ADVERTISEMENT. HIS tragedy was exhibited for the first time THIS in 1730. It met with lefs fuccefs than any of our author's pieces in the representation, having been played only fixteen nights. It has notwithftanding been tranflated into more languages, and more admired by foreigners than most of his tragedies. The present edition of it differs greatly from the former. A DISCOURSE ON TRAGED Y: In a LETTER to Lord BOLINGBROKE. On rhime. On the difficulty of French verfification. Examples of it. Tragedies in profe. Rhime pleases the French even in comedy. Character of the English theatre. Faults of the French. The English Cato. Comparison of the Manlius of M. De la Foffe with the Venice preferv'd of Otway. Examen of Shakespear's Julius Cæfar. Horrible spectacles amongst the Greeks. The obfervation of decorum and the unities. Fifth act of Rodogune. The pomp and dignity of the tragic Scene. Advice of an excellent critic. On love. I My LORD. HAVE here dedicated a French work, reprefented at Paris, to an English patron; not because there are not in my own country many men of distinguish'd parts and judgment, to whom I might have paid that compliment; but because the tragedy of Brutus is as it were a native of England. Your lordship may remember, that when I retir'd to Wandf worth with my friend, Mr. Fakener, that worthy and virtuous citizen, I employ'd my leisure hours at his house in writing the first act of this piece in English profe, pretty nearly the fame as it now ftands in French verfe. I mention'd it to your lordship several times, and we were both equally furpriz'd that no * Englifhman had ever treated this fubject, which feems peculiarly adapted to your theatre. You encouraged me to pursue a plan which wou'd admit of fuch noble fentiments; permit me therefore, my lord, to inscribe this work to your lordship, tho' not written in your own tongue; to you, my lord, * In the firft editions of this tragedy, no notice was taken of Lee's Brutus; but the fact roundly afferted, that no Englishman had ever treated this fubject: in the edition, however, now before us, Mr. Voltaire, or fomebody for him, has fubjoin'd the following note: There is a Brutus by an author whofe name is Lee, but it is a piece intirely unknown, and never play'd.' Mr. V. muft have had very little acquaintance with the English stage, not to know that 'l'auteur nommé' 'Lee, the author whofe name was Lee,' is one of our favorite dramatic writers; and though wild and extravagant, was poffefs'd of fine abilities. Spirat tragicum fatis & feliciter audet. His Lucius Junius Brutus, though inferior in conduct t Voltaire's, has many fine and masterly strokes in it. Docte Docte fermones utriufque linguæ. you, who are able to inftruct me in French as well as English; you, who at least have taught me to give my own language that force and energy, which freedom of thought can alone inspire: for the vigorous fentiments of the heart pafs infenfibly into our expreffions, and he who thinks nobly will always fpeak fo. I must own, my lord, on my return from England, where I had pass'd almost two years in the continual ftudy of your language, I found myself at a lofs when I fet about a French tragedy. I was accuftom'd almoft to think in English, and perceiv'd that the French idioms did not prefent themselves to my imagination with that facility as they had formerly: it was like a rivulet, whose current had been turn'd another way; fome time and pains were requifite to make it flow again in its proper channel. I began then to be convinc'd, that to fucceed in any art, we must cultivate it all our lives. What deterr'd me more than any thing from works of this kind, was the fevere rules of our poetry, and the flavery of rhime. I regretted that happy liberty which you enjoy of writing tragedy in blank verfe; |