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Thalic bilocular kernels. There is only one fpecies, the, genicuTHALICTRUM, MEADOW RUE, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the clafs of polyandria, and order of polygynia; and in the natural fyllem ranging under the 26th order, Multifiliqua. There is no calyx; the petals are four or five in number, and the feeds are naked and without a tail. There are 15 fpecies; three of which are indigenous, the flavum, minus, and alpinum.

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1. The flavum, or common meadow-rue, has a leafy furrowed stalk, and a manifold erect panicle. It has commonly 2 ftamina, and from 10 to 16 pistils. The root and leaves of this plant dye a yellow colour, and cattle are fond of it. It grows on the banks of fome rivers: It is found at North Queen's terry, Fifefhire. 2. The minus, or fmall meadowrue, has fexpartite leaves, and bending flowers. The ftalk is ftriated, and about a foot high; the leaves are lax and divaricated, having rigid footftalks; they are fmooth and glaucous, and their lobes generally trifid; the panicle is branched and open, and the flowers nod: the petals are pale green, tinged with red; the ftamina are from 15 to 20; the feeds deeply ftriated, and from two to feven in number. This plant is frequent in fandy foils and mountainous paftures. 3. The alpinum, or alpine meadow-rue, has a very fimple ftalk, and almost naked; and a racemus fimple and terminal. It is a pretty little plant, about a fingers-length in height; the leaves all rife from the root, the ftalk being naked and branched; the flowers nod, and have 4 petals, 12 ftamina, and 8 pistils. It is frequent on the fides of rivulets in the highland mountains and other places.

THAMES, the finest river in Great Britain, which takes its rife from a copious fpring, called Thames Head, two miles fouth-weft of Cirencefter in Gloucestershire. It has been erroneously faid, that its name is Ifis till it arrives at Dorchefter, 15 miles below Oxford, when, being joined by the Thame or Tame, it affumes the name of the Thames, which, it has been obferved, is formed from a combination of the words Thame and Ifis. What was the origin of this vulgar error, cannot now be traced. Poetical fiction, however, has perpetuated this error, and invefted it with a kind of claffical fanctity. "It plainly appears (fays Camden), that the river was always called Thames or Tems, before it came near the Thame; and in feveral ancient charters granted to the abbey of Malmsbury, as well as that of EnfBrookes's ham, and in the old deeds relating to Cricklade, it is never Gazetteer. confidered under any other name than that of Thames." He likewife fays, that it occurs nowhere under the name of Ifis. All the hiftorians who mention the incurfions of Ethelwold into Wiltshire in the year 905, or of Canute in 1016, concur likewife in the fame opinion, by declaring, that they paffed over the Thames at Cricklade in Wiltshire. It is not probable, moreover, that Thames Head, an appel lation by which the fource has ufually been diftinguifhed, should give rife to a river of the name of Ifis; which river, after having run half its course, should reaffume the name of Thames, the appellation of its parent fpring. About a mile below the fource of the river is the firft corn-mill, which is called Kemble Mill. Here the river may properly be faid to form a conflant current; which, though not more than nine feet wide in the fummer, yet in the winter becomes fuch a torrent as to overflow the meadows for many miles around. But, in the fummer, the Thames Head is fo dry, as to appear nothing but a large dell, interfperfed with ftones and weeds. From Somerford the ftream winds to Cricklade, where it unites with many other rivulets. Approaching Kemsford, it again enters its native county, dividing it from Berkshire at Inglefham. It widens confiderably in its way to Lechlade; and being there joined by the Lech and Coln,

at, the diftance of 138 miles from London, it becomes navi Thames. gable for veffels of 90 tons. At Enfham, in its courfe north-eaft, to Oxford, is the firft bridge of stone; a handfore one, of three arches, built by the earl of Abing. don. Paffing by the ruins of Godftow nunnery, where the celebrated Fair Rofamond was interred, the river reaches Oxford, in whofe academic groves its poetical name of Is has been fo often invoked. Being there joined by the Charwell, it proceeds fouth-eaft to Abingdon, and thence to Dorchefter, where it receives the Tame. Continuing its courfe fouth-eaft by Wallingford to Reading, and forming a boundary to the counties of Berks, Bucks, Surry, Middlefex, Effex, and Kent, it washes the towns of Henley, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windfor, Eton, Egham, Staines, Lalcham, Chertfey, Weybridge, Shepperton, Walton, Sunbury, Eaft and Weft Mouliey, Hampton, Thames Ditton, Kingston, Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Ifleworth, Brentford, Kew, Mortlake, Barnes, Chilwick, Hammersmith, Putney, Fulham, Wandsworth, Batterfea, Cheliea, and Lambeth. Then, on the north bank of the river, are Westminfter and London, and, on the oppofite fide, Southwark; forming together one continued city, extending to Limehoufe and Deptford; and hence the river proceeds to Greenwich, Erith, Greenhithe, Gray's Thurrock, Gravefend, and Leigh, into the ocean. It receives in its courfe from Dorchefter the rivers Kennet, Loddon, Coln, Wey, Mole, Wandle, Lea, Roding, Darent, and Medway. The jurifdiction of the lord mayor of London over the Thames extends from Coln Ditch, a little to the weft of Staines, to Yendal or Yenleet to the caft, including part of the rivers Medway and Lea; and he has a deputy, named the waterbailiff, who is to fearch for and punish all offenders against the laws for the prefervation of the river and its fifh. Eight times a year the lord mayor and aldermen hold courts of confervance for the four counties of Surry, Middlefex, Effex, and Kent. Though the Thames is faid to be navigable 138 miles above the bridge, yet there are fo many flats, that in fummer the navigation weftward would be intirely flopped, when the fprings are low, were it not for a number of locks. But thefe are attended with confiderable expence; for a barge from Lechlade to London pays for paffing through them 131. 158. 6d. and from Oxford to London 121. 18s. This charge, however, is in fum. mer only, when the water is low; and there is no lock from London Bridge to Bolter's Lock; that is, for 51 miles above the bridge. The plan of new cuts has been adopted, in fome places, to fhorten and facilitate the navigation. There is one near Lechlade, which runs nearly parallel to the old river, and contiguous to St John's Bridge; and there is another a mile from Abingdon, which has rendered the old ftream toward Culham Bridge ufelefs. But a much more important undertaking has lately been accomplished; namely, the junction of this river with the Severn. A canal had been made, by virtue of an act of parliament in 1730, from the Severn to Wall Bridge, near Stroud. A new canal now afcends by Stroud, through the Vale of Chalford, to the height of 343 feet, by means of 28 locks, and thence to the entrance of a tunnel near Sapperton, a diftance of near eight miles. The canal is 42 feet in width at top and 30 at the bottom. The tunnel (which is extended under Sapperton Hill, and under that part of earl Bathurst's grounds called Haley Wood, making a distance of two miles and three furlongs) is near 15 feet in width, and can navigate barges of 70 tons. The canal defcending hence 134 feet, by 14 locks, joins the Thames at Lechlade, a distance of above 20 miles. In the courfe of this vaft undertaking, the canal, from the Severn at Froomlade to Inglesham, where it joins the Thames, is a distance of more than 30 miles.

The

Thane.

many, and were adhered to by their pofterity in England Thanet till the conqueit.

The thanes were under no obligations on account of their lands, except the three following, which were indifpenfably neceffary to the defence and improvement of their country: To attend the king with their tollowers in military expedi tions, to affift in building and defending the royal cattles, and in keeping the bridges and highways in proper repair. To these obligations all proprietors of land (even the churchmen for a long time not excepted) were subjected; and thefe fervices were confidered as due to their country, rather than to the perfons of their kings; and were agreed to by all as being neceffary to their own prefervation and conveniency.

Thames, The expence of it exceeded the fum of 200,000l. of which 3000l. are faid to have been expended in gunpowder alone, uled for the blowing up of the rock. This new canal was completed in 1789, in lefs than feven years from its commencement. A communication, not only with the Trent, but with the Merfey, has likewife been effected by a canal "from Oxford to Coventry; and an act of parliament has paffed to extend another canal from this, at Braunfton, to the Thames at Brentford. This is to be called The Grand Function Canal. On the extenfive advantages refulting from these navigable communications from the metropolis with the ports of Bristol, Liverpool, Hull, &c. and the principal manufacturing towns in the inland parts of the kingdom, it is needlefs to expatiate. The tide flows up the Thames as high as Richmond, which, following the winding of the river, is 70 miles from the ocean; a greater diftance than the tide is carried by any other river in Europe. The water is esteemed extremely wholefome, and fit for ufe in very long voyages, during which it will work itfelf perfectly fine.

THAMES is alfo the name of a river in the ftate of Connecticut in America. See the article CONNECTICUT.

THANE, or THANUS, a name given to the nobility in Britain before the time of William the Conqueror. It fignifies a minister or honourable retainer, from the verb thenian "to minifter." There were feveral degrees of nobility among the Anglo-Saxons; but thofe moft commonly mentioned are the king's thanes and the alderman's thanes. The king's thanes seem to have been of three different degrees, according to their different degrees of wealth or favour at court. The alderman's thanes feem to have been of the lowest degree of nobility, and next to them those who were promoted to that dignity from their advancement in the church, from their valour, fuccefs in agriculture or commerce for if a ceorl or farmer applied to learning and attained to priests orders, if he acquitted himself fo well as to obtain from a nobleman five hythes of land, or a gilt fword, helmet, and breaft-plate, the reward of his valour; or if by his industry he had acquired the property of five hythes of land; or if he applied to trade, and made three voyages beyond fea in a fhip of his own, and a cargo belonging to himfelf-he was denominated a thane.

The thanes, who were the only nobility among the AngloSaxons, were a very numerous body of men, comprehending all the confiderable landholders in England, and filling up that space in fociety between the ceorls or yeomanry on the one hand, and the royal family on the other; which is now occupied both by the nobility and gentry. In times of war, they conftituted the flower of their armies, and in times of peace they swelled the trains of their kings, and added greatly to the fplendour of their courts, especially at the three great feftivals of Christmas, Eafter, and Whitfuntide. Henry's HiFrom this body all the chief officers, both civil and miHory of litary, as aldermen, greeves, earls, heretogens, &c. were Great Bri- taken; and to obtain fome of thefe offices was the great sain, vol. ii. object of their ambition. Before they obtained an office, their lands were their only support; and they lived in greater or lefs affluence, according to the extent of their eltates. Thefe they divided into two parts; one of which they called their inlands, and the other their outlands. Their inlands they kept in their own immediate poffeffion, and cultivated them by the hands of their flaves and villains, in order to raise provifions for their families; their outlands they granted to ceorls or farmers, either for one year, or for a term of years; for which they received a certain ftipulated proportion of their produce annually. These cuftoms had long prevailed among their ancestors in Ger

This title of thane was abolished in England at the conqueft, upon the introduction of the feudal fyftem by Wil. liam The titles of earl and baron were about the iame period introduced into Scotland by Malcolm Canmore, and the title of thane fell into difufe.

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Thea

'The Luckombe's

Gazetteer.

THANE I, an island of the county of Kent, furrounded by the fea except on the north-eaft fide, where it is bounded by the branches of the river Stour, now inconfiderable to what they were formerly. It contains feveral villages, and the fea-port towns of Margate and Ramafgate, and has the title of an earldom. It is celebrated for being the fpot through which arts, fciences, and divine knowledge, came into this happy ifle. The Britons called it Richborough, from its vicinity to the city of that name, now only a venerable ruin; but the Saxons called it Thanet, from fire, having to many beacons erected on it. It is in the north-eaft part of the county, lies open to the fea on the north and east, with the river Wantfum on the weft and fouth, is about 10 miles long from the North Foreland to Sarre-Bridge, and about 8 broad from Weftate to Sandwich- Ferry. north part of it is all arable, except fome barren land, that England s is fown with faintfoin, which produces a load and sometimes two loads of hay upon an acre; by which means, the land that otherwife is not worth half a crown an acre yields 30s. or 408. The fouth and weft parts of the island are moft of them marfh or pafture lands. The foil is rally very fertile, efpecially in the beft o barley, and other forts of grain, of which it is computed above 20,00 quarters are fent hence to London in a year, befides what is told to other places. The alga marina, or fea-ore, as they call it, is their chief manure. This they dry on the fhore, and burn, in order to make kelp, which the potters ufe in glazing their ware. But the smell of the rotten ore upon the foil, and the smoke of it when burning, is very noifome. The gentlemen's families are for the moft part gone from this part of the county, having fold their eftates; fo that their manfion feats are converted into farm-houses; but then, on the other hand, many of the yeomen and farmers have good eftates, on which they live very genteelly. In this island are ten parishes, but feven parifh-churches, and one chapel.

gene

THAPSIA, the DEADLY CARROT, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the clafs of pentandria, and order of digynia; and in the natural fyftem ranging under the 45th order, umbellata. The fruit is oblong and girt with a membrane. There are five fpecies; the villofa, fœtida, afclepium, garganica, and trifoliata. The roots of the foetida were formerly ordered in medicine, but are now entirely difufed a small dofe operating with extreme violence both upwards and downwards.

;

THAWING, the refolution of ice into its former fluid ftate by the warmth of the air. See CONGELATION and FROST. THEA, in botany. See TEA. 3E2 THEA

players on the flute who entered into competition were en- Theatre. joined by an exprefs law to reprefent fucceflively the circum. ftances that had preceded, accompanied, and followed the victory of Apollo over Python.

Theatine, THEATINES, a religious order in the Romish church, Theatre. fo called from their principal founder John Peter Caraffa, then bishop of Theate, or Chieti, in the kingdom of Naples, and afterwards pope, under the name of Paul IV. The names of the other founders were Gaetan, Boniface, and Configlieri. These four pious men defiring to reform the ecclefiaftical ftate, laid the foundation of an order of regular clerks at Rome in the year 1524. Pope Clement VII. approved the inftitution, and permitted the brethren to make the three religious vows, to elect a fuperior every three years, and to draw up ftatutes for the regulation of the order. They firft endeavoured, by their example, to revive among the clergy the poverty of the apoftles and firft difciples of our Saviour, and were the first who affumed the title of regular clerks.

vol. i.

THEATRE, a place in which fhows or dramatic reprefentations are exhibited.

For the origin of the dramatic art we always turn our eyes to Greece, the nursery of the arts and fciences. It may indeed have been known among more ancient nations, but no records remain fufficient to fupport this opinion. The different ftates of Greece afferted their claim to the honour of having given it birth, but the account of the Athenians is moft generally received. It derived its origin from the hymns which were fung in the feftivals of Bacchus in honour of that deity. While thefe refounded in the ears of the multitude, chorufes of Bacchants and Fauns, ranged round certain obfcene images which they carried in triumphal proceffion, chanted lafcivious fongs, and fometimes facrificed individuals to public ridicule.

This was the practice in the cities; but a ftill greater licentioufnefs reigned in the worship paid to the fame diviAnacharfis's nity by the inhabitants of the country, and especially at the Travels, feafon when they gathered the fruits of his beneficence. Vintagers, befmeared with wine-lees, and intoxicated with joy and the juice of the grape, rode forth in their carts, and attacked each other on the road with grofs farcafms, revenging themselves on their neighbours with ridicule, and on the rich by publishing their injuftice.

Among the poets who flourished at that time, fome celebrated the great actions and adventures of gods and heroes, and others attacked with afperity the vices and abfurdities of individuals. The former took Homer for their model, and fupported themfelves by his example, of which they made an improper ufe. Homer, the moft tragic of poets, the model of all who have fucceeded him, had in the Iliad and the Odyffey brought to perfection the heroic poem, and in his Margites had employed pleafantry. But as the charm of his works depends in a great meafure on the paffions and motion with which he knew to animate them, the poets who came after him endeavoured to introduce into theirs an action which might excite emotion or mirth in the fpectators: fome even attempted to produce both, and ventured certain rude effays, which have fince been styled indifferently either tragedies or comedies, because they unite the characters of thofe two dramas. The authors of these sketches have been diftinguished by no difcovery; they only form in the hiftory of the art a fucceffion of names which it would be useless to recal to light.

The neceffity and power of theatrical intereft was already known. The hymns in honour of Bacchus, while they defcribed his rapid progrefs and fplendid conquefts, became imitative; and in the contefts of the Pythian games, the

Some years after this regulation, Sufarion and Thefpis, both born in a small borough of Attica, named Icaria, appeared each at the head of a company of actors, the one on a kind of ftage, the other in a cart (A). The former attacked the vices and abfurdities of his time; and the latter' treated more noble subjects, which he took from history.

The comedies of Sufarion were in the same tafle with those indecent and fatirical farces which were afterwards performed in fome of the cities of Greece. They were long the favourite entertaintment of the country people. Athens did not adopt this fpecies of exhibition until after it was brought to perfection in Sicily.

Thefpis had more than once feen in the feftivals, in which as yet hynins only were fung, one of the fingers, mounted on a table, form a kind of dialogue with the chorus. From this hint he conceived the idea of introducing into the tra gedies an actor who, by fimple recitals introduced at intervals, fhould give relief to the chorus, divide the action, and render it more interefting. This happy innovation, together with fome other liberties in which he had allowed himfelf, gave alarm to the legislator of Athens, who was more able than any other perfon to difcern the value or danger of the novelty. Solon condemned a fpecies of compofition in which the ancient traditions were disguised by fictions. "If we applaud fallehood in our public exhibitions (faid he to Thefpis), we fhall foon find that it will infinuate itself into our most facred engagements."

The exceffive approbation and delight with which both the city and country received the pieces of Thespis and Sufarion, at once juftified and rendered useless the fufpicious forefight of Solon. The poets, who till then had only exercifed their genius in dithyrambics and licentious fatire, ftruck with the elegant forms which thefe fpecies of compofition began to affume, dedicated their talents to tragedy and comedy. Soon after a greater variety was introduced in the subjects of the former of these poems. Those who judge of their pleasures only from habit exclaimed, that these fubjects were foreign to the worthip of Bacchus; but the greater number thronged with still more eagerness after the new pieces.

Phrynichus, the difciple of Thefpis, made choice of that kind of verfe which is moft fuitable to the drama, was. the author of fome other changes, and left tragedy in its infancy.

Æfchylus received it from his hands enveloped in a rude veftment, its vifage covered with false colours, or a mask inexpreffive of character, without either grace or dianity in its motions, infpiring the defire of an intereft which it with difficulty excited, ftill attached to the buffooneries which had amufed its infant years, and expreffing its conceptions. fometimes with elegance and dignity, but frequently in a feeble and low ftyle, polluted with grofs obfcenities.

In his first tragedies he introduced a fecond actor; and afterward, copying the example of Sophocles, who had juft entered on his theatrical career, he admitted a third, and fometimes even a fourth. By this multiplicity of perfonages, one of his actors became the hero of the piece, and attracted to himfelf the principal intereft; and as the chorus now held only a fubaltern station, Æfchylus took care to shorten

(A) Sufarion reprefented his first pieces towards the year 580 before Chrift. Some years after, Thefpis made his first attempts in tragedy, and acted his Alcestis in 536.

Theatre. fhorten its part, and perhaps even carried this precaution duced an action, all the parts of which had a dependence on Theatres too far. each other; and conducted his fubject, without wandering He is cenfured for having admitted mute characters into from it, through a juft extent to a determinate end. His his drama. Achilles, after the death of his friend, and pieces, fubjected to the fame laws as tragedy, were known Niobe, after the deftruction of her children, appear on the in Greece, where they were confidered as models; and coftage, and remain during feveral fcenes motionlefs, with their medy foon fhared with her rival the fuffrages of the public, heads covered with a veil, and without uttering a word; and the homage due to genius. The Athenians, efpecially, but if their eyes had overflown with tears, and they had received her with the fame tranfports as they would have poured forth the bittereft lamentations, could they have pro- teftified at the news of a victory: many of their poets exduced an effect fo terrible as this veil, this filence, and this ercifed their genius in this novel fpecies of compofition; abandonment to grief? and their names adorn the numerous lift of writers who have been diftinguifhed in comedy from the time of Epicharmus. Such were, among the more ancient, Magnes, Cratinus, Crates, Pherecrates, Eupolis, and Ariftophanes. They all flou rifhed in the age of Pericles.

It was not fufficient that the noble and elevated ftyle of tragedy fhould leave in the minds of the auditors a ftrong impreffion of grandeur; to captivate the multitude, it was requifite that every part of the fpectacle should concur to produce the fame effect. It was then the general opinion that nature, by beftowing on the ancient heroes a more lofty ftature, had impreffed on their persons a majesty which procured them as much refpect from the people as the enfigns of dignity by which they were attended. fchylus therefore raised his actors on high ftilts or bufkins. He covered their features, which were frequently disagreeable, with a mask that concealed their irregularity. He clothed them in flowing and magnificent robes, the form of which was fo decent, that the priests of Ceres have not blushed to adopt it. The inferior actors were alfo provided with mafks and dreffes fuited to their parts.

Inftead of thofe wretched fcaffolds which were formerly erected in hafte, he obtained a theatre furnished with machines, and embellished with decorations. Here the found of the trumpet was reverberated, incenfe was feen to burn on the altars, the fhades of the dead to arife from the tomb, and the furies to rush from the gulphs of Tartarus. In one of his pieces thefe infernal divinities appeared, for the firft time, with masks of a horrid palenefs, torches in their hands, ferpents intertwined in their hairs, and followed by a numerous retinue of dreadful spectres. It is faid that, at the fight of them, and the found of their terrific howlings, terror feized on the whole affembly, women mifcarried, and children expired with fear; and that the magiftrates, to prevent fimilar accidents in future, commanded that the chorus fhould confift only of fifteen actors inftead of fifty.

The effect of fo many new objects could not but aftonish the spectators; nor were they lefs furprifed and delighted at the intelligence difplayed in the performance of the actors, whom Elchylus almost always exerciled himself. He regulated their steps, and taught them to give additional force to the action by new and expreffive geftures.

The progreis of the art was extremely rapid. Æfchylus was born 525 years before Chrift, 11 years after Thelpis had acted his Alceftis. He had for competitors Cheerilus Pratenas, and Phrynichus, whofe glory he eclipted, and Sophocles, who rivalled his own. Sophocles was born about the year 497 B. C. about 14 years before Euripides. Thefe carried tragedy to the highest perfection to which it attained among the Greeks. fchylus painted men greater than they can be, Sophocles as they ought to be, and Euripides as they are.

Invented towards the 50th Olympiad (about 580 B. C),. and adapted to the rude manners of the ruftics, comedy ventured not to approach the capital; and if by chance fome companies of actors, who were unconnected with any others, found their way into the city, and performed their indecent farces, they were lefs authorised than tolerated by the go vernment. It was not till after a long infancy that this fpecies of drama began fuddenly to make a rapid improvement in Sicily. Instead of a fucceffion of fcenes without connection or tendency, the philofopher Epicharmus intro

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If we perule the comic pieces which have come down to us, we fhall be convinced that the fole object of the authors was to pleafe the multitude. The gods and heroes were traveftied, grofs and obfcene language was often employed, and virulent invectives were often thrown out against individuals of the first rank for genius and virtue. the end of the Peloponnefian war the licentioufnefs of comedy was reftrained. The chorus was laid afide, because the rich citizens were alarmed, and would no longer contribute money to fupport it, nor provide masks with portraits for expofing individuals.

The poets being thus reftrained from mentioning names of living perfons on the ftage, invented false names. They ftill expofed real and known characters; and thus gave a more exquifite gratification to the fpectators, who were highly amufed with finding out the perfons intended. The confequence of the law was only to make that done with delicacy which was formerly done in the most indecent and fcurrilous manner. Aristophanes, in fome of his latest pieces, has given us fome good examples of this kind of comedy, which is fometimes called the middle comedy.

Comedy was ftill liable to abufe, and therefore required farther reformation. As the ufe of real names had formerly been prohibited, real fubjects were alfo forbidden; and comedy from that time was no longer a fury armed with torches, or a firebrand feattering mifchief, but a pleafing and inftructive companion. This is called the new comedy. The most eminent among the Grecks in this improved fpecies was Menander. His writings are now lot; but we may form a good eftimate of their merit from the comedies of Terence, which are faid to have been borrowed from Menander, and to have nearly refembled the original, though inferior in that vis comica by which the elegant Grecian was diftinguifhed. The comedy of Menander is that which has been cultivated in modern times.

To give fome idea of a Grecian theatre, we fhall defcribe very fhortly the theatre of Bacchus in Athens, which was built by the famous architect Philos in the time of Pericles. The part intended for the fpectators was of a femicircular form, at the diameter of which was erected the stage. The orchestra occupied the space where the pit in modern the-atres is fituated, where the mufic, the chorus, and the mimi were placed. It was four feet elevated above the ground. The fpectators were arranged in three galleries round all the fides of the orchestra except that next the ftage, each gallery containing eight rows of feats. At the farther end of the orchestra, where the stage is erected in modern theatres, flood the thymele or logeon, but projecting a little Gentleman's » towards the audience. It was a little higher than the or. Magazine cheftra, and did not extend the whole breadth of it. In for 1700. fome theatres it was only fix feet fquare. Here the principal part of the chorus made their recitations, and in comical interludes the mimi performed. Behind the thy6%

πεία

Theatre. mele appeared the stage or profcenion, confiderably elevated. No part of this theatre was covered except the Rage, and a high gallery called cireys fet apart for the women. The Athenians, being expofed to the weather, came ufually with great cloaks, to fecure them from the rain or the cold; and for defence against the fun, they had the fciadion, a kind of parafol, which the Romans ufed alfo in their theatres by the name of umbella; but when a fudden ftorm arofe, the play was interrupted, and the fpectators difperfed.

Plut. in

XX. Rhet.

Arif. in

Ran.
V 046.

Atben.

lib. v.

cap. 7.

A fort of tent-work over the entire area of the edifice might have been contrived as a fhelter from the rain and a fhade from the fun. Such a covering would have obviated the inconveniences of roofed theatres, which obftruct the free communication of the air, and of unroofed theatres, which do not keep out the weather. At Athens the plays were always reprefented in the day-time, which made the unroofed theatres lefs inconvenient.

Plays were reprefente only during the three feftivals folemnized in honour of Bacchus. The firit of thefe was celebrated at the Piræus, where fome of Euripides's pieces were first performed. The fecond, which lafted only one day, was kept at the end of January or beginning of February. The third, called the greater Dionyfia, was celebrated a month after. It continued feveral days, and at tracted a great multitude of fpectators. In the feftivals which lafted only one day, five or fix dramatic pieces, either tragedies or comedies, were performed. But in the greater Dionyfia, which continued longer, 12 or 15, and fometimes more, were acted. The performance began early in the morning, and fometimes lafted the whole day.

The chorus, according as the fubje&t demanded, was compofed of men and women, old men or youths, citizens or flaves, priests, foldiers, &c. to the number of 15 in tragedy, and 24 in comedy. The chorus came upon the ftage preceded by a flute-player, who regulated their steps; fometimes one after the other, but in tragedy more frequently `three in front and five in depth, or five in front and three in depth.

The fame perfons performed both in tragedy and comedy; but, as among ourfelves, it was rare to meet with any who excelled in both. The pay of those who had acquired great reputation was confiderable. Polus gained a talent in two days (equal to L. 225 Sterling*). Players of eminence . were folicited by different actors of Greece to attend their feftivals. If, after making an engagement, they failed, they were obliged to pay a certain fum of money; and if they were abfent during the feftivals of their own republic, ́they were condemned to a heavy fine.

'The actors had habits and fymbols fuited to their parts. Kings wore a diadem, leaned on a fceptre which supported an eagle on its top, and were dressed in long robes of purple or other fplendid colours ornamented with gold. Heroes, befides having their ftature frequently increased to fix feet English, and their bulk in proportion, were frequently covered with the skin of a lion or a tyger, and armed with fwords, quivers, and clubs. All who fuffered misfortunes wore a black, brown, or dirty white garment, which frequently hung in tatters. There were various kinds of mafks for tragedy, comedy, and fatire. Thefe certainly took away the pleasure arifing from the expreffion of the countenance; but at any rate, little pleafure could be derived from this circumftance in a Grecian theatre, from its immenfe fize, and the great distance of the audience from the stage.

Dramatic entertainments were introduced at Rome in the year of the city 391. They were called ludi fcenici, because they were first acted in a fhade formed by the branches and leaves of trees. They were borrowed immediately from E. truria, whence alfo they received their firft players. These

Etrurians at firft only danced to a flute, without either fing. Theatre ing or acting. The Ronian youth foon imitated them at their folemn festivals, adding raillery in rude verses, and geftures adapted to the fubject. Thefe verfes were called Fef cennini, from Fefcennia, a city of Etruria. Livius Andro. nicus was the first poet who wrote a regular play in Latin. This happened in the year of Rome 512 or 514, about 160 years after the death of Sophocles and Euripides, and 52 after that of Menander. The Grecian model was afterwards introduced and cultivated much by fucceeding dra matic writers. This was the model of Menander, for the old and middle comedy was unknown at Rome. As the Romans were only imitators of the Greeks in the dramatic art, as well as in most of the arts and fciences, nothing more is neceffary to be faid in addition to the account which we have already given of the Grecian stage.

The origin of the English ftage is hid in obfcurity. It was not, however, copied from the Grecian or Roman; for it was evidently different in form as well as in matter, and may with more propriety be deduced from a Gothic origi nal. It appears that there were theatrical entertainments in England almost as early as the conqueft; for we are told Gentleman's by William Stephanides or Fitz Stephen, a monk, who in for 1761. the reign of Henry II. wrote his Defcriptio Nobiliffima Civitatis Londonia, that " London, inftead of the common interludes of the theatre, had plays of a more holy kind; representations of the miracles of confeffors, and the fufferings of martyrs. At this time there were also certain fets of idle people, who travelled the countries and were called Mummers, a kind of vagrant comedians, whofe excellence confifted altogether in mimickry and humour.

It is probable that, foon after this time, the dramatic reprefentations called Myfteries were exhibited: These myfteries were taken from feripture-history: fome reprefented the creation of the world, with the fall of Adam and Eve; fome the ftory of Jofeph; and others even the incarnation and fufferings of the Son of God. These pieces were exhibited Gibber's #} in a manner fo ridiculous as to favour libertinifm and infidelogy for bis Life. lity, as appears by a petition of the chaunters of St Paul's' cathedral to Richard II. in 1378, praying, that "fome un expert people might be prohibited from reprefenting the hiftory of the Old Teftament to the prejudice of the faid clergy, who had been at great expence to reprefent it publicly at Christmas.”

In the year 1390, the parish clerks of London are faid to have played interludes at Skinner's-well on three succes five days in July; and, in 1409, to have acted for eight days fucceffively a play concerning the creation of the world, at the fame place which thence acquired the name of Glerkenwell.

These Mysteries were fucceeded by Moralities, in which there were fome rude traces of a fable and a moral; and fome alfo of poetry, the virtues, vices, and other affections of the mind being frequently personified.

After thefe Moralities came what were called Interludes, which made fome approaches to wit and humour. Many of thefe pieces were written by John Heywood, jefter to Henry VIII.

In the time of Henry VIII. one or two pieces had been publifhed under the claffical names of Comedy and Tragedy, but they appear not to have been intended for popular use. It was not till the religious ferments had fubfided that the Percy's Re public had leifure to attend to dramatic poetry. In the lics of Anreign of Elizabeth, tragedies and comedies began to appear li Peetry. cient Engin form, and could the poets have perfevered, the first models were good. Gorboduc, a regular tragedy, was acted in 1561; and Gafcoigne, in 1566, exhibited Jocafla, a translation from Euripides, as allo The Suppofes, a regular

comedy,

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