solutions, enterprises, and the happy or unhappy
events attending them. To read and see an action, are quite different
things; we are infinitely more moved with what is acted, than with what we
merely read. Our eyes as well as our minds are addressed at the same time.
The spectator, agreeably deceived by an imitation so nearly approaching
life, mistakes the picture for the original, and thinks the object real.
This gave birth to dramatic poetry, which includes tragedy and comedy.

To these may be added the satiric poem, which derives its name from the
satyrs, rural gods, who were always the chief characters in it; and not
from the "satire," a kind of abusive poetry, which has no resemblance to
this, and is of a much later date. The satiric poem was neither tragedy
nor comedy, but something between both, participating of the character of
each. The poets, who disputed the prize, generally added one of these
pieces to their tragedies, to allay the gravity and solemnity of the one,
with the mirth and pleasantry of the other. There is but one example of
this ancient poem come down to us, which is the _Cyclops_ of Euripides.

I shall confine myself upon this head to tragedy and comedy; both which
had their origin amongst the Greeks, who looked upon them as fruits of
their own growth, of which they could never have enough. Athens was
remarkable for an extraordinary appetite of this kind. These two poems,
which were for a long time comprised under the general name of tragedy,
received there by degrees such improvements, as at length raised them to
their highest perfection.

The Origin and Progress of Tragedy. Poets who excelled in it at Athens;
AEschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

There had been many tragic and comic poets before Thespis; but as they had
made no alterations in the original rude form of this poem, and as Thespis
was the first that made any improvement in it, he was generally esteemed
its inventor. Before him, tragedy was no more than a jumble of buffoon
tales in the comic style, intermixed with the singing of a chorus in
praise of Bacchus; for it is to the feasts of that god, celebrated at the
time of the vintage, that tragedy owes its birth.

La tragedie, informe et grossiere en na'ssant,
N'etoit qu'un simple choeur, ou chacun en dansant,
Et du dieu des raisins entonnant les louanges,
S'efforcoit d'attirer de fertiles vendanges.
La, le vin et la joie eveillant les esprits,
Du