And darkness is the burier of the dead.
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nother objection to OEdipus has been derived from the doctrine offatalism, inculcated by the story. There is something of cant intalking much upon the influence of a theatre on public morals; yet, Ifear, though the most moral plays are incapable of doing much good,the turn of others may make a mischievous impression, by embodying inverse, and rendering apt for the memory, maxims of an impious orprofligate tendency. In this point of view, there is, at least, noedification in beholding the horrible crimes unto which OEdipus isunwillingly plunged, and in witnessing the dreadful punishment hesustains, though innocent of all moral or intentional guilt, Corneillehas endeavoured to counterbalance the obvious conclusion, by a longtirade upon free-will, which I have subjoined, as it contains somestriking ideas.[4] But the doctrine, which it expresses, iscontradictory of the whole tenor of the story; and the correctdeduction is much more justly summed up by Seneca, in the stoicalmaxim of necessity: _Fatis agimur, cedite Fatis;Non solicitae possunt curae,Mutare rati stamina fusi;Quicquid patimur mortale genus,Quicquid facimus venit ex alto;Servatque sua decreta colus,Lachesis dura revoluta manu._ Some degree of poetical justice might have been preserved, and avaluable moral inculcated, had the conduct of OEdipus, in his combatwith Laius, been represented as atrocious, or, at least,unwarrantable; as the sequel would then have been a warning, howimpossible it is to calculate the consequences or extent of a singleact of guilt. But, after all, Dryden perhaps extracts the true moral,while stating our insufficiency to estimate the distribution of goodand evil in human life, in a passage, which, in excellent poetry,expresses more sound truth, than a whole shelf of philosophers: The Gods are just--But how can finite measure infinite?Reason! alas, it does not know itself!Yet man, vain man, would, with this, short-lined plummet,Fathom the vast abyss of heavenly justice.Whatever is, is in its causes just,Since all things are by fate. But purblind manSees but a part o'the chain; the nearest links;His eyes not carrying to that equal beam,That poises all above.-- The prologue states, that the play, if damned, may be recorded as the"first buried since the Woollen Act." This enables us to fix the dateof the performance. By the 30th Charles II. cap. 3. all persons wereappointed to be buried in woollen after 1st August, 1678. The playmust therefore have been represented early in the season 1678-9. Itwas not printed until 1679.
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