greatest Writers, who takes Notice of the beautiful Caution
given by the Ghost to _Hamlet_,

_But howsoever thou pursuest this Act_, &c.

The making the Whole to turn upon the Appearance of a Spectre, is a
great Improvement of the Plan he work'd upon; especially as he has
conducted it in so sublime a Manner, and accompanied it with all the
Circumstances that could make it most perfect in its kind.

I have observed in my Remarks, that the Poet has, with great Art,
brought about the Punishment of the guilty Queen by the very Person who
caused her Guilt, and this without Staining her Son's Hands with her
Blood.

There is less Time employ'd in this Tragedy, as I observed else where,
than in most of our Author's Pieces, and the Unity of Place is not much
disturbed. But here give me leave to say, that the Critick's Rules, in
respect to these two Things, if they prove any Thing, prove too much;
for if our Imagination will not bear a strong Imposition, surely no Play
ought to be supposed to take more Time than is really employ'd in the
Acting; nor should there be any Change of Place in the least. This shews
the Absurdity of such Arbitrary Rules. For how would such a Genius as
_Shakespeare's_ have been cramped had he thus fettered himself! But
there is (in Truth) no Necessity for it. No Rules are of any Service in
Poetry, of any kind, unless they add Beauties, which consist (in
Tragedy) in an exact Conformity to Nature in the Conduct of the
Characters, and in a sublimity of Sentiments and nobleness of Diction.
If these two Things be well observed, tho' often at the Expence of
Unity of Time and Place, such Pieces will always please, and never
suffer us to find out the little Defects in the Plot; nay it generally
happens (at least Experience has shewn it frequently) that those Pieces
wherein the fantastick Rules of Criticks have been kept strictly to,
have been generally flat and low. We are to consider, that no Dramatick
Piece can affect us but by the Delusion of our Imagination; which, to
taste true and real Pleasures at such Representations, must undergo very
great Impositions, even such as in Speculation seem very gross, but
which are nevertheless allowed of by the strictest Criticks. In the
first Place, our Understandings are never shocked at hearing all
Nations, on our Stage, speak _English_; an Absurdity one would think
that should immediately revolt us; but which is, however, absolutely
necessary in all Countries wh