TH HIS Tragedy, as we are told by Wood, was firft acted before Queen Elizabeth, by the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple at Whitehall, January 18th, 1561. One Thomas Norton, Efq; affifted my Lord Buckhurst in the Writing of it, and compos'd, as fome fay, the three firft Acts. In the Year 1565 came out. an incorrect Edition without Confent of the Authors, who were both abfent. But Lord Buckhurst returning to England fome Time afser, a more correct and perfect Edition was publish'd'in the Year 1570, under the Title of the Tragedy of Ferrex and Porrex. The next Edition was printed in 1590, with the Title alter'd, to the Tragedy of Gorboduc. To this Edition, which I found in the Harleian Collection, is added a Difcourfe entituled, The Serpent of Divifion; which neither Wood nor Langbaine, nor any of the Writers Bave taken Notice of. From this Time it continued exceeding Scarce for near 150 Years, and was never printed till the Year 1736, when Mr. Pope favour'd me with a Copy of it, which I printed; and to which Mr. Spence prefix'd a fhort Account of the Author, in a Letter to the prefent Earl of Middlefex; in which he informs us, it is the Opinion of Mr. Pope, that the Writers of the fucceeding Age might have improv'd themselves by copying from this Tragedy aPropriety in the Sentiments, an unaffectedPerfpicuity of Stile, and an eafy Flow in the Numbers: In a Word, that Chastity, Correctness, and Gravity of Stile, which are fo effential to Tragedy; and which all the Tragic Poets who follow'd, not excepting Shakespear himself, either little under flood, or perpetually neglected. I cannot here omit the Teftimony of Sir Philip Sydney alfo in Favour of this Play. It is full of frately Speeches, fays he, and well-founding Phrafes, climbing to the Height of Seneca his Stile; and as full of notable Morality, which it does does moft delightfully teach, and fo obtains the very End of Poefy. Yet in Truth it is defective in the Circumflances, seves me, because it might not remain an exact My Lord Buckhurst was related to Queen Elizabeth, by her Mother Anna Boleyn. He was born in 1536, his Father Richard Sackville, Efq; was Erivy Counsellor to King Edward VI. Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. He was educated at Hart-Hall in Oxford, and in his Youth travel'd into France and Italy. His Father dying in 1566, left him a large Fortune, the greatest Part of which he foon Spent by his magnificent manner of living, but afterwards became a better Economist. He ferv'd in Parliament both in the Reign of Queen Mary and Elizabeth. In 1567 he was created Baron of Buckhurst; în 1571 he was fent Ambaffador to Charles IX. King of France, and in 87 to the States of the United Provinces: In 88 he was made one of the Knights of the Garter, in 91, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and in 98 Lord High Treasurer of England. He was continued in that Office by King James, and in 1603 advanced by him to the Dignity of Earl of Dorfet. He died fuddenly at the Council Board in 1608, and feems by all Accounts of him to have been poffeffed of a truly noble and generous Spirit. He wrote the Induction to the Mirror for Magiftrates, the Stile and Manner of which is very much like Spencer, abounding in the Defcription of fhadowy Beings. He wrote alfo in that Work, the Story of the unfortunate Duke of Buckingham in the Reign of Richard II. The Argument of the TRAGEDY. G ORBODUC, king of Brytaine, devided his realme in his life-time to his fonnes, Ferrex and Porrex. The fonnes fell to devifion and diffention. The killed the elder. The mother that more dearely yonger loved the elder, for revenge killed the yonger. The people moved with the crueltie of the fact, rose in rebellion, and flew both father and mother. The Nobilitie affembled, and moft terribly deftroied the Rebels, and afterwards for want of iffue of the Prince, whereby the fucceffion of the Crowne became uncertaine, they fell to Givil Warre, in which both they and many of their iffues were flaine, and the lande for a long time almost defolate and miferably wafted. The Names of the SPEAKERS, Orboduc, king of Great Brytaine. Glidena, queene and wife to king Gorboduc. Ferrex, eldest foune to king Gorboduc. Fergus, duke of Albany. Mandud, duke of Leagre. Gwenard, duke of Cumberlande.. • Eubulus, fecretarie to king Gorboduc Aroftus, a counfellor of king Gorboduc. Dordan, a counsellor affign'd by the king to his eldest fonne Ferrex.. Philander, a counfellor affigned by the king to his. [Both being of the old king's counfell before. [6] The ORDER of the Dumb Shewe before the first Act, and the SIGNIFICATION thereof. Firft, the mufike of violenze began to play, during which came in upon the ftage fix wilde men, clothed in leaves. Of whom the first bare an his necke a fagot of Small fickes, which they all both feverallye and together af Jayed with all their strengths to breake, but it could not be broken by them. At the length one of them pulled out one of the flickes, and brake it: And the reft plucking out all the other flickes one after another, did eafilie breake the fame being fevered, which being conjoyned, they had before attempted in vaine. After they had this done, they departed the flage, and the mufike ceafed. Hereby was fignified, that a ftate knit in unitie dooth continue frong against all force, but being devided, is eafily defroyed; as befel upon duke Gorboduc deviding his lande to his two fonues, which he before held in monarchie, and upon the diffention of the brethren to whom it was devided. THE |
