Page:An Essay on the Opera's After the Italian Manner.pdf/24

, tho’ all a Man’s Interet and his whole Reputation require it, how much more difficult mut it be, when thee two powerful Motives are wanting.

Perhaps too the Pride and Vanity that is in Mankind, may determine the generality to give into Muick at the expence of Poetry. Men love to enjoy their Pleaures entirely, and not to have them retrain’d by Awe, or curb’d by Mortification. Now there are but few judicious Spectators at our Dramatick Repreentations, ince none can be o, but who with great Endowments of Nature have had a very generous Education, and the ret are frequently mortify’d by paing foolih Judgments; but in Muick the Cae is vatly different, to judge of that requires only Ue and a fine Ear, which the Footman often has a great deal finer than his Mater. In hort, a Man without common Sene may very well judge of what a Man writes without common Sene, and without common Sene compoes.

Since then we have made it appear o plainly, that by introducing Entertainments of meer Muick among us, we mut of neceity banih Poetry, let us now enquire of what conequence the doing that mut be to the Reputation and the Interet of England.

Now the Interet and Reputation of any Nation conits in Power, as Power conits in the Widom, Numbers, and Spirit of the People, but the chiefet of thee is the Spirit, ince that is capable of making the other two, but without that the other two are of no ignifacancy.

Now publick Spirit includes two things, Zeal and Affection, for the Honour and Interet of ones Country, and Courage and Reolution to put any thing in Practice that may promote its Service or Glory. Now