Cyrus: Cyrus, as Alcæus, which the king promises. tyrant-like, in his foliloquy, he determines to facrifice those who have contributed to his murderous purpofes; hence arise fresh fears for the prince, on whom death seems to have conceived innumerable and almost unavoidable attacks. Harpagus comes in seasonably to avert some impending ills from our hero, by shewing himfelf warm in his attachment to Astyages; Aspasia's supplication in favour of Alcæus works an alarm in her father's breast; introducing Cyrus' to Aftyages as a prisoner ferves no purpose that we can perceive, except giving rife to a speech beautifully sensible: when Aftyages makes a favourable remark on the prince's perfonal appearance, the statesman thus emphatically replies; : Appearance oft deceives; not always does Nature sometimes assumes a nameless grace, Harpagus's ungracious address to Cyrus, when he approaches the king, is alfo politically calculated to turn aside any fufpicion of a disguised character; but why Aftyages fhould call the fon of Mithranes a person of lowly birth, or why Aspasia, in her soliloquy at the end of the second act, should hint pride's placing her above the offspring of a man who, it appears, had formerly been in favour at court, and obtained the rural retirement he wished from royal patronage, is hard to fay: Mithranes, though a voluntary exile from grandeur and buft Gga 1 ling Cyrus. ling life, by no circumstance appears a mean character, therefore rufticity of birth should not be charged against Alcæus. Harpagus's disguise of his real fentiments after Aftyages goes off, even to Aspasia, shews cautious integrity; he hints prudently also his suspicion of love in the warmth of his daughter's solicitation, and warns her of a paffion attended by unseen danger. -Upon her departure, we find the loyal statefman paying cordial homage to his prince; quere, whether freeing Cyrus from his chains does not break in upon the cautious plan he has before pursued; for suppose the king was to fee or hear of fuch an indulgence shewn to a prisoner, even by the person who a few minutes before has rather behaved harshly to him, must it not wake slumbering sufpicion to a state of dangerous activity? Paying some tributary tears to the memory of his own fon, and Cyrus's generous sympathy are pleasing transitions; when Harpagus represents private griefs as below the notice of royalty, he draws as fine a declaration of noble humanity from the prince as ever fell from any pen. - Does royalty Exempt the breast from every social tye The prince's concern for his father's imprisonment, and his mother's grief, is well adverted to, and occafions 1 Cyrus. tions Harpagus to renew the charge of fecrecy first given by Mithranes; this creates a perplexity in the following scene with Mandane, where she owns him as her fon, and he shuns her tender approaches, which terminates the act in a critical and interesting manmer: however, we cannot help thinking Cyrus's behaviour to a tender mother, when it appears she has been informed of his identity; a punctuality too rigid for nature and probability, his mysterous reserve naturally throws her into a state of dubitation bordering on amazement. Act the fourth begins with Mandane alone-we have a strong objection to that passage in her foliloquy which stiles suspense, life's deadliest calm; in the first place we know not any calm that can be deadly, unless the sleep of death be stiled one; and what relation suspense has, either to deadly or calm, is not easy to perceive: suspense we apprehend to be an agitated state of thought poffeffing the mind, where reflection hangs in a medium between hope and fear; if the former is confirmed, joy takes place of fufpense-if the latter, despair may come, and that indeed deserves the epithet deadly; but in each instance every idea of a calm vanishes, for pleasure is as tumultuous as grief. That affectionate transport which a faithful couple, so long parted as Cambyfes and Mandane, might be supposed to feel, is interrupted by the former's fupposing his fon newly flain; however, he is informed otherwise, and mutual fatisfaction again displays pleasing beams. The following description of Cy rus Cyrus rus by his father, is as poetically expressed, as it is fancifully conceived: : As I cross'd the wood, Where yon tall poplars shade the dimpled pool, The turn which ensues from Cambyfes's hearing that Mithranes has informed Mandane of her fon's existence is truly fine, as thereby the plot gains an alarming intricacy; having heard Mithranes promise the affaffination of Cyrus to Aftyages; he very naturally supposes, that the old man, through ambitious views, wants to palm his own fon upon a wishing, and therefore a credulous mother; of this Mandane is the more readily convinced by reflecting upon the unintelligible behaviour of the young man in his late interview with her. The refolution of Cambyfes to take revenge on his own fon in the character of Alcæus, fets every tender fear of nature at work; when Cyrus approaches--by the bye-he appears too quickly-his mother's change of looks very justly alarms him, and in his turn he folicits for an exchange of maternal and filial tenderness, which occasions a powerful conflict of paffion in her breast; but viewing him both in the light of an impoftor and her fon's murderer, the ufes a kind of deceit, and for fake of Cyrus. of a more secret conference, the prince appoints her at that very part of the wood where Cambyfes has fixed on to make him a facrifice. Mandane's foliloquy is in a disjointed stile, well fuited to her situation; but how she should hint the grief of Alcæus's mother, on seeing him bathed in blood, we cannot reconcile, as the death of Barce, Mithrane's wife, he himself being well known at court, could scarce escape her knowledge. Afpafia's mention of Alcæus, like water upon flames, makes Mandane's fury blaze the higher; and carries her off teeming with the bitterness of revenge. What passes between Afpafia and Harpagus appears only calculated to give strong feeling a neceffary pause: however, it is not without several pleasing sentiments, agreeably expressed; the lady's dutiful condescension to her kind father's cordial advice, even though that advice counteracts impassioned inclination, furnishes the idea of a most amiable mind. Mandane, it appears, has fought out Mithranes, and for fome time dissembles her rage, to make it burst forth with trebled fury, which naturally throws the guiltless old man into astonishment; nothing can be more ftrikingly imagined than the princess's mistaken triumph, in supposing she shall have fon for fon; Mithranes's distracted confufion to think the prince should be in such danger, and by a father's hand, fills the humane breast with terror; this whole scene is wrought up in a most masterly manner, and every speech, pathetic, fupplicative re mon 3 |