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heir has been trained up to virtue in her fafelt school, an humble station, is pretty, but not defensible; because the virtues to adorn and fupport a throne require practical knowledge of life; he who knows not vice, nor has any opportunity of running into it, can possess but negative virtue at beft; to be furrounded with temptation, yet still to foar above it, is the true purity of mind; a man who cannot get ftrong liquors claims no merit from fobriety, nor a female locked in a cloister from chastity; positive virtue is the child of free election, and, we apprehend, whatever pleasing pictures may be drawn from education totally abstracted, not one in a hundred of such characters would make a tolerable king, or even a useful member of fociety; speculation presents us with many ideas very pleasing, which practice immediately proves chimerical.

The approach of Cambyfes is again intimated, and they separate, leaft from the king's jealous temper of mind some dangerous consequences might arife.

At the beginning of the second act, Mithranes expresses apprehenfions for the absence of Cyrus, but is interrupted by the appearance of Cambyfes, whom he knows, though in disguise, yet does not feem to know; the stranger folicits guidance to Astarte's altar, where a grand annual facrifice is that day to be held, which the old man promises, and mentions the expected appearance of Cyrus; fome explanation feems approaching, when the sudden

apCyrus.

appearance of Aftyages makes it necessary for Cambyfes to retire.

The gloomy monarch founds Mithranes's attachment on the principle of gratitude, which is acknowledged. On mention of Cyrus's being preserved, Mithranes takes an extraordinary alarm; we say extraordinary, because there is no reason to imagine, from his cordial beginning, that Astyages means any other than the fictitious character of Cyrus; indeed, he explains it immediately after; the listening of Cambyfes is a most pitiful condescention in any person of his rank; though misapprehenfion of Mithranes's accepting the murtherous charge gives rise to somewhat interefting afterwards. The old man's mentioning Cyrus under the name of Alcæus, to perpetrate the monarch's command, is natural and politic,

The paternal impatience of Cambyfes which hurries him into the path of destruction on his fon's account, is affectionate and noble; his appearance, and the danger consequent thereto, must agitate feeling spectators confiderably; the circumstance of being taken prisoner affords him a good opportunity of shewing an invincible spirit, which causes a discovery of his real character, and furnishes him with reproaches of a very stinging nature against his cruel father-in-law.

As tyrannic guilt is ever trembling for its own safety, his threats of fatal nature might reasonably be expected, as also Cambyfes's contempt of them. -The charge of affaffinating Cyrus is well levelled and strikes home also: the hint he throws out of

Cyrus.

vengeance hanging over the royal perfecutor is well imagined; in short, both characters are excellently contrafted through the whole scene, confident innocence buoys up one, cumbrous guilte ftaggers the other.

Cambyfes departs with becoming spirit and moral dignity, leaving Aftyages pregnant with apprehenfion of lurking dangers. In about fifteen lines after her husband's being carried off a prifoner, Mandane appears poffefsed of his disagreeable situation, which feems a violent breach of probability: being absent twenty years, she but thirteen when he was banished, how does the princess fo fuddenly, amidst such bustling circumstances, know him? Or, if he was pointed out to her as the perfon, is it poffible to imagine but after so long an absence she would have forced an interview with him for an exchange of mutual tenderness; as it is, we must suppose she has flown by him without taking the least notice; a passage in the third act intimates she has not seen him; if not, who has told her fo fuddenly of his situation? The application to her father is of a very tender, perfuafive nature, much in favour of capital performance, and conducted without running into bombastic extravagance, like that of Almeria in the Mourning Bride, when she pleads for Ofmyn in the fourth act of that play. Aftyages endeavours to alarm her feelings as a daughter, by acquainting her of the danger he apprehends surrounding him, yet grants security of life to the prifoner, in compliance with her tears; but expresses a firm resolution of renewing his banishment. The king no fooner departs than Cyrus ap

Cyrus.

appears, whom Mandane charges with breaking importunely on her grief the word importunely we can by no means approve.

Cyrus's apology for so unceremonious an approach, is danger which courses him at the heels; dangers which arises, according to his own account, from self-defence; the sympathy of blood is hinted at in Mandane's first speech to the startled prince, who tells the circumstance of having rescued Aspasia from threatened violation, in terms becomingly modest; his narration is interrupted by the appearance of that lady, who urges information how he escaped with life from the danger her fafety had involved him in.

Cyrus continues his tale with unadorned truth, and signifies, by a pleasing degree of natural painting, his antagonist's fall; the name of Mandane being mentioned, her fon, as we might expect, is struck with amaze; at this very critical period an officer and guards are introduced, who give the scene quite another turn, by arresting the real Cyrus for having killed the ufurper of his name. Thofe beams of pity which so lately lightened over Mandane's breast, now turn to the clouds of rage against him who appears the murtherer of her fon; Cyrus's folemn oath to Mithranes prevents his re vealing himself; strong grief sways the mother, anxiety for her perturbation agitates the fon, while Afpafia feels commendable, grateful concern for the unhappy situation of her deliverer.

Mandane, unable to express or bear her complicated miseries, hurries off with a speech expreffing

VOL. I.

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fome

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some touches of frenzy: Aspasia's open, unreserved declaration of apprehension for Cyrus's safety, shews much generosity of temper, even admitting what she herself, after he is gone, hints at, love for his person; this lady's foliloquy concludes the second act, with tolerable spirit, but we must be of opinion, that the scene throughout is much more interesting from its circumstances than expreffion; the former have too great a fimilitude to Merope, and the latter falls far beneath the impaffioned ideas of that tragedy;, though Mr. Hoole has happily avoided the strained, metaphorical verfification, which incumbers Aaron Hill's brilliancy of imagination.

At the beginning of the third act, Mithranes, dreading Mandane's resentment against Cyrus as Alcæus, informs her of the secret fo long kept from her; but at the fame time warns against an indulgence of those transports which might discocover it to her father; maternal joy for having found a fon fo long loft, and so lately to all appearrance killed, is confiderably damped by the fituation of Cambyfes; from fome breaks it appears, that Mithranes's prudent restriction is necessary to restrain Mandane; the heart violently agitated is ever prone inadvertently to disclose, what undisturbed caution would teach it to conceal; wherefore in fuch cafes a friend's assistance becomes essential.

Aftyages, true to his villainous principles, feems much pleased at, and grateful for, the death of him he supposes his grandfon; this affords Mithranes a good opportunity to confult the fafety of Cyrus,