. The second Reason of their not taking upon
the Stage is this, tho' +Terence+'s Plays are far more +exact+,
+natural+, +regular+, and clear than ours, and his Persons speak
more like themselves than generally ours do; yet (to speak
impartially) our Plays do plainly excel his in some Particulars.
First, in the great Variety of the +Matter+ and +Incidents+ of our
+Plots+; the Intrigues thicker and finer; the +Stories+ better,
longer, and more curious for the most part than his: And tho'
there's much confusion, huddle and precipitation in the generality
of 'em; yet the great variety and number of +Incidents+ tho' ill
manag'd, will have several Charms, and be mighty diverting,
especially to a vulgar Audience, like the Sight of a large City at a
distance, where there is little of Regularity or Uniformity to be
discern'd just by. Next, we do much excel +Terence+ in that which we
call +Humour+, that is in our +Comical Characters+, in which we have
shewn and expos'd the several Humours, Dispositions, Natures,
Inclinations, Fancies, Irregularities, Maggots, Passions, Whims,
Follies, Extravagancies, &c. of Men under all sorts of
Circumstances, of all sorts of +Ranks+ and +Qualities+, of all
+Professions+ and +Trades+, and of all +Nations+ and +Countries+, so
admirably, and so lively, that in this no Nation among the Ancients
or Moderns were ever comparable to us. Lastly, Our +Comedies+ excel
his in some Delicacies of +Conversation+; particularly in the
Refinedness of our +Railery+ and +Satyr+, and above all in
+Repartee+. Some of these things (especially when mix'd with
+Humour+) have made many an ordinary +Plot+ take and come off well;
and without a pretty quantity of some of 'em, our Plays wou'd go
down very heavily.

Since we are accidentally fall'n into the Excellencies of our
+Comedies+, we hope it may be pardonable if we mention also some
principal Faults in 'em, which seem to need a Regulation. And first,
Our +Poets+ seldom or never observe any of the three great +Unities
of Action+, +Time+ and +Place+, which are great Errors; For what
breeds more Confusion than to have five or six main +Plots+ in a
Play, when the Audience can never attend to 'em? What more
extravagant than to fancy the Actions of Weeks, Months, and Years
represented in the Space of three or four Hours? Or what more
unnatural than for the Spectators to suppose themselves now in a
Street, then in a Garden, by and by in a Chamber, immediately in the
Fiel