ALTHOUGH the undertaking is great and ar [...]u­ous. for a person in my situation of life [...] assi [...]t­ed, to dare attempt th [...] sole c [...]m [...]osi [...]ion of a Tragedy; yet I was incited to the [...]ask, by ruminating on a ra­pid, and alm [...]st unin [...]e [...]rupted series of success, in 1 [...]59. and the great and ever memorable year of 1 [...]58, &c. the glorious [...]ffect [...] of the amicable and happy u­ni [...]n, which subsi [...]ted between our gallant troops, and intrepid [...]ars; who▪ with a true spirit of martial brave­ry and emulation (never to be ou [...]done, or equalled a­g [...]in, but by themselves) ba [...]ed, bore down. and tri­umphed over all hostile opposition, in every quarter of the glob [...], both by land and s [...]a, which the united power and policy of France, Spain, and their civilized and barbarous friends and allies, could possi [...]ly exert.

At first▪ I thought to have made one entire Drama­tic Piece of it, through the whole course of the war, so gloriously successf [...]l to Great Britain, beyond all parallel; rendering her terrible to the nation [...] around, and so eff [...]tually humbling to France; to ally destroy­ing her trade▪ [...], and overcoming all her arma­ments, both by land and sea; that at length she could be scarcely said to make any effort▪ deserving the name of resistance. Had I proceeded according to the above design. I then intended to have named the piece, The Muchless Ae [...]a. But wh [...]n I came to reflect upon the transaction [...] in North America; the great and hazardous siege of Quebec, seemed to stand foremost, and claim my chief attention: For there, near 120 [...]0 veteran French, joined by Canadians, and many savage tribes, [Page iv] lay intrenched at the only spot attackable; command­ed by a bold, experienced, enterprising, (and hit [...]er­to) fortunate General, Monsieur de Montcalm, and many other gallant leaders, with all the advantages of art and nature on their side, to render their situation as formidable as possible, to the most intrepid foe: Yet about 8000 of Britannia's troops, assisted by her match­less [...]ars, lead and animated by Wolfe, Saunders, Monckton, Townshend, Holmes, Howe, Murray, Fraser, and many other leaders brave, laid siege to that strong and important fort [...]ess and capital; carried on their several attacks, with the loss of about 3000 kill­ed and wounded; and at last, on the famed height of Abraham, with about 5000 men, gained a complete victory, and chased in a total rout, to the garrison walls, French, Indians, and Canadians! The glorious con­sequence of which was, the su [...]render of the city and garrison of Q [...]ebec; and soon after all Canada sub­mitted to the victorious troops of Great-Britain. So great, and many, were the remarkable transactions of that si [...]ge, and so much worth, and bravery, was there di [...]played, I [...]hought there needed no additional aid of well wrought fiction, or fulsome adulation, to render it worthy o [...] a dramatic representa [...]ion. I therefore re­solved to send it [...]o [...]th into the world, dressed in the amiable ga [...]b of impartial v [...]rity, under the title of The Conquest of Canada▪ Or, The [...]iege of Queb [...]c; and d [...]sig [...]ed to adhere strictly to historical facts, as much as a dramatic performance would allow. Not being conversant with the stage, and consequently not well acquainted with the rules of the drama, as a dramatic writer, perhap [...] I may have greatly erred in the com­p [...]siti [...]n of the play, as to time, place, circumstances, and many other minute particulars, which the most ju­d [...]cious and nice critics in ancient literature, may think a work of this kind dese [...]ves. But I write an historical tra [...]edy; and as a historian, have endeavoured to dis­pla [...], in the different scenes, a representation of real [Page v] and genuine fact [...], great in themselves, as any in our times, and amply worthy of being registered in the annals of fame, as rival actions of those patriotic deeds, of the so much admired ancie [...]t Greeks and Romans! We read with pleasure and admiration the sie [...]e of Calais, Aquileia, Addison's Cato and the gallant de­fence of the Thermopylaean pass; where the regal pa­tri [...]t Leonidas, with his few chosen, and ever renown­ed Spartans, Thebans, and Thespians, nobly fell, in the defence of their country, its privi [...]eges and laws. Yet at these places, n [...]n [...] but Gauls, Greeks, and Ro­mans, were the worthy warriors, with whom we are so pleased. Whilst Greece and Rome boast their patrio­tic warriors slain in defence of their laws and liberties, and France trumpets forth the noble and praise­worthy resolutions of her Burghers at Calais, who on­ly offered themselves at the mercy of the British royal victor, to save their country men, friends, and relat [...]ons from ruin; yet providentially esc [...]ped the threatened fate, and lived very justly revered by their grateful country.

I SAY, whilst all these states seem emulously to vie with each other for the greatest honour in the records of patriotism, shall we be mute, nor give deserved ap­pl [...]use to these gallant country men of ours, who to save wives, children, lands and laws, fought, bled, and died in the glorious cause of freedom, and the service of their country, at Louisbourg, Quebec, &c. and shall we not enjoy a more exquisite pleasure, when we read the scenes which display the victorious intrepidity, warlike worth, or gl [...]rious deaths, not of Greeks, Gauls, and Romans, (as of [...] has happened, against rude, ba [...]barous, or [...]ffemin [...]ed troops▪ or at best if disciplin­ed, not trained and a [...]med like themselves, for offen­si [...]e and defensive war;) but of Englishmen, Caledo­nians▪ and Hibernians, who engaged against superior numbers, like themselves civilized; who had a con­stant supply from large magazines of all the destruc­tive [Page vi] implements of death; trained, armed, and equal­ly disciplined in the art [...] of war, and well skilled in e­very ma [...]oeuvre of the field; and were immured in strong fort [...]esses, or advantageously intrenched; yet these they w [...]uld often attack, and fir [...]d by pa [...]riotic ardor▪ (with an impetuosi [...]y not to be withstood) would [...]out from trench to [...]r [...]nch, chase from field t [...] field; and drive from garrison to garrison, the [...]e more nume­rous, well disciplined, and vete [...]n forces, till all re­treat was cut off, and submission became the only re­source they had left for safety: Whilst the nations around trembled at Britannia's name, and dreaded the u [...]ited thunder-storm of her ter [...]ene and naval war­riors.