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ART. IV. Percy; a Tragedy. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Cadell. 1777

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LTHOUGH this publication carries no name in the titlepage, it cannot properly be called anonymous, fince the laft leaf announces feveral other productions lately published by the fame AUTHOR*; fome of which, if not all, we remember to have come forth as the avowed works of Mifs Hannah More, an ingenious female, of Briftol.

A very laconic advertisement, immediately preceding the piece, acquaints the Reader, that the French drama, founded on the famous old ftory of Raoul de Coucy, fuggefted to the Author fome circumftances in the former part of this tragedy.' The French drama here obfcurely alluded to, is the Gabrielle de Vergy of M. de Belloy, the popular author of the Siege of Calais, and other tragedies; to one of which our ftage is indebted for the well-received drama of the Grecian Daughter.

Gabrielle de Vergy is the undoubted parent of Percy, not having given birth only to fome circumftances in the former part of the tragedy,' but having manifeftly engendered the whole. Such, however, is the operation of time, that French tragedy is now become too horrible for the English ftage, and Mifs More thought herself obliged to foften fome of the leading incidents in the drama of M. de Belloy: a singular change of tafte in two rival nations!-unlefs we folve the miracle by reflecting that Gabrielle is the work of a man, and Percy the production of a lady: the refult is, that Mifs More's tragedy is the most delicate, M. de Belloy's the most nervous.

Percy, however, holds no contemptible ftation in the ranks of modern tragedy. The fable is, with much addrefs, accommodated to the old ftory' of Chevy Chace; the characters, with the happy addition of Lord Raby, are copied from Belloy; the fentiments are, many of them, natural and delicate; and the language, in general, is flowing and eafy, though not totally free from female prettineffes: as, for example,

How look'd, what faid the? Did the hear the tale

Of my imagin'd death without emotion ?

Sir Hubert. Percy, thou haft feen the mufk rofe newly blown,
Disclose its bafhful beauties to the fun,

Till an unfriendly, chilling ftorm defcended,
Crush'd all its blushing glories in their prime,
Bow'd its fair head, and blafted all its sweetness.
So droop'd the maid, beneath the cruel weight
Of my fad tale.

Sir Eldred of the Bower-Search after Happiness-Effays on various Subjects—and an Ode to Dragon: for an account of these, fee our paft Reviews.

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Percy.

Percy.
So tender, and so true!
Sir Hubert. I left her fainting in her father's arms,

The dying flower yet hanging on the tree.'

The judicious Reader will perhaps be more pleased with the following extract from the fourth act, founded on an incident which M. de Belloy informs us, was one of the most favourite paffages in the French drama:

Elwina. Look down, thou awful, heart-inspecting judge, (kneels,
Look down with mercy, on thy erring creature,

And teach my foul the lowlinefs it needs!
And if fome fad remains of human weakness,
Shou'd fometimes mingle with my best refolves,
O breathe thy spirit on this wayward heart,
And teach me to repent th' intruding fin,
In its first birth of thought!

What noise is that?

(Noife without)

The clash of fwords! Shou'd Douglas be return'd ?
Enter DOUGLAS and PERCY fighting.

Douglas, Yield, villain, yield.

Percy.

Not till this good right arm

Shall fail its master.

Douglas.

This to thy heart then.

Percy difarms Douglas.)

Percy. Defend thy own. (They fight.
Douglas. Confufion, death, and hell!

Edric. (Without.) This way I heard the noise.

Enter EDRIC and many Knights and Guards from every part of the Stage.)

Percy.

Curs'd treachery!

But dearly will I fell my life. Douglas.

Seize on him.

Percy. I'm taken in the toils.

Douglas.

(Percy is furrounded by Guards, who take his fword.
In the curs'd fnare

Thou laid'ft for me, traytor, thyself art caught.
Elwina. He never fought thy life.

Douglas.

Adulterefs, peace.

The villain Harcourt too-but he's at reft.
Percy. Douglas, I'm in thy pow'r; but do not triumph,
Percy's betray'd, not conquer'd. Come, difpatch me.
Elwina. (to Douglas.) O do not, do not kill him!

Percy.

Madam, forbear;

For by the glorious fhades of my great fathers,
Their godlike fpirit is not fo extinct,

That I fhou'd owe my life to that vile Scot.

Though dangers close me round on every fide,

And death befets me-I am Percy ftill.

Douglas. Sorcerefs, I'll difappoint thee-he fhall die;
Thy minion fhall expire before thy face,

That I may feaft my hatred with your pangs,
And make his dying groans, and thy fond tears,
A banquet for my vengeance.

Elwina.

Savage tyrant!
I wou'd have fall'n a filent facrifice,

So thou had'ft fpar'd my fame. I never wrong'd thee.
Percy. She knew not of my coming; I alone,

Have been to blame-fpite of her interdiction,
I hither came. She's pure as fpotless faints.
Elina. I will not be excus'd by Percy's crime;
So white my innocence, it does not ask
The shade of others' faults to fet it off;
Nor shall he need to fully his fair fame,
To throw a brighter luftre round my virtue,
Douglas. Yet he can only die-but death for honour!
Ye pow'rs of hell, who take malignant joy,

In human bloodshed, give me fome dire means,
Wild as my hate, and defperate as my wrongs!

Percy. Enough of words. Thou know'ft I hate thee, Douglas; 'Tis fledfaft, fix'd, hereditary hate,

As thine for me; our fathers did bequeath it,

As part of our unalienable birthright,

Which nought but death can end.-Come, end it here. Elwina. (kneels.) Hold, Douglas, hold!-not for myfelf I kneel, I do not plead for Percy, but for thee:

Arm not thy hand against thy future peace,
Spare thy brave breast the tortures of remorse,-
Stain not a life of unpolluted honour,
For oh! as furely as thou ftrik'ft at Percy,
Thou wilt for ever ftab the fame of Douglas.
Percy. Finish the bloody work.

Douglas.

Then take thy wish.

Percy. Why dost thou start?

Douglas.

(Percy bares his bofom, Douglas advances to ftab him, and
difcovers the Scarf.

Her scarf upon his breast!
The blafting fight converts me into stone;
Withers my powers, like cowardice, or age;
Curdles the blood within my fhiv'ring veins,
And palfies my bold arm.

Percy. (ironically to the Knights.)

Hear you, his friends!

Bear witnefs to the glorious, great exploit,

Record it in the annals of his race,

That Douglas the renown'd-the valiant Douglas,
Fenc'd round with guards, and fafe in his own castle,
Surpriz'd a knight unarm'd. and bravely flew him.

Douglas. (throwing away his dagger.) 'Tis true-I am the very
How is my glory dimm'd!
Iftain of knighthood.

Elavina.
It blazes brighter!
Douglas was only brave-he now is gen'rous!
Percy. This action has restor'd thee to thy rank,

And makes thee worthy to contend with Percy.

Douglas. Thy joy will be as fhort, as 'tis infulting. (to Elwina.) And thou, imperious boy, reftrain thy boafting.

Thou haft fav'd my honour, not remov'd my hate,

For my foul loaths thee for the obligation,

Give him his fword.

Parcy.

Stay, Percy, ftay,

Strike at the wretched caufe of all, ftrike here,

Here fheathe thy thirsty fword, but fpare my husband.
Douglas. Turn, Madam, and addrefs thofe vows to me,
To fpare the precious life of him you love.

Ev'n now you triumph in the death of Douglas,
Now your loofe fancy kindles at the thought,
And wildly rioting in lawlefs hope,

Indulges the adultery of the mind,

But I'll defeat that with.-Guards bear her in.
Nay, do not struggle.

Percy.

Let our deaths fuffice,

(She is borne in.

And rev'rence virtue in that form infhrin'd.
Douglas. Provoke my rage no farther.-I have kindled
The burning torch of never-dying vengeance

(Afide to Edric.

At Love's expiring lamp-But mark me, friends,
If Percy's happier genius fhou'd prevail,
And I thou'd fall, give him fafe conduct hence,
Be all obfervance paid him.-Go-I follow thee.
Within I've fomething for thy private ear.
Percy. Now fhall this mutual fury be appeas'd!
Thefe eager hands fhall foon be drench'd in flaughter!
Yes-like too famifh'd vultures fnuffing blood,
And panting to deftroy, we'll rush to combat ;
Yet I ve the deepest, deadlieft cause of hate,

I'm but Percy, thou`rt-Elwina's husband.

The prologue and epilogue to this tragedy were written by Mr. Garrick, and both are conceived in that easy, happy vein, which, for thefe laft thirty years, hath fo fuccefsfully contributed to affift English writers, and exhilarate an English audience.

ART. V. Travels through Spain and Portugal in 1774, with a short Account of the Spanish Expedition against Algiers in 1775. By Major William Dalrymple. 4to. 7 s. 6d. Boards. Almon. 1777. ERHAPS there is no effect of political government, which impedes the progrefs of liberal knowledge fo much as the idea of arbitrary power.-In the book that lies before us we have ftrong and painful proofs of it.-We behold a country, formed by nature with every advantage of climate and fertility, lofing thofe advantages under the languor of hopeless industry and unfupported labour. In the charming provinces of Seville, Andalufia, and La Mancha, where Nature herself invites the cafieft efforts of cultivation, there is nothing to be found but a general deficiency, even of the common neceffaries of life; nothing but a meagre afpect of want even in a region that Pro

vidence

vidence feemed to have affigned to plenty.-We may amuse ourfelves with moral differtations on liberty, and trace out its focial influence and extent; but it is only from the practical effects of flavery that we can difcern its true value; they are here written in characters which he who runneth may read: ask the wretched Caftilian, the miferable Andalufian, the not lefs hapless, though lefs fenfible man of La Mancha, what is his idea of the common privileges of human nature: he will fay, that it is to pay fo many reals to the King, and fo much to his Confeffor at Eafter for abfolution. Afk him how he fupports himself and his family, he will answer you, by coarfe bread and the whey of goat's milk. Afk him what becomes of the flower of his crop and his dairy, he tells you, that the Steward of his Lord lays hold of every thing of that kind, and fends it to Madrid. There is certainly an happiness refulting from a comparative ignorance of mifery; but it may admit of a philofophical doubt, whether mifery thus felt in the effential requifitions of nature is not mifery indeed.

As the countries here defcribed are ftill but little known to us, we fhall present our Readers with fhort extracts from Mr. Dalrymple's account of fome of the principal towns.

CORDOV A.

⚫ Cordova is a very ancient city, fituated in a most beautiful and fpacious plain, extending itself, on the right of the Guadalquivir, over which there is a ftone bridge of fixteen arches, faid to have been built about the year 720. On the north fide of the town runs the Sierra Morena, a noted chain of mountains, that ftretch themfelves from the fea, above 200 miles inland. This place was cele brated in the time of the Romans; and when the Moorish monarchs ruled this land, was a capital, according to Mariana, of the greatest confideration. The walls of the town are, in many places, very intire, partly Roman, partly Moorish. It is at prefent a confiderable city, but badly built: narrow and irregular ftreets; in many of them are to be seen Roman ruins, capitals and fhafts of columns, milliaries with infcriptions, &c. The houfes are chiefly ftone, conftructed in the Moorish tafte, on each fide of a fquare court-yard. People of condition inhabit the lower rooms in fummer, and the upper ones in winter: in the hot feafon they keep the fun and air out of their apartments in the day time, which renders them cool and agreeable; though to an Englishman it has a very odd effect, to make a vifit in a dark room, where he must be fometime before he can discover the prrfon whom he vifits. Some of the Titulos de Caftilla, an order of nobility, of whom there may be about ten or twelve families, from one to three thoufand pounds a year, that conftantly refide here, have very good houfes, in which there are handfome fuites of apartments; but their furniture is by no means adequate we find elegant mirrours, rich filk hangings, and matted bottom chairs, in their principal rooms. Mob of thefe families have tortullas or affemblies: I was at that of the Condeffa de Villa