SAMSON AGONISTES, A DRAMATIC POE M. The AUTHOR JOHN MILTO N. Ariftot. Poet. Cap. 6 Τραγωδία μίμησις πράξεως σπεδαιας, &c. Tragoedia eft imitatio actionis feriæ, &c. per miferi cordiam et metum perficiens talium affectuum luftrationem. TR Ofthat fort of Dramatic Poemwhich is called Tragedy. RAGEDY, as it was anciently compos'd, hath been ever held the gravest, moralest, and most profitable of all other poems: therefore said by Aristotle to be of power by raising pity and fear, or terror, to purge the mind of thofe and fuch like paffions, that is, to temper and reduce them to juft measure with a kind of delight, ftirr'd up by reading or feeing those paffions well imitated. Nor is Nature wanting in her own effects to make good his affertion, for fo in phyfic things of melancholic hue and quality are us'd against melancholy, four against four, falt to remove falt humors. Hence philofophers and other graveft writers, as Cicero, Plutarch and others, frequently cite out of tragic poets, both to adorn and illustrate their discourse. The Apostle Paul himself thought it not unworthy to infert a verfe of Euripides into the text of Holy Scripture, Cor. XV. 33. and Paræus commenting on the Revelation, divides the whole book as a tragedy, into acts diftinguish'd each by a chorus of heavenly harpings and fong between. Heretofore men in highest dignity have labor'd not a little to be thought able to compofe a tragedy. Of that honor Dionyfius the elder was no less ambitious, than before of his attaining to the tyranny. Auguftus Cæfar alfo had begun his Ajax, but unable to please his own judgment with what he had begun, left it unfinish'd. Seneca the philofopher is by fome thought the author of those tragedies (at least the best of them) that go under that name. Gregory Nazianzen, a Father of the Church, thought it not unbefeeming the fanctity of his * * a verfe of Euripides] The verfe here quoted is Evil communications corrupt good manners but I am inclin'd to think that Milton is miftaken in calling it a verse of Euripides; for Jerome and Grotius (who publifh'd the fragments of Menander) and the best commentators, ancient and modern, fay that it is tak en from the Thais of Menander, and it is extant among the fragments of Menander. p.79. Le Clerk's Edit. Φθείρεσιν ήθη χρησθ' ομιλίαι κακαι. Such flips of memory may be found fometimes in the beft writers. Aswe obferved before, Diodorus Siculus cites Eupolis inftead of Ariftophanes. perfon perfon to write a tragedy, which is intitled Chrift fuffering. This is mention'd to vindicate tragedy from the small efteem, or rather infamy, which in the account of many it undergoes at this day with other common interludes; hap'ning through the poets error of intermixing comic stuff with tragic fadnefs and gravity; or introducing trivial and vulgar perfons, which by all judicious hath been counted abfurd; and brought in without difcretion, corruptly to gratify the people. And though ancient tragedy ufe no prologue, yet ufing fometimes, in cafe of felf defenfe, or explanation, that which Martial calls an epiftle; in behalf of this tragedy coming forth after the ancient manner, much different from what among us paffes for beft, thus much before-hand may be epiftled; that chorus is here introduc'd after the Greek manner, not ancient only but modern, and still in ufe among the Italians. In the modeling therefore of this poem, with good reason, the Ancients and Italians are rather follow'd, as of much more authority and fame. The measure of verfe us'd in the chorus is of all forts, call'd by the Greeks Monoftrophic, or rather Apolelymenon,without regard had toStrophe, Antiftrophe, or Epcd, which were a kind of ftanza's fram'd only for the mufic, then us'd with the chorus that fung; not effential to the poem, and therefore not material; or being divided into ftanza's or paufes, they may be call'd Allæoftropha. Divifion into act and fcene referring chiefly to the stage (to which this work never was intended) is here omitted. It fuffices if the whole drama be found not produc'd beyond the fifth act. Of the ftile and uniformity, and that commonly call'd the plot, whether intricate or explicit, which is nothing indeed but fuch economy, or difpofition of the fable as may stand best with verfimilitude and decorum; they only will beft judge who are not unacquainted with Æfchylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the three tragic poets unequal'd yet by any, and the best rule to all who endevor to write tragedy. The circumfcription of time, wherein the whole drama begins and ends, is according to ancient rule,and beft example, within the space of 24 hours. THE Samfon made captive, blind, and now in the prifon at Gaza, there to labor as in a common workhouse, on a festival day, in the general ceffation from labor, comes forth into the open air, to a place nigh, fomewhat retir'd, there to fit a while and bemoan his condition. Where he happens at length to be vifited by certain friends and equals of his tribe, which make the Chorus, who seek to comfort him what they can; then by his old father Manoah, who endevors the like, and withal tells him his purpofe to procure his liberty by ranfome; laftly, that this feaft was proclam'd by the Philistines as a day of thanksgiving for their deliverance from the hands of Samfon, which yet more troubles him. Manoah then departs to profecute his endevor with the Philiftine lords for Samfon's redemption; who in the mean while is vifited by other perfons; and lastly by a public officer to require his coming to the feaft before the lords and people, to play or fhow his ftrength in their prefence; he at firft refufes, difmifling the public officer with abfolute denial to come; at length perfuaded inwardly that this was from God, he yields to go along with him, who came now the second time with great threatnings to fetch him: the Chorus yet remaining on the place, Manoah returns full of joyful hope, to procure ere long his fon's deliverance: in the midst of which difcourfe an Hebrew comes in hafte, confufedly at first, and afterward more diftinctly relating the catastrophe, what Samfon had done to the Philiftines, and by accident to himself; wherewith the tragedy ends. VOL. I. Р THE |