To the PUBLIC.
Although the undertaking
is great and arduous, for a person
in my situation of life, unassisted,
to dare attempt the sole
composition of a Tragedy; yet I
was incited to the task, by ruminating
on a rapid, and almost uninterrupted
series of successes, in
1759, and the great and ever memorable year of 1758
&c. the glorious effects of the amicable and happy
union, which subsisted between our gallant troops, and
intrepid tars; who, with a true spirit of martial bravery
and emulation (never to be outdone, or equalled again
but by themselves) baffled, bore down, and triumphed
over all hostile opposition, in every quarter of the globe,
both by land and sea, which the united power and policy
of France, Spain, and their civilized and barbarous
friends and allies, could possibly exert.
At first, I thought to have made one entire Dramatic
Piece of it, through the whole course of the war, so
gloriously successful to Great-Britain, beyond all parallel;
rendering her terrible to the nations around,
and so effectually humbling to France; totally destroying
her trade, baffling, and overcoming all her armaments,
both by land and sea; that at length she could
be scarcely said to make any effort, deserving the name
of resistance. Had I proceeded according to the above
design, I then intended to have named the piece, The
Matchless Æra. But when I came to reflect upon
the transactions in North-America; the great and
and hazardous siege of Quebec, seemed to stand foremost,
and claim my chief attention: For there, near
12,000 veteran French, joined by Canadians, and
many savage tribes, lay intrenched at the only spot attackable;
commanded by a bold, experienced, enterprising,
(and hitherto) fortunate General, Monsieur
de Montcalm, and many other gallant leaders, with all
the advantages of art and nature on their side, to render
their situation as formidable as possible, to the most
intrepid foe: Yet about 8000 of Britannia's troops, assisted
by her matchless tars, led and animated by Wolfe,
Saunders, Monckton, Townshend, Holmes, Howe, Murray,
Fraser, and many other leaders brave, laid siege to
that strong and important fortress and capital; carried
on their several attacks, with the loss of about 3000
killed and wounded; and at last, on the famed height
of Abraham, with about 5000 men, gained a complete
victory, and chased in a total rout, to the garrison walle,
French, Indians, and Canadians! The glorious consequence
of which was, the surrender of the city and garrison
of Quebec; and soon after all Canada submitted
to the victorious troops of Great-Britain. So great,
and many, were the remarkable transactions of that
siege, and so much worth, and bravery, was there displayed,
I thought there needed no additional aid of
wellwrought fiction, or fulsome adulation, to render it
worthy of a dramatic representation. I therefore resolved
to send it forth into the world, dressed in the
amiable garb of impartial verity, under the title of The
Conquest of Canada: Or, The Siege of Quebec; and
designed to adhere strictly to historical facts, as much as
a dramatic performance would allow. Not being conversant
with the stage, and consequently not well acquainted
with the rules of the drama, as a dramatic
writer, perhaps I may have greatly erred in the composition
of the play, as to time, place, circumstances,
and, many other minute particulars, which the most judicious
and nice critics in ancient literature, may think
a work of this kind deserves. But I write a historical
tragedy; and as a historian, have endeavoured to display,
in the different scenes, a representation of real
and genuine facts, great in themselves, as any in our
times, and amply worthy of being registered in the annals
of fame, as rival actions of those patriotic deeds,
of the so much admired ancient Greeks and Romans!
We read with pleasure and admiration the siege of Calasi,
Aquileia, Addison's Cato, and the gallant defence of
the Thermopylæan pass; where the regal patriot Leonidas,
with his few chosen, and ever renowned Spartants,
Thebans, and Thespians, nobly fell, in the defence
of their country, its privileges and laws. Yet at
these places, none but Gauls, Greeks, and Romans,
were the worthy warriors, with whom we are so pleas'd.
Whilst Greece, and Rome, boast their patriotic warrior,
slain in defence of their laws and liberties, and France
trumpets forth the noble and praise-worthy resolutions
of her Burghers at Calais, who only offered themselves
at the mercy of the British royal victor, to save their
countrymen, friends, and relations from ruin; yet providentially
escaped the threatened fate, and lived very
justly revered by their grateful country.
I say, whilst all these states seem emulously to vie
with each other for the greatest honour in the records
of patriotism, shall we be mute, nor give deserved applause
to these gallant countrymen of ours, who to save
wives, children, lands and laws, fought, bled, and
died in the glorious cause of freedom, and the service
of their country, at Louisbourg, Quebec, &c. and shall
we not enjoy a more exquisite pleasure, when we read
the scenes which display the victorious intrepidity, warlike
worth, or glorious deaths, not of Greeks, Gauls,
and Romans, (as oft has happened, against rude, barbarous,
or effeminated troops, or at best if disciplined;
not trained and armed like themselves, for offensive and
defensive war;) but of Englishmen, Caledonians, and
Hibernians, who engaged against superior numbers,
like themselves civilized; who had a constant supply
from large magazines of all the destructive implements
of death; trained, armed, and equally disciplined in
the arts of war, and well skilled in every manœuvre of
the field; and were immured in strong fortresses, or
advantageously intrenched, yet these they would often
attack, and fired by patriotic ardor, (with an impetuosity
not to be withstood) would rout from trench to
trench, chase from field to field; and drive from garrison
to garrison, these more numerous, well disciplined,
and veteran forces, till all retreat was cut off, and submission
became the only resource they had left for safety:
Whilst the nations around trembled at Britannia's
name, and dreaded the united thunder-storm of her terrene
and naval warriors.
1766 Geo. Cockinges
