The meaneft cur that round his threshold barks, Lorne. And has the vow, Conftrain'd, unbleft, and joyless as it was, Seems to divide thee from it. (Grafping her hand vehemently, as if he would lead her away.) Hel. What doft thou mean? What violent grafp is this? Com'st thou to lead me from my husband's houfe, Beneath the fhade of night, with culprit's ftealth? Lorne. No, daughter of Argyll; when John of Lorne Shall come to lead thee from thefe hated walls Back to thy native home,—with culprit ftealth, Hel. Them have I enter'd The pledge of peace; and here my place I'll hold Who yield obedience to their chief, my lord; One One valiant clan's-man ftood, against his powers, Lorne. And would'st thou fo? so firm and valiant art thou? Forgive me, noble creature!-Oh! the fate- The wayward fate that bind thy gen'rous foul To poor unfteady weakness! Hel, Speakft thou thus? Thus preffing ftill upon the galled fpot? Unkindly and unwifely." P. 26. Yes, my brother, The probability that the heroine will, after all her fufferings, be at fome future time united to the man of her choice is only fuggefted by the following scene, and by the contrivance of making the fame person the preferver of her child. "Hel. Alas! I fee it is thy parting vifit; Thou com'ft to say "farewell!” De Grey. Yes, Helen; I am come to leave with thee A laftReft ev'ry bleffing on thy head! Be this permitted to me: (Kiffing her hand with profound refpe&.) Fare thee well! Heaven aid and comfort thee! Farewell! farewell! (Is about to retire baftily, whilft HELEN follows to pre vent him.) Hel. O go not from me with that mournful look! I am not, as thou think'ft, a thing fo loft From cloifter'd cells, from hermit's caves, from holds Of lonely banifhment, and from the dark And dreary prifon-house, do raise their thoughts Whom Whom chance may to thefe regions bring, and learn De Grey. My fame and profperous ftate, while thou art If thou in calm retirement liv'ft contented, Lifting thy foul to heaven, what lack I more: That fades away to filence,-furely this Mel. Ah, I do! Yet, granting here I err, didft thou not promife Thy fhare of cheerful weal?—and doft thou now Shrink from thy gen'rous promife?-No, thou fhalt not. A lonely wanderer art, thou doft extinguish The ray that should have cheer'd my gloom: thou makest I fpeak but raving words :-a hafty fpark, Farewell! Hel. Farewell! and heaven's good charge be thou! De Grey. Ah! are thofe looks (Going to kneel at her feet, but immediately checking himself with much embarrassment.) 6 Alas! Alas! why come I back? Something there was-Thou gavest me a ring; I have not dropt it? Rofa. [Coming forward.) No, 'tis on your finger. Farewell! farewell! (Exit DE GREY baftily, while HELEN and ROSA go off by the oppofite fide.)" P. 72. The tale on which the Tragedy is founded is well related in the preface. It has certainly dramatic features of great ftrength, but fuch as it was difficult to weave into a regular drama. Moft of thefe difficulties Mifs B. has vanquished with great skill, and the whole is fuch as fully to justify the applaufes bestowed at Edinburgh, The language of this fair author is feldom open to criti cifm but where the found, or why fhe made the unufual word ertlefs (p. 61,) we are at a lofs to guefs. It seems to mean inert or heartless. If a northern term, it is one unknown to us, and not contained in the common gloffaries, If an error of the prefs, it is not eafy to guess what would be the correction. We notice it rather to produce an explanation, than for any other purpose. The merits of this poem, in many points of view, are of no common order: and the revival of dramatic taste, if ever it is to arrive, must begin by the general approbation of fuch productions. They who have a true feeling for poetry will quickly be fupplied with it; but audiences that delight in pantomimes will form only carpenters and mechanifts. ART. VIII. Sketches of the internal State of France. By M. Faber. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. pp. 300. 7s. 6d. London, Murray: Edinburgh, Blackwood; and Dublin, Mahon. 1811. WE E learn from the preface to this very able performance, of which in the original French, we gave fome account in vol. 37, p. 488, that the author, M. Faber, was by birth at German; that at the beginning of the French revolution he was feized with the epidemic fanaticifm of democracy, and repaired to Paris to promote, as he vainly imagined, the general happiness of mankind, by enlifting under the banners of the new republic. He fo far fucceeded, that he was appointed in fucceffion to many offices of truft and importance, the duties of which he continued to perform till the year 1807. After the acceffion of Bonaparte to the fupreme power, and becoming an eye-witnefs of his tyranny, being, as he reprefents, from his fituation, uniformly an inftrument of oppreffion and never of benevolence, he was feized with remorfe, and rejecting all offers and profpects of future advancement, he resolved to abandon his adopted country, and fled for refuge to Petersburg. While in Ruffia, he wrote and attempted to publish "Sketches of the Internal State of France." They originally confifted of two volumes, one only of which was committed to the prefs; the influence of Bonaparte having been fuccefsfully exerted with the Ruffian monarch to fupprefs the second. The circulation of the first, which is now before us, was immediately and effectually fuppreffed on the Continent, but it found its way to England. V. The work confifts of ten chapters, as enumerated on a former occafion.-I. The French. II. Adminiftration. III. The public Opinion. IV. The Throne and the Altar. Old Times and New Times. VI. Public Inftruction. VII. Justice. VIII. Bonaparte on his Travels. IX. The Confcription. X. The National Guard. In these chapters, the impoftures, delufions, oppreffions, and tyranny of the ruler of the French nation are circumftantially explained, and commented upon with great acute nefs and fagacity; and, let it be remembered, by one who acted no inconfiderable part in the complicated drama. The whole will be perused with the livelieft intereft, and we feriously recommend it to our readers. We give the following as a fpecimen of the fpirit and vigour which may be expected through the whole of the work. It is transcribed from the eighth chapter, where Bonaparte is represented on his travels; than which, nothing can be conceived more fantastical, prepofterous, or contemptible. "I have feen this man, whofe name is Bonaparte; I have feen him an officer in the artillery, general in the army, conful, emperor! When yet the Italian z in his name gave him no concern, all then was Italian about him, his phyfiognomy, his complexion; he had neither the habits, the manners, nor the agreeable figure of a Frenchman; the rough motions and the fharp form of the foreigner difpleased. A cold referved air gave his exterior an appearance of indifference for all about him. He always walked concentrated in himself. Careless of the events which awaited him, but always occupied with his glory, he |