nefs and debauchery. In our Alcibiades, a piece greatly follow'd but poorly written, and therefore at present in very little esteem, we admir'd for a long time these bad verses, which were repeated in a soft and persuafive tone by the fopus of the laft age.

Fir'd with a real paffion, when I saw
The lovely fair, and falling at her feet,
In her foft eyes, that sparkled with defire,
Or with a timid luftre glanc'd upon me,
Beheld the mutual flame that in her breast
Refponfive glowd, what raptures fill'd my foul?
From those bleft minutes only have I learn'd
That man may taste of perfect happiness.

In your Venice Preferv'd, old Renaut wants to debauch the wife of Jaffier; fhe complains of it in terms rather indecent, and goes fo far as to fay he came to her, unbutton'd.

To render love worthy of the tragic scene, it ought to arife naturally from the business of the piece, and not be brought in by mere force, only to fill up a vacancy, as it generally does in your tragedies, and in ours, which are both of them too long: it fhou'd be a paffion intirely tragical, confider'd as a weakness, and oppos'd

oppos'd by remorfe: it fhou'd either lead to misfortunes or to crimes, to convince us how dangerous it is: or it fhou'd be fubdued by virtue, to fhew us that it is not invincible. In all other cafes, it is no more than the love of an eclogue, or a comedy.

You, my lord, muft decide whether I have fulfill'd any of thefe conditions: but I hope that, above all, your friends will be fo candid, as not to judge of the genius and tafte of our nation by this discourse, or by the tragedy which I have sent you with it. I am, perhaps, one of those who cultivate the belles lettres in France with the least success, and if the sentiments which I have here fubmitted to your judgment are difapprov'd, I, and I only, deferve to be cenfur'd for them.

DRAMATIS

L3

TULLIA, Daughter of Tarquin.
ALGINA, Confidant of Tullia.
ARUNS, Ambaffador from Porfenna.
MESSALA, Friend of Titus.
PROCULUS, A military Tribune.

ALBINUS, Confidant of Aruns.

Senators. Lictors.

SCENE ROME.

BRUTUS.

BRUTUS.

A

TRAGEDY.

АСТ I. SCENE I.

BRUTUS. The SENATE.

The scene reprefents part of the house appointed for the confuls on the Tarpeian mount: at a distance is feen the temple of the capitol. The fenators are afsembled between the temple and the house, before the altar of Mars: the two confuls, Brutus and Valerius Publicola prefide: the fenators ranged in a femi-circle; behind them the lictors with their fafces.

BRUTUS.

AT length, my noble friends, Rome's honour'd fe

nate,

The scourge of tyrants, you who own no kings

But Numa's gods, your virtues, and your laws,
Our foe begins to know us: this proud Tufcan,
The fierce Porfenna, Tarquin's boafted friend,
Pleas'd to protect a tyrant like himself;

He who o'er Tyber's banks hath spred his hofts,
And bore his head fo loftily, now speaks

In lowlier terms, refpects the fenate's pow'r,
And dreads the fons of freedom and of Rome:
This day he comes, by his ambassador,

To treat of peace, and Aruns, fent by him,
Demands an audience: he attends ev'n now
Your orders in the temple: you'll determine
Or to refufe or to admit him to us.

VALERIUS PUBLICOLA.

Whate'er his errand be, let him be sent
Back to his king; imperial Rome shou'd never
Treat with her foes till fhe has conquer'd them:
Thy valiant fon, th' avenger of his country,
Has twice repuls'd Etruria's haughty monarch,
And much we owe to his victorious arm:
But this is not enough; Rome, ftill befieg'd,
Sees with a jealous eye the tyrant's friends:
Let Tarquin yield to our decrees; the laws
Doom'd him to exile; let him leave the realm,
And purge the state of royal villainy;

Perhaps