first scene is, whether the Prince of Wales shall engage with superior numbers of the enemy, and the same is repeatedly discussed to the end of the fourth act. In the fifth, we have the battle of Poictiers, with the unaffecting distress of two dying lovers intermixed with it. Shirley wrote his play at Lisbon; and, as appears by the date of his dedication, 10th November 1749, was at that place when his play was acted. It follows that he had no opportunity to consult able critics, and that circumstance may be his apology for a languid production. Ribemont, a Marshal in the French camp, is the best drawn character in the play, and was greatly executed by Mr. Barry. The Black Prince was too uniform, too cold, and tame, for such an actor as Garrick.

VOL. I.

N

CHAP.

CHAP. XVI.

Tragedy of THE ROMAN FATHER, by WILLIAM WHITEHEAD, Esq.-The Story in Livy, on which the Play is founded— CORNEILLE'S Tragedy on the same subject-Observations on it-CORNEILLE passes Judgement on himself—Structure of WHITEHEAD'S Fable-The Incidents conducted with great Art-GARRICK in Old HORATIUS, BARRY in the Son, and Mrs. PRITCHARD in the Murdered Sister-Their various Excellence-Great success of the Play.

The

IN the month of February 1750, the stage was enriched with the tragedy of The Roman Father, by Mr. William Whitehead. subject is related by Livy in the first book of his history, and is in substance as follows: The Romans and Albans, both descended from the Trojans, who landed with Æneas in Italy,

were

were united by ties of consanguinity. A war broke out between the two states. Mucius

Suffetius, the Alban general, desired an interview with Tullus Hostilius, the King of Rome, and proposed to end the quarrel without an effusion of blood. There happened to be in each army three brothers of equal age; the Horatii on the side of Rome, and the Curiatii in the Alban army. They were chosen the champions of their country, and by their valour the fate of empire was to be decided. The signal being given, the combatants rushed on to the attack. Two of the Romans, after wounding their three antagonists, died on the spot. The surviving brother, in order to divide the force of the Curiatii, betook himself to flight. Seeing his enemies following him at a distance from each other, he turned

short on the nearest, and having stretched him

on the field, advanced against the second, and gained another victory. The third was fatigued with his wounds, and disheartened by the death of his brothers. The victorious Roman exclaimed, I have sent two to the "shades below, and now I decide the con"test." The young Alban fell, and the Roman army returned in triumph. The victorious hero met his sister at the gate of Rome. She was engaged in a marriage-contract with one of the slaughtered Curiatii; and, seeing on her brother's arm the scarf which she had wrought for her lover with her own hands, in a fit of frantic grief she tore her hair, and in loud

exclamations, invoked the deceased in a gush of tears. Her brother was fired with indignation. He gave her a mortal stab, saying, as he struck, "Go, with your ill-timed grief, "and seek your paramour in the shades "below."

"below." A deed so atrocious, tarnished the splendour of his victory. He was accused before the King; but Tullus Hostilius chose to wave the decision from himself. He appointed, according to law, two magistrates, called Duumviri, to sit in judgement. The young man was pronounced guilty; but by the advice of Tullus, appealed to the people. Old Horatius was his advocate. He declared that his daughter deserved her fate; and, if he thought otherwise, he should exert the legal authority of a father, and punish a murderer with his own hand. At his intercession, the young hero was absolved by the people. The crime, as Florus expresses it, was merged in the glory of the conquest, Facinus intra gloriam fuit.