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fries have been much pleafed with a fong or mufic of any kind \ 

 Thefpis, findingthis part of his tragedies mod attended to, thought, 

 and perhaps very judicioufly, that no kind of fong or mufic would 

 be fo proper as that which in general might have fome connexion 

 with the drama, though poffibly he did not inviolably adhere to 

 the rule,, 



Neu quid medios intercinat actus 



Quod non propofito conducat, & hareat apte.. 



which indeed was generally obferved by the later writers of 

 tragedy. iEfchylus then, and the other poets that followed him, 

 finding the Ghorus already eftabliihed,. had by no means the 

 courage to banifh it, though at the fame time they muft have 

 been fenfible that it was not effential to the drama ; and indeed I. 

 am not at all forry that they preferved it, for thefe Chorufes 

 often are the molt elevated and touching pieces of poetry that we 

 have any where extant.. In thefe the poet gave his genius the 

 free fcope, which he indulged with the greateft fire and happi- 

 nefs ; and if they are frill confidered as excrefcences, they 

 are fuch which for my own part I. could not confent to lop 

 off. 



Horace lays it down as a rule, that the Chorus mould keep 

 inviolably fecret every thing intruded to them ; this indeed is 

 a moft neceffary injunction, and, which I believe hath always 



b It is not contended by this that what the Chorus faid was always 

 fet to mufic, it oftentimes is to be conirdered as a tingle perfon concerned 

 in the play, which part of its office was probably performed by the 

 Coryphaeus only.- / 



2 • been. 



