EPISTLE DEDICATORY

To Sir EVERARD FALKENEr,

An English merchant*;

Prefixed to the tragedy of Zara †.

OU are an Englishman, my dear

YOU

friend, and I was born in France; but all who love the arts are fellow-citizens. Thinking people have pretty much the fame principles every where,

• Afterwards ambaffador at Conftantinople.

wrote.

+ Those who love literary anecdotes will be well pleased to know upon what occafion this play was Several ladies upbraided our author with not admitting love into his tragedies. He anfwered, that if fighing heroes were abfolutely neceffary, he alfo would introduce them on the ftage. This piece was undertaken in confequence of this promife, and finished in eighteen days. It met with great fuccefs, and is called at Paris the Chriftian Tragedy. They often act it there in the room of Corneille's Polyeuctes or Christian Hero.

and

and form but one republic. Therefore, it is no more extraordinary, now-a-days, to fee a french tragedy infcribed to an Englishman or to an Italian, than it was formerly that a citizen of Ephefus or of Athens fhould address his works to a Greek of fome other town. I offer you then, Sir, this tragedy as to my countryman in literature, and as to my intimate friend.

I take this opportunity alfo to acquaint the french nation with how much confideration merchants are regarded in Eng land, and the great esteem in which is held there, a profeffion that caufes the grandeur of the state; and with what eminence some among them reprefent their country in parliament, and are in the rank of legislators.

I know that this profeffion is despised by fome of our coxcombs; but you know alfo, that your coxcombs and ours are the most ridiculous animals, that proudly creep on the furface of the earth.

Another reafon which induces me to talk on the Belles-Lettres with an English

man, rather than with any other, is your happy liberty of thinking; which communicates itself to my mind, and emboldens my thoughts when with you. The man that converses with me, feems to difpofe of my mind; if he feels with ecftacy, he enflames me, and if he thinks with ftrength, my thoughts get vigour. A diffembling courtier communicates to me his diffidence and constraint; but a mind free and without fear, encourages me not to cramp the progrefs of my thoughts, nor put a stop to the flights of my imagination; I glow with his fire. Thus, a young painter inftructed under Coypel * and Argiliere +, foon makes the touches of his guides familiar to himself, and imperceptibly follows their spirit and manner in his own compofitions. And it is on this account that Virgil made it his duty to admire Homer; he followed the path the Grecian bard had traced, and became his rival without becoming his plagiary.

* + French painters of great reputation, efpecially the firft.

Do

Do not imagine that I fhall make a long apology in favour of the tragedy I fend you; I might mention why I did not give Zara a more determined vocation to Chriftianity before fhe knew her father; and why she hides her fecrets from her lover, &c. but wife minds who love to do juftice, will eafily fee my reafons without my mentioning them; and as for the critics who are refolved not to give credit to my arguments, it would be loft time to endeavour to fatisfy them.

I fhall only value myself on writing a piece which is tolerably fimple, a merit: to be confidered on many accounts. This happy fimplicity was remarkable in the learned ancients. Let this novelty be: introduced into your pieces; let there be greater truth, a nearer imitation of: nature, and nobler images on your theatre, which is at present difgraced with gibbets and legerdemain. Addifon has already attempted it; he was the poet of the wife; but he was too affected; Portia and Marcia in his boafted Cato, are certainly two very infipid perfonages. Imitate the

great

great Addifon only in what he excells correct the rude action of your wild Melpomene's; write for the men of taste of every place and every age, and introduce into your writings the fimplicity of your

manners.

I hope the english poets will not imagine I mean to offer Zara as a model to them to write from. I recommend a natural fimplicity, and eafy verfe; and, in that, I do not at all intend my own panegyric. If Zara has met with fome fuccefs, it is lefs. owing to the goodness of the piece, than to the care I took to talk of love in the moft tender and affecting manner I could. In that, I flattered the taste of my auditors, knowing the best way to fucceed, is to address men's paffions rather than their reason. Tho' good chriftians we are, yet we must have love; and I am perfuaded that it was very happy for Corneille that he did not fatisfy himself in his Polyeuctes with having the ftatues of Jupiter broke in pieces by the Neophites; for fuch is the corruption of mankind, that pethaps the great foul of Polyeuctes

would