who leaves Novall as far behind him as Charalois does Altamont: It is admitted then that Calista has as good a plea as any wanton could wish to urge for her criminality with Lothario, and the poet has not spared the ear of modesty in his exaggerated description of the guilty scene; every luxurious image, that his inflamed imagination could crowd into the glowing rhapsody, is there to be found, and the whole is recited in numbers fo flowing and harmonious, that they not only arreft the paffions but the memory also, and perhaps have been, and still can be, as generally repeated as any paffage in English poetry. Maffinger with lefs elegance, but not with less regard to decency, fuffers the guilty act to pass within the course of his drama; the greater refinement of manners in Rowe's day did not allow of this, and he anticipated the incident; but when he revived the recollection of it by fuch a ftudied defcription, he plainly fhewed that it was not from moral principle that he omitted it; and if he has presented his heroine to the fpectators with more immediate delicacy during the compass of the play, he has at the fame time given her greater depravity of mind; her manners may be more refined, but her principle is fouler than Baumelle's. Califta, who yielded to the gallant gay Lothario, hot with the Tuscan grape, might perhaps T4 perhaps have difdained a lover who addreffed her in the holiday language which Novall uses to Beaumelle Beft day to Nature's curiofity! Star of Dijon, the luftre of all France! The letter of Califta (which brings about the discovery by the poor expedient of Lothario's dropping it and Horatio's finding it) has not even the merit of being characteristically wicked, and is both in its matter and mode below tragedy. It is Lothario's cruelty has determined her to yield a perfect obedience to her father, and give her hand to Altamont, in spite of her weakness for the falfe Lothario.-If the lady had given her perfect obedience its true denomination, fhe had called it a most dishonourable compliance; and if we may take Lothario's word (who feems full correct enough in describing facts and particulars) she had not much caufe to complain of his being falfe; for he tells Roffano I lik'd I lik'd her, would have marry'd her, But that it pleas'd her father to refuse me, It appears by this that Lothario had not been falfe to her in the article of marriage, though he might have been cruel to her on the score of paffion, which indeed is confest on his part with as much cold indifference, as the most barefaced avowal could exprefs.-But to return to the letter: She proceeds to tell him—that she could almost wifh fhe had that heart, and that honour to bestow with it, which he has robbed her of—But left this half wish should startle him, fhe addsBut oh! I fear, could I retrieve them, I should again be undone by the too faithless, yet too lovely Lothario. -This must be owned as full a reafon as the could give why the fhould only almost wish for her loft honour, when she would make fuch an use of it, if she had it again at her disposal. And yet the very next paragraph throws every thing into contradiction, for fhe tells him-this is the laft weakness of her pen, and to-morrow shall be the laft in which she will indulge her eyes. If the could keep to that refolution, I muft think the recovery of her innocence would have been worth a whole wifh, and many a wifh; unless we are to suppose she was fo devoted to guilt, that that she could take delight in reflecting upon it: This is a state of depravity, which human nature hardly ever attains, and feems peculiar to Calista. She now grows very humble, and concludes in a ftile well fuited to her humility-Lucilla fhall conduct you, if you are kind enough to let me fee you; it fhall be the last trouble you shall meet with from The loft Califta. It was very ill done of Horatio's curiofity to read this letter, and I muft ever regret that he has fo unhandfomely exposed a lady's private correfpondence to the world. THO N XC. HOUGH the part which Horatio takes in the business of the drama is exactly that which falls to the fhare of Romont in the Fatal Dowry, yet their characters are of a very different caft; for. as Rowe had bestowed the fire and impetuofity of Romont upon his Lothario, it was a very judicious oppofition to contraft it with the cool deliberate courage of the fententious Horatio, the friend and brother-in-law of Altamont. When When Horatio has read Califta's letter, which Lothario had dropped (an accident which more frequently happens to gentlemen in comedies than in tragedies) he falls into a very long meditation, and clofes it with putting this question to himself: What if I give this paper to her father? At this moment he is interrupted in his reflections by the prefence of Lavinia, whofe tender folicitude fills up the remaining part of the dialogue, and concludes the act without any decifive refolution on the part of Horatio; an incident well contrived, and introduced with much dramatic fkill and effect: Though preffed by his wife to disclose the cause of his uneafinefs, he does not impart to her the fatal difcovery he has made; this alfo is well in character. Upon his next entrance he has withdrawn himself from the company, and being alone, resumes his meditation What, if, while all are here intent on revelling, Of |