EJfay on Majfinger. 135 



It was hinted before, that the charafter of 

 Pifander, in the Bondman, is more interefting 

 than that of Sforza. His virtues, fo unfuitable 

 to the charafter of a flave, the boldnefs of his 

 defigns, and the fteadinefs of his courage, ex- 

 cite attention and anxiety in the moft powerful 

 manner. He is perfedlly confident, and, though 

 lightly fhaded with chivalry, is not deficient in 

 nature or paffion. Leofthenes is alfo the child 

 of nature, whom perhaps we trace in fome later 

 jealous characters. Cleora is finely drawn, but 

 to the prefent age, perhaps, appears rather too 

 mafculine : the exhibition of charaders which 

 Ihould wear an unalterable charm, in their fineft 

 and almoft infenfible touches, was peculiar to 

 the prophetic genijus of Shakefpeare*. Maflinger 

 has given a ftrong proof of his genius, by in- 

 troducing in a different play, a fimilar charafter, 

 in a like ficuation to that of Pifander, yet with 

 fufficient difcrimination of manners and inci- 

 dent : I mean Don John, in the Very Woman, 

 vho, like Pifander, gains his millrefs's heart, 

 inder the difguife of a flave. Don John is a 

 nodel of magnanimity, fuperior to Cato, becaufe 

 le is free from pedantry and oftentation. I be- 

 leve he may be regarded as an original charac- 



• If Maflinger formed the fingular charafter of Sir Giles 

 (ver-reach from his own imagination, what fliould we 

 tink of his fegacity, who have feen this poetical phantom 

 ralized in our days? Its apparent extravagance required 



tisfupport. K: 4 ter. 



