* * * * *

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA: 

OR,

TRUTH FOUND TOO LATE.

A

TRAGEDY.

Rectius Iliacum carmen deducis in actus,
Quam si proferres ignota indictaque primus.
HOR.

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA.

The story of Troilus and Cressida was one of the more modern fables, engrafted, during the dark ages, on “the tale of Troy divine.”  Chaucer, who made it the subject of a long and somewhat dull poem, professes to have derived his facts from an author of the middle ages, called Lollius, to whom he often refers, and who he states to have written in Latin.  Tyrwhitt disputes the existence of this personage, and supposes Chaucer’s original to have been the Philostrato dell’ amorose fatiche de Troilo, a work of Boccacio.  But Chaucer was never reluctant in acknowledging obligations to his contemporaries, when such really existed; and Mr Tyrwhitt’s opinion seems to be successfully combated by Mr Godwin, in his “Life of Chaucer.”  The subject, whencesoever derived, was deemed by Shakespeare worthy of the stage; and his tragedy, of Troilus and Cressida, contains so many scenes of distinguished excellence, that it could have been wished our author had mentioned it with more veneration.  In truth, even the partiality of an editor must admit, that on this occasion, the modern improvements of Dryden shew to very little advantage beside the venerable structure to which they have been attached.  The arrangement of the plot is, indeed, more artificially modelled; but the preceding age, during which the infidelity of Cressida was proverbially current, could as little have endured a catastrophe turning upon the discovery of her innocence, as one which should have exhibited Helen chaste, or Hector a coward.  In Dryden’s time, the prejudice against this unfortunate female was probably forgotten, as her history had become less popular.  There appears, however, something too nice and fastidious in the critical rule, which exacts that the hero and heroine of the drama shall be models of virtuous perfection.  In the most interesting of the ancient plays we find this limitation neglected, with great success; and it would have been more natural to have brought about the catastrophe on the plan of Shakespeare and Chaucer, than by the forced mistake in which Dryden’s lovers are involved, and the stale expedient of Cressida’s killing herself, to evince her innocence.  For the superior order, and regard to the unity of place, with which Dryden has new-modelled the scenes and entries, he must be allowed the full praise which he claims in the preface.