346 
DuEL—Whether convictions of murder 
hawe been folely on that ground? 1 
would be glad to give any further fatis- 
faction on this important queftion ; at 
prefent I have nothing material to add. 
I have indeed heard that a gentleman of 
the name ot TyRRELL was convicted in 
the reign of Queen ANNE of MURDER 5 
he having killed his antagonift in a duel, 
and that the queen pardoned him on the 
interceflion of the widow of the deceafed ; 
but I know not any particulars of this 
cafe. Foster, for the general principle, 
quotes only the cafe. of Major Ovxeby: 
which might, as I have obferved, have 
been fo determined by the jury, indepen- 
dently of the principle that killing ina 
duel ts murder; that cafe having {trong 
circumftances. Ido not mear to fay, that 
the general principle is not fettled: I con- 
ceive itis. But I do not recolleét an in- 
itance founded on homicide in a fet duel, of 
a verdict of murder turning evidently 
and folely on the application of that prin- 
ciple, which indeed is no other than that to 
reduce wilful homicide to manjflaughter, 
the conflict might have been uxpremedi- 
tated. lt iseafy to fee whence the excepiion 
in the practice of juries with regard to duels 
has originated, 
There was a2 trial in the Houfe of 
Lords* onthe deathof Mr. CHAWORTH, 
which is very fully reported, and termi- 
nated inan ACQUITTAL, as to the charge 
of MURDER, and CONVICTION of MAN- 
SLAUGHTER (Xft. Tr. 529. 5 G..3. 
Anno 1765.) But this, on the evidence, 
and in the contemplation of their lord- 
fhips, feems not to have been the cafe of 
a duel or challenge ; but rather of homi- 
cide on a fudden rencontre. I merely men- 
tion to fhew that it does not, as I appre- 
hend, affeét this queftion: fince had it 
been confidered as a fet duel, there would, 
I prefume, either have been no conviétion 
or a conviction of murther ; the want of 
delsheration being effential to manflaughter. 
Trofion, near Bury. Caper LoFFT. 
—— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
ENTIRELY accord in opinion with 
your ingenious correfpondent, J. A. 
(No. xii. p. 89), that Racine’s defcrip- 
tion of the fea-monfter’s approach from 
the deep (Phedre, af 5, fc. 6.) was, pro- 
bably, imitated from fome Italian poet. 
ft may, I think, be traced in the defcrip- 
tion of the confli€t between Orlande and 
the Orca, in the eleventh cante of the 

* Tn parliament. 
lr. Lofft’ s Letter....Poetical Coincidentes. 
[ June 
Furiofo. But I fhall place both paffeges 
before your readers, and leave it to them 
to decide. 
Sur le dos de la plaine liquide, 
S’éleve a gros boliillons une montagne humide. 
L’onde approche, fe brife, et vomit a nos yeux, - 
Parmi des flots d’écume un monftre furieux. 
Indomtable taureau, dragon impétueux, 
Sa croupe fe recourbe en replis tortueux, 
Ses longs mugiflemens font trembler le ri- 
vage. 
Le ciel avec horreur voit ce monftre fauvage, 
La terre s’en emeut, Fair en eft intefé, 
Le flot, qui Papporta, recule épouvante. 

Muggiar fente in quefto la marina, 
E rimbombar le felve, e le caverne; 
Gionfianii l’onde ; et ecco il moitro appare, 
Che fotto il petto ha quafi afcofo il mare. 
St. 34. 
Fremono l’onde. SE. BiGns. 
Come toro felvatico, ch’al corne 
Gittar fi fenta, &c St. 42. 
While we are on the fubje&t of poetieat 
imitations, or coincidences, I fhall tran- 
{cribe a paflage from the Acripanda (a 
neglected Italian tragedy, of which a 
fpecimen of exquilite beauty is given in 
Walker’s Hifforicaté Memoir on Italian 
Tragedy), that Shak{peare items to have 
had in his eye when he wrote Mer- 
cutio’s lively remarks on the -origin of 
dreams. (Romeo and Fuliet, a&é 1. fe. 5-) 
Clie puo trovarfi piu fugace o lieve, 
O failace, ch’l fogno! Udito ho dire 
Da i faggi tuoi, che quai gli humori fono 
Entro feverchi al noftro corpo, tale 
E il fogno ancor, che da lor nafce, e viene 5 
Nafcere ancora le piu fiate fuole 
Dal fumo, che ne! fonno il cibo manda 
A Vintelletto, e ie’l vapor, ch’ effala, 
Fofco, o torbido fia, torbidi, e fofchi 
Penfieri forma, e timor varij adduce; 
E quel penficro, che continuo, e fpeflo 
Agita Phuomo con la mente il die, 
Ritornar fuol fovente in fogno, e quind 
Segue la fiera il cacciator dormendo, 
Tl foldato nel fonno altrui ferifce, 
Gode fognando Pamador la diva. 
AG. 1. fe. 4. 
According to Mr. Walker, the Aert- 
panda was poblithed fo early as 1592, 
(p. t12) ; fo that it might have met the 
obfervations of Shak{peare, who was, I am 
inclined to believe, intimately acquainted 
with the Italian language. In fupport of 
this conjecture, I could adduce abundant 
authorities ; but I fhall, at prefent, only 
refer your readers to the * Hi?. Memoir on 
Italian Tragedy,” p. §6—62; and add, 
that feveral ef Hamlet’s fevere obferva- 
tions on the female fex, feem to have been 
borrowed 
