"There is a great deal of caution shewn in"deed, in meeting in a governor's own hall "to carry on their plot against him. What"ever opinion they have of his eyes, I fuppofe they had none of his ears, or they "would never have talked at this foolish rate fo near:

"Gods! thou must be cautious.

"Oh! yes, very cautious: for if Cato "fhould overhear you, and turn you off for politicians, Cæfar would never take you; no, Cæfar would never take you.

"When Cato, A&t 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 reafonable 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 Mar"cia of her father. But the quarrel and "rage of Juba and Syphax, in the fame Act,

"the

"the invectives of Syphax against the Ro

mans and Cato the advice that he gives *Juba, in her father's hall, to beat away "Marcia by force; and his brutal and cla

morous rage upon his refufal, and at a time "when Cato was fcarce out of fight, and per"haps not out of hearing; at least, some of "his guards or domesticks must neceffarily "be supposed to be within hearing; is a thing that is fo far from being probable, that it is hardly poffible.

"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 against the governor, "his country, and his family; which is fo

66

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 Justice-hall, to have confpir"ed again the government. If officers at "Portsmouth fhould lay their heads toge"ther, in order to the carrying off J— G—'s "niece or daughter, would they meet in JG's hall, to carry on that confpi"racy? There would be no neceffity for "their meeting there, at least till they came

<to the execution of their plot, becaufe "there would be other places to meet in. "There would be no probability that they "fhould 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 pro"bable.

"But treafon 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 neceffity 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 come now to the third Act, Sempronius, in this Act, comes into the go"vernor's hall, with the leaders of the mu

tiny but as foon as Cato is gone, Sempronius, who but just before had acted like an unparalleled knave, difcovers him

"self, like an egregrious fool, to be an ac"complice in the confpiracy.

Semp. Know, villains, when fuch paltry flaves prefume

"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 fhall do. "Here, take these factious monsters, drag them " forth

" 'Tis true, indeed, the fecond leader fays, "there are none there but friends: but is "that poffible at fuch a juncture? Can a 66% parcel of rogues attempt to affaffinate the governor of a town of war, in his own "house, in mid-day, and after they are dif"covered and defeated, can there be none "near them but friends? Is it not plain. "from these words of Sempronius,

"Here, take thefe factious monsters, drag "them forth

To fudden death

and from the entrance of the guards upon "the word of command, that those guards -"were within ear-fhot? Behold Sempronius "then

7.

"then palpably difcovered. How comes it "to pass, then, that, instead of being hang<< ed 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, with his "old comrade Syphax? who enters at the "fame time that the guards are carrying "6 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 ex"pect 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.

"Syph. Our first defign, my friend, has prov'd << abortive;

"Still there remains an after-game to play: "My troops are mounted, their Numidian ❝fteeds

"Snuff up the winds, and long to scour the "defart:

"Let but Sempronius lead us in our flight, "We'll force the gate, where Marcus keeps his

"guard,

VOL. II.

Dd

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