ページの画像
PDF
ePub

ableness of the plan. Every critical reader must remark, that Addison has, with a fcrupulofity almost unexampled on the English stage, confined himself in time to a fingle day, and in place to rigorous unity. The scene never changes, and the whole action of the play paffes in the great hall of Cato's houfe at Utica. Much therefore is done in the hall, for which any other place had been more fit; and this impropriety affords Dennis many hints of merriment, and opportunities of triumph. The paffage is long; but as fuch difquifitions are not common, and the objections are fkilfully formed and vigorously urged, thofe who delight in critical controverfy will not think it tedious.

"Upon the departure of Portius, Sempronius makes "but one foliloquy, and immediately in comes Sy"phax, and then the two politicians are at it immediately. They lay their heads together, with their "fnuff-boxes in their hands, as Mr. Bayes has it, and league it away. But, in the midft of that wife "fcene, Syphax feems to give a seasonable caution to Sempronius:

[ocr errors]

66

"Syph. But is it true, Sempronius, that your fenats
"Is call'd together? Gods! thou must be cautious,
"Cato has piercing eyes.

"There is a great deal of caution fhewn indeed, in "meeting in a governor's own hall to carry on their

[ocr errors]

plot against him. Whatever opinion they have of "his eyes, I fuppofe they had none of his cars, or they would never have talked at this foolish rate fo

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small]

"Gods! thou must be cautious.

"Oh! yes, very cautious: for if Cato fhould over

"hear

“hear you, and turn you off for politicians, Cæfar "would never take you; no, Cæfar would never take you.

66

"When Cato, A& II. turns the fenators out of the "hall, upon pretence of acquainting Juba with the "refult of their debates, he appears to me to do a "thing which is neither reasonable nor civil. Juba "might certainly have better been made acquainted “with the result of that debate in fome private apart"ment of the palace. But the poet was driven upon "this abfurdity to make way for another; and that is,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

66

66

to give Juba an opportunity to demand Marcia of "her father. But the quarrel and rage of Juba and "Syphax, in the fame Act, the invectives of Syphax aginst the Romans and Cato; the advice that he gives Juba, in her father's hall, to bear away Marcia by force; and his brutal and clamorous rage upon "his refufal, and at a time when Cato was scarce out "of fight, and perhaps not out of hearing; at least, "fome of his guards or domefticks must neceffarily be supposed to be within hearing; is a thing that is fo "far from being probable, that it is hardly poffible. Sempronius, in the fecond Act, comes back once "more in the fame morning to the governor's hall, to $6 carry on the conspiracy with Syphax against the go66 vernor, his country, and his family; which is fo "stupid, that it is below the wisdom of the O's, "the Mac's, and the Teague's; even Euftace Com"mins himself would never have gone to Justice-hall, "to have confpired against the government. If officers "at Portsmouth fhould lay their heads together, in "order to the carrying off J-G-'s niece or daughter, would they meet in J-G-'s hall, to carry on

66

[ocr errors]

6

"" that

"that confpiracy? There would be no neceffity for "their meeting there, at least till they came to the "execution of their plot, because there would be "other places to meet in. There would be no proba"bility that they should meet there, because there "would be places more private and more commodious. "Now there ought to be nothing in a tragical action "but what is neceffary or probable.

"But treason is not the only thing that is carried on "in this hall: that and love, and philofophy, take "their turns in it, without any manner of neceffity or "probability occafioned by the action, as duly and as "regularly, without interrupting one another, as if "there were a triple league between them, and a mu "tual agreement that each fhould give place to and "make way for the other, in a due and orderly fuc" ceffion.

[ocr errors]

"We come now to the third Act. Sempronius, in "this Act, comes into the governor's hall, with the "leaders of the mutiny: but as foon as Cato is gone, "Sempronius, who but just before had acted like an "unparalleled knave, difcovers himfelf, like an egre. "gious fool, to be an accomplice in the confpiracy.

Semp. Know, villains, when fuch paltry slaves presume "To mix in treafon, if the plot fucceeds,

"They're thrown neglected by: but if it fails,

86

They're fure to die like dogs, as you thall do.
"Here, take these factious monsters, drag them forth
"To fudden death-

[ocr errors]

"'Tis true, indeed, the fecond leader fays, there are

*The perfon meant by the initials J. G. is Sir John Gibfon, Lieutenant Governor of Portfinouth in the year 1710, and afterwards. He was much beloved in the army, and by the cominon foldiers called Johnny Gibfor

VOL. III.

·H

"none

[ocr errors]

none there but friends: but is that poffible at fuch, "a juncture? Can a parcel of rogues attempt to affas"finate the governor of a town of war, in his own "houfe, in mid-day, and, after they are difcovered "and defeated, can there be none near them but, "friends? Is it not plain from these words of Sem66 pronius,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"Here, take these factious monsters, drag them forth "To fudden death

❝and from the entrance of the guards upon the word "of command, that thofe guards were within ear"fhot? Behold Sempronius then palpably discovered. "How comes it to pafs, then, that, instead of being hanged up with the reft, he remains fecure in the "governor's hall, and there carries on his confpiracy against the government, the third time in the fame 66 day, with his old comrade Syphax? who enters at "the fame time that the guards are carrying away the "leaders, big with the news of the defeat of Sempro"nius; though where he had his intelligence fo foon "is

is difficult to imagine. And now the reader may expect a very extraordinary scene: there is not ab "undance of fpirit indeed, nor a great deal of paf"fion, but there is wisdom more than enough to fup"ply all defects.

[ocr errors]

Syph. Our first defign, my friend, has prov'd abortive;
Still there remains an after-game to play :

[ocr errors]

My troops are mounted, their Numidian steeds "Snuff up the winds, and long to fcour the defart: "Let but Sempronius lead us in our flight, "We'll force the gate, where Marcus keeps his guard, "And hew down all that would oppose our paffage; "A day will bring us into Cæfar's camp.

"Semp. Confufion! I have fail'd of half my purpose; Marcia, the charming Marcia's left behind.

"Well

"Well! but though he tells us the half-purpose that " he has fail'd of, he does not tell us the half that he "has carried. But what does he mean by

1

"Marcia, the charming Marcia's left behind?

"He is now in her own houfe; and we have neither "feen her nor heard of her any where elfe fince the play began. But now let us hear Syphax :

What hinders then, but that you find her out, "And hurry her away by manly force?

"But what does old Syphax mean by finding her out? "They talk as if he were as hard to be found as a "hare in a frosty morning.

66

Semp. But how to gain admiffion?

"Oh! fhe is found out then, it feems.

[ocr errors]

"But how to gain admiffion? for access

"Is giv'n to none; but Juba and her brothers,

"But, raillery apart, why access to Juba? For he was "owned and received as a lover neither by the father nor by the daughter. Well! but let that pafs. Syphax puts Sempronius out of pain immediately; and, being a Numidian, abounding in wiles, fup-. plies him with a ftratagem for admiffion, that, I be lieve, is a non-pareille :

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Syph. Thou that have Juba's drefs, and Juba's guards; "The doors will open, when Numidia's prince

"Seems to appear before them.

[ocr errors]

Sempronius is, it seems, to pafs for Juba in full "day at Cato's houfe, where they were both fo very "well known, by having Juba's dress and his guards : "as if one of the marshals of France could pafs for "the duke of Bavaria, at noon-day, at Versailles, by' "having his drefs and liveries. But how does Syphax pretend

H 2

[ocr errors]
« 前へ次へ »