Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.

Cle. I'll fet a bourn how far to be belov'd.

Ant. Then muft thou needs find out new Heaven, new earth.

Enter an Attendant.

Attend. News, my good lord, from Rome.
Ant. Grates me :-The fum?

Cle. Nay, hear them, Antony.

Fulvia, perchance, is angry; or, who knows
If the fcarce-bearded Cæfar have not fent

His powerful mandate to you-" do this, or this ;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform't, or elle we damn thee."

Ant. How, my love!

Cle. Perchance,-nay, and most like,

i

You must not ftay here longer; your difmiffion
Is come from Cæfar; therefore, hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's procefs? Cæfar's, I would fay;
both?

Call in the meffengers.-As I am Ægypt's queen,
Thou blusheft, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cæfar's homager: fo thy cheek pays fhame
When fhrill-tongu'd Fulvia fcolds. The meffen-

gers! (Calling.)

Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt, and the wide arch Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my fpace: Kingdoms are clay; the noblenefs of life

1s, to do thus. (kisses her hand.)

Cle. Excellent falfehood!

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I feem the fool I am not; Antony

Will be himielf.

Ant. Now, for the love of Love, and his foft hours,

that we acknowledge much delight would be lost if we did not sub, mit to the violence of the motion. We feel like men indulging in morning slumbers, sensible of visionary impossibilities, but un willing to rouse our minds from the illusion: and when the enchantment is broken, by the termination of the Drama, a polish'd Auditor may exclaim, with the Poet's rude Caliban,

"when I waked

"I cried to dream again!"

HORACE has described him by anticipation:
"Ille per extentum funem mihi posse videtur
Ire Poeta, meum qui pectus inaniler angit;
Irritat, mulcet, falsis terroribus implet,

Ut Magus; et modò me Thebis, modò ponit Athenis."

DRYDEN In the Preface to his Play of "All for Love," vaunts that he has observed the Unities of Time, Place, and Action, with more exactness than, perhaps, the English Theatre requires: thus, while he volunteers a difficulty, he seems proud of shackling himself with fetters he holds in contempt, to shew how gracefully he can rattle them: In his boasted observance, however, of the Unities, he has not scrupled to falsify History; which he informs us he has done by the privilege of a Poet."

But the two Authors have told the same story in a different way; and, while Shakspeare has taken the broadest range, Dryden has concentrated his plan :-to mingle, therefore, their Dramas has presented no little difficulty;-to blend the regular Play of Dryden with the wild Tragedy of Shakspeare, creates a danger of entangling a chain of incidents.

The obvious question, then, is,-Why make such an attempt? to which the following answers are respectfully given:

Shakspeare's Play has been, already, altered, abridged, &c. &c. but it has stood the test of modern times less than many of our great Bard's revived Dramas, which are, now, kept before the Spectators, from year to year :-Something has been

wanting to render it what is termed a Stock Play :-Dryden's Play has been long upon the shelf; nor does it appear suited to the present taste, without much departure from the original ; but there is much to be admired in both the Plays.

Under these circumstances, an amalgamation of wonderful poetical powers has been considered the best method to be adopted; and it is hoped, that the present arrangement will be found sometimes to have softened the violations of those Unities in Shakspeare, which it cannot easily encrease.

In respect to pruning for representation, it may be allow'd,

that

66

-Aluent Shakspeare scarce effaced a line;

"Ev'n copious Dryden wanted, or forgot,

"The last, and greatest Art, the Art to blot."

A few lines of interpolation, here and there, will be observed; inserted merely for the purpose of connecting those beanties (which have long been dormant) of Two OF ENGLAND'S GREATEST POETS.