Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/242

232 In 1699 a tragedy called Rinaldo and Armida was acted at the Theatre in Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, dedicated to the Duke of Ormond. Scene the top of a mountain in the Canaries. The hint of the chief characters is owing to Taſſo’s Gieruſalemme, but the manners of them being by our author thought unequal in that great Italian, he has taken the liberty to change them, and form his characters more agreeable to the ſubject. The reaſons for doing it are expreſſed in the preface and prologue to the play.

Our author’s next tragedy was upon the ſubject of Iphigenia, daughter to Agamemnon King of Argos, acted at the Theatre in Lincoln’s-Inn 1704. Iphigenia was to have been ſacrificed by her father, who was deluded by the fraud of Calchas, who proclaimed throughout the Grecian fleet, that the offended gods demanded of Agamemnon the ſacrifice of his daughter to Lucina, and ’till that oblation was offered, the fleet would remain wind-bound. Accordingly, under presence of marrying her to Achilles, ſhe was betrayed from Argos, but her mother, Clytemneſtra, diſcovering the cheat, by a ſtratagem prevented its execution, and effected her reſcue without the knowledge of any one, but her huſband Agamemnon. A Grecian virgin being ſacrificed in her place, Iphigenia is afterwards wrecked on the Coaſt of Scythia, and made the Prieſteſs of Diana. In five years time her brother Oreſtes, and his friend Pylades, are wrecked on the ſame ſhore, but ſaved from ſlaughter by the Queen of Scythia, becauſe ſhe loved Oreſtes. Oreſtes, on the other hand, falls in love with the Prieſteſs of Diana; they attempt an eſcape, and to carry off the image of the Goddeſs, but are prevented. The Queen then dooms Oreſtes to the altar, but Pylades, from his great friendſhip, perſonates Oreſtes, and