158 Effay on Majftnger. 



and various j but he affords a fpe.imen of elegant 

 comedy*, of which there is no archetype in his 

 great predeceffor. By the rules of a very judi- 

 cious critic f, the characters in this piece appear 

 to be of too elevated a rank for comedy -, yet 

 though the plot is fomewhat embarrafled by this 

 circumftance, the diverfity, fpirit, and confift- 

 ency of the charafters render it a moft intcrefting 

 play. In tragedy, Maffinger is rather eloquent 

 than pathetic} yet he is often as majeftic, and 

 generally more elegant than his mafter; he is as 

 powerful a ruler of the underftanding, as Shake- 

 fpeare is of the paflions : with the difadvantagc 

 of fucceeding that matchlefs poet, there is dill 

 much original beauty in his works ; and the moft 

 extenfive acquaintance with poetry will hardly 

 diminifh the pleafure of a reader and admirer 

 gf Maflinger. 



• The Great Duke of Florence. 



f See the Effay on the Provinces of the Drama. 



Observa- 



