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or force enough to engage their fpectators, for five acts together, by a fimple action, fupported by the violence of paffions, the beauty of fentiments, and the nobleness of expreffion.'-I would not be understood to mean that all thefe things are to be found in my performance: I only fhew the reader what I aimed at, and how I would have pleafed him, had it been in my power.

As to the character of Sophonisba; in drawing it, I have confined myself to the truth of hiftory. It were an affront to the age, to fuppofe fuch a character out of nature; especially in a country which has produced fo many great examples of public fpirit and heroic virtues, even in the fofter fex: and I had destroyed her character intirely, had I not marked it with that ftrong love to her country, difdain of fervitude, and inborn averfion to the Romans, by which all hiftorians have diftinguished her. Nor ought her marrying Mafiniffa, while her former hufband was still alive, to be reckoned a blemish in her character. For, by the laws both of Rome and Carthage, the captivity of the husband diffolved the marriage of courfe; as among us impotence, or adultery: not to mention the reasons of a moral and public nature, which I have put into her own mouth in the scene between her and Syphax.

This is all I have to fay of the play itself. But I cannot conclude without owning my obligations to thofe concerned in the reprefentation. They have indeed done me more than justice. Whatever was defigned as amiable and engaging in Mafiniffa fhines out in Mr. Wilks's action. Mrs. Oldfield, in the character of Sophonisba, has excelled what, even in the fondness of an author, I could either with or imagine. The grace, dignity, and happy variety of her action have been univerfally applauded, and are truly admirable.

PRO.

WH

PROLOGUE.

By a FRIEND.

HEN learning, after the long Gothic night,
Fair, o'er the western world, renew'd his light,
With arts arifing Sopbonifba rofe:

The tragic mufe, returning, wept her woes.
With her th' Italian fcene firft learnt to glow:
And the firft tears for her were taught to flow.
Her charms the Gallic mufes next infpir'd:
Corneille himself faw, wonder'd, and was fir'd.
What foreign theatres with pride have shewn,
Britain, by jufter title, makes her own.
When freedom is the caufe, 'tis hers to fight;
And hers, when freedom is the theme, to write.
For this, a British author bids again
The heroine rife, to grace the British scene.
Here, as in life, he breathes her genuine flame:
She asks what befom has not felt the fame?
Afks of the British youth Is filence there?
She dares to ask it of the British fair.

To-night, our home-fpun author would be true,

At once, to nature, hiftory, and you.

Well pleas'd to give our neighbours due applaufe,
He owns their learning, but difdains their laws.
Not to his patient touch, or happy flame;
Tis to his British heart he trufts for fame.
If France excel him in one free-born thought,
The man, as well as poet, is in fault.

Nature! informer of the poet's art,

Whofe force alone can raife or melt the heart,
Thou art his guide; each paffion, every line,
Whate'er he draws to please, muft all be thing.
Be thou his judge: in every candid breaft,
Thy filent whisper is the facred teft.

DRA

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SOPHONIS B A.

THI

ACT I.

Enter Sophonisba and Phoeniffa.
SOPHONISBA.

HIS hour, Phoeniffa, this important hour,
Or fixes me a queen, or from a throne
Throws Sophonisba into Roman chains.
Detefted thought! For now his utmost force
Collected, defperate, diftrefs'd, and fore
From battles loft; with all the rage of war,
Ill-fated Syphax makes his laft effort.
But fay, thou partner of my hopes and fears,
Phoeniffa, fay; while, from the lofty tower,
Our ftraining eyes the field of battle fought,
Ah, thought you not that our Numidian troops
Gave up the broken field, and scattering fled,
Wild o'er the hills, from the rapacious fons
Of still triumphant Rome?

Phan. The dream of care!

And think not, Madam, Syphax can refign,
But with his ebbing life, in this laft field,
A crown, a kingdom, and a queen he loves
Beyond ambition's brightest wish; for whom,
Nor mov'd by threats, nor bound by plighted faith,
He fcorn'd the Roman friendship (that fair name
For flavery) and from th' engagements broke
Of Scipio, fam'd for every winning art,
The towering genius of recover'd Rome.

my blood

Soph. Oh, name him not! Thefe Romans ftir
To too much rage. I cannot bear the fortune
Of that proud people. Said you not, Phoeniffa,
That Syphax lov'd me; which would fire his battle,
And urge him on to death or conqueft? True,

He

He loves me with the madnefs of defire;
His every paffion is a flave to love;

Nor heeds he danger where I bid him go,

Nor leagues nor intereft. Hence thefe endless wars,
Thefe ravag'd countries, thefe fuccefslefs fights,
Suftain'd for Carthage; whofe defence alone
Engag'd my lovelefs marriage-vows with his.
But know you not, that in the Roman camp
I have a lover too; a gallant, brave,
And difappointed lover, full of wrath,
Returning to a kingdom whence the sword
Of Syphax drove him?

Pheen. Mafiniffa?
Soph. He:

Young Mafiniffa, the Maffylian King,
The first addreffer of my youth; for whom
My bofom felt a fond beginning wish,
Extinguish'd foon: when once to Scipio's fide
Won o'er, and dazzled by th' enchanting glare.
Of that fair feeming hero, he became
A gay admiring flave, yet knew it not.
E'er fince, my heart has held him in contempt;
And thrown out each idea of his worth,
That there began to grow: nay had it been
As all-poffeft, and foft, as hers who fits
In fecret fhades, or by the falling ftream,
And wastes her being in unutter'd pangs,
I would have broke, or cur'd it of its fondness.
Phan. Heroic Sophonisba!

Soph. No, Phoeniffa ;

It is not for the daughter of great Afdrubal,
Defcended from a long illuftrious line

Of Carthaginian heroes, who have oft
Fill'd Italy with terror and dismay,

And fhook the walls of Rome, to pine in love,
Like a deluded maid; to give her life,
And heart high-beating in her country's caufe,
Meant not for common aims and houshold cares,
To give them up to vain prefuming man;
Much lefs to one who ftoops the neck to Rome,
An enemy to Carthage, Mafiniffa.

Phon

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