tense at her own house, and somewhat prematurely. Madame Danville, who, though whimsical and unstable to the last degree, is not yet sufficiently enamoured of the young peer to have forgotten her husband's generosity and devotion, rejects him with disdain, and forbids him the house. They are interrupted by the approach of the spouse; and Hortense, in alarm, has recourse to the established expedient of the closet. Danville discovers the Duke; and, in his passion, challenges him to single combat, in which the former is disarmed. Upon this coming to his wife's knowledge, an explanation and reconciliation takes place; Hortense, to show her sincerity, begs to be taken back to Havre, and poor Danville, in ecstacy, exhorts his old friend, Bonnard, to follow his example, and seek happiness in an union with another Hortense. As we have said, however, the impression left upon the mind, is wholly against the probable security of Danville's felicity, and every reader will acknowledge the wisdom of Bonnard's reply, which, to receive more force, closes the play. "Bien obligé. De tes réflexions j'ai la tête remplie ; ? Tu fus heureux, d'accord; sur mille on en trouve un. The following extract, from the first act of this play, where Danville introduces Bonnard to his wife, will, perhaps, exhibit in as favourable a light as we could place it, the vis comica of M. Delavigne : SCENE 4th.-Danville, Bonnard, Hortense. Danville. Tu vois, ma chère Hortense, B. Moi! H. Votre fraternité Fit proverbe autrefois dans l'université. B. Il est sûr qu'avec lui je vivais comme un frère. H. Vous préfériez Hector. H. Vous souvient-il de certaine imprudence, D. Il sermonait toujours. B. Lui, c'était un démon! H. D'un prix de vers latins.... B. H. D'une thèse, Qui vous fit un honneur ! B. C'est en soixante-treize ; Oui vraiment: quoi! Madame, on vous en à parlé ; Elle a beaucoup d'esprit. D. N'est ce pas ? H. Je m'arrête ; Vos triomphes passés vous tourneraient la tête. Mais voyez nous souvent; en causant tous les trois, Pour Madame Bonnard, je veux aller moi-même- D. Il est garçon et garçon par système. B. Me voilà converti. * * (Bonnard sort.) HORTENSE (riant aux éclats.) Dieu! qu'il est amusant! mais c'est un vrai trésor. Il dîne le matin, à l'antique il s'habille, Et j'ai cru voir marcher un portrait de famille." We come now to the most recent work by our author, which has reached us, Marino Faliero. Byron has, somewhere, in speaking of Bowles, canonized the truism, that it is the highest praise of a writer's genius, if his last work be pronounced his best. M. Delavigne deserves all this credit, and vastly more ; not only is this, his latest production, his ablest, but he has attained this end, by being the first to take the first step in what may be strictly termed a new "march of intellect," by violating the fundamental canons of French taste, by defying the "Bravos du faubourg Saint Germain," and by sacrificing, no doubt, many of his own prejudices. A bold and judicious abandonment of those leading principles which have been the cynosure of the French dramatists almost since the days of the mysteries and moralities, and a happy adoption of some of the peculiarities of the foreign theatre, have enabled M. Delavigne to win a victory not only for himself and his play, but for the cause of true taste and right reason, over the prejudices of badauds, and not less wonderful, over the bigotry of academicians-a victory which cannot, we think, fail to exert a happy influence on the drama, and, generally, on the literature of his country. We perhaps shall scarcely be believed, that, in Marino Faliero, the unity of place is avowedly abandoned, and the unity of action, according to the French practice hitherto, equally disregarded-that a sculptor, a bandit and a gondolier are introduced upon the stage, not as supernumeraries, nor to swell the suite of the hero, but as, for the time being, the prominent personages-that a duel is actually fought, and one of the principal characters killed on the stage; and yet is this a French tragedy-a tragedy as superior in our estimation to the " Paria" and the "Vepres Siciliennes," as they are to the most meagre of the performances of Jodelle or Mairet. This striking, and to some it may appear, sudden change, is the result of many causes which have been at work since, and even before, Voltaire fulminated his edicts against the English drama. The increase of pacific intercourse between the two nations, and the consequent substitution of a spirit of mutual respect and emulation, instead of the former feelings of bitter hostility-the greater acquaintance with the models of English Belles lettres, facilitated by the translations and imitations of Ducis and others-the rapid growth of the neighbouring literature, which, imbued as it is with the spirit of ancient and modern learning, has freed itself from all their shackles—and, above all, their own conviction that, with the former so idisant axioms of taste, the character of their language could scarcely be maintained, and certainly not advanced-all these have contributed to this change-a change which is another instance of that spirit of alteration and improvement abroad on the troubled waters of Europe. We now proceed to analyze this "Herald of a happier day,"* which, in some respects, is differently conducted from its great prototype of the English stage. The play opens in the palace of the Doge with a soliloquy of his wife Elena, who is at this time overwhelmed with anxiety and fear, lest her illicit intercourse with her husband's nephew The day on which M. Delavigne's last play appeared (30 May, 1829) should be recorded as the commencement of a new æra. should be discovered. A scene ensues between her and her lover Fernando (Byron's Bertuccio Faliero,) and then follow the dialogue between the Duke and his nephew on the subject of Steno's insult, the annunciation of the sentence of the Forty, and the interview with Israel Bertuccio, as in the English play, which, however, is broken off and postponed till they again meet at a ball given that night by the Senator Lioni. The second act opens at Lioni's house. This personage is made more prominent than in Byron's drama, and is described as, "affable en ses discours, Dans ses actes cruel, esprit fin, âme dure, Here Steno, well drawn as a bold, self-possessed, volatile libertine, is introduced, and, by his solicitations, prevails upon the host to allow him (as his imprisonment commences on the following day) to pass the evening at the entertainment, trusting for concealment to his mask. The fifth scene, where the ball opens, will perhaps show how very different the "Marino Faliero" is, from all its cognati and agnati of the French theatre. FALIERO, ELENA, Fernando, Benetinde, LionI, ISRAEL, Senateurs, COURTISANS, &c. &c. &c. Lioni. (au Doge.) Posseder son Altésse est pour tous un bonheur Madame, puissiez vous ne pas trop regretter, L. (Aux nobles Vénitiens) Soyez les bienvenus! (à Israel) Je recois ton hommage, Mon brave! Israel, (bas à Lioni) Sous le Duc j'ai servi vaillamment; Il peut me proteger, presentez moi. L. (Le prenant par la main) Viens. Comment! Elena. (regardant une peinture.) De qui ce tableau ? Du Giotto. D'un maitre de Florence Le Doge. (à Israel) Dès ce soir vous aurez audience. Benetinde (regardant le tableau tandis qu' Israel cause avec le Doge,) Où se passe la scène? Lioni (qui se rapproche à lui) Eh, mais! a Rimini. La belle Francesca, dont l'amour est puni, Voit tomber sous le bras d'un epoux trop sévère Le trop heureux rival que son cœur lui préfère. L. Quel talent! regardez le jaloux Menace encor son frère expirant sous ses coups. Fer. Dieu! Lioni (à Benet.) Relisez le Dante : (à la Duchesse) Son frère Paolo. Que la femme est touchante ! E. Oui, sublime. (Ici les premieres mesures d'une danse venitienne) L. Ah! j'entends le signal. (Au Doge)-Monseigneur, passe-t-il dans le salon du Bal? L. (lui montrant les échecs) On connait votre gout, voici le jeu du sage: Under the cover of a game of chess, which no buskined hero ever played in France before, Israel and the Doge concert their plans, and the latter consents to meet the conspirators the same night near the church of Saint Jean et Paul (San Giovanni e San Paolo.) Shortly afterwards, Steno, who has amused himself by persecuting the Duchess with his attentions, is discovered by Bertuccio, and Faliero, too proud to accuse Lioni of his violation of the rights of hospitality, immediately leaves his palace. Fernando, however, remains, with the intention of identifying the libertine, and avenging his uncle and his misThe following scene describes their meeting. tiess. FERNANDO. STENO. Sténo. (Qui est entré avec precaution, en otant son masque) Que la Duchesse est belle! L'heureuse invention pour tromper un jaloux |