degree of zest to those personages who produced the longest yawn from us in our review of the former. For all this indulgence, we feel ourselves obliged to Mr. Dibdin; and we should be still farther indebted to him, if he would give us some production more his own, which would not revive (as this does) the spectre of past disgust, even in those instances in which we approve his alterations. When we compare this performance with the drudging translations of Kotzebue which have so often excited our contempt, we cannot help repeating our surprize that persons so little acquainted with the feelings of the English public should presume to inundate it with the Vandalisms of authorship; of poetry we say nothing. In the dress which these translations wear, they tempt us to imitate the lines of Pope: "Past wit and present, living sense and dead, Art. 24. Adelaide: A Tragedy in Five Acts, as performed with 1800. Had not the title-page informed us that this tragedy was received on its representation with universal applause, we should not have conjectured this circumstance from a perusal of it. Surely the public theatrical taste must have experienced a remarkable change, if it was delighted with a drama like that now before us: which in a great degree consists of long dialogues, during which the stage must have resembled a theatre for declamation rather than for action. Pit, boxes, and gallery, have required something more to amuse them; and play-wrights have not ventured to court applause merely by the production of a dramatic poem, but have studied to keep the stage alive, and to make the dialogue subservient to the progress of the action; not to create incidents merely as pegs on which to hang a long string of speeches and rejoinders. How has it happened, then, that Mr, Pye has succeeded? The performers must have gone through, their protracted lengths to admiration, if they won from the audience their universal applause;' for the second act contains a single dialogue between Prince Richard and Adelaide, which, without the smallest relief or interruption, extends through almost nine pages; and in the fourth act we find another, between the same characters, which. occupies above six pages more. In our opinion, the structure and conduct of this drama do not. intitle it to distinguished notice. For the most part, it may be said to be taken from Tragedy's Cominon-Place Book. Richard and Adelaide, the hero and heroine, sigh and rave, accuse and pardon each other with all the rapid change of feeling which is usual with dramatic lovers; and though the language is good, and the sentiments are unexceptionable, we must own that, considered as the production of Mr. Pye, who holds no mean station among the poets of the age, we have here been altogether much disappointed. One circumstance, however, we must applaud. The Laureat has not thought it necessary to introduce either the dagger or the bowl, to constitute his poem A Tragedy. King Henry indeed dies, but not not on the stage; nor is his death occasioned by violence, but by grief co-operating with disease and old age. Now in thus banishing murder and assassination from our theatrical spectacles, he has given an example which merits imitation. Let us not be so barbarous as to seek amusement from sanguinary scenes, nor henceforth regard blood as essential to the essence of tragedy. Ought not all serious and soulmoving dramas, which strongly excite our Pity and Terror, to be considered as tragedies, though Death itself stalks not over the stage? Art. 25. The Tournament, a Tragedy; imitated from the cele brated German Drama, entitled Agnes Bernauer, which was written by a Nobleman of high Rank, and founded on a fact that occurred in Bavaria about the year 1435. By Mariana Starke. Svo. 2S. R. Phillips. 1800. Tragedies founded on facts may transform facts into downright improbabilities; of which an instance is now before us. The Agnes of the Tournament could never be the Agnes of Nature. For the sake of the moral given in the last line, that innocence is the peculiar care of heaven,' her life is preserved against the truth of history but the poet had better have plunged her into the Danube, than have continued her existence to utter the following tame lamentation over the body of her father, murdered in her defence: Behold how still, how spiritless he lies!-- Yon sun shall kiss the earth which covers him, The observation is indeed very just: but it is more adapted to the mouth of an Epictetus than of an Agnes. While perusing this drama, we marked several passages for animadversion: but, where criticism can be so easily exercised, it is most manly and generous to forbear; we will therefore borrow a phrase from this lady, and in mercy crop Our thread of stricture short. We regret that we cannot express so favourable an opinion of Miss Starke's dramatic talents, as of her epistolary qualifications: see our account of her Letters from Italy, Rev. vol. xxxii. p. 225, and 387. Art. 26. The Egyptian Festival; an Opera, in Three Acts: as performed at Drury-Lane. Written by Andrew Franklin. 8vo. 25. Ridgway. 1800. A long and rather peevish preface to this drama inclined us to expect less merit in it than we found. The causes of the author's complaints are no others than those which all former writers for music have had to encounter. Metastasio had the same hardships to combat; yet they are not detailed in any of his prefaces. The musical composer in the present instance is not named: but there seems to have been some heart-burning between the poet and the musician; who on these occasions are often mutually jealous of each other. Instead of the union of poetry and music, they are generally at war in our theatres, when they should aid and assist each other. The The violation of the unities must be excused in an opera, particu larly a comic opera. The fable of this piece is divided into so many plots, that it would be difficult to say which was the principal. In musical dramas, however, there is no time for discussion, reasoning, or even for sentiment, except in the songs; the scenes must be short, and the changes frequent; and in this drama no one can complain of the want of stage business, and coups de théatre. There is indeed such a perpetual variety of character and incident, that the audience has no leisure for reflection on the unities or established laws of the drama by Aristotle and Horace: yet, though the incidents are rapid and wild, there is so much amusement of various kinds in this opera, that all but fastidious critics must have been interested and entertained. To enumerate the several means employed to produce the amusement, we might instance the three or four plots, for three or four pairs of lovers; the tyranny, treachery, and brutality of Mustapha ; the humanity and generosity of the English Governor; the distress and danger of the dethroned Ali; the duty and affection of his son, by whose courage and activity his life was saved, and his kingdom restored; then the embellishments of music, and vocal powers of Madame Mara and Mrs. Bland; the spirited action and pleasing manner of singing of Miss de Camp; the humourous dialogue and excellent acting of young Banister and Suett; together with the scenes, decorations, and dancing; all of which must have combined to please that part of the audience which was at all so disposed. Art. 27. Ignez de Castro; a Portuguese Tragedy, in Three Acts. Written by Don Domingo Quita. Translated by Benjamin Thomson, Eq. 12mo. IS. Vernor and Hood. 1800. The affecting story of Inez de Castro has taken classical rank in this country, from Mickle's delightful versification: but we shall not advise any reader of the translation of Camoens to resort, for farther pleasure, to the drama before us. After every allowance is made for the disguise of a meagre prose-version, we can extract no matter for commendation from the Portuguese tragedian. Art. 28. Petrarchal Sonnets, and Miscellaneous Poems. By Williath Dimond, the younger. Crown 8vo. pp. 165. 5. Boards. Cadell jun. and Davies. 1800. The author of these verses informs us that they were produced at the early age of sixteen, and that their composition served to relieve him from more severe studies. To write poetry at the age of sixteen is natural enough, but to publish it is not very prudent. The antients, before they drank wine at table, poured out a cup on the floor, as a libation to the gods. In like manner, it should be a religious duty with young writers to offer their first fruits to Vulcan. The gentle bard before us seems to have met with more of the indul gence of patronage, than of the wholesome discipline of criticism and we should be sorry to damp the agreeable feelings with which his list of subscribers must have inspired him. A farther perse verance in his studies will convince him of the necessity of writing a more correct, and a more English style; and will cure him of the habit habit of inventing words, which is so very conspicuous in his dedication and preface. Such words as to affectionate, (as a verb active,) ensoul'd, memorise, tireless, parturitions of genius, which occur to the eye in the course of a few pages, are certainly inadmissible in good writing. In the roth sonnet, also, we observed hearted pulse ;* and various phrases, equally unauthorized, are scattered through the volume. We give the following as a specimen of the sonnets: • To a MYRTLE. Lo! blooming Myrtle, on thy polish'd rind So born and nurtur'd of thy parent root We shall forbear to examine particularly the remaining contents of this publication. In the course of a very few years, the author willprobably think, as we do at present, that he has been mewhat premature in appearing at the bar of the public. Art. 29. A Poetic Survey round Birmingham; with a brief Desc tion of the different Curiosities and Manufactories of the Place Intended as a Guide to Strangers. By J. Bisset. Accompanied by a magnificent Directory, with the Ñames, Professions, &c.. superbly engraved on emblematic Plates. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Printed for the Author at Birmingham, Notwithstanding the relationship subsisting between the Belles Lettres, and the Beaux Arts, we are not to imagine that the region of elegant manufactures is the region of poetry; nor that the Muses take lodgings at "Vulcan's smithy." Mr. Bisset makes mention of an excursion of the Gods to Birmingham, but he does not tell us that these Ladies accompanied them; and if they did, we have no evidence of their being singularly partial to him. This Survey has indeed the merit of easy, familiar, and minutely descriptive versification, but the epithet poetic does not in general belong to it. The writer has endea. voured to exhibit, as from the top of St. Philip's Church, A Panorama of Birmingham in verse; or to string together, in artless thimes, the names of the different seats, manufactories, &c. in and round that town followed by A Ramble of the Gods through Birmingham,' who are made to wonder at smelting mills and steam engines, and at the dexterity of pin and button makers, &c. To the stranger who visits this astonishing place, Mr. Bisset's survey will be not only amusing but useful; and the elegant decora tions which accompany it considerably add to its value. yet we are of opinion that his verse would have better suited these embellishments, and that it would in itself have been more gratifying, had he been more solicitous of the critic's approbation; instead of treating it with contempt, when he sets out with proclaiming: Tho' critics may cavil for ever and ever, I dread not their frown, nor solicit their favour; and thus in this very act of rejecting critical aid, he manifests his want of it. We were therefore prepared to expect, if not for ever. and ever,' at least the frequent recurrence of lines too lame, trite, and vulgar for roetry; and which a Muse chastised in the school of elegant criticism would never have adopted. We do not mean, however, to impeach Mr.B.'s capacity so much as his negligence; for there are many lines in this poem which are creditable to his talents. The notes at the bottom of each page explain every allusion in the verse, and add greatly to the value of the Survey: but the circumstance which most distinguishes it from all similar guides is that it is accompanied by numerous well executed copper plates, forming what is called a Magnificent Directory. Here much taste is displayed; and we should hence infer that the artists of Birmingham could exe cute the shield of Achilles, though no poet may be found competent to a description of it. Mr. Bisset is the owner of a museum and repository for toys, jewellery, drawings, &c. near the Theatre, New-Street, Birminghain; and we have no doubt that his spirit and taste will meet with all the encouragement which they appear to deserve. Art. 30. An Ode on the Victory of the Nile, 1st August, 1798, gained by Admiral Lord Nelson over the French Fleet, commanded by Admiral Brucys, in the Bay of Aboukir. 4to. Cadell jun. and Davies. 1800. 28. This slight poetical celebration of the brilliant victory at Aboukir makes its appearance at the present juncture, on the occasion of Lord Nelson's return to his native land. We apprehend that the writer had Dryden's famous ode in his remembrance, when he composed these lines how far the recollection animated his powers may perhaps be seen from the following specimen: • On a foe in vain imploring, Britain's thunders here are hurl'd; In majestic terror pouring The resentment of the world. Pain with fangs of blood is 'nigh; Behold! |
