make this
Objection; that in the beginning of many Scenes, two +Actors+ enter
upon the Stage, and talk to themselves a considerable time before
they see or know one another; +Which+ (they say) +is neither
probable nor natural+. Those that object this don't consider the
great Difference between our little scanty Stage, and the large
magnificent +Roman Theatres+. Their Stage was sixty Yards wide in
the Front, their Scenes so many Streets meeting together, with all
By-Lanes, Rows and Allies; so two +Actors+ coming down two different
Streets or Lanes cou'dn't be seen by each other, tho' the
+Spectators+ might see both, and sometimes if they did see each
other they cou'dn't well distinguish Faces at sixty Yards distances.
Besides upon several accounts it might well be suppos'd when an
+Actor+ enters upon the Stage out of some House, he might take a
turn or two under the +Portico's+, +Cloysters+, or the like (that
were usual at that time) about his Door, and take no notice of an
+Actor+'s being on the other side the Stage.

But since we propose our Master as the best +Model+ for +Dramatick
Poets+ to follow, we ought in Justice to mention such things wherein
he was any ways faulty, or at least where he ought not to be
imitated. The first is, He makes his +Actors+ in some places speak
directly, and immediately to the +Audience+ (of which that
+Monologue+ of +Mysis+ in the first Act of the first Play is an
instance) which is contrary to the Rules of +Dramatick Poetry+, or
rather indeed of +Nature+; and this is the only real Fault that
+Terence+ was guilty of, as his want of +Vis Comica+ was the only
real Defect. His +Plots+ were not always the best for Story, tho'
for Contrivance, and wanted somewhat of Length and Variety, fully
and compleatly to satisfie an Audience. Take 'em all together, they
were too much alike to have always their deserv'd Effect of
surprizing; which also gave a mighty Limitation to the Variety of
his +Characters+; a great pity for a Man that had such an admirable
Knack of drawing them to the Life. It were also to be wish'd that
his +Monologues+ or Discourses by single Persons, were less
frequent, and sometimes shorter too; for tho' they are all of 'em
full of excellent Sence, sound Reasoning, ingenious +Deliberations+,
and serv'd truly to carry on the main Design; yet several parts of
'em, especially all +Narrations+, wou'd ha' been more natural as
well as Artificial, if told by Persons of the +Drama+ to