179I. LITERARY INTELLIGENCER. 5f 



a noble offeft, we may expeft much pleafure and im- 

 provement. 



It may be obferved of the produftions of a profound 

 mind, that like the fource from whence they proceed, 

 they are not apprehended at firft fight. Shakefpear of- 

 ten begins his deepeft tragedies with the lowed buf- 

 foonery of the comic kind ; with converfations among the 

 inferior charafters, that do not feem to be connefted 

 with the main plot ; and there is often introduced 

 throughout the work, the opinions of thofe engaged 

 about the lower offices, about the principal adlors, and 

 the great defigns that are carrying on ; a-'d their inade- 

 quate conceptions, has an excellent efFedt in enliven- 

 ing the ftory ; for befides the humour that is thereby 

 produced, it elucidates the fubje£t, by placing it in a 

 variety of lights. Examples of fuch a condu'£t are fre- 

 quent in all our author's works, and are not to be ex- 

 pected but from that extenfive capacity which is capa- 

 ble at once to view the fubject in its rife and progrefs, 

 and connefted with all its circumftances ; who can 

 take a wide range into the affairs of men, without lof- 

 ing fight of his principle aclion ; whofe comprehenfiv^ 

 mind can contain many auxiliary ideas, and many re- 

 mote defigns, without diftra£ling, or driving out the 

 great tendency of tlie whole. Writers of a more li- 

 mited capacity, confcious of their want of ftrength to 

 conftrucl an edifice on fuch an enlarged plan, and con- 

 fufed at the wild diforder of the materials as they lie 

 fcattered through nature, generally rulh headlong among 

 them, and introduce darknefs, where confufion only was 

 before : having once heated their imaginations, foam 

 away till they fuppofe the work is completed, and in 

 fuch high wrought raptures as darknefs and confufion na- 

 turally produce : Oiie prevailing fentiment runs through 

 the whole; in every fpeech, according 9s the charaflcr 

 is well or ill afFccled to the fuccefs of the adventure, it 

 is blazoned forth with all tlie i)afrion tlie autlior can 

 eomaiand ; aud the whole mafs is often chiefly illnminrited 



11 2 



