3.  Voltaire, however, held a different opinion.  He thought a powerful
   effect might be produced by the exhibition of the blind king,
   indistinctly seen in the back ground, amid the shrieks of Jocasta,
   and the exclamations of the Thebans; provided the actor was capable
   of powerful gesture, and of expressing much passion, with little
   declamation.

4. Quoi! la necessite des vertus et des vices
     D’un astre imperieux doit suivre les caprices? 
     Et Delphes malgre nous conduit nos actions
     Au plus bizarre effet de ses predictions? 
     L’ame est donc toute esclave; une loi soveraine
     Vers le bien ou le mal incessamment l’entraine;
     Et nous recevons ni crainte ni desir,
     De cette liberte qui n’a rien a choisir;
     Attaches sans relache a cet ordre sublime,
     Vertueux sans merite, et vicieux sans crime;
     Qu’on massare les rois, qu’on brise les autels,
     C’est la faute des dieux, et non pas des mortels;
     De toute la vertu sur la terre epandue
     Tout le prix ces dieux, toute la gloire est due;
     Ils agissent en nous, quand nous pensons agir,
     Alons qu’on delibere, on ne fait qu’obeir;
     Et notre volonte n’aime, hait, cherche, evite,
     Que suivant que d’en haut leur bras la precipite! 
       D’un tel aveuglement daignez me dispenser
     Le ciel juste a punir, juste a recompenser,
     Pour rendre aux actions leur peine ou leur salaire,
     Doit nous offrir son aide et puis nous laisser faire.

PREFACE.

Though it be dangerous to raise too great an expectation, especially in works of this nature, where we are to please an insatiable audience, yet it is reasonable to prepossess them in favour of an author; and therefore, both the prologue and epilogue informed you, that OEdipus was the most celebrated piece of all antiquity; that Sophocles, not only the greatest wit, but one of the greatest men in Athens, made it for the stage at the public cost; and that it had the reputation of being his masterpiece, not only among the seven of his which are still remaining, but of the greater number which are perished.  Aristotle has more than once admired it, in his Book of Poetry; Horace has mentioned it:  Lucullus, Julius Caesar, and other noble Romans, have written on the same subject, though their poems are wholly lost; but Seneca’s is still preserved.  In our own age, Corneille has attempted it, and, it appears by his preface, with great success.  But a judicious reader will easily observe, how much the copy is inferior to the original.  He tells you himself, that he owes a great part of his success, to the happy episode of Theseus and Dirce; which is the same thing, as if we should acknowledge, that we were indebted for our good fortune to the under-plot of Adrastus, Eurydice, and Creon.  The truth is, he miserably failed in the character