 Opposition to itself, than a rapid Stream can carry
a Boat against its own Current. I will venture to say, that for a Man to act in
direct Contradiction to the Dictates of his Nature, is, if not impossible, as
improbable and as miraculous as any Thing which can well be conceived. Should
the best Parts of the Story of Marcus Antoninus be ascribed to Nero, or should
the worst Incidents of Nero's Life be imputed to Antoninus, what would be more
shocking to Belief than either Instance; whereas both these being related of
their proper Agent, constitute the Truly Marvellous.
    Our modern Authors of Comedy have fallen almost universally into the Error
here hinted at: Their Heroes generally are notorious Rogues, and their Heroines
abandoned Jades, during the first four Acts; but in the fifth, the former become
very worthy Gentlemen, and the latter, Women of Virtue and Discretion: Nor is
the Writer often so kind as to give himself the least Trouble, to reconcile or
account for this monstrous Change and Incongruity. There is, indeed, no other
Reason to be assigned for it, than because the Play is drawing to a Conclusion;
as if it was no less natural in a Rogue to repent in the last Act of a Play,
than in the last of his Life; which we perceive to be generally the Case at
Tyburn, a Place which might, indeed, close the Scene of some Comedies with much
Propriety, as the Heroes in these are most commonly eminent for those very
Talents which not only bring Men to the Gallows, but enable them to make an
heroic Figure when they are there.
    Within these few Restrictions, I think, every Writer may be permitted to
deal as much in the Wonderful as he pleases; nay, if he thus keeps within the
Rules of Credibility, the more he can surprize the Reader, the more he will
engage his Attention, and the more he will charm him. As a Genius of the highest
Rank observes in his 5th Chapter of the Bathos, »The great Art of all Poetry is
to mix Truth with Fiction; in order to join the Credible with the Surprizing.«
    For though every good Author will confine himself within the Bounds of
Probability, it is by no means necessary that his Characters, or his Incidents,
should be trite, common, or vulgar; such as happen in every Street, or in every
House, or which may be met with in the home Articles of a News-paper. Nor must
he be inhibited from shewing many Persons and Things, which may possibly have
never fallen within the Knowledge
