370 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



gefturcs of a man who would meafure another 

 that was greater than himfelf. Pylades cries out 

 to him from among the people, My friend, you 

 jttflty make your Agamemnon to be a man of great 

 flatnre^ but not a great man." The people de- 

 manded that Pylades fhould indantly perform 

 the fame part , and the people were obeyed. 

 then reprefcnted by his attitude and gef- 

 tures, the appearance of A man plunged in pro- 

 found meditation, in order to exprefs the proper 

 character of a great man. As if a man of a mo- 

 derate or even a low capacity was not fometimes 

 rapt in profound meditation. The people how- 

 ever cried a miracle, and fhouted applaule. 

 What a pitiful example is this ! Not that we 

 imagine another actor could have done better 

 in this inftance than Hylas or Pylades, but we 

 think that matters like this, and ftill lefs fcenes 

 of fentiment, can never be well cxpreffed mere- 

 ly by attitudes or geftures ; and that it is a folly to 

 attempt it, or to be pleafed with fo imperfect an 

 exprefllon. 



XIV. The Romans however, were fo charm- 

 ed with thefe performances, that the two great 

 pantomime rivals, Pylades and Bathyllus, and 

 their moft famous fuccefibrs, were fometimes 

 well nigh diftracting the empire by the parties 

 they occafioned among the people. All thefe pan- 

 tomime buffoons were at the fame time nothing 

 better than miferable eunuchs, who, to make 

 their performance fcili more ridiculous, acted 



with 



