Gna. Very fine, sharp, and delicate; that cou’d not be mended. But pray, Sir, was this your own? I took it for an old Jest.
Thra. Did you ever hear’t before?
Gna. Often, Sir; and it takes to a miracle.
Thra. They’re oblig’d to me for’t.
Gna. I’m sorry tho’, you were so sharp upon the foolish young Gentleman. But pray, Sir, what did he say then?
Thra. He was quite dash’d out of Countenance; and the whole Company ready to dye with laughing. After that, every body stood in great awe of me.
Gna. And truly they had reason.
Here may be seen Bragging and Wheadling sufficiently, but still Nature closely observ’d, and all its due proportions; whereas the other has too much out-gone Probability, and strain’d his Characters to an extravagant pitch. I shall not criticise upon the
Particulars, but leave the Reader to judge their Differences; but only I may observe, that when Characters are carry’d too high, as many of ours are, they may probably make an Audience laugh very heartily, but can give ’em but small Pleasure; whereas others will give ’em great Delight, tho’ less Laughter.
I am afraid I have dwelt too long upon this Subject, therefore I pass on to our Author’s Plots. In that respect, he had not often that Art and Management that Terence had, nor in all his Plays was so regular as he; tho’ in several he was, particularly in those I have chosen. But then his Scenes were commonly less languishing, his Incidents more surprizing, and his Surprizes more admirable; undoubtedly he had more of the Vis comica, which I may translate Liveliness of Intreague, than Terence. His Subjects were all more Simple than the other’s, but I am apt to believe, that will be reckon’d but a very small Commendation in our Nation, who are but little Lovers of such thin Dyet, as they call it. His Narrations are more lively and sharp than those of Terence’s, and, I think, every whit as natural and as well brought in: I’m sure in some of ’em he can never be out-done as to his way of bringing of ’em in. As for the General Rules of the Stage, I refer the Reader to the Preface to Terence.