Here, give me leave to obferve, had a direct defcription of Caliban been intended by the poet, he could not have conveyed a more lively idea of the monster. By the bye, the predominant paffion of Shakespeare's brute is luft: should any one here object, that, as this quotation only holds forth to us a general refemblance between the two diabolical characters, it is very likely, Shakespeare might, independently of imitation, have formed the image by the mere force of his creative faculties. To this I anfwer, that a resemblance, in circumftances of beauty or deformity, where the ideas are to be derived from fenfible obje&s, common to the fearch of every imagination, is feldom to be admitted as an imitation: but the cafe here is fingular; for the originality of the defcripsion plainly confifts, 1t. In departing from all actual exifting objects. 2d. In a combination of every idea of deformity, every feature of glinefs, and every notion of vice. Here then the defcription is fo un. common, that we can scarcely imagine the extraordinary hint which fuggefled to one poet the notion of painting in this grotesque manner, hould likewife beftow a fimilar visit on a fucceeding one; fo that two defcriptions, which exactly tally, should at the fame time be both originals. After all, what has been faid may not be to fome fatisfactory; to convince, if poffible, these bigotted admirers of the wonderful man, I will exhibit him defcending to minute and characteristic circum Hances, at the fame time difplaying his wonderful knowledge in adapt ing peculiar actions to peculiar perforages. Florimel, in the Faery Queen, in the course of her troubles, arrives at the houfe of a witch, into which the enters, and is, after fome difficulty, kindly received by the beldam (as the poet calls her). This wretched woman had a fon equally bad with her felf, a lazy ruffian; whom the poet, to mark his character in a more picturesque manner, fays, was used to flug before the funny rays (Even here there is fome faint trace of a Caliban). He coming home, found the unhappy beauty fitting befide his mother, and was ftruck at the fight of her charms, (Mr. Warton, in the Adventurer, obferves, how wonderful muft have been the beauty of Miranda, which could affect fuch an unfeeling brute as Shakefpeare's monfter) and immediately conceives impure defires (the fame circumflance in Caliban's ftory is notorious). But now come to the moft ftriking part of the imitation; to ingratiate himfelf with the lady, he goes to the utmoft extent of his rude abilities. Book III. Can. vii, Stan. 17. Oft from the foreft wildings he did bring, Whofe fides empurpled were with smiling red; [to fing And oft young birds, which he had taught His miftrefs' praifes, fweetly caroled; Girlonds of flow'rs, fometimes for her fair head [rel wild He fine would dight; fometimes the fquirHe brought to her in bands, as conquered To be her thrall we Change the actual gift into an offer, obferving the fame conduc with the perfons of the receivers, and we shall find Caliban venting his the fame aukward kindness, in characteristic manner; The reader will please to obferve, the story is related in the words of the poet. Should any one object, that the circumstances of Caliban's intended prefent, are wholly different from thofe of Spenfer's perfonage, he will only point out the exquifite judgment of Shakespeare, which could imitate, but not fuffer himself to be blinded by imitation: e. gr. had Caliban faid, he would bring her birds, which be had taught to fing, the impropriety would ftrike every body. In what then, perhaps fome one may ask, confifts Shakespeare's imitation? In the fimilar and rude demonftrations of their kindness; their fituations are in a measure parallel, their ignorance nearly the fame, their luft the fame. So far their cafe refembles. The witch's fon is in love, pays his court with prefents entirely correfpondent to his ignorance: Caliban offers to do the fame, with this difference, that his prefents are fill more favage, and that en two accounts; firft, the nature of the place required it, and fecondly, the more grofs and brutal ignorance of the giver. So that to produce here Shakespeare's art and judgment in adapting of characters, as a proof of his not having his eye upon Spencer, is in fact to fuppofe, he did not know how to imitate with propriety. By this time, I hope, the reader will perceive that an original defcription is one of the mott energetic efforts of the human mind. In purfuing it, he not only difcovers the extent of his imagination, but alfo his art and judgment. But I am afraid we are too ready to efteem complicated defcriptions, compofed of various images, and blended into one body, as the ftrokes of originality. Thus, I have often heard, Shakespeare's witches and fairies confidered as the creatures of the imagination; but how unjustly? when it is plain, that they are nothing elfe but human beings, furnifhed with preter-natural qualities; it required no great effort of the imagination, to defcribe beings, which in thofe days it is notorious made part of the popular creed: it is true, they speak in character; fo far they bear the mark of originality. But I queftion whether Shakespeare would not rather have founded his reputation upon his Lear, than his Midsummer's Night's Dream, notwithstanding it is an exquifite piece of poetry. I am yours, &c. B. YAMODIN and TAMIRA. IN of N the reign of Yamodin the Magnificent, the kingdom of Golconda was depopulated by a peftilence; and after every other attempt to propitiate the gods had failed, it was believed, according to A TALE. the fuperftition of the country, that they required the facrifice of a virgin of royal blood. It happened that at this time there was no virgin of the royal blood but Tamira, the daughter of Yamodin, B 2 Yamodin, whom he had betrothed to one of the princes of his court, intending that he should fucceed to the throne; for Yamodin had no fon, and he was not willing that his empire should defcend to a woman. Yamodin confidered himself not lefs the father of his people, than of Tamira; and therefore, with whatever reluctance, determined to relieve the life of the public, with that of the individual. He prof trated himself in the temple, and invoked his principal idol as the fountain of life: "From thee, faid he, I have derived my being, and the life which I have propagated is thine: when I am about to restore it, let me remember with gratitude, that I poffeffed it by thy bounty; and let thy mercy accept it as a ranfom for my people." Orders were given for the facrifice on the next day; and Tamira was permitted to difpofe of the interval as the pleafed. She received the intimation of her father's pleafure, without much furprise; becaufe, as the knew the cuftom of her country, fhe fcarce hoped that the demand of her life would have been delayed fo long: the fortified herself against the terrors of death, by anticipating the honours that would be paid to her memory; and had just triumphed over the defire of life, when, upon perceiving her lover enter her apartment, fhe loft her fortitude in a moment, and burst into tears. When they were alone, after his eyes had, like her's, over-flowed with filent forrow, he took her hand, and with a look of inexpreffible anxiety and tenderness, told her, that one expedient was yet left, by which her life might be preferved; that he had bribed a priest to his intereft, by whom the ceremonies of marriage might be immediately performed; then on the morrow, as fhe would be no longer a virgin, the propitiation of gods could not be effected by her death; and that her father, though for political purpofes he might appear to be dif pleafed, would yet fecretly rejoice at an event, which, without his concurrence, had delivered him from the dreadful obligation of facrificing an only child, through whom he hoped to tranfmit dominion to his pofterity. To this propofal Tamira, whofe attachment to life was now ftrengthened by love, and in whose bosom the regret of precluded pleasure had fucceeded to the hope of glory, at length confented; but fhe confented with all the timidity, reluctance, and confufion, which are produced by a confcioufnefs of guilt; and the prince himself introduced the man, who was to accomplish the purpose both of his ambition and his love, with apparent tremor and hefitation. On the morrow, when the priest food ready at the altar to receive the victim, and the king commanded his daughter to be brought forth, the prince produced her as his wife. Yamodin ftood fome moments in fufpence; and then dimiffing the affembly, retired to his palace. After having remained about two hours in private, he fent for the prince. "The gods, faid he, tho' they continue the peftilence, have yet in mercy refcued my people from the oppreffion of a tyrant, who appears to confider the life of millions as nothing in competition with the indulgence of his luft, his avarice, or his ambition." Yamodin ་་་ Yamodin then commanded him to be put to death, and the fentence was executed the fame hour. Tamira now repented in unutter able distress of a crime, by which the pleasures not only of poffeffion but hope were precluded; her attachment to life was broken, by the very means which she had taken to preferve it; and as an atonement for the forfeit of her virginity, the determined to fubmit to that law of marriage, from which as a princefs only he was exempted, and to throw herself on the pile, by which the body of her husband was to be confumed. To this her father confented their afhes were scattered to the winds, and their names were forbidden to be repeated. Hiftory of EUCRATES and FIDELIA. EUcrates, who had spent the first part of his life in attaining the knowledge of the fciences, and 'of every social virtue; at length, thro' the all attractive power of love, mar. ried the virtuous and beautiful Fidelia, a lady endowed with all the accomplishments nature and education could bestow, with a fortune of one hundred thousand talents of gold. Bleffed and happy in the nuptial tie long lived they, and by mutual contact each returning year added to their family that joy, that happinefs, which is the foul and delight of connubiality, a fair off-fpring; always almoft might you fee this happy pair, each seventh return of day arm in arm repairing to the temple, there jointly to offer up their prayers and thanksgivings to the omnipotent Maker of all things: joy, peace, ferenity, conjugal love, delight, and pleafure, fill'd their countenances. Their daily ftudy was how to maintain that first ardor and esteem they had entertained for each other. And if one might judge from appearance, it seemed rather encreased by time, than diminished. As for the vicinity, in which they dwelt, they were examples to them of virtue and goodness, and, as they deserved, were by all beloved. The twelfth revolving fun had now gained it's fummit, when the god of gold hung out his fplendid banner, to allure mankind, and lead them to perdition:-avarice and ambition, corruption and deceit, stalk'd thro' the metropolis of Albion unbridled. That man who fell not down and worshipped the image which the Nebuchadnezzar of that age had fet up, was laughed at, and ridiculed, as unfit for the company and fociety of men; he was looked on as an enemy to himself and family, who did not venture fome part of his ftore, to aggrandize himself and his pofterity. Eucrates, blinded by the glittering pomp of the golden fcheme, allured by the enchanting imagination of ennobling his three fons, and as many of his daughters, lodges his wealth with the Craftsmen: fo eager was he, fo captivated with the thoughts of lucre, that he hazarded his all;-not only his own fortune, which was confiderable, but alfo the fortune of his beloved Fidelia. Eucrates enjoyed the hope of fuccefs; for the fickle deity had this day day advanced his fortune threefold; then funk it to two! and next day raised it to fixfold, and at lengh to tenfold. Eucrates was among the number, who, when the god of gold had allured mankind with the gain of ten talents for the advancement of one, on a certain day, the deity changed countenance, and turned point-blank on her votaries. Nothing was now feen in Augufta but diftrefs, the ruin of familes, distraction, madness, and death by fuicide and defpondence. Among the latter fell the great Eucrates, whofe brave foul could not brook the reflection of the fin and folly he had been guilty of; folly to hazard his well-gotten wealth, and fin in not trufting to the ordinary methods of Providence for a fubfiftence for his encreafing family. He had viewed him felf one inftant at the pinnacle of wealth, the next hurled down the precipice with the greatest velocity, to almoft penury, and even to want. From the faithful Fidelia he concealed the misfortune, till the public calamity, and his own uneafinefs declared it. Be not uneafy, fays Fidelia to Eucrates, for the dilemma which is come upon us and our family; your health, your quiet, is to me beyond all the poffeffions of wealth: think how wretched muft I be, if thro' grief and defpondence you haften and bring on that period which to reflect on makes me now fhudder. The comfort and advice of Fidelia had no effect on Eucrates; his noble foul, fenfible of its error, and confcious how much he had wronged his stewardship in relation to his wife and family, could not fuftain the fhock. He took no pleasure by day, nor reft at night; he fhunned the company of Fidelia and his chil. dren, and in folitude cut short the thread of life. After this fatal cataftrophe, the earth had not made its fifth rotation, when Eucrates was found dead in his elbow chair. Fidelia had that morning, thro' the perfuafions of her parents and friends, accepted an invitation to the villa of her father at a small distance from town; fhe took with her, her two daughters, which were the only children fhe had then at home, and went thither in a coach (for Eucrates kept an equipage) about eight o'clock in the morning, intending to return in the evening. The bell had juft noted the twelfth hour, when Doce, Fidelia's maid, was in a chamber adjoining to the ftudy in which Eucrates was, and over heard him fay; Lord have mercy upon my poor family. This he repeated thrice; and fetch'd two or three deep fighs, like one dying. She went to the door, and knocked at it, but receiv'd no answer; fhe knock'd again, but it was all in vain. Frightened! fhe runs, and acquaints the nurfe with what she had heard; nurse flies to the door, and having entered the ftudy, faw Eucrates in his elbowchair faft afleep, as the thought. However, on her retreat, fhe fent Doce into the neighbourhood, to defire Philander, a wealthy citizen, to come and fee Eucrates immediately. Philander was then at dinner with Delia his spouse. Doce could not help telling Philander and Delia her fuggeftions. Philander and Delia both haftened to the affiftance of Eucrates, and on entering the ftudy, found him dead, tho' warm; a furgeon was immediately fent for, but to no purpofe; his foul had left the prifon of his body, and mounted the celeftial orb. Philander, though grieved for the 4 death. |