pathctip fubjeifts, and excelled, in painting diftrefsfijl fcenes, and the 

 emotions excited by them, has but one tragedy founded on love, and 

 that is grounded on a fubjeft little favourable to the pafllon of love, 

 in general, or to the attachment to the fair fex. — The inceftuous paf- 

 fion of Phadra for her flep-fon. In the plays of Terence, which, be- 

 ing tranflated or imitated from Menander, muft be fuppofed to contain 

 a faithful pidure of Athenian manners, and that too, when they were 

 at the highefl; pitch of refinement, the paflion of love is treated in a 

 very coarfe manner, and the conduft of men to the fair fex is very deficient, 

 in politenefs, gallantry, and tendernefs. Such was the flate of fociety in the 

 republics of the continent of proper Greece. The cafe was far different, in 

 /i3«/«, and the different Greek iflands, which were, in general, fubjeft tofomc 

 form of regal domination, either under the Perfian monarchy, and its fatraps, 

 or little fovercigns of their own. The writers in thefe countries faw 

 the fplendour of regal pomp, and the luxuiy of a court, in every flate 

 and city, forming a flrong contrafl to the fimplicity of republican man- 

 ners, which lavifhed all fplendour and greatnefs on the public edifices, 

 and monuments, and confined the habitations, expences, and pleafures 

 of the citizens, within narrovi' and parfimonious bounds. The inhabi- 

 tants of the iflands and Afiatk Greece, deprived of the exercife of power, 

 a trufl:, of which their native indolence rendered them little capable, 

 were eafily confoled for the lofs, by their being relieved fi-om the 

 cares of government, the burthens of civil duties, and configned to the 

 full and uninterrupted enjoyment, of the wealth, that flowed in upon 

 them, as it were fpontaneoufly, and thofe pleafures, luxuries and amufe- 

 ments, to which the natural gaiety of their tempers, and the influence 

 ©f a foft and relaxing climate irrefiftibly difpofed them. 



It is obfervable, that the Lydian meafure or ftyle of mufical compo- 

 fition was the mod effeminate and voluptuous of all thofe, which were 

 known to the Greeks ; as is obferved by Dryden, 



Softly 



Tormentor, do not GOUDtervail the general charafler I have given of the Athenian mu- 

 >es %. fince other paflages of equal deKcacy and feeling do not occur ; and any con- 

 clufion which might be drawn from thefe, is counterafted by the coarfe piflure of 

 manoers, which Terence uniformly gives us, except in tliefe inffances. 



