766 POE 
very much heightened beyond the more confident repre- 
fentations of Homer. 
T5. “Helen.” Of all the dramas of Euripides, Helen 
is that which might with the leaft regret, or rather with 
the-greateft readinefs, be fpared. The character of Helen, 
as delineated by Homer, is replete with truth and nature. 
Iffliedifplays all the frailty of a woman, in whofe heart love 
is the ruling paffion, (lie exhibits at the fame time all the 
foftnefs, the fweetnefs, the grace, the deep and tender fen- 
fibility, that can extenuate her offence, and render her an 
object of fympathy and affeClion, even when (he has ceafed 
to merit or poffefsour efteem, But Euripides, more foli- 
citous than Homer for the reputation of Helen, has in 
this play availed himfelf of a prepofterous (lory, which 
reprefents Paris as having conveyed a cloud, transformed 
by Juno into the fhape and form of Helen, to Troy: 
leaving the real Helen, whofe virtue remains immaculate, 
dn the coaft of Egypt, where (lie is found by Menelaus, 
on his return from the Trojan war, accompanied by the 
-life Helen, when a difcovery takes place, which has very 
much the air of burlefque. The imaginary Helen vanilhes, 
and the true Helen returns with her huiband to Sparta. 
Not only is the fable of this tragedy provokingly abfurd, 
but it is feebly written throughout ; and contains no 
beauties which can, in any degree, compenfate its-inherent 
and radical-defe&s. 
16. “EleCtra.” This drama, though of great excellence, 
is not equal to the EleCira of Sophocles; the cataftrophe 
of which is not only more highly wrought, but more pro¬ 
bable, than this of Euripides. The Coephors of ASfchy- 
lus differs in fome circumftances from both; but fo 
deeply were the Athenians interefted on this fubjeCI, 
that they could liften to the thrice-told tale without wea- 
rinefs or offence at thefe occafional inconfiftencies. 
The generous charader of EleCfra is in this, as in every 
play where (lie is introduced, well preferved ; yet an aber¬ 
ration from general confiftency is apparent in the perfi¬ 
dious artifice by which Clytemneftra is inveigled into her 
fnares. The fudden remorfe with which Oreftes and 
EleCfra are feized on the perpetration of the murder of 
their mother is entirely in nature, and it forms a proper 
prelude to the frenzy of the unfortunate parricide Oreftes. 
17. “Oreftes.” This tragedy opens with a tedious 
foliloquy by EleCfra, informing herfelf of the dire misfor¬ 
tunes of the houfe of Tantalus, and of the aCfual litua- 
tion of affairs. This unfkilful mode of “ infufing the plot 
into the audience,” is ufual in the Grecian drama ; the 
introductory fpeech being a fort of prologue to the play. 
Tantalus, anceftor of the Atridae, refided at Sipylus, a 
city of Aiia Minor ; and was renowned for his riches and 
profperity. But, being honored with an invitation to 
a banquet of the gods, he dared to reveal what had parted 
at that “ celeftial colloquy divine;” and was doomed to 
fuffer, in Tartarus, perpetual confinement to a fpot, over 
which an impending rock threatened every moment to 
fail. Such is the authentic ftatement of EleCfra ; though 
the more popular (lory reprefents him as ftarving in the 
midft of plenty. Pelops, the fon of Tantalus, eftabliftsed 
himfelf in the peninfula, known at that time by the name 
of Pelafgia ; and Argos became the capital of his domi¬ 
nion. The quarrel between his two foils, Atreus and 
Thyeftes, caufed the former to perpetrate that execrable 
deed of infanticide, at which the fun is faid to have re¬ 
coiled with horror; and which drew down the vengeance 
of heaven on his defendants. 
Shocked with the parricidal crime of Oreftes, and be¬ 
lieving him to be the objeCf of divine abhorrence, the 
fenate of Argos condemned both him and EleCtra to 
death. At the opening of the drama, Oreftes is difco- 
vered on a couch, awaking, in agonies, from a tranfient 
and troubled (lumber. The terrors of Oreftes are finely 
contrafted with the tendernefs and fortitude of EleCtra. 
The unexpected arrival of Menelaus from Troy, after 
feven years’ wanderings, produces that “change of for¬ 
tune,” which is regarded by the critics, on the authority 
TRY. 
of Ariftotle. as anfindifpenfable requifite in the formation 
of a perfeCf drama. But this vanifhes, when the aged 
Tyndarus, who had vifited Argos to offer libations on 
the tomb of Clytemneftra, apprifed of the landing of 
Menelaus, with Helen his fpoufe, paffionately oppofes all 
interpofition in favour of the delinquents 5 and threatens 
Menelaus, in cafe of contumacy, with banifliment from 
Sparta. 
In the courfe of the drama, the unalterable fidelity of 
Pylades, and the generofity of Oreftes, refigning himfelf 
with firmnefs, yet with feeling, to his fate, and anxious 
for the fafety of his friend, are finely depictured. The 
felfifh and wavering character of Menelaus ; defirous to 
alleviate the undeferved doom of Oreftes and EleCtra, 
but much more fo to avoid all facrifices of his own intereft, 
fearful of the refentment of Tyndarus, and the fury of 
the people; is alfo well delineated. The cataftrophe of 
this tragedy, including the means of refcue adopted by 
Oreftes, is very exceptionable. At length, Apollo appears 
in perfon, and pronounces Oreftes guiltlefs, as aCting by 
divine command. He decrees that, after the expiration 
of a year’s exile, he fhall be acknowledged as fovereign 
of Argos, and wed the beautiful Hermione, daughter of 
Menelaus and Helen. Finally, the faithful Pylades is 
deftined to be united with the objeCt of his perfevering 
attachment, the virtuous and high-minded heroine 
EleCtra. 
18. “Andromache.” This play ranks high among 
the tragedies of Euripides. The fubjeCt is well adapted 
to the modern as well as the ancient drama; and it has 
been fuccefsfully imitated both in French and Engliffi. 
Andromache, in this celebrated production of Euripides, 
after the deftruCtion of Troy, falls to the lot of Pyrrhus, fon 
of Achilles,, who is reprefented as deeply enamoured of 
his captive, by whom he has a fon, named Moloffus. 
After an interval of fome years, Pyrrhus, who held his 
court at Phthi3, efpoufes Hermione, the daughter of 
Menelaus ; though affianced to her kinfinan and lover 
Oreftes, without, however, feparating from Andromache. 
This awakens in the breaft of Hermione the molt furious 
jealoufy; and, in the abfence of Pyrrhus, who has re¬ 
paired to the temple of Apollo, at Delphi, for the purpofe 
of making his offerings to that potent deity, a projeCt is 
formed by her, in conjunction with Menelaus, then at 
Phthia, for the affaffination of Andromache and her foil. 
The bafenefs of Menelaus, and the ferocity of Hermione, 
are drawn perhaps with too ftrong a pencil. Over aCts 
equally favage, the decorum of modern manners throws 
at leaft fome flight veil. At a critical moment arrives 
Peleus, the aged grandfire of Pyrrhus, who (till reigned 
in Theffaly. An immediate quarrel enfues between 
Peleus and Menelaus; in which the character of the 
former, virtuous and valorous, but violent and vain, is 
happily touched. Menelaus at length declares his refo- 
lution to withdraw from the court of Phthia; and Her- 
inione, detected and abandoned, is reduced to the extre¬ 
mity of defpair, when (he is unexpectedly relieved by the 
prefence of Oreftes, who ltill retained his paffion ; and to 
him, without any hefitation, (he communicates all the 
circumftances of her fituation, and eafily yields to his pro- 
pofal of elopement from the court of Phthia. When this 
is determined, Oreftes farther informs her that (he has 
nothing to fear from the refentment of Pyrrhus, for that, 
in revenge for the injury done him by the fon of Achilles, 
in depriving him of his bride, he has prepared for him 
at Delphi the inevitable fnares of death. And, imme¬ 
diately on the departure of Oreftes and Hermione from 
Phthia, the intelligence arrives of the murderof Pyrrhus. 
The lamentations of Peleus on this cccafion, and efpe- 
cially on feeing the mangled corfe of his grandfon, which 
was conveyed from Delphi to Phthia fubfequent to the 
murder, are truly pathetic. Thus virtue, in the perfons 
of Peleus and Andromache, is left to fuffer; and vice, in 
that of Hermione, reigns triumphant: the ideal prin¬ 
ciple of poetical juftice is notorioufly violated ; yet the 
general 
