Conduct, notwithstanding it was so long before it was finished, employed the Author so little time in writing. "If I remember right, the Fifth Act was written in less than a week's time! For this was particular in this Writer, that when he had taken his resolution, or made his Plan for what he designed to write; he would walk about the room and dictate it into Language, with as much freedom and ease as any one could write it down: and attend to the Coherence and Grammar of what he dictated." (Dedication to The Drummer, ed. 1722; reprinted in Arber's English Garner, VI, 534–535.) That the political interpretations of Cato were forced appears from the following letter from Gay to Johnson, April 23, 1713: "Cato affords universal discourse, and is received with universal applause: My Lord Oxford, Lord Chancellor, and Speaker of the House of Commons, have bespoke the box on the stage for next Saturday. The character of Cato is a man of strict virtue, and a lover of his country. The audience several nights clapped some particular passages, which they thought reflected on the Tories. Some passages in the prologue were strained that way; viz. Here tears shall flow from a more generous cause; Such tears as Patriots shed for dying laws: never failed of raising a loud clap; but you see that the Ministry are so far from thinking it touches them, that the Treasurer and Chancellor will honour the play with their presence." (See Nichols, Literary Anecdotes, VI, 84.) The first four acts of Cato may be summarized as follows: Act I. In the first scene, Portius and Marcus lament the increasing power of Cæsar, and compare his "impious greatness" with Cato's helpless but splendidly virtuous position. Portius is the more composed: he encourages Marcus with bits of their father's philosophy. Marcus refuses to be comforted: Passion unpity'd, and successless love, Portius, concealing the fact that he also loves Lucia, advises Marcus to guard his heart on this weak side. He reminds Marcus that Juba, who is in love with their sister Marcia, loves war and honor more. Marcus, at first angry, presently begs his brother to Pardon a weak, distempered soul, that swells Sempronius, in the next scene, feigns cordiality, praising Cato's virtue, but lamenting that Cato's daughter is not propitious. Portius sternly checks him for speaking of love at such a time. Syphax reports that the Numidian soldiers are ready to revolt. Sempronius urges haste, and plots with Syphax to win over Juba, who seems inclined to join with Cato. Syphax advises Juba to abandon Cato. He is making some progress when Marcia enters. Juba greet Marcia ardently. She replies impersonally and with dignity. Juba begs that she will wish him well in battle. She replies: My prayers and wishes always shall attend Juba hastens to his troops. Alone with Lucia, Marcia admits her love for Juba, but resolves not to entertain thoughts of love while Cato's life is in danger. Lucia wishes that she had this firmness of purpose. It presently appears that Lucia, although she holds both the sons of Cato high in her esteem, loves Portius for his " complacency, and truth, and manly sweetness." Act II. Cato addresses the Senators, asking if they are still for war. Sempronius is passionately for war, Lucius weakly counsels peace. Cato dislikes the tone of both speeches: Decius, a herald from Cæsar's camp, urges Cato to make peace with Cæsar. Upon Cato's reply that he is unwilling to think of life upon such conditions, Decius bids Cato name his terms. Cato answers: Decius reminds Cato that he no longer has all Rome to second him Cato replies: Let him consider that, who drives us hither: 'Tis Cæsar's sword has made Rome's senate little, Beholds this man in a false, glaring light, Which conquest and success have thrown upon him; Didst thou but view him right, thou 'dst see him black With murder, treason, sacrilege, and crimes Should never buy me to be like that Cæsar. The Senators thank Cato for his speech. As the sitting closes with a unanimous voice for holding out against Cæsar, Juba enters to learn the decision. Juba commends the resolution of the Senators, but suggests that they leave Utica to arm Numidia in their cause. Cato rejects this plan, and holds forth upon Roman virtue. Juba tells Cato of his love for Marcia. Cato dismisses him without encouragement. Crestfallen at Cato's reproof, Juba meets Syphax, who rallies him upon his changed manner, and presently suggests carrying away Marcia by force. Juba calls Syphax a "false old traitor." Realizing that he has gone too far, Syphax abruptly changes his tone, pleading excessive concern for Juba's welfare. Juba regrets his hasty speech. Left brooding upon his insult, Syphax commits himself wholly to the cause of Cæsar. Sempronius now reports that the soldiers are about to storm the senate-house. Syphax promises assistance. Act III. Marcus begs Portius to plead his cause with Lucia. Portius tries in vain to excuse himself. Portius accordingly pleads his brother's Lucia hears him for his own sake, but pledges herself never to plight her faith while such a cloud of mischief hangs about. At length she closes the interview: cause. Farewell, and know thou wrong'st me if thou think'st Ever was love, or ever grief, like mine. Marcus hears his fate and is passionately reproaching both Lucia and Portius when shouts of alarm interrupt him. The brothers hurry to the scene of mutiny. Cato beats down the sedition by the sheer force of his words and his manner. Act IV. Lucia and Marcia are lamenting their fates when Sempronius enters disguised as Juba. As he is about to seize Marcia, Juba enters and kills him. Marcia, mistaking Sempronius in his Numidian dress for Juba, mourns her lover's death. Juba, who has overheard her, enters. Presently Marcia dismisses her lover thus: Go Meantime Marcus has been killed during the mutiny. Cato speaks with stern satisfaction of his son's service, and laments the decline of Roman virtue. LINES 23-24 This (1. 23): the sword; this (1. 24): Plato's Phado. 54-61 Look not thus sternly . . . And mock thy hopes: Lines 54-61 are in neither the first nor the second edition of Cato. They appear in the third edition (1713). 197 Impute: take into account. See Oxford Dictionary, s.v. impute, 4; cf. in Swift's "Prayer for Stella," 6 November, 1722, the petition, "Accept and impute all her good deeds." 203 See Spence's Anecdotes, ed. Singer, London, 1858, p. 114. THE TATLER "The first number of the Tatler appeared on Tuesday, April 12, 1709, and it was published three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the post days. The ordinary copies, consisting of one folio leaf, were sold at a penny, but after the twenty-fifth number copies were printed with a sheet left blank for correspondence; for these there was a charge of three half-pence." (Aitken's Steele, I, 243.) The Tatler ran through 271 numbers, of which 41 are supposed to have been written by Addison alone and 34 by Steele and Addison together. On the 2d of January, 1710-1711, Swift wrote to Stella: "Steele's last Tatler came out to-day. . . . He never told so much as Mr. Addison of it, who was surprised as much as I." In his Present State of Wit, 1711, Gay wrote: "Before I proceed further in the account of our Weekly Papers, it will be necessary to inform you that at the beginning of the winter, to the infinite surprise of all men, Mr. STEELE flang up his Tatler; and instead of Isaac BICKERSTAFF, Esquire, subscribed himself RICHARD STEELE to the last of those Papers, after a handsome compliment to the Town for their kind acceptance of his endeavours to divert them. "The chief reason he thought fit to give for his leaving off writing was, that having been so long looked on in all public places and companies as the Author of those papers, he found that his most intimate friends and acquaintance were in pain to speak or act before him. "The Town was very far from being satisfied with this reason, and most people judged the true cause to be, either "That he was quite spent, and wanted matter to continue his undertaking any longer; or "That he laid it down as a sort of submission to, and composition with, the Government, for some past offences; or lastly, "That he had a mind to vary his Shape, and appear again in some new light. However that were, his disappearance seemed to be bewailed as some general calamity. Every one wanted so agreeable an amusement, and the Coffee-houses began to be sensible that the Esquire's Lucubrations alone had brought them more customers, than all other News Papers put together. "It must indeed be confessed that never man threw up his pen, under stronger temptations to have employed it longer. His reputation was at a greater height, than I believe ever any living author's was before him. It is reasonable to suppose that his gains were proportionably considerable. Every one read him with pleasure and good-will; and the Tories, in respect to his other good qualities, had almost forgiven his unaccountable imprudence in declaring against them." (Arber's English Garner, VI, 507–508.) The best general account of the Tatler is perhaps that in Aitken's Steele, I, 239-258. PAGE 34 Motto: Horace, Sat., iii, 2, 19: “When he had lost all business of his own, He ran in quest of news through all the town." On the general type of person set forth in this number, compare the "Character of a Coffee-House Politician" in An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex. In which are inserted the Characters of A Pedant, A Squire, . . . etc., London, 1696, pp. 87 ff.: "He converses more with News Papers, Gazettes and Votes, than with his Shop Books, and his constant application to the Publick takes him off all Care for his Private Concern. He is always settling the Nation, yet cou'd never manage his own Family. ... they ought to have been wiser, than to have busied themselves so much, and so earnestly about Affairs, which all their care and Sollicitude could have no more Influence upon, than over the Weather. 'Twas pleasant to see what Shoals the report of the arrival of a Holland, or Flanders Mail brought to the Secretary's Office, the Post Office, and the Coffee-House; .... No sooner is it rumour'd that a Breach is made in the Castle Wall, or the White Flag hung out, but a Council of War is call'd in every Coffee-house in Town; the French and Dutch Prints, their Intelligencies are call'd for immediately, and examin'd, and not a shot is mention'd, but they start as if the Ball whizz'd just then by their Ears." 34 2 An Upholsterer: He has been identified with an Edward Arne, upholsterer, of Covent Garden, the father of Dr. Thomas Augustus Arne, the musician. A very similar character appears in Fielding's |