"

a field of battle. The noife of fwords and tumultuous cries are heard; and, foon after, the two parties rufh in, in purfuit of their quarrel. Rofelo endeavours to interpofe; and after a long expoftulation with Octavio, in which he propofes friendship in the kindest terms, and a double marriage, (between himself and Julia; Octavio, and Dona Andrea, a Montefe Lady), being infulted by Octavio, and obliged to defend himself, he at length kills him, and escapes.. Maximilian, the Duke of Verona, comes too late to prevent the misfortune, and informs himself of the circumftances. All the depofitions are favourable to Rofelo, and acknowledge, that he did his utmost to appease the quarrel, and that Octavio forced him to defend his life.

Upon this the Prince, who efteems Rofelo, and yet is unwilling to exafperate the Caftelvins, as a medium, banishes him from Verona.

Rafelo, then upon the point of leaving his Ju. lia, runs all hazards to bid her farewel; and goes in the night, with Marin, to the garden, where they meet Julia and Celia; and, after a moving scene between the lovers, and a burlefque one between the confidents, they are furprised by the appearance of Antonio, and his domeftics, armed, who were alarmed by a noife in the garden. Rafelo and Marin escape unseen, and Julia fays the came there to weep in folitude, for the unfortunate death of Octavio. Antonio applauds her humanity; and, to give her conVOL. II. folation,

'S

folation, informs her of his defign of marrying her to Count Paris, an amiable young Nobleman of great power."

This Count has already expreffed a paffion for Julia, and even demanded her in marriage; but the propofal had been waved in favour of Octavio. He is not then in Verona, Antonio therefore writes to him, and fends the letter by FeJennio.

This old fervant of Theobald's finds Count Paris with Rofelo at a magnificent country-feat, which makes the decoration of the three following fcenes. Rofelo, at his leaving the city, fell into an ambuscade, laid for him by the Caftelvins, and was rescued by Paris, who has brought him to his houfe, and is offering to accompany him to the gates of Ferrara; when Fefennio interrupts their profeffions of friendship, by the delivery of the letter, which Paris imparts to Rofelo. He, from the conclufion of the letter, (which affures the Count of Julia's tenderness and affection for him), is feized by the most unaccountable jealoufy and rage that is poffible. The Count departs for Verona, affuring him, that, notwithstanding this alliance with the Caf telvins, he fhall always continue his friend; and Rofelo remaining, concludes the act with a long foliloquy of rage and defpair, which terminates in a refolution of endeavouring to shake off his paffion for the unfaithful Julia, and fix his heart on fome more worthy object at Fer

rara.

ACT

During the interval between the second and third acts, the father of Julia has been attempting to force her to marry the Count: and his perfecutions have been fo violent, that, finding at length fhe fhall be obliged to fubmit, fhe liftens only to despair, and determines to die, rather than betray Rofelo.

With this defign fhe fends Celia to Aurelio, (the priest who married her privately). He does not appear upon the stage, but is frequently mentioned. Profound learning, universal charity, and attention to the wants of the unhappy, are the distinguishing marks of his character.

Julia implores the affiftance of this pious man, and informs him in her billet, that if he can find no method of preserving her from the misfortune she dreads, fhe fhall escape from it by a voluntary death.

The beginning of the act fuppofes all that is here faid, and the spectators are informed of it with great address. Julia and her father appear upon the stage, which represents a fallon. Antonio preffes his daughter to the marriage; fhe excufes herself; he menaces her with his utmost indignation, and at laft affures her, if fhe does not confent willingly, they fhall find means to force her fubmiffion.

This feverity constrains her to promise obedience,

S 2

1

dience, and her father leaves her to reflect upon her unhappy fituation. Celia enters, as returned from Aurelio, and tells her, that, after fhowing great disorder and concern, he had retired for an hour; and then delivered her a vial for Julia to drink, which he told her he hoped would prevent all the feared.

After a moving fcene of doubt, hopes, and fears, Julia drinks the compofition; and immediately feeling the effects of it, imagines that by miftake, Aurelio has given her poison, and (as they both suppose) dies in the arms of Celia, recommending to her, if the ever faw Rofelo, to 'tell him, the carried her tenderness for him to the grave, and died pronouncing his name; that the wifhed him to remember her with kindness, but not with pain; to be comforted, and to live happy.

The scene clofes upon Julia, and her confident, and immediately changes to Ferrara. It represents a street, where two cavaliers, Ferdinand, and Rutilio, are giving a ferenade to Silvia, a Lady of that city. She appears, but once in the play, and that only at her window.

The perfons in this scene, are entirely foreign to the fubject of the play, and have not the least connexion with the Caftelvins and Montefes. The author only introduces them to give Rofelo an opportunity of endeavouring to revenge himself for the supposed infidelity of Julia, and the whole defign is infipid and unnatural.

The

The day begins to dawn, Rofelo comes in, and the two cavaliers and their men withdraw, without any reason, but the pleasure of the author. The young Montefe makes love to Silvia, but in a way and manner, that fhews his heart is full of another object, and that Julia is ftill the mistress of it, notwithstanding all his refolutions.

Anfelm, who is come to Ferrara in fearch of Rofele, meets him in the ftreet; Silvia fhuts her window, and disappears, Rofelo learns from Anfelm what has paffed: he fhivers with horror, his eyes are opened, he fees how wrongfully he fufpected her fidelity, and breaks out into the moft moving complaints; when Anfelm comforts him, by informing him of the fecret of the draught, and telling him he muft immediately return to Verona, and deliver her from the vault, where fhe was laid..

Upon this detail, which in the original is very long, Rofele begins to breathe. His hopes however are intermixed with fears; he dreads`arriving too late that Julia, awakening in that dreadful place, fhould die with horror, or faint away, and expire in the midst of that profound fleep he departs immediately for Verona; Ma rin follows him with great regret; and, upon Anfelm's defcribing the dreadfulness of the vault, declares he hates keeping company with the dead; and that when his mafter pays them a vifit, he thinks it his duty to wait only at the door.