of communities and ftates ? — The public morality differs from 

 the private only in fuperior comprehenfivenefs, utility and 

 dignity. The political, therefore, is the more excellent moral, 

 and the merit of inculcating it is greater, inafmuch as the re- 

 formation of a whole people is more important than that of a 

 fingle private perfon. In my mind, therefore, we might as well 

 reprobate a dramatic performance for conveying a moral, as 

 for bearing an application to modern politics. 



It is faid, that political Dramas " tend to interefl: the pafTions 

 on the fide of the popular judgment, on any pafling event" — 

 be it fo — if the popular juds;ment be right, why fhould not the 

 paffions be interefted in its favour? and may not the paffions, in 

 the hands of a judicious and virtuous writer, become the means 

 of redlifying the popular judgment? The condud of human 

 agents is feldom governed by pure, unimpaflioncd, abflradied rea- 

 foning; they a6t, and are a£ted on, through the medium of their 

 paffions ; and the great care of the moralift and the legiffator is to 

 give a jufl: and ufeful bias to the paffions of men. We find, 

 that even the Chriftian religion, in its precepts as well as its fanc- 

 tions, applies not lefs to the pafllons, than to the reafon of men. 

 If the ftage can be made ancillary to the great end of morality, 

 it becomes a moft important inftrument in the Iiands of govern- 

 ment. We find that, among the Aibcti'ians, the theatre engaged 

 no fmall fhare of the public attention, anxiety and pro- 

 tedion ; it was confidered in the moft important light, and 

 even reputed a part of the eftablilliment of the ftate. The 



( B 2 ) French 



