nobler subject than the unmanly luxuries of a debauched Court, or giddy intrigues of a factious city. _Alit oemulatio ingenia_, says PATERCULUS, _et nunc invidia, nunc admiratio incitationem accendit_: 'Emulation is the spur of wit; and sometimes envy, sometimes admiration quickens our endeavours.' "But now, since the rewards of honour are taken away: that Virtuous Emulation is turned into direct Malice; yet so slothful, that it contents itself to condemn and cry down others, without attempting to do better. 'Tis a reputation too unprofitable, to take the necessary pains for it; yet wishing they had it, is incitement enough to hinder others from it. And this, in short, EUGENIUS, is the reason why you have now so few good poets, and so many severe judges. Certainly, to imitate the Ancients well, much labour and long study is required: which pains, I have already shown, our poets would want encouragement to take; if yet they had ability to go through with it. "Those Ancients have been faithful Imitators and wise Observers of that Nature, which is so torn and ill-represented in our Plays. They have handed down to us a perfect Resemblance of Her, which we, like ill copyers, _neglecting to look on_, have rendered monstrous and disfigured. "But that you may know, how much you are indebted to your Masters! and be ashamed to have so ill-requited them! I must remember you, that all the Rules by which we practise the Drama at this day (either such as relate to the Justness and Symmetry of the Plot; or the episodical ornaments, such as Descriptions, Narrations, and other beauties which are not essential to the play), were delivered to us from the Observations that ARISTOTLE made of those Poets, which either lived before him, or were his contemporaries. We have added nothing of our own, except we have the confidence to say, 'Our wit is better!' which none boast of in our Age, but such as understand not theirs. Of that book, which ARISTOTLE has left us, [Greek: peri taes Poietikaes]; HORACE his _Art of Poetry_ is an excellent _Comment_, and, I believe, restores to us, that Second Book of his [_i.e., ARISTOTLE_] concerning _Comedy_, which is wanting in him. "Out of these two [Authors], have been extracted the Famous Rules, which the French call, _Des trois Unites_, or 'The Three Unities,' which ought to be observed in every _regular_ Play; namely, of TIME, PLACE, and ACTION. "The UNITY OF TIME, they comprehend in Twenty-four hours, _the compass of a natural Day_; or, as near it, as can be contrived. And the reason of it is obvious to every one. That _the Time_ of the feigned Action or Fable of the Play _should be proportioned_, as near as can be, _to the duration of that Time in which it is REPRESENTED_. Since therefore all plays are acted on the Theatre in a space of time _much within_ the compass of Twenty-four hours; that Play is to be thought the _nearest Imitation_ of Nature, whose Plot or Action is confined within that time. "And, by the same Rule which concludes this General Proportion of Time,