Actions, that were most simple, and had least of Intrigue, were most of all liable to this Irregularity, because having fewer Incidents, and fewer parts than others, they afford so much the less Matter. A Poet of no great Conduct, very often quite spends himself at the first or second coming on of his Actors between the Songs of the Chorus: And then he finds himself oblig'd to seek out for other Actions to fill up the Intervals behind. Our first French Poets did so. They took to fill up each Act just as many different Actions of a Hero, which had no manner of Connexion, save that they were done by one single person. These Fables are Episodical, and such as Aristotle has condemn'd, as we hinted before. His Censure is in these Words: [1]Of all the Fables and simple Actions that are, the Episodical are the most Imperfect. The Episodical Fable I call such a one, whose Episodes have no necessary nor probable Connexion.
CHAP. III.
As for what has been said, you may consult what the Practice of the Poets was, when they compos'd the Works we have been speaking of. After the Fable was invented, and the Names impos'd on the Personages, the Author was to consider all the Circumstances of his Action, and what parts were finest and most suitable to the Movements of the Theatre, and to his own design; and then he was to make as many parts of his Representation, as there were distinct Narrations between the Songs of the Chorus.
To give you a famous Instance of this, and such an Instance as is well known to the whole World, we will make use of Seneca's Oedipus, without minding the several Absurdities that are therein.
Oedipus begs the Gods to tell him the means of putting a stop to the Plague that then rag'd at Thebes: The Oracle returns him this Answer, That the Death of King Laïus his Predecessor must be Reveng'd. He makes enquiry after the Murderers, and finds, that he was not only guilty of this Man's Death, but besides was the very Son of Laïus, whom he had Murder'd, and of Jocasta his
- ↑ (
Greek characters). A. Poet. c. 9.
Widow,
