with no new hint, but
only a relation which he makes of his Tiresias raising the ghost of
Laius; which is here performed in view of the audience,--the rites and
ceremonies, so far his, as he agreed with antiquity, and the religion
of the Greeks. But he himself was beholden to Homer's Tiresias, in the
"Odysses," for some of them; and the rest have been collected from
Heliodore's "Ethiopiques," and Lucan's Erictho[1]. Sophocles, indeed,
is admirable everywhere; and therefore we have followed him as close
as possibly we could. But the Athenian theatre, (whether more perfect
than ours, is not now disputed,) had a perfection differing from ours.
You see there in every act a single scene, (or two at most,) which
manage the business of the play; and after that succeeds the chorus,
which commonly takes up more time in singing, than there has been
employed in speaking. The principal person appears almost constantly
through the play; but the inferior parts seldom above once in the
whole tragedy. The conduct of our stage is much more difficult, where
we are obliged never to lose any considerable character, which we have
once presented. Custom likewise has obtained, that we must form an
under-plot of second persons, which must be depending on the first;
and their by-walks must be like those in a labyrinth, which all of
them lead into the great parterre; or like so many several lodging
chambers, which have their outlets into the same gallery. Perhaps,
after all, if we could think so, the ancient method, as it is the
easiest, is also the most natural, and the best. For variety, as it is
managed, is too often subject to breed distraction; and while we would
please too many ways, for want of art in the conduct, we please in
none[2]. But we have given you more already than was necessary for a
preface; and, for aught we know, may gain no more by our instructions,
than that politic nation is like to do, who have taught their enemies
to fight so long, that at last they are in a condition to invade
them[3].

Footnotes:
1. Heliodorus, bishop of Trica, wrote a romance in Greek, called the
"Ethiopiques," containing the amours of Theagenes and Chariclea. He
was so fond of this production, that, the option being proposed to
him by a synod, he rather chose to resign his bishopric than
destroy his work. There occurs a scene of incantation in this
romance. The story of Lucan's witch occurs in the sixth book of the
Pharsalia.