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ing a piece totally on love, and not letting it appear as the fecondary paffion, or as an episode. Every incident of the fable is grounded on love, which is very juftly painted throughout the piece. The cataftrophe of that noble fable is infinitely affecting there is hardly a more pathetic ftroke in tragedy than Ofmyn's killing the innocent Zara, whom he doated on to distraction, and then discovering his mistake not only the terror, but the pity of the audience is raised to the highest pitch it is impoffible not to be overwhelmed with compaffion at the miferable fate of Zara, ftabbed by the man she adored. It would have been drawing Ofmyn out of character, had the poet made him survive the fate of Zara; but the pathetic, in my humble opinion, would have been raised by it: the reflection of his living, and being a prey

to horror, mifery and defpair, would have raised a much more melancholy idea than his death, which, in his fituation, was a comfort. But as it is, the catastrophe of this excellent fable is pathetic to the highest degree.

Shakespear founded feveral tragedies on love-plots; one of them perhaps is the most affecting fubject that the wit of man ever thought of. Romeo and Juliet is one of the best and moft regular tragedies this poet ever wrote, and, in my opinion, by far the most affecting. The fable of it is very well known; as to the unities, we are not to expect them: there are fame ftriking defects in the plot, that must appear to every body. The character of Paris is quite unneceffary in the drama*, and why muft our compaffion

* Shakespear illuftrated, vol. i. p. 100.

for

for the unfortunate Romeo be fufpended by the undeserved fate of Paris? What neceffity is there for making Romeo, who is all along reprefented as an amiable and virtuous character, imbrue his hands in the blood of an innocent youth (whose death is of no confequence) juft before he expires? But the principal defect in this tragedy, is in the catastrophe. Shake. fpear makes Romeo die before Juliet awakes. But in this, and fome other cir cumstances, Mrs. Lenox has fhewed he copied a tranflation from the original novel of Bandello, whereon the poet built the fable of his tragedy. Bandello himfelf makes Juliet awake before her huf band dies; in which he has been judicioufly followed by Mr. Garrick, in his alteration of Shakespear's piece. The catastrophe was at firft brought about thus: In the beginning of the fifth act, Romeo

is introduced in Mantua, in expectation of news from Verona, faying,

If I may truft the flatt'ring truth of fleep,
My dreams prefage fome joyful news at hand;
My bofom's lord fits lightly on his throne,
And all this day an unaccuftom'd fpirit

Lifts me above the ground with chearful thoughts.

Balthafar then comes in, and informs

him that Juliet is no more.

anfwer is great and pathetic:

Is it even fo?Then I defy the stars.

Romeo's

In the original of Bandello, when he is told of this event, aftonishment and grief for fome moments deprive him of fpeech; recovering a little, he breaks into complaints and felf-reproaches; then, wild with defpair, he flies to his fword, and endeavours to kill himself, but being prevented by his fervant, he finks into an excefs of filent forrow, and, while he weeps,

weeps, calmly deliberates on the means: he should use to die in the monument. with Juliet: This is a ftriking propriety. But the tranflator of this novel into English, makes Romeo, immediately refolveto poison himself; and Shakespear has. copied him I wonder Mr. Garrick did not alter this circumftance.-But to pro-ceed :

Romeo orders his fervant to get him. ink and paper, and hire poft-horses; as foon as Balthafar is gone, he recollects. the apothecary, buys poison of him,, and proceeds with it to Juliet's monument; at the door of which he tells. Balthafar,

Why I defcend into this bed of death,
Is partly to behold my lady's face:

But chiefly to take thence, from her dead finger,,
A precious ring, a ring that I must use.

In dear employment..

F4

Almoft

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