338 
withdraw alone; he becomes alarmed for 
his daughter’s honour and firmness, and, 
like another Virginius, plunges, hunselt, a 
poignard into her bosom. 
Vhe four first acts of this play are pre- 
eminent. The incidents are striking, yet 
probable; the situations natural, yet in- 
teresting; the characters are various, 
without ‘being extraordinary, distinct with- 
out being aflected. Marinelli especially 
isanewanda complete delineation. The 
dialogue is much in the taste of Diderot’s 
Pere de Fumille, a little too declamatory, 
sentimental, ' and long-winded perhaps, 
but full of ‘significance, of proprie:y, and 
of feeling. The last act alone disap- 
points: the catastrophe is too violent for 
the spirit of these modern courtly man- 
ners, which are depicted in the preced- 
ing scenes; a wiser solution would have 
been the fulfilment already employed in 
Miss Sara Samson: the Countess Orsina, 
from jealousy, might give poison to Emi- 
ha, and thus terminate the fortunes of the 
heroine. An author cannot borrow from 
hunself without incurring the reproach of 
poverty of imagination: Lessing was.com- 
pelled to sacr “itice reputation to vanity. 
There is a principle in the theory of dra- 
matic art, which Lessing had nut disco- 
vered: itis this. The more nearly the 
forms of imitation enuplay ed by the poet 
~ ii to real life; the milder must be 
the distress, and the more probable the- 
incidents, if the representation is to be 
kept within the limits of pleasure: it is 
only when verse or recitative is employed 
for the dialogue, when the heroes or di- 
vinities, of remote ages and countries are 
imtroduced asinterlocutors, when the sub- 
jimities of poetry, are omnipresent, that 
deeds of a bold enormity, and atrocities 
at which madness would shudder, can be 
securely copied. In proportion as the 
means of imitation intercept illusion may 
be the force of the emotions pourtrayed. 
fie want of this precaution Lessing has 
adapted violent situations to ordinary 
manners, and disappoints sympathy by 
the very means intended to push it to the 
utmost. Diderot’s taste was more in- 
stinctive and less theoretical; his feeling 
was unsophisticated ; his doctrine might 
result from ims practice, but did not occa- 
sion it; whereas Lessing makes his play 
by the scale and compasses, and tries 
what his rules permit, sometimes with an 
unwiseness, Ww hick would not be expected 
from his Sagacity, and always with a 
guardedness which would not be expect- 
ed from his tolerance. 
Nathan the Wise is the most original 
Critical Survey of Lessing’s Works. 
[Nov. 1, 
of Lessing’s theatric works: it is rather a 
dramatic metrical romance than a play; 
for, although performed withreputation as 
curtailed by Schiller, it was evidently in- 
tended for readers, more than tor hear-, 
ers, / t.as hecome. a national classic; it 
forms an zra in the history of opinion, 
The absurd sentiments and conduct of 
the German public toward the Jews be- 
gan in Nathan the Wise. The conse- 
quent alterations of Prussian legislation 
result from Nathan the Wise. Cumber- 
berland’s Comedy of the Jew, which has 
favoured in England an analogous temper, 
but which does not appeal to so high a 
class of feelings, drew inspiration from 
German sources. Gregoire, and the 
French patrons of Judaisin owe their to- 
lerance to the ring of Nathan. Be it 
strange, extravagant, improbable, there is 
that in the book which endears it every 
where to the generously minded, and ef- 
ficaciously associates the doctrine of reli- 
gious equity with loftiness of thinking, and 
disinterestedness of conduct. 
The adventure of this play is supposed 
to happen shortly after the crusade of Ri- 
chard Ceeurde Lion. The scene is laidin 
Jerusalem, where Nathan, a rich Jew 
merchant and banker, often resides, and 
has educated, as his own, the daughter of 
a military friend. His house has been 
on fire, aud his adopted child has been 
rescued from the flames by Conrade, a 
yeung templar, to whem Saladin had 
viven liberty om account of his resem- 
blance to au emigrated brother. Nathan 
returas, he becomes acquainted with this 
templar, and is preparing to recompence 
his service with the hand of Recha, when 
it appears that Conrade is also one of the 
children of Nathan’s military friend, the 
emigrated brother of the sultan. The 
= ties already allied by reciprocal ser- 
vices, by analogous culture of intellect, 
and by liberality of spirit, are pleased to 
find in the friendly aftections of relation~ 
ship an additional bond of union. 
The tranquillity of this solution has 
been censured by a writer of distinguished 
vivacity and eloquence, in a recent num-~ 
ber (XV. 150) of the Edinburgh Review. 
Surely that critic has little claim to moral 
taste, who would have a man give vent to 
expressions of disappointment, because 
he cannot climb the bed of his sister: 
whatever Conrade may be supposed to 
have feit, any other behaviour would have 
outraged feelings, which are the purest 
gift of society and refinement. Would this 
critic have had Recha rave like Byblis? for 
that to be possible, her previous charac- 
ter 
