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William Whitehead, the author of this tragedy, was the son of a tradesman at Cambridge.2 He was admitted a scholar of Clare Hall, in that university, and afterwards obtained a fellowship.3
During the years 1754, 1755, and 1756, he accompanied the young Lords Nuneham and Villers, sons of the Earls of Harcourt and Jersey, in their travels.4 Through the patronage of these noblemen, he was, on his return, appointed Register and Secretary of the Order of the Bath.5
On the death of Colley Cibber, Mr. Whitehead became Poet Laureate.—Besides his Odes, he was author of other poetical pieces, and several dramas.6 He died at the age of seventy, in the year 1785.7
"The Roman Father" is founded on a well known event in the early part of Roman History—a combat between the Horatii and the Curiatii.8
The great Corneille had produced a tragedy on this subject some years before the present tragedy was written:9 —the English author falls infinitely beneath the French, as a poet and dramatist; though, in the character of a Roman historian, he has been perhaps more simple and faithful in the relation of facts.
But that Whitehead should omit to introduce the lover on his scene is very surprising! In the "Horace" of Corneille, Curiatius is an important character; and, though his early death in the play precludes him from b 2[Page 4]so large a share in the action, as that given to his rival in arms; still, as far as courage, joined with sensibility and tenderness, is superior to that rugged bravery, which never feels beyond its own selfish glory,—so is Curiatius, the lover in the French tragedy, superior, both as a man and a hero, to Publius Horatius, the brother.10
Although "The Roman Father" is not an exact translation from "Horace," yet, as some of the most important scenes of the first, are evidently copied from the last named play, it may be amusing to the reader to know what Corneille, in his examination of his own tragedy, has said of those parts of it which Whitehead has particularly adopted in the following pages.
The French poet commences his examination by acquainting his reader, that the drama of "Horace" would have been considered as the best among all his works, if the two last acts had equalled the three preceding.11 The reader of the English play will assuredly find a deficiency of interest towards the end of the production; and therefore the English author is, in this failure, implicated with his original.
Corneille laments, that, with all his care to describe the virtues of the brother, Horatius, as ferocious, he yet had not the art to give sufficient preparation to the audience, for the fatal effects of this young man's patriotism in the last act.12 Such may be also found Whitehead's failing.
Corneille considers it as a blemish in his play, that this event in the last act should form a double ac-[Page 5]tion, by forcing young Horatius into a second peril, after having nobly escaped the first. He calls it, besides, a meaner peril—a private quarrel, after a combat for the public weal—the fighting with a woman, after having conquered a band of heroes.
This incident it was in vain for the English writer to reject, unless he had possessed the invention to have given five acts to his play without it; and thus to have postponed the battle of Publius with the Curiatii, as Corneille says it ought to have been delayed, till the catastrophe. But as that incident, which is now introduced at the conclusion of the piece, is purely historical, and proceeds exactly from the previous grand event, it surely should be included in the tragedy, though it is to be regretted that the greater occurrence precedes the less.13
The author of "Horace" shows little gallantry to the ladies, in this his examination of the work, notwithstanding he was a Frenchman. He says, that the actress, who performed Horatia, brought on him the unjust reproach of shedding blood in the sight of an audience; for that it was set down in her part to run from her brother, with the usual cowardice of her sex, the moment he drew his sword; by which means her supposed wound would have been received behind the scenes.
In another place, he congratulates himself for having made a female the bearer of the false intelligence given in respect to the defeat of Publius;14 saying,—it was proper, on that occasion, to make use of the common impatience, and common misapprehension of a woman.b 3