[Footnote 2: In Act V The toll of the passing bell for Pierre in the parting scene between Jaffier and Belvidera.]
[Footnote 3: Thus Rene Rapin,--whom Dryden declared alone
'sufficient, were all other critics lost, to teach anew the rules of writing,'
said in his 'Reflections on Aristotle's Treatise of Poetry,' translated by Rymer in 1694,
The English, our Neighbours, love Blood in their Sports, by the quality of their Temperament: These are _Insulaires_, separated from the rest of men; we are more humane ... The English have more of Genius for Tragedy than other People, as well by the Spirit of their Nation, which delights in Cruelty, as also by the Character of their Language, which is proper for Great Expressions.']
[Footnote 4: The Earl of Roscommon, who died in 1684, aged about 50, besides his 'Essay on Translated Verse,' produced, in 1680, a Translation of 'Horace's Art of Poetry' into English Blank Verse, with Remarks. Of his 'Essay,' Dryden said:
'The Muse's Empire is restored again In Charles his reign, and by Roscommon's pen.']
[Footnote 5: Of Bullock see note, p. 138, _ante_. Norris had at one time, by his acting of Dicky in Farquhar's 'Trip to the Jubilee,' acquired the name of Jubilee Dicky.
[Footnote 6: Sir George Etherege. It was his first play, 'The Comical Revenge, or Love in a Tub', produced in 1664, which introduced him to the society of Rochester, Buckingham, &c.
No. 45. Saturday, April 21, 1711. Addison.
There is nothing which I more desire than a safe and honourable Peace, [1] tho' at the same time I am very apprehensive of many ill Consequences that may attend it. I do not mean in regard to our Politicks, but to our Manners. What an Inundation of Ribbons and Brocades will break in upon us? What Peals of Laughter and Impertinence shall we be exposed to? For the Prevention of these great Evils, I could heartily wish that there was an Act of Parliament for Prohibiting the Importation of _French_ Fopperies.
The Female Inhabitants of our Island have already received very strong Impressions from this ludicrous Nation, tho' by the Length of the War (as there is no Evil which has not some Good attending it) they are pretty well worn out and forgotten. I remember the time when some of our well-bred Country-Women kept their _Valet de Chambre_, because, forsooth, a Man was much more handy about them than one of their own Sex. I myself have seen one of these Male _Abigails_ tripping about the Room with a Looking-glass in his Hand, and combing his Lady's Hair a whole Morning together. Whether or no there was any Truth in the Story of a Lady's being got with Child by one of these her Handmaids I cannot tell, but I think at present the whole Race of them is extinct in our own Country.