ABSTRACT
After having touched upon the qualities of tragedy, our author [Brumoy] goes on to consider the length of time which tragedy ought to employ. His opinion, although not so clearly expressed as might be wished, is the same as has been pursued by all the best dramatic writers, except Shakespeare. Our immortal Shakespeare has committed the highest offences against chronology, history, politics, and every shadow of probability. He has broke through the unities of action, time, and place. He has confined himself to no dramatic rules, by which unbounded licence he has not given us-if the blasphemy against him may be excused-any one complete play. He has indeed done more. He has exhibited certain strokes of nature that must have been entirely lost, or miserably lopped and maimed, had he submitted to wear those shackles with which neither Eschylus himself nor any of his successors thought it a pain or a disgrace to be loaded.
