I lik'd her, would have marry'd her,

But that it pleas'd her father to refuse me,
To make this honourable fool ber bufband.

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 confeft 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 he could almost wifh fhe had that heart, and that honour to bestow with it, which he has robbed her of—But left this half wifh fhould ftartle 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 reason as the could give why she should only almost wish for her loft honour, when she would make such 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 must think the recovery of her innocence would have been worth a whole wifh, and many a wifh; unless we are to fuppofe fhe 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 shall 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 must ever regret that he has fo unhandfomely expofed a lady's private correspondence to the world.

N XC.

HOUGH the part which Horatio takes

Tin the bufinefs 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 closes it with putting this question to himself:

What if I give this paper to her father?
It follows that his juftice dooms her dead,
And breaks his heart with forrow; hard return
For all the good his hand has heap'd on us!
Hold, let me take a moment's thought-

At this moment he is interrupted in his reflections by the prefence of Lavinia, whose 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 skill and effect: Though preffed by his wife to difclofe 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, refumes his meditation

What, if, while all are here tntent on revelling,
I privately went forth and fought Lothario?
This letter may be forg'd; perhaps the wantonness

Of

Of his vain youth to ftain a lady's fame;
Perhaps his malice to difurb my friend.
Oh! no, my heart forebodes it must be true.
Methought e'en now I mark'd the farts of guilt
That book ber foul, the damn'd diffimulation
Screen'd her dark thoughts, and set to public view
A fpecious face of innocence and beauty.

This foliloquy is fucceeded by the muchadmired and fir king scene between him and Lothario; rigid criticism might wish to abridge fome of the fententious declamatory fpeeches of Horatio, a d fhorten the dialogue to quicken the effect; but the moral fentiment and harmonious verfification are much too charming to be treated as intruders, and the author has also ftruck upon a natural expedient for prolonging the dialogue, without any violence to probability, by the interpofition of Roffano, who acts as a mediator between the hoftile parties. This interpofition is further neceffary to prevent a decifive rencounter, for which the fable is not ripe; neither would it be proper for Horatio to anticipate that revenge, which is referved for Altamont: The altercation therefore clofes with a challenge from Lothario

Weft of the town a mile, amongst the rocks,
Two hours ere noon to-morrow I expect thee;
Thy Jingle band to mine.

The

The place of meeting is not well ascertained, and the time is too long deferred for strict probability; there are however certain things in all dramas, which must not be too rigidly infifted upon, and provided no extraordinary violence is done to reason and common sense, the candid critic ought to let them pafs: This I take to be a cafe in point; and though Horatio's cool courage and ready presence of mind are not juft the qualities to reconcile us to fuch an overfight, yet I fee no reason to be severe upon the incident, which is followed by his immediate recollection

Two hours ere noon to-morrow! Hah! Ere that
He fees Califa.-Oh! unthinking fool!

What if I urg'd her with the crime and danger?
If any fpark from Heav'n remain unquench'd
Within her breaft, my breath perhaps may wake it.
Could I but prosper there, I would not doubt

My combat with that loud vain-glorious boafter.

Whether this be a measure altogether in character with a man of Horatio's good fenfe and difcretion, I must own is matter of doubt with me. I think he appears fully fatisfied of her actual criminality; and in that cafe it would be more natural for him to lay his measures for intercepting Lothario, and preventing the affignation, than to try his rhetoric in the present