670 
PLAYHOUSE, 
pivots, as defcribed by Vitruvius; or duflile, i. e. Aiding 
along grooves, as thofe in our theatres, And as this or 
that fide, or reprefentation, was turned towards the 
fpe&ators, the fcene was called a tragic, a comic, or a 
paftoral, fcene. See feveral curious remarks on the 
ancient fcene in M. Perrault’s notes on Vitruvius, lib. v. 
cap. 6. 
In this way it is evident there could be no great 
variety made in the view: the principal fcene always 
continued the fame fo long as the theatre fubfifted, being 
a part of the building itfelf; and all the diverfity of the 
profpeft being only what could be feen through the three 
paflages of the fcene, according as the different faces of 
the painted prifms were turned towards the fpeftators; 
and, confidering the fmall fkill in perfpeflive which the 
ancients had, it may be prefumed, that the greateft 
beauty of their theatres lay more in the architecture of 
the building than in the painted or moveable fcenes. In 
after-times, when perfpedfive began to be better under- 
ftood, fcenery (as it is now called) was improved, and 
became the principal ornament of the theatre, by which 
not only a greater variety of profpeffs could be repre- 
fented, but alfo the great expenfe of eredtinga real build¬ 
ing to reprefent the fcene was laved. 
The fcenery of a theatre at the prefent day confifts of 
the flat J'cenes which form the termination of the per- 
fpeftive acrofs the ftage, and the fide Jcenes, or wings, 
which are difpofed upon each fide ot the ftage fo as to be 
fliifted as often as may be neceffary, and to afford op¬ 
portunities for the adlors to come upon the ftage, or quit 
it, at any of the intervals between the refpedtive lets. 
Befides thefe, there are fcenes which may be occalionally 
placed and difplaced, fuch as the fronts of cottages, cas¬ 
cades, rocks, bridges, and other appendages, requilite in 
the reprefentation of particular dramas. Thefe are ge¬ 
nerally called pieces. 
The flat fcenes are of three kinds. The firft of thefe 
are drops, or curtains, where the canvas is furled or un¬ 
furled upon a roller, placed either at the top or bottom 
of the fcene. A difference of opinion exifts as to the 
placing of the roller, which, as it is a mere matter of tafte, 
may probably never be determined ; both ways are ufed in 
the London theatres. The rollers, in either cafe, are 
made to revolve by means of cords tightened or fiackened 
as may be neceffary ; and, when the fcenes are large, it is 
ufual to wind them up by means of a cylinder and a 
winch, as in the trap-machinery. 
Although the drop-feenes are the moft Ample, it is 
neceffary fometimes to have recourfe to thofe fcenes 
which are called flats. In thefe the canvas is ftretched 
upon wooden frames, which are generally conftrudled in 
two pieces, fo as to meet in the middle of -the ftage, 
the junction being in a perpendicular diredtion. The 
flde-frames are moved in grooves, cotnpofed of parallel 
pieces of wood fixed upon the ftage, and fo conftrufled 
that they may be removed with facility from one place to 
another. The upper part of the framing is alfo confined 
by a groove, to retain the perpendicular pofition of the 
flat fcene. Thefe are fometimes conftru£led, to fave 
room, tipon joints, by which they may either be lowered 
to the horizontal pofition, or drawn up to the fide-walls. 
In this refpedt their conftruftion is pretty fimilar to that 
of a common drawbridge ; and they are called flies. The 
principal ufe of the flats is where apertures, fuch as doors, 
windows, chimney-pieces, Sec. are wanted in the fcene, 
which may be opened and Aiut as required; thefe are 
called in the technology of a theatre, pradical/c doors, 
See. becaufe, when not to be ufed, they may be painted 
on a drop fcene. A third kind of fcene is the profiled 
or open flat. This is ufed for woods, gateways of cafties, 
and fuch purpofes: it is framed exadtly like the other, 
and the only difference confifts in parts of the fcene being 
left open to (how another behind, which terminates the 
view. 
A very important part of the fcenery of a theatre is 
the wings . Thefe alfo are ftretched upon wooden frames, 
and Aide in grooves fixed to the ftage. In fome large 
theatres they are moved by machinery, in others by 
manual labour. The wings, like the flats, whether 
moved by the hand or by the aid of machinery, ufually 
ftand upon the ftage. 
Befides the permanent machinery, which is always in 
ufe, many occafional engines muft be ufed to fuit par¬ 
ticular pieces. The limits of this article will not admit 
of going into detail refpe£ling thefe; nor is it necefiary. 
The mechanift, whofe chief aim is to produce continual 
novelty, muft depend much more upon the fertility of 
his own genius than upon antecedent plans. In work¬ 
ing a machine to produce the oblique afeent or defeent 
of a car, horfe, or any other body, above the ftage, 
the cords muft be flender, and painted black, to elude the 
eye of the fpedtator. The lights alfo are ftrong in front, 
and dim behind, to aflift the optical deception. To 
give the cords fufficient ftrength without increafing their 
diameter, they are fpun of the belt hemp, mixed with 
brafs wire well annealed. Thofe ufed at Covent Garden 
for the flying horfes in the pantomime of Valentine and 
Orfon, although lefs in diameter than a common quill, 
were faid to poffefs fufficient ftrength to fufper.d a ton 
weight. 
During the greater part of the year, two playhoufe^ 
only within the metropolis are permitted to fupply the 
demands of the public tafte for genuine tragedy and co¬ 
medy. When this monopoly was granted, it muft have 
been intended that the regular drama ftrould be exhibited 
in thofe eftablilhments which were endowed with the 
exclufive privilegcof fuch exhibition; as, otherwife, it 
would be proferibed altogether. Thofe, however, who 
have poffeffed themfelves of the management of our the¬ 
atres, have baniftied from them the legitimate offspring 
of the tragic and comic mufes. They have defeated tlie 
intentions of the crown in granting the patents, and of 
the legiflature which fubfequently confirmed the mono¬ 
poly, by depriving the fovereign of the power of granting 
any more: and it is full time to withdraw an important 
truft from the hands of thofe who have abufed it ; wiio 
will neither themfelves do that which it is their duty tc- 
do, nor fuffer others to fupply the wants occafioned by, 
their perverfenefs. Let us not be told that thefe perfons 
have rights too facred to be touched. Let us not heat* 
that it would be unjuft to interfere with privileges 
which have exifted for fo great a length of time. If the 
patentees have rights, they are alfo called upon to perform, 
a duty, and the negledl of the duty will juftify the for¬ 
feiture of the right. It is not to be prefumed that the 
monopoly was granted, or is continued, for the benefit 
of two or three individuals, without any regard to public 
accommodation. The Ealt-India Company have long 
poffeffed an exclufive privilege of importing tea from 
China into this country; but, if they fhould determine 
that they would import no more, is it probable that the 
legiflature would allow thofe who wiflied to drink tea to 
be deprived of this indulgence,^ by the continuance of 
the monopoly ? Certainly not. If the company refufed 
to bring any more tea, the trade would either be thrown 
open, or veiled in the hands of perfons difpofed to carry 
it on. If the proprietors of the exiliing theatrical patents 
had employed their exclufive powers in the encourage¬ 
ment and fupport of dramatic literature, we would have 
faid, let them continue to enjoy them ; but, when re- 
gardlefs of the purpofe for which thofe powers were 
given, they convert their eftablifhments into hippodromes 
and raree-Aiows, it becomes neceffary, if the regular drama, 
is to exift at all, that fome other places ftiould be appro¬ 
priated to its exhibition. With little reafon, indeed, 
could thofe complain of the invafion of their privileges, 
who have evinced fo marked a difregard of the privileges 
of others, privileges fandtioned by long-eftabliftied cuftom, 
if not by pofitive law'. The proprietors of the winter 
playhonles, by the gradual extenfior. of their fcafon, until 
