London Philosophical Society, 233 



\va5 but a century ago little advanced from the rnde buf- 

 foonery of the dark ages, and the superstitions niuminery 

 of the mysteries, an accidental circumstance, he said, re- 

 formed it. A company of French actors introduced the 

 works of Corneille ; and the productions of Schiller and 

 Kotzebue were the almost immediate consequence of the 

 emulation they inspired. In appreciating the characters of 

 these writers, he inclined to think that the plays of the 

 former were not only much less unexceptionable than the 

 latter, but were calculated, by exciting a generous sympathy, 

 to refine and moralize mankind : but, with regard to Kotze- 

 bue, he stigmatized his dramas as in the last degree im- 

 moral, and pernicious to the well-bein2; of society*. 



The French stage, said Mr. R. famed as it is for chaste- 

 ncss and morality, was unworthy of notice till the time of 

 Moliere and Corneille ; and after drawing a just comparison 

 between the characteristics of these two dramatists and those 

 of Racine and Voltaire, he proceeded to point out the disad- 

 vantages under which the French stage laboured, from the 

 necessity of adapting rhyme instead of blank verse to its 

 loftier dialogue ; observing, however, that the regularity of 

 conduct, the regard of unity, and the chastity which cha- 

 racterize it, compensate in a great degree for what to Eng- 

 lish ears is a very great defect. 



Minstrels introduced the stage into England as well as into 

 Italy. About thirty-six years after the Conquest, a man of 

 the name of Rahcrc amassed a considerable property by inter- 

 ludes; and this first susgcsted to the clergy the performance 

 of mysteries ; so that the new priesthood made use of the 

 same instruments for etTtcling the same purposes as the 

 old, that is, to acquire a total influence over the minds and 

 morals of the people, by speaking to the eyes and to the 

 senses. The love of these performances became so great 

 in time, that it was found necessary to suppress them ia 

 1258, by an injunction from the Barons. From this time 

 to Henry the Eighth, a stupor seemed to have invaded the 

 dramatic muse, when Heywood, the king's jester, intro- 

 duced little dramas in which the characters and matmers of 

 people in low life were represented ; — an effort which ex- 

 tite<l such emukiiion, that the whole country abounded 

 with players ; in conscf|uence of v.'hich anotlier suppression 

 look place at the time of Elizabeth. 



The lecturer, proceeding to a consideration of the genius 

 of Sliakspeare, agreed wilb Dryden in the remark that he 



• The asperity of ttiis obiervation, as al'ro that respecting the opera. wa» 

 in tl>ii cuurie ut the dikcVMion much ^ol't«;ied,— the btter indeed combated. 



fuuud 



