ADVERTISEMENT. THIS sketch of the History and Exhibition of the Grecian Drama was drawn up for the Second Edition of the Greek Theatre, which appeared in 1827. The writer would gladly have availed himself of this Third Edition to supply the deficiencies of that, his hasty and imperfect production: but a continuous press of business left him no leisure for immediate research and consideration; whilst the interests of the Publishers could not admit a further delay. Something, however, he has endeavoured to do in the short space which remained. The Section on the Early History of the Drama has been almost completely re-written. But the subject is one of much obscurity, and requires a more extensive investigation and a closer application than appears hitherto to have been employed; and the author must frankly acknowledge that there are some points on which he is not as yet thoroughly satisfied. Throughout the succeeding parts of the Essay several additions and corrections have been interspersed. 1To the recent publications of German scholars upon the Grecian Drama the writer has to acknowledge great obligations especially to the labours of Welcker, Thiersch, Böckh, and Genelli. 1. See the List of the Works referred to in this Essay, given at the end. CAMBRIDGE, July 1, 1830. LIST of the Works to which reference has more particularly been made in the foregoing Sketch. Böckh Corpus Inscriptionum Græcarum.. Bentley Dissertation upon the Epistles of Phalaris..... London, 1699 Böckh De Græcæ Tragediæ Principibus. Clinton's Fasti Hellenici Genelli Das Theater zu Athen.... Museum Criticum.... . Cambridge, Schlegel über Dramatische Kunst und Litteratur....Heidelberg, 1817 Schneider de Originibus Græcæ Tragedia et Comedia, Vratislavia, 1817 Thiersch Einleitung in die Pindarischen Gesänge; prefixed to his Edition and Translation of Pindar, Leipzig, Welcker Nachtrag zu der Schrift über die Eschy 1820 lische Trilogie Frankfurt am Main, 1826 |