in dramatic poetry, one or more persons present on the stage during the representation, and supposed to be bystanders without any share in the action.

Tragedy in its origin was no more than a single chorus, who trod the stage alone, and without any actors, singing dithyrambs or hymns in honour of Bacchus. Thespis, to relieve the chorus, added an actor, who rehearsed the adventures of some of their heroes; and Æschylus, finding a single person too dry an entertainment, added a second, at the same time reducing the singing of the chorus, to make more room for the recitation. But when once tragedy began to be formed, the recitative, which at first was intended only as an accessory part to give the chorus a breathing time, became a principal part of the trage- dy. At length, however, the chorus became inserted and incorporated into the action: sometimes it was to speak; and then their chief, whom they called coryphaeus, spoke in behalf of the rest; the singing was performed by the whole company; so that when the coryphaeus struck into a song, the chorus immediately joined him.

The chorus sometimes also joined the actors in the course of the representation, with their plaints and lamentations on account of any unhappy accidents that befell them: but the proper function, and that for which it seemed chiefly retained, was to show the intervals of the acts: while the actors were behind the scenes, the chorus engaged the spectators; their songs usually turned on what was exhibited, and were not to contain anything but what was suited to the subject, and had a natural connection with it; so that the chorus concurred with the actors for advancing the action. In the modern tragedies the chorus is laid aside, and the fiddles supply its place. M. Dacier looks on this retrenchment as of ill consequence, and thinks it robs tragedy of a great part of its lustre; he therefore judges it necessary to re-establish it, not only on account of the regularity of the piece, but also to correct, by prudent and virtuous reflections, any extravagances that might fall from the mouths of the actors when under any violent passion.

M. Dacier observed also, that there was a chorus, or grec, in the ancient comedy: but this is suppressed in the new comedy, because it was used to reprove vices by attacking particular persons; as the chorus of the tragedy was laid aside to give the greater probability to those kinds of intrigue which require secrecy.

music, is when, at certain periods of a song, the whole company are to join the finger in repeating certain couplets or verses.