“But I return again to the French Writers:  who, as I have said, do not burden themselves too much with Plot; which has been reproached to them by an Ingenious Person of our nation, as a fault.  For he says, ’They commonly make but one person considerable in a Play.  They dwell upon him and his concernments; while the rest of the persons are only subservient to set him off.’  If he intends this by it, that there is one person in the Play who is of greater dignity than the rest; he must tax not only theirs, but those of the Ancients, and (which he would be loath to do) the best of ours.  For it ’tis impossible but that one person must be more conspicuous in it than any other; and consequently the greatest share in the Action must devolve on him.  We see it so in the management of all affairs.  Even in the most equal aristocracy, the balance cannot be so justly poised, but some one will be superior to the rest, either in parts, fortune, interest, or the consideration of some glorious exploit; which will reduce [lead] the greatest part of business into his hands.

“But if he would have us to imagine, that in exalting of one character, the rest of them are neglected; and that all of them have not some share or other in the Action of the Play:  I desire him to produce any of CORNEILLE’s Tragedies, wherein every person, like so many servants in a well governed family, has not some employment; and who is not necessary to the carrying on of the Plot, or, at least, to your understanding it.

“There are, indeed, some protactic persons [precursors] in the Ancients; whom they make use of in their Plays, either to hear or give the Relation; but the French avoid this with great address; making their Narrations only to, or by such, who are some way interessed [interested] in the main Design.

“And now I am speaking of RELATIONS; I cannot take a fitter opportunity to add this, in favour of the French, that they often use them with better judgement, more apropos than the English do.

“Not that I commend NARRATIONS in general; but there are two sorts of them: 

“One, of those things which are antecedent to the Play, and are related to make the Conduct of it more clear to us.  But ’tis a fault to choose such subjects for the Stage, as will inforce us upon that rock:  because we see that they are seldom listened to by the audience; and that it is, many times, the ruin of the play.  For, being once let pass without attention, the audience can never recover themselves to understand the Plot; and, indeed, it is somewhat unreasonable that they should be put to so much trouble, as that, to comprehend what passes in their sight, they must have recourse to what was done, perhaps ten or twenty years ago.