PREFACE.

AS I am under a neceſſity of giving a preface to the following work, I ſhall, in the language of our immortal countryman, imitate the ROMANS in brevity, as brevity is the ſoul of wit; and not be ſo ſtudious of the neceſſary ornaments of ſtile, as of relating FACTS, with the unbiaſs'd integrity of a faithful and impartial hiſtorian. This I have thought fit to premiſe, that the reader may not imagine he is running over a jumble of facts and fiction; ſince it is but too common, with modern authors of the poetical caſt, to lard their prefaces with a ſet of ingenious flouriſhes, which carry a greater air of rhodomontade than truth.

The following tragedy was originally written in Italian, by the celebrated Signior FUNIDOSO DELL'ARUNDO, formerly a rope⯑maker in Civita Vecchia; from which place he prudently retir'd, to avoid the addreſſes of the lady INQUISITION, who had a ſtrange hankering after his perſon, on account of his libertiniſm in reli⯑gion; for, though a Catholic in appearance, he was a Lutheran at heart. In the year 1751 he arrived in London, with that theatrical family of Italians, who gave the town ſuch exquiſite pleaſure, in the performance of ſeveral incomparable burlettas, all, or moſt of which, are ſaid (with what truth I will not venture to aſcertain, as I am writing a narrative of FACTS) to be the production of our hempen genius.

In the following year, which the reader, without my chrono⯑logical aſſiſtance, will be able to diſcover to be the year 1752, Signior DELL'ARUNDO took ſhipping for Newcaſtle, with an inten⯑tion of reſiding in that part of the world, on account of the cheap⯑neſs of the neceſſaries of life, and accordingly ſettled in a ſea port about thirty miles to the ſouthward of that place. He had not been many months in his new reſidence, till he married a widow, who was ſomewhat paſt the heyday of her blood; or, to ſpeak leſs poetically, pretty well ſtricken in years; and before he had been a dozen moons in his alter'd ſtate, to his great affliction, he loſt his lady. I might here, according to the uſual prolixity of hiſto⯑rians, take up my reader's time, by telling him of what diſtemper the Signiora departed this life; but, as I don't intend to clog my narrative with uſeleſs matters, I ſhall be totally ſilent on the occa⯑ſion: nay, I am ſo great a lover of conciſeneſs in hiſtory, that I ſhall not even ſo far intrude on my candid reader's leiſure, as to inform him that the lady died of a fit of the cholic.

As our Italian phoenomenon was a great admirer of poetry, it is no wonder, after he had acquir'd a competent knowledge of the Britiſh language, that he receiv'd ſo ſenſible a pleaſure from the peruſal of the Engliſh poets. He was ſo captivated with the maſterly ſtyle and expreſſion of our dramatic authors (eſpecially the more mo⯑dern [iv]ones) that he reſolv'd to collect the principal beauties in our language, and throw them into a tragedy, form'd on the Britiſh plan, in his native tongue; which he at length ſo happily exe⯑cuted, that his performance will undoubtedly be an honour to lite⯑rature in general, and to the Italian language in particular.

In October 1756, our celebrated foreigner departed this life; and, according to the phraſe of our diurnal ſcribblers, univerſally lamented by all his acquaintance; and as a perpetual monument of the friendſhip, which had long exiſted between us, left his value⯑able performance to my care, in the following words contain'd in the body of his laſt will and teſtament.

Item, I give and deviſe to my moſt dear friend, brother bard, and brother rope-maker, JOSEPH REED, late of STOCKTON aforeſaid, now of KING DAVID'S FORT, near Sun-Tavern-Fields, London, all and ſingular my piece, production, performance, drama, or tragedy, called MADRIGAL and ^* TROLLETTA, with the prologue, epilogue, airs, odes, dirges, and all appurtenances thereunto belonging, or in any wiſe appertaining; to be tranſlated, alter'd, imitated, and made fit for the Engliſh, or other ſtage, by him the ſaid JOSEPH REED. I alſo will and require that the profits, ariſing from the publication, or theatrical exhibition of the ſaid tragedy, be applied and iſſued to, and for the ſole uſe, intereſt, behalf, ad-vantage, and emolument of him the ſaid JOSEPH REED, his heirs, executors, adminiſtrators, and aſſigns; only willing and requiring of him the ſaid JOSEPH REED, after ſuch tranſlation, alteration, or imitation is compleated, that the original at the ſole ex⯑pence of the ſaid JOSEPH REED, may be ſent to the Vatican library at Rome, to be there preſerv'd as a perpetual monument of my dra⯑matic genius.

I have given this extract to prove my legal title to the Piece; for I muſt confeſs, not withſtanding that clauſe in the bard's MAGNA CHARTA, call'd poetica licentia, I think it little leſs than down⯑right robbery, to raiſe any conſiderable ſum from the tranſlation, or alteration of the works of an exotic brother, unleſs ſuch brother, or his deſcendents, be admitted to go ſnacks in the profits. I could wiſh that Mr. POPE had been of my opinion in this particular, but am ſorry to tell the world he was not, which I think no ſmall blemiſh in his character. It is univerſally known this great, tho' little man, pocketed ſome thouſands by his tranſlation of the works of MEONIDAS HOMER, Eſq one of the fine old Grecians; yet I could never learn (though I have made very ſtrict enquiry) that he had the gratitude or good manners, to ſend even a bill of ex⯑change, or bank note of a cool hundred, to any of Mr. HOMER'S lineal deſcendents. I am aware that ſome of Mr. POPE'S advo⯑cates will be ready to bellow out, Zounds! the fellow's mad! Where the devil could be find ſuch deſcendents? — But pray, gentle⯑men, why did not your admir'd little friend advertiſe in all the pub⯑lic papers in Europe, and Aſia, to effect ſuch diſcovery? Inſtead of [v]this, I could never find he advertis'd at all. — Had he but even iſſued out a notice to that purpoſe in our Daily Advertiſer only, I make no doubt but he would have had, within eight and forty hours of the publication, one or more claimants, who would have proved their lineal deſcent upon oath, which I think is as much ſatisfaction, as any reaſonable perſon, who is not a downright in⯑fidel, would require. — But to return to my ſubject.

If it be plagiariſm, without benefit of clergy, to borrow a few lines from a native author, it is certainly as criminal to ſteal whole plays from a foreigner. — When I reflect on the prevalency of this iniquitous practice, I am ready to fall down on my marrow⯑bones, to return my humble and hearty thanks to goddeſs NATURE, for ſo kindly diſqualifying me for the perpetration of ſuch offence, by giving me the knowledge of one language only — The filching of plays, under cover of tranſlation, heaven knows, is a crime of no ſhort ſtanding — Nay, ſome of our countrymen have carried their villainy to a yet greater height, and ſtole plays with little or no alteration at all. Among theſe abandon'd plagiaries, I am told, was AARON HILL, Eſq of turgid, altering, and tranſlating memory. I have heard a report of his borrowing the tragedy of ZARA; and, as the ſtory is in few hands, I ſhall, by way of ſe⯑cret, give it to my readers; at the ſame time moſt earneſtly con⯑juring and requiring my ſaid readers that it may go no further; for I would not be known to propagate any rumour, to the diſad⯑vantage of an author, for whoſe memory I have ſo profound a veneration.

In the year one thouſand ſeven hundred and — I have forgot what — Mr. THOMAS HUDSON, then an uſher to a grammar-ſchool at Durham, now a clergyman in Northumberland, tranſlated Monſ. VOLTAIRE'S Zaire. On ſending ſuch tranſlation to London, for the peruſal and examination of ſome connoiſſieur in drama, it unfortunately fell into the hands of a conſiderable dealer in hats: this beaverite having a more delicate taſte in the outſide, than in⯑ſide ornaments of a head, gave the piece to a friend for ſuch exa⯑mination; by means of which friend poor Miſs Zara fell into the hands of the aforeſaid poetical raviſher, AARON, who

that is, in plain proſe, pilfer'd the copy; and, the better to con⯑ceal the theft, gave out that the piece was abſolutely unfit for the ſtage; but, notwithſtanding ſuch inſinuation, in that, or the follow⯑ing ſeaſon, Miſs Zara was thrown upon the town, and receiv'd with univerſal applauſe. It is true the play, in the ſtricteſt ſenſe, could not be HUDSON'S, as HILL had miſplac'd a ſingle ſcene, and made the conſiderable alteration of fifty lines or upwards, by which the property (according to modern authors' latitudinarian notions of meum and tuum) undoubtedly became his own—The above anec⯑dote I had from Mr. HUDSON; wherefore if brother AARON'S [vi]ghoſt know it to be a fib, I humbly deſire the ſaid ghoſt to take a trip into the north, and confront the ſermonizer. I ſhall not pretend to aſcertain the truth of this charge, but only offer, as my private opinion, on the ſide of the church, that the ſtiles of the Engliſh Zara and Merope, (both the ſame author's in French) are almoſt as different, as thoſe of Jane Shore and Irene.

After this digreſſion, I ſhall lay before the public my embar⯑raſſments concerning this tragedy. Signior DELL'ARUNDO had un⯑fortunately forgot, that his moſt dear friend underſtood no human language but that of his mother tongue: however, that no pains might be wanting, on my ſide, to do as much honour as I could to the production of my deceaſed brother, I got one of the Opera-Tranſlators to give me the piece in Engliſh; but alas! the verſion was ſo very ſublime, that I could not poſſibly underſtand any three lines of it together. After this I employ'd my friend, PETER RONE, profeſſor of languages, to give me a literal tranſlation, which anſwer'd my purpoſe ſo well, that I was able to trace many of the beauties, our foreigner had borrow'd from the Engliſh play⯑wrights. Where the context would allow, I have given the many ſtriking paſſages in the very dreſs of the reſpective authors, from whom they were undoubtedly borrow'd: where the text would not allow me ſuch paſſages in the very words, I have by parody, or imitation, kept as near the ſublime originals as I poſſibly could.

Signior DELL'ARUNDO, in a codicil to his will, hath alſo left me, ſubject to the aforeſaid conditions, the farther legacy of three plays, viz. one Comedy and two Tragedies, called the Contraſt, the Diſtreſs'd Princeſs, and the Diſtreſs'd Wife. The Comedy is thought to be a tolerable piece; but as to the Tragedies, I muſt own I think them greatly inferior to the following work. They have no triumphal entries, ROMAN ovations, ſacrifices, dirges, proceſſions, ghoſts, drums, trumpets, thunder, lightning, battles, miraculous revo⯑lutions (ſo neceſſary, according to Mr. BAYES'S rule, to ELEVATE and SURPRIZE) or any of that ſublime rant, which may be call'd the very ſoul of modern tragedy. In ſhort, they have nothing but na⯑ture, propriety, and ſimplicity of fable and diction to recommend them. I have been advis'd to lard them plentifully with the above tragic artillery; but, ſo deprav'd is my taſte, that I cannot liſten to ſuch innovation: I rather chuſe to wait till nature and common ſenſe come into play again on the Britiſh ſtage. In the mean time, if the town have a deſire to ſee the theatrical exhibition of the ſaid pieces; and the ſaid town can or will raiſe me a patron, that hath influence ſufficient to procure their repreſentation, one, or more of the ſaid pieces ſhall be at the ſervice of the public in the enſuing ſeaſon.

That nothing might be wanting to render the following pro⯑duction as entertaining as poſſible, I have prevailed on my learn⯑ed and ingenious friend, Dr. HUMBUG, to aſſiſt me in writing annotations to the piece.

[vii]I can hardly conclude this preface, without an intimation of the excellency of Mr. DAVIS in the character of BUCKRAMO. I hope his voice, figure and abilities for the ſtage will, in the enſuing ſeaſon, intitle him to the regard of the Public on a PATENT THEATRE.