Page:The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets.djvu/163

Rh good Repreentations, but his are the things they Repreent; (if you’ll pardon that eeming Contradiction of the Expreion) many of our Writers have given us good Images of the Fools of our Age, but they are till but Images; but when you read or ee Mr. Van Brug’s, you ee the very Originals, all is o free, so eaie, and o bold, as perwade them to be no Copies, you evidently ee the Lineaments of Nature, without they tifnes of Art, which would but debae his Work. Others of our Comic Writers, who have ucceeded mot in that way, pick out Characters that are indeed diverting enough on the Stage, but which carce one enible Man in a Thouand can read in his Chamber, o much is left to the Action: But Mr. Van Brug’s Characters are Compo’d of that part of Nature, which is not o Montrous to hock the Reader, or Naueate his Palate, but which yield a pleaing Entertainment; he puts Folly into uch a Light, that it is as diverting to the Reader as Spectator; and his Fools are o pleaing, that you are not weary of their Company before they leave you.

Another Quality ditinct from many of our Received Poets, is, That his Men of Wit are really o, and not like Mr. Shadwell’s, the dullet in the Play: I have ventured to ay all this, without either the Propect of Encolpius in Petronius Arbiter, Ut foris Cenaris Poetam Laudati, or the fear of that Wity Cenure of The Plain Dealer, for chooing to flatter the Poets of the Age, rather than not flatter at all. Becaue one that is unknown, can have but little expectations of the former, or jutly deerve the latter, when he peaks but what is jutly his due; unles the Praie of Wit be as unallowable as uperfluous. He has Honoured his Country with three Plays that he owns: Of thee in their Order.

Æsop, a Comedy 4 to. Acted at the Theatre Royal, 1697. In the Preface we learn both the Fate of the Play, and that the Author owes his Foundation to the French; for it was writ Originally in French by Mr. Bouraut, and had almot the ame Fate there as here, as to its Succes; the firt day it was not lik’d, the next it carce gain’d Ground, the third it held up its Head, and the fourth Triumphed, and was in Paris Acted for near a Month together. It is o far from wanting any Beauties of the French, that it e’ry where excels it; and that extreamly diverting Scene of Sir Polydorus Hogtye, may be aid to be entirely his own, as are all the three Scenes that were ince added of the Players, the Senator, and the Beau, and which were receiv’d with Univeral Applaue, as indeed they jutly merited. It will perhaps be wondered that it hould Act o very often in Paris, and not hold out a Fortnight nor ten days here; for which there may be two Reaons Aigned: Firt, in Paris there is not that foolih and extravagant Prejudice againt the Stage, as is entertain’d in a numerous Party of this City, who rail againt that and Common Prayer with an equal Zeal: So that in Paris