nefs too far. His remarks on the neceffity of understanding the laws and customs of Athens, in order to relifh the Greek tragic writers are, the remarks of a fcholar. The defcription of the Greek Theatre, a ground plan of which was prefixed to this differtation, is minute and curious, and the account of the different parts of the tragedy will afift the student. But this writer's exceffive partiality for the ancient chorus will not find a numerous body of admirers. At the fame time it must be allowed, that there are few whofe opinions are worthy of attention on this fubject. We fhall not attempt to decide on a point which has been canvaffed by fome of the firft writers of modern times, we cannot affent to Mr. Franklin, when he condemns the foliloquies of modern tragedy, as lefs natural than the chorus of the Greeks. They form undoubtedly a confpicuous beauty in our theatrical reprefentations. They afford the poet an opportunity of defcribing the fecret workings of the human heart, and the conflicts between reafon and paffion. In them he exhibits the agitations of guilt, the horrors of remorfe, and the agonies of defpair, in colours infinitely more lively than he could have ventured to have done, if witnefies had been prefent. Dr. Franklin and others feem to have wished for the reftoration of the chorus into the modern theatre. Our fentiments on this fubject are directly oppofte. We fhall strengthen, and indeed fanctify our opinion by an appeal to Mr. Colman, who has examined this question with his ufual taste and powers of difcrimination, in the notes to his fpirited tranflation of Horace's Epiftles to the Pifos.-Mr. Colman fays: Monfieur Dacier, as well as the author of the above note, cenfures the modern stage for having rejected the Chorus, and having loft thereby at least half its probability, and its greateft or pament; fo that our tragedy is but a very faint hadow of the old. Learned critics, however, do not, perhaps, confider, that if it be expedient to revive the Chorus, all the other parts of the ancient tragedy must be revived along with it. Ariftotle mentions mufic as one of the fix parts of tragedy, and Horace no fooner introduces the Chorus than he proceeds to the pipe and lyre. If a chorus be really neceflary, our dramas, like thofe of the ancients, fhould be rendered wholly mufical; the dancers alfo will then claim their place, and the pretenfions of Veftris and Noverre must be admitted as claffical. Such a fpectacle, if not more natural than the modern, would at least be confiftent; but to introduce a groupe of fpectatorial actors, fpeaking in one part of the drama, and finging in another, is as ftrange and incoherent a medley, and full as unclaffical, as the dialogue and airs of the BEGGAR'S OPERA!" Such are the words of Mr. Colman, and in the investigation of a question relative to the theatre, what writer merits fo much attention? His opinions perfectly coincide with our own. If the chorus be neceffary, with it every part of the ancient tragedy must be reftored. We flatter ourselves, that this decifion will not be judged unjust by the candid and learned part of mankind. As to the reft-peare to all fuck! But to return to our author. There is one pallage in this Differtation, in which the celebrated Mr. Murphy's name was brought forward in a moft unjuftifiable manner. As the circumftances which gave rife to this note involve fome curious particulars of literary hiftory, which in a few years may be buried in oblivion, we thall endeavour to trace the difpute between the ingenious author of the Way to Keep Him and the learned tranflator of Sophocles to its original. The In the month of October, 1756, a weekly paper, called the TEST, was published under the direction of Mr. Murphy, who, if we are not mistaken, was author, as well as editor. fubjects were of a political nature, which induced fome of those whofe opinions did not coincide with the principles avowed in the Teft to employ a writer to combat them, and attempted to establish a paper, under Se a review of this book, in the upft number of our trit volume, p "2. Fa. the the title of the CONTEST. The prin-, others, but they were the chofen few cipal charge of this bufinefs was en- to whom they were addressed, for the trufted to Mr. Owen Ruffhead, a man motto was over a ourelper, felt their of moderate abilities, who, however, beauties, while they wished them lefs was always ready to undertake the obfcure, and allowed they were not fuperintendence of any literary per- without errors. formance, whatever might be the fubject. Murphy found him no very formidable rival. Ruffhead fuppofed the town were to be convinced by profound arguments and a gravity of ftyle, while his opponent, who was better acquainted with human nature, knew that an author must play with the public, and keep it in good-humour, in order to fpread conviction, or render a paper of this kind faleable... This political fquabble was continued in the Teft and Contest to the following June or July. In one of the former was published a pretty little poem, called Corinna, which was univerfally attributed to Soame Jenyns. A poetical reply was foon published in Ruffhead's paper, and called DOLL COMMON, a fragment, to which was added a poftfcript in profe, containing fome abufive and ill-natured remarks on Mr. Murphy. Report gave this paper to the pen of Mr. Franklin, who was engaged in the publication of the Centinel. Report ! Tam ficli, pravique tinax, quam nuncia veri, in this inftance, we believe, was mistaken. Murphy, however, was nettled at the paper, and as may eafily be imagined, did not feel much good will towards the fuppofed author. He openly, indeed, accufed him of writing it, and in a fhort time, as he thought, found an admirable opportunity of revenging this malevolent attack. In the Critical Review for the month of Auguft, 1757, appeared an account of two odes by Mr. Gray, which were then just published. Few pieces of poetry have engaged the public attention more than thefe odes did at their first appearance. Opinions of their merit were as numerous as their readers. Some pronounced them unintelligible, others called weave the warp, and weave the woof, Spital-fields poetry. Some praised them, because they thought it would be a proof of their learning; The first of thefe odes was that addrefled to THE EOLIAN LYRE. Upon this circumftance, the Critical Reviewer made the following remarks: "The firit of thefe odes is addreffed to the Eolian lyre, which it emulates in the enchanting foftnefs, ravishing flow, and folemn tones of melody. Yet in the firit antistrophe there is a fine image, a little defaced by what we take to be an impropriety of expreffion. Still addrefling himself to his lyre, he lays, Perching on the fcepter'd hand Of Jove, thy magic lulls the feather'd king With ruffled plumes, and flagging wing: Quench'd in dark clouds of flumber lie The terror of his beak, and light'nings of his eye. "Nothing can be better conceived, or more. happily truck off, than this truly poetical image: but, does not the word perching, as it ftands, refer to the lyre, rather than to the eagle? in which cafe it degrades the fenfe, and deforins the picture. "A fevere critic would likewife cenfure the fentiment in the next ftrophe or epode, which reprefents the loves dancing to the found of this lyre. Such an inftrument as the Eolian harp, which is altogether uncertain and irregular, muit be very ill adapted to the dance, which is one continued regular movement." This article, and this curions miftake, Murphy immediately fuppofed to have been the production of Franklin's pen", as it was well known that he was concerned with Smollet in the Critical Review. He immediately determined to write a reply. The Literary Magazine was chofen for the vehicle. This periodical publication appeared the fifteenth of every month, but though great part of it was written by Dr. Samuel Johnfon, we do not believe that it met with extraordinary fuccefs. When the Doctor was indolent, or otherwife employed, Mr. Murphy ufed frequently to affift him in filling the number of pages which were expected by the bookfeller. One of thefe auxiliary papers in the month of October contained fome admirable remarks on Mr. Gray's Odes, which difplay both tafe and powers of criticif. We shall tranfcribe the paf thes which immediately relate to the Critical Reviewer. * We believe the article in queftion was Smollet's After After ridiculing with a good deal of humour a propofed alteration of ftretch inftead of weave the warp, he thus pro'ceeds: Mr. Gray's firft ode, he tells us, is addreffed to the Æolian harp, and when he cometh to this, pallage, Thee the voice the Dance obey, he very grayely taketh occafion to tell us,⚫ Such an inftrument as the Æolian harp, which is altogether uncertain and irregular, mutt be very ill adapted to the dance, which is one continued regular movement.' Thus has he shewn us his skill in weaving, A certain mufic, never known before, Such fweet, fuch fad, fuch folemn airs divine, "Sweet as the ftrains of his inftrument are, down to write his ode. If the reader has a mind to read an ode upon this inftrument, he works; but Mr. Gray's ode, we affure him, is author has told us it is, viz. the Aolian Lyre. "The lyre belongs to the Lyrick Mufe, and Thus Horace tells, that the loves of the Æolian girl, which the fung to her lyre, are ftill alive in • Spirat adbuc amer, all their tenderness." • Vivuntque commiffi calores In another paffage he mentions Sappho com- • Eliis fidibus querentem • Sappho puellis de popularibus, "It appears then that Mr. Gray upon chaffical authority has addrefled himself to the olfan lyre, in the fame manner that the author jurt quoted talks of the Lefbian lyre, because it was rendered famous by the above-mentioned Sappho and Alcæus, her countryman and contemporary: • Lefboum refugit tendere Barbitan.' "Thus much the unfkilfulness of the Critical Reviewer made it neceflary to premife.” Thus were open hoftilities declared. Franklin by fome means or other difcovered that Murphy was the author of this critique, and immediately fent him a very abufive letter, complaining of the treatment which he had received, but in terms of unlicenfed fcurrility. Mr. Murphy received this epiftle one evening, at the Bedford-Arms, and directly, before he left the houfe, he wrote an anfwer to it, in Greek cha racters, to the following purpose: SIR, "I have received a very impertinent letter from you. To answer it in Greek would, be too difficult for me to attempt in a tavern, and too difficult for you to understand time. "I am, Sir, your's, &c. "Bedford-Arms. at any A. M." This concife reply was left at the bar of the houfe, where Mr. M. ftaid a little while, pleafing himself with the idea of having cleared himfelf fo cleverly of a troublesome correfpond ent. But unluckily, as he was going out, whom fhould he meet at the door but Mr. Franklin and Miss Venables, to whom he was not then married! Mr. M. ought to have paft him, without taking the leaft notice, and have left the letter to speak for itself, He had not, however, fufficient prefence of mind, but went up to him, faying, "Mr. Franklin I have received a very impertinent letter from you."—" Do not let us liften to him, my dear (faid Mr. F. to Mifs V.)"-" But I will be heard," 4784. heard," replied his antagonist, who was fired at this appearance of contempt. High words enfued, and Mr. M. during the fquabble might poffibly collar Mr. Franklin. Of this we are not fure, but it is certain that he immediately went to his father's houfe in Great Ruffell-freet, and crying out that his life was in danger, he rang fo vioIntly at the bell, that he fummoned the whole herd of printers and devils, from their apartinents, in an inftant. Mr. Murphy was now invited into the houfe, but he prudently declined the favour, turned round on his heel, made a bow, and departed. The difpute, however, was not terminated. For not long after this fcene at the Bedford-Arins, Mr. Franklin thought proper to wear the peace against his opponent, in the court of King'sEench. Upon this ftep, though we do not believe Mr. Murphy had the finalleft intention of offering the leaft degree of violence, he was obliged to make his appearance in court, with two houfe-keepers by his fide, who gave bail for his peaceable behaviour for a year and a day, imagining and hoping that this would be the end of the quarrel. * In April 1759, the tragedy of the Orphan of China was performed at Drury-lane theatre. One night, during the run of it, the author was called out of the green-room, where he was in converfation with Mr. Garrick, who performed Zamti, in the play, to a fervant in a fplendid livery, who delivered a letter to him, which he faid required no anfwer. Mr. Murphy looked at the direction, which was written in a very beautiful female hand, and then at the paper, which was remarkable fine, and perfumed. The outfide betrayed nothing, he opened it, as he was returning into the greenroom, and found the following verfcs: To the Author of the Orphan of China, upon the Red. Mr. Franklin's fwearing the peace against him. ÑIAD you been damn'd, good Franklin had been cafy, Nor had the law and gofpel join'd to teaze ye. And yet, for all his oaths, the priest is fore, Such were the contents of this fe billet. Mr. Murphy feemed highly delighted while he read it, and Mr. Garrick watched him with an eager curiofity. Mr. Murphy admired the fineness of the paper, the elegance of the penmanihip, and as the verfes were flattering, he thought them, perhaps, the more beautiful, because they feemed to be the production of a female. At laft, Garrick came up to the glafs, near which Mr. Murphy was ftanding, pretending to touch his face with rouge, and then the following dialogue enfued: G. Why, Murphy, you feem pleafed with fomething! M. Yes, indeed, and I have reafon. See, what a charming hand! G. Ay-and in verfe too, I cari affure you! M. The lines are very beautiful, I promife you G. This is undoubtedly a conqueft. May I read the lines? M. Yes, you may.I am fure you will admire them. G. (Reading the letter.) They are pretty lines, really; and I do believe this is a conqueft. But there is no Did the footman tell you none? name. M. No, faith G. Nor from whom he came ? M. No, no. It is undoubtedly a conqueft, and I fhall foon hear from her again, depend upon heard again, it. The bell now rung, and put an end to their converfation. Garrick, however, continued to teaze Murphy with queftions about this conquest for three or four nights, afking whether he had whether he did not examine every rich livery he faw, and whether he had not better advertise? At length, however, it appeared that the verfes were the compofition of Mr. Garrick himself, who had dreffed up one of the attendants at the theatre in a fplendid livery, and that the whole Q The first night was April 21, Ear, was intended as a mirthful frolic, by the manager. Mr. Murphy imagined that the affair at the King's-Bench would have terminated his difpute with Mr. Franklin. But he foon found himself mistaken, for in the Differtation on Tragedy, which we have already mentioned, after enlarging on the propriety of the chorus, he added the following paragraph: "But if, after all, fashion and prejudice will not fuffer them to appear on the ftage, they may at leaft gain admiffion into the clofet. Thither let the reader of true taste and judgement carry Elfrida and Caractacus, written on the ancient model, and compare them with Athelitan, Barbaroffa, the Orphan of China, or any of thofe tinfel, flimfy performances that have lately affumed the names of tragedies, which owed all their fuccefs to the falfe tafte of the age, joined to the real merit of the actors in the reprefentation of them." At the bottom of the page appeared the following note to the words Orphan of China: "A bombaft and fpiritlefs performance, written by one Murphy, formerly a wretched actor, now a ftill more wretched author." To fo unjustifiable and licentious an attack Mr. Murphy naturally felt him felf obliged openly, and by name, to reply. Accordingly, foon after, he published in a folio pamphlet a poetical epiftle, addreffed to Dr. Samuel Johnfon. This letter was written in the manner of Boileau's fecond Satire, addreffed to Moliere, of which it was in a great measure a clofe imitation. In the paffages which related to his attacker, Mr. Murphy did not defcend to that low fcurrility, of which the note in the Differtation on Tragedy had fet him fo confpicuous an example. This quarrel having now increafed from fmall beginnings to open hoftilities, the friends of both parties began to interfere, and terms of peace wer mutually accepted. Mr. Franklin wal perfuaded to cancel the leaf of the Differtation which contained thefe obnoxious paffages, in order to omit the note, and the name of the Orphan of China. Thus terminated this difpute. A it was a general topic of converfation in the literary world while it lafted, we have given as full an account of it as we have been able to collect. With refpect to the merits of the conteft, and of the antagonists, we fhall leave our readers to decide. (To be continued.) *Them, meaning the chorus. It would have been more correct and better. AEROSTATICS. TRANSLATION OF A SECOND MEMOIRE, PRESENTED TO THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, AT PARIS, ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4, 1784; AND READ AT THE MEETING ON SATURDAY FOLLOWING. BY THOMAS DO DERET. Containing an Explanation of a Method to combine and put in oppofition the r Powers of the Levity of the Aereftatic Globe, and the Weight of the Car, in fuck Manner that those two Forces which act perpendicularly, the one above, and the other below, may produce a progreffive horizontal Motion, in whatever Directus it may be thought fit. GENTLEMEN, LITTLE fatisfied with the additional methods, which are the only ones that appear to have been thought of hitherto, I have fought, in the machine itfelf, for force capable of conducting it, without having recourfe to any fo reign aid. Oppofing the levity of the globe to the weight of the car was the first means that prefented itself to my imagination; but then two forces acting always perpendicularly, the one above, and the other below, the difficulty was to turn them in fame manner against themfelves, fo as to make them act in as horizontal direction between both. This is the end which I believe I have a complied |