term "accomplished companion," would equally apply to both. It is only a
surmise, yet history as we know is continually repeating itself--even in
Soubrette parts, and in more senses than one.

Of scenic displays that it possessed there was little or none, though
the exits and entrances to the stage had probably some device to denote
them. What they possessed in the way of properties it is more than
useless to speculate, as, whatever could be said, could only be
conjectural. In dressing their parts propriety in costume, and in
adhering to the habits of the Indian Drama, seems to have been observed
with some show of consistency.

The Chinese Drama also arose from the Hindoo developing itself as time
rolled on from Pantomimes and ballets. A very ancient Pantomime is said
to have been symbolical of the conquest of China by Wou Wang. Others
were on subjects of the Harvest, War, and Peace; whilst many were only
of an obscure nature. With the rise and progress of the native drama
about five hundred years before Christ Pantomimes fell into disrepute.

It is interesting to note that one of the penal codes of the Celestial
Empire was, that those who wrote plays with vicious, or immoral
tendencies, should stay in "purgatory" as long as their plays were
performed. This precept was all right in theory, but in practice it was
more honoured in the breach than in the observance, as amongst the whole
of the Celestial dramatic writers only one in about ten thousand seems
to have conformed to this rule.

The dramatic writers of China duly observed the question of rank and
priority, and just as much as the native Hindoo writers observed that of
the various phases of caste.