'34 mf(^ on MaJJinger. 



tween King John and Hubert, we fliall perceive 

 this remarkable difference; that Sforza, while he 

 propofes to his brother-in-law and' favourite, 

 the eventual murder of his wife, whom he idoli- 

 zes, is confident and determined; his mind is 

 filled with the horror of the deed, but borne to 

 the execution of it by the impulfe of an extrava- 

 gant and fantaftic delicacy: John, who is adua- 

 ted folely by the defire of removing his rival in 

 the crown, not only fears to communicate his pur- 

 pofe to Hubert, though he perceives him to be, 

 A fellow by the hand of nature mark'd. 

 Quoted, and fign'd to do a deed of Ihame ; 



But after he has founded him, and found him 

 ready to execute whatever he can propofe, he 

 only hints at the deed. Sforza enlarges on 

 the cruelty and atrocity of his defign ; John is 

 afraid to utter his, in the view of the fun : nay, 

 the fanguinary Richard hefitates in propofing 

 the murder of his nephews to Buckingham. In 

 this inftance then, as well as that of Charolois, 

 our poet may feem to deviate from nature, for 

 ambition is a ftronger paflion than love, yet 

 Sforza decides with more promptnefs and con- 

 fidence than either of Shakefpeare's charaders. 

 We muft confider, however,' that timidity and 

 irrefolution are charaderiftics of John, and that 

 Richard's hefitation appears to be affumed, only 

 in order to transfer the guilt and odium of the 

 aflion to Buckingham. 



It 



