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German Drama.-Guilt, by Adolphus Müllner.

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out the signs of their family trade. We they should appear. With this view, I have reformed many of these abuses in will endeavour, in another brief epistle, the dominions of fashion; why should to offer some suggestions, which, I flatter we not reform them all? I would will myself, your fair readers will not deem ingly see my dear and naturally-fascin- altogether undeserving of attention. In ating country women as lovely as nature the interim, I subscribe myself, and her attendant graces designed that Yours, &c. SENEX.

NEW GERMAN TRAGEDY.

From the Literary Gazette.

GUILT, (Die Schuld) a Tragedy, dren, and his family was on the point of

In four Acts. By ADOLPHUS MULLNER.

becoming extinct, and his estates returning to the crown, when his Countess OF F all the tragedies which have been became pregnant. By the advice of her brought of late years upon the Ger- physicians she goes to the baths at Bareman stage, none has excited so much in- ges, but her husband, being obliged to terest as that which is the subject of this attend the King to the army, cannot acarticle. The most ardent panegyrics company her. Being a protestant, she is have been lavished on the author; he afraid of living under her own name in a has been compared to Schiller, Goethe, Catholic country, at a time when religious and even to Shakspeare. Mr. M. has fury was at its height; and she borrowз himself protested against these exaggerat- the name of a Catholic family, who ed praises, with a candor which does as allow her to do so. At Bareges she is much honor to his character, as his tragedy happily delivered of a son, whom she does to his talents. What is peculiarly calls Hugues, but her bad health, and remarkable in this piece is, that it seems the war, hinder her from returning home. (and is indeed considered by the French At the end of two years her son dies; critics,) to be a kind of compromise be she is in despair at her loss; but Donna tween the romantic or German, and the Laura, a Spanish lady, who is also at regular or French tragedy. The three Bareges with her second son of the same unities are observed with sufficient strict- age as Hugues, gives him to the Countess, ness. The time is from the evening of induced to this by the prediction of a one day till midnight the day following; gypsey woman, whom she met during the scene is not always in the same apart- her pregnancy with this second son, and ment, but in the same Chateau; the who, out of spite at having been refused action is one, and very simple, being the alms by her, threatened, that if the child discovery of a crime to all those who are with which she was pregnant proved a interested in it. The author has employ- son, he should assassinate his elder ed no theatrical parade, no stage trick, brother; if a daughter, the son already and has observed almost rigorously the born should kill his sister. Laura, rigorous precept of Horace," Nec quarta credulous and superstitious, whose husloqui persona laboret." He has but five band went to America before the birth of characters, and very rarely introduces this son, gladly gives this child to the more than three at one time. The char- Countess, in order to save her elder son, acters, however, and the execution of of whom she is extravagantly fond. the piece, bring it nearly to the class of The Countess returning to Norway, Romantic Tragedy. The intrigue is very simple; but the previous developements, which are necessary to inform the reader, are extremely complicated. The subject of the piece is fratricide; but the author, unwilling to bring it on the stage, has invented the following story.

Edwin, Count of Oerindour, a powerful Norwegian nobleman, had no chil

presents this child to her husband as his son; but being afterwards delivered of a daughter, she reveals the secret to him, except the name ofthe mother, which she has sworn never to betray. After her death, the Count informs the King, who, wishing to perpetuate the name of Oerindour, bestows, by a secret diploma, this name, and all the estates of the family

252

Guilt, a new Tragedy, by Adolphus Müllner.

]VOL. 2

In the

on the person to whom Edwin shall Laura, in America, returns to Spain. deliver the diploma before his death. Certain circumstances persuade him, that Laura's two sons grow up. Don his son has been assassinated, and other Carlos, the eldest, in Spain, as the son of signs make him believe that he shall find Don Valeros: Hugues, in Norway, as the assassin in the North. He arrives at the son of the Count of Oerindour. Don the Chateau at the end of the first act, Carlos being arrived at man's estate, is and after several masterly scenes, in the married to the beautiful and noble two following acts, Hugues, convinced Elvira, whom he adores, but without that he has been guilty of fratricide, being loved by her. Hugues, at his fa- makes the dreadful confession. ther's death, learns all that the latter midst of the stupor, the grief and the knew of his secret. Without thinking indignation which this confession causes, on marriage, his whole desire is to find Hugues, struck with the paternal malehis true parents, of whom he knows only diction, conceives and declares his resothe name of their country. However, lution to expiate his crime on the scaffold. he goes to Spain, meets Don Carlos, and Thus ends the third act, and perhaps it conceives an ardent friendship for him. should have been the last. However, Unhappily he becomes deeply enamour- Mr. Müllner has judged it necessary to ed of Elvira, who is sensible of his passion, add a fourth, in which each of the actors and cannot conceal it. The delicate seeks a denouement according to their health of Carlos inspires Hugues with several characters. At length Hugues hopes which Elvira does not discourage. and Elvira stab each other. Love and friendship struggle in the mind The true merit of this tragedy is in the of the young Count. He saves the life developement of the characters, which of Carlos at a bull-fight, at the risk of are perfectly supported; in the simplicity his own. But jealousy seizes the mind of the action, above all in the progressive of Carlos. Elvira informs the Count picture of the remorse of Hugues, and that her husband has a plan against his in its truly terrifying effect. There is a life. Hugues goes in order to reconcile profound and highly tragic moral in the himself with him: he sees him alone in influence which the crime of Hugues a forest, without being perceived by him. exercises on all who approach him. All the passions are aroused in his heart, Nobody can be happy near him; neither he takes aim at Carlos, fires, and the his wife, who reproaches herself with fratricide is consummated. Soon after, having entertained a guilty passion for Elvira, easily consoled, marries, though him, and who sees him a constant prey without knowing it, the murderer of her husband.

to sombre melancholy, nor the tender Jerta who adores him, as she perceives Such is the ground-work of this Trag- that he is not happy, nor young Otto, edy, which is almost sufficient to give the who seems to divine that he is the reader a view of it, for the rest passes murderer of his father; lastly, Valeros almost wholly in acquainting the specta- himself cannot find his second son tors with what we have related to our without discovering in him the assassin readers. The scene is in Norway, in of his eldest son: so many persons renthe castle whither Hugues, after the dered unhappy by one crime really inspire commission of his crime, returns with that pity and that terror which according Elvira and the young Otto, a boy of 12 to the legislator of the stage must purify years of age, the son of Elvira and Don the passions. Great hopes may be enCarlos. Jerta, the daughter of Count tertained of a poet who, having waited Oerindour, who believes herself the sister till the age of thirty-eight to enter the lists, of Hugues, lives with them. Don announces himself by such a beginning. Valeros having lost his wife, Donna

VOL. 2.]

Travels through the United States.

NEW TRAVELS IN AMERICA.

From the Literary Gazette, June 1817.

253

Extracts of LETTERS from a SWISS fifty-three sects, of which many have TRAVELLER, in North-America, in the summer of 1816.

(Continued.)

Philadelphia.

divine service in their houses. Here are also some Jews but very few.

with his own silk cloak over his clothes, into the water. The minister who expects him there takes him by the head, pronouncing a certain form of prayer and dips him under the water, (the congregation singing all the while,) dries his face and begins the ceremony anew. The persons baptised, go each sex apart, into a room to change their clothes. In the winter this ceremony is said to be

Among the sects less known among us are the Anabaptists (more properly LEFT New-York on the 17th of Rebaptists). They have a very large June and arrived on the 18th in the and fine church, in the middle of which evening at Philadelphia. We travelled is placed a font, forty feet in circumfe3 leagues to Amboy by water, and at 3 rence, where they perform the ceremony in the afternoon seated ourselves in a of baptism, which according to their carriage, and travelling the whole night belief is to be frequently repeated. This arrived the next day at noon at Burling- font is between three and four feet deep. ton, whence we continued our journey The person to be baptised, who at any in a steam-boat to Philadelphia. The age when his conscience wishes for this road from Amboy to Burlington is very purification can desire repabtism, jumps, romantic; one always travels through thick woods where one finds some families settled here and there; after you have gone about 12 or 15 leagues the country extends into a most beautiful and cultivated plain. Philadelphia is far handsomer than New-York, and a great deal larger, but built in the same style. The market-street is half a league in length in the middle of it are covered Arcades, where the market is kept, 500 performed on the ice of the river in new houses are built annually in Phila- which a hole is broken for this purpose. delphia; the same cleanliness is observ- The second no less remarkable sect are ed as at New-York and the houses are the Methodists in New-York they furnished in the same manner. The have five churches, but here they have Free-Masons' Lodge is very handsome, more than ten. This sect was founded as also the hospitals and the botanic gar- by a Swiss (born at Nyon) and increases den. Half a league from the city are so much that it will very soon become water-works where the water is forced predominant. There is a great deal of by a steam-engine 150 feet high, and in enthusiasm in the manner of their divine such quantity as to supply the whole worship, in which they make their discity. New-York is not so well supplied courses depend on the internal motions with water, and when it remains long of the spirit. Their very great numbers dry there the laundresses cannot work in this city and their increasing prosfor four or even six weeks. Philadel- perity, prove that they are not the less phia has 130,000 inhabitants, of whom good citizens. The Moravians form an near the half are Germans. This port estimable community; they are very is not so good as that of New-York, be- good and charitable, ready to assist their cause in winter the navigation is inter- fellow creatures; and give their children rupted for some weeks. Here is the an excellent education; the poorest has greatest trade into the interior of the them taught foreign languages, music, country, and hither also the most drawing, history, and geography. part of the productions of the inte- was lately at Bethlehem,20 leagues from rior are brought and sent to the West here, which is wholly inhabited by GerIndies. Here are a great many church- mans, Moravians, Prussians, Saxons and es, but yet there are not enough for the Netherlanders. I was every where remany different sects; there are about ceived very well, every thing is in the

254

songs.

Observations on the " Fine Man," or Popular Preacher.

(VOL. 2 real genuine German style, and what elephant and has two curved teeth, one receives from them, they give with of which the one weighs 206 and an honest and good heart. In every the other 230 pounds. The living house where there are daughters, one rattle-snakes and other venomous serhears the harp or piano-forte, which are pents are also very remarkable. I accompanied with the finest German was also struck with the paintings of some Wild Indians taken in their The fire-offices are on a very good costumes, at full length; these people plan; in New-York they have more come here, now and then; they are of a than 70 fire-engines, in Philadelphia copper colour, and are wrapped in the 100; every one is furnished with a skins of wild animals. When they are bell which rings when they drive it along, not drunk they seem to have a very goodand with one wheel which serves to natured disposition. There are a great wind up the leather pipes; to every en- many negroes in New-York and Philagine belong 50 firemen, to get upon the delphia; there may be about 30,000; roofs, to pull them down if necessary, the girls are slaves till their 18th, the and save what is to be saved. Through- males till their 21st year; the latter are out the whole city there are fire-plugs at present sold at from 100 to 130 dolat every 50 steps, where the pipes are lars. Here are but few manufactures; screwed in the pipes make a commu- one gets every thing cheaper from Eunication from one engine to another; if rope than they would be able to make one place is on fire, all the adjacent it here. The chace is free to every streets are full of fire-engines to supply body; but little use is made of this libwater. The fire insurance offices are erty; twenty or thirty leagues from this very safe; they insure not only buildings city there is a great deal of game, as deer but effects of every kind.

The museum in Philadelphia is worth seeing it contains more than 1240 birds, 136 portraits of eminent characters of America, and more than 8000 other articles. Among the 212 quadrupeds is the Mammoth it is 18 feet long and 114 high. He is much larger than an

and bears which are very good eating. Wolves are not uncommon; rabbits and squirrels very numerous.

*This American Mammoth is however much smaller than those which have been found in Europe and Asia. Some of the teeth found at Constant, near Stuttgard, weigh between five and six hundred pounds.

Concluded in our next.

THE FINE MAN," OR POPULAR PREACHER.

"Bellus homo."

-MART.

-The fine man.

(what is called) a very popular preacher at a place of divine worship recently

To the Editor of the European Magazine., erected. The building was a fine build

SIR,

AMONG the literary phenomena of

ing; that is, it was, as Johnson applies

66

the word, a " splendid" one; the paintthe present period, are the very ex- ed glass was fine, it was " showy"-the traordinary revolutions which have taken decorations of the pews and galleries place in the system of language. Words were fine, they were elegant." To and phrases which have hitherto been all these the word in its general accepapplied to fixed ideas, and never used tation was altogether applicable: but I but to express determinate characteristics was told by the sextoness, that I should of men and things, are now accepted in be charmed with the preacher, for he was a latitude of meaning which, without a "a fine man." As I did not fully comconsiderable degree of forced construc- prehend this indefinite term of the good tion, would be understood by a plain woman's admiration, I waited with imphilologist as implying the direct con- patience for the appearance of the preach. trary sentiment to that which they now er, when I expected, according to my convey. An instance of this occurred to habitual appropriation of the phrase, to me last Sunday, when I went to hear see an athletic, healthy, good looking

VOL. 2.]

Observations on the "Fine Man," or Popular Preacher.

255

gentleman, of a well-proportioned sta- aisle and surrounded the door. After ture, ascend the pulpit; and I honestly some time, the poor devotee came to confess, a female's taste somewhat influ- herself, and, with uplifted hands and an enced my expectation-but, alas! my agonized countenance, exclaimed, “O feminine ideas of " a fine man" were all he is a fine man!--but I am a poor lost put to flight in an instant, when I beheld creature-lost for ever."—I said all that a tall, thin person, with a pale dejected common sense could suggest, and vencountenance and lank black hair, spread tured to point out to her the contradichis arms over the cushion, and twining tory nature of the preacher's denunciathe long shrivelled fingers of his sickly tions, as being in direct opposition to hands together, call upon the congrega- the properties of Deity and the principle s tion, with a tremulous accent, to pray. of the gospel; but all to no purposeNotwithstanding my disappointment, I I offered to accompany her home; but prepared to do as I was bid-but what no! "she was now recovered, and she was my surprise when I heard myself would not lose the rest of the sermon and all my fellow-worshippers denoun. for the world-Mr. F—was so fine ced, with the utmost vehemence of ex- a man."-I therefore left her to her pression, as all wandering upon the strange infatuation. The sextoness, who brink of H-1, ready to fall into the bot- had attended us with some hartshorn, tomless pit of destruction-graceless, told me, that the young lady was the prayerless, hopeless sinners-who had youngest daughter of a gentleman residforfeited all expectation of mercy, and ing in that street, who had positively without God in the world-without forbidden her from attending this fine the power to repent, or to pray, or to man's preachments-that she was a most hope-all vessels fitted for destruction amiable young woman, beloved for her all the victims of Satan-all eternally gentleness of manners and charitable atlost!-while at every close of a sentence, tentions to the poor, but that she had this "fine man" was encouraged to go been converted from the world, and had on in this damnatory strain by the length- given up all the vanities of its amuseened groans and deep sighs of his audi- ments, and followed this minister wheretory. Believe me, Mr. Editor, I shrunk ever he went that she was a very acwithin me from this "fine man's" pre- complished lady, but had now given up sumptuous address to the Deity, whom, her music and drawing as unprofitable without the least hesitation, he stripped to her precious soul, and did nothing of every attribute of mercy and compas- now but pray and read her bible and sion, and clothed in all the terrors of un- write religious pamphlets, which she disyielding vengeance and inflexible wrath. persed with her own hand, as she walkMy mind, however, was doomed to suf- ed from one poor person's habitation to fer a still greater outrage, when this "fine another. "Would you choose to go man" told us, that we could not dare to back to the pew, madam ?”—I thanked suppose ourselves in the way of salva- her, but declined her offer; and finding tion, that for ought we knew we had that I was in time for the sermon at the been consigned to perdition long before I bent my steps thither, unwil

we were born, nay from everlasting to ling to give up my morning's devotions. everlasting !—I was attempting to mea- As I walked, I could not avoid reflecting, sure this immensity of the preacher's with a melancholy regret, upon the unleap of presumption, when I was roused happy perversion of religious feeling from my computation by the hysterical which had involved this young creature sobbings of a young female at my side. in so much despondency and distress of As I was the only one in the pew be- heart; and felt something like indignant sides herself, I became alarmed at the regret arising within my breast, that such increasing loudness of her sobs, and pre- "fine men' should be allowed to devailed upon her to go out with me for grade the pure design of gospel grace the purpose of obtaining a little air. into so dreadful misrepresentation of its With some difficulty we made our way merciful purpose-and to work upon through the crowd that blocked up the the weak minds of their hea.ers, by rob