Clarissa: Preface, Hints of Prefaces, and Postscript Part 5

'Who were the first that established this rule, I know not; but I am sure it has no foundation in NATURE, in REASON, or in the PRACTICE OF THE ANTIENTS.

'We find, that good and evil happen alike unto ALL MEN on this side the grave: And as the princ.i.p.al design of Tragedy is to raise commiseration and terror in the minds of the audience, we shall defeat this great end, if we always make Virtue and Innocence happy and successful.

'Whatever crosses and disappointments a good man suffers in the _Body_ of the Tragedy, they will make but small impression on our minds, when we know, that, in the _last Act_, he is to arrive at the end of his wishes and desires.

'When we see him engaged in the depth of his afflictions, we are apt to comfort ourselves, because we are sure he will find his way out of them, and that his grief, how great soever it may be at present, will soon terminate in gladness.

'For this reason, the antient Writers of Tragedy treated men in their _Plays_, as they are dealt with in the _World_, by making Virtue sometimes happy and sometimes miserable, as they found it in the Fable which they made choice of, or as it might affect their Audience in the most agreeable manner.

'Aristotle considers the Tragedies that were written in either of those kinds; and observes, that those which ended unhappily had always pleased the people, and carried away the Prize, in the public disputes of the Stage, from those that ended happily.

'Terror and Commiseration leave a _pleasing anguish_ in the mind, and fix the Audience in such a serious composure of thought, as is much more lasting and delightful, than any little transient Starts of Joy and Satisfaction.

'Accordingly we find, that more of our English Tragedies have succeeded, in which the Favourites of the Audience sink under their calamities, than those in which they recover themselves out of them.

'The best Plays of this kind are _The Orphan_, _Venice Preserved_, _Alexander the Great_, _Theodosius_, _All for Love_, _Oedipus_, _Oroonoko_, _Oth.e.l.lo_, &c.

'King _Lear_ is an admirable Tragedy of the same kind, as Shakespeare wrote it: But as it is reformed according to the _chimerical notion_ of POETICAL JUSTICE, in my humble opinion it has lost half its beauty.

'At the same time I must allow, that there are very n.o.ble Tragedies, which have been framed upon the other Plan, and have ended happily; as indeed most of the good Tragedies which have been written since the starting of the above-mentioned Criticism, have taken this turn: As _The Mourning Bride_, _Tamerlane_[38], _Ulysses_, _Phaedra and Hippolytus_, with most of Mr. Dryden's. I must also allow, that many of Shakespeare's, and several of the celebrated Tragedies of Antiquity, are cast in the same form. I do not therefore dispute against this way of writing Tragedies; but against the Criticism that would establish This as the _only_ method; and by that means would very much cramp the English Tragedy, and perhaps give a wrong bent to the genius of our writers.'

'This subject is further considered in a Letter to the Spectator[39].

"I find your opinion, says the author of it, concerning the _late-invented_ term called _Poetical Justice_, is controverted by some eminent critics. I have drawn up some additional arguments to strengthen the opinion which you have there delivered; having endeavoured to go to the bottom of that matter....

"The most perfect man has vices enough to draw down punishments upon his head, and to justify Providence in regard to any miseries that may befal him. For this reason I cannot think but that the instruction and moral are much finer, where a man who is virtuous in the main of his character falls into distress, and sinks under the blows of fortune, at the end of a Tragedy, than when he is represented as happy and triumphant. Such an example corrects the insolence of human nature, softens the mind of the beholder with sentiments of pity and compa.s.sion, comforts him under his own private affliction, and teaches him not to judge of mens virtues by their successes[40]. I cannot think of one real hero in all antiquity so far raised above human infirmities, that he might not be very naturally represented in a Tragedy as plunged in misfortunes and calamities. The Poet may still find out some prevailing pa.s.sion or indiscretion in his character, and shew it in such a manner as will sufficiently acquit Providence of any injustice in his sufferings: For, as Horace observes, the best man is faulty, tho' not in so great a degree as those whom we generally call vicious men[41].

"If such a strict _Poetical Justice_ (_proceeds the Letter-writer_), as some gentlemen insist upon, were to be observed in this art, there is no manner of reason why it should not extend to heroic Poetry, as well as Tragedy. But we find it so little observed in Homer, that his Achilles is placed in the greatest point of glory and success, tho' his Character is morally vicious, and only _poetically_ good, if I may use the phrase of our modern Critics. The _aeneid_ is filled with innocent unhappy persons. Nisus and Euryalus, Lausus and Pallas, come all to unfortunate ends. The Poet takes notice in particular, that, in the sacking of Troy, Ripheus fell, who was the most just man among the Trojans:

"----_Cadit & Ripheus justissimus unus Qui fuit in Teucris, & servantissimus aequi.

Diis aliter visum est.----_

"The G.o.ds thought fit.--So blameless Ripheus fell, Who lov'd fair Justice, and observ'd it well.

"And that Pantheus could neither be preserved by his transcendent piety, nor by the holy fillets of Apollo, whose priest he was:

"----_Nec te tua plurima, Pantheu, Labentem pietas, nec Apollinis infula texit._ aen. II.

"Nor could thy piety thee, Pantheus, save, Nor ev'n thy priesthood, from an early grave.

"I might here mention the practice of antient Tragic Poets, both Greek and Latin; but as this particular is touched upon in the Paper above-mentioned, I shall pa.s.s it over in silence. I could produce pa.s.sages out of Aristotle in favour of my opinion: And if in one place he says, that an absolutely virtuous man should not be represented as unhappy, this does not justify any one who shall think fit to bring in an absolutely virtuous man upon the stage. Those who are acquainted with that author's way of writing, know very well, that to take the whole extent of his subject into his divisions of it, he often makes use of such cases as are imaginary, and not reducible to practice....

"I shall conclude, _says this gentleman_, with observing, that tho' the _Spectator_ above-mentioned is so far against the rule of _Poetical Justice_, as to affirm, that good men may meet with an unhappy Catastrophe in Tragedy, it does not say, that ill men may go off unpunished. The reason for this distinction is very plain; namely, because the best of men [as is said above] have faults enough to justify Providence for any misfortunes and afflictions which may befal them; but there are many men so criminal, that they can have no claim or pretence to happiness. The _best_ of men may deserve punishment; but the _worst_ of men cannot deserve happiness."

Mr. Addison, as we have seen above, tells us, that Aristotle, in considering the Tragedies that were written in either of the kinds, observes, that those which ended unhappily had always pleased the people, and carried away the prize, in the public disputes of the Stage, from those that ended happily. And we shall take leave to add, that this preference was given at a time when the entertainments of the Stage were committed to the care of the magistrates; when the prizes contended for were given by the State; when, of consequence, the emulation among writers was ardent; and when learning was at the highest pitch of glory in that renowned commonwealth.

It cannot be supposed, that the Athenians, in this their highest age of taste and politeness, were less humane, less tender-hearted, than we of the present. But they were not _afraid_ of being moved, nor _ashamed_ of shewing themselves to be so, at the distresses they saw well painted and represented. In short, they were of the opinion, with the wisest of men, _That it was better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of mirth_; and had fort.i.tude enough to trust themselves with their own generous grief, because they found their hearts mended by it.

Thus also Horace, and the politest Romans in the Augustan age, wished to be affected:

_Ac ne forte putes me, quae facere ipse recusem, c.u.m recte tractant alii, laudare maligne; Ille per extentum funem mihi posse videtur Ire poeta, meum qui pectus inaniter angit, Irritat, mulcet; falsis terroribus implet, Ut magus; & modo me Thebis, modo ponit Athenis_.

Thus Englished by Mr. Pope:

Yet, lest you think I railly more than teach, Or praise malignly _Arts_ I cannot reach, Let me, for once, presume t'instruct the times To know the _Poet_ from the _Man of Rhymes_.

'Tis He who gives my breast a thousand pains, Can make me _feel_ each pa.s.sion that he feigns; Enrage--compose--with more than magic art, With _pity_ and with _terror_ tear my heart; And s.n.a.t.c.h me o'er the earth, or thro' the air, To Thebes, to Athens, when he will, and where.

Our fair readers are also desired to attend to what a celebrated Critic[42] of a neighbouring nation says on the nature and design of Tragedy, from the rules laid down by the same great Antient.

'Tragedy, says he, makes man _modest_, by representing the great masters of the earth humbled; and it makes him _tender_ and _merciful_, by shewing him the _strange accidents of life_, and the _unforeseen disgraces_ to which the most important persons are subject.

'But because Man is naturally timorous and compa.s.sionate, he may fall into other extremes. Too much fear may shake his constancy of mind, and too much compa.s.sion may enfeeble his equity. 'Tis the business of Tragedy to regulate these two weaknesses. It prepares and arms him against _disgraces_, by shewing them so frequent in the most considerable persons; and he will cease to fear extraordinary accidents, when he sees them happen to the _highest_ part of Mankind. And still more efficacious, we may add, the example will be, when he sees them happen to the _best_.

'But as the end of Tragedy is to teach men not to fear too weakly _common misfortunes_, it proposes also to teach them to spare their compa.s.sion for objects that _deserve it_. For there is an _injustice_ in being moved at the afflictions of those who _deserve to be miserable_.

We may see, without pity, Clytemnestra slain by her son Orestes in aeschylus, because she had murdered Agamemnon her husband; yet we cannot see Hippolytus die by the plot of his Stepmother Phaedra, in Euripides, without compa.s.sion, because he died not, but for being chaste and virtuous.'

'These are the great authorities so favourable to the stories that end unhappily. And we beg leave to reinforce this inference from them, That if the temporary sufferings of the Virtuous and the Good can be accounted for and justified on Pagan principles, many more and infinitely stronger reasons will occur to a Christian Reader in behalf of what are called unhappy Catastrophes from the consideration of the doctrine of _future rewards_; which is every-where strongly inforced in the History of Clarissa.

'Of this (to give but one instance) an ingenious Modern, distinguished by his rank, but much more for his excellent defence of some of the most important doctrines of Christianity, appears convinced in the conclusion of a pathetic _Monody_, lately published; in which, after he had deplored, as a man _without hope_, (expressing ourselves in the Scripture phrase) the loss of an excellent Wife; he thus consoles himself:

'_Yet, O my soul! thy rising murmurs stay, Nor dare th' All-wise Disposer to arraign, Or against his supreme decree With impious grief complain.

That all thy full-blown joys at once should fade, Was his most righteous Will: And be that Will obey'd._

'_Would thy fond love his grace to her controul, And in these low abodes of sin and pain Her pure, exalted soul, Unjustly, for thy partial good, detain?

No--rather strive thy groveling mind to raise Up to that unclouded blaze, That heav'nly radiance of eternal light, In which enthroned she now with pity sees How frail, how insecure, how slight Is ev'ry mortal bliss._

'But of infinitely greater weight than all that has been above produced on this subject, are the words of the Psalmist.

"As for me, says he[43], my feet were almost gone, my step had well-nigh slipt: For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For their strength is firm: They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men--Their eyes stand out with fatness: They have more than their heart could wish--Verily I have cleansed mine heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence; for all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. Until I went into the sanctuary of G.o.d; then understood I their end--Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.'

'This is the Psalmist's comfort and dependence. And shall man, presuming to alter the common course of nature, and, so far as he is able, to elude the tenure by which frail mortality indispensibly holds, imagine, that he can make a better dispensation; and by calling it _Poetical Justice_, indirectly reflect on the _Divine_?

The more pains have been taken to obviate the objections arising from the notion of _Poetical Justice_, as the doctrine built upon it had obtained general credit among us; and as it must be confessed to have the appearance of _humanity_ and _good-nature_ for its supports. And yet the writer of the History of Clarissa is humbly of opinion, that he might have been excused referring to them for the vindication of _his_ Catastrophe, even by those who are advocates for the contrary opinion; since the notion of _Poetical Justice_, founded on the _modern rules_, has hardly ever been more strictly observed in works of this nature, than in the present performance.

For, Is not Mr. Lovelace, who could persevere in his villainous views, against the strongest and most frequent convictions and remorses that ever were sent to awaken and reclaim a wicked man--Is not this great, this _wilful_ transgressor, condignly _punished_; and his punishment brought on thro' the intelligence of the very Joseph Leman whom he had corrupted[44]; and by means of the very women whom he had debauched[45]--Is not Mr. Belton, who has an Uncle's _hastened_ death to answer for[46]--Are not the _whole_ Harlowe-family--Is not the vile Tomlinson--Are not the infamous Sinclair, and her _wretched partners_--And even the wicked _Servants_, who, with their eyes open, contributed their parts to the carrying on of the vile schemes of their respective princ.i.p.als--_Are they not All likewise exemplarily punished?_

On the other hand, Is not Miss HOWE, for her n.o.ble friendship to the exalted Lady in her calamities--Is not Mr. HICKMAN, for his unexceptionable morals, and integrity of life--Is not the repentant and not ungenerous BELFORD--Is not the worthy NORTON--_made signally happy_?

And who that are in earnest in their profession of Christianity, but will rather envy than regret the triumphant death of CLARISSA; whose piety, from her _early childhood_; whose diffusive charity; whose steady virtue; whose Christian humility; whose forgiving spirit; whose meekness, and resignation, HEAVEN _only_ could reward[47]?

"We shall now, according to expectation given in the _Preface_ to this Edition, proceed to take brief notice of such other objections as have come to our knowlege: For as is there said, 'This Work being addressed to the Public as an History of _Life_ and _Manners_, those parts of it which are proposed to carry with them the force of Example, ought to be as un.o.bjectible as is consistent with the _design of the whole_, and with _human Nature_.'

"Several persons have censured the Heroine as too cold in her love, too haughty, and even sometimes provoking. But we may presume to say, that this objection has arisen from want of attention to the Story, to the Character of Clarissa, and to her particular situation.