act, comes back once more in the same morning
to the governor's hall to carry on the conspiracy with Syphax against
the governor, his country, and his family: which is so stupid that it is
below the wisdom of the O---s, the Macs, and the Teagues; even Eustace
Commins himself would never have gone to Justice-hall to have conspired
against the Government. If officers at Portsmouth should lay their heads
together in order to the carrying off J--- G---'s niece or daughter,
would they meet in J---G---'s hall to carry on that conspiracy? There
would be no necessity for their meeting there--at least, till they came
to the execution of their plot--because there would be other places
to meet in. There would be no probability that they should meet there,
because there would be places more private and more commodious. Now
there ought to be nothing in a tragical action but what is necessary or
probable.

"But treason is not the only thing that is carried on in this hall;
that, and love and philosophy take their turns in it, without any manner
of necessity or probability occasioned by the action, as duly and as
regularly, without interrupting one another, as if there were a triple
league between them, and a mutual agreement that each should give place
to and make way for the other in a due and orderly succession.

"We now come to the third act. Sempronius, in this act, comes into the
governor's hall with the leaders of the mutiny; but as soon as Cato is
gone, Sempronius, who but just before had acted like an unparalleled
knave, discovers himself, like an egregious fool, to be an accomplice in
the conspiracy.

"'SEMP. Know, villains, when such paltry slaves presume
To mix in treason, if the plot succeeds,
They're thrown neglected by; but, if it fails,
They're sure to die like dogs, as you shall do.
Here, take these factious monsters, drag them forth
To sudden death.'

"'Tis true, indeed, the second leader says there are none there but
friends; but is that possible at such a juncture? Can a parcel of rogues
attempt to assassinate the governor of a town of war, in his own house,
in midday, and, after they are discovered and defeated, can there
be none near them but friends? Is it not plain, from these words of
Sempronius--

"'Here, take these factious monsters, drag them forth
To sudden death--'

and from the entrance of the guards upon the word of command, that
those guards were within ear-sh