[ [439] Ad Aug. ℣ 210.
[ [440] Lib. II. c. XIII. p. 68.
[ [441] I am at a Loss here to know what Vossius means, who seems to intimate, that in the Hecuba of Euripides, the Death of Ægisthus added to the Terror and Distress of the Play. But as Agamemnon himself is one of the Persons in the Drama, there could be no Thoughts of revenging a Death, which had not happen'd. In the Electra, there is an account of Ægisthus's Death; but that Incident is not of so much Consequence there, as Vossius seems to make it in the Tragedy he alludes to. It is therefore most probable, that what is here said relates to the Electra of Sophocles; where the concluding Scene represents the meeting of Orestes and Ægisthus, and the latter is conducted off the Stage, only to be put to Death in the same Place where he kill'd Agamemnon. A short Sentence has probably been originally left out in Vossius, which would have clear'd this Matter, in Words to this Effect; Sic tristis exitus in Sophoclis Electra, ubi Ægisthus, &c. It is much our Author, who, upon many other Occasions, has censur'd Vossius, should pass over a Mistake of this Nature.
[ [442] Vossius guards against all the Inconsistence he is here charg'd with, which is no more than this; That it is essential to a Tragedy, form'd κατα την τεχνην, to end unfortunately, but not so to one made ad populum. He borrow'd his Sentiment from Aristotle, De Arte Poetica, εστιν δε ουχ ἁυτη απο τραγωιδιαϛ ἡδονη, αλλα μαλλον τηϛ κωμωιδιαϛ οικεια this is not a Pleasure that arises from Tragedy, but rather of the Nature of Comedy, c. XIV. Ed. Heins. al. XIII.
[ [443] Epist. Ded. to the Spanish Fryar.
[ [444] Inst. Poet. L. II. C. XIII. p. 61.
[ [445] Those Tragedies that are writ according to the nicest Rules of Art, he said before, upon the Authority of Aristotle, do NOT end happily: And upon the same Authority he says, in such Plays the Characters are neither extremely wicked, nor perfectly virtuous. Aristotle, as a Heathen, was right in his Opinion, according to Dr. Trapp's Theory; Vossius, who follows him throughout, is not inconsistent. As to the Opinion in general, I will not pretend to determine, since it is dignus vindice nodus.
[ [446] They are very easy to be found in c. XIV. of Aristotle's Art of Poetry, according to Dan. Heinsius's Edition; c. XIII. in others. All that Vossius has advanc'd above, is only a Comment on that Chapter. Does Vossius say the best Tragedies are conformable to these Rules? So does Aristotle, ἡ μεν κατα την τεχνην καλλιστη τραγωδια εκ ταυτηϛ τηϛ συστασεωϛ εστι, p. m. 270, &c. That we are not affected with Compassion or Terror at the Sufferings of the Wicked? so does Aristotle, ουτε ελεεινο, ουτε φοβερον φαινεται το συμβαινον, p. 269. That a middle Character is to be chosen? so does Aristotle, ὁ μεταξυ αρα τουτων λοιποϛ, εσι δεγοιουτοϛ, &c.
[ [447] Ratio in Vossius, is not us'd for prudentia, as Dr. Trapp seems to take it, but in the same Sense with that noted Saying, ratio ultima regum, the last Expedient, or Resort of Kings. The Instances alledg'd illustrate this: Medea is forc'd to kill her Brother Absyrtus, to secure her own Escape; and her Children afterwards, to prevent them from falling into such Hands as would execute greater Cruelties upon them. The Circumstance of Oedipus, made unfortunate not by real Crimes, is very well describ'd by Mr. Lee:
To you, good Gods, I make my last Appeal, To clear my Virtues, or my Crimes reveal: If in the Maze of Fate I blindly run, And backward trod those Paths I ought to shun, Impute my Errors to your own Decree; My Hands are guilty, but my Heart is free.