without orders of the magistrates.  From the time that it began to
    take some settled form, we know its authors, but are not informed
    who first used masks, added prologues, increased the numbers of the
    actors, and joined all the other things which now belong to it.  The
    first that thought of forming comick fables were Epicharmus and
    Phormys, and, consequently, this manner came from Sicily.  Crates was
    the first Athenian that adopted it, and forsook the practice of
    gross raillery that prevailed before.”  Aristot. ch. 5.  Crates
    flourished in the 82nd Olympiad, 450 years before our aera, twelve
    or thirteen years before Aristophanes.

[10] Eupolis was an Athenian; his death, which we shall mention
     presently, is represented differently by authors, who almost all
     agree that he was drowned.  Elian adds an incident which deserves to
     be mentioned:  he says (book x.  Of Animals,) that one Augeas of
     Eleusis, made Eupolis a present of a fine mastiff, who was so
     faithful to his master as to worry to death a slave, who was
     carrying away some of his comedies.  He adds, that, when the poet
     died at Egina, his dog staid by his tomb till he perished by grief
     and hunger.

[11] Cratinus of Athens, who was son of Callimedes, died at the age of
     ninety-seven.  He composed twenty comedies, of which nine had the
     prize:  he was a daring writer, but a cowardly warriour.

[12] Hertelius has collected the sentences of fifty Greek poets of the
     different ages of comedy.

[13] Interlude of the second act of the comedy entitled the Acharnians.

[14] Epigram attributed to Plato.

[15] This history of the three ages of comedy, and their different
     characters, is taken in part from the valuable fragments of
     Platonius.

[16] It will be shown, how, and in what sense, this was allowed.

[17] Perhaps the chorus was forbid in the middle age of the comedy. 
     Platonius seems to say so.

[18] Despreaux Art Poet. chant. 8.

[19] The year of Rome 514, the first year of the 135th Olympiad.

[20] Praetextae, Togatae, Tabernariae.

[21] Suet. de Claris Grammat. says, that C. Melissus, librarian to
     Augustus, was the author of it.

[22] Homer, Odyssey.

[23] Orat. pro Archia Poeta.

[24] In the year of the 85th Olympiad; 437 before our aera, and 317 of
     the foundation of Rome.

[25] The Greek comedies have been regarded, by many, in the light of
     political journals, the Athenian newspapers of the day, where,
     amidst the distortions of caricature, the lineaments of the times
     were strongly drawn.  See Madame de Stael de la Literature, c. iii. 
     —­Ed.

[26] Preface to Plautus.  Paris, 1684.