Haft practis'd on man's life! Close pent up rufticity, or a falfe accent caught from quiits, Rive your concealing continents, and afk Thus it is Shakespear redeems the nonfente, the indecorums, the irregularities of his plays; and whoever, for want of natural tafte, or ignorance in the English language, is infenfible to the merit of these passages, is just as unfit to judge of his works, as a deaf man, who only perceived the blackness of the iky, and did not hear the deepvoiced thunder, and the roaring elements, would have been to have described the awful horrors of this midnight storm. The French critic apologizes for our perfifting in the reprefentation of Shakefpear's plays, by saying we have none of a more regular form. In this he is extremely mistaken, we have many plays written according to the rules of art; but nature, which speaks in Shakespear, prevails over them all. If at one of our theatres there was a set of actors who gave the true force of every fentiment, expressed justly every emotion of the heart, seemed inspired with the paffion they were to counterfeit, fell fo naturally into the circumstances and situations the poet had appointed for them, that they never betrayed they were actors, but sometimes would have an aukward gesture, or for a moment a vicious pronunciation, should we not constantly refort thither! If at another theatre there were a fet of puppets regularly featured, exactly proportioned, whose movements were geometrically just, that spoke through an organ fo conftituted by a great master of mufic as never to give any harth or disagreeable tones, and the faces, the action, the pronunciation of these puppets had no fault, but that there was no expreffion in their countenance, no natural air in their motion, and that their speech had not the various infiexions of the human voice, would a real connoiffeur abandon the living actors for fuch lifeless images, because fome nice and dainty critic pleaded, that the puppets were not fubject to any human infirmities, would not cough, fnecze, or become hoarse in the midst of a fine period? or could it avail much to urge that their movements and tones, being directed by just mechanics, would never betray the aukwardness of bad education ? Shakefpear's dramatis perfonæ are men, frail by constitution, hurt by ill habits, faulty and unequal. But they speak with human voices, are actuated by human passions, and are engaged in the common affairs of human life. We are interested in what they do, or fay, by feeling every moment, that they are of the fame nature as ourselves. Their precepts therefore are an inftruction, their fates and fortunes an experience, their teftimony an authority, and their misfortunes a warning. Love and ambition are the subjects of the French plays. From the first of these paffions many from age and temper are entirely exempted; and from the second many more, by fituation, are excluded. Among a thousand spectators, there are not perhaps half a dozen, who ever were, or can be, in the circumstances of the perfons reprefented: they cannot sympathize with them, unless they have fome conception of á tender paffion, combated by ambition, or ambition ftruggling with love. The fable of the French plays is often taken from history, but then a romantic paffion is added to it, and to which both events and characters are rendered fubservient. Shakespear, in various nature wife, does not confine himself to any particular paffion. When he writes from history, he attributes to the perfons such sentiments as agreed with their actions and characters. There is not a more fure way of judging of the merit of rival geniuses, than to bring them to the test of comparison where they have attempted subjects that have any refemblance. Corneille appears much inferior to our Shakespear in the art of conducting the events, and difplaying the characters he borrows from the historian's page; his tragedy of Otho comprehends that period in which his courtiers are caballing to make him adopt a fuccessor agreeable to their interests. The court of that emperor is finely described by Tacitus, who in a few words fets before us the infolence, the profligacy, and rapaciousness of a fet of minifters, encouraged by the weakness of the prince to attempt whatever they wished, and incited by his age to snatch by hasty rapine whatever they coveted.---Tacitus, with his makerly pencil, pencil, has drawn the outlines of their characters so strongly, that a writer of any genius might finish up the portraits to great refemblance and perfection. One had furely a right to expect this from an author, who professes to have copied this great hiftorian the most faithfully that was possible. One would imagine the infolent Martianus, the bold and fubtle Vinius, the base, scandalous, flothful Laco should all appear in their proper characters, which would be unfolding, through the whole progress of the play, as their various ichemes and interests were expofed. Instead of this, Martianus makes fubmissive love: Vinius and Laco are two ambitious courtiers, without any qualicy that diftinguishes them from each other, or from any other intriguing statefmen; nor do they at all contribute to bring about the revolution in the empire: their whole business seems to be match-making, and in that too they are so unskilful as not to fucceed. They undertake it indeed, merely as it may influence the adoption. Several fentences from Tacitus are ingrafted into the dialogues, but, from change of perfons and circumstances, they lofe much of their original force and beauty. a Galba addresses to his niece, who is in love with. Otho, the fine speech which the hiftorian supposes him to have made to Piso when he adopted him. The love-fick lady, tired of an harangue, the purport of which is unfavourable to her lover, lover, and being befides no politician, anfwers the emperor, that the does not understand stateaffairs: a cruel reply to a speech he could have no motive for making, but to display his wisdom and eloquence. The old warrior is more complaifant to her, for he enters into all the delicacies of her passion, as if he had studied la carte du tendre *. To steal so much matter from Tacitus without imbibing one spark of his spirit; to tranflate whole speeches, yet preferve no likeness in the characters, is furely betraying a great deficiency of dramatic powers, and of the art of imitation: to represent the gay, luxurious, diffolute, ambitious Otho, the courtier of Nero, and the gallant of Poppea, as a mere Pastor Fido, who would die rather than be inconstant to his mistress, and is indifferent to empire but for her fake, is such a violation of historical truth, as is not to be endured. I pass over the abfurd scene between the jealous ladies, the improbability of their treating the powerful and haughty favourites of the emperor with indignity, and Otho's thrice repeated attempt to kill himself before his mistress's face, without the least reason why he should put an end to his life, or probability that the would fuffer him to do it. To make minute criticisms where the great parts are fo defective would be triffing. of the small Birds of Flight; from the British Zoology. N the fuburbs of London (and par. are several Icarlyshoreditch weavers and other tradesmen, who, during the months of October and March, get their livelihood by an ingenious, and we may fay, a scientific method of bird-catching, which is totally unknown in other parts of Great Britain. The reason of this trade being confined to so small a compass, arifes from there being no confiderable fale for finging birds except in the metropolis: as the apparatus for this purpose is alfo heavy, and at the fame time must be carried on a man's back, it prevents the bird-catchers going to above three or four miles distance. This method of bird-catching must have been long practifed, as it is brought to a most systematical perfection, and is attended with a very confiderable expence. The nets are a most ingenious piece of mechanism, are generally twelve yards and a half long, and two yards and a half wide; and no one, on bare inspection, would imagine that a bird (who is so very quick in all its motions) could be catched by the nets flapping over each other, till he becomes eye witness of the pullers feldom failing t The wild birds fly (as the bird-catchers term it) chiefly during the month * Roman de Clelie. + These nets are known in moft parts of England by the name of day-nets, nets; but all London. que have feen are far inferior or clap.. in their mechanism to those used near B2 of October, and part of those of September and November: the flight in March being much less confiderable than it is at Michaelmas. It is to be noted also, that the several species of these birds of flight, do not make their appearance at the fame time, but at different periods during the months of September, October, and November; for instance, the pippit begins his flight every year about Michaelmas, when they are caught in the greatest numbers: to this the woodlark fucceeds, and continues his flight till towards the middle of October; and it is very remarkable, though both these species of birds are most easily caught during their flight, yet when that is over, no art can seduce them into the nets. When the woodlark's second flight begins, which is in February, they are as easily caught as before; the other birds are not quite so punctually periodical in their flight; the greenfinch does not begin his till the froft fets in. The birds, during those months, fly from day break to twelve at noon, and there is afterwards a small flight from two till night; though this is so inconfiderable, that the bird-catchers always take up their nets at noon. It may well deserve the attention of the naturalift, whence these periodical flights of certain birds can arife. The vernal flight feems to be owing to the influence of the season of love: they are then in fearch of fit places to indulge their pailion, and secure retreats for their nests and younglings: on the contrary, the autumnal flight, which is most numerous, confifts in great part of the parents conducting the new fledged young to those places where there is found provifion, and a proper temperament of air during the winter season. It may not be improper to mention, another circumftance, to be obferved during their paffage, viz. that they fly always against the wind; (except the chaffinch, who flies across the wind; that is, if the wind is fouth, it flies from the west; if north, from the east) hence, there is great contention amongst the bird-catchers who shall gain the wind; which, if (for example) it is westerly, the bird-catcher, who lays his nets most to the east, is fure almost of catching every thing, if his callbirds are good: a gentle wind to the fouth-west generally produces the best sport. The bird-catcher, who is a fubstantial man, and hath a proper apparatus for this purpose, generally carries with him five or fix linnets, (of which more are caught than any other finging bird) two gold finches, two green-finches, one woodlark, one redpoll, and perhaps a bull-finch; a yellowhammer, titlark, and aberdavine; these are placed at small distances from the nets in little cages. He hath befides, what are called. flur-birds, which are placed within the nets, are raised upon the flurt, and gently let down at the time the wild bird approaches them: these generally confift of the lianet, the gold-finch, and the green-finch: these birds are secured to the flur, by what is called a brace ; a contrivance that fecures the birds without doing any injury to their plumage. It having been found that there is a fuperiority and afcendency between bird and bird, from the one being more in fong than the other; the birdcatchers contrive that their call-birds should moult before the usual time. They, therefore, in June or July, put them into a close box, under two or three folds of blankets, and leave their dung in the cage to raise a greater heat; in which state they continue, being perhaps examined but once a week, to have fresh water: as for food, the air is so putrid, that they eat little during the whole state of confinement, which lafts about a month. The birds frequently die under the operations; * A small lark; but which is much inferior to other birds of this species in point of finging. † A moveable perch to which the bird is tied, and which the bird-catcher can raise at pleasure, by means of a long string fastened to it. A fort of bandage, formed of a flender filken ftring, that is fastened round the bird's body, and under the wings, in fo artful a manner, as to binder the bird from being burt, let it flutter ever so much in the raising. We have been lately informed by an experienced bird-catcher, that he pursues a cooler regimen in stopping his birds, and that be therefore feldom loses one: but we jujjelt that there is not the fame certainty of making them moult. and and hence the value of a stopped bird rifes greatly. When the bird hath thus prema, turely moulted, he is in fong, whilst the wild birds are out of fong, and his note is louder and more piercing than that of a wild one; but it is not only in his note he receives an altera tion, the plumage is equally improved, the black and yellow in the wings of the gold-finch, for example, become deeper and more vivid, together with a most beautiful gloss, which is not to be seen in the wild bird: the bill, which in the latter is likewife black at the end, in the stopped bird becomes white, and more taper, as do its legs: in short, there is as much difference between a wild and a stopped bird, as there is between a horfe which is kept in bodycloaths, or at grass. When the bird-catcher hath laid his nets, he disposes of his call-birds at proper intervals. It must be owned, that there is a most malicious joy in these call-birds, to bring the wild ones into the same state of captivity; which may be likewife observed with regard to decoy ducks. Their fight and hearing infinitely excels that of the bird-catcher. The instant that the * wild birds are perceived, notice is given by one to the reft of the call-birds, (as it is by the first hound that hits on the scent, to the rest of the pack) after which, follows the fame fort of tumultuous ecstacy and joy. The call-birds, while the bird is at a distance, do not fing as a bird does in a chamber; they invite the wild ones, by what the bird-catchers call short jerks, which when the birds are good, may be heard at a great distance; the ascendency, by this call or invitation, is so great, that the wild bird is stopped in its course of flight, and if not already acquainted with the nets †, lights boldly within twenty yards of, perhaps, three or four bird-catchers, on a spot which otherwise it would not have taken the least notice of; nay, it frequently happens, that if half a flock only are caught, the remaining half will immediately afterwards light in the nets, and share the fame fate; and should only one bird escape, that bird will fuffer itself to be pulled at, till it is caught, such a fascinating power have the call-birds. While we are on this fubject, of the jerking of birds, we cannot omit mentioning, that the bird-catchers frequently lay confiderable wagers, whose call-bird can jerk the longest, as that determines the superiority. They place them opposite to each other, by an inch of candle, can and the bird who jerks, the oftenest before the candle is burnt out, wins the wager. We have been informed, that there have been instances of a bird's giving a hundred and, seventy jerks in a quarter of an hour; and we have known a linnet, in fuch a trial, persevere in its emulation till it fwooned from the perch: thus, as Pliny says of the nightingale, finit fæpe vitam, spiritu prius deficiente quam cantu I." "victa morte It may be here observed, that birds when near each other, and in fight, seldom jerk or fing. They either fight, or use short and wheedling calls, the jerking of these call-birds, therefore, face to face, is a most extraordinary instance of contention for fuperiority in song. 1 It may be also worthy of observation. that the female of no species of birds ever fings: with birds, it is the reverse of what occurs in human kind: among the feathered tribe, all the cares of life fall to the lot of the tender sex: theirs is the fatigue of incubation; and the principal share in nursing the helpless. brood: to alleviate these fatigues, and to support her under them, nature hath given to the male the fong, with all the little blandishments and foothing arts; these he fondly exerts (even after courtthip) fome spray contiguous to the nest, during the time his mate is per forming her parental duties. on To these we may add a few parti culars that fell within our notice during * It may be also observed, that the moment they fee a hawk, they communicate the alarm to each other by a plaintive note; nor will they then jerk, or call, though the wild birds are near. + A bird, acquainted with the nets, is by the bird-catchers termed a sharper, which they endeavour to drive away, as they can have no sport whilft it continues near them. I Lib. x. c. 29. our our enquiries among the bird-catchers; fuch as, that they immediately kill the hens of every species of birds they take, being incapable of finging, as also being inferior in plumage; the pippets dikewife are indiscriminately destroyed, as the cock does not sing well: they fell the dead birds for three-ponce or fourpence a dozen. These small birds are so good, that we are furprized the luxury of the age neglects so delicate an acquifition to the table. The modern Italians are fond of finall birds, which they eat under the common name of Beccoficos: and the dear rate a Roman tragedian paid for one dish of finging birds * is well known. Another particular we learned in conversation with a London birdcatcher, was the vast price that is sometimes given for a single fong-bird, which kad not learned to whistle tunes. The greatest sum we heard of, was five guineas for a chaffinch, that had a particular and uncommon note, under which it was intended to train others: and we alfo heard of five pounds ten Millings being given for a call-bird linnet. A third fingular circumstance, which confirms the obfervation of Linnæus, is, that the male chaffinches fly by themselves, and in the flight precede the females; but this is not peculiar to the chaffinches: when the titlarks are caught in the beginning of the season, it frequently happens, that forty are taken and not one female among them: and probably the fame would be observed with regard to other birds (as has been done with relation to the wheat-ear) if they were attended to. An experienced and intelligent birdcatcher informed us, that fuch birds as breed twice a year, generally have in their first brood a majority of males, and in their fecond, of females, which may in part account for the above observation. We must not omit mention of the bull-finch, though it does not properly come under the title of a finging-bird, or a bird of flight, as it does not often move farther than from hedge to hedge; yet, as the bird fells well on account of its learning to whistle tunes, and fometimes flies over the field while the nets are laid: the bird-catchers have often a call-bird to enfnare it, though most of them can imitate the call with their mouths. It is remarkable with regard to this bird, that the female answers the purpose of a call-bird as well as the male, which is not experienced in any other bird taken by the London birdcatchers. It may perhaps surprize, that, under this article of finging-birds, we have not mentioned the nightingale, which is not a bird of flight, in the sense the bird-catchers use this term; though it certainly is a bird of paflage. The nightingale, like the robin, wren, and many other finging-birds, only moves from hedge to hedge, and does not take the periodical flights in October and March. It is indeed much doubted, whether, during those months, it is to be found in this itland. The perfons who take these birds make use of finall trap-nets, without call-birds, and are confidered as inferior in dignity to our bird-catchers, who will not rank with them. The nightingale being the first of singing-birds, we shall here infert a few. particulars relating to it, that were tranfmitted to us since the defcription of that bird was printed. Its arrival is expected by the trappers in the neighbourhood of London, the first week in April; at the beginning none but cocks are taken, but in a few days the hens make their appearance, generally by themselves, though fometimes a few males come along with them. The latter are diftinguished from the females, not only by their fuperior size, but by a great swelling of their vent, which commences on the first arrival of the hens. They do not build till the middle of May, and generally chuse a quickset to make their nest in. ** Maximè tamen infignis est in hac memoria, Clodii sopi tragici hiftrionis patina fexcentis H. S taxata; in quo pofuit aves cantu aliquo, aut humano fermone, vocales, Plin. lib. x. c. 51. The price of this expensive dish was 68431. 105. according to Arbuthnot's tables. This seems to have been a wanton caprice, rather than a tribute to epicurijm. |