text,updated_at,metaphor,created_at,context,theme,reviewed_on,dictionary,comments,provenance,id,work_id
"First then, in the Reign of King Charles the Second, a considerable part of an Audience had those parts, which were requisite for the judging of Comedy. And we have shewn above that those parts comprehend principally a fine Imagination and a sound Judgment. Well, but says an Objector; Are not the Imaginations and Judgments of Mankind the same that they were then, or is Humane Nature decay'd since the Reign of Charles the Second? To which I answer, That the capacity of imagining and of judging have been in all Ages equal in Mankind. But then this is certain, that the faculties of the Soul, like the parts of the Body, receive nourishment from use, and derive skill as well as they do force and vigour from exercise. Now I leave to any one to judge whether the imaginative faculty of the Soul, must be more exercised in a Reign of Poetry and of Pleasure, or in a Reign of Politicks and of Business. Besides, as an Artist may have that sort of Beauty of Imagination, which is sufficient for the succeeding in Painting and Carving, and may at the same time be not one jot the more qualified for the succeeding in Poetry; so a man may have that sort of Imagination, which is necessary for the judging of Painting and Carving, and yet may not be at all Capacitated to give his judgment of Poetry; and this, if we will believe the Testimony of Horace, was the case of the great Alexander.",2009-09-14 19:34:55 UTC,"""The faculties of the Soul, like the parts of the Body, receive nourishment from use, and derive skill as well as they do force and vigour from exercise""",2004-10-14 00:00:00 UTC,Front Matter,"",,"","",Searching HDIS (Drama),10360,3989
"But the third thing requisite for the succeeding in Comedy is a due Application, and that likewise includes two things, the one of which is Leisure, and the other Serenity. First, Leisure, for Poetry is of that Dignity, that it requires the whole man. And never any man writ any thing that was admirable, who had any avocations at the time that he writ it. But secondly, to succeed in Comedy requires Serenity. For a Comick Poet is obliged to put off himself, and transform himself into his several Characters; to enter into the Foibles of his several persons, and all the Recesses and secret turns of their minds, and to make their Passions, their Interests, and their Concern his own. Now how should he possibly do this, unless he is absolutely free, and undisturbed by tormenting Passions, which bind him, as it were, and if I may use that expression, chain him fast to himself.",2011-08-01 19:48:58 UTC,"""Now how should he possibly do this, unless he is absolutely free, and undisturbed by tormenting Passions, which bind him, as it were, and if I may use that expression, chain him fast to himself.""",2011-08-01 19:48:58 UTC,Epistle Dedicatory,As it Were,,Fetters,"","Searching ""passion"" and ""chain"" in HDIS (Drama)",19081,3989
"But the third thing requisite for the succeeding in Comedy is a due Application, and that likewise includes two things, the one of which is Leisure, and the other Serenity. First, Leisure, for Poetry is of that Dignity, that it requires the whole man. And never any man writ any thing that was admirable, who had any avocations at the time that he writ it. But secondly, to succeed in Comedy requires Serenity. For a Comick Poet is obliged to put off himself, and transform himself into his several Characters; to enter into the Foibles of his several persons, and all the Recesses and secret turns of their minds, and to make their Passions, their Interests, and their Concern his own. Now how should he possibly do this, unless he is absolutely free, and undisturbed by tormenting Passions, which bind him, as it were, and if I may use that expression, chain him fast to himself.",2011-08-01 19:50:16 UTC,"""For a Comick Poet is obliged to put off himself, and transform himself into his several Characters; to enter into the Foibles of his several persons, and all the Recesses and secret turns of their minds, and to make their Passions, their Interests, and their Concern his own.""",2011-08-01 19:50:16 UTC,Epistle Dedicatory,"",,"","",Searching in HDIS (Drama),19082,3989
"The following Treatise is but a small part of a Volume of Criticism intended to be publish'd in Folio, in which in Treating of the works of the most Celebrated English Poets Deceas'd, I design'd to shew both by Reason and Examples, that the use of Religion in Poetry was absolutely necessary to raise it to the greatest exaltation, of which so Noble an Art is capable, and on the other side, that Poetry was requisite to Religion in order to its making more forcible Impressions upon the Minds of Men.
(Preface)",2013-07-11 18:48:22 UTC,"""The following Treatise is but a small part of a Volume of Criticism intended to be publish'd in Folio, in which in Treating of the works of the most Celebrated English Poets Deceas'd, I design'd to shew both by Reason and Examples, that the use of Religion in Poetry was absolutely necessary to raise it to the greatest exaltation, of which so Noble an Art is capable, and on the other side, that Poetry was requisite to Religion in order to its making more forcible Impressions upon the Minds of Men.""",2013-07-11 18:48:22 UTC,"","",,Impressions,"",C-H Lion,21658,7540
"And this I thought would be an effectual way of Reconciling People to a Regulated Stage, in spight of the Grimaces of some Spiritual Comedians; who have themselves a mind to be the only Actors in Vogue; and who in order to a total suppression of the Stage, have endeavour'd to set up private Authorities against the common Sense of Mankind, and the Errors of two or three Churchmen against Divine Inspiration. For I appeal to any impartial Reader, whether the constant practice in all Ages of the best and the bravest Nations in their most flourishing States, may not pass for the common Sense of Men: And we know very well that St. Paul, whom we believe to be divinely inspir'd, has made use of Heathen Poets nay ev'n Heathen Dramatick Poets, for the Reformation of Mankind. Witness that famous passage, Evil Communications corrupt good manners; which St. Paul makes use of in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, and which Grotius informs us that he borrow'd from the Thais of the famous Menander. Now how that which was the Language of the Holy Ghost, in the Mouth of St. Paul, comes to be the Language of the Devil in ours, I believe our Bigots will find it a Difficult matter to shew. It is plain then that these Persons by designing totally to suppress the Stage, which is the only encouragement that we have in these Islands of Poetry, manifestly intended to drive out so noble and useful an Art from among us, and by that means endeavour'd with all their might to weaken the power of Religion, which has need of Poetry to make its utmost Impression upon the Minds of Men.
(Preface)",2013-07-11 18:49:20 UTC,"""It is plain then that these Persons by designing totally to suppress the Stage, which is the only encouragement that we have in these Islands of Poetry, manifestly intended to drive out so noble and useful an Art from among us, and by that means endeavour'd with all their might to weaken the power of Religion, which has need of Poetry to make its utmost Impression upon the Minds of Men.""",2013-07-11 18:49:20 UTC,"","",,Impressions,"",C-H Lion,21659,7540
"Dramatick or Representative Poesy, says he, which brings the World upon the Stage, is of excellent use if it were not abus'd. For the Instructions and Corruptions of the Stage may be great; but the Corruptions in this kind abound; the Discipline is altogether neglected in our times. For altho' in Modern Commonwealths, Stage-Plays be but esteemed a Sport or Pastime, unless they draw from the Satyr and be mordant; yet the Care of the Antients was, that the Stage should instruct the Minds of Men unto Virtue. Nay, wise Men and great Philosophers, have accounted it as the Archet or Musical Bow of the Mind. And certainly it is most true, and as it were a Secret of Nature, that the Minds of Men are more patent to Affections, and Impressions Congregate than Solitary.
(Preface)",2013-07-11 18:51:03 UTC,"""Nay, wise Men and great Philosophers, have accounted it as the Archet or Musical Bow of the Mind. And certainly it is most true, and as it were a Secret of Nature, that the Minds of Men are more patent to Affections, and Impressions Congregate than Solitary.""",2013-07-11 18:51:03 UTC,"","",,"","An ""archet"" is the bow of a violin",C-H Lion,21660,7540
"To this I answer, that tho' Longinus did by long Study, and habitude know the Sublime when he saw it, as well as any Man, yet he had not so clear a knowledge of the Nature of it as to explain it clearly to others. For if he had done that, as the Objector says, he would have defin'd it, but he has been so far from defining it, that in one place he has given an account of it that is contrary to the true nature of it. For he tells us in that Chapter which treats of the Fountains of Sublimity, that Loftiness is often without any Passion at all. Which is contrary to the true nature of it. The sublime is indeed often without Common Passion, as ordinary Passion is often without that. But then it is never without Enthusiastick Passion. For the Sublime is nothing else but a great Thought, or Great Thoughts moving the Soul from it's Ordinary Scituation by the Enthusiasm which naturally attends them. Now Longinus had a notion of Enthusiastick Passion; for he establishes it in that very Chapter for the second Source of Sublimity. Now Longinus by affirming that the Sublime may be without not only that, but ordinary Passion, says a thing that is not only contrary to the true Nature of it, but contradictory of Himself. For he tells us in the beginning of the Treatise that the Sublime does not so properly persuade us, as it Ravishes and Transports us, and produces in us a certain Admiration mingled with astonishment and with surprise, which is quite another thing than the barely Pleasing or the barely perswading; that it gives a noble Vigour to a Discourse, an invincible force which commits a pleasing Rape upon the very Soul of the Reader; that whenever it breaks out where it ought to do, like the Artillery of Jove, it Thunders blazes and strikes at once, and shews all the united force of a Writer. Now I leave the Reader to Judge, whether Longinius has not been saying here all along that Sublimity is never without Passion.
(pp. 77-9)",2013-07-11 18:52:20 UTC,"""For he tells us in the beginning of the Treatise that the Sublime does not so properly persuade us, as it Ravishes and Transports us, and produces in us a certain Admiration mingled with astonishment and with surprise, which is quite another thing than the barely Pleasing or the barely perswading; that it gives a noble Vigour to a Discourse, an invincible force which commits a pleasing Rape upon the very Soul of the Reader; that whenever it breaks out where it ought to do, like the Artillery of Jove, it Thunders blazes and strikes at once, and shews all the united force of a Writer.""",2013-07-11 18:52:20 UTC,"","",,"","Whoa! — Crazy: sublimity and ""pleasing Rape."" INTEREST and REVISIT.","",21661,7540
"'Tis very plain that it is the Apprehension of Danger which causes that emotion in us which we call Terrour, and it signifies nothing at all to the purpose whether the Danger is real or imaginary; and 'tis as plain too, that the Soul never takes the Alarm from any thing so soon as it does from the Senses, especially those two noble ones of the Eye and the Ear, by reason of the strict affinity which they have with the Imagination; and the Evil always seems to be very near, when those two Senses give notice of it; and the nearer the Evil is the greater still is the Terror. But now let us see how those two Poets, did by Virtue of their Ideas, bring even absent, Terrible Objects, within the reach of those two noble Senses. First then to bring an absent Terrible Object before our Sight, they drew an Image or Picture of it; but to draw an Image or Picture of a Terrible Object, so as to surprise and astonish the Soul by the Eye, they never fail'd to draw it in violent Action or Motion; and in Order to that they made choice of Words and Numbers, which might best express the violence of that Action or Motion. For an absent Object can never be set before the Eye in a true Light, unless it is shewn in violent Action or Motion. Because unless it is shewn so, the Soul has leisure to reflect upon the Deceit. But violent Motion can never be conceived without a violent agitation of Spirit, and that sudden agitation surprises the Soul and gives it less time to Reflect; and at the same time causes the Impressions that the Objects make to be so Deep, and their traces to be so profound, that it makes them in a manner as present to us as if they were really before us. For the Spirits being set in a violent emotion, and the Imagination being fir'd by that agitation; and the Brain being deeply penetrated by those Impressions, the very Objects themselves are set as it were before us, and consequently we are sensible of the same Passion that we should feel from the things themselves. For the warmer the Imagination is, the less able we are to Reflect, and consequently the things are the more present to us of which we draw the Images; and therefore when the Imagination is so inflam'd as to render the Soul utterly incapable of reflecting there is no difference between the Images and the things themselves; as we may see for example by Men in Raging Feavours. But those two great Poets were not satisfied with setting absent Objects before our Eyes, by shewing them in violent motion; but if their motion occasion'd any Extraordinary Sounds that were terrifying; they so contriv'd their Numbers and Expressions, as that they might be sure to ring those sounds in the very Ears of their Readers.
(pp. 90-3)",2013-07-11 18:53:34 UTC,"""For the Spirits being set in a violent emotion, and the Imagination being fir'd by that agitation; and the Brain being deeply penetrated by those Impressions, the very Objects themselves are set as it were before us, and consequently we are sensible of the same Passion that we should feel from the things themselves.""",2013-07-11 18:53:34 UTC,"","",,Impressions,"",C-H Lion,21662,7540
"'Tis very plain that it is the Apprehension of Danger which causes that emotion in us which we call Terrour, and it signifies nothing at all to the purpose whether the Danger is real or imaginary; and 'tis as plain too, that the Soul never takes the Alarm from any thing so soon as it does from the Senses, especially those two noble ones of the Eye and the Ear, by reason of the strict affinity which they have with the Imagination; and the Evil always seems to be very near, when those two Senses give notice of it; and the nearer the Evil is the greater still is the Terror. But now let us see how those two Poets, did by Virtue of their Ideas, bring even absent, Terrible Objects, within the reach of those two noble Senses. First then to bring an absent Terrible Object before our Sight, they drew an Image or Picture of it; but to draw an Image or Picture of a Terrible Object, so as to surprise and astonish the Soul by the Eye, they never fail'd to draw it in violent Action or Motion; and in Order to that they made choice of Words and Numbers, which might best express the violence of that Action or Motion. For an absent Object can never be set before the Eye in a true Light, unless it is shewn in violent Action or Motion. Because unless it is shewn so, the Soul has leisure to reflect upon the Deceit. But violent Motion can never be conceived without a violent agitation of Spirit, and that sudden agitation surprises the Soul and gives it less time to Reflect; and at the same time causes the Impressions that the Objects make to be so Deep, and their traces to be so profound, that it makes them in a manner as present to us as if they were really before us. For the Spirits being set in a violent emotion, and the Imagination being fir'd by that agitation; and the Brain being deeply penetrated by those Impressions, the very Objects themselves are set as it were before us, and consequently we are sensible of the same Passion that we should feel from the things themselves. For the warmer the Imagination is, the less able we are to Reflect, and consequently the things are the more present to us of which we draw the Images; and therefore when the Imagination is so inflam'd as to render the Soul utterly incapable of reflecting there is no difference between the Images and the things themselves; as we may see for example by Men in Raging Feavours. But those two great Poets were not satisfied with setting absent Objects before our Eyes, by shewing them in violent motion; but if their motion occasion'd any Extraordinary Sounds that were terrifying; they so contriv'd their Numbers and Expressions, as that they might be sure to ring those sounds in the very Ears of their Readers.
(pp. 90-3)",2013-07-11 18:54:45 UTC,"""For the warmer the Imagination is, the less able we are to Reflect, and consequently the things are the more present to us of which we draw the Images; and therefore when the Imagination is so inflam'd as to render the Soul utterly incapable of reflecting there is no difference between the Images and the things themselves; as we may see for example by Men in Raging Feavours.""",2013-07-11 18:54:45 UTC,"","",,"","",C-H Lion,21663,7540
"And we pretend to prove undeniably that not only the Gentlemen, whose works we design to examine, have succeeded and excell'd no further than their Poems have been so constituted; but that never any Poets of any Nation or any Age, ever did or can excel without it. I have already prov'd in the Advancement of modern Poetry, beyond all manner of doubt, to those who have Capacity enough to comprehend the Arguments, that the Ancient Poets excell'd the moderns in the greatness of Poetry, for no other reason, but because their Subjects were Religious in their constitution. And therefore all that I shall say of it here is, that Poetry is the Natural Language of Religion, and that Religion at first produc'd it, as a Cause produces its Effect. In the first Ages of writing among the Græcians, there was nothing writ but Verse, because they wrote of nothing but Religion which was necessary for the Cementing the Societies which in those times were but just united, and Nature had taught them, that Poetry was the only Language in which they could worthily treat of the most Important parts of Religion, or worthily perform its most Important Duties. But as soon as Religion was sufficiently imprinted in the Minds of Men, and they had leisure to Treat of Human things in their writings they invented Prose, and invented it in Imitation of Verse, as Strabo tells us in the first Book of his Geography; but after that Prose was invented by them; never any of them treated of their Gods or their Religious matters in Prose, before the Age of Socrates, because they found that that way of writing, was by no means proper for it. For the wonders of Religion naturally threw them upon great Passions, and great passions naturally threw them upon Harmony, and Figurative Language, as they most of Necessity do, any Poet as long as he continues Master of them. Which is known by Experience to all who are Poets, for never any one while he was rapt with Enthusiasm or with Ordinary Passion, wanted either Words or Harmony, and therefore Poetry is more Harmonious than Prose because it is more Pathetick. Even in Prose your Orators and all who pretend to move the Passions, have more Harmonious Periods than they who barely speak to the Reason. And in Poetry they who write with a great deal of Passion are Generally very Harmonious, whereas those who write with but little are not so Musical. Horace is an Illustrious Example of this. No Man who has read his Odes can doubt of the fineness and the Delicacy of his Ear; and therefore his Satyrs are often Harsh and Rugged because the Spirit in them is mean and little. No Man can believe that Juvenal had a finer Ear, than Horace, but yet his Satyrs are more Musical because they have a greater Spirit in them. At the same time tis a little odd to consider, that Passion which disturbs the Soul, should occasion it to produce Harmony, which seems to emply the Order and Composure of it. Whether this proceeds from the Secret Effort that the Soul makes, to Compose it self or whatever the cause is, the Effect is certain. But as Passion, which is the Disorder of the Soul; produces Harmony which is Agreement; so Harmony which is Concord Augments and propagates Passion which is Discord. All who are acquainted with Poetry or Musick must be as sensible of this, as Mr. Waller was fully convinc'd of it [...]
(pp. 96-100)",2013-07-11 18:55:52 UTC,"""But as soon as Religion was sufficiently imprinted in the Minds of Men, and they had leisure to Treat of Human things in their writings they invented Prose, and invented it in Imitation of Verse, as Strabo tells us in the first Book of his Geography; but after that Prose was invented by them; never any of them treated of their Gods or their Religious matters in Prose, before the Age of Socrates, because they found that that way of writing, was by no means proper for it.""",2013-07-11 18:55:52 UTC,"","",,Impressions,"",C-H Lion,21664,7540