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the one is artful, the other abſurd; the one beneficial, the other pernicious; in short, the one natural, and ſhe other monſtrous. And the modern Tragedy in Muſick, is as much oppos’d to the Chorus, which is the Muſical part of the Ancient Tragedy, as it is to the Epiſodique; becauſe in the Chorus the Muſick is always great and ſolemn, in the Opera ’tis often moſt trifling and moſt effeminate; in the Chorus the Muſick is only for the ſake of the Senſe, in the Opera the Senſe is moſt apparently for the ſake of the Muſick.
When I affirm that an Opera after the Italian Manner is monſtrous, I cannot think that I deal too ſeverely with it; no not tho’ I add, that it is ſo prodigiouſly unnatural, that it could take its beginning from no Country, but that which is renowned throughout the World, for preferring monſtrous abominable Pleaſures to thoſe which are according to Nature.
But yet this muſt be allow’d, that tho’ the Opera in Italy is a Monſter, ’tis a beautiful harmonious Monſter, but here in England ’tis an ugly howling one. What then muſt not only Strangers, but we our ſelves ſay, with all our Partiality to our ſelves, when we conſider that we not only leave a reaſonable Entertainment for a ridiculous one, an artful one for an abſurd one, a beneficial one for a deſtructive one, and a very natural one for one that is very monſtrous; but that we forſake a moſt noble Art, for ſucceeding in which we are perhaps the beſt qualify’d of any People in Europe, for a very vile one for which Heaven and Nature have not at all deſign’d us, as having given us, neither Ears, nor Voices, nor Languages, nor Climate proper to it. England may certainly with a little Encouragement produce the greateſt Tragick Poets in Europe, but there is ſcarce one Nation in the Chriſtian World, but is quali-
fy’d
