CHAPITRE II. DRYDEN

« être divertis ; eux qui sont d'un tempérament gai et « légeryviennentpourserendreplussérieux'.» Quant aux tumultes et aux combats, qu'en France on rejette derrière la scène, « il y a une sorte d'âpreté farouche « dans le caractère de nos compatriotes qui les ré- «« clame et fait qu'ils ne peuvent s'en passer. » Aussi bien les Français, à force de s'embarrasser dans ces scrupules*, et de se confiner dans leurs unités et dans

1. The beauties of Ihe French poesy are the beauties of a statue, but not of a man, because not animated with the soûl of poesy, which is imitation of humour and passions.... He who will look upon their plays which bave been wrilten 'till thèse last ten years or thereabouts, wild find it an hard matter to pick out two or three passable humours amongst them. Corneille himself, their arch* poet, what bas he produced eicept the liarf And you know how it was cry'd up in France. But when it came upon the English stage, though well translated.... the most favourable to it would not put it in compétition with many of Fletcher*s or Ben Jonson's.... Their verses are lo me the coldest I hâve ever read.... iheir speeches being 50 many déclamations. When the French stage came to he reformed by cardinal Richelieu, those long haraijgues were introduced, to comply wiih the dignity of a churchman. Look upon the Cinna and the Pompey. They are not so properly to bc called plays as long discourses of reason of state; and Polyeuctey in matters of religion, is as solemn as the long stops upon our organs. Since that time it is grown into acustom, and their actors speak by the hour-glass, like our parsons.... I deny not this may suit well enough with the French 3 for as we, who are a more suUen people, come to be diverted at our plays ; so they , who are of an aery and gay temper, come hither to make themselves more serious. (h^ssay on Dramaii^ Poesy.)

2. In this nicety of manners does the excellency of French poetry consist. Their heroes are the most civil people breathing; but their good breeding seldom extends to a word of sensé. AU their wit is in their ceremony. They want the genius which animâtes our stage.... Thus their Hippolytus is so scrupulous in point of decency that he will rather expose himself to death than accuse his step-

176 UVRE m. L'ÂGE CLASSIQUE.

leurs règles, ont ôté l'action de leur théâtre^ et se sont réduits à une monotonie et à une sécheresse in* supportables. Us manquent d'invention, de naturel, de variété, d'abondance. « Ils se contentent d'être « maigrement réguliers. Leur langue affaiblie s'est « trop raffinée, et, comme l'or pur, elle plie à tous les t chocs ; notre vigoureux anglais n'obéit pas encore à « l'art, mais il est plus propre aux pensées viriles, « et son alliage Ta fortifié *. » Qu'on raille tant qu'on voudra Fletcher et Shakspeare, « il y a dans leur c style une imagination plus mâle et un plus grand t souffle que dans aucun des Français*. »

Quoique excessive, cette critique est bonne, et c'est parce qu'elle est bonne que je me délie des œuvres

mother to his father; and my crilicks, I am sure^will commend him for it. But we of grosser appréhensions are apt to tbink tliat this excess of generosity is not practicable but with fools andmadmen.... Take Hippolytus out of his poetic fit, and I suppose he wouid think it a wiser part to set the s^dle on the right horse, and chuse rather to live with the réputation of a plain-spoken honest man than to die with the infamy of an incestuous villain.... The poet bas chosen to give him the turn of gallantry, sent him to travel from Àthens to Paris, taught him to make love, and transformed the Hippolytus of Euripides into Monsieur Hippolyte. (Préface de AU for Love,)

Cette critique montre, en abrégé, tout le bon sens et toute la liberté d'esprit de Dryden, mais en même ternes toute la grossièreté de son éducation et de son temps.

1 Contented to be tbinly regular.

Their tongue enfeebled is refin'd too much.

And, like pure gold, it bends to every touch. Our sturdy Teuton yet will not obey, More fit for manly thougbt, and strengthen'd with allay.

(Êpltre xa.)

2. A more masculine fancy and greater spirit in the writing thaa ttàere is in any of the Frencb.