The testimony of Rochester indeed is of no great value, for he was governed by no principles of honour, and as his ruling passion was malice, he was ready on all occasions to indulge it, at the expence of truth and sincerity.  We cannot ascertain whether our author wrote any of his plays in Bedlam, tho’ it is not improbable he might have attempted something that way in his intervals.

Mad people have often been observed to do very ingenious things.  I have seen a ship of straw, finely fabricated by a mad ship-builder; and the most lovely attitudes have been represented by a mad statuary in his cell.

Lee, for aught we know, might have some noble flights of fancy, even in Bedlam; and it is reported of him, that while he was writing one of his scenes by moon-light, a cloud intervening, he cried out in ecstasy, “Jove snuff the Moon;” but as this is only related upon common report, we desire no more credit may be given to it, than its own nature demands.  We do not pretend notwithstanding our high opinion of Lee, to defend all his rants and extravagancies; some of them are ridiculous, some bombast, and others unintelligible; but this observation by no means holds true in general; for tho’ some passages are too extravagant, yet others are nobly sublime, we had almost said, unequalled by any other poet.

As there are not many particulars preserved of Lee’s life, we think ourselves warranted to enlarge a little upon his works; and therefore we beg leave to introduce to our reader’s acquaintance a tragedy which perhaps he has not for some time heard of, written by this great man, viz.  Lucius Junius Brutus, the Father of his country.

We mention this tragedy because it is certainly the finest of Lee’s, and perhaps one of the most moving plays in our language.  Junius Brutus engages in the just defence of the injured rights of his country, against Tarquin the Proud; he succeeds in driving him out of Rome.  His son Titus falls in love, and interchanges vows with the tyrant’s daughter; his father commands him not to touch her, nor to correspond with her; he faithfully promises; but his resolutions are baffled by the insinuating and irresistible charms of Teraminta; he is won by her beauties; he joins in the attempt to restore Tarquin; the enterprize miscarries, and his own father sits in judgment upon him, and condemns him to suffer.

The interview between the father and son is inexpressibly moving, and is only exceeded by that between the son and his Teraminta.  Titus is a young hero, struggling between love and duty.  Teraminta an amiable Roman lady, fond of her husband, and dutiful to her father.