in this respect, by enlarging the area round the site of the late building. very commo Whether a more convenient situation might be selected, The entrances I do not pretend to know; but a theatre built on the old might be made foundation might be rendered extremely commodions as to dious its entrances, or vomitories, as the ancients called the aveDues to their amphitheatres. arches. If the whole building were raised upon arches of a height by raising the sufficient to admit carriages, and if numerous flights of stairs building on were constructed within the piers which support these arches, the audience might depart commodiously in different directions, without confusion or delay. The colonnades formed by pillars properly disposed would permit alternate rows of carriages. Company might descend from the boxes almost immediately inte their carriages: passages for those who were on foot might be railed off, and rendered secure. This plan would be attended, with considerable expense; This expense but it might be counterbalanced by sparing one of the might be compensated. higher galleries, which lately injured the audibility of the performance, without adding mach to the profits of the house. Besides it might be so managed, that tickets for the admission of carriages under the piazzas should bé issued, which would cover the expense of their con struction. 3. Facility of feeing and hearing.-As to seeing I believe Facility of that very little can be said, but what is obvious to every seeing, person of common sense; the actors and the spectators have in this respect opposite interests. It is the interest of the actors, to have that part of the house, which contains the audience, as large as possible. On the contrary it must be the wish of the audience, within certain bounds, to be near the stage; and in all cases, the audience must wish, that every part of the pit, galleries, and boxes, should be equally commodious for seing. Now in a large theatre this is impossible. To extend the pit and boxes, they must recede from the front of the stage; they cannot be extended in breadth without shutting out the view from the side boxes. and of hearing. Garrick fond of pantomime. Audience part. Stage Little inconvenience was felt as to seeing at Drury-lane ; but every body, who wished to hear, complained. As to the actors, to make any impression, they were obliged to raise their voices above the natural pitch; to substitute pantomimic gesticulation, in the place of inflexions of voice; and to use contortions of features instead of the natural expression of the eyes, and the easy movement of the countenance. It is in vain, that critics inveigh against the bad taste of those, who prefer show, and pantomime, and processions, and dancing, and all that the French call spectacle: unless we can hear the sentiments and dialogue, it is useless to write good plays; but all the world loves spectacle. Both these tastes should be gratified. Garrick, as I have heard him declare, was always entertained with a pantomime: he told me how many times he had seen HarJequin Fortunatus with delight-the number I forget, however I am sure, that it far exceeded the number of times any man could hear a good comedy or tragedy. Surely the literary and the visual entertainment of different spectators might be gratified. In the first place, the audience-part of the theatre fhould be left smaller, and lower, than it was at Drury-lane. Its shape might undoubtedly be improved, by constructing it according to the known laws of accoustics: but this, if rigorously attended to, would contract the space so, as to affect too much the receipts of the house. The area for the stage might be as large as it was formerly; but the scenery should be adjusted so as to contract the stage to reasonable dimensions. To confine the voice, the wings should have leaves, or flaps, hinged to them, so as occasionally to close the space between the wings, leaving sufficient room for exits and entrances. When large objects require admission, these leaves might be turned back, and would then allow the same space as usual between the wings. This would be an additional convenience to the actors, while they stand in waiting to enter on the stage, Ceiling of the as it would screen them from the cold. The ceiling of the stage, which at present is made by strips of painted linen hanging perpendicularly, should be made of well varnished iron or stage. copper copper frames, turning upon centres so as to open at plea sure like venetian window-blinds; and by this means to contract, at will, the opening of the ceiling, and to con duct the voice of the performers towards the audience. The A gentle cus current of air, so as it does not amount to wind, should rent of air should flow flow from the stage to the audience. By experiments tried from the upon sound by Sir Thomas Morland and some other mem- stage. bers of the Royal Society, it appeared, that the propagation of sound was prodigiously obstructed by the assistance or opposition of a slight current of air. We are told by Sound increased by Vitruvius, and Lipsius, that the sound of the actor's voice brazen vessels was increased in a surprising manner by brazen vessels under the placed under the seats of the audience. No satisfactory account remains of the manner in which this desirable effect was produced. It would not however be difficult to try experiments on this subject in any one of our theatres when it is vacant. seats. an earthen jar About 40 years ago I happened to go with a friend into Sound ina large cockpit at an inn at Towcester. My friend, who creased by was at the opposite side of the pit, appeared to me to behind the auspeak with a voice uncommonly loud and sonorous. Upon ditor. my inquiring why he spoke in that manner, he said, that he had not raised his voice above its ordinary pitch. Upon looking about I perceived a large earthen jar behind me, which proved the cause of this increase of sound: for upon repeated trials the voice of my friend sounded as usual when I stood in any other part of the cockpit, but that in which the vase was placed. To the best of my recollection the jar was about five feet high, and twenty inches in diameter. I remember well, that it rung clearly, but slowly, when struck with the knuckle. By what means, and by what materials, the pulses of sound may be best returned for the purposes we have in view, is a subject for the joint efforts of mathematics and experiment. Among other expedients pannelling the backs of the Expedient suggested, boxes with thin elastic plates of brass might be tried. A saving and advantage would certainly arise in all cases from using iron, or copper, instead of wood; they would not require renewal for many years, and they would be a preservative against against fire. The prompter's box might certainly be improved, so as to throw the prompter's voice more distinctly upon the stage, and to prevent its being heard by the audience. Comforts of 4. Convenience to performers. Notwithstanding the rethe performers veries of Rousseau, and the declamations of the overrighte should be studied. ous, actors have risen in the estimation of the public. We have seen with rational and sincere pleasure the excellent conduct of many female performers. I consider this reform as highly advantageous to morality, and it becomes a duty in the managers of a theatre, to accommodate the performers with every possible convenience, so that they may enjoy that English word comfort, which in all situations of life tends to promote independance and morality. Speaking pipes. Expense. It is scarcely necessary to add, that pipes to speak through should be laid from the green room to every apart ment of the actors. 6. I have left the article of expense to the last, because whatever essentially tends to the convenience and gratification of the public will always find sufficient supplies from the liberality of Britain. A small addition to the price of tickets would amply defray the expense, that would be incurred by any real improvements. If the united efforts of men of science and men of practice were directed to this object, we might expect to see a theatre superior to any on the continent, adapted both to the purposes of splendid exhibition and of true comedy; where our children might be entertained with the "Forty Thieves," and ourselves with "The Rivals" and "The School for Scandal." R. L. E. XI. Plan for Preventing or Suppressing Fires. In a Letter from THE destructive fires, that have recently taken place in Watchmen to London, have induced me to compress a few ideas on the prevent fires. subject of watching public buildings, which have arisen from a desire to form a plan of safety for a building in which I am myself interested. I shall confine these observations to the prevention or suppression of fire, in such a theatre as that lately in Drury Lane, or Covent Garden; and, if they are calculated for a place in your valuable Journal, they are at your service. Let it be supposed, that such a building is directed to Method of abe nominally divided into convenient sections, each capable suring their vie gilance. of being and actually attended to by one watchman. A small chamber, or any other space, in addition to and distinct from these, in a proper situation, shall be occupied by a person to direct or check these watchmen. The direc tion may be exercised ordinarily without leaving this chamber, in the following manner. Let there be one clock for each watchman, of a certain construction (which is at present partially in use, and proved to accomplish, purposes similar to the object of the present paper) fixed in the chamber of the director of the watchmen; each clock, com municating with the section of its proper watchman by cranks and wires, or otherwise, in such a manner, that by pulling the wire he shall be able to effect a visible alteration on the clock at a precise moment, as agreed upon, conform ably with the construction of the clock, but not at any other moment. This clock shows the usual division of time, and has also a revolving frame in which pins are placed in sockets capable of being pressed down at particular times only, as above stated. Thus, by the use of this clock, a watchman's vigilance or neglect may be proved by the evi dence of the clock itself. Suppose, |