151 Shakespear's which should be acted. Mrs. Cornelia, who is a great Reader and never fails to perufe the Play- Bills, which are brought to her every Day, gave me Notice of it early in the Morning. When I came to my Lady Lizard's at Dinner, I found the young Folks all dreft, and expecting the Performance of my Promife. I went with them at the proper Time, placed them together in the Boxes, and my felf by them in a corner Seat. As I have the chief Scenes of the Play by Heart, I did not look much on the Stage, but formed to my felf a new Satiffaction in keeping an Eye on the Faces of my little Audience, and obferving, as it were by reflection, the different Paffions of the Play reprefented in their Countenances. Mrs. Betty told us the Names of several Perfons of Distinction as they took their Places in the Boxes, and entertained us with the Hiftory of a new Marriage or two till the Curtain drew up. I foon perceived that Mrs. Jane was touched with the Love of Desdemona, and in a Concern to fee how fhe would come off with her Parents. Annabella had a rambling Eye, and for fome time was more taken up with obferving what Gentlemen looked at her, and with criticifing the Drefs of the Ladies, than with any thing that paffed on the Stage. Mrs. Cornelia, who I have often faid is addicted to the Study of Romances, commended that Speech in the Play in which Othello mentions his Hair-breadth Scapes in th' imminent deadly Breach, and recites [his Travels and Adventures with which he had captivated the Heart of Def demona. The Sparkler looked feveral times frighted; and as the Diftrefs of the Play was heightned, their different Attention was collected, and fix'd wholly on the Stage, till I faw them all, with a fecret Satisfaction, betray'd into Tears.

I have often confider'd this Play as a noble, but irregular, Production of a Genius, which had the Power of animating the Theatre beyond any Writer we have ever known. The Touches of Nature in it are ftrong and masterly, but the Oeconomy of the Fable, and in fome Particulars the Probability, are too much neglected. If I would fpeak of it in the most severe Terms, I should fay as Waller does of the Maid's Tragedy.

Great are its Faults, but glorious is its Fame.

BUT it would be a poor Employment in a Critick to obferve upon the Faults, and fhew no Tafte for the Beauties, in a Work that has alway ftruck the most sensible Part of our Audience in a very forcible Manner.

THE chief Subject of this Piece is the Paffion of Jealousy, which the Poet has represented at large, in its Birth, its various Workings and Agonies, and its horrid Confequences. From this Paffion, and the Innocence and Simplicity of the Perfon fufpected, arifes a very moving Diftrefs.

IT is a Remark, as I remember, of a Modern Writer, who is thought to have penetrated deeply into the Nature of the Paffions, that the most extravagant Love is nearest to the frongeft Hatred. The Moor is furious in both thefe Extreams. His Love is tempeftuous, and mingled with a Wildness peculiar to his Character, which feems very artfully to prepare for the Change which is to follow.

HOW favage, yet how ardent is that Expreffion of the Raptures of his Heart, when looking after Defdemona as the withdraws, he breaks out,

Excellent Wretch! Perdition catch my Soul,

But I do love thee; and when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again.

THE deep and fubtle Villany of lago, in working this Change from Love to Jealoufy in fo tumultuous a Mind as that of Othello, prepoffeffed with a Confidence in the difinterested Affection of the Man who is leading him on infenfibly to his Ruin, is likewise drawn with a Masterly Hand Iago's broken Hints, Queftions, and feeming Care to hide the Reafon of them, his obfcure Suggeftions to raise the Curiofity of the Moor; his perfonated Confufion, and refufing to explain himself, while Othello is drawn on and held in fufpence till he grows impatient and angry, than his throwing in the Poison, and naming to him in a Caution the Paffion he would raise,

O beware of Jealousy!

are inimitable Strokes of Art, in that Scene which has al

ways

ways been justly esteemed one of the best which was ever represented on the Theatre.

TO return to the Character of Othello; his Strife of Paffions, his Starts, his Returns of Love, and Threatnings to lago who had put his Mind on the Rack; his Relapfes afterwards to Jealoufy, his Rage against his Wife, and his asking Pardon of lago, whom he thinks he had abused for his Fidelity to him, are Touches which no one can overlook that has the Sentiments of Human Nature, or has confidered the Heart of Man in its Frailties, its Penances, and all the Variety of its Agitations. The Torments which the Moor fuffers are fo exquifitely drawn, as to render him as much an Object of Compaffion, even in the barbarous Action of murdering Defdemona, as the innocent Perfon herself who falls under his Hand.

BUT there is nothing in which the Poet has more fhewn his Judgment in this Play, than in the Circumstance of the Handkerchief, which is employ'd as a Confirmation to the Jealoufy of Othello already raifed. What I would here observe is that the very flightness of this Circumstance is the Beauty of it. How finely has ShakeSpear expreffed the Nature of Jealoufy in thofe Lines, which on this Occafion he puts into the Mouth of Iago, Trifles light as Air

Are to the Jealous Confirmations ftrong
As Proofs of Holy Writ.

It would be easy for a tasteless Critick to turn any of the Beauties I have here mentioned into Ridicule; but fuch an one would only betray a Mechanical Judgment formed out of borrowed Rules and Common-place Reading, and not arifing from any true Difcernment in Human Nature and its Paffions.

AS the Moral of this Tragedy is an admirable Caution against hafty Sufpicions, and the giving way to the first Tranfports of Rage and Jealoufy, which may plunge a Man in a few Minutes into all the Horrors of Guilt, Distraction and Ruin, I fhall further inforce it, by relating a Scene of Misfortunes of the like kind, which really happened fome Years ago in Spain; and is an Instance of the most Tragical Hurricane of Paffion I have ever met with in Hiftory. It may be eafily conceived, that an

G 5

Heart

Heart ever big with Refentments of its own Dignity, and never allay'd by Reflections which make us honour our felves for acting with Reason and Equality, will take Fire precipitantly. It will on a fudden flame too high to be extinguifh'd. The fhort Story I am going to tell is a lively Inftance of the Truth of this Obfervation, and a juft Warning to those of jealous Honour to look about them, and begin to poffefs their Souls as they ought, for no Man of Spirit knows how terrible a Creature he is till he comes to be provoked.

DON ALONZO, a Spanish Nobleman, had a beautiful and virtuous Wife, with whom he had lived for fome Years in great Tranquillity. The Gentleman, however, was not free from the Faults ufually imputed to his Nation, he was proud, fufpicious and impetuous. He kept a Moor in his Houfe, whom, on a Complaint from his Lady, he had punished for a fmall Offence with the utmoft Severity. The Slave vowed Revenge, and communicated his Refolution to one of the Lady's Women, with whom he lived in a criminal Way. This Creature alfo hated her Miftrefs, for the feared fhe was observed by her; the therefore undertook to make Don Alonze jealous, by infinuating that the Gard'ner was often admitted to his Lady in private,and promising to make him an Eye-witnefs of it. At a proper time agreed on between her and the Morifco, fhe fent a Meffage to the Gard'ner, that his Lady having fome hafty Orders to give him, would have him come that Moment to her in her Chamber. In the mean time she had placed Alonzo privately in an outer Room, that he might obferve who paffed that way. It was not long before he faw the Gard'ner appear. Alonzo had not Patience, but following him into the Apartment, ftruck him at one Blow with a Dagger to the Heart; then dragging his Lady by the Hair, without enquiring further, he initantly kill'd her.

HERE he paufed, looking on the dead Bodies with all the Agitations of a Dæmon of Revenge; when the Wench who had occafioned thefe Terrors, diftracted with Remorse, threw herfelf at his Feet, and in a Voice of Lamentation, without Senfe of the Confequence, repeated all her Guilt. Alonzo was overwhelmed with all the violent Paffions at one Inftant, and uttered the broken

Voices and Motions of each of them for a Moment, till at laft he recollected himfelf enough to end his Agony of Love, Anger, Difdain, Revenge and Remorie, by murdering the Maid, the Moor, and himself.

N38.

I

Friday, April 24.

-Prodire tenus fi non datur Ultrá.

Hor.

Have lately given a Precaution concerning the Difficulty in arriving at what ought to be esteemed a Fine Gentleman. That Character has been long wholly engrosfed by well-dreft Beaux, and Men of Senie have given up all Pretence to it. The Highest any of them contend for is the Character of a pretty Gentleman; for here the Dress may be more careless, and fome Wit is thought neceffary; whereas a fine Gentleman is not obliged to converse further than the offering his Snuff-box round the Room. However, the pretty Gentleman must have his Airs, and tho' they are not fo pompous as thofe of the other, yet they are so affected, that few who have Understanding can bring themselves to be Proficients this way, though ever fo useful towards being well received; but if they fail here, they fucceed with fome difficulty in being allowed to have much of the Gentleman in them: To obtain this Epithet, a Man of Sense must arrive at a certain Defire to appear more than is natural to him; but as the World goes, it is fit he should be encouraged in this Attempt, fince nothing can mend the general Taste, but fetting the true Character in as publick a View as the falfe. This indeed can never be done to the Purpose, while the Majority is fo great on the wrong fide; one of a hundred will have the Shout against him; but if People of Wit would be as zealous to affift old Ironfide, as he is to promote them and their Intereft, a little time would give these things a new Turn. However, I will not defpair but I fhall be able to fummon all the good Senfe in the Nation to my Affiftance, in my Ambition to produce a

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