all for love-第3章

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d　of　your　privacy　and　friends；　and　scarce　any　hour　of　your　life　you　can　call　your　own。　　Those；　who　envy　your　fortune；　if　they　wanted　not　good…nature；　might　more　justly　pity　it；　and　when　they　see　you　watched　by　a　crowd　of　suitors；　whose　importunity　it　is　impossible　to　avoid；　would　conclude；　with　reason；　that　you　have　lost　much　more　in　true　content；　than　you　have　gained　by　dignity；　and　that　a　private　gentleman　is　better　attended　by　a　single　servant；　than　your　lordship　with　so　clamorous　a　train。　　Pardon　me；　my　lord；　if　I　speak　like　a　philosopher　on　this　subject；　the　fortune　which　makes　a　man　uneasy；　cannot　make　him　happy；　and　a　wise　man　must　think　himself　uneasy；　when　few　of　his　actions　are　in　his　choice。

This　last　consideration　has　brought　me　to　another；　and　a　very　seasonable　one　for　your　relief；　which　is；　that　while　I　pity　your　want　of　leisure；　I　have　impertinently　detained　you　so　long　a　time。　　I　have　put　off　my　own　business；　which　was　my　dedication；　till　it　is　so　late；　that　I　am　now　ashamed　to　begin　it；　and　therefore　I　will　say　nothing　of　the　poem；　which　I　present　to　you；　because　I　know　not　if　you　are　like　to　have　an　hour；　which；　with　a　good　conscience；　you　may　throw　away　in　perusing　it；　and　for　the　author；　I　have　only　to　beg　the　continuance　of　your　protection　to　him；　who　is；

　　　　　My　Lord；　　　　　　　　　　　Your　Lordship's　most　obliged；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Most　humble；　and　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Most　obedient；　servant；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　John　Dryden。


PREFACE

The　death　of　Antony　and　Cleopatra　is　a　subject　which　has　been　treated　by　the　greatest　wits　of　our　nation；　after　Shakespeare；　and　by　all　so　variously；　that　their　example　has　given　me　the　confidence　to　try　myself　in　this　bow　of　Ulysses　amongst　the　crowd　of　suitors；　and；　withal；　to　take　my　own　measures；　in　aiming　at　the　mark。　　I　doubt　not　but　the　same　motive　has　prevailed　with　all　of　us　in　this　attempt；　I　mean　the　excellency　of　the　moral：　　For　the　chief　persons　represented　were　famous　patterns　of　unlawful　love；　and　their　end　accordingly　was　unfortunate。　　All　reasonable　men　have　long　since　concluded；　that　the　hero　of　the　poem　ought　not　to　be　a　character　of　perfect　virtue；　for　then　he　could　not；　without　injustice；　be　made　unhappy；　nor　yet　altogether　wicked；　because　he　could　not　then　be　pitied。　　I　have　therefore　steered　the　middle　course；　and　have　drawn　the　character　of　Antony　as　favourably　as　Plutarch；　Appian；　and　Dion　Cassius　would　give　me　leave；　the　like　I　have　observed　in　Cleopatra。　That　which　is　wanting　to　work　up　the　pity　to　a　greater　height；　was　not　afforded　me　by　the　story；　for　the　crimes　of　love；　which　they　both　committed；　were　not　occasioned　by　any　necessity；　or　fatal　ignorance；　but　were　wholly　voluntary；　since　our　passions　are；　or　ought　to　be；　within　our　power。　　The　fabric　of　the　play　is　regular　enough；　as　to　the　inferior　parts　of　it；　and　the　unities　of　time；　place；　and　action；　more　exactly　observed；　than　perhaps　the　English　theatre　requires。　Particularly；　the　action　is　so　much　one；　that　it　is　the　only　one　of　the　kind　without　episode；　or　underplot；　every　scene　in　the　tragedy　conducing　to　the　main　design；　and　every　act　concluding　with　a　turn　of　it。　　The　greatest　error　in　the　contrivance　seems　to　be　in　the　person　of　Octavia；　for；　though　I　might　use　the　privilege　of　a　poet；　to　introduce　her　into　Alexandria；　yet　I　had　not　enough　considered；　that　the　compassion　she　moved　to　herself　and　children　was　destructive　to　that　which　I　reserved　for　Antony　and　Cleopatra；　whose　mutual　love　being　founded　upon　vice；　must　lessen　the　favour　of　the　audience　to　them；　when　virtue　and　innocence　were　oppressed　by　it。　　And；　though　I　justified　Antony　in　some　measure；　by　making　Octavia's　departure　to　proceed　wholly　from　herself；　yet　the　force　of　the　first　machine　still　remained；　and　the　dividing　of　pity；　like　the　cutting　of　a　river　into　many　channels；　abated　the　strength　of　the　natural　stream。　　But　this　is　an　objection　which　none　of　my　critics　have　urged　against　me；　and　therefore　I　might　have　let　it　pass；　if　I　could　have　resolved　to　have　been　partial　to　myself。　　The　faults　my　enemies　have　found　are　rather　cavils　concerning　little　and　not　essential　decencies；　which　a　master　of　the　ceremonies　may　decide　betwixt　us。　　The　French　poets；　I　confess；　are　strict　observers　of　these　punctilios：　　They　would　not；　for　example；　have　suffered　Cleopatra　and　Octavia　to　have　met；　or；　if　they　had　met；　there　must　have　only　passed　betwixt　them　some　cold　civilities；　but　no　eagerness　of　repartee；　for　fear　of　offending　against　the　greatness　of　their　characters；　and　the　modesty　of　their　sex。　　This　objection　I　foresaw；　and　at　the　same　time　contemned；　for　I　judged　it　both　natural　and　probable；　that　Octavia；　proud　of　her　new…gained　conquest；　would　search　out　Cleopatra　to　triumph　over　her；　and　that　Cleopatra；　thus　attacked；　was　not　of　a　spirit　to　shun　the　encounter：　　And　it　is　not　unlikely；　that　two　exasperated　rivals　should　use　such　satire　as　I　have　put　into　their　mouths；　for；　after　all；　though　the　one　were　a　Roman；　and　the　other　a　queen；　they　were　both　women。　　It　is　true；　some　actions；　though　natural；　are　not　fit　to　be　represented；　and　broad　obscenities　in　words　ought　in　good　manners　to　be　avoided：　　expressions　therefore　are　a　modest　clothing　of　our　thoughts；　as　breeches　and　petticoats　are　of　our　bodies。　　If　I　have　kept　myself　within　the　bounds　of　modesty；　all　beyond；　it　is　but　nicety　and　affectation；　which　is　no　more　but　modesty　depraved　into　a　vice。　　They　betray　themselves　who　are　too　quick　of　apprehension　in　such　cases；　and　leave　all　reasonable　men　to　imagine　worse　of　them；　than　of　the　poet。

Honest　Montaigne　goes　yet　further：　　Nous　ne　sommes　que　ceremonie；　la　ceremonie　nous　emporte；　et　laissons　la　substance　des　choses。　　Nous　nous　tenons　aux　branches；　et　abandonnons　le　tronc　et　le　corps。　　Nous　avons　appris　aux　dames　de　rougir；　oyans　seulement　nommer　ce　qu'elles　ne　craignent　aucunement　a　faire：　　Nous　n'osons　appeller　a　droit　nos　membres；　et　ne　craignons　pas　de　les　employer　a　toute　sorte　de　debauche。　　La　ceremonie　nous　defend　d'exprimer　par　paroles　les　choses　licites　et　naturelles；　et　nous　l'en　croyons；　la　raison　nous　defend　de　n'en　faire　point　d'illicites　et　mauvaises；　et　personne　ne　l'en　croit。　My　comfort　is；　that　by　this　opinion　my　enemies　are　but　sucking　critics；　who　would　fain　be　nibbling　ere　their　teeth　are　come。

Yet；　in　this　nicety　of　manners　does　the　excellency　of　French　poetry　consist。　　Their　heroes　are　the　most　civil　people　breathing；　but　their　good　breeding　seldom　extends　to　a　word　of　sense；　all　their　wit　is　in　their　ceremony；　they　want　the　genius　which　animates　our　stage；　and　therefore　it　is　but　necessary；　when　they　cannot　please；　that　they　should　take　care　not　to　offend。　　But　as　the　civilest　man　in　the　company　is　commonly　the　dullest；　so　these　authors；　while　they　are　afraid　to　make　you　laugh　or　cry；　out　of　pure　good　manners　make　you　sleep。　　They　are　so　careful　not　to　exasperate　a　critic；　that　they　never　leave　him　any　work；　so　busy　with　the　broom；　and　make　so　clean　a　riddance　that　there　is　little　left　either　for　censure　or　for　praise：　　For　no　part　of　a　poem　is　worth　our　discommending；　where　the　whole　is　insipid；　as　when　we　have　once　tasted　of　palled　wine；　we　stay　not　to　examine　it　glass　by　glass。　　But　while　they　affect　to　shine　in　trifles；　they　are　often　careless　in　essentials。　　Thus；　their　Hippolytus　is　so　scrupulous　in　point　of　decency；　that　he　will　rather　expose　himself　to　death；　than　accuse　his　stepmother　to　his　father；　and　my　critics　I　am　sure　will　commend　him　for　it。　　But　we　of　grosser　apprehensions　are　apt　to　think　that　this　excess　of　generosity　is　not　practicable；　but　with　fools　and　madmen。　　This　was　good　manners　with　a　vengeance；　and　the　audience　is　like　to　be　much　concerned　at　the　misfortunes　of　this　admirable　hero。　　But　take　Hippolytus　out　of　his　poetic　fit；　and　I　suppose　he　would　think　it　a　wiser　part　to　set　the　saddle　on　the　right　horse；　and　choose　rather　to　live　with　the　reputation　of　a　plain…spoken；　honest　man；　than　to　die　with　the　infamy　of　an　incestuous　villain。　　In　the　meantime　we　may　take　notice；　that　where　the　poet　ought　to　have　preserved　the　character　as　it　was　delivered　to　us　by　antiquity；　when　he　should　have　given　us　the　picture　of　a　rough　young　man；　of　the　Amazonian　strain；　a