66 "fort of fatisfaction; and in the fame page fheds "tears for the calamity of his country, and does "the fame thing in the next page upon the bare 66 apprehenfion of the danger of his friends. Now, "fince the love of one's country is the love of one's countrymen, as I have fhewn upon another occa"fion, I defire to afk thefe queftions: Of all our countrymen, which do we love moft, those whom "we know, or those whom we know not? And "of those whom we know, which do we cherish "moft, our friends or. our enemies? And of our "friends, which are the deareft to us, those who are "related to us, or those who are not? And of all "our relations, for which have we most tenderness, "for those who are near to us, or for those who are "remote ? And of our near relations, which are "the neareft, and confequently the deareft to us, our offspring, or others? Our offspring moft "certainly; as Nature, or, in other words, Provi"dence, has wifely contrived for the preservation of "mankind. Now, does it not follow, from what "has been faid, that for a man to receive the news "of his fon's death with dry eyes, and to weep at "the fame time for the calamities of his country, is "a wretched affectation, and a miferable incon fiftency? Is not that, in plain English, to receive "with dry eyes the news of the deaths of those for "whose fake our country is a name fo dear to us, "and at the fame time to fhed tears for those for "whofe fakes our country is not a name fo dear to "" us?" But this formidable affailant is lefs refiftible when he attacks the probability of the action, and the rea reasonableness of the plan. Every critical reader must remark, that Addison has, with a fcrupulofity almost unexampled on the English stage, confined himself in time to a fingle day, and in place to rigorous unity. The scene never changes, and the whole action of the play paffes in the great hall of Cato's house at Utica. Much therefore is done in the hall, for which any other place had been more fit; and this impropriety affords Dennis many hints of merriment, and opportunities of triumph. The paffage is long; but as fuch difquifitions are not common, and the objections are fkilfully formed and vigorously urged, those who delight in critical controversy will not think it tedious. "Upon the departure of Portius, Sempronius "makes but one foliloquy, and immediately in "comes Syphax, and then the two politicians are at it immediately. They lay their heads together, "with their fnuff-boxes in their hands, as Mr. Bayes "has it, and feague it away. But, in the midft of "that wife scene, Syphax feems to give a seasonable caution to Sempronius : 66 "Syph. But is it true, Sempronius, that your fenate "There is a great deal of caution fhewn indeed, "in meeting in a governor's own hall to carry on "their plot against him. Whatever opinion they "have of his eyes, I fuppofe they have none of his "ears, or they would never have talked at this "foolish rate so near : "Gods! thou must be cautious." "Oh! "Oh! yes, very cautious: for if Cato fhould over"hear you, and turn you off for politicians, Cæfar "would never take you; no, Cæfar would never take rr you. "When Cato, Act II. turns the fenators out of "the hall, upon pretence of acquainting Juba with "the refult of their debates, he appears to me to "do a thing which is neither reasonable nor civil. Juba might certainly have better been made ac<< quainted with the refult of that debate in fome private apartment of the palace. But the poet was "driven upon this abfurdity to make way for another; "and that is, to give Juba an opportunity to demand "Marcia of her father. But the quarrel and rage "of Juba and Syphax, in the fame act; the invec❝tives of Syphax against the Romans and Cato; the "advice that he gives Juba, in her father's hall, to "bear away Marcia by force; and his brutal and "clamorous rage upon his refufal, and at a time "when Cato was fcarcely out of fight, and perhaps “not out of hearing, at least fome of his guards or "domefticks muft neceffarily be fuppofed to be within hearing; is a thing that is fo far from being probable, that it is hardly poffible. 66 Sempronius, in the fecond Act, comes back once more in the fame morning to the governor's hall, to carry on the confpiracy with Syphax 66 against the governor, his country, and his family; "which is fo ftupid, that it is below the wifdom of "the O-'s, the Mac's, and the Teague's; even "Euftace Commins himself would never have gone "to Juftice-hall, to have confpired against the go vernment. If officers at Portsmouth should lay 66 "their heads together, in order to the carrying off* "J-G-'s niece or daughter, would they meet in JG's hall, to carry on that confpiracy? "There would be no neceffity for their meeting "there, at least till they came to the execution of "their plot, because there would be other places to "meet in. There would be no probability that they should meet there, because there would be places more private and more commodious. Now "there ought to be nothing in a tragical action but "what is neceffary or probable. 66 "But treason is not the only thing that is carried "on in this hall; that, and love, and philofophy, "take their turns in it, without any manner of ne"ceffity or probability occafioned by the action, as "duly and as regularly, without interrupting one "another, as if there were a triple league between "them, and a mutual agreement that each fhould "give place to, and make way for, the other, in a "due and orderly fucceffion. "We now come to the third Act. Sempronius, "in this Act, comes into the governor's hall, with "the leaders of the mutiny: but, as foon as Cato "is gone, Sempronius, who but just before had "acted like an unparalleled knave, discovers him"felf, like an egregious fool, to be an accomplice "in the confpiracy. * The perfon meant by the initials J. G. is Sir John Gibson, Lieutenant Governor of Portsmouth in the year 1710, and afterwards. He was much beloved in the army, and by the common foldiers called Johnny Gilfon. H. < Semp. Semp. Know, villains, when fuch paltry flaves pre "fume "To mix in treafon, if the plot fucceeds, They 're thrown neglected by; but, if it fails, "They're fure to die like dogs, as you thall do. "Here, take thefe factious monfters, drag them forth "To fudden death ""Tis true, indeed, the fecond leader fays, there are none there but friends; but is that poffible at "fuch a juncture? Can a parcel of rogues attempt "to affaffinate the governor of a town of war, in "his own house, in mid-day? and, after they are "difcovered, and defeated, can there be none near "them but friends? Is it not plain, from thefe words of Sempronius, "Here, take thefe factious monfters, drag them forth "To fudden death "and from the entrance of the guards upon the "word of command, that thofe guards were within "ear-fhot? Behold Sempronius then palpably dif "covered. How comes it to pass, then, that instead "of being hanged up with the reft, he remains fecure "in the governor's hall, and there carries on his "confpiracy against the government, the third time "in the fame day, which his old comrade Syphax, "who enters at the fame time that the guards are "carrying away the leaders, big with the news of "the defeat of Sempronius; though where he had "his intelligence fo foon is difficult to imagine? "And now the reader may expect a very extraordinary scene; there is not abundance of spirit indeed, nor a great deal of paffion, but there is "wisdom more than enough to fupply all defects.. 66 "Syph. |