116 THE BRITISH the dignity of his perton, and an unufual transport which he felt at first perceiving him, the flatters herfelf, warmly, that he is really her brother. This conjecture the communicates to Electra, who endeavours, in the fulness of her heart, to obtain an interview with him, and fucceeds, juft as he is offering an urn, in an act of devotion at the fhrine of Agamemnon. The fight of the urn, and fome equivocal expreffions which Electra overhears, renew all her fears for Oreftes, and the fuppofes that the ashes are his which the fees brought to the tomb of her father. Her grief upon this is violent, but it exceeds all bounds when gifthus entering at the fame time with Clytemnestra, questions Oreftes, and asks him what the urn contains. The prince affuming the character of his own murderer, tells him, it contains the ashes of Oref tes; whom he hated with an invincible obftinacy, and therefore flew in Epidaurus. Agitthus is charmed with the intelligence; and after Electra retires to give ample vent to the anguish of her heart, the king deter mines to give her in marriage to the ftranger, as a reward for his important fervice. gifthus had indeed refolved, previous to this circumftance, to marry his own fon, Plifthines to Electra, that his title of fucceffion to the crown of Argos might be the more cife&tually fecured. He had, however, fent Plif thines into Epidaurus, with an order, if poffible, to discover Oreftes, and effectually put an end to his claim by murder; but now that Oretes, as he imagined, was no longer to be dread. ed, he thought there was no longer a neceffity for the match between his fon and Electra. But while he is indulging himself in the pleafing dream of his fecurity, a courier arrives with the news of Plifthines's being killed in Epidaurus. Alarmed to the laft degree at this unexpected ftroke, and from fome recent circumstances having reafon to imagine Oreftes the affaffin of his fon, Egilhus orders the prince and Pylades to prifon, and threatens them both with immediate death. The circum ftances which chiefly roufed bis fufpicion of Oreftes was, his finding him in fecret with Electra, whofe general gloom was now converted into an appearance of inconceivable fatisfaction. This princess, upon hearing Orestes acknowledge himself the murderer of Oreftes, took a fecret refolution of facrificing him with her own hand to the manes of her brother. For this purpose the watched an opportunity, and ftealing behind him with a drawn fword, attempted to strike, but the fword fell from her hand the moment it was raifed, and a fcene immediately enfued, in which Oreftes revealed his real character. On the imprisonment of her brother and his friend, Iphifa kneels to Ægir thus to implore their pardon, and the fortitude of Electra, who had always treated the tyrant with the utmost indignation, relaxes to fuch a degree, that the condefcends alfo to kneel for the fame purnoles. Egifthus triumphs at having thus fubdued the haughty fpirit of the latter, and retires, denouncing vengeance on the destroyer of his fon. Electra then addreffes herfeif to Clytemnestra in pathetic terms, acknowledging who Oreftes really is, and conjures her to interpofe for the prefervation of his life. The danger of the youth, and the pleadings of Electra, rekindle the dying enibers of nature in her bofom, and the fupplicates her husband in favour of her unfortunate fon. Her fupplication however is to no purpose. Ægif thus, happy in having Oreftes actually in his power at laft, prepares to glut his revenge for the death of Plifthines, and to fecure the throne of Argos. With this view he orders Oreftes and his friend to publick execution, together with Pammenes, for ftirring up the people in favour of Agamemnon's family. But as they are led to the place of death, the people, who deteft gifthus for his complicated crimes, and feel the strongest attachment to the line of their lawful kings, rife unanimously to their aid.Oreftes heads them, and foon puts the foldiers of gyfthus to flight, he then attacks the tyrant himself, whom he difpatches, but unfortunately kills his mother in the attempt, who had thrown herself in the way of his fword to defend the life of her husband. This incident is with great propriety tranfacted behind the scenes, and Oreftes enters in the greatest horror at the 1769. THE BRITISH THEATRE. the accident.-Elecra too feels the utmost concern for the fate of Clytemneftra, whofe new difplay of maternal tenderness had roufed the warm affection of her children. Confiderations on the Conduct of the Fable. The conduct of this fable is not fo accurate as might be wifhed, and there is that visible want of incident through the whole, which fo peculiarly diftinguishes the productions of the French theatre. Thele faults, however, mult be attributed to Mr. Voltaire, not to Mr. Francklin; who, with the candour that ever accompanies real merit, acknowledges he meant rather to give a tranflation than an original performance: yet indeed Voltaire himself is not to be confidered as an ACT 117 original in the prefent cafe; fince Sophocles in his Electra, not only furnifhes him with the ground-work, but with all the material bufinefs of his play, and we cannot help thinking, Francklin himlelf, would, if divested that the Electra, as tranflated by Mr. of the Chorus, and adapted to the English ftage, be a much more agreeable entertainment than the Oreftes. There is one fituation in the Electra particularly beautiful even in its antient fimplicity, and which as it has been univerfally admired through a long fucceffion of ages, we shall give the reader, efpecially as the discovery Oreftes makes of his real character to Electra (omitting the Chorus) in Voltaire's tragedy is materially indebted to the Greek author. IV. Orefles, Pylades, Electra, Chorus. Oreftes. Say virgins, if by right inftruction led, This way, I tend to- Chorus. Whither woud' thou go? Chorus. (pointing to Elect.) Be that office her's Whom bound by nature's ties it best fits. Oreftes. Go then, and fay, from Phocis are are arriv'd Eleara. Alas! And com❜st thou then to prove the dreadful tale Already told *. Orefies. What you have heard I know not, By Strophius's command. O how I dread thy meffage! Electra. What is it, fay! Oreftes. (hewing an urn) Here behold His poor remains. Electra O! loft undone Electra! 'Tis then too plain and mis'ry is complete. Dreftes. If for Oreftes thus thy forrows flow Know that within this urn his afhes lye. Electra. Do they indeed? Then let me, by the Gods I do intreat thee, let me fnatch them from thee, And mourn our hapless race- Oreftes. Give her the urn, She craves the boon; perhaps fome friend, perhaps By blood unired. Electra (taking the urn.) O ye, dear remains Of my Oreftes, the moft lov'd of men! How do I fee thee now! how much unlike What my fond hopes prefag'd, when last we parted! Death of Oreftes. Ere 118 THE BRITISH THEATRE. I wou'd not with in death to be divided; Oreftes. (afide.) What shall I fay? I can refrain no longer Oreftes. (looking at her.) Can it be Electra ? Electra. For me Doubtless thou weep'ft, for I am chang'd indeed— Oreftes. Of nuptial rites, and each domeftic joy March To live depriv`d !— Electra. Why doft thou gaze upon me ? Electra. Why, what hath made thee fo? Orefles. I fee thy woes- Oreftes. Who binds thee? A name the little merits... Elect. Both alas! Are my hard lot; the tries a thousand means To make me wretched-- Will none defend thee? Oretes. And will none affift? Electra. 'Tis kindly done, for none will pity me, None but thy felf; art thou indeed a ftranger. Electra. They are our friends *The Chorus. Do 1769. THE BRITISH THEATRE. Do not dear stranger- Are wrefted from me, I am most unhappy--- 119 Ele. Not grieve Oreftes. No, you should not weepOreftes. O no! Electra. Am I unworthy of him then? Of my dear brother! Electra. Not when I bear the afhes Oreftes. But they are not there; Unless by fiction, and a well wrought tale That hath deceiv'd thee- Elect. Where then is his tomb? Orefles. The living need none. Electra. Doth he then live? Elegra. And art thou he? Oreft. Look here and be convinced; This mark 'tis from our father. Orefies. Bleffed indeed! From the foregoing scene the reader will be able to judge for himself of the diction of Oreftes. As to the fentiments they are frequently juft and elevated in the amiable characters; but thofe in the mouth of gifthus, like those in the mouth of every tyrant, are favage to an extravagance. The manners are all preferved from Sophocles; and the characters given down without any alteration from antiquity. The moral, as the reader will fee by the catastrophe of the fable is strictly juft, and as to the reprefentation, we fhall only fay, that Mrs. Yates was inimitable in Electra. To the PRINTER, &c. A county of Middlefex, who has a FTER every gentleman in the fufficient landed qualification to reprefent that county in parliament, has been applied to in vain, we find one Mr. Luttrell has offered himself. As Mr. Luttrell has never been publickly mentioned before this period, it will, no doubt, be agreeable to many of your readers to hear fomething more of him than his name. After a good deal of enquiry, I have been able to procure the following particulars, which may be depended on. Mr. Luttrell's father is an Irishman, and was joint member with Sir Fletcher Norton in the last parliament for the borough of Wigan, in Lancashire, and at prefent reprefents the borough of Weobly in Herefordshire. He was, about a year ago, created an Irith lard, by the title of Baron Iroham in that kingdom. The candidate for Middlefex is his eldeft fon, and is joint member with Lord Mount-Stuart, fon to the earl of Bute, for Boffiney in Cornwall. He has already a lieut. col. commiffion in the army, and must have another place before the election at Brentford comes on, in order to vacate his feat for Boffiney: though I have already been in feveral parts of the county of Middlefex, I cannot find any Freeholder that knows him and it is certain he has not a fhilling property in the county. This is all that I can learn of this extraordinary perfon. If he can give any better account of himself, than the above, before the 13th of April next, the freeholders will then know whether he is a proper períon to reprefent them or not. But if he cannot, I would advise him to be content with his present feat, and not expofe himfelf to the ridicule of mankind, as Mr. Dingley did at the last election. I am, Sir, your's, &c. N J. N. To the PRINTER, &. SIR, JOTHING gives me more pleafure than to obferve that merit is equally rewarded in every part of this wide extended empire. The lat Gazette fhews, that administration are not lels attentive to any fervices done to the cause of liberty at Bolton than at London. We have the fatisfaction of reading in the fame page, that Sir Fletcher 120 Hints to the Supporters of the Bill of Rights. March Fletcher Norton, that declared enemy to the mode of Proceeding by INFORMATION, was worn of his majesty's most honourable privy council, and Francis Bernard, Efq; governor of his majefty's province of the Maffachujets Bay in America, who is unhappily too far removed from the feat of the government to aflift the council with his wife and tom perate advice, but is equally a fworn enemy to the mode of proceeding by fword and Bayonet, has the dignity of a Baronet of the kingdom of Great Britain. I cannot however help expreffing my hopes that he will foon be recalled, and take his place even the in cabinet council, and that the military troops will be put under the command of Sir Francis, as the law banditti are under Sir Fr. How like in manners, and how like in mind! Fortunati ambo! As you are placed at the head of a fociety formed for the good of the fubject, give me leave to ad have to answer in matters between contending parties? the judges may in that cafe fine and imprifon, but not ad libitum, much lefs fhould they do it where a criminal is to answer against himself. Here they take upon themselves to be judges, juries, and accufers, a circumftance not to be found in our Jaws. But, gentlemen, the judges, if they refufe to act according to the first and principal of our laws confirmed to us by Magna Charta, are amenable in a higher court; it is therefore your duty to fee it carried thither; I fay, "That I am, Gentlemen, AN ingenios correfpondent, who ving obliged us with a drawing of the late King's-Arms Squabble, we have got it engraved for the entertainment of our readers, this month, referring them to pages 147, 148, 154. an explanation, if neceflary. We have alfo gratified them with a fine VIEW of a beautiful natural cafcade in Bolton-Park, Craven, Yorkfhire, belonging to the late earl of Burlington. In our next we shall give, what is defired by feveral correspondents, the reafon for our non infertion of their pieces, as we have been used, now and than, to do. Lord -'s request cannot be complied with yet; and as to the objec tions of Scrutator, and Caftigator, ave believe, as things fand at prefent it would be vain to attempt to obviate them. One word for all, however; where abufe is fubfiituted for argument, it can have no place in the Lond. Mag. The |