Such is the outline, or platform of the Perfian Heroine. Ia the fable, it must be acknowledged, there are some defects. Why should Xerxes, in fcene 3d of the 2d act, complain to Ameftris that his new miftrefs is unkind? Cato's a proper perfon to entrust a love-tale with! The fecret is no fooner disclosed, and the queen left to herself, than the breaks out in the following 1.ne--Oh! my inconftant monarch, have I caught thee! This might have fuggefted to the Author that Xerxes fhould have concealed his paffion. To discover it, might have been the business of a jealous woman, and perhaps fome ftriking effect or incident might have been produced with advantage to the drama. The feftival of Tycta, upon which fo much depends in the fequel of the ftory, fhould have been brought forward with more preparation. At prefent it is only mentioned by Mafiftes, and after three lines more, the feast of Tyla is hurried on in all its pomp. As to the loves of Narbal and Arteynte, it may be questioned, whether the Poet has laid a fufficient foundation for the generous heroifm of his two principal characters. Each is ready to die for the other; and why? because they have once had an interview, and, touched with the tender paffion, exchanged vows of mutual love. From that time they have had no opportunity of observing each other's virtues; they do not fo much as know one another's name, and yet for each other's fake they are willing to rush on death. This feems too extravagant. That is made romantic which hould have been rendered probable. Remove this defect. Let the lovers have more fubftantial reafons for their heroic ardour; and generofity like theirs would be fure of producing in a theatre that fine effect which always fprings from difinterested and heroic virtue. The fingle combat between Narbal and Xerxes feems alfo to want probability. Why Narbal does not rufh on at once and put the tyrant to inftant death, it is not easy to conceive. This paffage feems to be copied from Murphy's Orphan of China, where Zaphimri acts in the fame manner toward Timurkan: but even there, fuch ill-timed generofity carries with it a romantic air. Ameftris is ftabbed by Arleynte feemingly for no other purpofe than to make her the PERSIAN HEROINE. This incident might, perhaps, be altered for the better. In the joy that follows, Pallene, the mother of Arteynte, has but a ímall fhare: fhe fpeaks but one line-" And here receive the tranfports of a mother!" and this line feems fuperfluous, as the mother's character is not wrought up to any degree of confequence in a piece which affords a fair opportunity to call forth all the workings of parental affection. Thefe, we think, are the defects of the fable; but they are fuch as might have been eafily cured, and fuch as the managers of Drury Lane could not difcover by barely cutting open 17 pages, and no more, It may be proper to add a few words refpecting the ftyle and diction that prevails throughout the piece. In juftice to Mr. Jodrell it must be faid that he writes like a fcholar, and that his verfification is fplendid and harmonious. He aims, in general, at glowing colours of language: he is fond of the verbum ardens, and a rich metaphorical expreffion. But vices are always in the confines of virtue. A few inftances of what we think faulty expreffions will shew what is here intended, and, perhaps, may lead the Author, in a future edition, to make fome alterations for the better. In page 4 of the quarto edition we find—" This honest beart has not its cafket void :" is that natural? Page 6, Love in fympathetic bofoms lights the torch: a flame in the bofom has been the ufual language; the place for the torch is the altar. Page 14, Born to ferve, and not to reign, I see my far inclin’d: was it the or the ftar that was born? In many places the heroine is called nymph, which feems to be mere paftoral language: we do not remember it in tragedy. Page 16, This fiery nymph glows like the flow'r, that op'ning flames at Sol's meridian ray: Similies are always dangerous, but especially in tragedy, when they neither illuftrate nor amufe with novelty. Page 17, the fun is called the harbinger of the moon; but why should Aurora be displaced? And fix my adamantine empire on its bafe. The bafe might be adamantine; but why fhould the empire be fo? The fun rolls bis ftar-befpangled car: the ftars do not shine in the day-light, and Pindar tells us that the fun in its glory makes a defart in the sky. Page 18, And harrowed deep fufpicion: the foul may be harrowed by fufpicion. Page 19, Pallene calls, Mafiftes "my dear:" the familiar language of comedy. Page 20, Strike then the poignard home, I'll wing the fhaft: how comes a poignard to be fo foon turned into a dart? Page 21, Rock'd me to flumber in your cradled arms: the might be cradled in his arms, but the cradle cannot be cradled. Page 29, Ameftris fays, fhe afks for no necklace: does not that border upon comedy? Page 28, Xerxes from his royal cheft iffues three thousand daricks: words that can be understood by antiquaries only, have no bufi nefs in tragedy. Page 13, Ameftris is faid to brood revenge within her murky breaft: murky air, and murky cell have been heard of; but a murky breaft is new. Page 40, the lover. means to talk of difcovering his miftrefs; but he fays, difcover that refulgent far of my celestial fair? Page 43, Who would quit. the radiant beams of vivifying Sol for the cold chambers of oblivion's night? Quære SOL in tragedy. The author means the fun, and why not fay fo? Page 45, the doom of rigid Tycta: a new religious custom is here intended, but it may be doubted whether fo ill-founding a word as Tyta fhould be hazarded in tragedy: the Author might have referved it for the notes annexed to his piece. Page 49, a hero weeps, and calls his tears the wat❜ry watry rheum from these felf-moving orbs: this feems to be feek- by Mr. Jodrell. Having thus pointed out the defects of the fable and the diction, it may be expected that an extract of the beauties fhould follow. Beauties there certainly are, but for these we refer to the piece itself, this article being already of fufficient length. We observe shall only fay, that the play has many happy paflages, often fublime, and at times pathetic. We may add, that the Author of the Perfian Heroine, whether the play was to be acted or not, was intitled to more politenefs than he seems to have received. If Dr. Ford is to tell the authors of the age that the theatre is his property, and he will do as he pleafes in his own houfe, he reminds us of Parfon TRULLIBER adieu to the D.amatic Mufe! The notes that follow the play are proofs of Mr. Jodrell's induftry and learning. To the generality of readers they will convey information; and those who were previously acquainted with the authors of antiquity will be pleafed with a review of their knowledge. It may be the fault of the notes that they draw off the attention from the pathos in the tragedy. M-y. ART. XII. The Captives, a Tragedy, as performed at the Theatre T was not the good fortune of this Tragedy to pleafe in the The Author, Dr. Delap (who is known to be a clergyman of reputation, and a fcholar), tells us, in a fhort advertisement, that it was his intention, throughout his piece, to make experiment of a flyle and diction, different from what are ufual in modern tragedy. Overwrought ornaments, and pompous verfification, he thought ill fuited to the manners of thofe early times, in which the action of his tragedy is fuppofed to have paffed.' The attempt was certainly laudable: nothing can be more difgufting than the tumour of blank verfe, and, to ufe Mr. Pope's expreffion, that painful equality of fuftian, which our modern play-wrights feeni to think the effential See Review, Vol. LXIV. p. 278. beauties Art: beauties of the drama. The poet, who has with labour expreffed a common fentiment in a forced ftyle of unnatural metaphor, fuppofes that he has written the language and the true dialogue of tragedy. Dr. Delap feems to have the merit of all that he arrogates to himself, namely, a plain, intelligible, and unaffected ftyle. After the defeat he met with, he retires, as it should feem, in good humour, and not ungracefully. Whether the language of fimplicity would be acceptable to the public tafte, he fays, he had ftill to learn. He adds, the experiment has been made; and the author retires with the fatisfaction of having, at least, intended well. ners. What Dr. Delap intended, he feems to have executed. Quaint language and ftrained phrafeology very rarely occur. He dares to be intelligible; and in juftice to him, we muft say, that his ftyle, in general, is adapted to the characters and the manWhether he did well in fixing upon the period of Offianmanners, may be doubted. The diction ufed by Mr. Macpherson's heroes and heroines, though pleafing in an epic poem, would, perhaps, found but ill on the ftage. The ideas, the cuftoms, the religion, and the allufions are too remote from the common conceptions of an audience who require a picture of life. By not confidering this point in due time, Dr. Delap encountered difficulties not eafily to be furmounted. Of the fable it will not now be neceffary to give a detail. The play was acted, and it has been for several months in the reader's clofet. In the conduct of the plot, the Author has aimed at that complication of incidents which produce furprize, and ftriking fituations. Some fituations, dramatic in their kind, he has been able to attain, but it must be owned, that when with his best art he has reached the point, he there does not make a proper ftand, and rouze the paffions with that force which might be expected. This we fay with regret, because we often find a pleafing fimplicity, and the language of the heart. The ode in the 2d act may be given as a fpecimen of the Author's manner. Malvina has taken refuge in a fepulchral monument; and to entice her from thence, the tyrant causes the following lines to be fung,-with lute and lyre.' Oh, flash it through the gloom The catastrophe feems to be the rock on which the Author ftrikes. This has been the misfortune of many poets. audience expects to fee a piece, after all its turns and revolutions of fortune, conducted to its final period by probable means. In the play before us the ovent is romantic. ERRAGON, the injured husband of MALVINA, meets CONNAL, the oppreffor; after fome bitter reproaches, they engage, and go off fighting. Malvina is left in all the agony of diftrefs. Expectation is raised for the event, when we are told by HIDALLAN, the follower of ERRAGON-" My royal master's dead."—-Dead!-Erragon and Connal both are dead:-Furious they met, they fought, and both together fell, a mutual facrifice to mortal ire." This borders too much upon the improbable and the ludicrous. Dr. Trapp, in his tragedy of Abramule, tried the fame expedient, and he had the misfortune to make it pass in fight of the audience. The Author of the Captives was not fo daring: he remembered his Horace; Segnius irritant animos demiffa per aurem, &c. But the fubterfuge did not avail. Laughter enfued, and laughter is a fatal enemy to the pathos of tragedy. But let it be remembered, that the diftrefs of Malvina, occafioned by this incident, is touched with a delicate hand. She is thus defcribed: Minla. All at once, Ere I beheld her near, with trembling hand N |