Reflections on Aristotle's treatise of poesie containing the necessary, rational, and universal rules for epick, dramatick, and the other sorts of poetry : with reflections on the works of the ancient and modern poets, and their faults noted / by R. Rapin.

XIX.

IT is by this admirable spring, that the Oedipus of Sophocles (of which Ari∣stotle speaks continually, as of the most perfect Model of a Tragedy) wrought such great effects on the people of A∣thens, when it was represented. The truth is, all is terrible in that piece, and all there is moving. See the Subject. The Plague destroying Thebes, Oedipus the King concerned at the loss of his Subjects, causes the Oracle to be consulted, for a re∣medy. The Oracle ordains him to revenge the affassinat committed on the person of his Predccessor King Laius. Oedipus ra∣ges in horrible imprecations against the au∣thor of the crime, without knowing him; he himself makes a strict search to discover him; he questions Creon, Tiresias, Jo∣casta, and a man of Corinth for intelli∣gence; and it appear'd by the account that this Prince received, that he himself com∣mitted the murder, he would punish. The minds of the Spectators are in a perpe∣tual suspense; all the words of Tire••ias, Iocasta, and the Corinthian, as they give light to the discovery, cause terrours and

surprises; and clear it by little and lit∣tle. Oedipus finding it to be himself that was Author of the assassinat, by evi∣dence of the testimonies, at the same time understood that Laius whom he had slain, was his Father; and that Iocasta, whom he had married, is his Mother, which he knew not till then; because he had from his Infancy been brought up in the Court of the King of Corinth. This discovery is like a Thunderclap that oblig'd him to abandon himself to all the despair that his Conscience inspir'd; he tears out both his eyes, to punish him∣self the more cruelly with his own hands. But this Criminal whom all the world abhors before he is known, by a return of pity and tenderness, becomes an object of compassion to all the Assem∣bly; now he is bemoan'd, who a mo∣ment before pass'd for execrable; and they melt at the misfortunes of the per∣son they had in horror; and excuse the most abominable of all Crimes, because the Author is an Innocent unfortunate, and fell into this crime, that was fore∣told him, notwithstanding all the pre∣cautions he had taken to avoid it; and what is most strange, is, that all the steps he made to carry him from the murder,

brought him to commit it. Finally, this flux and reflux of indignation, and of pity, this revolution of horror and of tenderness, has such a wonderful ef∣fect on the minds of the Audience; all in this piece moves with an air so deli∣cate and passionate, all is unravel'd with so much art, the suspensions manag'd with so much probability; there is made such an universal emotion of the Soul, by the surprises, astonishments, admirati∣ons; the sole incident that is form'd in all the piece, is so natural, and all tends so in a direct line to the discovery and ca∣tastrophe; that it may not only be said, that never Subject has been better devi∣sed than this, but that never can be in∣vented a better, for Tragedy. And thus also it was that the Andromeda of Euri∣pides (so much boasted of in Atheneus, and an Episode whereof Alexander sung in the last Banquet of his life) wrought those wonderful effects in the City Ab∣dera; when it was acted there by Arche∣laus under the Reign of Lysimachus. The two parts of Perseus and Andromeda, the misfortunes of this Princess expos'd to the Sea-monster, and all that mov'd ter∣ror and pity in this representation, made so strong and violent impression on the

people, That they departed, saith Lucian, from the Theatre, possess'd (as it were) with the spectacle, and this became a pub∣lick malady, wherewith the imaginations of the Spectators were seiz'd. Something of a grosser stroke of this sort of impressi∣ons made by Tragedy, has even happen'd in our dayes. When Mondory acted the Mariamne of Tristan, the people never went away but sad and pensive, making reflection on what they had seen, and struck with great pleasure at the same time. These are the two great springs of the Greek Tragedy, and all that is marvellous in Dramatick Poems, results principally from what there is of pity and terror in the objects represented.