[ lO ] 



is not a property of any difagreeabic paffion, and declares him- 

 felf willing to put this to the teft in the moft fpir-ited picture of 

 revenge ever drawn — It is the fpeech of Anthony wailing over the 

 body of Cfefar : 



Woe to the hand that fhed this coftly blood ! 

 Over thy wounds nov/ do I prophefy, 

 Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips. 

 To beg the voice and utt'rance of my tongue ; 

 A curfe fhall light upon the limbs of men, 

 Domeftic fury and fierce civil ftrjfe 

 Shall cumber all the parts of Italy : 

 Blood and deftru£lion (hall be fo in ufe, 

 And dreadful objeiSs fo familiar, 

 That mothers (hall but fmile when they behold 

 Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war : 

 All pity choalc'd with cuUom of fell deeds ; 

 And Csefar's fpirit, raging for revenge, 

 With Ate by his fide, come hot from Hell, 

 Shall in thefe confines, with a monarch's voice. 

 Cry havoc, and let flip the dogs of war. 



I ESTEEM moft parts of this paffage truly fublime ; but this 

 being a matter of tafte and feeling, it may be difficult to deter- 

 mine the queftion. However, I cannot admit his general pofition. 

 The paffion of revenge (if we abftrad from the rules of our 

 meek and holy religion) feems capable on many occafions of 

 rifing into dignity. Among fome nations it is efteemed the moft 

 exalted virtue — Zanga calls his countrymen children of the fun, 

 with whom revenge is virtue. I am of opinion that wherever 

 the paffion is held neceffary for the vindication of honour, or 

 for the fupport of any other admired virtue, it might very fuc- 



cefsfully 



