This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 edition. Excerpt: ...auToffsdtaarcxd, but nothing written nor publish'd as a Dramatic Poem: so that Phalaris is still to be indicted for a Sophist; for saying his two Fairy Poets wrote Tragedies against him.3) Nay the very word Tragedy was not heard of then at Sicyon; though Herodotus names Tpaytxobs %opoug, The Tragical Chorus's; which by and by shall be consider'd. Mr. B. is so very obliging,4) that if Til suffer my self to he taught by him, he'll set me right in my Notion of Tragedy. I am willing to be taught by any body, much more by the great Mr. B. though as to this particular of Tragedy, I dare not honour my Self, as Mr. B. honours his Teacher,5) by telling him, That the Foundation of all the little knowledge I have in this matter was laid by Him. For there's nothing true in the long Lecture that he reads to me here about Tragedy, but what I might have learnt out of Aristotle, Julius Scaliger, Gerard Vossius, Marmora Oxoniensia, and other common Books. And as for the 887 Singularities in it, which I could not have learnt in other places, (if I, who am here to be taught, may use such freedom with my Master) they are such Lessons, as I hope I am now too old to learn. I will not sift into them too minutely; for I'll observe the respect and distance that's due to him from his Scholar: but there's one Particular, that I must not omit; when he tells me, as out of Aristotle, that the Subject of Primitive Tragedy was Satyrical Reproofs of vicious Men and Manners of the times: ) so that he explains very dextrously, as he thinks, the Expression of Phalaris, That the Poets wrote Tragedies Against him: for the meaning, he says,8) is this, That they wrote Lampoons, and abusive Satyrical Copies of Verses upon him. But it were well, if this would be a warning to him, ...