Page:The Tragedies of Aeschylus - tr. Potter - 1812.pdf/194

Rh princess, her grief is plaintive, lively, and piercing; yet she goes to meet her death, which she clearly foretells, with a firmness worthy the daughter of Priam and the sister of Hector: Nothing can be more animated or more interesting than this scene. The conduct of the poet through this play is exquisitely judicious; every scene gives us some obscure hint, or ominous presage, enough to keep our attention always raised, and to prepare us for the event; even the studied caution of Clytemnestra is finely managed to produce that effect; whilst the secrecy, with which she conducts her design, keeps us in suspense, and prevents a discovery, till we hear the dying groans of her murdered husband.

It is to be lamented that a late amiable poet, in his tragedy on this subject, which too he wished to have esteemed as classical, should have deviated so far from his great original, particularly in the character of Clytemnestra: but as he wanted strength of genius to imitate the noble simplicity of Æschylus, his taste led him to take Seneca for his model; and he has succeeded accordingly.

The scene of this play is at Argos, before the palace of Agamemnon.