akin to the mind of God. times of Cardinal Wolsey. tion of Gunpowder Beneficial. make Slave; if your hearts beat with joy The life and The introducAnd that one subject has been discussed without an Essay, viz.: War Inconsistent with the Spirit of Christianity. While their efforts will be directed to their own success, they will rejoice in the prosperity of all kindred Societies, and regret the decline of any of them. Wishing your Society every success, I am, Sir, On behalf of would draw tears of admiration and gratitude from the latest posterity -Emancipate the Slave; if you would lay up for yourselves treasures that corrupt not, honours that are imperishable, glory that is un- School Rooms, Philpot Street, Commercial fading-Emancipate the Slave. Prospect House, Globe Road, Mile End. 31st March, 1838. SIR, I am desired by the Board of Presidents of "The East London Young Men's Improvement Society," to inform you of the Establishment of the same, and to forward you a copy of its "Laws; " while doing thus, I beg also to inform you, that the number of members is at present twenty-six, that four Essays have been read and discussed, viz:"The character, times, and writings of Lord Bacon." The doctrine stated and illustrated, that mind is an immaterial principle, the same in kind, in man, and in the inferior animals, but in man more improvable, and BENJAMIN NEWMAN, Secretary. P. S. The Society meets at Wycliffe Road. The Managers have much pleasure in stating that the expectations expressed in alized, the Branch having now secured sometheir last Report have been in a measure renow with confidence they report its steady thing like a firm footing in this City; and continuance in the prosecution of its objects. Since the last Quarterly Report, twelve new members have been admitted; a number short time the Branch has been established, by no means insignificant, considering the the difficulties it has had in making its obdice and misunderstanding encountered as to jects known and understood, and the prejuthe benefits connected with it. The First Association is steadily pursuing its path of improvement. Essays have been read on the Evidences of Christianity; the Power and Efficacy of Christianity; and the Attributes of God. A Second Association has also been formed for the purpose of acquiring Scriptural Knowledge. The managers have much pleasure in statingt hat the Young Men's Magazine is read by the members. This work, from the able manner in which it is conducted, as well as from the very interesting nature of the subjects treated therein, is calculated to do much good to society in general, and especially to advance the interests, by explaining the motives and objects of the Young Men's Society. ALEX. GALT, Secretary. a greater or less degree the public amusement of the people, from the RECONCILEABLE WITH THE PRIN- Greeks downwards, through the CIPLES OF CHRISTIANITY? Romans, to the various nations of THERE is in the idea of antiquity the western world; curiosity prompts something peculiarly impressive; the search for a principle upon the effect of a compound feeling which we may account for the origin which associates the present with of an amusement which is so obthe remote ages of the past, and viously congenial with the human places in solemn contrast before the mind. The principle sought is mind, the one vast duration of the doubtless that of imitation; which whole intermediate period with the developes itself with the opening "hand's-breadth " existence faculties of childhood, and indeed of him who is contemplating the appears to have sanctioned the use thought. Age seems to make even of the word "play" in something error venerable; so far at least as of a similar sense, as well when this remark is applicable to the appropriated to express the delights moral systems which, throughout of the nursery as to designate the the years of by-gone time, have more matured fascinations of the influenced mankind. stage. Another principle has, how mere Amongst other ancient matters of ever, been suggested, namely, that more momentous import, dramatic which we employ to account for the representations claim for themselves tendency of man to idolatry; the a long line of centuries, and have a desire to express the abstract in the powerful plea in antiquity to support concrete, that "striving after oband justify them. Their earliest origin jectivity;" that wish to render the is placed in the mists of a period too conceivable perceivable, which is distant to be penetrated by the eye of the ordinary characteristic of an accredited history. We have, how- uneducated mind.* ever, authentic evidence of their The great popular influence of existence, although in a form rude dramatic representations would, it and immature, so far back as two is natural to suppose, operate powerthousand four hundred years ago. fully upon the modes of thinking When we regard this fact in con- and speaking of the enamoured mulnexion with the circumstance that, titude; and accordingly we find in except during a portion of the mid- all countries, that the stage has dle ages of Christianity, the representations of the stage have been in VOL. II. Donaldson's Theatre of the Greeks, p. 2. G 82 ever forshed er hornges the language of our question conwith the most beauti metaphors vers the idea of a moral opposition that adorm them. In every toge between the drama and religion, and we read of the drama of human de: a Bocht whether they are reconcileits scenes are described as ccatis able, the ancient drama should have ally shifting and varying; mortal taken its rise from a religious cerelife is represented as an intricate mocy. The word tragedy, is deplot, which will gradually mad, rived from the Greek word tragos, and finally wind up into harmony and its homely meaning is simply and happiness: and the world is gout-sony. Tragedy, like other arts, styled a magnificent theatre, in was, in its beginning, rude and imwhich God has placed us-assigned perfect. The song referred to was to every man a character.—is a wont to be sung by the Greeks at constant spectator how he supports the festival of Bacchus. A goat this character, and will finally ap- was the sacrifice offered to that god: plaud or condemn according to the after the sacrifice, the priests, with good or bad execution of the part, the company that joined them, sung whatever it is, he has been ap- hymns in honour of Bacchus. These pointed to act. With what elegance hymns, or lyric poems, were sung and propriety does St. Paul, whom sometimes by the whole company, we find quoting Menander, one of sometimes by separate bands, anthe most celebrated writers of the swering alternately to each other; Greek comedy, represent the fashion making what we call a chorus. In of this world as passing away (1 Cor. order to throw some variety into vii. 31.), and all the scenes of this this entertainment, and to relieve vain and visionary life as perpetually the singers, it was thought proper shifting. "The imagery,” says Gro-to introduce a person, who between tius, is taken from the theatre, the songs should make a recitation where the scenery is suddenly in verse. Thespis, who lived about changed, and exhibits an appearance five hundred and thirty-six years totally different.” * One of our own great poets too † asks— before the Christian era, made this trived to interweave some interest- and Euripides. It is observable in him; in the artful working up of how short a space of time tragedy the stronger passions, especially of grew up among the Greeks, from terror and pity; and in the choice the rudest beginnings to its most of a subject great, noble, interesting, perfect state. For Sophocles, styled and contained within due bounds the greatest and most correct of all by the unity of time, place, and the tragic poets, flourished only action.* twenty-two years after Eschylus, Of the vast dimensions of the and was little more than seventy ancient theatres, both of Athens and years posterior to Thespis. The of Rome, we can form no adequate theatrical representations at Athens, conceptions from considering even even in the days of Sophocles and the largest of our own. In Greece Aristophanes, were constituent parts the dramatic performances were of a religious festival; the theatre carried on for a few days in the in which they were performed was spring; the theatre was large sacred to Bacchus, and the worship enough to contain the whole popuof the god was always as much re- lation, and every citizen was there garded as the amusement of the as a matter of course from daypeople. Thespis, as above ob- break to sun-set. The seats of the served, has the merit of having audience were formed by ascending much improved the tragic art: be- sweeps of steps, rising from the fore him tragedy was no more than semi-circle of the orchestra, so that a jumble of buffoon tales in the nearly all could see with equal concomic style, intermixed with the venience. Whatever diminution of singing of the Bacchanalian chorus. effect, to the eye and ear, was ọcThe first alteration was to carry his casioned by the distance, was comactors about in a cart; whereas be- pensated by the artificial contrivfore, they used to sing in the streets, ances before adverted to; namely, wherever chance led them. Es- by the masks which enlarged the chylus improved upon Thespis, not features of the face, and by the only in giving masks to his actors, cothurnus, or buskin, which proporbut adorned them with robes and tionably elevated the figure. The trains, and made them wear buskins power of the voice was increased by -a kind of high shoes which raised means of an apparatus attached to their stature. Instead of a cart, he the mask. There were also certain erected a wooden theatre of mode- cavities or receptacles for sound rate elevation, and entirely changed distributed about the building. Great their style; which from being merry care was used in the selection of a and burlesque, as at first, became beautiful situation. The theatre at majestic and serious. But that was Tauromenium (now Taormino), in only the external part or body of Sicily, of which the ruins are still tragedy; its soul, which was the visible, was so situated that over most important and essential ad- the back ground of the scenes there dition of Eschylus, consisted in the vivacity and spirit of the action, sustained by the dialogue of the persons of the drama introduced by *Blair's Lectures, vol iii., 219. was a view of Etna. In Greece the theatres were uncovered; awnings were a late invention of Roman luxury. There will I am sure be *Rollin's Ancient History.-Introduction, + Donaldson, p. 132. ‡ Ibid, pp. 318, 319. de one, every thing Ow serveery Amited me mi visited si ʼn de otter, every mus * act permit a firession ang vis dented and unde ndimto a Sope then might hers have micns not even excepting the gods. kaan otherwise coprorateymus who meet with very RTV Tent d vead, won the gains and price- from Armoiccates The Athenians home of Bactrima, as compared with considered a comedy so disreputable those of oven of wa grea immediate a performance, that they passed a WALONE, DOGMAA ka ndiomyces, law probiting any judge of the What the frat raised, as we have Arecpars from writing one.‡ We described, the theatre of Greece to scarcely need make a passing remark Buklen etlenke uð abounded respecting the Roman drama. The power over the public mind, this as Romans in this, as in the other fine cendancy was equally sustained by arts of sculpture and architecture, the peculiar dramatic excellence were the mere imitators of the which characterized each of the Athenians. They do not, however, other two. Nachylus, it has been as the Greeks, appear to have based observed, pourtrayed man superior the representations of the stage in a to his nature; Sophocles shewed * B. iii., c. 2. * Blair Lec. iii. 249. |