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xxviii MR. SEWARD'S PREFACE. This stile runs through many of Beaumont's characters, besides La*Writ's, as Lazarillo, the Knight of the Burning-Pestle, Bessus's twoSwordsmen, ^c. and he has frequent allusions to and even parodies of thesublimest parts of Shakespeare; which both Mr. Sympson and Mr. Theo-bold look upon as sneers upon a poet of greater eminence than the sup*posed sneerer (a very great " crime if true) but I beheve it an entire mts^take. The nature of this burlesque epic requires the frequent use of themost known and most acknowledged expressions of sublimity, which ap-plied to low objects render thenif not the author of those expressions,ridiculous. Almost all men of wit make the same use of Shakespeare andMilton's expressions in common conversation without the least thought ofsneering either; and indeed if every quotation from Shakespeare thusjocularly applied is a real sneer upon him, then all burlesque sublime is asneer upon the real sublime, and Beaumont sneered himself as well asShakespeare. From these three short specimens the reader will form, we hope, a justidea of the three stiles used m our author's Comediesy the sublime, the drollpoetic, and the burlesque sublime. There is indeed a small mixture oi prose,which is the only part of our old dramatic poets stile that moderns havevouchsafed to imitate. Did they acknowledge the truth, and confess theirinability to rise to the spirit, vigour, and dignity of the other stiles, theywere pardonable. But far from it, our reformed taste calls for prose only,and before Beaumont and Fletcher's plays can be endured by such Atticears, they must be corrected into prose, as if, because well-brewed porter isa wholesome draught, therefore claret and burgundy must be dashed witliporter before they were drinkable. For a true specimen of our modemtaste, we will give the reader one cup of our author's wine thus porteriztd,and that by one who perfectly knew the palate of the age, who pleased itgreatly in this very instance, and some of whose comedies have as much ormore merit than any moderns except Congreve. Mr. Gibber has conso-lidated two of our author's plays, the Elder Brother, and the Custom ofthe Country, to form his Love makes a Man ; or, the Fop's Fortune. Inthe former there are two old French noblemen, Lewis ana Brisac; the first Sroud of his family and fortune, the other of his magisterial power andignity ; neither men of learning, and therefore both preferring courtlyaccomplishments, and the knowledge of the world, to tlie deepest know-ledge of books, and the most extensive literature. Such characters ex-clude not good sense in general, but in that part of their characters onlywhere their foibles lie; (as Polonius in Hamlet is a fool in his pedanticfoibles, and a man of sense in all other instances) accordingly Fletchermakes Brisac and Lewis thus treat of a marriage between their children. Bri, Good monsieur Lewis, I esteem myselfMuch honoured in your clear intent to joinOur ancient famtliesy and make them one ;And "twill take from my age and cares, to liveAnd see what you have purpos'd put in act;Of which your visit at this present is *' For a further defence of our Authors from this imputation, sec note 43 of The LittleFrench Lawyer, and note 32 of The Woman-Hater. In both which there is a mistake withregard to the Author of those Plays. When I wrote the notes, I supposed it Fletcher, tilBeaumont*8 letter at the end of The Nice Valour, gave me a key, which is given to the readerin the first section of the Preface, and which explains the difference of manner between Beau-mont and Fletcher. A hopeful MR. SEWARD'S PREFACE. xxxix A hopeful omen ; I each minute expectingTh* arrival of my sons; 1 have not wrong'dTheir birth for want of means and education.To shape them to that course each was addicted ;And therefore that we may proceed discreetly.Since what's concluded rashly seldom prospers.You first shall take a strict perusal of them.And then from your allowance, your fair daughterMay fashion her affection. JLew. Monsieur Brisac,You offer fair and nobly, and 1*11 meet youIn the same line of honour; and, I hope.Being blest with but one daughter, I snail notAppear impertinently curious.Though with my utmost vigilance and study,I labour to bestow her to her worth :Let others speak her form, and future fortuneFrom me descending to her, I in thatSit down with silence. Bri, You may, my lord, securely.Since Fame aloud proclaimeth her perfections,Commanding all mens tongues to smg her. praises. I quote not this as an instance of the sublime, but of our authors genteeldialogue enlivened by a few poetic jigureSj as in the last lines Fame is per*tomted and commands the tongues of men. Now let us see this dialoguemodermzcd: The names of the old gentlemen being changed to Antonioahd Charino, they thus confer. Aal. Without compliment, my old friend, I shall think myself much honoured in yourallianoe; our families are both ancient, our children young, and able to support *em;and I think the sooner we set 'em to work the better. before we shake hands, a word or two by the bye, for I have some considerable questions toaskvou.AiU. Ask 'em. Cha. Well, in the first place, you say you have two sons.Jlxt. Exactly. Cka. And you are willing that one of *em shall marry my daughter?JmL WilUng. C%a. My daughter Angel* na?Amt, Angelina.Cha. Aim you are likewise content that the said An^lina shall sup^ey 'em both, and (with my allowance) take to her lavirful husband, which of 'em she pleases?AjU, Content.Cha. And you farther promise, that the person by her (and me) so chosen (be it elder or younger) shall be your sole heir; that is to say, snail be in a conditional possession, of at least three parts of your estate. You know the conditions, and this you positively promise?Ant. To perform. Cka. Why then, as the last token of my full consent and approbation, I give you my hand.Ant. There's mine.Cka. Is*t a match ?Ant. A match.Cka. Done.Ant. Done.Cka, And done ! that's enough Strike oat an expression or two of Fletcher's, and a couple of grasierswould have put more sense into Sinrox-bargain. I blame not the Author, if xl
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