Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/113

Rh Sir John has rather improved upon the original by adding new ſcenes, than ſuffered it to be diminiſhed in a tranſlation, but the French and the Engliſh taſte was in that particular very different. We cannot better account for the ill ſucceſs of this excellent piece, than in the words of Mr. Cibber’s Apology for his own Life, when ſpeaking of this play, he has the following obſervation; ‘The character that delivers precepts of wiſdom, is, in ſome ſort, ſevere upon the auditor, for ſhewing him one wiſer than himſelf; but when folly is his object, he applauds himſelf for being wiſer than the coxcomb he laughs at, and who is not more pleaſed with an occaſion to commend, than to accuſe himſelf?’

Sir John Vanbrugh, it is ſaid, had great facility in writing, and is not a little to be admired for the ſpirit, eaſe, and readineſs, with which he produced his plays. Notwithſtanding his extraordinary expedition, there is a clear and lively ſimplicity in his wit, that is equally diſtant from the pedantry of learning, and the lowneſs of ſcurrility. As the face of a fine lady, with her hair undreſſed, may appear in the morning in its brighteſt glow of beauty; ſuch were the productions of Vanbrugh, adorned with only the negligent graces of nature.

Mr. Gibber obſerves, that there is ſomething ſo catching to the ear, ſo eaſy to the memory in all he wrote, that it was obſerved by the actors of his time, that the ſtile of no author whatſoever gave the memory leſs trouble than that of Sir John Vanbrugh, which he himſelf has confirmed by a pleaſing experience. His wit and humour was ſo little laboured, that his moſt entertaining ſcenes ſeemed to be no more than his common converſation committed to paper. As his