receive from him the place of Livia, to obtain furer means to attempt his life." The next scene, Cinna enters, and tells his furious charmer, that the confpirators enter into the plot with as much zeal as if they too were serving a mistress. CINNA. Tous s'y montrent portés avec tant d'allégreffe, Here is a childish play upon words, and a mere rant: for, in those times, neither the names of Cafar, Auguftus, or Emperor, were detefted. It was by the monsters, who afterwards affumed them, that they were rendered odious. The scene is very long, as we may fuppofe, where where fuch different fentiments and paffions are to be expreffed, as those which belong to the lover and confpirator. Cinna affures Emilia that he had concealed from his affociates, that to avenge her father and to obtain her were the motives from which he had entered into this confpiracy. CINNA. Rien n'eft pour vous à craindre; aucun de nos amis "There is nothing for you to fear; none of our friends know the designs, nor what is promised me. In fpeaking of the miferies of the Romans, I was filent about the death which is the caufe of our hatred, left my warmth for your interests should betray the fecrets of fuch a perfect love." There was not only discretion, but good fenfe in this, for the fecrets d'un parfait amour might not have been duly attended to, or properly reverenced, by a furly band of confpirators met to concert measures for fuch a perilous enterprize. In the next fcene Auguftus fends for Cinna and Maximus, to advise with them, whether he shall reftore liberty to the commonwealth, Here we have some respite from the strange medley of tender love and dire revenge, and in lieu of it, a long political difcuffion of the conveniences and inconveniences of different modes of government. Corneille has borrowed from Dion Caf fius, and transferred to Cinna and Maximus, the fpeeches of Agrippa and Mecenas, when Auguftus confulted them, whether he should demit his power, and live a private man, as Sylla had done. Mr. Fenelon has very justly cenfured, as ill fuiting that fimplicity of ftyle and manner, with which Auguftus expressed himself, the following lines; AUGUSTE. Cet empire abfolu fur la terre et fur l'onde, Ce pouvoir fouverain que j'ai fur tout le monde, Cette Cette grandeur fans bornes, et cet illuftre rang, D'un courtisan flateur la presence importune, que "This abfolute empire over the earth and ocean, this fovereign power that I have over the whole world, this greatness without limits, and this illuftrious rank which has heretofore coft me fo much labour and fo much blood; in fine, all that the troublefome croud of flattering courtiers adores in my high fortune, is but a piece of pageantry, whose luftre dazzles, and that one ceases to admire as foon as one poffeffes it." Such oftentatious expreffions are perfectly ridiculous to thofe, who are acquainted with the character of the speaker: but there is another fault much more detrimental to the drama, which is the averfion we conceive at the black treachery of Cinna, who when Auguftus P4 Auguftus confults him as his Friend, wheand rether he shall lay down his power ftore liberty to the common-wealth, advifes him not to do it, with a great appearance of perfonal attachment to him, and zeal for his country; but in reality, that he may not lose a pretence to facrifice him to the revenge of Emilia. This holds forth Cinna to the fpectator as a perfidious Friend, a wicked Counsellor, a profligate Citizen. A more atrocious conduct was perhaps never afcribed to any character on the stage, where the guilty person was intended to excite indignation and abhorrence; and is therefore the most flagrantly abfurd, in a cafe where the character is that on which the intereft of the play is to turn. Augustus having intimated to Cinna, at the conclufion of their conference, that he was willing to give Emilia to him, he begins then to. reflect upon his perfidy, and urges to Maximus the remorfe he feels for the intended affaffination. The Poet feems to be afraid he has not yet fufficiently difgraced |