Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/38

26 Yet when I peak thus lightly of dramatick rules, I cannot but recollect how much wit and learning may be produced againt me; before uch authorities I am afraid to tand, not that I think the preent quetion one of thoe that are to be decided by mere authority, but becaue it is to be upected, that thee precepts have not been o eaily received, but for better reaons than I have yet been able to find. The reult of my enquiries, in which it would be ludicrous to boat of impartiality, is, that the unities of time and place are not eential to a jut drama, that though they may ometimes conduce to pleaure, they are always to be acrificed to the nobler beauties of variety and intruction; and that a play, written with nice obervation of critical rules, is to be contemplated as an elaborate curioity, as the product of uperfluous and otentatious art, by which is hewn, rather what is poible, than what is neceary.

He that, without diminution of any other excellence, hall preerve all the unities unbroken, deerves the like applaue with the architect, who hall diplay all the orders of architecture in a citadel, without any deduction from its trength; but the principal beauty of a citadel is to exclude the enemy; and the greatet graces of a play are to copy nature, and intruct life.

Perhaps, what I have here not dogmatically but deliberately written, may recal the principles of the drama to a new examination. I am amot frighted at my own temerity; and when I etimate the fame and the trength of thoe that maintain the contrary opinion,