where such different sentiments and paffions are to be expreffed, as those which belong to the lover and confpirator. Cinna affures Emilia that he had concealed from his affociates, that to avenge her father and to obtain her were the motives from which he had entered into this confpiracy. CINNA. Rien n'eft pour vous à craindre; aucun de nos amis . "There is nothing for you to fear; none of our friends know the designs, nor what is promised me. In fpeaking of the miseries of the Romans, I was filent about the death which is the caufe of our hatred, left my warmth for your interests should betray the fecrets of fuch a perfect love." There was not only difcretion, but good fense in this, for the fecrets d'un parfait amour might not have been duly attended to, or properly reverenced, by a furly band of confpirators met to concert measures for fuch a perilous enterprize. In the next fcéne Auguftus fends for Cinna and Maximus, to advise with them, whether he shall reftore liberty to the commonwealth. Here we have some respite from the ftrangé medley of tender love and dire revenge, and in lieu of it, a long political difcuffion of the conveniences and inconveniences of different modes of government, Corneille has borrowed from Dion Cafhus, and transferred to Cinna and Maximus, the speeches of Agrippa and Mecenas, when Auguftus confulted them, whether he fhould demit his power, and live a private man, as Sylla had done. Mr. Fenelon has very juftly cenfured, as ill fuiting that fimplicity of style and manner, with which Auguftus expreffed himself, the following lines: AUGUSTE. Cet empire abfolu fur la terre et fur l'onde, Cette Cette grandeur fans bornes, et cet illuftre rang, "This abfolute empire over the earth and ocean, this fovereign power that I have over the whole world, this greatness without limits, and this illuftrious rank which has heretofore coft me fo much labour and fo much blood; in fine, all that the troublesome croud of flattering courtiers adores in my high fortune, is but a piece of pageantry, whofe luftre dazzles, and that one ceases to admire as foon as one poffeffes it.' Such oftentatious expreffions are perfectly ridiculous to thofe, who are acquainted with the character of the speaker: but there is another fault much more detrimental to the drama, which is the averfion we conceive at the black treachery of Cinna, who when Auguftus P4 Auguftus confults him as his Friend, whether he fhall lay down his power and restore liberty to the common-wealth, advises him not to do it, with a great appearance of perfonal attachment to him, and zeal for his country; but in reality, that he may not lofe a pretence to facrifice him to the revenge of Emilia. This holds forth Cinna to the spectator as a perfidious Friend, a wicked Counsellor, a profligate Citizen. A more atrocious conduct was perhaps never afcribed to any character on the stage, where the guilty person was intended to excite indignation and abhorrence; and is therefore the most flagrantly abfurd, in a cafe where the character is that on which the interest of the play is to turn. Auguftus having intimated to Cinna, at the conclufion of their conference, that he was willing to give Emilia to him, he begins then to reflect upon his perfidy, and urges to Maximus the remorfe he feels for the intended affaffination. The Poet seems to be afraid he has not yet fufficiently dif graced graced his hero, and therefore makes Maximus reply to him thus: MAXIME. Formez vos remors d'une plus juste cause, De vos lâches confeils, qui feuls ont arrêté Le bonheur renaissant de notre liberté. C'est vous feul aujourd'hui qui nous l'avez ôtée, Et n'eut jamais fouffert qu'un intérêt leger "Derive your remorse from a juster cause, from your bafe counfels, which alone put a ftop to the felicity of reviving liberty. "Tis you alone that have now deprived us of it. From the hand of Cæfar Brutus would have accepted the liberty of Rome; and never, from a paltry interest of love or revenge, would have again put it to hazard.” As every movement in this play is to turn on mean and selfish paffions, as soon as Maximus apprehends his rival is to receive Emilia as the reward of his enterprize, he fuffers his flave to betray the plot to Auguf tus. |