Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/50

38 the place of nature to another, and imitation, always deviating a little, becomes at lat capricious and caual. Shakepeare, whether life or nature be his ubject, hews plainly, that he has een with his own eyes; he gives the image which he receives, not weakened or ditorted by the intervention of any other mind; the ignorant feel his repreentations to be jut, and the learned ee that they are complete.

Perhaps it would not be eay to find any author, except Homer, who invented o much as Shakepeare, who o much advanced the tudies which he cultivated, or effued o much novelty upon his age or country. The form, the characters, the language, and the hows of the Englih drama are his. He eems, ays Dennis, ''to have been the very original of our Englih tragical harmony, that is, the harmony of blank vere, diverified often by diyllable and triyllable terminations. For the diverity ditinguihes it from heroic harmony, and by bringing it nearer to common ue make it more proper to gain attention, and more fit for action and dialogue. Such vere we make when we are writing proe; we make uch vere in common converation.''

I know not whether this praie is rigorouly jut. The diyllable termination, which the critick rightly appropriates to the drama, is to he found, though, I think, not in Gorboduc, which is confeedly before our author; yet in Hieronymo, of which the date is not certain, but which there is reaon to believe at leat as old as his earliet plays. This however is tain,