AS I am under a necessity of giving a preface to the following work, I shall, in the language of our immortal countryman, imitate the ROMANS in brevity, as brevity is the soul of wit; and not be so studious of the necessary ornaments of stile, as of relating FACTS, with the unbiass'd integrity of a faithful and impartial historian. This I have thought fit to premise, that the reader may not imagine he is running over a jumble of facts and fiction; since it is but too common, with modern authors of the poetical cast, to lard their prefaces with a set of ingenious flourishes, which carry a greater air of rhodomontade than truth.

The following tragedy was originally written in Italian, by the celebrated Signior FUNIDOSO DELL'ARUNDO, formerly a rope­maker in Civita Vecchia; from which place he prudently retir'd, to avoid the addresses of the lady INQUISITION, who had a strange hankering after his person, on account of his libertinism in reli­gion; for, though a Catholic in appearance, he was a Lutheran at heart. In the year 1751 he arrived in London, with that theatrical family of Italians, who gave the town such exquisite pleasure, in the performance of several incomparable burlettas, all, or most of which, are said (with what truth I will not venture to ascertain, as I am writing a narrative of FACTS) to be the production of our hempen genius.

In the following year, which the reader, without my chrono­logical assistance, will be able to discover to be the year 1752, Signior DELL'ARUNDO took shipping for Newcastle, with an inten­tion of residing in that part of the world, on account of the cheap­ness of the necessaries of life, and accordingly settled in a sea port about thirty miles to the southward of that place. He had not been many months in his new residence, till he married a widow, who was somewhat past the heyday of her blood; or, to speak less poetically, pretty well stricken in years; and before he had been a dozen moons in his alter'd state, to his great affliction, he lost his lady. I might here, according to the usual prolixity of histo­rians, take up my reader's time, by telling him of what distemper the Signiora departed this life; but, as I don't intend to clog my narrative with useless matters, I shall be totally silent on the occa­sion: nay, I am so great a lover of conciseness in history, that I shall not even so far intrude on my candid reader's leisure, as to inform him that the lady died of a fit of the cholic.

As our Italian phoenomenon was a great admirer of poetry, it is no wonder, after he had acquir'd a competent knowledge of the British language, that he receiv'd so sensible a pleasure from the perusal of the English poets. He was so captivated with the masterly style and expression of our dramatic authors (especially the more mo­dern [Page iv]ones) that he resolv'd to collect the principal beauties in our language, and throw them into a tragedy, form'd on the British plan, in his native tongue; which he at length so happily exe­cuted, that his performance will undoubtedly be an honour to lite­rature in general, and to the Italian language in particular.

In October 1756, our celebrated foreigner departed this life; and, according to the phrase of our diurnal scribblers, universally lamented by all his acquaintance; and as a perpetual monument of the friendship, which had long existed between us, left his value­able performance to my care, in the following words contain'd in the body of his last will and testament.

Item, I give and devise to my most dear friend, brother bard, and brother rope-maker, JOSEPH REED, late of STOCKTON aforesaid, now of KING DAVID'S FORT, near Sun-Tavern-Fields, London, all and singular my piece, production, performance, drama, or tragedy, called MADRIGAL and ^* TROLLETTA, with the prologue, epilogue, airs, odes, dirges, and all appurtenances thereunto belonging, or in any wise appertaining; to be translated, alter'd, imitated, and made fit for the English, or other stage, by him the said JOSEPH REED. I also will and require that the profits, arising from the publication, or theatrical exhibition of the said tragedy, be applied and issued to, and for the sole use, interest, behalf, ad-vantage, and emolument of him the said JOSEPH REED, his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns; only willing and requiring of him the said JOSEPH REED, after such translation, alteration, or imitation is compleated, that the original at the sole ex­pence of the said JOSEPH REED, may be sent to the Vatican library at Rome, to be there preserv'd as a perpetual monument of my dra­matic genius.

I have given this extract to prove my legal title to the Piece; for I must confess, not withstanding that clause in the bard's MAGNA CHARTA, call'd poetica licentia, I think it little less than down­right robbery, to raise any considerable sum from the translation, or alteration of the works of an exotic brother, unless such brother, or his descendents, be admitted to go snacks in the profits. I could wish that Mr. POPE had been of my opinion in this particular, but am sorry to tell the world he was not, which I think no small blemish in his character. It is universally known this great, tho' little man, pocketed some thousands by his translation of the works of MEONIDAS HOMER, Esq one of the fine old Grecians; yet I could never learn (though I have made very strict enquiry) that he had the gratitude or good manners, to send even a bill of ex­change, or bank note of a cool hundred, to any of Mr. HOMER'S lineal descendents. I am aware that some of Mr. POPE'S advo­cates will be ready to bellow out, Zounds! the fellow's mad! Where the devil could be find such descendents? — But pray, gentle­men, why did not your admir'd little friend advertise in all the pub­lic papers in Europe, and Asia, to effect such discovery? Instead of [Page v]this, I could never find he advertis'd at all. — Had he but even issued out a notice to that purpose in our Daily Advertiser only, I make no doubt but he would have had, within eight and forty hours of the publication, one or more claimants, who would have proved their lineal descent upon oath, which I think is as much satisfaction, as any reasonable person, who is not a downright in­fidel, would require. — But to return to my subject.

If it be plagiarism, without benefit of clergy, to borrow a few lines from a native author, it is certainly as criminal to steal whole plays from a foreigner. — When I reflect on the prevalency of this iniquitous practice, I am ready to fall down on my marrow­bones, to return my humble and hearty thanks to goddess NATURE, for so kindly disqualifying me for the perpetration of such offence, by giving me the knowledge of one language only — The filching of plays, under cover of translation, heaven knows, is a crime of no short standing — Nay, some of our countrymen have carried their villainy to a yet greater height, and stole plays with little or no alteration at all. Among these abandon'd plagiaries, I am told, was AARON HILL, Esq of turgid, altering, and translating memory. I have heard a report of his borrowing the tragedy of ZARA; and, as the story is in few hands, I shall, by way of se­cret, give it to my readers; at the same time most earnestly con­juring and requiring my said readers that it may go no further; for I would not be known to propagate any rumour, to the disad­vantage of an author, for whose memory I have so profound a veneration.

In the year one thousand seven hundred and — I have forgot what — Mr. THOMAS HUDSON, then an usher to a grammar-school at Durham, now a clergyman in Northumberland, translated Mons. VOLTAIRE'S Zaire. On sending such translation to London, for the perusal and examination of some connoissieur in drama, it unfortunately fell into the hands of a considerable dealer in hats: this beaverite having a more delicate taste in the outside, than in­side ornaments of a head, gave the piece to a friend for such exa­mination; by means of which friend poor Miss Zara fell into the hands of the aforesaid poetical ravisher, AARON, who

that is, in plain prose, pilfer'd the copy; and, the better to con­ceal the theft, gave out that the piece was absolutely unfit for the stage; but, notwithstanding such insinuation, in that, or the follow­ing season, Miss Zara was thrown upon the town, and receiv'd with universal applause. It is true the play, in the strictest sense, could not be HUDSON'S, as HILL had misplac'd a single scene, and made the considerable alteration of fifty lines or upwards, by which the property (according to modern authors' latitudinarian notions of meum and tuum) undoubtedly became his own—The above anec­dote I had from Mr. HUDSON; wherefore if brother AARON'S [Page vi]ghost know it to be a fib, I humbly desire the said ghost to take a trip into the north, and confront the sermonizer. I shall not pretend to ascertain the truth of this charge, but only offer, as my private opinion, on the side of the church, that the stiles of the English Zara and Merope, (both the same author's in French) are almost as different, as those of Jane Shore and Irene.

After this digression, I shall lay before the public my embar­rassments concerning this tragedy. Signior DELL'ARUNDO had un­fortunately forgot, that his most dear friend understood no human language but that of his mother tongue: however, that no pains might be wanting, on my side, to do as much honour as I could to the production of my deceased brother, I got one of the Opera-Translators to give me the piece in English; but alas! the version was so very sublime, that I could not possibly understand any three lines of it together. After this I employ'd my friend, PETER RONE, professor of languages, to give me a literal translation, which answer'd my purpose so well, that I was able to trace many of the beauties, our foreigner had borrow'd from the English play­wrights. Where the context would allow, I have given the many striking passages in the very dress of the respective authors, from whom they were undoubtedly borrow'd: where the text would not allow me such passages in the very words, I have by parody, or imitation, kept as near the sublime originals as I possibly could.

Signior DELL'ARUNDO, in a codicil to his will, hath also left me, subject to the aforesaid conditions, the farther legacy of three plays, viz. one Comedy and two Tragedies, called the Contrast, the Distress'd Princess, and the Distress'd Wife. The Comedy is thought to be a tolerable piece; but as to the Tragedies, I must own I think them greatly inferior to the following work. They have no triumphal entries, ROMAN ovations, sacrifices, dirges, processions, ghosts, drums, trumpets, thunder, lightning, battles, miraculous revo­lutions (so necessary, according to Mr. BAYES'S rule, to ELEVATE and SURPRIZE) or any of that sublime rant, which may be call'd the very soul of modern tragedy. In short, they have nothing but na­ture, propriety, and simplicity of fable and diction to recommend them. I have been advis'd to lard them plentifully with the above tragic artillery; but, so deprav'd is my taste, that I cannot listen to such innovation: I rather chuse to wait till nature and common sense come into play again on the British stage. In the mean time, if the town have a desire to see the theatrical exhibition of the said pieces; and the said town can or will raise me a patron, that hath influence sufficient to procure their representation, one, or more of the said pieces shall be at the service of the public in the ensuing season.

That nothing might be wanting to render the following pro­duction as entertaining as possible, I have prevailed on my learn­ed and ingenious friend, Dr. HUMBUG, to assist me in writing annotations to the piece.

[Page vii]I can hardly conclude this preface, without an intimation of the excellency of Mr. DAVIS in the character of BUCKRAMO. I hope his voice, figure and abilities for the stage will, in the ensuing season, intitle him to the regard of the Public on a PATENT THEATRE.