In the year 1720 the Siege of Damaſcus was acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, with univerſal applauſe. His preſent majeſty honoured it with his preſence, and the late queen diſtinguiſhed it with marks of favour.
Mr. Hughes drew up the dedication of this Tragedy to the late Earl Cowper, about ten days before he died. It is indeed ſurpriſing, that he ſhould be able to form a piece ſo finely turned, and at ſuch an hour; when death was juſt before him, and he was too weak to tranſcribe it himſelf.
Mr. Pope, in a letter to Mr. Hughes’s brother, written ſoon after his death, in anſwer to one received from him, with the printed copy of the play, has the following pathetic paſſage.
It is generally allowed that the characters in this play are finely varied and diſtinguiſhed; that the ſentiments are juſt, and well adapted to the characters; that it abounds with beautiful deſcrip-