72 OF DRAMATIC TRAGEDY, &c. honour Dionyfius the elder was no lefs ambitious, than before of his attaining to the tyranny. Augustus Caefar alfo had begun his Ajax, but unable to please his own judgment with what he had begun, left it unfinish'd. Seneca the philofoper is by fome thought the author of those tragedies (at least the best of them) that go under that name. Gregory Nazianzen, a father of the church, thought it not unbeseeming the sanctity of his perfon to write a tragedy, which is intitled, Christ fuffering: This is mentioned to vindicate tragedy from the small esteem, or rather infamy, which in the account of many it undergoes at this day with other common interludes; happening through the poet's error of intermixing comic stuff with tragic sadness and gravity; or introducing trivial and vulgar perfons, which by all judicious hath been counted abfurd; and brought in without discretion, corruptly to gratify the people. And though ancient tragedy ufe no prologue, yet ufing fometimes, in case of self-defence, or explanation, that which Martial calls an epistle; in behalf of this tragedy coming forth after the ancient manner, much different from what among us paffes for best, thus much may before hand be epiftl'd; that Chorus is here introduced after the Greek manner, not ancient only but modern, and ftill in ufe among the Italians. In the modelling therefore of this poem, with good reason, the ancients and Italians are rather follow'd, as of much more authority and fame. The measure of verse used in the chorus is of all forts, call'd by the Greeks Monoftrophic, or rather Apolelymenon, without regard had to Strophe, Antistrophe, or Epod, which were a kind of stanza's fram'd only for the mufic, then ufed with the chorus that fung; not essential to the poem, and therefore not material; or being divided into stanza's or pauses, they may be called Allacostropha. Divifion into act and scene referring chiefly to the stage (to which this work never was intended) is here omitted. It fuffices if the whole drama be found not produced beyond the fifth act, of the style and uniformity, and that commonly call'd the plot, whether intricate or explicit, which is nothing indeed but such oeconomy, or difpofition of the fable as may stand best with verifimilitude and decorum: they only will beft judge who are not unacquainted with Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the three tragic poets unequall'd yet by any, and the best rule to all who endeavour to write tragedy. The circumfcription of time wherein the whole drama begins and ends, is according to ancient rule and best example, within the space of 24 hours. 74 The ARGUMENT. Samfon made captive, blind, and now in the prison at Gaza, there to labour as in a common work house, on a feftival-day, in the general cessation from labour, comes forth into the open air, to a place nigh, somewhat retired, there to fit a while and bemoan his condition. Where he happens at length to be visited by certain friends and equals of his tribe, which make the chorus, who seek to comfort him what they can; then by his old father Manoa, who endeavours the like, and withal tells him his purpose to procure his liberty by ransom; and laftly, that this feaft was proclaimed by the Philistines as a day of thanksgiving for their deliverance from the hands of Samfon, which yet more troubles him. Manoa then departs to profecute his endeavour with the Philiftian lords for Samson's redemption; who in the mean while is vifited by other perfons; and lastly, by a public officer to require his coming to the feast before the lords and people, to play or fhew his ftrength in their prefence; he at first refuses, difmiffing the public officer with abfolute denial to come; at length perfuaded inwardly that this was from God, he yields to go along with him, who came now the second time with great threatnings to fetch him; the chorus yet remaining on the place, Manoa returns full of joyful hope, to procure ere long his fon's deliverance: in the midst of which difcourfe an Hebrew comes in hafte, confusedly at first, and afterward more distinctly relating the catastrophe, what Samfon had done to the Philistines, and by accident to himself; wherewith the tragedy ends. |