1with a Line which ſome made ſtrait, others
curve. Thoſe who extended them with Strait
lines, drew them out beyond the Semicircle,
parallel to each other, to the Addition of one
fourth Part of the Diameter: But thoſe who
extended them with Curve-lines, firſt mark'd
out a compleat Circle, and then taking off one
fourth Part of its Circumference, the Remain
der was left for the Platform of the Theatre.
The Limits of the Area being marked out and
fixed, the next Work was to raiſe the Seats;
and the firſt Thing to be done in order to this,
was to reſolve how high the Seats ſhould be,
and from their Height to calculate how much
of the Platform they muſt take up. Moſt
Architects made the Height of the Theatre
equal to the Area in the Middle, knowing that
in low Theatres the Voice was ſunk and loſt,
but made ſtronger and clearer in high ones.
Some of the beſt Artiſts made the Height of
the Building to be four fifths of the Breadth
of the Area. Of this whole Height the Seats
never took up leſs than half, nor more than
two thirds, and their Breadth was ſometimes
equal to their Height, and ſometimes only two
fifths of it. I ſhall here deſcribe one of theſe
Structures which I think the moſt compleat
and perfect of any. The outermoſt Founda
tions of the Seats, or rather of the Wall againſt
which the higheſt Seat muſt terminate, muſt
be laid diſtant from the Center of the Semi
circle one whole Semidiameter of the Area,
with the Addition of a third. The firſt or
loweſt Seat muſt not be upon the very Level
of the Area, but be raiſed upon a Wall, which
in the larger Theatres muſt be in Height the
ninth Part of the Semidiameter of the middle
Area, from the Top of which Wall the Seats
muſt take their firſt Flight: And in the ſmalleſt
Theatres, this Wall muſt never be leſs than
ſeven Foot high. The Benches themſelves
muſt be a Foot and an half high, and two
and an half broad. Among theſe Seats, Spaces
muſt be left at certain Diſtances for Paſſages
into the middle Area, and for Stairs to go up
from thence to thoſe Seats, which Stair-caſes
and Paſſages ſhould be with vaulted Roofs,
and in Number proportionable to the Bigneſs
of the Theatre. Of theſe Paſſages there ſhould
be ſeven principal ones, all directed exactly to
the Center of the Area, and perfectly clear
and open, at equal Diſtances from each other;
and of theſe ſeven, one ſhould be larger than
the reſt, anſwering to the middle of the Semi
circle, which I call the Maſter Entrance, be
cauſe it muſt anſwer to the high Street. An
other Paſſage muſt be made at the Head of
the Semicircle on the Right Hand, and ſo an
other on the Leſt to anſwer it, and between
theſe and the Maſter Entrance four others, two
on each Side. There may be as many other
Openings and Paſſages as the Compaſs of the
Theatre requires, and will admit of. The
Ancients in their great Theatres divided the
Rows of Seats into three Parts, and each of
theſe Diviſions was diſtinguiſhed from the other
by a Seat twice as broad as the others, which
was a Kind of Landing-place, ſeparating the
higher Seats from the lower; and at theſe
Landing-places, the Stairs for coming up to
the ſeveral Seats terminated. I have obſerved,
that the beſt Architects, and the moſt inge
nious Contrivers uſed at each great Entrance
to make two different Stairs, one more upright
and direct, for the Young and the Nimble,
and another broader and eaſier, with more fre
quent Reſts, for the Matrons and old People.
This may ſuffice as to the Seats. Oppoſite to
the Front of the Theatre was raiſed the Stage
for the Actors, and every thing belonging to
the Repreſentation, and here ſate the Nobles
in peculiar and honourable Seats, ſeparate from
the common People, or perhaps in the middle
Area in handſome Places erected for that Pur
poſe. The Pulpitum or Stage, was made ſo
large as to be fully ſufficient for every thing
that was to be acted upon it. It came forward
equal to the Center of the Semicircle, and was
raiſed in Height not above five Foot, that the
Nobles who ſate in the Area might from thence
eaſily ſee every Geſture of the Actors. But
when the middle Area was not reſerved for the
Nobles to ſit in, but was allowed to the Actors
and Muſicians: Then the Stage was made leſs,
but raiſed higher, ſometimes to the Height of
ſix Cubits. In both Kinds the Stage was adorn
ed with Rows of Colonades one over another,
in Imitation of Houſes, with their proper Doors
and Windows, and in Front was one principal
Door with all the Dreſs of the Door of a
Temple, to repreſent a Royal Palace, with
other Doors on each Side for the Actors to
make their Entrances and Exits at, according
to the Nature of the Drama. And as there
are three Sorts of Poets concerned in theatrical
Performances, the Tragick, who deſcribe the
Misfortunes and Diſtreſſes of Princes; the Co
mick who repreſent the Lives and Manners of
private Perſons, and the Paſtoral, who ſing the
Delights of the Country, and the Loves of
curve. Thoſe who extended them with Strait
lines, drew them out beyond the Semicircle,
parallel to each other, to the Addition of one
fourth Part of the Diameter: But thoſe who
extended them with Curve-lines, firſt mark'd
out a compleat Circle, and then taking off one
fourth Part of its Circumference, the Remain
der was left for the Platform of the Theatre.
The Limits of the Area being marked out and
fixed, the next Work was to raiſe the Seats;
and the firſt Thing to be done in order to this,
was to reſolve how high the Seats ſhould be,
and from their Height to calculate how much
of the Platform they muſt take up. Moſt
Architects made the Height of the Theatre
equal to the Area in the Middle, knowing that
in low Theatres the Voice was ſunk and loſt,
but made ſtronger and clearer in high ones.
Some of the beſt Artiſts made the Height of
the Building to be four fifths of the Breadth
of the Area. Of this whole Height the Seats
never took up leſs than half, nor more than
two thirds, and their Breadth was ſometimes
equal to their Height, and ſometimes only two
fifths of it. I ſhall here deſcribe one of theſe
Structures which I think the moſt compleat
and perfect of any. The outermoſt Founda
tions of the Seats, or rather of the Wall againſt
which the higheſt Seat muſt terminate, muſt
be laid diſtant from the Center of the Semi
circle one whole Semidiameter of the Area,
with the Addition of a third. The firſt or
loweſt Seat muſt not be upon the very Level
of the Area, but be raiſed upon a Wall, which
in the larger Theatres muſt be in Height the
ninth Part of the Semidiameter of the middle
Area, from the Top of which Wall the Seats
muſt take their firſt Flight: And in the ſmalleſt
Theatres, this Wall muſt never be leſs than
ſeven Foot high. The Benches themſelves
muſt be a Foot and an half high, and two
and an half broad. Among theſe Seats, Spaces
muſt be left at certain Diſtances for Paſſages
into the middle Area, and for Stairs to go up
from thence to thoſe Seats, which Stair-caſes
and Paſſages ſhould be with vaulted Roofs,
and in Number proportionable to the Bigneſs
of the Theatre. Of theſe Paſſages there ſhould
be ſeven principal ones, all directed exactly to
the Center of the Area, and perfectly clear
and open, at equal Diſtances from each other;
and of theſe ſeven, one ſhould be larger than
the reſt, anſwering to the middle of the Semi
circle, which I call the Maſter Entrance, be
cauſe it muſt anſwer to the high Street. An
other Paſſage muſt be made at the Head of
the Semicircle on the Right Hand, and ſo an
other on the Leſt to anſwer it, and between
theſe and the Maſter Entrance four others, two
on each Side. There may be as many other
Openings and Paſſages as the Compaſs of the
Theatre requires, and will admit of. The
Ancients in their great Theatres divided the
Rows of Seats into three Parts, and each of
theſe Diviſions was diſtinguiſhed from the other
by a Seat twice as broad as the others, which
was a Kind of Landing-place, ſeparating the
higher Seats from the lower; and at theſe
Landing-places, the Stairs for coming up to
the ſeveral Seats terminated. I have obſerved,
that the beſt Architects, and the moſt inge
nious Contrivers uſed at each great Entrance
to make two different Stairs, one more upright
and direct, for the Young and the Nimble,
and another broader and eaſier, with more fre
quent Reſts, for the Matrons and old People.
This may ſuffice as to the Seats. Oppoſite to
the Front of the Theatre was raiſed the Stage
for the Actors, and every thing belonging to
the Repreſentation, and here ſate the Nobles
in peculiar and honourable Seats, ſeparate from
the common People, or perhaps in the middle
Area in handſome Places erected for that Pur
poſe. The Pulpitum or Stage, was made ſo
large as to be fully ſufficient for every thing
that was to be acted upon it. It came forward
equal to the Center of the Semicircle, and was
raiſed in Height not above five Foot, that the
Nobles who ſate in the Area might from thence
eaſily ſee every Geſture of the Actors. But
when the middle Area was not reſerved for the
Nobles to ſit in, but was allowed to the Actors
and Muſicians: Then the Stage was made leſs,
but raiſed higher, ſometimes to the Height of
ſix Cubits. In both Kinds the Stage was adorn
ed with Rows of Colonades one over another,
in Imitation of Houſes, with their proper Doors
and Windows, and in Front was one principal
Door with all the Dreſs of the Door of a
Temple, to repreſent a Royal Palace, with
other Doors on each Side for the Actors to
make their Entrances and Exits at, according
to the Nature of the Drama. And as there
are three Sorts of Poets concerned in theatrical
Performances, the Tragick, who deſcribe the
Misfortunes and Diſtreſſes of Princes; the Co
mick who repreſent the Lives and Manners of
private Perſons, and the Paſtoral, who ſing the
Delights of the Country, and the Loves of