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not to fix too precisely the inftant in which the action begins. This innocent artifice is generally agreeable to us, and we even owe them thanks for it, fince by this means they conceal a defect in the action, which, if difcovered, would take from our pleasure. But if the place was changed, and this change made without altering the fcenery, and by this means a confufion introduced into the reprefentation, the place, action, and difcourfes, would no longer have any connection. The actor would say, What a fuperb temple is this! How delicious is this garden! and we are ftill in a clofer, where the former acts placed us. If the scenes are shifted, the charms of the illufion are broken. Is there any appearance of probability, that the place we behold fhould be changed into a defart, a foreft, or a palace? In nature, if

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the scene changes, it is because we ourfelves change place. But here it is the reverse. The point of fight changes its place, and we remain where we were before." Batteux Princip. of Lit. vol, ii. p. 244.

SECT. II.

SHAKESPEAR

HAKESPEAR never obferved the unities. I have often wondered how Mr. Upton could write fo much to dif play that immortal man's imaginary learning, when 'tis much more to his credit not to have had a grain. We freely pardon the blemishes and abfurdities that escape a rude uncultivated genius, but we expect more order and more decency from one who poffeffed as large a fhare of learning, as that gentleman fuppofes Shakespear did. Not content with enVol. III. D deavouring

deavouring to prove this, he ridiculously imagines himself able to display an adherence to the unities in fome of his plays. He lays "There are many, who never having read one word of Ariftotle, gravely cite his rules, and talk of the unities of time and place, at the very mentioning Shakespear's name; they don't seem ever to have given themselves the trouble of confidering, whether or no his ftory does not hang together, and the incidents follow each other naturally and in order; in fhort, whether or no he has not a beginning, middle and end. If you will not allow that he wrote ftrictly tragedies; yet it may be granted that he wrote dramatic heroic poems; in which is there not an imitation of one action, ferious, entire, and of a juft length, and which, without the help of narration, raifes pity and terror in the beholder's breaft,

breaft, and refines the perturbed palfions * "

A few flight remarks will display the falfity of this affertion. I fay nothing of time and place, as it is very well known Shakespear never regarded them; but are the tragedies of Macbeth, Othello, and Hamlet, (which he particularly cites as examples) Imitations of Single actions? The unity of action cannot be observed, if the epifodes in the play are not fo clofely connected with the action, as to be abfolutely neceffary towards bringing on the catastrophe. Let me afk Mr. Upton, whether the death of Banquo in Macbeth is not a distinct and feparate action? It may be extracted from the fable, which will remain juft as complete without, as with it. It di vides the attention of the audience, and *Critical Obfervations on Shakespear, p. 42. calls

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calls off our pity and terror from the heroes of the piece: The death of lady Macduff is of the fame nature, both being actions of two diftinct tragedies; and which do not affift the denouement of Macbeth. I could name other extremely vicious epifodes in this play, but the two I have mentioned quite deftroy the unity of action: The whole plan of the tragedy is wrong; for the death of Duncan is one, and too confiderable a one to be made only an inferior one to bring about the grand event of the plot.

The fable of Othello is much more regular than was cuftomary with Shakefpear. The episodes are fewer, and the incidents much better connected; yet in this tragedy there are many fuperfluous fcenes, which might be retrenched without the fable's fuffering: the first scene,

and

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