action naturally arising out of the sentiments and manners of the perfons represented. Happier is the poet, when the peculiar difpofitions of his several characters do naturally unfold the perplexities of the fable, than he who uses the liberty, which Horace allows, to call a Deity to his affistance. This play opens by the king's declaring his intention to undertake the crufade, as foon as peace will allow him to do it. Westmorland informs him of the defeat of Mortimer by Owen Glendower; the King relates the news of Percy's victory at Holmedon, which naturally leads him to the praise of this young hero, and to express his envy of Lord Nor thumberland's happiness.

To be the father of so bleft a son,

While I (fays he)

See riot and dishonour stain the brow
Of my young Harry:

then he mentions Percy's refusal of his prifoners, which Weftmorland attributes to the malevolent suggestions of Worcester. Thus at once is presented to the fpectator, the condition of the state, the temper of the times,

times, and the characters of the perfons from whom the catastrophe is to arise.

The stern authority the king affumes on Hotfpur's difobedience to his commands, could not fail to inflame a warm young hero flushed with recent victory, and elate with the consciousness of having fo well defended a crown, which his father and uncle had in a manner conferred. Nothing can be more natural than that, in fucha temper, he should recur to the obligations the king had to his family and thus while he appears to vent his fpleen, he explains to the spectator what is past, and opens the fource of the future rebellion; and by connecting former transactions with the prefent paffions and events, creates in the reader an interest and a fympathy, which a cold narration or a pompous declamation could not have effected. As the author defigned Percy should be an interefting character, his disobedience to the king, in regard to the prisoners, is mitigated by his pleading the unfitness of the perfon and unfavorableness of the

occafion

occafion to urge him on the fubject. To this effeminate courtier (fays he)

I then, all smarting with my wounds being cold,
Out of my grief and my impatience

To be fo pefter'd with a popingjoy,
Anfwer'd neglectingly-I know not what,

Thus has the poet artfully taken from the rebel the hateful crimes of premeditated revolt and deep-laid treachery. He is hurried by an impetuofity of foul out of the fphere of obedience, and, like a comet, though dangerous to the general fyftem, is ftill an object of admiration and wonder to every beholder. It is marvellous, that Shakefpear from bare chronicles, coarfe, history, and traditional tales, could thus extract the wisdom and caution of the politician Henry, and catch the fire of the martial fpirit of Hotspur. The wrath of Achilles in Homer is not sustained with more dignity. Each hero is offended that the prize of valour,

Due to many a well-fought day,

is rudely fnatched from him by the hand of power. One should fufpect an author of

more

more learning to have had the character of Achilles in his eye, and also the advice of Horace as to the manner of representing him on the stage.

Impiger, iracundus, inexorabilis, acer.

Jura neget fibi nata, nihil non arroget armis.

His misdemeanors rife so naturally out of his temper, and that temper is so noble, that we are almost as much interested for him as for a more virtuous character.

His trefpafs may be well forgot,

It hath th' excufe of youth and heat of blood,
And an adopted name of privilege,

A hare-brain'd Hotfpur govern'd by a spleen. The great afpiring foul of Hotspur bears out rebellion: it seems, in him, to flow from an uncontrollable energy of foul, born to give laws, too potent to receive them. In every scene he appears with the fame animation; he is always that Percy Whose spirit lent a fire

Even to the dulleft peasant in the camp,
Led ancient lords and rev'rend bishops on,
To bloody battles, and to bruifing arms.

He has alfo the franknefs of Achilles, and the fame abhorrence of falfhood; he is as impatient of Glendower's pretenfions to supernatural powers; as to the king's affuming a right over his prifoners. In dividing the kingdom he will not yield a foot of ground to those who difpute with him; but would give any thing to a well-deserving friend. It is a pardonable violation of historical truth, to give the Prince of Wales, who behaved very gallantly at the battle of Shrewsbury, the honour of conquering him; and it is more agreeable to the fpectator, as the event was, to beat down

The never-daunted Percy to the earth,

to fuppofe it did not happen from the arrow of a peafant, but from the sword of Henry Monmouth, whose spirit came with a higher commiffion from the fame fiery sphere.

In Worcester the rebel appears in all his odious colours; proud, envious, malignant, artful, he is finely contrafted by the noble Percy. Shakespear, with the fagacity of a

Tacitus,