my purpofe. Now then let us fpeak of the front of the theatre. In that is the profcene, ftage, and fcene they call that space the profcene which is extended before the fcene in which the stage was raised, whereon the actors of the play came forth. Nothing in our theatre is left of the stage, befides the foundation of the wall, which is diftant about twelve palms from the orcheftra; the height of which wall, according to the architect rule, feems to have been only five feet or fix palms of our meafure, and twothirds; fo that those who fat in the orchestra might fee the gefture of the actors: therefore the ftage was lower than the fcene, which is alfo to be found in our theatre. They called all that by the way of scene which spread out from the bounds of the theatre between its two horns; the length whereof to the diameter of the orchestra was double, as appears by the writings of the ancients. That in our theatre is almoft totally fallen, except only the running out party wall, which was the limit between the scene and the stage, and reached to the angles of the theatre. From the orchestra to the fcene are 28 palms and a half, twelve of which were vacant for the profcene, the reft affigned to the stage: therefore the breadth of the stage was fixteen palms and a half, which space feemed convenient for the scenical actions. In the middle of this party wall, which refpects the centre of the orcheftra, remains a femicircular plain, from whofe teftudinary or convex bending arifes a wall, which is hollowed in manner of a fhell, that they called the royal valves from its or

nament and amplitude; on both were feveral doors of the fame form, but the leffer, which they called the ftrangers' doors, becaufe they were deftined for guests and ftrangers coming into the fcene, certain veftiges of which are remaining in the fcene; efpecially thofe on the left of it, as may be feen by its rotundity: that on the right has entirely perifhed; unless that the relics of each wall fhews fome marks at the angles of a lateral opening. In each of their little areas were placed triangular machines turning on axles, on the fronts of which were depicted occafionally the plays which they acted, to wit, a comic fcene for comedies, a tragic for tragedies, a fatiric for fatire; which forts of fcenes were ornamented to a nicety by a different and various defign; to wit, the tragic with columns, enfigns, head-pieces, and other things raifed with royal magnificence; but the comic with private buildings and walls and windows, fhewing the fpecies of common houses; and the fatiric had trees, caves, mountains, and other things of that ruftic fort, drawn in arbourwork therefore thofe machines were fuddenly turned round for the argument of the play, and thereupon fhewed another face of picture.From thefe machines the gods (poke. Behind the fcene rémain many walls half ruined, of which that which fupports the little areas exhibit certain grooves or furrows, in which I judge were inferted duâile beams to be drawn upward to the feaffolds. In the reft of the party walls I judge were built those places from whence the gods appeared to

fpeak from on high over the fcene. There was a high turning machine like a watch tower, from whence Jupiter fulminated. Another place was behind the fcene, in which with bladders filled with pebbles, and turned by the air, they imitated the breaking of thunders. Add to thefe the dreffing rooms, in which, there was chiefly need of room and space when they prepared for the chorusses, and there were kept the scenical dreffes, and the reft of the inftruments and furniture of the fcene; for, from thence were brought forth all neceflaries for the plays: even at this day we enjoy a remaining part of thefe dreffing rooms at the left fide of the scene; and the reason why this theatre is fituated on the declivity of the mountain is, because it had ftreams of water running down, by the torrent and force of the fall whereof it would have grown old in a fhort time. There are walls placed higher, extending in the manner of *wings, which to this edifice were as a bank, and, as I may lay, hedged and defended it against the incurfions of the waters, by the repulfe of which the streams of water being broken and feparated, were turned off with a harmless fall through the broken precipices of the mountain;

but those waters which rained in, fhowers, falling into the fewer of the orchestra, went under through the profcene stage, beneath what was their privy, which received all that flood, and remains still. The investigation whereof I willingly underwent, together with Vincentius Turrefius, a moft accomplished youth, and in ftrictest friendship with me, who also was my helper in measuring this work, and in bringing out the truth from its ruitis and veftiges almost abolished.

Thefe are what from my poor ftore you, worthy fir, are welcome to for illuftrating the veftiges of the theatre of Saguntum. In which I doubt not there may be many things which may little please your clear judgement, which I pray and befeech you earneftly you would render more correct; for I know how knowing your countrymen are of this fort of antiquities; neither am I ignorant how much you are bent upon thofe ftudies: from whence I have held the city and Italy to be the miftrefs of all things: Italy the nurfe of literature and ftudies, the top column of learning, and the moft fertile of all countries in the production of wits.-Farewell.

From my Study, 6th January, 1709.

VOL. XLI.

MISCELLANEOUS

Of the Profe fyle introduced by Addifon and his Contemporaries; extracted from an Effay on the l'ariations of English Profe, from the Revolution to the prefent time, by Thomas Wallace; from the Tranfactions of the Royal Irish Academy.

and his contemporaries, fays Mr. Wallace, originated the firft variation that occurred, fubfequent to the revolution, in the compofition of English profe. Though the diffufe fiyle fill continued to prevail, it was no longer the loofe, inaccurate and clumfy flyle by which the compofitions of his predeceffors were difgraced. So great, indeed, was the improvement, and fo ftriking the variation introduced by Addifon, that he who compares the productions of this elegant writer with thofe of the beft writers of 1688, will find it difficult to avoid furprife, how, with fuch precedents before him, he could have rifen at once to a degree of excellence in ftyle, which conftitutes him a model for initation. The forced metaphor, the dragging claufe, the harfh cadence, and the abrupt close, are all of them ftrangers to the works of Addifon. In the ftructure of his fentences, though we may fometimes meet marks of negligence,

WITH Addifon

yet we can feldom find the unity of a fentence violated by ideas crowd-ed together, or the fenfe obfcured by an improper connection of claufes. Though, like his predeceffors, he frequently uses two words to exprefs one idea, yet, in this inftance, he is lefs faulty than they; and, among the variations introduced by him, we muft reckon a more ftrict attention to the choice of words, and more precision in the use of them.

Of figurative language, Addison has always been acknowledged the moft happy model. He was, indeed, the first of the English profe writers who were equally excellent in the choice and in the management of their figures. Of those who preceded him, it has been obferved: that they were frequently unhappy in both inftances; that their metaphors either were fuch as tended rather to degrade their fubject than to give it dignity and elevation; or that when they were well chofen, they were fpoiled by the manner in which they were conducted, being detained under the pen until their fpirit evaporated, or traced until the likenefs vanished. Addison avoided both faults: his metaphors are selected with care and tafte, or rather feem to fpring fpontaneously from his fubject; they are exhibited to the mind but for a moment, that

the

the leading traits of fimilitude may be obferved while minute likeneffes are difregarded-like those flashes of electric fire which often illumine a fummer's night, they fhed a vivid, though a tranfient luftre, over the fcene, and please rather by the brightnefs with which they gild the profpect than the accuracy with which they fhew its beauties.

Should it be doubted, whether the improvement of style, which took place in the time of Addison-that variation which fubftituted uniform and correct neatness in compofition, for what was loofe, inaccurate and capricious,-be juftly attributed to him-the doubt will vanish when it is remembered that in no work prior to his time is an equal degree of accuracy or neatnefs to be found, and even among thofe periodical papers to which the most eminent of his contemporary writers contributed, the Clio of Additon ftands eminently confpicuous. It was, indeed, from the productions of that claffic and copious mind that the public feems to have caught the tafte for fine writing which has operated from that time to the prefent, and which has given to our language perhaps the greatest degree of elegance and accuracy of which it is fufceptible; for if any thing is yet to be added to the improvement of the English ftyle, it inuft be more nerve and mufcle, not a nicer modification of form or fea

ture.

fectantem levia, nervi

Deficiunt animique :

While Addison was communicating to English profe a degree of correctness with which it had been,

till his time, unacquainted, Swift was exemplifying its precifion and giving a standard for its purity. Swift was the firft writer who attempted to exprefs his meaning without fubfidiary words and corroborating phrafes. He nearly laid afide the ufe of fynonimes in which even Addifon had a little indulged, and without being very folicitous about the ftructure or harmony of his periods, feemed to devote all his attention to illuftrate the force of individual words. Swift hewed the ftones, and fitted the materials for those who built after him ;' Additon left the neatest and most finished models of ornamental architecture.

Of the character which is here given of thefe two writers it is unneceffary to give proof by quoting paffages from their works, for two reafons; the one is, that their works are in the hands of every body; the other, that the qualities which we attribute to their style are fo obvious that it were fuperfluous to illuftrate them.

Befides thofe firft reformers of the ftyle of 1688, there were others, contemporary with them, who contributed to promote the work which they did not begin. Bolingbroke and Shaftsbury, like Addison, were elegant and correct, and feem from him to have derived their correctnefs and elegance. Of this, fo far as it concerns Shaftsbury, there is a moft remarkable proof. His tract, entitled "An Enquiry concerning Virtue," was in the hands of the public in 1699, in a ftate very different indeed from that in which his lordship publifhed it, in the year 1726. It partook of all the faults which were prevalent in the ftyle of that