Laura Dibalso ; or, the Patriot Martyrs. By Richard Hengist
Horne. (Newman.)—Mr. Horne tells us in his preface that his tragedies are "systematically constructed for stage representation," though without any hope that they will be represented on the stage. This loyalty to a principle is worthy of all praise, a praise which should be all the more expressly given because the purely literary qualities of the work can scarcely fail to be somewhat injuriously affected. There are plays for the stage and plays for the closet. Even the Shakespeare whom we read is not the same as the Shake- speare whom we see. As to Laura Dibcazo, we cannot say that the subject seems happily chosen. We quite believe that there is nothing in the tragedy that is not amply justified by the true record of the cruelties of the Neapolitan monarchy. But are such things a fit subject for art F Tragedy, of course, must often represent horrors. But this tragedy does not give us, we should say, anything really dramatic. The struggle in Laura's mind, which approaches most nearly to it, is not an adequate subject. There is no unfolding' of the decrees of destiny, or tragic punishment of crime, for the hurried catastrophe (all contained in the stage directions), when" the populace, &c., leap down from the walls," " Sporglia and San Volpe are stabbed by many hands," and "a flash of lightning strikes the King's palace, as the curtain descends," is a feeble ending. But there are some fine passages in the play, one of which we quote :— "Man are deceived in dealing with a King, Thinking he is a mortal like themselves ; Which is not so, because his influence Of old associations and the force
Of present interest generant round a throne, Unnerves the hand, the arm, the planted foot, And makes the eye's soul-sworn intensity (Which had been fatal to the bast of men) Miscalculate to the unswerving will."
Previous page
