On Dramatic Reprefentations, 107 
the greateft facility to fudden changes in thefe par- 
ticulars. Indeed, where the fable will admit it, 
the intervention of aéfs renders the change of time 
and place no incongruity at all. For the drama is 
then a hiftory, of which certain parts are exhibited 
in dialogue, and the reft in narration. Now, it is 
impoffible to give a reafon, why the mind, which 
can accompany with its emotions a feries of entire 
narration, fhould refufe to follow a ftory of which | 
the moft ftriking parts are exhibited in a manner 
more peculiarly impreffive. During the continuance, 
indeed, of the dramatic action, every thing fhould 
be as much as poffible in unifon; for as the ftage 
is the moft exa& imitation of real life that art can 
invent, and in fome refpects even perfeé, an 
inconfiftency in one point is rendered more obvi- 
ous by comparifon with the reft. Thus, with 
regard to time; as the converfation on the ftage employs 
the very fame fpace of time as it ‘would in a real 
fcene, it feems requifite, that the accompanying 
aétion fhould not exceed thofe limits. If, while 
the ftage has been occupied by the fame performers, 
or an uninterrupted fucceflion of new ones, the 
ftory fhould require the tranfactions of half a day 
to run parallel with the difcourfe of half an hour, 
. we could fcarcely fail to be fenfible of an incongruity, 
and cry to ourfelves, ‘ this is impoffible!” Such 
a circumftance would give a rude fhock to the 
train of our ideas, and awaken us out of that dream 
of the fancy, in'which it is the great purpofe of 
Q 2 dramatic 
