by the Observance of this Author's Ways and Rules might out-do all
the +Ancients+ and +Moderns+ too, both at +Tragedy+ and at +Comedy+;
for no Nation ever had greater +Genius+'s than ours for Dramatick
Poetry. These ha' been but little observ'd as yet, so that all our
fine +Imitations of Nature+ may often be call'd +Lucky hits+, and
more by Accident than by Art. We very much need a Reformation in
this Case, and our Plays can never arrive to any great Perfection
without it; therefore the nigher they come up to this Standard, the
more they will be admir'd and lov'd by all Judicious Persons,
provided they still keep to those Excellencies before-mention'd.
Besides, these are as easily practicable upon ours as upon the
+Greek+ and +Roman+ Theatres; and by a strict Observance of the
+Unity of Place+, the Stage may be made far more handsome and
magnificent with less Charge; and by that of the +Unity of Action+
(especially by the help of an Under-plot or so) the Story may be
made far more fine and clear with less trouble.

But our Nation by long Custom, and the Success of Irregular Pieces,
seems naturally averse to all Rules; and take it very ill to have
their Thoughts confin'd and shackled, and tied to the Observance of
such Niceties: Therefore in the first place they tell us, That Poets
of all Men in the World are perfectly freely, and by no means ought
to confine their Noble Fancies to dull pedantick Rules; +For this+
(say they) +is like taking of Bees, cutting off their Wings, and
laying such Flowers before 'em to make Honey as they please+. A
+Poet+ indeed shou'd be free, and unconfin'd as Air, as to his
Though, Fancy and Contrivance, but then his +Poetica Licentia+
shou'dn't transport him to Madness and Extravagancy, making him
phrensically transgress the Rules of +Reason+ and +Nature+, as well
as +Poetry+. These that we mention are not any Man's Arbitrary
+Rules+, but pure Nature only Methodiz'd: They never hamper a
+Poet+'s Fancy or clip his Wings, but adorn their Thoughts, and
regulate their Flights so as to give 'em a clearer insight into
+Nature+, +Probability+ and +Decency+, without something of which it
is impossible to please. And these are no more a +Confinement+ to a
+Poet+'s Fancy, than the true Proportion of Pillars, the Regularity
and Uniformity of Windows are to an Architect; or the exact
Imitation of Nature to a Painter: As if there could be half so much
Beauty in Grotesque and irregular Whims, as in the d