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The magnificence of our theatres is far fuperior to any others in Europe, where plays only are acted. The great care our performers take in painting for a part, their exactnefs in all the minutiae of drels, and other little scenical proprieties, have been taken notice by Ricoboni, a gentleman of Italy, who travelled Europe with no other defign but to remark upon the stage; but there are feveral improprieties ftill continued, or lately come into fafhion. As, for instance, spreading a carpet punctually at the beginning of the death fcene, in order to prevent our actors from spoiling their cloaths; this immediately apprizes us of the tragedy to follow; for laying the cloth is not a more fure indication of dinner than laying the carpet of bloody work at Drury-lane, Our little pages alfo with unmeaning faces, that bear up the train of a weeping princefs, and our aukward lords in waiting, take off much from her diftrefs, Mutes of every kind divide our attention, and leffen our fenfibility; but here it is entirely ridiculous, as we fee them seriously employed in doing nothing. If we must have dirty-fhirted guards upon the theatres, they should be taught to keep their eyes fixed on the actors, and not roll them round upon the audience, as if they were ogling the boxes.

Beauty methinks feems a requifite qualification in an actress. This feems fcrupulously obferved elfewhere, and for my part I could with to fee it obferved at home. I can never conceive an hero dying for love of a lady totally deftitute of beauty. I muft think the part unnatural, for I cannot bear to hear him call that face angelic, when even paint cannot hide its wrinkles. I muft condemn him of ftupidity, and the person whom I can accufe for want of tafte will feldom become the object of my affections or admiration. But if this be a defect, what must be the entire perverfion of scenical decorum, when for inL 3

ftance

ftance we see an actress, that might act the Wapping Landlady without a bolfter, pining in the character of Jane Shore, and while unwieldy with fat endeavouring to convince the audience that she is dying with hunger!

For the future then, I could wish that the parts of the young or beautiful were given to performers of fuitable figures; for I must own, I could rather fee the ftage filled with agreeable objects, though they might fometimes bungle a little, than fee it crowded with withered or mis-fhapen figures, be their emphafis, as I think it is called, ever fo proper. The firft may have the aukward appearance of newraised troops; but in viewing the laft I cannot avoid the mortification of fancying myfeif placed in an hofpital of invalids.

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THE STORY OF ALCANDER AND SEPTIMIUS.

TRANSLATED FROM A BYZANTINE HISTORIAN.

ATHENS, even long after the decline of the Roman empire, ftill continued the feat of learning, politenefs, and wifdom. The emperors and generals, who in thefe periods of approaching ignorance ftill felt a paffion for fcience, from time to time added to its buildings, or encreased its profefforfhips. Theodoric, the Oftrogoth, was of the number; he repaired thofe fchools which barbarity was fuffering to fall into decay, and continued thofe penfions to men of learning, which avaricious governors had monopolized to themfelves.

In this city, and about this period, Alcander and Septimius were fellow ftudents together. The one the most subtle reasoner of all the Lyceum; the other the most eloquent fpeaker in the academic grove. Mutual admiration foon begot an acquaintance, and a fimilitude of disposition made them perfect friends. Their fortunes were nearly equal, their ftudies the fame, and they were natives of the two moft celebrated cities in the world; for Alcander was of Athens, Septimius came from Rome.

In this mutual harmony they lived for fome time together, when Alcander, after paffing the first part of his youth in the indolence of philofophy, thought at length of entering into the bufy world, and as a step previous to this, placed his affections on Hypatia, a lady of exquifite beauty. Hypatia fhewed no diflike to his addreffes. The day of their intended nuptials was fixed, the previous ceremonies were performed, and nothing now remained but, her being conducted in triumph to the apartment of the intended bridegroom.

An exultation in his own happiness, or his being unable to enjoy any fatisfaction without making his friend Septimius a partner, prevailed upon him to introduce his miftrefs to his fellow ftudent, which he did with all the gaiety of a man who found himself equally happy in friendship and love. But this was an interview fatal to the peace of both. Septimius no fooner faw her, but he was fmit with an involuntary paffion. He used every effort, but in vain, to fuppress defires at once fo imprudent and unjuft. He retired to his apartment in inexpreffible agony; and the emotions of his mind in a fhort time became fo ftrong, that they brought on a fever, which the phyficians judged incurable.

During this illness Alcander watched him with all the anxiety of fondnefs, and brought his miftrefs

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to join in these amiable offices of friendship. The fagacity of the phyficians, by this means, foon difcovered the caufe of their patient's diforder; and Alcander, being apprized of their discovery, at length extorted a confeffion from the reluctant dying lover.

It would but delay the narrative to defcribe the conflict between love and friendship in the breast of Alcander on this occafion; it is enough to fay, that the Athenians were at this time arrived to fuch refinement in morals, that every virtue was carried to excess. In fhort, forgetful of his own felicity, he gave up his intended bride, in all her charins, to the young Roman. They were married privately by his connivance; and this unlooked-for change of fortune wrought as unexpected a change in the conftitution of the now happy Septimius. In a few days he was perfectly recovered, and fet out with his fair partner for Rome. Here, by an exertion of those talents of which he was fo eminently poffeffed, he in a few years arrived at the higheft dignities of the ftate, and was conftituted the city judge, or prætor.

Mean while Alcander not only felt the pain of being separated from his friend and miftrefs, but a profecution was alfo commenced against him by the relations of Hypatia, for his having bafely given her up as was fuggefted, for money, Neither his innocence of the crime laid to his charge, nor his eloquence in his own defence was able to withstand the influence of a powerful party.

He was caft and condemned to pay an enormous fine. Unable to raise fo large a fum at the time appointed, his poffeffions were confifcated, himself ftript of the habit of freedom, expofed in the market-place, and fold as flave to the higheft bidder,

A merchant of Thrace becoming his purchafer, Alcander, with fome other companions of diftrefs, was carried into the region of defolation and fterility.

His ftated employment was to follow the herds of an imperious mafter, and his fkill in hunting was all that was allowed him to fupply a precarious fubsistence. Condemned to hopeless fervitude, every morning waked him to renewal of famine or toil, and every change of feafon ferved but to aggravate his unfheltered diftrefs. Nothing but death or flight was left him, and almoft certain death was the confequence of his attempting to fly. After fome years of bondage, however, an opportunity of escaping offered; he embraced it with ardour, and travelling by night, and lodging in caverns by day, to fhorten a long ftory, he at last arrived in Rome. The day of Alcander's arrival, Septimius fat in the forum adminiftering justice; and hither our wanderer came, expecting to be inftantly known, and publickly acknowledged. Here he ftood the whole day among the crowd, watching the eyes of the judge, and expecting to be taken notice of, but fo much was he altered by a long fucceffion of hardships, that he paffed entirely without notice; and in the evning, when he was going up to the prætor's chair, he was brutally repulfed by the attending lictors. The attention of the poor is generally driven from one ungrateful object to another. Night coming on, he now found himself under a neceffity of feeking a place to lie in, and yet knew not where to apply. All emaciated and in rags as he was, none of the citizens would harbour fo much wretchedness, and fleeping in the streets might be attended with interruption or danger in fhort, he was obliged to take up his lodging in one of the tombs without the city, the ufual retreat of guilt, poverty, or defpair.

In this manfion of horror, laying his head upon an inverted urn, he forgot his miferies for a while in fleep; and virtue found on this flinty couch more ease than down can fupply to the guilty.

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