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Show T H E COMPOSITION OF BALLETS. 209 tre to deepen terror into horror; the pathetic alone should be deemed sufficient to produce tragic illusion. It was a custom with the ancients that government should furnish poets with subjects for tragedy, and upon these the writers were obliged to treat. The most celebrated deeds of history or of fable were chosen, in order that, as they were generally known, they might be the more certain of exciting general interest; and in the end the custom proved very advantageous to the poet. Comic poets, on the contrary, were allowed to make choice of their own subjects, each selecting whatever was most agreeable to his own peculiar taste and genius; they might invent their own subject, and the piece became entirely their own. Blair does not give sufficient latitude to comic authors in the choice of their subject. Some limit is necessary in the selection of a plot; but it is m y opinion, the more universal a comedy is, the better it is, and the more likely to meet with success. Comedy, in its beginning, was nothing more than a representation of the simple truth, which exposed upon the stage some transaction of private life. Writers having at length ceased to adopt actual occurrences, betook themselves to imaginative subjects, to the great peace and satisfaction of the public. The same remark cannot be made with respect to tragedy, because, in treating on great and exalted subjects, it was always necessary that they should be founded on truth, or on fables which, by becoming well and universally known, assumed the appearance of truth. The truth, however, was not always scrupulously adhered to by some writers, who paid little attention to public opinion with respect to place and time. They even differ from each other in these particulars, when bringing the same subject before the public. Upon this, Gravina, as well as Aristotle, |