3 # In the wind there is a voice -Which shall make thee wish it done. Which pass'd for human thine own heart; And on thy head I pour the vial Though thy death shall still seem near Lo! the spell now works around thee, Manfred's power is swallowed up by this incantation, it is the tomb of his superhuman arts, the shroud that covers the Magician's withered spells, and the final extinguishment of the hopes of life-consequently, the second scene opens to us a view of one of the Alpene mountains, where the troubled Manfred holding converse with the winds, dwells upon the self accusation attached to the retrospect, and the melancholy anticipation of the never dying prospect. We extract part of bis soliloquy as a further exposition of the meaning and character of this singular drama. The spirits I have rais'd abandon me— It is not of my search-my mother Earth! And thou fresh breaking day, and you, ye mountains, Why are ye beautiful? I cannot love ye. And thou, the bright eye of the universe, That openest over all, and unto all Art a delight-thou shin'st not on my heart. And you, ye crags, upon whose extreme edge I stand, and on the torrent's brink beneath, My breast upon its rocky bosom's bed I feel the impulse-yet I do not plunge; There is a power upon me which witholds If it be life to wear within myself. His desperation increases, and he is about to throw himself from the rock, when a Chamois hunter arrests his dreadful progress and conducts him to his cottage; and it is here by a fine burst of tortured feeling we are first led to believe Manfred, one of Guilt's blood discoloured ministers. The hunter presents him with wine, and challenges with "pledge me fairly." Manfred. Away, away! there's blood upon the brim! Will it then never-never sink in the earth? C. Hunter-What dos't thou mean? thy pure warm stream Which ran in the vein of my Fathers, and in ours When we were in our youth, and had one heart, And loved each other as we should not love, And this was shed: but still it rises up, Colouring the clouds, that shut me out from heaven, Where thou art not-and I shall never be From these and subsequent mysterious hintings at the cause of his despair, and the motive of his strange actions and stranger feelings, we are led to suppose, that Manfred and his sister Astarlé had mutually conceived a guilty passion for each other, that they had gratified it, and that she did not survive the shame, but became her own executioner. The following beautiful passages wherein the wretched brother biguously, alludes to the early circum more fully, though still darkly and amstances of his life, will more clearly enable our readers to judge if we have made a correct guess at the elucidation of the noble Poet's story, for, (as we began by stating), it is, after all, but a guess; as he never condescends to give us one ray of real sunshine, to dispel the fogs and mists, which, whilst they do not entirely hide a something of a prospect behind, are dense enough to present a correct idea of its situation and beauty. Manfred. "But to my task. I have not named to thee Father or mother, mistress, friend, or being, With whom I wore the chain of human ties; final hour arrives, and he suddenly expires in the arms of the holy Abbot, who bad come in vain to preach quiet and consolation to his soul; and thus the final curtain of the drama drops, If I had such, they seem'd not such to leaving us in conjecture, doubt, and And tenderness-but that I had for her; I loved her, and destroy'd her! Witch. It gazed on mine, and withered. I have shed Blood, but not hers-and yet her blood was shed I saw-and could not staunch it." Still, and ever restless, Manfred now seeks the hall of Arimanes, Prince of earth and air, to demand him to call up one without a tomb-Astarle." The phantom appears, and Manfred in wild and impassioned exclamations vents his wretchedness; and with an earnest yet melancholy pathos, demands of the airy nothing, of her he loved-his fate, and her present happiness and misery. Manfred. Speak to me! though it be in wrath;-but say1 reck not what-but let me hear thee once This once-once more! Say on, say onI live but in the sound-it is thy voice! Phantom. Manfred! Tomorrow ends thine earthly ills. Farewell!" The catastrophe thus predicted is in the next and last act accomplished the spirits sent by Arimanes come to demand his soul; but Manfred unap palled, braves their threats and mocks their boasted power; but in the act the dissatisfaction. Such is Manfred-the analysis we have given, will, we trust, give as good an insight as could be gleaned from such an unfinished production; and our quotations a sufficient exhibition of the merit and execution of its working. We cannot trust ourselves to dissect it further; (for who indeed can copy a mutilated picture?) and must therefore refer our readers to the work itself, and above all, recommend them not to be afraid to consider it too deeply,-they must descend into the mine itself to behold its wonders, and not form their opinion from a specimen of its productions, however glittering, or a description of its magnificence, however correct. For ourselves, we are free to confess, that taking them for all in all, scanning their faults against its faults, and both are numerous, perusing their beauties with its beauties, and they are many and splendid; we prefer seeing Lord Byron in company with Conrad and Lara than with Manfred on the Bernese Alps. We are old travellers, and have a reverence for well known scenes, and unless the views and paths of a new road are to every perception preferable, we will not go out of our way to tread in them. S. W. X. Z. Correspondence between a Mother and her Daughter at School. By Mrs. Taylor, Author of Maternal Solicitude, &c. and Jane Taylor, Author of Display, &c. Foolscap 8vo. pp. 144. For the purpose of conveying in struction to young people at school, the method of letters from a Mother is adopted as the most natural and convenient, and as the most likely to engage the attention of those for whose use the volume is designed. The letters of Laura, the author expresses a hope will not be considered as intruders in these pages, as they are intended to render the work somewhat more amusing to the young reader; it will be seen that it is not with a view to her amusement only that they are written, but for the best interest of their young friends. THEATRICAL JOURNAL. ENGLISH OPERA. JULY 22. "Love in a Village.' We have seldom witnessed a more favourable debut than that of this evening, by a young lady, her first appear ance on any stage, as the representative of Rosetta. She is tall, very graceful, and with small, but interesting features; her tones not very powerful, but sweet; and exhibiting no inconsiderable share of science. If her powers in some instances fell short of those required for this pleasing character, she evinced much knowledge of stage effect-more so, indeed, than could be expected from so young a performer. She was received throughout with distinguished marks of approbation. We understand her name is Stevenson. Mr. Pearman pleased us in Young Meadows, even more than in his first character of Orlando. The duet, Together let us range the fields, was very effective. We have, before, objected to the introduction of extra neous airs in our established operas; but in this instance, criticism must give place to delight-and we cordially joined in the encore, which was generally called for. Miss Stevenson promises much; and we shall be happy to be the organ of her success, Chatterley's Justice Woodcock was very chaste; and Wilkinson's Hodge, was an admirable mixture of blunt impudence and clownish naïveté. Miss Kelly was a perfect representative of the deceived, yet determined virago Madge; and Mr. Isaacs sustained the character of Hawthorne with equal force and ability. JULY 26. The grand Melo-Dramatic Romance, which we alluded to in our last, was produced this evening; and does equal credit to the Author, the Composer, the Machinist, and the Performers. We have seldom witnessed a more successful representation, particularly in the first act; and if, in the second, the action occasionally languished, the tout ensemble excited consider able interest. This Romance is founded on the story of the Black Dwarf, one of the Tales of My Landlord ;" and is entitled "The Wizard; or, The Brown Man of the Moor." The following is a sketch of the plot:-Vere, on the death of his brother, the Laird of ElJieslaw, takes possession of the castle and estates, and causes the real heir to Europ. Mag. Fol. LXXII. Aug. 1817. be stolen, and brought up in the most abject mauner. He persecutes the unhappy youth, in the hope that his sufferings would hurry him to an early grave. Chance, however, introduces the true Laird to Hubert Ratcliff, Laird of Earnscliffe; and they become strongly attached to each other. They consult on the best means to eject the usurper; to which end the young laird assumes a double character--sometimes appearing as Laird of Earnscliffe (who, having been long abroad is not known); and at others in that of a wild and savage being, residing in a lone hovel, on Mucklestane Moor, to the great terror of the affrighted and superstitious peasantry, who, as usual, endow him with superhuman powers. In his character of Laird of Earnscliffe, he wins the affections of his cousin, the fair Isabelin the Wizard, he does little more than terrify the country people, by oracular and misanthropic speeches. The proceedings of l'ere are narrowly watched by Ratcliffe, who appears as the dependent of the supposed Earnscliffe. He discovers, that the Usurper intends his daughter for Sir Frederick Langley, a rich knight; and, being in possession of some secrets relative to Vere, which place him beneath his controul, he forbids the marriage. Sir Frederick, however, still urges his suit, which is hateful to Isabel; aud, in order to force her to compliance, Vere agrees that she shall be carried off by Graeme, the Red Reiver of Westburn Flat, a notorious bandit: Isabel consequently becomes the prisoner of Greme. Pending these events, Hobbie Elliott, a stout farmer, whose house had been plundered and burned by Græme's gang, and whose mistress, Grace Armstrong, had been carried off by the robber, proceeds to Westburn Flat, accompanied by his clausmen, in order to force his intended bride from the marauder: here they are joined by Ratc! fe and his friend, who had received secret intelligence of Vere's proceedings; and with their united bands, force Græme to give up Isabel, to the astonishment of Hobbie, who imagined that he was about to combat for his own mistress, not for the mistress of another: he is, however, pacified, when the supposed Earnscliffe assures X him she is in safety, having received her, in his Wizard's character, from Grame, who gave her into his custody for security. Isabel is restored to her father, who regrets his violence; but declares that Langley, being in possession of certain secrets, which involve his safety, has peremptorily sworn to give information, unless the marriage be solemnized on the instant; and that, on her refusal, an ignominious death must be the consequence. Alarmed for the safety of her father, after a dreadful struggle between duty and affection, Isabel consents to sacrifice the latter to the former, and accompanies Langley to the altar. The ceremony, however, is interrupted by the sudden appearance of the supposed Brown Man of the Moor, who, throwing off his disguise, claims the Lairdship of Ellieslaw. The Usurper and Langley recognise, in the claimant, the soi-disant Earnscliffe, and call on their attendants to seize the Wizard; but, on the instant, Hobbie arrives with an armed force; Ratcliffe explains the mystery; and the lovers are united, to the discomfiture of Langley, and the secret gratification of the ambitious father, who, in restoring the estates to the rightful owner, rejoices that his daughter has become the wife of the true Laird of those immense possessions. Our readers will perceive there is a little of the marvellous, and rather a compli cation of incidents in this Romance; but still they are interwoven so firmly with each other, that they produce a climax of interest, which is not anticipated till the conclusion of the piece. The characters are generally drawn with spirit-and are powerfully supported. H. Johnston was the representative of the Brown Man of the Moor-and, whether as the supposed Wizard, or the adoring lover, was equally energetic and tender. Bartley's Hobbie was a natural picture of the brave but half-superstitious farmer, resembling Emery's Dandie Dinmont, in Guy Mannering," and was equally effective, which we think is paying this gentlemau the best compliment in our power. Isaac's delineation of the Red Reiver Grame was powerfully descriptive of the fearless and ferocious free-booter. Miss Kelly's Isabel was strikingly characteristic of the various passions which alternately predominate. When informed of the probable fate of her father, if she refuse the band of Langley, the struggle between duty and affection was most feel. iugly expressed; and when at the altar, expecting succour from the Wizard, who had promised to prevent the ill-assorted union, the wildness of her halffrenzied eye was only commensurate with the mixture of joy and terror excited by the presence of her deliverer, particularly when that deliverer proved to be the man she adored. Some pleas ing airs were allotted to the part of Isabel, in which Miss Kelly was much applauded-as was M. H. Buggins, as Gruce Armstrong, who Warbled sweet her melancholy strains, The music, by Horn, combined taste with science, and was strictly appropriate to the varied progress of the scene. -With a few trifling curtailments, this Romance, which has been so long in preparation, will, we have no doubt, amply compensate the Proprietor for the expense incurred; will prove, that native talent is not extinct; and that we need not the foreign aid of ornament to develope the passions; nor are deficient in the combination of sweet sounds to charm the ear or captivate the senses. AUG. 13." The Persian Hunters; or, the Rose of Gurgistan." The plot of this piece is very complex, and a brief outline is all that we can venture to give Hamet (Horn), Sultan of Tauris, had defeated the Abkhans, seized on their possessions, and carried off their children in slavery. A remnant of this devoted race, however, under the command of their chief, Abcassan (Pearman), retire to the Georgian mountains. It is a custom of the Georgian peasants to elect every year a young female, whom they call the Rose of Gurgistan ; and as their choice has fallen this year on Zodaiya (Miss H. Buggins), they assemble to salute her in that character. In return she is to give a rose to her lover. The Sultan having been accidentally wounded by a spear while hunting, aud separated from his attendants, is found by Zodaiya, who ties up his wound. He conceals his rank, and succeeds in gaining her affections. She gives the rose to the Sultan, who mixes with the peasantry. Still, however, wishing to prove the strength of her affection, he persuades her that he is a ba nished man-that his enemies are in pursuit of him-that he was accused of carrying off a lady; and that the only way by which he can escape is for her to say she is the person, and surrender herself. He has contrived that a party of his troops shall at this period approach Zodaiya's cottage: and she consents to be carried off by the Persian soldiers. Pending these events, Halucar (Bartley), an Abkhan leader, is made captive by the Persians; and on being brought before the Sultan, discovers in Zodaiya a long-lost daughter. Such are the principal incidents of this Pastoral, serio-comic opera. The music is pretty; and does credit to the composer (Horn); the overture, which is the production of Mr. G. Perry, of Norwich, is excellent.-It is customary on the first night of a new piece for the Author to send in his friends—so that, seldom, on these representations, can the public opinion be fairly estimated. On this occasion the Author had too many as their repeated encores-their applause of every sentence-every actor -and every scene-had well nigh d-d the opera. This we conceive to be as unnecessary as unjust. Let every performance stand on its own merits: if it succeed, well; if not, let it be consigned to the "tomb of all the Capulets." We do not, in these observations, mean to convey any disapprobation of "The Persian Hunters": on the contrary, we think it needed not the support of these ill judging friends. The language is nervous, and the materials are well wrought up. Mr. Horn was more animated than usual. Mr. Pearman rises daily in public estimation-and Miss Stevenson and Miss H. Buggins evince as much taste as science. The opera has been frequently repeated with encreased effect. AUG. 19.-" Fire and Water." The plot of this operetta is equally simple and lively.-Old Thrifty (W. S. Chatterley), by insinuating to Captain Hurry (Bartley), that Frederick (Wrench) is not a proper match for his niece Fanny (Miss Love), induces him to refuse his sanction to a union of the lovers, and offers to procure a more suitable hus 1617. band for the young lady. Hurry, anxious to be relieved from the guardianship of a skittish girl, agrees to marry her to the individual named by his factotum, who is no other than Thrifiy himself. Fanny is consequently removed from the school, and, with her maid Furbish (Miss Stevenson), is sent to Thrifty's house, for the purpose of be ing introduced to the intended bridegroom. Frederick takes advantage of Thrifty's going to his lawyer; and, while they are mutually protesting eter nal fidelity, Hurry arrives-and Frederick is thrust into a balcony, where he is exposed to the horrors of a thunderstorm, and is drenched to the skin, by the violence of the rain. Hurry follows Thrifty to his lawyer's, and Frederick is again paying his devoirs to his soul's idol, when Thrifty arrives, and Frederick ascends the chinney: here he is in danger of being burned alive, as Thrifty orders a fire to be made: so that the unfortunate lover passes the two ordeals of fire and water to secure his mistress. Thrifty again goes to his lawyer, to meet Hurry; and Hurry in the mean time returns with the lawyer to Thrifty's. The person of Frederick is unknown to the Captain; and he believes Frederick to be the individual proposed by Thrifty The marriage contract being ready, it is immediately signed by the parties; and old Thrifty, on his arrival, finds that the impatience of Hurry has defeated his matrimonial scheme.-The character of Hurry is peculiarly adapted to Mr. Bartley, who is only inferior to Dowton' in impetuous, testy old gentlemen. Wrench bustles through Frederick; and Chatterley's Thrifty was a compound of petulance and over-reaching folly. The music by Mr. Price is lively; and a sere 'made in the first act was encored. The operetta was received most favourably, PERFORMANCES. July 25. Love in a Village--Batchelor's Wives. 26. The Wizard-Ditto, Aug. 98. Ditto-Free and Easy. 49. Ditto-My Uncle-Batchelor's Wives. 50. Ditto Is he Jealous-Ditto. 31. Ditto-My Uncle-Ditto. 1. Free and Easy-Matrimony-Ditto. . The Wizard-Ditto-Ditto. 4. Ditto-My Uncle-Midas 5. Ditto-Matrimony--Batchelor's Wives. 6. Ditto-My Uncle-Deserter of Naples. 7. Ditto-Matrimony-Midas. 8. Ditto-My Uncle-Maid and the Magpie 9. Two Words-Is he Jealous-Midas. |