The largest compass for the first _Unity_ is Twenty Four Hours: But a lesser proportion is more regular. To be exact, the Time of the History, or _Fable_, should not exceed that of the _Representation_: Or in other words, the whole Business of the _Play_, should not be much longer than the Time it takes up in _Playing_. The Second _Unity_ is that of _Place_. To observe it, the _Scene_ must not wander from one Town, or Country to another. It must continue in the same House, Street, or at farthest in the same City, where it was first laid. The Reason of this Rule depends upon the _First_. Now the Compass of _Time_ being strait, that of _Space_ must bear a Correspondent Proportion. Long journeys in _Plays_ are impracticable. The Distances of _Place_ must be suited to Leisure, and Possibility, otherwise the supposition will appear unnatural and absurd. The Third _Unity_ is that of _Action_; It consists in contriving the chief Business of the _Play_ single, and making the concerns of one Person distinguishably great above the rest. All the Forces of the _Stage_ must as it were serve Under one _General_: And the lesser Intrigues or Underplots, have some Relation to the Main. The very Oppositions must be useful, and appear only to be Conquer'd, and Countermin'd. To represent Two considerable Actions independent of each other, Destroys the beauty of Subordination, weakens the Contrivance, and dilutes the pleasure. It splits the _Play_, and makes the _Poem_ double. He that would see more upon this subject may consult _Corneille_.[431] To bring these Remarks to the Case in hand. And here we may observe how the _Relapser_ fails in all the _Rules_ above mention'd. _1st._ His _Play_ by modest Computation takes up a weeks Work, but five days you must allow it at the lowest. One day must be spent in the First, Second, and part of the Third _Act_, before Lord _Foplington_ sets forward to Sir _Tun-belly_. Now the Length of the Distance, the Pomp of the Retinue, and the Niceness of the Person being consider'd; the journey down, and up again, cannot be laid under four days.[432] To put this out of doubt, Lord, _Foplington_ is particularly careful to tell _Coupler_, how concern'd he was not to overdrive _for fear of disordering his Coach-Horses_. The Laws of _Place_, are no better observ'd than those of _Time_. In the Third _Act_ the _Play_ is in _Town_, in the Fourth _Act_ 'tis stroll'd Fifty Miles off, and in the Fifth _Act_ in _London_ again. Here _Pegasus_ stretches it to purpose! This _Poet_ is fit to ride a Match with Witches. _Juliana Cox_ never Switched a Broom stock with more Expedition! This is exactly _Titus_ at _Walton Town_, and _Titus_ at _Islington_. One would think by the probability of matters, the _Plot_ had been stolen from Dr. _O----s_.