Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

in Germany; because fuch a reform would have changed all their ancient customs. But the violent hatred borne by the majority of the inhabitants of the fea provinces against the Stadtholderians, from the graification of which the one party were withheld by no fcruples, and which the other party were little folicitous to appeafe, might unite with the circumftances of the times, in promoting the introduction of French principles among the patriots. And yet fo little were they prepared for the final accomplishment of their wifhes, by forming a moderate plan of

reform in their government, that two years were neceffary to form a conftitution, which foon became the derifion of all parties. An invitation to tranfmit fchemes of reform in the conftitution both of the towns and provinces, occafioned a fatirical writer to compare the fituation of the country with that of a man, who pulled down his houfe, and then projected a plan of a new one among the ruins; whence it could not but follow, that being heated by the labour of demolishing, he might then cool himself by ftanding fill in the open air.

[ocr errors]

CURIOUS ANECDOTE OF THE VENETIAN STAGE:

A GOOD HINT FOR THE REFORMATION OF OUR OWN.

THE Venetian Stage had long and many others foon followed.

been in poffeffion of Goldoni, a dramatic poet, who, by introducing buftle and fhow into his pieces, and writing principally to the level of the Gondoliers, arrived to the first degree of popularity in Venice. He had a rival in Pietro Chiari, whom the beft critics even thought worfe than Goldoni; but such an epidemic frenzy feized the Venetians in favour of thefe two writers, that it quickly spread itself to almost all parts of Italy, to the great detriment of better authors, and the derangement of the public taste.

It is difficult to tell how long this dramatic mania would have continued, but for the following circumstance:

Carlo Gozzi, a younger brothof a noble family, was the first that attacked Goldoni and Chiari,

The two bards, finding themselves thus attacked, thought proper to fufpend their mutual animofity, and join to oppose their adverfaries. Chiari was a great profe fcribbler, as well as a comedy-monger, fo that a brifk paper war was quickly commenced, which grew hotter and hotter by rapid degrees.

It happened one day that Carlo Gozzi met with Goldoni in a bookfeller's fhop. They exchanged fharp words, and in the heat of the altercation Goldoni told Gozzi, "that though it was an easy task to find fault with a play, it was very difficult to write one." Gozzi acknowledged, "that to find fault with a play was really very eafy, but that it was ftill easier to write fuch plays as would please fo thoughtless a nation as the Venetians;" add

ing, with a tone of contempt, "that he had a good mind to make all Venice run to fee the Tale of the Three Oranges formed into a comedy." Goldoni, with fome of his partizans then in the fhop, challenged Gozzi to do it, if he could; and the critic, thus piqued, engaged to produce fuch a comedy within a few weeks.

Who could have ever thought that to this trifling and cafual difpute, Italy fhould owe the greateft dramatic writer that it ever had? Gozzi quickly wrote a comedy in five acts, entitled, I Tre Aranci; or, The Three Oranges; formed out of an old woman's story, with which the Venetian children are much entertained by their nurses. The comedy was acted, and the three beautiful Princeffes, born of the three enchanted Oranges, made all Venice crowd to the theatre of St. Angelo.

It may be eafily imagined, that Goldoni and Chiari were not spared in the Tre Aranci. Gozzi found means to introduce in it a good many of their theatrical abfurdities, and exposed them to public derifion.

The Venetian audiences, like the rest of the world, do not much relish the labour of finding out the truth; but once point it out to them, and they will inftantly feize it. This was remarkable on the first night that the comedy of The Three Oranges was acted. The fickle Venetians, forgetting inftantly the loud acclamations with which they had received the greatest part of Goldoni's and Chiari's plays, now laughed out moft obtreperously at them both, and applauded The Three Oranges in a moft frantic manner.

T

[merged small][ocr errors]

t

Those who are any way critically acquainted with the knowledge of the English stage, cannot forbear drawing a comparison, between its state at prefent, and that of the Venetian, under the control of Goldoni and Chiari. If the Venetians, forty years ago, were intoxicated with spectacle, improbable fable, and low buffoonery; have we not our fpe&res and bobgoblins, our manual wit, miferable puns, and improbable fables ; with characters more drawn from the narrow or ideal views of the writers, than from truth or general nature? Nay, what is ftill worfe, are we not in danger of having our stage inundated with a new fpecies of German morality; where either the ranks of fubordination are conftantly attempted to be invaded, or prostitution fuffered to triumph over the weakness of humanity?

It is no excufe to the writers, the manufacturers, or tranflators of fuch pieces, to fay, that they work to please their customers; and if the latter are gratified with their performances, their object is attained; writers infpired with a true defire of fame, fhould not

feek

to

feek their emoluments in the ignorance or paffions of the public. It is ftill lefs an excufe to thofe of fuperiour talents, to repofe in indolence under the exhibition of fuch pieces; they fhould confide er themfelves as guardians of the public tafte, and as fuch it is their duty to draw off the public mind more rational enjoyments. This is not fo difficult a task too, as is generally imagined; for though the great mafs of English audiences fometimes cannot, and often will not," be at the trouble of thinking for themselves," let a writer, properly qualified, think for them; and they will, like the Venetians, foon join in the laugh against their former follies and intoxications.

Thofe converfant with the state of the ftage in the reign of Charles the Second, muft look back with horror and contempt at most of the miferable productions of that age; where novelty was the great idol of the day, and where even wit and genius fometimes flooped to affift her in her fantastical and ridiculous drapery yet no fooner did "The Rehearfal" appear, wherein the abfurdities of thofe pieces were pointed out and properly ridicu led, than fucceffive audiences made atonements for their paft mistakes, and banished the greater part of them from the ftage forever.

"Thus flame regained the poft that fenfe betray'd, "And virtue call'd oblivion to her

aid."

Our own times produce us fim ilar circumstances: Garrick's fine natural acting and tranfcendent powers foon put to flight the hoft of pantomime mongers, wire dance

ers, &c. who infested at that period the two winter theatres. O'Hara's "Midas" had the fame effect upon the operas which were about to be introduced into Dubin about forty years ago, to the exclufion almoft of all dramatic performances: whilft Goldfmith's "Good-natured Man," and Foote's "Piety in Pattens" put a ftop to a fpecies of fentimental comedy, which, instead of the fpeculum vita, was nearly converting the theatre into an half-informed academy for moral philofophy.

We trust this hint will be fuf ficient for men of real genius. Some we know to be well qualified, by their former productions, for fuch a tafk; and many more no doubt, though unknown to the drama, who would find proper employment for their talents in this department. this department. The object would be far above the bare emol ument of fuch a service; it would be recovering to the stage its priftine character-" Delectando pariterque monendo"-and giving the rule and the example to fucceffive authors to write up to this ftandard. In short, all would be benefited by fuch a reformation : the managers would have fuller audiences; as, in addition to the fools, the triflers, and indifferents, they would have the refort and countenance of men of fense, tafte, and education. The actors would enjoy more of the benefits of their profeffion, by having their talents properly exerted. The audiences would find in the cup of entertainment the fweets of improvement, whilst the authors would gather with their emolu ments the higher rewards of a virtuous reputation.

An ORATION on the Sublime Virtues of General GEORGE WASHINGTON, pronounced at the Old South Meeting-Houfe in BOSTON, before His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor, the Council, and the Two Branches of the Legiflature of Massachusetts, at their Requeft, on Saturday, the 8th of February, 1800,

By FISHER AMES.

IT is natural that the gratitude will delight to echo ten ages

of mankind fhould be drawn to their benefactors. A number of thefe have fucceffively arifen, who were no lefs diftinguished for the elevation of their virtues, than the luftre of their talents. Of those however who were born, and who acted through life, as if they were born, not for themselves, but for their country and the whole human race, how few alas are recorded in the long annals of ages, and how wide the intervals of time and space that divide them. In all this dreary length of way, they appear like five or fix light houfes on as many thousand miles of coaft they gleam upon the furrounding darknefs, with an inextinguishable fplendor, like ftars feen through a mist; but they are feen like ftars, to cheer, to guide, and to fave. WASHINGTON is now added to that small number. Already he attracts curiofity, like a newly discovered ftar, whofe benignant light will travel on to the world's and time's fartheft bounds, Already his name is hung up by hiftory as confpicuoufly, as if it fparkled in one of the conftellations of the sky,

By commemorating his death, we are called this day to yield the homage that is due to virtue; to confefs the common debt of mankind as well as our own; and to pronounce for pofterity, now dumb, that elogium, which they

hence, when we are dumb.

I confider myself not merely in the midst of the citizens of this town, or even of the State. In idea, I gather round me the nation. In the vast and venerable congregation of the patriots of all countries and of all enlightened men, I would, if I could, raise my voice, and speak to mankind in a ftrain worthy of my audience, and as elevated as my fubject. But how shall I exprefs emotions, that are condemned to be mute, because they are unutterable? I felt, and I was witness, on the day when the news of his death reached as, to the throes of that grief, that faddened every countenance, and wrung drops of agony from the heart. Sorrow laboured for utterance, but found none. Every man looked round for the confolation of other men's tears. Gracious Heaven! what confolation! each face was convulfed with forrow for the past; every heart fhivered with despair for the future. The man, who and who alone, united all hearts, was dead; dead, at the moment when his power to do good was the greateft, and when the afpect of the imminent public dangers seemed more than ever to render his aid indifpenfable, and his lofs irréparable; irreparable; for two WASHINGTONS come not in one age.

[ocr errors]

A grief

Ah, how unlike the man latę warm with living virtues, animat

A grief fo thoughtful, fo profound, fo mingled with tendernefs and admiration, fo interwoved by the foul once glowing with en with our national felf-love, fo patriotic fires! He is gone! the often revived by being diffused, is tomb hides all, that the world not to be expreffed. You have af- could fcarce contain, and that figned me a task that is impoffible. once was WASHINGTON, exO if I could perform it, if I cept his glory; that is the rich in could illuftrate his principles in heritance of his country; and his my discourse as he difplayed them example; that let us endeavour by in his life, if I could paint his delineating to impart to mankind. virtues as he practifed them, if I Virtue will place it in her temple, could convert the fervid enthufi- wifdom in her treasury. afm of my heart into the talent to tranfmit his fame, as it ought to pafs to pofterity; I fhould be the fuccefsful organ of your will, the minister of his virtues, and may I dare to fay, the humble partaker of his immortal glory. Thefe are ambitious, deceiving hopes, and I reject them. For it is perhaps almoft as difficult, at once with judgment and feeling, to praise great actions, as to perform them. A lavish and undiftinguifhing elogium is not praife; and to difcriminate fuch excellent qualities as were characteristic and peculiar to him, would be to raise a name, as he raifed it, above envy, above parallel, perhaps, for that very reafon, above emulation.

Such a portraying of character however, must be addreffed to the understanding, and therefore, even if it were well executed, would seem to be rather an analysis of moral principles, than the recital of a hero's exploits. It would rather conciliate confidence and esteem, than kindle enthufiafm and admiration. It would be a picture of WASHINGTON, and, like a picture, flat as the canvas; like a ftatue, cold as the marble on which he is reprefented; cold, alas, as his corpfe in the ground.

Peace then to your forrows. I have done with them. Deepas your grief is, I aim not to be pathetic. I defire lefs to give utterance to the feelings of this age, than to the judgment of the next. Let us faithfully reprefent the illaftrious dead, as hiftory will paint, as pofterity will behold him.

With whatever fidelity I might execute this talk, I know that fome would prefer a picture drawn to the imagination. They would have our WASHINGTON reprefented of a giant's fize, and in the character of a hero of romance. They who love to wonder better than to reafon, would not be fatisfied with the contemplation of a great example, unless, in the exhibition, it should be fo diftorted into prodigy, as to be both incredible and ufelefs. Others, I hope but few, who think meanly of human nature, will deem it incredible, that even WASHINGTON 'fhould think. with as much dignity and elevation, as he acted; and they will grovel in vain in the fearch for mean and felfith motives, that could incite and fuftain him to devote his life to his country.

Do not thefe fuggeftions found in your cars like a profanation of

virtue?

« ZurückWeiter »