of their countrymen, runs round three sides of the stage, the most honourable seats being those which directly face it. Masks are worn by such of the actors as take the parts of females or of supernatural beings; and the dresses are gorgeous in the extreme." Mr. Chamberlain then notices "the statuesque immobility of the actors and the peculiar intonation of the recitative. When once the ear has become used to its loudness it is by no means unpleasing, while the measured cadences of the chorus are from the very first both soothing and impressive. The music unfortunately cannot claim like praise, and the dancing executed by the chief character towards the close of each piece is tedious and meaningless to the European spectator. The performance occupies a whole day. For, although each piece takes on an average but one hour to represent, five or six are given in succession, and the intervals between them are filled up by the acting of comic scenes. Down to the time of the late revolution much ceremony and punctilious etiquette hedged in on every side those who were admitted to the honour of viewing this dramatic performance at the Shiyauguñ's court. Now the doors are open to all alike, but it is still chiefly the old aristocracy who make up the audience; and even they, highly trained as they are in the ancient literature, usually bring with them a book of the play to enable them to follow with the eye the difficult text, which is rendered still harder of comprehension by the varying tones of the choric chant."
In this description of the formal elements of the Japanese drama we cannot but be struck by several resemblances to the Athenian stage. The prominence of the chorus, of dance and song and music, the gradual introduction of individual actors distinct from the chorus,
