Ye whose death, still unrequited,
Groans for vengeance from the tomb,
Hither, from the land of spirits,

Souls of slaughter'd warriors come.

The

The scene between Raymond and Abdalla offers some striking passages. following speech of Raymond is in a strain not unworthy of the Honey-moon.

Ay, this looks well thy tread is firm and even :
Thou bear'st thyself erect thine hand is steady;
There is honest gratulation in thine eye.

Here is no poison; each proud look and gesture
Pourtrays the noble image of a man

Who holds the cup of comfort to his fellow.
Pleasure may dance in her full draughts of wine;
Health sparkles here.

The Indians would have been still more worthy of admiration, had not the author, in the vain attempt to render the piece susceptible of representation, deformed it with a barbarism, which he was led to consider an indispensable condition of acceptance. Having been taught to believe,

that he must provide a part for a particular comic performer; he was induced to invest the lover of Almanza with the flippancy of a footman, and the vulgarity of a buffoon, and, notwithstanding this concession, had the mortification to add The Indians to the list of his rejected plays.

During the two succeeding years, he appears to have been wholly employed in preparing plots and dialogues for operatic dramas. From the steadiness with which he pursued this task it is obvious that he still entertained the idea of introducing a reform in this department of the stage, in which he might with reason hope to establish his claim to pre-eminence. As a genuine lover of the drama, he could not witness, without pain, the incoherent series of extravagance and incongruity, which, under the name of opera, continued to engross the patronage of fashion; whilst not only good authors, but admirable actor

were neglected, and the stage itself was ine vitably subjected to degradation and contempt. He was sensible that to correct this evil, something more than criticism or philosophy was required, and that operatic nonsense was only to be displaced by productions of a similar species, but superior character, in which its volatile fantastic features should be ennobled by an expression derived from the legitimate drama. He believed it to be possible to combine with Spectacle the charms of poetry and eloquence, and to conciliate the rival claims of wit and harmony, and of tragical romance with comic humour. Such was the system on which he often expatiated in familiar conversation, and such the principles to which he adhered in writing The Fisherman, and two or three unfinished operas. In each of these pieces, the basis of the story was romance, and unfolded in that nervous blank verse, which constituted one of his chief merits. In The Fisherman, it is true, the author

H

appears to have concentrated his strength in the comic scenes, some of which are perhaps only inferior to his Honey Moon; the songs were written at different intervals, and through the medium of admiring friends, many of them were recited in certain literary circles. Of all Tobin's compositions, this appears to have been most generally relished and approved by his literary associates; who uniformly ascribed to it a novelty and elegance of designcertain romantic fascination, derived from the mingled influence of fancy and poetry and the abrupt, but not ungraceful transitions, from the imaginary to the vulgar world, which they discovered in no former production. Although this drama appears not to have ever received those finishing touches of the author's pen, which diffuse so many nameless beauties, it was offered for representation, and at the suggestion of a manager, compressed into two acts; but in this experiment

the author was singularly unfortunate; and shocked by the mutilation he had inflicted, he willingly consigned it to oblivion. The School for Authors, one of his most pleasing efforts in comedy, was, in 1800, offered and rejected. There is in this play one scene, written perhaps from the impression of personal feelings, in which the author betrays a sensibility that was rarely permitted to escape his pen; it is in the interview between Cleveland and his beloved Jane, who, when he announces the performance of his play, declares her resolution to witness the representation.

Jane. I feel it will be a trial, yet don't attempt to dissuade me. 1 will seek out some gloomy dim-lighted corner of the house, where my varying cheek shall be unnoticed my beating heart unheard; where hope, unperceived, may elevate, and fear depress me: from whence, if you are successful, I may bear the tidings with the speed of sound; and if you should fail- but I don't think you'll fail - rather than you should fail, I'll make a speech to the audience myself.

Clev. My sweet girl — and what will you say to them? Jane. I will tell them, it is the first fond child of your