Oa. According to his virtue let us use him, "As all did govern, yet all did obey; - That 't feem'd, when beaven bis modell firft began, "In bim it fhew'd perfection in a man." [Exeunt. In the fame form is this ftanza exhibited in an edition of Drayton's pieces, printed in 8vo, 1610, and in that of 1613. The lines quoted by Mr. Steevens are from the edition in folio printed in 1619, after Shakspeare's death. In the original poem, entitled Mortimeriados, there is no trace of this ftanza; fo that I am inclined to think that Drayton was the copyift, as his verfes originally stood. In the altered ftanza he certainly was. He probably had feen this play when it was firft exhibited, and perhaps between 1613 and 1619 had perufed the Mf. MALONE. 3 Of this tragedy many particular paffages deferve regard, and the contention and reconcilement of Brutus and Caffius is univerfally celebrated; but I have never been strongly agitated in perufing it, and think it fomewhat cold and unaffecting, compared with some other of Shakfpeare's plays: his adherence to the real ftory, and to Roman manners, feems to have impeded the natural vigour of his genius. JOHNSON. Gildon has juftly obferved, that this tragedy ought to have been called Marcus Brutus, Cæfar being a very inconfiderable perfonage in the fcene, and being killed in the third act. MALONE. The fubftance of Dr. Warburton's long and erroneous comment on a passage in the second act of this play, "The genius and the mortal inftruments," &c. (fee p. 333, n. 5,) is contained in a letter written by him in the year 1726-7, of which the firft notice was given to the publick in the following note on Dr. Akenfide's Ode to Mr. Edwards, which has, I know not why, been omitted in the late editions of that poet's works: "During Mr. Pope's war with Theobald, Concanen, and the reft of their tribe, Mr. Warburton, the prefent lord bishop of Gloucester, did with great zeal cultivate their friendship; having been introduced, forfooth, at the meetings of that refpectable confederacy: a favour which he afterwards spoke of in very high terms of complacency and thankfulness. At the fame time, in his intercourfe with them he treated Mr. Pope in a most contemptuous manner, and as a writer without genius. Of the truth of these affertions his lordship can have no doubt, if he recollects his own correfpondence with Concanen; a part of which is still in being, and will probably be remembered as long as any of this prelate's writings." VOL. VII. E e If If the letter here alluded to, contained any thing that might affect the moral character of the writer, tenderness for the dead would forbid its publication. But that not being the cafe, and the learned prelate being now beyond the reach of criticifm, there is no reason why this literary curiofity should be longer withheld from the publick: "-Duncan is in his grave; "After life's fitful fever he fleeps well; "Treafon has done his worft: nor steel, nor poifon, "Can touch him further." Letter from Mr. W. Warburton to Mr. M. Concanen. "Dear Sir, "having had no more regard for those papers which I spoke of and promis'd to Mr. Theobald, than juft what they deferv'd I in vain fought for them thro' a number of loofe papers that had the fame kind of abortive birth. I used to make it one good part of my amufement in reading the English poets, those of them I mean whose vein flows regularly and conftantly, as well as clearly, to trace them to their fources; and obferve what oar, as well as what flime and gravel they brought down with them. Dryden I obferve borrows for want of leafure, and Pope for want of genius: Milton out of pride, and Addifon out of modesty. And now I fpeak of this latter, that you and Mr. Theobald may fee of what kind these idle collections are, and likewife to give you my notion of what we may fafely pronounce an imitation, for it is not I prefume the fame train of ideas that follow in the fame description of an ancient and a modern, where nature when attended to, always fupplys the fame ftores, which will autorife us to pro nounce the latter an imitation, for the moft judicious of all poets, Terence, has obferved of his own fcience Nibil eft dictum, quod non fit dictum prius: For thefe reffons I fay I give myfelfe the pleasure offett ing down fome imitations I obferved in the Cato of Addison. Addifon. A day an hour of virtuous liberty Tully. Is worth a whole eternity in bondage. A 2. Sc. 1. Quod fi immortalitas confequeretur præfentis periculi fugam, tamen eo magis ea fugienda effe videretur, quo diuturnior effet fervitus. Pbilipp. Or. 10a, Addifon. Bid him disband his legions Tully. Addifon. Reftore the commonwealth to liberty And ftand the judgement of a Roman senate, Pacem vult? arma deponat, roget, deprecetur. Neminem -But what is life? 'Tis not to talk about and draw fresh air 'Tis to be free. When Liberty is gone, From time to time Life grows infipid and has loft its relish. Sc. 3. Tully Tully. Addifon. Tully. Addison. Tully. Non enim in fpiritu vita eft: fed ea nulla eft omnino Remember O my friends the laws the rights O never let it perifh in your hands. A& 3. Sc. 5. -Hanc [libertatem fcilt] retinete, quæfo, Quirites, quam vobis, tanquam hereditatem, majores noftri reliquerunt. Philippi. 4a. The mistress of the world, the feat of Empire, The nurse of Heros the Delight of Gods. Roma domus virtutis, imperii dignitatis, domicilium gloriæ, lux orbis terrarum. de Oratore. "The first half of the 5 Sc. 3 A&t. is nothing but a tranfcript from the 9 book of lucan between the 300 and the 700 line. You fee by this fpecimen the exactness of Mr. Addifon's judgement who wanting fentiments worthy the Roman Cato fought for them in Tully and Lucan. When he wou'd give his fubject those terrible graces which Dion. Hallicar: complains he could find no where but in Homer, he takes the affiftance of our Shakespear, who in his Julius Cæfar has painted the confpirators with a pomp and terrour that perfectly aftonishes. hear Our British Homer. Between the acting of a dreadful thing And the first motion, all the Int'rim is Mr. Addifon has thus imitated it: O think what anxious moments pafs between Filled up with horror all, & big with death. I have two things to obferve on this imitation. 1. the decorum thie exact Mr. of propriety has obferved. In the Confpiracy of Shakespear's defcription, the fortunes of Cæfar and the roman Empire were concerned. And the magnificent circumstances of "The genius and the mortal instruments "are then in council. is exactly proportioned to the dignity of the subject. But this wou'd have been too great an apparatus to the defertion of Syphax and the rape II. The other of Sempronius, and therefore Mr. Addison omits it. thing more worthy our notice is, that Mr. A. was fo greatly moved and affected with the pomp of Sh:s defcription, that inftead of copying bis author's fentiments, be has before he was aware given us only the marks of bis own impressions on the reading bim. For, Ee 2 "O'tis "O'tis a dreadful interval of time "Filled up with horror all, and big with death. are but the affections raised by such lively images as these "all the Int'rim is "Like a phantasma or a hideous dream. &, "The state of man-like to a little kingdom fuffers then The nature of an infurrection. Again when Mr. Addison woud paint the fofter paffions he has re course to Lee who certainly had a peculiar genius that way. thus his Juba "True she is fair. O how divinely fair! coldly imitates Lee in his Alex: "Then he wou'd talk: Good Gods how he wou'd talk! I pronounce the more boldly of this, because Mr. A. in his 39 Spec. expreffes his admiration of it. My paper fails me, or I fhou'd now offer to Mr. Theobald an objection agt. Shakspeare's acquaintance with the ancients. As it appears to me of great weight, and as it is neceffary he fhou'd be prepared to obviate all that occur on that head. But fome other opportunity will prefent itfelfe. You may now, Sr, justly complain of my ill manners in deferring till now, what fhou'd have been first of all acknowledged due to you. which is my thanks for all your favours when in town, particularly for introducing me to the knowledge of thofe worthy and ingenious Gentlemen that made up our laft night's converfation. I am, Sir, with all efteem your most obliged friend and humble fervant The foregoing Letter was found about the year 1750, by Dr. Gawin Knight, firft librarian to the British Museum, in fitting up a house which he had taken in Crane-court, Fleet-ftreet. The houfe had, for a long time before, been let in lodgings, and in all probability, Concanen had lodged there. The original letter has been many years in my poffeffion, and is here moft exactly copied, with its several little peculiarities in grammar, fpelling, and punctuation. April 30. 1766. M. A. The above is copied from an indorfement of Dr. Mark Akenfide, as is the preceding letter from a copy given by him to .Efq. I have carefully retained all the peculiarities above mentioned. MALONE. |