In the fifth fcene, Socrates is found guilty, and is condemned. Sees his wife and children.-The hemlock is brought him-he drinks it and dies.

Such is Mr. Diderot's defign, which is here comprehended in one act, but in the execution could not be shorter than the common extent of dramatic pieces of five acts.

From this plan, that of the piece before us confiderably differs; feveral characters being here introduced as principal ones, which, according to the above defign, could only have appeared in a fubordinate rank; particularly, Sophronime and Aglae, to the latter of whom Socrates was left guardian, and is here reprefented to portion out of his own fortune, and give in marriage to the former: an incident, which is made the principal motive for the perfecution of Socrates; Anitus, the high-prieft of Ceres, being enamoured alfo of Aglae, and defiring her in marriage himlelf.

There is a pleafing fimplicity in the characters of Sophronime and Aglae, whofe mutual tenderness for each other, and respect for their patron and instructor, give a noble idea of their virtue and greatness of mind. Aglae, being informed by Xantippe, that her father had left her no fortune, changes her fentiments with respect to marrying Sophronime, whom, neverthelefs, fhe tenderly loves. The reader will perufe with pleafure the following fhort dialogue between them; with their appeal to Socrates, on the occafion.

AGLAE, SOPHRONIME.

Sophron. Beloved Aglac, I faw Anitus, the priest of Ceres, that bad man, that fworn enemy to Socrates, depart but · now from and the tears feem to ftand in your eyes.

you,

Aglae. He, is he the enemy of our benefactor Socrates? I am no longer aftonifhed at the averfion he infpired, even before he began to speak to me.

Sophron. Ah, is it to him that I must impute the tears that cloud your eyes?

Aglae. He can inspire nothing but abhorrence; no, Sophronime, 'tis you alone that can call forth: my tears.

*

• Sophron. I! O gods! I who would prevent them with my blood, I who adore you, and flatter myfelf that I am beloved by you, who live but for you, and would die for you. Muft I reproach myself with having given you one

• moment's

moment's unhappiness! You weep, and I am the caufe! • what have I done?-What crime have I committed?

Aglae. You are incapable of committing any. I weep because you merit my affection, because you have it, and because I must yet renounce you.

Sophron. What dreadful words are thefe !-No, I will not believe it; you love me; you cannot alter; you have promised to be mine; you do not with my death.

As

Aglae. I wifh you happy, Sophronime, yet cannot make you fo; I hoped it, but my fortune hath deceiv'd me. I cannot give myfelf to you, I vow to give myself to no one. I have declared this to Anitus, who wooes me, and is despised by me. I declare it to you, with a heart pene⚫trated by the most sensible grief and most tender affection.

Sophron. Since you love me, I muft live; but if you re"fufe me your hand, I must die: dearest Aglae, I conjure you by all this love, I conjure you by all your charms and virtues, explain to me this fatal mystery.'

SCENE VI. SOCRATES, SOPHRONIME, AGLAE.

Sophron. Oh! Socrates, my mafter, my father; behold me here the most unfortunate of men, between those two beings by whom I live. You have inftructed me in wifdom, Aglae hath taught me love; you have given your ⚫ confent to our nuptials; my fair Aglae, who seem'd to wifh it, refufes me, and plunges a poignard into my bofom in telling me fhe yet loves me. She hath broken our contract, without acquainting me with the cause of her caprice. Either prevent my misfortune, or teach me (if it is poffible) to fupport it.

Socrat. Aglae is miftrefs of her inclinations; her father made me her guardian, not her tyrant. I made it my felicity to unite you; if he hath altered her fentiments, I am furprized, and forry: you must hear her reafons, and if they are just conform to them.

Sophron. They cannot be just.

Aglae. They are, at least in my eyes, I befeech you • both to liften to me. When you accepted the fecret will of my Father, wife and generous Socrates, you told me he had left a fortune, on which I might well fabfift, From that time I conceived the defign of giving that fortune to your beloved difciple Sophronime, whofe only re

U 4

liance

liance is on you, and who hath no other riches than his ⚫ virtue. You approved my refolution. You may conceive how great my happiness was in being able to promote his whom I value as your fon. Full of this fatisfaction, and < transported with a pleafing joy, that my heart could not contain, I communicated it to your wife Xantippe, and immediately my tranfport left me." She regarded me as if I had been in a dream, fhew'd me my father's will, who, I find, died in poverty, left me nothing, but recommended me to the friendship that subsisted between you.

Awaked now from my dream, I felt nothing but the C grief of being unable to make Sophronime's fortune, and will not load him with the weight of my mifery.'

How far the introducing thefe characters, however, to diverfify the action, may be an improvement, (unless the main bufinefs of the piece had been more particularly illustrated, and the whole had received a higher finishing) we do not take upon us here to determine.

We fhall give our readers the third fcene of the last act, as a farther fpecimen of this performance.

SCENE III. SOCRATES, XANTIPPE, and the Dif ciples of Socrates.

Xantip. Well, my poor man, what have thefe judges concluded? Are you fined? Are you banished? Are you acquitted? Good God, what uneafinefs have I had on your account! Take care, I befeech you, that this may not happen another time.

My

Socrat. No, my wife, this will never happen a second time, take my word for it; difquiet not yourself. dear friends, my difciples, you are welcome.

Crito, the chief difciple. Believe us to be as much alarmed for you as your wife Xantippe: We have obtained the judges permiffion to vifit you. Oh Heavens! Do we fee Socrates loaded with chains? Permit us to kifs thofe irons you do honour to, thofe irons which are the reproach of < Athens. Is it poffible, that Anitus and his party could bring you into this fituation?

The piece, upon the whole, is but filmzily wrought; and there is, moreover, a cat of drollery given to the characters of Xantippe, and the judges of Socrates, which finks the work much beneath the dignity of Tragedy.

• Socrat.

Socrat. My dear friends, difregard thefe trifles, and let us continue the inquiry we made yesterday about the immortality of the foul. We faid, if I miftake not, that nothing was more probable than this notion, nothing more fatisfactory. In effect, matter changes, but never perishes : .. Why then should the foul perifh? Is it poffible, that after we have thro' the veil of this mortal body attained to a ⚫ knowledge of God, that we fhould ceafe to know him after this veil is thrown off? No, fince we have the faculty of thinking, we must always think. Thought is our Being itself, and that Being will appear before a juft . God, who rewards virtue, punishes vice, and pardons infirmities.

.

Xantip. 'Tis very true, but what would that ugly fellow ' with his cup, have with us?

The Goaler with a cup of Hemlock. Here, Socrates, is fomething that the fenate hath fent you.

Xantip. What! thou curfed poifoner of the republic, are you come here to kill my husband in my prefence? I'll disfigure your face for you, monfter!

Socrat. My good friend, I ask pardon for my wife's behaviour, fhe hath always fcolded her husband, fhe treats you as fhe doth me. I hope you will excufe her haftiness: give me the cup. (He takes the cup.

One of his Difciples. Would that we might be permitted to drink this poifon, divine Socrates! By what horrible injuftice are you torn from us? Ah, the guilty have condemned the juft, the fanatics have profcribed the philofopher! you are going to die!

Socrat. No, I am going to live. Behold the liquor of immortality. It is not this perishable body which you have loved, which hath inftructed you; it is my foul alone, which hath lived with you, and will love for evermore. (He is going to drink.

you

Goaler. I must first unbind your chains. It is the custom <fo to do.

Socrat. If 'tis the cuftom, unbind them.

(He rubs his leg when they are taken off. fmile?

* One of his Difciples. What! do you

t

• Sccrat. I fmiled to reflect how pleasure arifes from pain.
Thus will eternal happiness fpring from the miseries of
life.
(He drinks.

• Crito. Alas! what have you done?

Xantip. Why, 'tis for a number of ridiculous difcourfes, fuch as he has been now talking, that they have condemn'ed the poor man to death. On my confcience, my dear husband, you pierce my heart.-I'll ftrangle all the judges with my own hands. 'Tis true, I have often fcolded you, yet I always loved you.-Thefe are the polite fort of people who poifon you.-O my dear husband!

<

• Socrat. Compose yourself, my good Xantippe. Weep no more.--My friends, it ill becomes the difciples of Socrates to fhed tears.

Crito. Is it poffible to forbear fhedding them, after this dreadful fentence, after this legal manner of poifoning? • Socrat. Thus, will they often treat the worshippers of God, and the enemies of fuperftition.

• Crito. Alas! muit you be one of these victims ?

Socrat. It is good to fall the victim of the divinity. 'Tis true, I fhould have wish'd to have added to the confolation I have in feeing you, that of embracing Sophronime and Aglae; I am aftonifhed they are not here; they would • have made my laft moments much happier.

Crito. Alas! they know not, that you have completed the iniquity of your judges.-They are making interest with the people, and ftirring up the magiftrates who were on your fide. Aglae hath revealed the affair of Anitus, his fhame will foon be public. Aglae and Sophronime would perhaps have faved your life. Dearest Socrates, ⚫ why have you haftened your laft moments?'

We have only to add, that the prefent translation is as close as the genius of the two languages would admit; and the elegance of the original is tolerably preferved throughout, But, we could not help remarking a little flip, by which the tranflator has unwarily proclaimed himself one of thofe provincial operators in this way; of whom fuch numbers have been lately collected from the North and from the Weft, viz. p. 6. I fatter myself that Melitus and I will be able to perfecute this dangerous man.'Arrah! my dear! in your next edition, fay, may, or hall, be able, &c.

We