motions by the measures of the music,' exhibited,da in the Tuscan manner, something far from ungraceful. The younger citizens" soon began to imitate* these; throwing out, at the same time, among each other, ludicrous expressions' in coarse verses, and with gestures adapted to the words: this kind of performancej then being received with approbation," in the course of frequent practice gained much improvement.9 The native performers were called1o Histriones, from11 the Tuscan word Hister, signifying a player; and they did not, as formerly, pronounce' in dialogue,12 without regard to order, 13 verses like the Fescennine, artless14 and unpolished, but represented comic" medleys, composed15 in regular" metre, with the several16 parts of the performance properly adjusted to the music; the delivery of the words and the gesticulation being performed in concert with the music.

3. Several years after this," Livius, who was the first that ventured to lay aside17 medleys, and to weave a story into a regular" plot, being also, as all were at that time, the actor of his own pieces; and, having broken his voice by 18 being obliged to repeat" them too often, after requesting the indulgence of the public," placeds a boy before the musician to chant, while he himself performed 19 the gesticulations. And this" he executed" with much freer20 action, because disengaged from attention to the management of his voice.21 7 tibicen (cc).

6 saltare ad.

8 motus: as the verb is a general one, the color is put in the noun. 10 nomen indere (dd).

9 excitari.

11 Lit. “because a player was called by a Tuscan word” (1⁄2).

12 alternis.

13 temere.

14 incompositum. 15 impletus (cc).

16 Lit. "the song being adjusted (describere) to the musician, and the movement corresponding " (i). 17 Simple abl. with ab.

18 Lesson 22, 2.

21 Lit.

19 Lit. "acted the song."

20 vigens.

"because the use of the voice did not hinder" (cc, ll, i).

Hence originated' the practice' of the chanting being performed by another to the gesticulation of the actors, whose voices were eased of all but the dialogue. When, by this regulation, the scenic" business was directed22 to other" objects" than laughter and intemperate mirth, and the amusement' was by degrees converted into an art, the younger citizens leaving to professed" actors the exhibition' of plays began, according to the ancient practice, to throw out alternately ludicrous jests,' comprised23 in verse, which thence" got the name of exodia, or interludes, and were collected24 principally out of the Atellan' farces. 22 avocare (cc).

23 intexo.

24

conserere.

XXXI. THE FIRE OF LONDON.

1. WHILE the war continued" without any decisive success on either side, a calamity happened in London, which threw the people into great consternation. Fire, breaking out in a baker's house near the bridge, spread2 itself on all sides with such rapidity, that no efforts could extinguish it, till it laid in ashes a considerable part of the city. The inhabitants, without being able to provide effectually for their relief, were reduced' to be spectators of their own ruin ; and were pursued from street to street by the flames, which unexpectedly gathered round them. Three days and nights did the fire advance; and it was only" by the blowing-up of houses that it was at last extinguished. The king and duke used their utmost endeavors to stop the progress of the flames; but all their industry" was unsuccessful. About four hundred streets and thirteen thousand houses were reduced to ashes.1

2. The causes of this calamity were evident. The narrow streets of London," the houses built entirely of wood, the dry season, and a violent east wind which blew, these were so many concurring" circumstances, which rendered it easy to assign the reason of the destruction that ensued.' But the people were not satisfied with this obvious account.' Prompted by blind rage, some ascribed the guilt to the republicans, others to the catholics, though it is not easy to conceive the burning of London could serve the purposes of either party.

X

3. The conflagration was so universal, and the people so astonished, that from the beginning they hardly stirred to quench it; so that there was nothing heard or seen but crying out and lamentation, running about like distracted creatures, without at all attempting to save even their goods. Such a strange consternation there was upon them, as it burned,cc both in breadth and length, the churches, public halls, hospitals, monuments, and ornaments, leaping after a prodigious manner from house to house, and street to street, at great distances one from the other; for the heat, with a long set of fair and warm weather, had even ignited the air, and prepared the materials to conceive the fire, which devoured, after an incredible manner, houses, furniture, and every thing.

4. Oh the miserable and calamitous spectacle! such as haply the world had not seen since the foundation of it. God grant my eyes may never behold the like. The noise and cracking" of the impetuous flames, the shrieking of women and children, the hurry" of people, the fall" of houses and churches, 6 manum vertere (cc). 8 Pluperfect.

7 Lesson 22, 2.

was like a hideous storm, and the air all about so hot and inflamed, that at last one was not able to approach it so that they were forced1o to stand still and let the flames burn on, which they did" for near two miles in length and one in breadth. The clouds11 of smoke were dismal, and reached, upon computation," near fifty miles in length. Thus I left it this afternoon burning, a resemblance of Sodom, or the last day. London was, but is no more."

9 speciem praebere. 10 Part. in dus. 11 in nubes tristes volutus (i).

XXXII. THE EARTHQUAKE AT Lisbon.

1. IT was on the morning" of this fatal day, between the hours of nine and ten, that I was set down in my apartment, just finishing a letter, when the papers and3 table I was writing on began to tremble with a gentle motion, which1 rather surprised me, as I could" not perceive a breath of winda stirring. Whilst I was reflecting with myself what this could" be owing to, the house I was in" shook with such violence, that the upper stories immediately fell, and though my apartment (which was on the first floor) did not then sharece the same fate, yet every thing was thrown out of its place, in such a manner that it was with no small difficulty I kept my feet, and expected nothing less than to be soon crushed to death," as the walls continued" rocking to and fro in a frightful manner, opening in several places; large stones falling down on every side from the cracks, and the ends of most of the rafters starting out from the roof. To add to this terrifying scene, the sky in

a moment became so gloomy that I could now distinguish no particular object; it was an Egyptian' darkness indeed, such as might be felt; owing, no doubt, to the prodigious' clouds' of dust and lime raised from so violent a concussion," and, as some reported, to sulphureous exhalations, but this I cannot affirm; however, it is certain I found myself almost choked9 for near ten minutes.

2. I had still presence of mind enough left" to put on a pair of shoes and a coat,' the first that came in my way, which10 was every thing I saved, and in this dress I hurried down stairs, and made' directly to that end of the street which opens11 to the Tagus.

3. In the midst of our devotions," the second great' shock came on, little less violent than the first, and completed the ruin of those buildings which had been already much shattered. You may judge of the force" of the shock, when I inform12 you it was so violent that I could scarce keep on my knees; but it was attended13 with some circumstances still more dreadful than the former. On a sudden I heard a general outcry, free The sea is coming in, we shall be all lost." Upon this, turning my eyes towards the river, which in that place is near four miles broad, I could perceive it heaving and swelling in a most unaccountable15 manner, as no wing was stirring. In an instant there appeared, at some distance, a large body of water, rising as it were like a mountain. It came on foaming and roaring, and rushed towards the shore with such impetuosity, that we all immediately ran for our lives' as fast as possible; many were actually16 swept away, and