contemporaries. Whenever a living character was introduced by name, as
Cleon or Socrates, in the old comedy, we may suppose that the mask was
a striking, although not a flattering portrait. We cannot doubt, that
these masks were made with great care, and were skilfully painted,
and finished with the nicest accuracy; for every art was brought to
a focus in the Greek theatres. We must not imagine, like schoolboys,
that the tragedies of Sophocles were performed at Athens in such
rude masks as are exhibited in our music shops. We have some
representations of them in antique sculptures and paintings, with
features somewhat distorted, but of exquisite and inimitable beauty.

_THE ROMAN STAGE._

The Drama of ancient Rome possesses little of originality or interest.
The word _Histrio_ is said to be of Etruscan origin; the Tuscans,
therefore, had their theatres; but little information can now be
gleaned respecting them. It was long before theatres were firmly and
permanently established in Rome; but the love of these diversions
gradually became too powerful for the censors, and the Romans grew,
at last, nearly as fond of them as the Greeks. The latter, as St.
Augustine informs us, did not consider the profession of a player as
dishonourable: "Ipsos scenicos non turpes judicaverunt, sed dignos
etiam præclaris honoribus habuerunt."--_De Civ. Dei_. The more prudish
Romans, however, were less tolerant; and we find in the Code various
constitutions levelled against actors, and one law especially, which
would not suit our senate, forbidding senators to marry actresses; but
this was afterwards relaxed by Justinian, who had broken it himself.
He permitted such marriages to take place on obtaining the consent
of the emperor, and afterwards without, so that the lady quitted the
stage, and changed her manner of life. The Romans, however, had at