"Praise may be flattery, ignorance, or fear, DRAMATIC. Dramatic Romances; containing the Poison Tree, and the Torrid Zone. 8vo. pp. 127. Murray. 1809. THE author of these Dramatic Romances has met with a fate in some degree similar to that which was, during his life time, experienced by the neglected and much injured Tobin. He fell into the clutches of Mr. Sheridan, who said he was "much struck" with the Torrid Zone-a coup de soleil probably, for he vapoured a great deal about hints that he would throw out, and from that moment lost all recollection of it. This happened at the Lyceum! The preface adds the following circumstances: "By the kindness of a performer high in the public estimation, the second of these pieces, "The Torrid Zone," was recommended* to the ostensible managers of Drury-Lane theatre, in 1805, who accepted it with most extravagant expressions of commendation, and arranged the characters, as the author conceived, for immediate performance. "Encouraged by these gentlemen in his dramatic pursuits, neither their continued neglect, nor the subsequent rejection of a comedy undertaken at their suggestion, could subdue his perseverance. "The Poison Tree" was presented in July, 1808; but no opinion of its pretensions had been obtained, though repeatedly solicited: when the calamitous circumstance of the fire occurring, at once put an end to suspense and expectation." P. iii. iv. His address, p. vii. concludes thus: "These particulars are in themselves of little importance to the public, yet the conclusion to be drawn may be highly useful, as affording an additional and specific proof of the nature and spirit of that merciless monopoly, which, by the long continuance of a system of favouritism on the one hand, and discouragement on the other, has at length succeeded in deterring almost every man of liberal feeling and classical attainment from a pursuit so hopeless and humiliating, as that of writing for the modern stage." This is a lamentable truth! and who take the place of men "of liberal feeling and classical attainment ?" Read the motto to our British Stage. The latter piece having excited most attention, we shall notice it first. It is a drama in two acts, founded on Swift's whimsical paper of the Parish Lions, and "To preserve a congruity of manners, the author judged it expedient to place the scene in Africa-Leonum arida nutrixamongst an unknown people, with whom such an ordeal might really not appear as a caricature of outrageous absurdity." P. 85. We think he might have quoted Pliny, lib. viii. cap. xvi. on' this occasion, Vulgare Græciæ dictum, semper aliquid novi Africam afferre. The plot is remarkably simple. Albino, an Englishman, is in the first scene discovered in a part of the terra incognita of Africa, named Bornou, where he is kindly received and treated by Ben Alli, a native of No Man's Land. In this act Ben Alli's three nieces are introduced to Albino. Zelma makes Zaida follows with love to him, and puts a chain on his neck. more gaiety, singing: "Since love but short duration knows, Fan the transient fires; For beauty, like the summer rose, Blushes and expires." P. 98. She does the same, and puts a ring on his finger. Zelinda now appears, whose modesty captivates him, and he gives her a bracelet, "the pledge of affection," not knowing that by the custom of Bornou, he had irrevocably pledged himself to Zel. ma, by receiving her present, and, on her giving him up, to Zaida for the same reason. In the second act this is made known to him, and he is in despair; but then comes the ordeal of the lions to his assistance-an obsolete law is suddenly revived, which directs that every female about to marry shall be exposed to lions to ascertain her virginity-it being believed that the lion will not touch a virgin. Zelma and Zaida appear. at first very bold on the occasion, but in the end decline it on account of the possibility that the lions might be deceived! The union of Zelinda and Albino then terminates this little drama, which, with its farcical incident, is by no means a perfect farce for the stage. It does credit to the author, but we could have wished that the subject had fallen into the hands of 3 A-VOL. VII. George Colman, as with an under-plot, and more bustle, character, wit, and humour, it would have been a rare treat to the, lovers of laughter. The Poison Trec is in five acts. The plot is very interesting and well wrought, but it is not sufficiently full and intricate for stage representation, according to the expectation and corrupted taste of the times. The piece has its title from the Upas: "Fierce in dread silence o'er the blasted heath, Darwin. The scene lies in Java, and the time is the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Albuquerque had begun his conquests in the East. The plot is a short love-story. Monzaida, a powerful chief, had the King of Java's promise that he should marry his daughter Palmira, when Don Alvaranza, a Portuguese officer is wrecked on the coast, does service to the king in war, and wins the love of Palmira. The king breaks his former promise. Monzaida claims an audience, and in his passion catches hold of the king's robe. The consequence is that he is condemned to strike three arrows against the trunk of the deadly Upas tree-an undertaking signifying death. On his way, he seeks the hermit of the desart, and tells him his errand, when the old man exclaims: "Alas! my son, perilous is the enterprize! on this spot have I dwelt threescore years-numerous criminals condemned to a simi-' lar expiation have sought my aid-yet of all those whom I have absolved and sent away, two only have returned. "Monz. Their testimony, father, shall be my counsel and my guide. "Her. Mark well my words-still are you distant two leagues from the Poison Tree, yet its effects, even thus remote, are evident: here you but behold some faint resemblances of life; a few miserable shrubs thinly scattered; the dwarf appearance of a stunted tree, whose branches next the Upas are shrunk and blasted; but as you proceed, all vegetation ceases; not a green leaf, not a blade of grass is to be found; universal barrenness prevails; the path is winding amongst some gently rising hills-but it is chiefly to be traced by the scattered bones of those who have perished in the journey. "Monz. O horrible relation! "Her. As you approach the tree, these sad memorials increase; gaining at length a moderate eminence, the Upas first appears ri sing on a little elevation, and embosomed in surrounding hills; its height is that of the palm tree, and beneath its branches numerous suckers encircle their parent. "Monz. Pray you proceed. "Her. An inconsiderable stream flows by; sparkling and tempting are its waters to the sight, but he who tastes them on the instant dies; the descent of the hill is the crisis of your fate; in that pestiterous region no bird can fly, no insect flutter, no reptile crawl, no animal breathe silence, vast and profound as death, reigns there uninterrupted; in the moment of extremity apply this odour to thy temples, and inhale it with thy breath-[he gives a small phial]-should the wind blow strongly from thee the noxious exhalation of the tree, thou mayst, perhaps, thou mayst escape; avert thy face as thoù strikest the arrows, and fly with what strength is left thee: take now my benediction-[Monzaida kneels]-May heaven in the hour of peril watch o'er thy safety; farewell, my son: in an eastern direction lies the path, farewell. "Monz. I thank thee, father, I thank thee-farewell—'tis a farewell for ever." The Hermit goes into his kut. P. 45-7. [Exit. This is a favourable taste of the quality of our dramatist, Monzaida, however, succeeds and lives, rebels, and runs away with Palmira. Alvaranza, in the battle which ensues, meets Monzaida, and at his request agrees that they, hand to hand, shall decide the fate of the day. Monzuida is disarmed-Palmira rushes in, and overcome by the perseverance and nobleness of Monzaida, declares that she now gives him the preference. They are united, and Alvaranza, who had another love in Portugal, is left to keep his vows to her. Camillo, a vain coxcomb, is a sort of humorous character, introduced to enliven the scene, and his idea of India is, or rather was not, very uncommon in this country: "I was told that in India, through beautiful gardens, Rounds of beef and peck loaves you might find in your walk; That clothes to your shape would not cost you three farthings, As they grew of themselves upon every stalk; Whilst pigs ready roasted with knives in their throat, Crying eat me, come eat me,' ran squeaking about.” P. 26. The language is pure, and the sentiments just, and believing the author to be young, we entertain great hopes that he will do better things. The Rebellion; or, All in the Wrong-a serio-comichurly-burly, in Scenes, as it was performed for two Months at the New Theatre Royal, Covent-Garden, by his Majesty's Servants the Players, and his liege Subjects the Public. To which is added, a Poetical Divertisement, concluding with a Panoramic View of the New Theatre, in Prose. 8vo. 4s. 6d. Vernor, Hood, and Co. 1809. As this work took its origin from our mode of keeping a Journal of the War, it naturally follows that we should be prejudiced in its favour. When we say, however, with the preface, that there is no history of these events more full and fair," we are fearless of contradiction. Of this war and another that has unfortunately happened in our times, notwithstanding our perpetual prayer, "Give peace in our time, O Lord," we are heartily sick and weary, therefore the reader shall be troubled with no repetition of those disgraceful scenes. From the Preface, however, and from the view of the theatre we shall make two or three extracts, which will perhaps be not unacceptable. The preface gives us the following concise history of the state of newspapers at this period: "The five papers, that have distinguished themselves by their violence on opposite sides, are by name-The British Press, Morning Post, Statesman, Morning Chronicle, and Times. The first two have been with the managers so as to magnify all that was good in their cause, and to put a favourable colour on every thing that was bad, or, in other words, to defend whatever was indefensible, Opposed in other politics, they were in these agreed. Of the conductors of the Morning Post, whose sole independence is of grammar, we know nothing more, than that they have shaped their theatrical as they do their political course, per fas aut nefas; and of the intelligent editor of the British Press, we have simply to say, that his over-zealous good-nature has, in this affair, quite outstripped his usual judgment and discrimination. The three last have taken the other side of the question. The Statesman, more deeply dipped and desperate in the cause than all its contemporaries in the same story, raised itself from obscurity to a very considerable sale by its almost exclusive devotion to the subject. Its columns, however, were stuffed with such matter as could only hope to live out the reading of the day. The Morning Chronicle, more rational in its excess |