Lear. Pr’ythee, go in thy thyself, seek thine own ease,
This tempest will not give me leave to ponder
On things would hurt me more—but I’ll go in;
In, boy, go first. You houseless poverty——
Nay, get thee in; I’ll pray, and then I’ll sleep—
Poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm!
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your loop’d and window’d raggedness, defend you
From seasons such as these?—— O I have ta’en
Too little care of this! take physic, Pomp;
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,
That thou may’st shake the superflux to them,
And show the heavens more just.
King Lear. act 3. sc 5.
To illustrate the foregoing doctrine, one other instance of the same kind may suffice, expressing sentiments arising from remorse and despair.
Othello. Lo! I have a weapon:
A better never did itself sustain
Upon a soldier’s thigh. I’ve seen the day,
That with this little arm, and this good sword,
I’ve made my way through more impediments
Than twenty times your stop. But, oh vain boast!
Who can controul his fate? ’tis not so now.
Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon’d;
Here is my journey’s end, here is my butt,
The very sea mark of my outmost sail.
Do you go back dismay’d? ’tis a lost fear.
Man but a rush against Othello’s breast,
And he retires. Where should Othello go?
Now—— how dost thou look now? Oh ill starr’d wench!
Pale as thy smoke! when we shall meet at compt,
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heav’n,
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl,
Ev’n like thy chastity. O cursed slave!
Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heav’nly sight;
Blow me about in winds, roast me in sulphur,
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire——
Oh, Desdemona! Desdemona! dead! dead! oh, oh!
Othello, act 5. sc. 9.
The sentiments here display’d flow so naturally from the passions represented, and are such genuine expressions of these passions, that it is not possible to conceive any imitation more perfect.
With regard to the French author, truth obliges me to acknowledge, that he describes in the style of a spectator, instead of expressing passion like one who feels it; and also that he is thereby betray’d into the other faults above mentioned, a tiresome monotony, and a pompous declamatory style[50]. It is scarce necessary to produce particular instances; for he never varies from this tone. I shall however take two passages at a venture, in order to be confronted with those transcribed above. In the tragedy of Cinna, Æmilia, after the conspiracy was discovered, having nothing in view but racks and death to herself and her lover, receives a pardon from Augustus, attended with the brightest circumstances of magnanimity and tenderness. This is a happy situation for representing the passions of surprise and gratitude in their different stages. These passions, raised at once to the utmost pitch, are at first too big for utterance; and Æmilia’s feelings must, for some moments, have been expressed by violent gestures only. So soon as there is a vent for words, the first expressions are naturally broken and interrupted. At last we ought to expect a tide of intermingled sentiments, occasioned by the fluctuation of the mind betwixt the two passions. Æmilia is made to behave in a very different manner. With extreme coolness she describes her own situation, as if she were merely a spectator; or rather the poet takes the task off her hands.
Et je me rens, Seigneur, à ces hautes bontés,
Je recouvre la vûe auprés de leurs clartés,
Je connois mon forfait qui me sembloit justice,
Et ce que n’avoit pû la terreur du supplice,
Je sens naitre en mon ame un repentir puissant;
Et mon cœur en secret me dit, qu’il y consent.
Le ciel a résolu votre grandeur suprême,
Et pour preuve, Seigneur, je n’en veux que moi-même;
J’ose avec vanité me donner cet éclat,
Puisqu’il change mon cœur, qu’il veut changer l’état.
Ma haine va mourir que j’ai crue immortelle,
Elle est morte, et ce cœur devient sujet fidéle,
Et prenant désormais cette haine en horreur,
L’ardeur de vous servir succede à sa fureur.
Act 5. sc. 3.
In the tragedy of Sertorius, the Queen, surprised with the news that her lover was assassinated, instead of venting any passion, degenerates into a cool spectator, even so much as to instruct the by-standers how a queen ought to behave on such an occasion.
Viriate. Il m’en fait voir ensemble, et l’auteur, et la cause.
Par cet assassinat c’est de moi qu’on dispose,
C’est mon trône, c’est moi qu’on pretend conquerir,
Et c’est mon juste choix qui seul l’a fait perir.
Madame, aprés sa perte, et parmi ces alarmes,
N’attendez point de moi de soupirs, ni de larmes;
Ce sont amusemens que dédaigne aisement
Le prompt et noble orgueil d’un vif ressentiment.
Qui pleure, l’affoiblit, qui soupire, l’exhale,
Il faut plus de fierté dans une ame royale;
Et ma douleur soumise aux soins de le venger, &c.
Act 5. sc. 3.
So much in general upon the genuine sentiments of passion. I proceed now to particular observations. And, first, Passions are seldom uniform for any considerable time: they generally fluctuate, swelling and subsiding by turns, often in a quick succession[51]. This fluctuation, in the case of a real passion, will be expressed externally by proper sentiments; and ought to be imitated in writing and acting. Accordingly, a climax shows never better than in expressing a swelling passion. The following passages shall suffice for an illustration.
Oroonoko.———— Can you raise the dead?
Pursue and overtake the wings of time?
And bring about again, the hours, the days,
The years, that made me happy?
Oroonoko, act 2. sc. 2.