Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	chorus_n	continuance_n	oblique_a	12	3	17.2018	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36512	The antient and modern stages survey'd, or, Mr. Collier's view of the immorality and profaness of the English stage set in a true light wherein some of Mr. Collier's mistakes are rectified, and the comparative morality of the English stage is asserted upon the parallel.	Drake, James, 1667-1707.	1699 (1699)	Wing D2123; ESTC R22914	157,366	406

from Generals that were Chimerical and false to argue particulars that were real and true In the New from Particulars that were imaginary and false they reprehended Generals that were real The Old Comick Poets generally devised some extravagant and unnatural or at least improbable tale into which they took occasion to thrust particular Facts and Persons that were real and well known The New made use of such Intrigues and Persons as were frequent and familiar amongst Mankind and thereby corrected the common Faults such as Avarice Fraud c. but copyed neither the Actions nor Manners of Individuals and so reflected not particularly upon any One. The first resembled a Limner that cou'd copy the Features of a Face but cou'd only draw Individuals like ye cou'd not design the latter a true Historical Painter that aim'd rather at expressing the Manners and Passions of Mankind than the countenances In whose pieces you shou'd not amongst a Thousand meet one Face that you distinctly knew yet none but what were natural and significant and such as you must acknowledge you saw every day The difference therefore betwixt the Old Comedy and the New is as great and evident as betwixt the Paintings of Raphael Vrbin or Michael Angelo and those of Sir Anthony Vandike or Sir Peter Lely I shall not therefore insist upon those lesser differences of Phrase and Metre those already given being sufficient to inform a very indifferent Judge However as Aristophanes has in this Play varied his Conduct in some things from the Practice of the rest of the Old Comedians and of himself in his former Pieces he seems to challenge the first place in the Middle Comedy which the Learned have found it necessary to distinguish both from the Old and the New Because several alterations were made in Comedy of which perhaps the Omission of the Chorus was none of the least considerable yet neither the Model or Design were totally changed till the time of Menander and his Cotemporaries Mr Collier's second mistake in relation to the Plutus of Aristophanes is that it has a Chorus in 't If he means that there is a part in this Play which is sustained by a Person or Persons under the name of Chorus Matter of Fact is directly for him But if he thinks that there is any such thing as a true Chorus in it it is as plain against him This matter will easily be decided if we consider the Nature and Office of a Chorus in the Old Comedy The Chorus in Comedy was a Person consisting of divers either Men or Women or both and assisted in two Capacities One as an Actor or Party concern'd to promote and carry on the main design and help forward the Action of the Play which is common to the Chorus with the other Actors and does not distinguish it from ' em The other as the Poet 's Representative to make the Parabases or Transitions from the Actors with whom only as an Actor the Chorus is concern'd to the Gods or to the Audience To the Gods to invoke their Aid or celebrate their Praises as the occasion suggested To the Audience to inform 'em of what was suppos'd to pass extra Scenam behind the Scenes to make the Action of the Play entire or to make reflections on what pass'd upon the Stage for the Instruction of the Audience and to tax the evil Practices of such Citizens as were obnoxious to the Poet and the Publick This was the part by which it at least gave offence by the disorderly liberties which it took and sometimes to acquaint the Audience with the Poet's hopes and fears his acknowledgments and complaints which last part of the business of the Chorus is answer'd by the Prologue among the Romans I shall not trouble the Reader with the Grammatical division of the parts of the Chorus viz. Ode Antode Strophe and Antistrophe c. which signify nothing to the point before us But I shall desire the Reader to take notice that in the Plutus of Aristophanes this part which alone constitutes the Office and Business of a Chorus and which only distinguishes it from a common Actor is entirely omitted The Chorus in this Play appears but as an ordinary Actor and addresses itself to the other Actors only comes on and goes off without once singing or speaking apart from the rest The Chorus therefore as it is called in this Play might more properly have been personated by a single man and called by any other name since it performs nothing of the Office The Observation of this defect of the Essential part of the Chorus made the Learned Julius Scaliger think that this Play had been castrated and that the Chorus which he confesses to be wanting was not omitted but taken away since the writing of it But whether it were as Scaliger suspects taken out after it was finish'd or omitted in the writing is not very material 't is plain we have it not and 't is very probable that 't was the Author's own fear of offending that depriv'd us of it the want of which caution in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cost Cratinus his Life For had the Chorus of the Plutus ever been made publick I see no reason why that as well as the rest of his Chori should not have been transmitted to us I would advise Mr Collier in the next Greek Play he cites to read farther than the List of the Persons of the Drama For 't is apparently negligence that has led him into this Errour and made him think that because he found a Chorus there it must needs be in the Play which he would not have allow'd to be a legitimate Chorus had he read the Play and known the business of a Chorus 'T is yet in his Election which excuse shall stand for him Mr Collier's Instances therefore signifies nothing to his Argument because it does not prove a Chorus consistent with the New Comedy 1st Because the Plutus in which he instances is not New Comedy 2dly Because tho it were New Comedy it has no Chorus So that I suppose we may lay the Authority of Aristophanes aside in this case We shall not trouble the Reader with a particular of the Fables of Aristophanes which are so extravagantly Romantick that 't is impossible they should be edifying And therefore I suppose Mr Collier will not play the Morality of the Greek Comedy upon us from that Quarter But he proceeds to prove the continuance of the Chorus in Comedy by an oblique Inference from Aristotle who lived after this Revolution of the Stage yet mentions nothing of the omission of the Chorus But in Mr Collier ' s opinion rather supposes the continuance of it by saying the Chorus was added by the Government long after the Invention of Comedy Here the Silence of Aristotle concerning the omission of the Chorus in Comedy is made an Argument of the Continuance of it and by an odd sort

themselves will allow But that it has always been esteemed so sacred that the Antient Poets durst never suffer any of their Persons of the Drama to make bold with it I deny and I think I shall demonstrate the contrary I shall confine my self to the Dramatick Poets and only observe that so the Priest be well treated 't is no matter how his God is served For Homer is caressed at a high rate for putting a Crown upon Chryses's head tho he uses the whole Tribe of the Gods like Scoundrels The first Poet that I shall produce is Sophocles In the close of his Ajax the Chorus gives us the Moral of the Play in these words Experience teaches us much but before the Event is seen ne'r a Prophet of 'em all can tell what things will come to X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a plain reflection upon the Profession and so remarkably circumstantiated that there is no doubt but 't was the Poets real sense For 't is spoken by the Chorus and made the Moral of the Play I shall pass by the reproaches which Oedipus makes Tiresias because Mr Collier says they relate only to his Person tho he himself in his Defence will allow no distinction betwixt the Man and the Priest If you make the Man a Knave the Priest must suffer under the Imputation However in the same Play● Jocasta says She wou'd not give a Rush for Divination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the next Play Creon amongst other reproaches tells Tiresias that They were all a Pack of Mercenary Corrupt Fellows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have not room to multiply instances so far as we might but these may suffice to shew that Sophocles was not so much afraid of a Priest as Mr Collier pretends Euripides is not a whit more tender of 'em Agamemnon calls the whole tribe of 'em a vain-glorious rascally Race 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Achilles in the same Play the Sobriety of whose Character Mr Collier is much in love with threatens Calohas the Prophet before spoken of and breaks out into this exclamation What are Prophets Fellows that by guess sometimes tell truth but generally Lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pentheus in the Bacchae uses Tiresias very ruggedly He charges him with being Mercenary and an Impostor with seducing the People and introducing a new false superstitious Worship and orders the Seats from whence he took his Augural Observation to be pull'd down with abundance of other Menaces and hard words These may suffice for Euripides at this time Seneca makes little use of the Prophets or Priests Tiresias appears twice in his Oedipus and Calchas once only to deliver an Oracle Oedipus charges Tiresias with confederating with Creon and charging a false crime upon him and traiterously endeavouring to supplant him in his Throne These Instances sufficiently demonstrate that the Antients were not afraid to make their Persons of the Drama speak pertinently to their Character tho they should thereby happen to bear hard upon their Priests Nay they thought it no offence to make 'em speak things inconsistent with Piety and the Religion of their Country The Instances of this are innumerable The Rants of Ajax Creon and Philoctetes in Sophocles are extravagant This Tragedian affords abundance but to make a collection of scattered expressions would require more room than we can at present spare however Euripides and Seneca afford divers so very remarkable that I can't pass 'em over absolutely without notice In the Hecuba Talthybius exclaims at a strange rate upon the Consideration of the turn of Hecuba's fortune O Jupiter what shall I say should mankind address themselves to you Or have we been cheated with a sham Story of Gods and Providence while Chance governs all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polymestor is much such another sort of a Comforter he cries out in the same Play and upon the same occasion Oh what a slippery thing is Human Grandeur which is never secure The Gods perplex and harrass Mankind that our Ignorance may support their Altars and Worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Electra for a short one has a very pithy Ejaculation O Nature what a curse art thou upon Mortals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Her Brother Orestes is allied to her in Principles as near as in Blood he can't tell what to make of the Gods any more than the two Gentlemen before Yet he serves 'em whatever they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that he knows of 'em is that they are naturally dilatory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hecuba is much of his mind she thinks the Gods but bad Friends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cyclops tellVlysses That Riches were the wise mans only God and that he did not care a fart for Jupiter but thought himself as great a God as he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Ion which is pretended to be a Moral Play Creusa addresses herself directly to Apollo and cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lewd Whoremaster Her Servant afterwards calls him Rascal and advises her to set fire to his Temple With such Flowers as these Euripides abounds which I leave for others to gather Seneca is as full of 'em as he but I shall refer the Reader only to the Chorus of the second Act of his Troas which being spoken by the Chorus looks more like the Poet 's own Opinion than if it had come from any other Person of the Drama Post mortem nihil est ipsaque mors nihil Velocis spatij meta novissima Spem ponant avidi soliciti metum Quaeris quo jaceas post obitum loco Quo non nata jacent Tempus nos avidum devorat chaos Mors individua est noxia corpori Nec parcens animae Taenara aspero Regnum sub Domino limen obsidens Custos non facili Cerberus ostio Rumores vacui verbaque inania Et par solicito fabula somnio Which is thus translated by the Earl of Rochester After Death nothing is and nothing Death The utmost Limits of a Gasp of Breath Let the Ambitious Zealot lay aside His Hopes of Heaven whose Faith is but his Pride Let slavish Souls lay by their Fear Nor be concern'd which way or where After this Life they shall be hurl'd Dead they become the lumber of the World And to that Mass of Matter shall be swept Where things destroy'd with things unborn are kept Devouring Time swallows us whole Impartial Death confounds Body and Soul For H●● and the foul Fiend that rules The