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This great man is truly called, the father and author of tragedy, notwithstanding any hints that he might take from others. For he first

heroes, and fatyrs are promifcuously introduced just as ferves to carry on the thread of the fable. Diomedes, 1. 3. p. 488 Satyrica eft apud Graecos fabula, in qua item tragicî poetae non reges aut heroas [i. e. non modo r.] fed fatyres induxerunt ludendi causâ jocandique, fimul ut spectator inter res tragicas feriafque, fatyrorum quoque jocis et lufibus delectaretur.

4 Tragoedias primus in lucem Aeschylus protulit, fublimis et gravis et grandiloquus faepe ufque ad vitium. Quinct. 1. 10. c. I. Philoftratus, in the life of Apollonius, VI, 6. p. 258. fpeaking of his feveral inventions, adds, "00 ̓Αθηναῖοι ΠΑΤΕΡΑ μὲν τῆς τρα[ῳδίας αὐτὸν ἡγενιο. See Athenaeus, 1. 1. p. 121. Horace fpeaking of him fays, in art. poet. 280.

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Et docuit magnumque loqui, nitique cothurno.

And Aristophanes,

̓Αλλ ̓ ὦ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ τῶν Ἑλλήνων πυργώσας βήματα σεμιὰ
Καὶ κοσμήσας τρα[ικὸν λῆρον.

This will explain what Ariftotle fays in his poetics, chap. iv. Ετι δὲ τὸ μέγεθΘ. ἐκ μικρῶν μύθων, καὶ λέξεως γελοιας, διὰ τὸ ἐκ σατυρικό μεταβαλεῖν, ὀψὲ ἀπεσεμνώθη. But however σας late [ fo he calls it, from the times of Thefpis to Aeschylus, or rather to Sophocles] e'er it had its proper gravity and grandeur, by getting rid of trifling fables [stories of Bacchus and Silenus] and the burlefque file, which it received from those fatirical pieces.

formed

formed his story into a regular and tragic fable; and introduced dialogue between the actors, omitting the tedious narration of fingle perfons. His actors were dreffed and decorated proper for their parts; and the ftage was furnished with fumptuous fcenes, and machines. The mafk likewise, which they fuited to the character to be

5 Καὶ τὸ, τε τῶν ὑποκριθῶν πλῆθεν ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς δύο πρώτα Αἰσχύλος. ἤδατε, καὶ τὰ τὸ χορὸ ἠλάτλωσε, καὶ τὸν λόγον πρωία γωνισὴν παρεσκεύασε· τρεῖς δὲ, καὶ σκηνογραφίαν Σοφοκλής. Arift. wigi wont. xIQ. S. Tis faid here that Sophocles invented the scenes, and decorations for the stage. But that is not true. Horace's verfes of Aeschylus prove the contrary in his art of poetry, *. 278, &c. and Athenaeus, 1. 1. p. 121. and Philoftratus, 1. 6. c. 6. And we know from Vitruvius, that Agatharcus helped Aeschylus in the contrivance of his scenes, and other decorations. But the blunder is easily removed by reducing the words to their proper places thus, καὶ τὸν λόγον πρ. παρεσκεύασε και σκηνογρα φίαν τρεῖς δὲ Σοφοκλῆς. And this is their meaning, Aefchylus firft increased the number of the actors, bringing two on the ftage, instead of one; and shortened the fongs of the chorus; and invented principal parts, [or chief characters, as the chief part, is Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, in the plays called after their names] and scenes with their proper decorations: But Sophocles brought a third actor on the stage.

6 Horace, art. poet. . 278. Platonius, in a fragment of his, ftill preserved, concerning the three kinds of Greek comedy, tells us, that the masks in the old comedy were made fo nearly to resemble the perfons to be fatirized, that

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be reprefented, was the invention of Aeschylus: and doubtless much more becoming it was, than thofe ridiculous countenances, which the actors gave themselves, by besmearing their faces with wine-lees: these masks were of fome use to those who were fpectators at a distance, as well in helping to distinguish the feveral characters, as in affifting the voice. But however they must

they were known before the actor spoke. But in the new comedy, the masks were only formed to move laughter. Ορῶμεν γῶν τὰς ὀφεῖς ἐν τοῖς προσώποις τῆς Μενάνδρα κωμῳδίας ὁποίας ἔχει, καὶ ὅπως ἐξεγραμμένον τὸ ΣΩΜΑ καὶ ἐδὲ κατὰ ἀνθρώ Twv Qoow. We fee therefore what ftrange eyebrows there are to the masks used in Menander's comedies; and how the BODY is distorted, and unlike any human creature. Mr. Theobald, in his preface to Shakespeare, has cited this paffage, and thus corrected it, öπws i§esgaμμévov rò öμuae, i. e. and how the eyes were goggled and diftorted. But furely, inftead of EMA, with little or no variation, it should be And this is plain from the reprefentations we have of the comic masks, which may be feen in Madam Dacier's Terence; and are likewife in an old MS. Terence in the Bodley library at Oxford; in which masks the mouth is hideously, and ridiculously distorted: and the chief reafon of the mouth being thus formed was, to help the actor to throw his voice to a greater distance. This is plain from A. Gellius, lib. 5. c. 7. Perfona, a perfonando dicta eft: nam caput et os cooperimento perfonae tectum undique, unaque tantum vocis emittendae via pervium, quod non vaga neque. diffufa eft, in unum tantummodo exitum colle&am coa&tamque wocem, et magis clares canerofque fonitus facit.

ΣΤΟΜΑ.

105 hide all the various changes of the countenance, fo neceffary in a good actor, and more expressive of paffion than any gesture whatever. Notwithstanding the improvements made in tragedy by Aeschylus, yet he lived to see himself excelled by Sophocles. With what rapidity did the tragic muse thus advance to perfection?

But what must appear moft ftrange to us moderns, is the inexhaustible invention of these Attic poets, who could write so correct, yet sa quick and almost extemporal. The lowest account of the plays of Aeschylus amounts to above seventy; Sophocles and Euripides wrote

7 Sophocles was the first that did not act his own plays, having but a weak and unharmonious voice. He added a third actor, which critics imagine fufficient to be brought together in converfation in one scene, for more they fuppofe would occafion embarrasment and confufion.

Nec quarta loqui perfona laboret;

There is another part of art of Sophocles's worth notice, and that is, his consulting the genius and abilities of his chief actors, and fitting the parts to them. See Triclinius, or whoever else was the writer of this poet's life. Sophocles undoubtedly wrote better plays than Aeschylus: but who has excelled Shakespeare? 'Tis remarkable, that the Athe nians gave leave to the poets to revise the plays of their old bard, and then to bring them on the ftage. So Quinctilian informs us, 1. 10. c. 1. We have had several poets too that have attempted the fame with Shakespeare.

a greater

a greater number. The genius of our Shakefpeare feems to equal any of the ancients, and his invention was scarce to be exhausted. Dryden did not come far fhort, but he wanted steady and honest principles, and that love for his art, which is always requifite to make a compleat artist. For when the mind is filled with great and noble ideas, 'tis no fuch difficult matter to give them a tone and utterance. Or as our Platonic Spencer expresses it

it;

The noble heart that harbours virtuous thoughts
And is with child of glorious great intent,
Can never reft until it forth have brought
Th' eternal brood of glory excellent.

THERE is a paffage in Plato's Minos, that at first fight contradicts this account of the original of tragedy, which is there faid to be of a much ancienter date, than the times of Thefpis. 1° Dr. Bentley, in his very learned differtation on the epiftles of Phalaris, thinks that Plato was mistaken. But this can hardly be allowed in a piece of hiftorical learning, relating to his own country; if it be confidered

8 In his Fairy Queen, B. 2. c. 12. f. 47.

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Plat. in Min. p. 320, 321. edit. Steph. vol. z. zo Bentl. differt. &c. p. 235, 278.

too,

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