Officer, TH man, Mr. Reddifh. Mr. Aickin. Mr. Wright. Mrs. Yates. Duchefs of Braganza, Ines, Mrs. Johnston. ACT I. Scene, a Square in Liften. HE Piece opens with the entrance of Ribiera, a Portuguese Nobleand two others, who meet an officer of Valafquez conducting two citizens to prifon; they inform Ribiera that the enormous exactions of Velafquez have reduced them to this fituation. Ribiera takes them afide, and gives them hopes of relief, defires them to bear their misfortunes with patience, and drops fome hints of the plot that is forming. Almeda, an old Noblemen who is in the confpiracy, enters to Ribiera, after lamenting the diftreffes of their country, and opening a little of their plan for its deliverance, they go off, and leave Almeda on the stage.-Velafquez comes in, preceded by a number of officers and guards; a fhort fcene of altercation enfues between him and Almeda; who on parting with him tells him in a menacing manner, that the period of his ufurpation is near at hand. ACT II. Scene, A magnificent Antichamber in the Duke of Braganza's Pa lace. A fhort dialogue between Ribiera and Mendoza prepares for the appearance of the Duke and Duchefs, who are difcovered on a throne in a magnificent palace, attended by the burghers and fome of the confpirators. They promife their affiftance to the citizens, who go off, and they are left only with Ribiera; he informs them of the state of their plan: during this, the Duchefs, who had retired, enters, and interrupts their converfation by informing the Duke that Velafquez waits to speak with him.-She cau tions him to be on his guard in the interview, the Duke goes off, and the scene ends with her recommending mercy to Ribiera in the execution of their defign. ACT III. Scene, Velasquez's Palace. Velafquez is difcovered fitting at a table, and Pizarro his confidant attending: he tells Pizarro that his interview with the Duke answered no purpose; and fufpects, by his uncommon caution and referve, he had been tutored for the meeting. He determines on the Duke's death, and fends off Pizarro, while Ramirez, a monk (who is confeffor to the Duke of Braganza), in introduced. He begins to found him by awakening his pride, by a comparison between his fituation and that of the Dignitaries of the Church; then, after working him to his wicked purpose, gives him a poifoned wafer, which he defires him to offer the Duke on his taking the Sacrament; at the fame time promifing the Archbishoprick of Lisbon as the reward: the monk is startled at the impiety of the act; but on Velasquez's drawing a dagger, and threatening him with inftant death, he promises to obey him. When the monk is gone off, Velasquez calls Pizarro, and orders his barge; and at the fame time informs him that he is going to a fort where a large body of troops are polled, to prepare them to take poffeffion of the City next day; on the news of Braganza's death; intending to feize the Crown of Portugal, and revolt from Spain. Scene changes to Almeda's Cafile. Almeda and the confpirators fettling the time for the execution of their plot, are interrupted by Mendoza, one of their body, who tells them they are betrayed by two of their friends, Don Roderick and Millo: he grounds his fufpicions on feeing them in the tyrant's train, as he was going to the fort, and concludes that Velafquez's bufinefs there was, in confequence of their information, to get the affiftance of the troops and feize the confpirators. They part foon after, lamenting their country's wrongs and their own unhappy fate; and difpatch Ribiera to the Duke to acquaint him of the danger he is in, and entreat him to fave himself by flight. ACT IV. Scene, An Apartment in Braganza's Palace. Opens with the Duchefs alone, who is foon broke in upon by Ribiera, with the moft earnest entreaties to fee the Duke: fhe informs him he is retired with his coufellor Ramire, but at his request in terrupts terrupts him: the monk enters, from whom we learn, this interruption was happily in the moment that he was about to execute the bloody orders of Velafquez, A pathetic fcene of diftrefs enlues between the Duke and Duchefs, who are at last relieved from their anxiety by Ribiera, who informs them of the miltake; and that the two friends, Roderick and Millo, who were fufpected to have betrayed them, had only joined the tyrant's train for the purpose of watching his motions, and finding out the cause of his fudden vifit to the Fort. The Duke and Ribiera go off to the meeting of the confpirators, which is in the following scene, where the whole arrangement of the plot and execution is finally fettled. ACT V. Scene, Velasquez's Palace. Velasquez and Pizarro enter: the former expreffes fome unhappy forebodings from his dream: they are alarmed by a diftant noife, which Velafquez fuppofes to be occafioned by the friends of Don Juan the Duke, who are lamenting his death; but fhortly after they hear the clafhing of arms; an officer enters bloody, tells him the guard is defeated, and the palace-gates forced by the Portuguese noblemen. Velafquez goes off to attempt to repulfe them, but returns immediately finding himself beat on all fides Pizarro recommends him to fly to the Duchefs, and intreat for mercy. He cannot agree to fubmit, but determines to go there to fatiate his vengeance. When Velafquez goes off, the confpirators with Ribiera enter, and take Pizarro prifoner; they then disperse several ways, in fearch of Velasquez. Toe Scene changes to the Duke's Palace. The Duchefs and her attendant (Ines) enter: fhe dispatches her to procure fome intelligen e of her husband. Ines returns, and informs the Duchefs that a ftranger is at the gate, who seems much dittrelled, and requires admittance. The Duchefs fuppofing it fome perfon efcaped from the fury of her party, permits him to enter. Velafquez difcovers himself; after upbraiding him with his cruelty, the ratifies her promife of faving his life, and defires him to retire till a proper time for obtaining the Duke's pardon occurs. At this moment the Duke's voice is heard without. As he comes in the flies to receive him, but is feized by Velafquez, who draws a dagger, and threatens to tab her, if the his guards nearer. The Duke is ready to grant any terms to fave his wife; but he refuses to accept her life on any conditions injurious to her husband's honour, or her counMarch, 1775. try's good. Velafquez demands fafeconduct to his palace, and to be re-infta-ted in his power. At this moment the monk (who had been ftabbed by Velafquez in the beginning of the fray, for not executing his commiflion) is brought in bloody and fainting: the object ftaggers Velafquez; he drops the hand which held the dagger, and at the inftant all the confpirators ruth upon him, he is carried off by Ribiera to prifon, who fuddenly returns, and declare, he was feized by the enraged populace and torn to pieces. The play finifies with the restoration of the freedom of Portugal, and the acceffion of the virtuous Duke and his amiable confort to the throne. Perhaps it may be unneceffary to inform our Readers, that the plot of this Play is taken from the Revolution of Portugal, which fixed the crown on the head of the Duke of Braganza. The author has generally kept close to Hiftory; in particular, he has done juftice to the character of the Duchefs, to whofe ambition, fpirit, and refolution, her husband oweda kingdom. He has, however, very happily foftened the lady's character with the features of piety, humanity, and compaffion. The language of Braganza is elevated and fublime, and properly a dapted to the characters. The defcriptions partake fomething more of the heroic than the dramatic ftyle, but their beauty makes ample amends for their length and fuppofed impropriety. The characters are drawn from Hiftory and Nature. Veiafquez, indeed, feems to be raised higher than he originally was, but he is delineated by the hand of a Mafter who understands all the paffions of the human breast. The scene between the monk and the minifler is a mafterpiece. The catastrophe is very judicioufly managed; the terror and anxiety, pity and amazement of the Audience were greatly raised during the time that the fate of the Duchefs was fufpended. Upon the whole, Braganza met with general and deferved applaufe; and we cannot help congratulating the Public on the acquifition of a truly Dramatic Genius. Farther Strictures on the above Tragedy of Braganza. By an Irish Gentleman. HIS tragedy has heen for fome tinte both the polite and political world. Some have condemned it as a very indifferent piece, and have afferted the whole of its fuccefs in London to a party of Irish Z gentlemen, gentlemen, anxious for the honour of this Country, and of Lord Townfhend, of whom the Author was a great favourite; others, on the contrary, have cried it up as a work of most extraordinary merit, which hath very few defects, and is replete with fentiments of exalted Patriotifm. I am of opinion that those equally err, who extol or condemn this tragedy to any extravagant degree, It has certainly fome merit, and as certainly hath many capital defects, both which will appear from the following impartial examen of the plot, characters, fentiments, diction, unities and moral. PLOT. The plot of this tragedy is taken from the Abbe Vertot's hillory of the revolution of Portugal, and other hiftories of that kingdom, which the author has in general, pretty faithfully followed. CHARACTERS. The character of Don Juan is well drawn, he is juftly reprefented as a brave, cool man, full of zeal for the intereft of his country, and lamenting for its diftreffes: yet I cannot help thinking he is drawn in fome parts too much like what Pizarro calls him, careless prince, 66 "Mild and uxorious!" For though I am ready to allow the utmoft for the feeling of love and conjugal tenderness, yet he seems too much unmanned at the news of their plot being difcovered; and it is his wife who poffeffes true heroifm; nay the very confpirators build their chief hopes on her. Almada fays, fpeaking of her, "That woman was the fpring that mov'd us all; She canvass'd all our strength, urg'd all our wrongs, Combin'd our force, and methodiz'd our vengeance." The character of Velafquez pretty Arongly paints an upstart minister, arisen to power by artifice, urged to criminal ambition by fuccefs, maintaining his authority by villainy, oppreffion, and mur der, and ftriving to extend it by treafon to the mafter who had entrusted him. The author has painted him, as a defpifer of all religion, and has happily availed himself of the rumoured caufe of the late Pope's death, to make the intended murder of the duke ftill more horrid, its being adminiftered in the facra ment. I must here obferve, that the real name of this prime minifter, was Vafconcellos, not Velafquez; and why the author hath changed the name of one of the principal perfons in the drama, when the real one is fo recent in the minds of every person converfant with hiftory (this revolution having happened on the ift of December, 1640) is what cannot be ea fily anfwered. The name of Vafconcellos is full as proper for tragedy, and would flow in a verfe, as fmoothly as that of Velafquez. Therefore this change is taking an unwarrantable liberty with a true history. Almada (Almeida was the real name) is a well drawn character, in which experience and valour are juftly blended, and properly contrafted with the brave, but young and unexperienced Mendoza. Ribiera (Pinto Ribeiro in the true hiftory) is here juftly made the chief of the confpiracy; though the author errs in making him a nobleman, as he was only a private perfon, and comptroller of the duke of Braganza's houfhold. The monk Ramirez is juftly characterized as a man difcontented with his humble Itation; ambitious of ecclefiaftical hohours, timid, till urged by his own danger, half devout, and half a villain. Pizarro has no proper character, being of the fame ftamp with all tyrants tools and confidents in tragedy. Louifa, dutchefs of Braganza, is the moft perfect and beft drawn character, in the whole. She is uniformly the heroine, the patriot, the wife, and the queen. The author hath charged his canvafs with a number of perfons who feem only named to fwell the lift, fince they have fo little to fay or do. Coreo and Lemos are the best of them; but I fee no occafion for the mention of Antonio, Mello, Ferdinand, Roderic, and Ines among the perfons of the drama. The first speaks only feven lines; the fecond, only three, the other two men not a fingle word, and Ines has only feven lines to speak-it would therefore have been as well to have comprized them under one general name. SENTIMENTS. The fentiments, in general, are very good, though I cannot fay many of them are new. The most striking are thefe: Ribiera," All private virtue is the public fund: As that abounds, the ftate decays or thrives: Pierc'd by a thousand wounds; the giant dies, While free born men with fearless gaze walk round, And view the monster's bulk." ib. The diction in moft places is fmooth, harmonious and yet nervous; not rendered dark by far-fetched metaphors; lanquid by infipidity, nor turgid by bombaft; yet, the author hath neglected to polish fome lines. The following are very harsh. "We have not mines of exhaufted gold." "At least a thousand follow where they lead." "Discreet, firm, virtuous, complain in vain." "O make me not your curfe, as fure I must be." "I can difcern virtue and etteem it." Here the accent is wrong placed. The unity of action is kept up, though the perfecution feems to be withdrawn through the three first acts. The unity of time accords with the modern drama, which allows twenty-four hours. The unity of place is not fo well preserved, fince in the third at the fcene varies from the vice queen's palace, to Almada's caftle,-in the fourth act from the duke of Braganza's palace, to the fame caftle, and in the lait act from the royal palace to Braganza's palace. MORAL. The moral to be drawn from this tragedy is that the death of Velasquez should terrify thofe, who can be only taught a belief in God, from his power to punish. In the conduct of the piece the author feems to have fallen into fome great miftakes, which deftroy likelihood. Velasquez intends to deftroy Don Juan with a poifoned wafer, which he gives to Ramirez, the duke's confeffor for that purpose, and fays, the duke is -An exact observer Of all our church's holy ceremonies; He still is wont, whene'er he vifits Lifbon, Ere grateful flumbers feal his pious lids, With all due reverence from jome priestly hand To take the mystic symbol of our faith." Now I will take upon me to fay, that neither the prime minifter, nor the monk, could poffibly speak in this manner; for they must have known that the facrament is never taken at night, except when the receiver is on a fick bed, and takes it as a viaticum. I may also observe, that the words from fome priefly hand, are redundant, and abfolutely unneceffary, as he could not poffibly take it from any other hand than that of a priest. Stain that dear bofom, I were fo accurfed The out-stretch'd arm of mercy could not jave me." What! could not omnipotent mercy fave a man, if even his wife's breaft fhould be wounded! Again, fp aking on the fame fubje&t (his fears for her life) he says, Mercy can grant no more-nor I petition Than to fall dead this inftant, and forget it. I look towards Heav'n in vain Sure the duke of Braganza (or the author) must have firange ideas of the power and extent of divine mercy. Ribiera frequently expreffes his deteftation of Velasquez, and out does all the reft in his threats. He fays, "No fanctuary, nor interceding pray Yet, after all this boafting, this dread ful imprecation, he does not kill Velafquez. He fuffers the prefence of the Duke and Dutchefs to protect him from his fword, though he would not let a January or wings of angels do it; he calmly leads him off to prifon, and by the way, fuffers the mob to tear him to pieces. If this is not inconfiftency, I know not what is. It is, indeed, hinted that Ribiera's particular rage had a licence, but we are left totally in the dark what it is. One obfervation more and I have done. All the diftrefs of the third and fourth acts arifes from a circumftance which feems to be introduced only to fpin out the action, and to give room for a tender fcene of forrow. Velafquez having fome doubts of a plot, goes himself, in his rage, to the cattle of Jago, to tell the governor thereof to fend a number of troops into the city the next day, although he had determined to destroy the Duke that very night two of the confpirators follow him, to obferve his fteps, which being known to the rett, they imagine they are betrayed. Now this was not only taking an alarm on an unconfirmed fuppofition, but furely a man of fuch power as Velafquez, might have fent his orders by any of his creatures (his friend Pizarro for example) and not have gone on that errand himself. I may add, that the author has miffed an opportunity of several fine reflections, by omitting to mention that Velafquez was a Portuguese, though in the intereft of Spain, and the chief engine to enflave his native country, which would make his crimes appear ftill greater. Notwithstanding all thefe objections, if the author would attend to them, and make fome neceffary alterations, his tragedy would bid fair for lafting fame. CRITO. Narciffa, Mrs. Baddely. Mrs. Wrighten Scene. A Country Villa. FABLE. Gmily and fortune, having retired ENERAL Worry, a foldier of fa from the service to his manfion-house in the country, is unreasonably fufpicious of a beautiful and only daughter, Narciffa, and her maid, Jenny; eternally apprehenfive that they are contriving fome scheme to elude his vigilance, and elope. In confequence of these apprehenfions, he confines them to the houfe, not permitting them even to divert themselves with a walk in the garden. The piece opens with Narciffa's reprefentation of her unhappy fituation, which deprives her of the light of Byron, the fon of a neighbouring Baronet; between whom a fecret and mutual paffion long fubfifted, though every other connection and intimacy between the families had been long cut off by a trifling quarrel. Jenny coming to her, tells her, "that the old gentleman was about to leave his watch, and go down to the borough of Tipplewell, in favour of Sir Harry Muff, nephew of his old friend Indigo the Nabob, whom he had nominated to reprefent it, and whom he intended for her husband, though he had never so much as feen him himself;-and that he had now given Spy orders to let them into the plantations, as it was a fine day, that they |