but she will concur no farther in this Delusion, than to a certain Point which she will never pass, and that is, the Essential Difference between Plays which deceive us by the Assistance of our Reason, and others which would impose upon our Imaginations in Despight of our Reason.  It is evident by the Success our Author’s Pieces have always met with for so long a Course of Time; it is, I say, certain by this general Approbation, that his Pieces are of the former, not of the latter Sort.  But to go to the Bottom of this Matter, would lead me beyond what I propose.

Since therefore it is certain, that the strict Observance of the Critick’s Rules might take away Beauties, but not always add any, why should our Poet be so much blamed for giving a Loose to his Fancy?  The Sublimity of Sentiments in his Pieces, and that exalted Diction which is so peculiarly his own, and in fine, all the Charms of his Poetry, far outweigh any little Absurdity in his Plots, which no ways disturb us in the Pleasures we reap from the above-mention’d Excellencies.  And the more I read him, the more I am convinced, that as he knew his own particular Talent well, he study’d more to work up great and moving Circumstances to place his chief Characters in, so as to affect our Passions strongly, he apply’d himself more to This than he did to the Means or Methods whereby he brought his Characters into those Circumstances.  How far a general Vogue is the Test of the Merit of a Tragedy, has been often considered by eminent Writers, and is a Subject of too complicated a Nature to discuss in these few Sheets.  But I shall just hint two or three of my own Thoughts on that Head.  Nature is the Basis of all Tragick Performances, and no Play that is unnatural, i.e. wherein the Characters act inconsistently with themselves, and in a Manner repugnant to our natural Ideas, can please at all.  But a Play may be natural, and yet displease one Sett of People out of Two, of which all Audiences are composed.  If a Play be built upon low Subjects, but yet carried on consistently, and has no Merit but Nature, it will please the Vulgar; by which I mean, all the unlearned and ill-educated, (as for Instance, George Barnwell, a Piece calculated for the Many) but it must be nauseous to the Learned, and to those of improved and exalted Understandings.  So on the other Hand, a Piece which turns upon Passions, which regard those of high Station chiefly, cannot be so pleasing to the Vulgar; for tho’ all Men are born with the same Passions, yet Education very much exalts and refines them.  Thus the Loves of Boors and Peasants may delight the Populace, but those of better Sort must have Delicacy in that Passion to see it represented with any tolerable Patience.  The same is to be said of Jealousy and Revenge, which are indeed felt by all, but in Breasts well educated are felt with sharper Pangs, and are combated with more Vehemence, and from more and greater Motives; therefore such People are fitter to judge,