SOPHONIS BA A TRAGEDY. As written by Mr. THOMSON. AND PERFORMED AT THE Theatre Royal in Dury-Lane. BODI JB LONDON: Printed for JOHN BELL, near Exeter-Exchange, in the Strand, MDCCLXXVitt. HE notice your Majesty has condefcended to take of Tthe following tragedy, emboldens me to lay it, in the humblest manner, at your Majefty's feet. And to whom can this illuftrious Carthaginian fo properly fly for protection, as to a Queen, who commands the hearts of a people, more powerful at fea than Carthage, more flourishing in commerce than those first merchants, more fecure against conqueft, and, under a monarchy more free than a common-wealth itself. I dare not, nor indeed need I here attempt a character, where both the great and the amiable qualities fhine forth in full perfection. All words are faint to fpeak what is univerfally felt and acknowledged by a happy people. Permit me therefore only to fubfcribe myself, with the trueft zeal and veneration, MADAM, Your Majesty's Most humble, Moft dutiful, and Moft devoted fervant, JAMES THOMSON.. A 2 PRE PREFACE.. I Tis not my intention, in this preface, to defend any faults that may be found in the following piece. I am afraid there are too many: but those who are best able to discover, will be moft ready to pardon them. They. alone know how difficult an undertaking the writing of a tragedy is and this is a first attempt. I beg leave only to mention the reason that determined me to make choice of this fubject. What pleased me particularly, tho' perhaps it will not be leaft liable to objection with ordinary readers, was the great fimplicity of the ftory. It is one, regular, and uniform, not charged with a multiplicity of incidents, and yet affording feveral revolutions of fortune; by which the paffions may be excited, varied, and driven to their full tumult of emotion. This unity of defign was always fought after, and admired by the antients: and the most eminent among the moderns, who understood their writings, have chosen to imitate them in this, from an intire conviction that the reafon of it must hold good in all ages. And here allow me to tranflate a paffage from the celebrated Monfieur Racine, which contains all that I have to fay on this head. · "We must not fancy that this rule has no other foun-dation but the caprice of those who made it. Nothing can touch us in tragedy, but what is probable. And 'what probability is there, that, in one day, fhould hap-pen a multitude of things, which could scarce happen in • feveral weeks? There are fome who think that this fimplicity is a mark of barrenness of invention. But they do not confider, that, on the contrary, invention ⚫ confifts in making fomething out of nothing: and that 'this huddle of incidents has always been the refuge of i poets, who did not find in their genius either richness · A 3. • of r |