What makes me wonder that no _English_ Writer has ever attempted a profess’d Performance in the _Characteristic-Way_ is, that we are, certainly, more able to undertake a Work of this Nature than any other Nation; because our Countrymen afford a greater Variety of Subject Matter than any other People.--Human Nature, as I observ’d before, in its various Forms and Affections, is the Subject of _Characteristic- Writings_: And from this Diversity of Manners arises that, which is properly call’d _Humour_, and which, upon a double Account, seems to be peculiar to our Nation; not only because there is no Word in any other Language so expressive, but also because there is no Nation, in which we can find a greater Variety of original _Humour_, than amongst the _English_. Sir _William Temple_, speaking of the Dramatic Performances of the Stage, expresses himself after the following Manner.--[Z] [Z: Essay on Poetry, p. 355, _&c_.] In this the _Italian_, the _Spanish_, and the _French_, have all had their different Merit, and receiv’d their just Applauses. Yet I am deceiv’d, if our _English_ has not in some Kind excell’d both the Modern and the Antient; which has been by Force of a Vein, natural perhaps to our Country, and which with us is call’d _Humour_, a Word peculiar to our Language too, and hard to be express’d in any other; nor is it (that I know of) found in any Foreign Writers, unless it be _Moliere_, and yet his it self has too much of the Farce, to pass for the same with ours. _Shakespear_ was the first that opened this Vein upon our Stage, which has run so freely and so pleasantly ever since, that I have often wonder’d to find it appear so little upon any others; being a Subject so proper for them, since _Humour_ is but a Picture of particular Life, as Comedy is of general; and tho’ it represents Dispositions and Customs less common, yet they are not less natural than those that are more frequent among Men. _Humour_ is the only genuine Source of all that agreeable Variety of original Characters, which is so entertaining to a Spectator and Reader: And Sir _William Temple_ proceeds to observe, that in this Point the Moderns in general, and the _English_ in particular, have far excell’d the Antients. This Observation is very just, however partial it may seem to a Foreigner, and the Reason of it is very obvious. I shall represent ’em both in Sir _William_’s own Words. The Passage is somewhat long, but the Goodness of it will amply pay the Reader for his Trouble in perusing it.