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Show THE COMPOSITION OF BALLETS. 221 The tragedies of Trissino, Speroni, Torelli, Tasso, Rus-cellai, Giraldi, Dolce, Anguillara; the pastorales of Tasso, Guarini, Bonarelli, Beccari, Buonaroti, Cortese; the lyrical dramas of Rinuccini, the comedies of Ariosto, of Aretino, Firenzuola, Groto, and Lasca; and above all the Mandragora32, of Macchiavelli have each contributed to polish and perfect the drama from the time that it arose out of barbarism. The Italians imitated the ancients, but their comedy possessed more sentiment, and had a greater regard for decency33. Nearer approaches to those almost faultless models of antiquity were reserved for more civilized times. The great Corneille, Moliere and Racine effected prodigies, and arrived very nearly at perfection. The Italians, in their turn, profiting by the example of their neighbours on the other side of the mountains, produced Crozsus, Cleopatra, and Octavia, which were regarded as their best tragedies during the seventeenth century. S.' Maffei, and P. J. Martello, in the following age, distinguished themselves in the same career. Shakspeare, Calderon, Lope de Vega, and Guillin de Castro, have rendered themselves illustrious, by the untried ways they have trod, but they have made very small advances to the classic idea of perfection. Gottsched obtained the glorious title of reformer of the German theatre. Holberg created the Danish drama. P. J. Martello, Voltaire, S. Maffei, Zeno, Metastasio, Gol-doni, Alfieri, Monti, Kotzebue, Schiller, and Moratin, the Moliere of Spain, carried their art to the highest pitch, each according to the peculiar genius of his nation. Racine felt deeply what is due to the worth of the ancients ; he studied them learnedly and philosophically, or, in other words, as a m a n of talent. It was from these models |
