1755.

DISTRESS of VIRGINIA.

lerius asks how it came that the messenger had returned before him, to which Icilius anfwers, that he was advised to shun the nearest way, left fnares fhould intercept him; and then tells them that tumult raged among the legions in the Sabine land, upon their having found out that the brave Siccius Dentatus had not been killed by the enemy, as was at first reported, but bafely affaffinated by ruffians hired by the Decemvirs, on which Horatius fays,

Siccius,

Thy zeal for liberty, thy noble zeal
Has been the caufe of this.

And Valerius answers,

The curfe of tyrants,
The fum and effence of their misery
Lies here:-Worth is their neceffary foe;
And they the mortal foes of worth.

101

request of Icilius he agrees to their being married that very day. This, Camilla, coming in, feems to difapprove, but Icilius infifting, it was refolved that from the tribunal Virginia fhould be carried to the bridal bed; whereupon Numitorius enters, bids them prepare to meet the tyArant in the forum, and, all the rest retiring, The tells Virginius, that notwithstanding his having the people on his fide, there was cause to fear, as the foldiers of the capitol had been ordered down, therefore he advifes him to affemble all his friends, which he agrees to, and concludes the act as follows.

After fome further difcourfe between thefe three about the intended revolt, Horatius propofes to give the fignal for it C directly, but Valerius answers and concludes the act thus:

Not 'till the father of Virginia comes.
His prefence and his caufe will kindle rage;
And bid commotion, like an angry flood,
Wildly furmounting obftacles, o'erwhelm
This guilt of pow'r; that infamous tribunal
Where, in contempt of heav'n and human D

vengeance,

Oppreffion laughs; where sportful tyranny,
Mad with fuccefs, hatches lewd violation
Under the name of law. -We'll meet you

there;

Prone as occafion fhall direct, Icilius,
To guide or mingle in the ftorm--Farewell.

A&t. IV. Scene, the houfe of Numitorius, E opens with the following foliloquy by Icilius,

Two rival paffions in my bosom burn:

For Rome the first.-This early from my
childhood,

Shot deep its fparks into my nature-This
Reigns, as a queen; justly fupreme o'er

all.

The fecond is a fierce and gen'rous flame, F Which beauty kindled; which esteem increafes,

And hope now feeds with extasy.-She

comes.

It shall be done.

BWhy, Numitorius, why should I defpair?
Rome and its gods will fure protect my
child.-
[thought!-
Should this great expectation fail,-dire
Then rage shall rife in her defence. Dif-
traction,

Neceffity muft do the work.-This hand,-
Should all else fail, fhould gods and men
forfake me.-
(luft.-
This hand fhall fave her from the tyrant's

A& V. Scene the Forum, opens with Sicinius, Duellius, Pomponius, haranguing the people to vindicate the rights of Virginius and Icilius, on which there is a general fhout, We will. Then enginia, Camilla, &c. and the three first ter Virginius, Icilius, Numitorius, Vir

together with Camilla, likewife harangue
after which enters Appius,
the people;
Claudius, and Lictors, with armed men
at a distance, when Claudius renews his
claim, and produces Dora his flave, who
fwears the was mother of Virginia, and
that the fold her when juft born to Nu-
mitoria who was barren; but an objection
being made to the evidence of a flave,
Appius himself appears as a witness, and
declares that his client, the father of
Claudius had often told him, that his
flave Dora had fold her infant to a free-
man's wife, whereupon he decrees Vir-
ginia to belong to Claudius, and orders
him to feize her, but Virginius interpofes
and threatens Claudius. Upon this Ap-
pius orders the foldiers to advance, and
the mob as well as the friends of Virginius
being all unarmed defert him, but Icilius,
who ran only to fpirit the people up to return
armed, and Numitorius to call Valerius
and Horatius. However, Virginius think-
ing himself entirely deferted, and finding
it impoffible to come at Appius fo guarded,

Then enters Virginia, and in a dialogue between them he preffes her to consent to have that very day made their wedding day, which he at laft agrees to, pro- G or that the tears and intreaties of Camilla

vided her father approved; on which her father enters, who thews a violent refentment against Appius, and after declaring the love he had for her mother of whom he was a perfect image, at the

made any impreffion upon him, he begs leave to fpeak to Virginia apart, with only her friend Camilla, which being granted, he leads them to a corner of the

stago

102

DEATH of VIRGINIA.

ftage, and after a great ftruggle within
himfelf, he orders Camilla to retire a little
and infinuates to Virginia, that death was
now the only way to fave her honour, on
which the fays,

Can there be room for hefitation here?
Not for myfelf I feel. I feel for you;
For lov'd Icilius, and for lov'd Camilla.

And upon his delaying, fhe defires him
to make hafte, on which he ftabs her,
and after uttering what follows the dies:
From a father's hand
Welcome eternal freedom; welcome death,
Which faves me from dishonour.-Best of
fathers,-
[now--
Death preffes on me faft.-Farewel!-and-
Farewel!-Oh! my belov'd-(to speak
thy name
[Dies.

Is the laft office of my tongue)-Icilius.

Upon this Appius orders the Lictors to feize Virginius; but he with the dagger in his hand makes his way thro' them, prefently after which Appius hearing a general thout and feeing Icilius with the whole people at his heels advancing, concludes he was ruined, and refolves to put an end to his own life. The fcene then changes to the palace of Appius, where in a foliloquy, and in the utmost perturbation, he expreffes himself thus.

'Tis done.-I've fwallow'd death's aveng ing potion:

A

B

March

I am beyond your reach.

The fatal work is done ;-not meanly left To low Plebeians.-Furies!-Horror !hell!

I'm tortur'd!-rack'd !

After which he adds,

The fin of blood,
More heavy than the iron hand of death,

Sits on my foul.-Would but my being end
With this vain life;-then it were well ;-

but oh!

Have mercy, heav'n.

Soon after which he expires, and Icilius now threatning to kill himself, Virginius fays.

True fortitude, my son, confists in bearing
The lot of our adverfities, like men ;
Like creatures fubject to the will of heav'n.

Whereupon Valerius, Horatius and
Numitorius enter; and upon Valerius's
faying that they owed this mighty revo-
lution to Virginius, but how should they
comfort an unhappy father, he answers,
CYes, as a father, I muft ever mourn :-
But as a Roman, I rejoice, Valerius,
In this that it has pleas'd the gods to
make

And yet I cannot get her from my thoughts. D
Her mangled image rifes to my view,
Where'er I go.-Plainly my troubled fancy
Now fees the dreadful act repeated; fees
The weapon lifted in his hand.-Earth,
heav'n,

Are ftruck with horror.-Hold, Virginius;
Nature will ficken at the wound.-She
falls;
[me.- E
And now the vengeful dagger points at
Who, who would bear fuch agony ?-'Tis

well;

The poifon has begun to work at length.-
A mortal chillness feizes me all o'er.
Now life forfakes me faft.-On the bare
earth

[duft Fall proftrate, Appius.-With thy native Hafte, wretched man to mingle.-What is life?

The better part of Appius Claudius
Dy'd long ago: For, when my virtue dy'd,
I truely ceas'd to live. [Shouts.] Virginius!
Icilius too!-Why doft thou linger, poi-
fon?-

O for a dagger to dispatch me.-Burst
Earth to thy center; hide me from the face
Of injur'd men.-

And upon Virginius, Icilius, &c. coming in to take vengeance on him, he says,

F

My private lofs, my grief, and my revenge,
The caufe of publick benefit to Rome.-
I lov'd my daughter much: But ftill I love
My country more.

Soon after which he concludes the play thus:

Vile weapon, hence-Give me my spear
and fhield.
[Æqui,

Now the proud Sabines, the prefumptuous
Shall quickly feel, from our refiftless rage,
That bondage is no more ;-that Appius,
The foe to liberty, no longer breathes.-

Learn hence what dreadful woes on vice
attend:

Remorfe, foul fhame, and a difaftrous end.
Strong proofs of this abound in every age,
Be fuch the tragic leffons of the stage :-
And be the mufe's facred moral, this :-
The paths of virtue are the paths of bliss.-

A curious Method for replenishing a CANAL
or POND with feveral Sorts of FISH.

OWARDS the end of April or begin

Tning of May, take the root of one

the willow trees which grow upon the fide of fome river or piece of water, and which is full of fibres; shake the G earth well away from it, then tie it to a ftake, and fix it in a river or pond well provided with fuch forts of fish as you defire to have: The fish will gather about the root, cling to it, and depofit their fpawn or eggs, which will remain en

tangled

KING'S Meffage, and LORDS Addrefs.

tangled amongst the fibres. After a few
days, draw your ftake with the willow
root out of the river or pond, and carry
it to the canal or pond which you intend
to replenish with fish, into which you
are to plunge it about half a hand-breadth
below the furface of the water; and in
about 15 days you will perceive a great A
number of little fry round it.
But if you
intend to furnish more than one canal or
pond, you must take care not, to leave
it too long in the firft, left the heat of
the fun fhould animate the whole of the
fpawn; for as foon as the fry begin to be
alive, they will difengage themselves from

B

C

D

G

104 Description of PEMBROKESHIRE. March

the government of a mayor and fub-
officers, has an excellent market, week-
ly, on Saturday, and is diftant from Lon-
don 177 computed, and 214 measured
miles. It was a place of confiderable
ftrength formerly, was fortified with a
wall, which had three gates and several
towers, and with a strong caftle feated A
on a rock, which are all gone to decay.
It gives title of earl, to the noble family
of Herbert.

2. Tenby, a fea port town, of little trade, which has two markets weekly, on Wednesday and Saturday, and is diftant from London 172 computed, and 208 measured miles. It is of little note but for its plenty of fish.

3. Wifton, governed by a mayor and bailiffs, and ftrengthened with a castle, has a market weekly on Wednesday, and is diftant from London 173 computed, and 191 measured miles.

B

4. Narbarth, a pretty good town, fitu. ated upon a hill, and ftrengthened with a castle, has a confiderable market, weekly C on Wednesday, and is diftant from London 168 computed, and 200 measured miles.

5. Kilgarren, feated on a rock, and confifting of one long street, is governed by a portreeve and bailiffs, and has a good market weekly on Wednesday. It is diftant from London 160 computed, and 189 measured miles.

feats, which contribute to the agreeablenefs of its fituation. It is diftant 195 computed, and 254 measured miles from London.

The city of St. David's was formerly an archbishop's fee; but is now only a bishop's fee, and the prefent bishop is the Right Rev. Dr. Ellis. It is decayed, and but thinly inhabited, and without the conveniency of a market, arifing from its barren foil and unhealthful fituation. The cathedral, an ancient structure, whose roof is higher than any in England, is the only thing in it worth notice. It is 207 computed, and 268 measured miles from London.

This county is remarkably famous for its fine port of Milford-Haven, esteemed the best in the kingdom, being capacious enough to entertain all the navies of Europe, which might ride fecure, at a proper distance from each other, and ship from fhip. It has variety of fafe and deep creeks to the number of 16, thirteen roads and five bays all diftinguished by their feveral names,

That part of the county, lying beyond the Haven, and watered by two rivers, is inhabited by the defcendants of those Flemings, who were permitted to fettle there by Hen. I. when the fea had overflowed their native country. The Welch call it Little England beyond Wales, the D inhabitants moftly fpeaking the English tongue.

6. Newport, which tho' large, is an ill-built poor town, and but meanly inhabited. It is feated upon the river Novern, has a good harbour, and is principally fupported by the refort of paffengers to and from Ireland. It is governed by a portreeve and bailiff, has a good market weekly on Saturday, and is diftant E from London 166 computed, and 200 measured miles.

7. Fifgard, a fmall town famous for herrings, which are caught at the foot of the cliff upon which it ftands, and which

[The map of Pembrokeshire, from an unforeseen neglect, was published with laft month, in which we inferted the account of Radnorshire, the map of which laft county accompanies the prefent Magazine, and they may be easily restored to their proper places by the reader, or when the volume is bound.]

Occafioned by the King's MESSAGE and
Lords ADDRESS.

forms a tolerable good harbour. It has F

a fmall market weekly, on Friday, and is diftant from London 170 computed, and 199 measured miles.

F

8. Haverford-weft, a borough town and county of itfelf, is commodiously fituated on the fide of a hill, on a creek of Milford-Haven, over which it has a grand ftone bridge. It is ftrong, well-built, clean and populous, contains three parish churches, and the affizes are held, and goal kept there. It has a great trade G and many veffels are employed in it. The two weekly markets, held on Tuefday and Saturday, are very confiderable, both for cattle and provifions. The government is by a mayor, fheriff, commoncouncil, and juftices of the peace; it enjoys many privileges and immunities, and near it are a number of gentlemens

to roar,

ACTION be dumb, and party cease [more: Fell malice droop, and difcord rage no Britons, united, let your ftreamers fly, And shouts of freedom rend the vaulted fky: [fam'd day, Illuftrious GEORGE, whom Oudenard's Saw triumph o'er the friends of tyrant fway; [plain, Who late on Dettingen's diftinguish'd Vanquish'd, the faithlefs troublers of his reign ; [tain's call, Sends forth his thunders, urg'd by BriAnd bids them overwhelm the perjur'd Gaul. [name, Our rifing fons fhall hail the much-lov'd Who leaves them liberty, and wealth and [mote fhall grace, Friends to their rights, whom times reWho crush'd the foes of all the human race. JOUR

fame :