Dryden's Relation to Germany 37 



or had just come from the press. It becomes doubly significant, 

 when we consider that Dryden's theme in the Essay, and Lessing's 

 in the Literaturhrief are identical, namely, to prove the superi- 

 ority of the English theater over that of the French. Whether 

 this relation of time and theme be conscious or unconscious on 

 the part of Lessing is immaterial in proving Dryden's influence 

 upon Lessing. 



Dryden's first argument for the superiority of the English 

 drama is that it has a greater variety of plot and action than the 

 French. Through his spokesman, Neander, he concedes that the 

 French contrive their plots more regularly, and observe the de- 

 corum of the stage, and the unities with more exactness, but is of 

 the opinion, that neither the faults of the English, nor the virtues 

 of the French are considerable enough to deny the superiority of 

 his countrymen in the drama. He maintains that many more 

 " accidents " can naturally happen if two or three days are allowed 

 for the maturity of the design, than could happen with any proba- 

 bility in the compass of twenty-four hours. Especially is this 

 true of the tragedy in which the design is greater. The servile 

 observation of the unity of place often forces absurdities upon the 

 French poets and prevents the change of scene, and the too strict 

 observance of the unities of time and place limits the action. " If 

 we are to be blamed for showing too much of the action," he adds, 

 " the French are as faulty for showing too little of it " ; and in 

 characterizing Shakspere he says : " When he describes anything 

 you more than see it, you feel it too." 



Lessing recognizes the similar tastes of the English and the 

 Germans in the drama, and in a passage in the Literaturhrief 

 almost parallel to the one used by Dryden, he calls attention to the 

 inchnation of the Germans for a larger scope of action and greater 

 profoundness in the tragedy than the French possess. " Er (Gott- 

 sched) hatte aus unsern alten dramatischen Stiicken, welche er 

 vertrieb, hinlanglich abmerken konnen, dass wir mehr in den 

 Geschmack der Englander als der Franzosen einschlagen ; dass 

 wir in unsern Trauerspielen mehr sehen und denken wollen, als 

 uns das furchtsame franzosische Trauerspiel zu sehen und zu 

 denken gibt . . . . " 



325 



