ACCOUNT of the GERMAN THEATRE. 165 



bility ; a refinement and eloquence of fentiment which one 

 would imagine the bulk of the people could neither underftand 

 nor admire. Perhaps, however, an audience may admire what 

 it does not perfectly underftand, if a few fentimentalifts of high 

 name do but (hew it what it ought to admire. In fentiment, as in 

 religion, there is a myftical fort of enthufiafm, which warms the 

 fancy without fubmitting itfelf to the under [landing ; in fen- 

 timent, as in religion, enthufiafm is eafily communicated. 

 High refinements, which go far beyond real life, catch with a 

 rapidity of infection. They are the creed of a feet, which is 

 always propagated with more ardor and bigotry than the rational 

 belief of a community. 



In the conduct of the fable, fome of their authors, as I 

 mentioned before, do not confine themfelves to any obfervance 

 of . the unities of time and place, but aflume a licence of tranf- 

 porting their audience, even in the midft of what they call 

 (though by what rule I know not) an acl, into different pro- 

 vinces and diftant periods. In the reading, this offends but 

 little ; and even in reprefentation, it offends lefs than fome o£ 

 the difciples of Aristotle are apt to fuppofe. 



It is difficult to affign the limits or the power of theatrical 

 deception. Perhaps Dr Johnson, in his excellent piece of cri- 

 ticifm on the Unities, has allowed too little force to that tq 

 which the fchools had before afcribed too much. A play re- 

 prefented is certainly fomething different from a play read ; and 

 in that reprefentation, we are hurt with any circumftanee which 

 lets down our feelings from their ideal place, as we are, on the 

 other hand, pleafed with every circumftanee which rivets and 

 confirms them there. The drefs, the decorations, the fcenery, 

 and ail thofe little externals, which, in the cant language of the 

 theatre, are called property, hurt us, if they do not correfpond 

 with the fituation and circumftances of the perfons whom we 

 fee before us on the fcene. And this cannot be from our fenfe 

 of the propriety of a theatrical exhibition, confidered as fuch, 



according 



