TRAGOEDIA,
a Tragedy; a Dramma∣tick Poem which upon the Theater represents some signal Action performed by Illustrious Per∣sons, and has often a fatal End. Suidas says, that Thespis was the first Author of Tragedy, who began by making his Actors ride in a Cha∣riot, painting their Faces with Wine-lees in or∣der to disguise them, for Masks were not yet invented: Horace de arte Poetica gives us all these Particulars,
Ignotum Tragicae genus invenisse Camoenae Dicitur, & plaustris vexisse poemata Thespis Qui canerent, agerentque peruncti fecibus ora.
Eschylus was the first who invented Masks and Habits to disguise the Actors, and in short, 'twas he that advanced the magnificent and noble Character of Tragedy to the highest Pitch.
Post hanc personae pallaeque repertor honestae Aeschylus, & modicis instravit pulpita tignis, Et docuit magnumque loqui, nitique cotburno.
Diogenes Laertius in Plato's Life, and Aristotle in his Ars Poetica say, that at first there was but one Person in a Tragedy, who alone made the Chorus; Thespis added a Comedian thereto, in order to give the Chorus Leasure to take Breath: Eschylus added a second, and Sophocles a third, and so Tragedy came to its Perfection; he that won the Prize in a Tragedy received a He-goat which he was to sacrifice to Bacchus, from whence came the Name of Tragedy 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Hircus, signifying a He goat.