Oh, ’tis a dreadful Interval of Time,
Fill’d up with Horror all, and big with Death.

I shall observe two Things on this fine Imitation: first, that the
Subjects of these two Conspiracies being so very different, (the
Fortunes of _Cæsar_ and the _Roman_ Empire being concern’d in the
First; and That of only a few Auxiliary Troops, in the other;)
Mr. _Addison_ could not with Propriety bring in that magnificent
Circumstance, which gives the terrible Grace to _Shakespeare_’s
Description.

The Genius and the mortal Instruments
Are then in Council.----

For Kingdoms, in the poetical Theology, besides their good, have
their evil _Genius_’s likewise: represented here with the most
daring Stretch of Fancy, as fitting in Council with the Conspirators,
whom he calls the _mortal Instruments_. But this Would have been
too great an Apparatus to the Rape, and Desertion, of _Syphax_, and
_Sempronius_. Secondly, The other Thing very observable is, that Mr.
_Addison_ was so warm’d and affected with the Fire of _Shakespeare_’s
Description; that, instead of copying his Author’s Sentiments, he
has, before he was aware, given us only the Image of his own
Impressions on the reading his great Original. For,

Oh, ’tis a dreadful Interval of Time,
Fill’d up with Horror all, and big with Death;

are but the Affections raised by such forcible Images as these;