APPENDIX. 153 



which are to enter into his work ; thereby correcting Nature 

 from what actually fhe is in individuals, to what (he ought to 

 be, and what die was created. Now as this Idea of Perfection 

 is of little ufe in Portraits, or the refemblances of particular 

 perfons, fo neither is it in the characters of Comedy and 

 Tragedy, which are never to be made perfect, but always to 

 be drawn with fome fpecks of frailty and deficiencej fuch as 

 they have been defcribed to us in hiftory, if they were real 

 characters ; or fuch as the Poet began to {hew them, at their 

 firft appearance, if they were only fictitious, or imaginary. 

 The perfection of fuch ftage characters confifts chiefly in their 

 likenefs to the deficient faulty Nature, which is their original ; 

 only (as it is obferved more at large hereafter) in fuch cafes 

 there will always be found a better likenefs and a worfe, and 

 the better is comtantly to be chofen ; I mean in Tragedy, 

 which reprefents the figures of the higheft form among 

 mankind: Thus, in Portraits, the Painter will not take that 

 fide of the face which has fome notorious blemim in it, but 

 either draw it in profile, as Apelles did Antigonus, who 

 had loft one of his eyes, or elfe fhadow the more imperfect 

 fide ; for an ingenious flattery is to be allowed to the profelTors 

 of both arts, fo long as the likenefs is not deftroyed. It is 

 true, that all manner of imperfections muft not be taken away 

 from the characters ; and the reafon is, that there may be left 

 fome grounds of pity for their misfortunes : We can never be 

 grieved for their miferies who are thoroughly wicked, and 

 have thereby juftly called their calamities on themfelves : Such 

 men are the natural objects of our hatred, not of our commi- 

 feration. If, on the other fide, their characters were wholly 

 perfect, fuch as, for example, the character of a Saint or 

 Martyr in a Play, his or her misfortunes would produce impious 

 thoughts in the beholders ; they would accufe the Heavens of 



U injuftice, 



