whether for that or some other pretence, was accused of impiety. His brother Amynias pleaded his cause; the Athenians were struck with this instance of fraternal affection; they reverenced their maimed veteran, and Æschylus was acquitted. But such a spirit was not formed to submit to the affront; it made too deep an impression to be effaced; and the poet quitted the city with great indignation, declaring with a noble pride that he would rather trust his tragedies to posterity, certain that he should receive from them the honour he deserved. This honour the Athenians soon paid to his noble works: by a decree of the senate, never granted to any other, they offered rewards to any man that should again exhibit his plays; they frequently adjudged the prize to him after his decease, and acknowledged him the Father of Tragedy. The Grecians, advancing in polished manners, carried into their towns a feast that sprung from the leisure of the country: their best poets took a pride in composing these religious hymns to the honour of Bacchus, and embellished them with agreeable entertainments of music and dancing. After a length of time, the songs advancing in perfection, it was found necessary to give the singer some relief; and that the company might be amused during the pauses of the music, an actor was introduced; his part could be no other than a single speech, setting forth that he represented Hercules, or Theseus, or some other hero of antiquity, and had performed such or such an illustrious achievement. At the next pause another personated character advanced; at the next another; but each unrelated and unconnected with the other. Such was the rude state of tragedy, when Eschylus conceived the great design of forming a new species of poetry that should rival even the Epic in dignity. The humble arbor interwoven with vine branches gave place to scenes of astonishing grandeur; the actor, no longer mounted on the cart of Thespis, with his face smeared over with lees of wine, or covered with a mask formed from the bark of a tree, now trod a spacious stage, magnificently habited in a robe of honour and the stately buskin; even the mask, wore a new and elegant form expressive of the character represented. These exterior decorations were proofs only of the taste of Eschylus; his superior genius appeared in giving life to the piece, by introducing the dialogue, without which there could be no action; and from this circumstance it is, that he is with the highest propriety called the Father of the Drama. It is commonly said that Eschylus never produced more than two speakers upon the stage at the same time; there are proofs to the contrary, though he generally adhered to that simple plan: but the new part which the Chorus now took amply supplied what we should call that poverty of the stage. Chorus. In the ancient tragedy, a number of persons, sufficient probably to give animation to the appearance of the stage, joined in the representations of the drama,-these formed the Chorus. The Chorus seems to consist of persons of a character that might naturally desire to be witnesses of the action represented. Sometimes they were the old men of a city who came to behold some public transaction, at others the attendants of a great family and at others strangers apparently collected from curiosity. Their observations served to explain what would else be obscure, and to connect what would otherwise be broken and confused in the order of incident. 1 SCENE FROM THE TRAGEDY OF AGAMEMNON. A Herald announces to CLYTEMNESTRA, the wife of AGAMEMNON, the destruction of Troy. CLYTEMNESTRA, CHORUS, AND HERALD. Herald. Hail, thou paternal soil of Argive earth! To share in death the portion of a tomb. Hail then, loved earth; hail thou bright sun; and thou, Imperial walls, Mansion of kings, ye seats revered; ye gods, Present your honoured forms: if e'er of old And the perfidious state, shall boast no more Clyt. Joy to thee, herald of the Argive host. Her. For joy like this, death were a cheap exchange. Streams to this land? is this thy fond desire? Clyt. Such, that I oft have breathed the secret sigh. Her. The princes absent, hadst thou whom to fear? Of so long time if 'midst the easy flow Of wished events some tyrannous blast assail us, Fell on us from above, the damps beneath The winter's keen blasts, which from Ida's snows Breathe frore, that pierced through all their plumes the birds But why lament these sufferings? they are past; Anxious to rise. Those, whom the wasteful war hath swept away, At length from vanquished Troy our warlike troops Fixed these proud trophies. Those, that hear this boast, And the brave chiefs : revering Jove's high power Thou hast my message. Pythian king. Apollo was called so because he slew the serpent Python. This is figurative: Python was Disease or Malady, and as an enemy to the human constitution, is called a serpent. Apollo being the god of health, the healer or destroyer of disease, is described as having slain a serpent. Thy shafts no longer winged for our destruction This alludes to that pestilence in the Greek camp, which is described in the first book of the Iliad. The instantaneous operation of the pest, causes its effects to be compared to the sudden and mortal wound of an arrow from the bow. This pestilence is ascribed by Homer to Apollo, as a punishment for the affront offered to his priest Chryses. Mercury, as the messenger of the gods, was esteemed the patron of heralds, whose character therefore was always held sacred. SOPHOCLES. Sophocles, surnamed the Bee and the Attic Siren, was born at Athens, in the year 495 B. C. He gave early proofs of his talent for poetry, and aptitude for the business of government.-He reached the dignity of Archon, and, in this capacity, commanded the armies of the republic of Athens, with considerable reputation. As a tragic writer, he shared the favour of the Athenian public with Euripides, his contemporary and rival. Sophocles died at the advanced age of eighty-five. Some of his biographers relate that he expired from an ecstasy of joy, produced by his having carried the prize at the Olympic Games. But his number of years may alone account for his dissolution. He is said to have composed one hundred and twenty tragedies, of which seven only remain. ANTIGONE. The character of Antigone, as she is represented by Sophocles is that of the loveliest and best of women. She was the daughter of Edipus, king of Thebes. Her father being driven from his kingdom, and having in despair torn out his eyes, his faithful and patient child follows his wanderings, and soothes his sufferings as long as he lives. When her father is no more, she is afflicted by the discord of her brothers, and the persecutions of her uncle Creon. Her affection, fortitude, and undismayed sense of duty, are worthy of a Christian heroine. To illustrate the dialogue which follows, these notes are extracted from Francklin's Sophocles. "Eteocles and Polynices, sons of the unfortunate Edipus, having an equal claim to the kingdom of Thebes, had agreed to divide the power, and to reign year by year alternately; but Eteocles stepping first into the throne, and tasting the sweets of sovereignty, broke the contract, and maintained himself in the possession of his dominions, Polynices in revenge, raised an army of Argives, and made an incursion on Thebes; a battle ensued, and, after much slaughter on both sides, the brothers agreed to decide it by single combat; they fought, and were slain by each other. "After the death of the brothers, the kingdom of Thebes devolved to their uncle Creon, whose first act of supreme power was an edict forbidding all rites of sepulture to Polynices, as a traitor; and pronouncing instant death on any who should dare |