The Law of Lombardy: 'The historian's page, the fertile epic store''

By Robert Jephson

Robert Jephson was born in Ireland in 1736, the son of Archdeacon John Jephson.

His education was at Ryder's grammar school and then the Reverend Roger Ford's school before he was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin in 1751. He left without a degree.

Jephson now joined the British Army with a commission in the 73rd Regiment of Foot. Among his postings was one to the Caribbean. He left, for health reasons and retired with the rank of Captain.

An appointment was offered as master of the horse to the lord-lieutenant of Ireland. Whilst in this office he wrote and had published, in the Mercury newspaper, a collection of articles that defended the lord-lieutenant’s administration. These were later published in book form as ‘The Bachelor’, or ‘Speculations of Jeoffry Wagstaffe’.

Jepson held the office under twelve successive viceroys and gained a pension of £300, which was later doubled.

He entered the Irish House of Commons in 1773 and sat for St Johnstown (County Longford) until 1776. Between 1777 and 1783, he served as Member of Parliament for Old Leighlin and thereafter represented Granard from 1783 to 1790

In 1775 he added playwright, dramatist and poet to his military and political career strands. His plays gathered much interest. Among them his tragedy ‘Braganza’ was successfully performed at Drury Lane in 1775, ‘Conspiracy’ in 1796, ‘The Law of Lombardy’ in 1779, and ‘The Count of Narbonne’ (adapted from Horace Walpole’s ‘The Castle of Otranto’) at Covent Garden in 1781.

In 1788 he published ‘Extempore Ludicrous Miltonic Verses’ and, in 1794, the heroic poem ‘Roman Portraits’, and ‘The Confessions of Jacques Baptiste Couteau’, a satire on the excesses of the French Revolution.

Robert Jephson died at Blackrock, near Dublin, on the 31st of May 1803.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stage Door
• Release date: Jun 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781787806351

Book preview

The Law of Lombardy by Robert Jephson

A TRAGEDY: AS IT IS PERFORMED AT THE THEATRE-ROYAL IN DRURY-LANE

Robert Jephson was born in Ireland in 1736, the son of Archdeacon John Jephson.

His education was at Ryder's grammar school and then the Reverend Roger Ford's school before he was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin in 1751. He left without a degree.

Jephson now joined the British Army with a commission in the 73rd Regiment of Foot.  Among his postings was one to the Caribbean. He left, for health reasons and retired with the rank of Captain.

An appointment was offered as master of the horse to the lord-lieutenant of Ireland.  Whilst in this office he wrote and had published, in the Mercury newspaper, a collection of articles that defended the lord-lieutenant’s administration.  These were later published in book form as ‘The Bachelor’, or ‘Speculations of Jeoffry Wagstaffe’.

Jepson held the office under twelve successive viceroys and gained a pension of £300, which was later doubled.

He entered the Irish House of Commons in 1773 and sat for St Johnstown (County Longford) until 1776. Between 1777 and 1783, he served as Member of Parliament for Old Leighlin and thereafter represented Granard from 1783 to 1790

In 1775 he added playwright, dramatist and poet to his military and political career strands.  His plays gathered much interest. Among them his tragedy ‘Braganza’ was successfully performed at Drury Lane in 1775, ‘Conspiracy’ in 1796, ‘The Law of Lombardy’ in 1779, and ‘The Count of Narbonne’ (adapted from Horace Walpole’s ‘The Castle of Otranto’) at Covent Garden in 1781.

In 1788 he published ‘Extempore Ludicrous Miltonic Verses’ and, in 1794, the heroic poem ‘Roman Portraits’, and ‘The Confessions of Jacques Baptiste Couteau’, a satire on the excesses of the French Revolution.

Robert Jephson died at Blackrock, near Dublin, on the 31st of May 1803.

Index of Contents

DEDICATION

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

PROLOGUE to the LAW of LOMBARDY

THE LAW OF LOMBARDY. A TRAGEDY

ACT I

Scene I. A Chamber in the Palace

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV

Scene V

Scene VI

ACT II

Scene I. A Chamber

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV. A Garden

Scene V

Scene VI

Scene VII

ACT III

Scene I. A Hall

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV

Scene V

Scene VI

Scene VII

Scene VIII

ACT IV

Scene I. A Forest

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV

Scene V

Scene VI

ACT V

Scene I. A Hall

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV. A Prison

Scene V

Scene VI

Scene VII

Scene VIII

Scene IX

Scene X

Scene XI

Scene XII. And last

EPILOGUE to the LAW of LOMBARDY

DEDICATION

TO THE KING

SIR,

Your Majesty's having graciously permitted me to prefix your royal name to this tragedy, has impress'd me with so deep a sense of the honor, that I despair of finding terms sufficient to express my acknowledgments.

Tho' the public, which is seldom disposed to receive favourably, performances destitute of merit, has been pleased to give this a very indulgent reception, I must still regret its imperfections, when I consider that it may for a moment become the object of your Majesty's attention. Having omitted nothing in my power to render it not entirely unworthy of such an exalted patronage, I can't forbear to flatter myself, that it may raise in the breast of your Majesty those emotions which well imagined distress never fails to excite in the noblest natures: but at the same time I more anxiously wish, that no other uneasiness but from such fictitious sorrow may ever approach you; and that the greatest and most amiable sovereign in Europe, may be also for ever distinguished as the most prosperous and happy.

I am, SIR,

Your Majesty's most dutiful subject, and most obliged humble servant,

ROBERT JEPHSON.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

PALADORE,  Mr. SMITH.

KING,   Mr. BENSLEY.

RINALDO,  Mr. PACKER.

ASCANIO,  Mr. HURST.

LUCIO,   Mr. FARREN.

SENATOR,  Mr. CHAMBERS.

SHEPHERD,  Mr. WRIGHT.

FORESTERS,  Mr. WRIGHTENM Mr. FAWCET.

SQUIRE TO PALADORE,  Mr. PHILEMORE.

SQUIRE TO BIRENO, Mr. HENDERSON.

PRINCESS,  Miss YOUNGE.

ALINDA,  Mrs. ROBINSON.

PROLOGUE to the LAW of LOMBARDY

Written by the AUTHOR.

Spoken by Mr. FARREN.

Hard is the task, in modern days to choose,

Congenial subjects for the tragic muse:

The historian's page, the fertile epic store,

Were known, and ransack'd centuries before:

Like luscious gardens, unenclos'd they lay,

To ev'ry saunt'ring bard an easy prey.

They enter'd, and, as taste impell'd, they fed

On Homer some, and some on Hollingshead.

From loftiest numbers, or from humblest prose,

As each conspir'd, the artless structures rose.

Thus one great labour of their work was o'er,

They found a fable, and they fought no more.

Careless were they of action, place, or time,

Whose only toil was dialogue and rhyme.

"Rules which the rigid Stagyrite devis'd,

"Our fathers knew not,