tus. He then endeavours to persuade Emilia to escape with him. All this is very awkwardly conducted.

It is strange that a dramatic writer should not have studied human nature enough to perceive, that the only character which cannot interest upon the ftage, is that which is mean, low, and contemptible. Great Spirits, though of a bad kind, engage our attention to all their operations, because they are capable of producing great Events. We are curious to fee, what the audacious villain will dare to do, what the cunning one will contrive; but when a man is prefented to us as a fcoundrel, un Lache, we difdain to attend to his actions. However well therefore the great scenes of this play may be written; confidered fingly they are very injudiciously managed. We shall now fee Cinna appear so despicable, that to punish him would be below the dignity of Auguftus; and to retain him as a friend, unworthy of any Man. Auguftus, informed by the double traitor Maximus, fends for Cinna,

and

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and reproaches him with every fpecies of bafe ingratitude, tells him he first gave him his life, enriched him with the spoils of Antony, upon every occafion had been profufely liberal and kind to him, preferred his interest even to thofe, who had fought for him, and by whofe blood he had purchafed the empire; and had admitted him, upon the death of Mæcenas, into the first place in his confidence. Auguftus adds too, that it was by his advice he retained his power; and after all this, fays he, you would affaffinate me. Cinna does not barely deny the confpiracy, but exclaims, "I, Sir, have I such a treacherous soul, fuch a base design!"

Auguftus cuts him fhort in this difgraceful lie, fhewing him he has full information of the plot; and very juftly fays, "The liberty of thy country could not be thy object, for then thou wouldst not have hindered my restoring it. Thou must design therefore to reign in my place. Alas! Rome must be unhappy indeed, if I were the only obstacle, and that after my death

it

it should not fall into better hands than thine. Learn to know what thou art: defcend into thyfelf: thou art honoured, praised, and loved, all tremble before thee, fo high have I raised thy fortune: but thou wouldst be the pity of those who now envy that fortune, if I abandoned thee to thy own little merit. Contradict me if thou canft; tell me what is thy merit, what are thy virtues, what are thy glorious exploits, what are thofe rare qualities, by which thou could't pretend to my favour, what is it raises thee above the vulgar? My favour is thy only glory; thy power arifes from it; that alone raises and fupports thee; it is that, not thou, which is refpected: thou haft neither rank nor credit, but what arifes from it; and to let thee fall, I need only draw back the hand that supports thee.”

Quel était ton deffein, et que pretendais-tu,
Après m'avoir au temple à tes pieds abattu?
Affranchir ton pays d'un pouvoir monarchique ?
Si j'ai bien entendu tantôt ta politique,

Son falut déformais dépend d'un fouverain,
Qui pour tout conferver tienne tout en sa main ;

Et

Et fi fa liberté te faifait entreprendre,

Tu ne m'euffes jamais empêché de la rendre ;
Tu l'aurais acceptée au nom de tout l'état,
Sans vouloir l'acquerir par un affaffinat.

Quel etait donc ton but? d'y regner en ma place?
D'un etrange malheur son destin le menace,

Si pour monter au trône et lui donner la loi,
Tu ne trouves dans Rome autre obftacle que moi;
Si jufques à ce point fon fort eft deplorable,
Que tu fois aprés moi le plus confiderable:
Et que ce grand fardeau de l'empire Romain

Ne puiffe aprés ma mort tomber mieux qu'en ta main.
Apprens à te connaître, et defcens en toi-même.
On t'honore dans Rome, on te courtife, on t'aime;
Chacun tremble fous toi, chacun t'offre des vœux;
Ta fortune eft bien haut, tu peux ceque je veuxe:
Mais tu ferais pitié, même à ceux qu'elle irrite,, 1
Si je t'abandonnais à ton peu de merite.
Ofe me dementir, dis-moi ce que tu vaux,
Conte moi tes vertus, tes glorieux travaux,

Les rares qualités par où tu m'as dû plaire,

Et tout ce qui t'éleve au-deffus du vulgaire.
Ma faveur fait ta gloire, & ton pouvoir en vient;
Elle feule t'éleve, & feule te foutient,

C'eft

C'eft elle qu'on adore, et non pas ta personne,

Tu n'as crèdit ni rang qu'autant qu'elle t'en donne,
Et

pour te faire choir je n'aurais aujourd'hui

Qu'à retirer la main qui feule eft ton appui.

Emilia enters, and behaves with the moft infolent pride, undaunted affurance, and unfeeling ingratitude; and declares to Auguftus, that fo long as he is handsome enough to get lovers, he fhall never want enemies. Auguftus ftill adheres to his plan of clemency, (for that too is plan, and the refult of prudent deliberation, not of generous magnanimity) he pardons Maximus, forgives Cinna in fpite of his unworthiness, and beftows upon him Emilia and the confulship. Emilia is at laft mitigated, and modeftly tells Auguftus, that Heaven has ordained a change in the Commonwealth, fince it has changed her Heart. What is there in all this that can move either Pity or Terror? In what is it moral, in what is it interefting, where is it pathetic?