149 



ed equally unfavourabk to the dominion of the fofter feelings, and 

 to the prevalence, and fcientific confideration of love, its arts, and its 

 purfuits. This originated, partly, from the feverity of republican man- 

 ners and inftitutions, which encouraged a pride of fpirit, an arrogance 

 of demeanour, and overbearing temper; and augmented the natural 

 fternnefs of nature, indeed, I fliall not fcruple to call it the ferocity, 

 which, I think, on a fair perufal of their hiftory, will appear to be 

 generally imputable to the ancient Greeks. Republican forms of go- 

 vernment, difpofing and admitting every perfon to take a part in pub- 

 lic affairs, furniQa a fuperior degree of occupation for the mind, 

 and this kind of occupation is, above all other circumftances, un- 

 favourable to the dominion of lave, and the fubmiflion of the fpirit 

 to the feducing encroachments of the foft feelings. The caufe of 

 love is little advanced, the empire of the gentler fex is not much pro- 

 moted by the Jthenian Mufes. In the majeftic and gigantic compofi- 

 tions of the fierce and indignant Mfchylus, that father of tragedy, whofe 

 bold afpiring genius was nurtured amidft dangers, and fcenes of hor- 

 ror, in camps, and fighting fields, we could not reafonably expeft many 

 difplays of the fofter emotions. He dares to meet the furies, face to 

 face, to drag them in all their horrors on the ftage. 



We are more furprifed, when we difcover, that in the remains of 

 Sophorles, the prince of the Greek tragedians, there is not a fingle play, 

 which turns on the paffion of love ; nor does there appear to have 

 been any piece of the amorous charafter, among the numerous works 

 of that writer, which have periflied.* Euripides, who affefted to choofe 



pathetic 



» He is faid to have produced ny lefs than ninety plays ; the titles of many of 

 them are preferved. 



In the Iphigmia in /lulls, which offers fo fair an occafion for it, there is very lit- 

 tle of love. The Medea, which gives a fine pifture of refentment and jealous rage, 

 and the Alceftis, which gives a beautiful reprefentation of maternal tendernefs and con- 

 jugal affeaion, do not, I apprehend, form any exception to the general pofition. 



The beautiful portraiture of the amorous irrefolntion of Pkxdria, in the Eunuch, and 

 the delightful defcriptioD of the appearance and feelings of Phihmena, in the Self- 



Tarmenior, 



