 | Junius Brutus |  |
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,
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.
| Junius Brutus | |