ook as if all hell were in my heart,
And I in hell. Nay surely 'tis so with me;
For every step I tread, methinks some fiend
Knocks at my breast, and bids it not be quiet.
I've heard how desperate wretches like myself
Have wandered out at this dead time of night
To meet the foe of mankind in his walk:
Sure I'm so curst, that though of Heaven forsaken,
No minister of darkness, cares to tempt me.
Hell, hell! why sleep'st thou?

The above is the most awful picture of a man plunged in despair, that
ever was drawn by a poet; we cannot read it without terror: and when
it is uttered as we have heard it, from the late justly celebrated
Booth, or those heart-affecting actors Garrick, and Barry, the flesh
creeps, and the blood is chilled with horror.

In this play Otway catches our hearts, by introducing the episode of
Belvidera. Private and public calamities alternately claim our
concern; sometimes we could wish to see a whole State sacrificed for
the weeping Belvidera, whose character and distress are so drawn as to
melt every heart; at other times we recover again, in behalf of a
whole people in danger. There is not a virtuous character in the play,
but that of Belvidera, and yet so amazing is the force of the author's
skill in blending private and public concerns, that the ruffian on the
wheel, is as much the object of pity, as if he had been brought to
that unhappy fate by some honourable action.

Though Mr. Otway possessed this astonishing talent of moving the
passions, and writing to the heart, yet he was held in great contempt
by some cotemporary poets, and was several times unsuccessful in his
dramatic pieces. The merits of an author are seldom justly estimated,
till the next age after his decease; while a man lives in the world,
he has passion, prejudice, private and public malevolence to combat;
his enemies are industrious to obscure his fame, by drawing into light
his private follies; and personal malice is up in arms against every
man of genius.

Otway was exposed to powerful enemies, who could not bear that he
should acquire fame, amongst whom Dryden is the foremost. The enmity
between Dryden and Otway could not proceed from jealousy, for what
were Otway's, when put in the ballance with the amazing powers of
Dryden? like a drop to the ocean: and yet we find Dryden declared
himself his open enemy; for which, the best reason that can be
assigned is, that Otway was a retainer to Shadwell, who wa