i 



t 49 1 



National characEler is much more eafily diftinguifhable irt 

 •writings than the individual charadler of the refpedlive authofs, 

 as being the efFedl of caufes operating with more fleadinefs and 

 on a great number of writers : it is therefore better under- 

 flood and more readily perceived : and hence we find thofe 

 dramatic authors, who have little knowledge of manners and 

 little acquaintance with the modes of individual chara6ler, 

 find a never-failing refource in the introducflion of fome Irifh 

 or Scotch or Frenchman, by a difference in his language and 

 drefs to make himfelf known at once to the vulgar part of the 

 audience, and to keep alive and flatter their prejudices. Na- 

 tional character is fometimes fo flrongly marked as to deflroy 

 the perception of lingular differences, as provincial pronuncia- 

 tions are lofi ■ to a foreigner in the peculiarity of the general 

 accent. The flyle of French poetry in general is fo different 

 frorn that of other nations, that a perfon of a different country 

 does not foon arrive at the art of diftinguifhing the flyle of one 

 French poet from that of another. 



The peculiar fpecies of compofitlon alfo will fometimes leave 

 very little information to be colleded as to the peculiar and 

 chara6leriflic habits of the mind of an author. All writers of 

 paftoral poetry are from the modes of life they would reprefent 

 obliged to feparate themfelves as much as pofHble from their 

 own habit and chara6ler. Hence we find this fpecies of 

 writing has been rarely cultivated but by juvenile poets, who 

 not having yet acquired a difcriminate charafter could more 

 eafily adopt any which might come recommended to them. 



Vol. V. (, G ) . Dramatic 



