Page:An Essay on the Opera's After the Italian Manner.pdf/23

 place themelves among the Benefactors of Mankind, and rank their Glory with the deathles Fame of the Heroes whom they celebrate. But that this Vanity may be nourih’d and Supported in them, they mut actually find themelves prais’d by the bet of Men, and meet with an Admiration equal to the Idea which they conceive of their Labours. But if either that Praie is wanting, or if it is har’d by the Profeors of inferior or illiberate Arts; if upon the very Stage the Capital of the Mues Dominion, and the Poets Domain, not only Compoers, but ev’n Singers and Dancers, meet with greater Applaue, and greater Encouragement, what wonder if their Pride is immediately mortify’d, and their Fire extinguih’d.

Thus Muick has caus’d o great a Change in our Writers, becaue it has wrought o great a one in our Audiences, and it will certainly work a greater in both if it goes on Triumphantly; for the generality of our Audiences are far more capable of a Pleaure of Sene than of a Delight of Reaon. Now Muick that is not ubervient to Reaon, epecially if it be oft and effeminate, is a meer Delight of Sene; and as ome body has oberv’d that Friendhip grows inipid to thoe who have tated of Love, it grows exceeding difficult, ev’n for thoe who are capable of the evere Delights of Reaon to make a pleaing Return to them, if they have at any time left them for the bewitching Pleaure of Sene. Man naturally purues Pleaure and flies from Pain, and endeavours to be happy at as little Expence as he can, and therefore the Delights of Sene are preferred to reaonable Pleaures, becaue the Soul takes in the firt without any effort, but the lat require evere Preparation, or at the leat Attention. In hort, if ’tis o hard to part with enual Pleaures, after they are once become bitual,