THE PREFACE.
I am
to acquaint the Reader, that this
Play is form'd on the Model of Mr. De
Voltaire's excellent Tragedy, entitled, Brutus,
tho' with considerable Alterations and Additions,
especially in the Fifth Act. If with
these it appears more agreeable to the English
Taste, I shall have no Reason to think my
Time ill-employ'd.
Mr. De Voltaire says, in the Dedication
to the French Tragedy, That it is surprising
no English Poet ever writ a Play upon this
Story, which he seems to think peculiarly adapted
to the English Genius. But he was
misinform'd in this Particular; for Mr. Lee
writ a Tragedy on the same Subject in the
Reign of King Charles the Second, entitled,
Lucius Junius Brutus, Father of his Country;
which, after it had been thrice acted,
was forbid by the Lord Chamberlain Arlington,
as an Antimonarchical Play: But,
if it had been allow'd, it cou'd not, I believe,
have succeeded, unless by the Force of
Party and Prejudice; for, besides its being
full of Rants, (which perhaps might be
serviceable to it in the Representation,) the
Character of Brutus is there so shockingly Severe,
without any Softnings of Tenderness
and Humanity, that (however vouch'd by
History) it can scarce seem natural to a discerning
Audience, much less agreeable to a
polite one.
The whole is conducted in so different a
manner from this Play, that all the Use I
have made of it was to borrow two Lines in
the Fifth Act.
I persuade myself, that the Reader will
be pleased with the following Quotation
from my Lord Lansdown's Preface to his
Tragedy, entitled, Heroick Love. ‘When
we observe (says that elegant Writer,)
how little Notice is taken of the noble
and sublime Thoughts and Expressions of
Mr. Dryden in Oedipus, and what Applause
is given to the Rants and the Fustian
of Mr. Lee, what can we say, but
that Madmen are only fit to write, when
nothing is esteem'd Great and Heroic but
what is unintelligible?’
I had, at the Instance of some learned
Friends, prepared Choruses for this Play,
after the manner of the Ancients; but finding
no Disposition in the Managers of the
Theatres to be at the Expence necessary for
such an Undertaking, was oblig'd to drop
that Design.
I am inform'd, that Mr. Galliard has set
to Musick the Choruses for the late Duke of
Buckingham's Tragedy of Julius Cæsar, all
writ by the Duke himself; and that Signior
Bononcini has set those to his Grace's Tragedy
of Marcus Brutus, writ by the Duke
and Mr. Pope.
Whenever they are perform'd, I doubt
not but they will convince the Public, more
effectually than any thing that I cou'd offer,
how Subservient Musick might be made to the
Drama.
I cannot conclude without returning my
humble and hearty Thanks to the Spectators,
for their kind Reception of this Dramatick
Essay.