will very readily acknowledge, and retract his mistake; as he is certain, that neither malevolence or any particular attachment have influenced him.

*

He does not offer this as a finished performance. He is convinced, that firft attempts seldom reach perfection; and that this has too many inaccuracies to affume that character. But as it seems to be a more regular defign than has yet appeared on the fubject, he hopes that it may be an inducement to abler pens to follow his example, and fill up the outline he has attempted; and that the critically impartial will excufe his deficiencies for the candour of his intention. In that confidence he fubmits it to the public perufal.

CON

CHA P. I.

DEFINITION of the Stage; its ufe to So-

ciety; the difadvantages under which it

labours,

CHA P. II.

Page 1

Of Dramatic Entertainments in general; of Tra-

gedy; a remark on the characters of the Or-

phan; the Fair Penitent; Jane Shore; of the

modern method of making Tragedies; of the Ro-

man Father, and Mallet's Eurydice,

CHA P. III.

20

Of the different fpecies of Tragedy: of Lady

Macbeth; its propriety: Some strictures on

Shakespeare and Otway: of Tate's alteration

of King Lear; of Addifon's Cato; of our

feelings when Spectators of a Tragedy; and

their caufe,

CHA P. IV.

28

Of Comedy: its end: of the Defign of the Play of

Every Man in bis Humour of the different

Species of Comedy: of the Careless Hufband;

how faulty; and how to be corrected: Terence

and Steel compared,

37

CHAP.

CHA P. V.

Some of Congreve's characters, whence taken ; of

the defects of the Spanish Drama; of the pro-

grefs of Theatrical Entertainments among the

Romans, both antient and modern; of the Ita-

lian Drama at this day; of the French Stage;

of the English Comedy,

Of Farce,

CHAP. VI.

45

бо

CHAP. VII.

Of Opera Theatrical Mufic; and Pantomime, 65

PART II.

Of the ART of ACTING.

CHAP. I.

Alting defined; general obfervations on the Art &

the effential requifites for forming a complete

Altor, &

CHA P. II.

81

How an Actor ought to form himself; the means

by which he may arrive at excellence,

CHA P. III.

91

How he ought to deport himself with regard to

the world, his masters, his brethren, and his

choice of characters,

CHAP. IV.

97

Of Paffion and Elocution: bow to manage and pre-

Serve the Voice: Aaron Hill on this fubject, 105

CHAP.

CHA P. V.

Of the various Paffions; how to exprefs them in

Speaking, Looks, and Action: illuftrated by

comparing Iago with Zanga,

CH A P. VÌ.

114

A Short HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

of the STAGE, Antient and Modern, to

the Restoration.

Of the firft rife of the Drama, and the structure

CHAP. VI.

Of the first rife of the modern Theatre, particu

larly the British,

CHAP. VII.

204

Of the most eminent British Actors from Queen

Elizabeth's time to the Reftoration,

PART IV.

218

A CRITICAL EXAMINATION of the Merits

and Demerits of the principal Performers in

England and Ireland.

С НА Р. I.

"An Addrefs to Audiences,

229

CHA P. II.

241

Of Garrick's different Excellencies,

CHA P. III.

Of Woodward, Moffop, &c.

CHA P. IV.

263

A short history of the Irish Theatre; and an ac

count of the principal Performers,

CHAP. V.

Of the Performers on the Irish Stage,

CHAP. VI.

Of the Usefulness of the Stage,

305