one's self a thousand and a thousand storms; the issue is doubtful, the peril is certain. The order ill concerted, the opportunity ill chosen, may on their author overturn the whole enterprise, turn on thee the blow thou wouldst strike, and even envelope thee in his ruin; and what thou executest for my sake, may crush thee in its fall. Ah! do not run into this danger. To ruin yourself, in revenging me, is not to revenge me. That heart is too cruel which finds a sweetness in that vengeance, which is corrupted by the bitterness of sorrow: and one should put in the rank of the greatest misfortunes, the death of an enemy, which costs so many But can one shed tears when one revenges a father? Is there a loss which does not seem light at that price? And when his assassin dies by our means, ought we to consider what his death costs us? Cease, vain fears, cease, foolish tenderness, to affect my heart with your unworthy weaknesses: and thou who producest them by thy superfluous anxieties, O love, assist my duty, do not combat with it; to yield to it is thy glory, to vanquish it thy disgrace; shew thy self gene

tears.

rous,

rous, suffer it to overcome thee. The more thou givest to it, the more it will give thee, and. will triumph only to crown thee.”

Such mighty nothings in so strange a style
Amaze th' unlearn'd, and make the learned smile.

The second scene of Emilia, and Fulvia her friend, is not so absurd as the soliloquy; but the answer Emilia gives to Fulvia, who urges to her, that the benefits she has received from Augustus, and the credit she has with him should mitigate her resentment, shews her disposition to be ungrateful, violent, and treacherous.

EMILIE.

Les bienfaits ne font pas toûjours ce que tu penses;
D'une main odieuse ils tiennent lieu d'offenses:
Plus nous en prodiguons à qui nous peut haïr,
Plus d'armes nous donnons à qui nous veut trahir.
Il m'en fait chaque jour sans changer mon courage.
Je suis ce que j'étais, & je puis davantage;

Et des mêmes présens qu'il verse dans mes mains
J'achette contre lui les esprits des Romains.
Je recevrais de lui la place de Livie,

Comme un moyen plus sûr d'attenter à sa vie.

"Benefits

"Benefits do not always do what you think. From an odious hand they are, so many offences; the more we bestow upon those who hate us, the more arms we furnish to those who may betray us. He bestows them upon me every day, without changing my resolution. I am what I was, and I am able to effect more; and with the presents he pours into my hands, I purchase the hearts of Romans to set them against him. I would receive from him the place of Livia, to obtain surer means to attempt his life."

The next scene, Cinna enters, and tells his furious charmer, that the conspirators enter into the plot with as much zeal as if they too were serving a mistress.

CINNA.

Tous s'y montrent portés avec tant d'allégresse,
Qu'ils semblent comme moi servir une maîtresse.
Plût aux dieux que vous-même cussicz vû de quel zèle
Cette troupe entrepend une action si belle!
Au seul nom de César, d'Auguste, d'Empereur,
Vous eussiez vû leurs yeux s'enflammer de fureur;
Et dans un même instant, par un effet contraire,
Leur front pâlir d' horreur, & rougir de colère.

Here

Here is a childish play upon words, and a mere rant: for, in those times, neither the names of Cæsar, Augustus, or Emperor, were detested. It was by the monsters, who afterwards assumed them, that they were rendered odious.

The scene is very long, as we may suppose, where such different sentiments and passions are to be expressed, as those which belong to the lover and' conspirator. Cinna assures Emilia that he had concealed from his associates, that to avenge her father and to obtain her were the motives from which he had entered into this conspiracy:

Rien n'est pour vous à craindre; aucun de nos amis
Ne sait ni vos desseins, ni ce qui m'est promis :
Et leur parlant tantôt des misérés Romaines,
Je leur ai tû la mort qui fait naître nos haines,
De peur que mon ardeur touchant vos intérêts
D'un si parfait amour ne trahît les secrets.

"There is nothing for you to fear; none of our friends know the designs, nor what is promised me. In speaking of the miseries

of

of the Romans, I was silent about the death which is the cause of our hatred, lest my warmth for your interests should betray the secrets of such a perfect love."

There was not only discretion, but good sense in this, for the secrets d'un parfait amour might not have been duly attended to, or properly reverenced, by a surly band of conspirators met to concert measures for such a perilous enterprise. In the next scene, Augustus sends for Cinna and Maximus, to advise with them, whether he shall restore liberty to the commonwealth. Here we have some respite from the strange medley of tender love and dire revenge, and in lieu of it, a long political discussion of the conveniences and inconveniences of different modes of government.

Corneille has borrowed from Dion Cassius, and transferred to Cinna and Maximus, the speeches of Agrippa and Mecænas, when Augustus consulted them, whether he should demit his power, and live a private man, as Sylla had done. Mr. Fenelon has