"Since none will speak, hear me! Mercy I "expect not, for it seems a stranger to this proud castle. That man, [pointing to Lawrence, that blood-thirsty man, who seems so anxious for my life; nay, frown not, mighty sir-your frowns and threats I hold in the same contempt I do yourself! Thy rancorous persecution now forces me to speak, what honor and what manhood would otherwise “You must know, that about four years before make me blush to say,-for well thou knowest it, you made your appearance on this busy stage of 'twas I, the sacrifice that saved thy life, which else action, my mind led me to take a stroll on the would have fallen beneath an arm as high o'er thee skirts of the Rochdale Forest. I had left off the as the great canopy of heaven is o'er the judgment By giving my silver call a blow, old Ponto, rugged wilt take that life which unhappily was the saviour work of the day at an earlier period than usual.*** seat. Then frown and threaten not; but if thou with age, left his kennel and ran on before me, of thine own, mark me, be not so unguarded as to wagging his tail, for I never went abroad without his company.***The long, dismal, rumbling roar of suppose it shall be taken with impunity; by heaven, no; for those brave followers who made thee the falls between the Terrible and Bloody Peaks, flinch at every look, shall revenge my fall, though burst upon my listening ear.***Still onward we at the certain fate of meeting with their own. Yes, went, until the intermingled yells of some unknown thou implement of cruel treachery, thou violator of animals set on end every hair in my head. I stop innocent hospitality, there's some prophetic power ped. I imagined that to proceed would be enter-informs my soul, ere long, this proud castle shall be ing upon the brink of death. It was impossible to thy body's monument, and thy departing spirit, in return the dog arrested me. I resolved, at descending to the flames below, shall, with its unall events, to find the cause of this mysterious con- natural howlings, scare the ill-omen'd bird of Forest.-All was darkness.-My dog appeared to night." stop.-The groan of an infant caught my ear.I found it! alas, with but little life remaining, bound fast to a tree. With but one stroke of my sword I liberated the helpless little victim. "Rachel. [Screams.] 'Oh, Heavens!--You kill'd the child, how could

duct. He led me into the thickest of Rochdale

It has been our peculiar good fortune all I've a tale to tell which will make thy to peruse most of the specimens of dra- young blood run chill through their veins." matic genius, which have issued from the But as we despair of telling this tale half American press, from the "Capture of as well as Mr Adams, and trust that our Burgoyne," down to the "Hero of Chip-readers have already taken an intense pewa;" and we think we may fearlessly interest in it, we transcribe it. assert that not one of them can in any degree compare with "Tancred, or the Rightful Heir to Rochdale Castle." We sincerely congratulate Mr Lillibridge upon having produced so efficient an answer to the sneers of the Edinburgh, and the aspersions of the Quarterly Reviews. The question will no longer be asked, "Who reads an American tragedy?" but rather, "Who has not read Tancred, a drama?" It were invidious, perhaps, to compare, Mr Lillibridge with any of our puny American authors, for he may boldly challenge competition with the master spirits of the English drama. Like Byron, disregarding the stale and hackneyed use of mere flesh and blood dramatis personæ, he daringly enters the world of spirits and shows himself hand and glove with ghosts and ghostesses of the most extraordinary character. It is not often in these degenerate days, that we are favoured with such good substantial apparitions; and they are not only numerous, but assorted with great regard to effect, insomuch that their absence would be a serious loss to this highly fanciful and imaginative production. In imitation of the tragedies of Maturin (we trust that Mr Lillibridge will not mistake this for the "merest insinuation of the charge of plagiarism,”—we This child is saved by Fitz Adams in have "no such stuff in our thoughts"), his spite of the two wolves, but at the expense drama is rife with barons, baronesses, and of the dog Ponto, and of a good part of the banditti, so disposed and grouped together calf of Fitz Adam's left leg. He proves to as to produce a result rarely equalled and be Tancred, who is at once a lover, an heir, never surpassed. Like Shiel-but it is a moss trooper, and first captain of banditti; not by comparison that we expect to con- while following this latter vocation he falls vey any adequate idea of the all unuttera-in with and robs one Baron Murcia and his ble merits of this incomparable drama, and therefore without farther preface will introduce it to our readers, by endeavouring to give a faint sketch of its story, &c.; but at the same time, we wish it to be clearly understood that we do not vouch for the correctness of the detail; not feeling exactly certain of having succeeded in our attempt to unravel the complicated mysteries of its plot.

66

Fitz Adams. No, no, I cut every particle of chord and rope in twain. Kill the child, indeed! Where can you borrow such base imaginations from. But to proceed-I again sought the footpath with the child in my arms. Having found it, I hurried onward, when again the horrid yell of wild animals rung in my ears. I drew my sword, by which time two monstrous wolves rushed upon us."

"comical, cowardly, and honest fellow" of
a squire Stephen (we are not favoured with
his patronymic), and this circumstance is in
some way or other, we don't exactly un-
derstand how, the cause of the Baron's
receiving an invitation to sup with one
Marguritta, a most bloodthirsty virago and
withal "the famous Baroness of the North,"
who thus acquaints us with her own char-

acter.

Who would have thought he possessed such a pugnacious spirit,-though he does tell us, to "North Britain I expect I owe my birth." Mrs Marguritta, however, could not away with it, and immediately issues the following commands.

"Silence, slave! by Heaven, the audacious villain dares to level his rebellious answers at our sacred persons.-I'll hear no more! Send him to instant execution! Hang up his carcase on the highest tree, that it may dangle conspicuous to the passing carrion."

We foresee much controversy between future commentators, touching these last words. If we may confess it without shame, they a little puzzle us. Probably Mr G. R. Lillibridge has some authority for sup posing that in that far north country of which Mrs Marguritta is the famous baroness, carrion is so obliging as to walk about in search of a crow or buzzard hungry enough to eat it. Her foul intents towards our hero are most happily delayed by the appearance of a new character, i. e. the principal ghost, alias "the late Baron Rochdale," who, in a speech to Tancred quite convincing, declares that he, the ghost, feels firmly convinced in spite of a very strong family likeness between him, the said Tancred and the deponent, that the said Tancred is none other than the son of him the said Ghost of the late baron of RochMr Lillibridge plunges into the middle "But recollect, my faithful friend, that our dale, and therefore that he the said Tancred of things at once, but relates what has gone hands have already been imbrued in the blood of is the RIGHTFUL HEIR OF ROCHDALE CASTLE; before by means of one Fitz Adams (we Rochdale and Rothsay. The first, I confess most and he thus makes this interesting dishope the Dramatist did not mean to in- frankly, was the effect of youthful fire and discreet covery. "Act III. Scene IV. He" [Tanfluence the Presidential election) in an- love. Forced on me by the commands of a determined parent. the Baron Rochdale was at first cred] "kneels before the altar. swer to a question from his daughter, Miss but an object of my indifference; an object which musick, together with invisible female Rachel Adams, who comes on the stage the presence of the Baron Rothsay soon converted voices," [it would have heightened the weeping, and with her "heart bleeding for into a bitter hatred; though not the fountain head solemnity of the scene to have given us a the safety of her dear Tancred;" this gentle- of homicide, still we acted as the leading springs.' sight of these voices, the more especially man proves to be her "lovyer true," the After supper, by way of dessert, Tancred as they prove to be in fact ghostesses of Hero of the Drama, and moreover, the son of is brought in to receive his deserts, and to voices.] The Ghost of the late Baron the late Baron Rochdale, who is one of the answer to the charge of having committed Rochdale rises and bows thrice before principal characters. The father of Miss an assault upon the person of Baron Mur-Tancred"-but Tancred is such a brute Rachel says to her, with regard to the sub-cia, with intent to rob; and one Lawrence that he does not return it; after a short ject of a letter received that day by mail speech from Tancred, his Ghostship thus from Tancred, that fear of disturbing the addresses his undutiful son who had calltender feelings of Mrs Adams has kept ed him "a frightful spectre," to which, him silent upon this subject, "but if it be however, the Baron properly retorts by your wish," [addressing Miss Rachel] "I twitting him with the family likeness we may venture to touch upon it; but first of spoke of. Ghost, loquitur.

enacts the part of justice, and having ar-
raigned the criminal, expatiates pretty
largely upon the crime of highway rob-
bery; to which our hero, who pleads his own
case, answers in a most pithy and pertinent
speech.

Soft

26

Tancred, my son. [Tancred starts.] Fear not. I was thy father! In me behold the poor remains of Baron Rochdale! thou art my son. Thy great resemblance to me, thy hapless parThou art the only heir to all my great estates and all this lordly Castle, for Oh! my son! thy mother was the cruel murderer of thy sire! the death of me and of the Baron Rothsay! she would e'en have been the death of thee, but for the benign interposition of that Almighty Providence to whom nothing can or ever is impossible. But spare thy mother, Tancred, and let thy vengeance fall alone on him, the damned spurrer of all her -Ay! you may cruel deeds!-On Lawrence.well start with horror, for had you not thus effected your escape, you ne'er had seen to-morrow's dawn. He would have murdered thee, my son, as he be

thor.

stored to something of its ancient freedom, | trance of the Acropolis, to be built; in transformeven though the splendors of its arts and ing the Piraeus, which was before crowded with arms should remain only in their imperish-ships of war, into a depot for the merchandise of the Greeks, and in raising Athens to be the favourite ent, need not make you doubt the truth of this. able records,-we turn with renewed inter- seat of the Muses. Yet how do our frivolous Atheest to the subject of Greece, whether an- nians reward these services? With ingratitude and cient or modern; and a book bearing the scorn. While all neighbouring states admire him, of Greece, and cannot express their astonishment above title commends itself to our notice, calling his work-for such is our Athens-the jewel though the production of an unknown au- that this city,--so limited in its extent, and built on a meagre and stony soil,-should throw monarchies In this instance, our interest has been into the shade;-here, in all our public places, our sustained through two small volumes, writ- shops and streets, he is calumniated; and all ears ten with a good deal of taste and discrim- are open to the senseless babble of those who are ination, although there is no display of ex- envious of him; and who by their calumnies, by grading arts, practised only by demagogues, are traordinary genius. The author seems to their deceitful tattle, and by a hundred other de “Yesterday the contemptible fools had the boldhave a truly Grecian spirit; and, what is creeping into favour with the people. better, that fine moral taste, which, where it is truly possessed, will always be per-ness to think of accusing him openly of tyranny, ceived; whatever may be the subject of and of proposing that he should be condemned to discussion, and whether truth or fiction be banished from the city." employ the pen.

fore did murder thy poor father, &c. &c.
Hamlets,
Hide your diminished heads, ye
and Banquos, and various other Castle
Spectres, for never did ghost so harrow up
the soul as this of the late Baron. We
This little work is in the form of dia-
know not nor envy him, who could
would
which we might suppose
Occupy and
listen to this thrilling tale unmoved. We logues; in which subjects are discussed
did suppose that sepulchre could
interest the Athenians in their best days.
render up a more appalling spectre than
They are designed to give us a lively
the imagination of Shakspeare, &c. had
already summoned; we did hope that picture of the times and render us, as it
"How could I hope,"
and Alcibiades.
spirits had done their worst, and could no were, present with Pericles and Socrates
more alarm the peacefulness of our solitary
the author in his preface, "to render
hours or disturb the "few rebellious" "par-scenes from a remote antiquity at once
ticular hairs," which adorn our head; but

no

to a transcendent genius like Mr G. R. Lillibridge, nothing-to use his own language-" can or ever is impossible."

After this terrific ghost has departed, the invisible voices, or four female spectres" make their appearance, but having left their voices behind them, they only point at a door; it takes four to make Tancred perfectly sensible which door he was to go out at, he was so much astounded by

the late Baron. We have room but for one

The third dialogue is between Pericles, Aspasia, and Alcibiades. It begins thus: "Aspasia. See with what serene glory the evening sun is sinking into the transparent wave! Thus closes the earthly career of the wise. Thus Thou, Alcibiades, did Anaxagoras pass away. wast present.

"Alcibiades. Never shall it be forgotten! He was sitting in this pillared hall; the moon shone upon his silver hair; he gazed serenely on the starry heavens; then he spoke, with reverence and awe, of the Creating Spirit who directs the course pleasing and instructive to my contempo- of countless worlds in the regions of immeasurable Pericles. His death was beautiful as his life. raries, had I not sought to invoke the living space. While he was speaking, I saw him fall spirit of that time and that people, to move gently asleep-alas! never again to awake. before them distinctly, holding up, as it Behold there his marble statue, wrought by the were, a mirror to each spectator; thus en-hand of Phidias. Thus intellectual, noble, and abling him to judge for himself?" The sub- benevolent were his features; thus did they remain, "The dema- unchanged, even when the genius of death had jects of these dialogues are: gogues; ostracism; the character of Per- already guided his better soul to Elysium. Often, icles, and his wisdom as a ruler; the when I regard the statue in the light of the starry heavens, it seems to me as if it were alive; the manner in which affairs of state were view- lips appear to open; and, to my fancy, the words ed by the common people; on the wise of imperishable wisdom flow from them. guidance of the people; Aristophanes' satire of the Sophists; the influence of the fine arts; the Grecian tragedy in its influence on the character of the nation; the difference between the wisdom of Socrates and that of the Sophists; the funeral celebration of the Athenians fallen in battle; the love of the marvellous among the Athenians; the death of Pericles; the habits of the females; the credulity of an Athenian mechanic; the policy of Cleon, the demagogue; the reverence paid to the gods; and the condemnation of Socrates." These are well chosen subjects, it will be Das Volksleben zu Athen, im Zeitalter des acknowledged; and we think they are, in Perikles, nach Griechischen Schriften.-general, well treated. Manners of the Athenians, drawn from Grecian works. By J. H. von Wessenburg. Part 1st, Zurich, 1821. Part 2d, 1823. 12mo. pp. 132.

more quotation, and that shall be Tancred's
but
determination as touching the ghost;
we trust we have said and shown enough to
induce our readers to delight themselves
with the perusal of this interesting drama.
"The mention of Lawrence's treachery, but
above all the discovery of the Cavern, which is a
secret to every human being but ourselves. It was
my father's spirit that I have seen; I am resolved
at all events to follow the admonitions of my mur-
dered sire, and others that have privilege here.-
I will once more return to the castle."

We hope this work will be translated and republished here; it would be not only useful to those who are studying the history and institutions of ancient Greece, but interesting to those who are acquainted with them. There is another reason why we should give our readers a somewhat minute analysis of its contents. At the present moment, when the Greeks seem to be rousing themselves from their long slumber, and other nations are looking at their fine country with the hope that it may be re

Pericles is the author's hero, of course, and he places his dignity and moral worth in the strongest contrast with the sophistry, artifice, and flattery of the demagogues, who were deceiving the people for their own aggrandizement. In the second dialogue-on the Ostracism-between Socrates and Crito, the following passage occurs:

"Crito. You are not ignorant, Socrates, with what triumphant splendour Pericles has terminated the war; how wisely he has freed Athens of vast numbers of dangerous idlers by the foundation of colonies. What a beautiful use has he made of the booty taken from the enemy, by converting it into splendid temples in honour of the gods; in causing the Odeum and Propylæum, at the en

Alcibiades. How sacred is this statue in my eyes. Once, O Pericles, didst thou lead me to it, when I was trembling on the borders of a frightful drawn me into its whirling vortex. Here did I precipice; when an unholy ambition would have swear to Pallas, the goddess of the Athenians, that, faithful to the instructions of Anaxagoras, I would subdue my ambition, whenever its indulgence "Pericles. And hitherto, my dear son, thou would interfere with the welfare of my country. hast kept thy oath, as a noble Athenian should do.

"Alcibiades. If I have done so, if I now love my country more than fame, to whom do I owe it, but to thee, Pericles, to thee, Aspasia, and to our Socrates? I earnestly strive to attain thine excellence, O Pericles; but there is one of thy virtues, "Aspasia. And which is that? in view of which I must ever despair.

"Alcibiades. The unshaken coolness of his deportment in the tumult of popular commotion; this compels my admiration, but is beyond my imita

tion.

"Pericles. Why so? The blood already flows more slowly in your veins, and a judicious zeal for the welfare of the Republic has taken place of that youthful impetuosity, with which, like another Theseus, you used to attack every thing which experience will complete the work. seemed to you unjust or inexpedient. Age and

"Alcibiades. Allow me, however, to confess that, when the populace, excited by their flatterers, speak contemptuously of thy wisdom; when the Demagogues shamefully misinterpret thy good deeds, and draw, with deceptive sophistry, from thy very services, grounds of accusation against thee; when the hypocritical orators,—their own pockets well filled, bring as witnesses against thee the liberty and prosperity of the state, for

which they have done nothing themselves; then | locutors are Philistus, an advocate; Damo-
my whole soul is kindled within me; my eyes flash cles, a master tailor; Lisiman, a dealer in
fire, and I am irresistibly impelled to scourge the horses; Eucrates, Archon of Athens; and
impostors; but one glance at thee slackens the
strained cord of my bow. What serenity, what Zeusippus, a merchant.
coolness, what indifference! Ah! it exceeds my
conception.

"Lisiman. By Jupiter! I have not heard a what witch or sorceress did you receive such aston-syllable of all this. But you only mean to perplex me?

Philistus. He says your steward received the

order, dismounts, and is going away.] Stop a mo- from Canada to Chili, into colonial states | pendent, India will soon follow in the same ment. I had forgotten something. Just now, as I and provinces ;-then this same spirit turn- course; not by freeing herself from bondwas coming through the marketplace, I heard a ed itself eastward, and filled New Holland age, for that cannot be; the Hindoos have curious story passing from one to another. The sagacious tradespeople were saying that Persia and the eastern isles with European estab- been so long without exerting any thing was in a state of complete uproar, and that an am-lishments, and conquered India, and peopled like a political will, that faculty may well bassador was on the way to pray for the protection the shores and capes of Southern Africa. be deemed extinct; but there will no doubt of Athens. They are asking each other, in good Europe became the head and sovereign of be an end, probably a speedy and a sudden earnest, whether it will be well to grant the request. the earth. She had sent out her children end, to the wonderful anomaly of the BritHave you heard any thing of it? Philistus. I heard something of the sort just to take possession of a large proportion, ish empire in India. Some European pownow from Damocles, the tailor,-one of our most and controlled, directly or indirectly, al- er will declare itself independent there; simple and credulous quid-nuncs. But do you most all the remainder. She took away perhaps the Indian English themselves will know that he mentioned your house as the source the precious metals from Potosi, Peru, and raise the standard of national sovereignty, of this strange news? Mexico, by the right of ownership; and and the mild and docile millions of that "Eucrates. The lying rascal! My house? with them, and the fabrics of her workshops, country will gladly gather around, to find How did he make that out? and the strength and terror of her arms, beneath its shadow the repose and securshe commanded the comforts and the luxu- ity of a common empire, which they have ries of all the world to be brought home to never enjoyed since the days of Aurengeher storehouses, and spread abroad for the zebe. universal enjoyment of her nations. All Philistus. Be not wroth, Eucrates! Moder- climes poured into her lap the tribute of ate thy righteous indignation. I will give you a key to the mystery. My friend Perdiccas, the great all their products; China wove her silks merchant, amused himself, when he last dined with and gathered her teas; India contributed you, by telling this tale to your major-domo, instead her shawls and muslins, and spices and of a fee when he left the door, being well acquaint-pearls; and Africa offered up her gold and ed with his credulity. Thus you see, respected Archon, how the news of the day is got up in ivory and ebony; the ocean became her Athens, and by what means our people are kept highway, and mountains sank down before continually in a condition between dreaming and her enterprise and energies; her search extended and her hand reached every [To be continued.] where, and every where she gathered into her garners all that was valuable for its beauty or its use.

account.

"Eucrates. How? The sharper! I'll put an end to such doings. He shall leave my house at

once.

46

drunkenness."

MISCELLANY.

THOUGHTS UPON THE CHARACTER OF THE
AGE.

We think we are living in one of those epochas which occasionally occur to divide the succession of time into distinct periods of uncertain and various duration. One such period extended from the foundation of the Roman empire to its overthrow by the irruption of northern nations; another was denominated the dark ages; a third began with the discoveries of Columbus and is now about to end. It would not be difficult to show, that each of these periods has its distinct character,—though perhaps not enough so, to make this classification of ages perfectly exact. Still there were in each of them certain general modes of feeling and thinking, and certain active principles of large extent and unresisted operation, which may be every where recognised with more or less accuracy. Our present concern is with the character of those periods, of which we suppose one to be approaching its end, and the other to be beginning.

When America was known to exist, it was without delay taken possession of by Europe, and, from that day to the achievement of our independence, was an appendage-a suburban out-lying domain to that continent. This possession was peopled; tenants were put into the vacant fields, and and were encouraged to cultivate them, the fee always remaining in the crowns of Europe, who exacted from their transatlantic estates a very sufficient rent in the shape of colonial trade and commercial monopolies. Thus grew up a colonizing spirit and system totally distinct from any thing known to ancient nations. It needed but a few years to parcel out America,

The colonies on the coasts of Africa, New Holland, and the isles of the Eastern Archipelago, while they remain weak settlements, existing only by the protection of Europe, and drawing their life-blood from their mother-lands like unweaned infants, need not be taken into the account; but when they too grow to be nations they cannot linger long behind their predecessors. What then will Europe be? Her various nations will differ from their many children, only as the parent is enfeebled by age, while the offspring rejoice in the spirit and The chain of her dominion enwrapped the the strength of youth and manhood. It is whole earth; but the emancipation of these doing America no justice, to say that she states severed its continuity, and the links will then be the equal of Europe; Europe are now falling asunder every where. As will not then be her equal. The colonies the supremacy of Europe was founded on the from which were born the nations of this commerce which grew principally out of continent, were for the most part formed of the colonial system, and upon her unques- her very essence. True it is, that Spanish tionable superiority over other quarters of America was originally conquered by men, the globe in arts and arms; so this power for whom no more fitting name can be must be destroyed by the establishment of found than that of demons; true it is, that new empires, upon a new continent, ac- for many years, cruelty, rapacity, and all knowledging in her no moral or political manner of wickedness flourished there luxsupremacy, and at least as independent of uriantly;-but it is also true, that even her as she is of them. The establishment then and there, it was the misfortune of of such empires must be the inevitable those countries, that they who were most consequence,―nay, it is the actual conse- thoroughly imbued with all iniquity, were quence of our independence. These new their most remarkable men, and stand forth nations are and will be possessed of all the in their histories with undue prominence. intelligence, science, and energy which These individuals were not all the Eurohave placed Europe in advance of her sis-peans there; nor had they power to imter continents; and enjoy all these ad- press their own characters deeply upon the vantages, without the oppressive institu- institutions and manners of the colonies; tions, which are fastened upon her various and after Pizarro and Cortes, Albuquerque nations by the amalgamation of the princi- and Orando had passed away, their memory ples and institutions proper to Roman des- existed only to be accursed, and men of puripotism, with those which the free and mili- ty and piety and various excellence came tary savages, who overran the empire, across the waters, and the shores of our brought with them from their northern for- southern continent were marked with many ests. footsteps by them who were worthy to peoThe system of colonization, was suggest-ple and civilize a land which Columbus dised and commenced by the conquest of covered. At this moment the spirit of poSouth America; that system, with its con- litical regeneration is working there with sequences, forms one of the distinctive characteristics of the period which has followed, and must be referred to the discovery of this country, as its first cause. So the emancipation of this continent from European sovereignty, which is now all but completed, will be the commencement of a new period, the character and events of which it may not be altogether impossible to foresee. When America is wholly inde

intense activity. It encounters in the character of the people and their institutions, a resistance greater beyond comparison than any which opposed it here; but it derives great aid from the violent reaction of the very abuses it seeks to extirpate. It goes on, conquering and to conquer, and there can be but one termination to the conflict.

As for ourselves, we owe our origin to