certavit ob hircum.
The first Competitors in Tragic Strain, When a poor Goat was all the Victor's Gain.
For they deserve no Regard, who would derive τραγωδια, as if it were τρυγωια, from τρυξ, the Lees of wine; because the Actors, before Æschylus invented the Use of Masks, discolour'd their Faces with Wine Lees. This Etymology is harsh, and unnatural[422]; the other is easy, and agreeable to the Rules of Analogy, without changing so much as one Letter, as the other does.[423] Their Opinion, who think it was call'd τραγωδια, as if it were τραχεια ωδη, a rough Song; has still less Countenance from the Analogy of that Language, or the Nature of the Poem. But it is not worth While to dwell upon these Trifles.