"If we carry back the epocha of Venetian freedom to the establishment of the government under which the republic flourished, we shall find that the date of the election of the first Doge is 697; and if we add one century to a thousand, that is, eleven hundred years, we shall find the sense of the prediction to be literally this: Thy liberty will not last till 1797.' Recollect that Venice ceased to be free in the year 1796, the fifth year of the French republic; and you will perceive that there never was prediction more pointed, or more exactly followed by the event. You will, therefore, note as very remarkable the three lines of Alamanni, addressed to Venice, which, however, no one has pointed out: Se non cangi pensier, l'un secol solo Tua liberta, che va fuggendo a volo.' notion that he COULD have been introducea, since there has been nothing I have so carefully avoided as any kind of intercourse with his countrymen,-excepting the very few who were a considerable time resident in Venice, or had been of my previous acquaintance. Whoever made him any such offer was possessed of impudence equal to that of making such an assertion without having had it. The fact is, that I hold in utter abhorrence any contact with the travelling Engish, as my friend the Consul-General Hoppner, and the Coun tess Benzoni, (in whose house the Conversazione mostly frequented by them is held,) could amply testify, were it worth while. I was persecuted by these tourists even to my riding-ground at Lido, and reduced to the most disagreeable circuits to avoid them. At Madame Benzoni's I repeatedly refused to be introduced to Many prophecies have passed for such, and many men them;-of a thousand such presentations pressed upon have been called prophets for much less." If the Doge's prophecy seem remarkable, look to the above, made by trifles publicly, if the impudence of this "sketcher" Alamanni two hundred and seventy years ago. me, I accepted two, and both were to Irish women. I should hardly have descended to speak of such had not forced me to a refutation of a disingenuous and gratuitously impertinent assertion;so meant to THE author of "Sketches Descriptive of Italy," &c. be, for what could it import to the reader to be told one of the hundred tours lately published, is extremely that the author "had repeatedly declined an introduc anxious to disclaim a possible charge of plagiarism tion," even had it been true, which, for the reasons I from "Childe Harold" and "Beppo." He adds, that have above given, is scarcely possible. Except Lords still less could this presumed coincidence arise from Lansdowne, Jersey, and Lauderdale; Messrs. Scott, "my conversation," as he had repeatedly declined an Hammond, Sir Humphry Davy, the late M. Lewis, W introduction to me while in Italy. Bankes, Mr. Hoppner, Thomas Moore, Lord Kinnaird, Who this person may be, know not; but he must his brother, Mr. Joy, and Mr. Hobhouse, I do not re. have been deceived by all or any of those who "repeat-collect to have exchanged a word with another Englishedly offered to introduce" him, as I have invariably man since I left their country; and almost all these I refused to receive any English with whom I was not had known before. The others-and God knows there previously acquainted, even when they had letters were some hundreds-who bored me with letters or vis. from England. If the whole assertion is not an inven-its, I refused to have any communication with, and shall tion, I request this person not to sit down with the be proud and happy when that wish becomes mutual. SARDANAPALUS. A TRAGEDY. TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS GOËTHE A STRANGER PRESUMES TO OFFER THE HOMAGE OF A LITERARY VASSAL TO His Liege LORD, THE FIRST OF EXISTING WRITERS, WHO HAS CREATED THE LITERATURE OF HIS OWN COUNTRY, AND ILLUSTRATED THAT OF EUROPE. THE UNWORTHY PRODUCTION WHICH THE AUTHOR VENTURES TO INSCRIBE TO HIM IS ENTITLED PREFACE. In publishing the following Tragedies I have only to repeat that they were not composed with the most remote view to the stage. throughout the world, and is still so in the more civilized parts of it. But "Nous avons change tout cela," and are reaping the advantages of the change. The writer is far from conceiving that any thing he can adduce by personal precept or example can at all approach his regular, On the attempt made by the Managers in a former or even irregular predecessors: he is merely giving a instance, the public opinion has been already expressed. reason why he preferred the more regular formation of a With regard to my own private feelings, as it seems structure, however feeble, to an entire abandonment of all that they are to stand for nothing, I shall say nothing. rules whatsoever. Where he has failed, the failure is in For the historical foundation of the following compo- the architect,-and not in the art. sitions, the reader is referred to the Notes. The Author has in one instance attempted to preserve, and in the other to approach the "unities;" conceiving In this tragedy it has been my intention to follow the that with any very distant departure from them, there account of Diodorus Siculus; reducing it, however, to may be poetry, but can be no drama. He is aware of such dramatic regularity as I best could, and trying to the unpopularity of this notion in present English litera- approach the unities. I therefore suppose the rebellion ture; but it is not a system of his own, being merely an to explode and succeed in one day by a sudden conspira. opinion, which, not very long ago, was the law of literature cy instead of the long war of the history. He hath wrong'd my sister, still he is my brother; To have reach'd an empire; to an empire born, [Sound of soft music heard from within. By the first manly hand which dares to snatch it. SCENE II-Enter SARDANAPALUS effeminately dressed, his head crowned with flowers, and his robe negligently flowing, attended by a train of women and young slaves. Sar. (speaking to some of his attendants.) Let the pavilion over the Euphrates Be garlanded, and lit, and furnish'd forth My lord Myr. Thou didst not say so. Sur. Great king, But hou lookedst it; I know each glance of those Ionic eyes, Which said thou wouldst not leave me. Myr. Sire! your brotherSal. His consort's brother, minion of Ionia! How darest thou name me and not blush? Sar. Where sunset tints the snow with rosy shadows, Sar. Cursed be he who caused those tears to flow! Sal. Myr. I My sovereign, pray, and thou, too, prince, permit my absence. Sar. Since it must be so, and this churl has check'd Thy gentle spirit, go; but recollect That we must forthwith meet: I had rather lose Think'st thou there is no tyranny but that Distract within, both will alike prove fatal: Sal. Forgiveness of the queen, my sister's wrongs; Sar. What's that? Sal. Sar. I love to learn. Sal. Sar. Virtue. To thee an unknown word, Sar. I understand thee-thou wouldst have me go Forth as a conqueror. By all the stars Which the Chaldeans read-the restless slaves Wherefore not? And how many Left she behind in India to the vultures? Then I will say for them- Sal. All warlike spirits have not the same fate. A hundred kings, although she fail'd in India, Yet speak it; That they will need her sword more than your sceptre. Sar. There was a certain Bacchus, was there rot? I've heard my Greek girls speak of such-they say Not know the word! Never was word yet rung so in my earsWorse than the rabble's shout, or splitting trumpet; I've heard thy sister talk of nothing else. Sal. To change the irksome theme, then, hear of vice. Sar. From whom? Sal. Even from the winds, if thou couldst listen Unto the echoes of the nation's voice. Sar. Come. I'm indulgent, as thou knowest, patient, As thou hast often proved-speak out, what moves thee? Sal. Thy peril. He was a god, that is, a Grecian god, An idol foreign to Assyria's worship, Who conquer'd this same golden realm of Ind Sal. I have heard of such a man; and thou perceiv's) That he is deem'd a god for what he did. Sar. And in his godship I will honour him- To worship your new god And ancient conqueror. Some wine, I say. Enter Cupbearer. Sar. (addressing the Cupbearer.) Bring me the golden goblet thick with gems, Which bears the name of Nimrod's chalice. Hen Is this moment Re-enter Cupbearer, with wine. Sar. (taking the cup from him) Noble kinsman If these barbarian Greeks of the far shores And skirts of these our realms lie not, this Bacchus Conquer'd the whole of India, did he not? Sal. He did, and thence was deem'd a deity Sar. Not so:-of all his conquests a few columns Which may be his, and might be mine, if I Thought them worth purchase and conveyance, are The landmarks of the seas of gore he shed, The realms he wasted, and the hearts he broke. But here, here in this goblet is this title To immortality-the iminortal grape Sa'. [Drinks. Sal. Wilt thou resume a revel at this hour? Boy, retire. [Exit Cupbearer. Sal. I would but have recall'd thee from thy dream: Better by me awaken'd than rebellion. Sar. Who should rebel? or why? what cause? pretext? I am the lawful king, descended from A race of kings who knew no predecessors. That thou shouldst rail, or they rise up against me? Thou think'st that I have wrong'd the queen: is 't not I own thy merit in those founded cities, Sar. Shame me! By Baal, the cities, though well buil Eat, drink, and love; the rest's not worth a fillip."* For a king to put up before his subjects! Sar. Oh, thou wouldst have me doubtless set u "Obey the king-contribute to his treasure- Sal. Thy sires have been revered as gods— And death, where they are neither gods nor men In Just Those gods were merely men; look to their issue I feel a thousand mortal things about me, But so ? But nothing godlike, unless it may be Alas! Patience, prince, and hear me. To be indulgent to my own. And loved her as most husbands love their wives. Sal. I pray thee, change the theme: my blood disdains Sar. murmur Because I have not shed their blood, nor led them Or whiten with their bones the banks of Ganges; Sal. Sar. Or for my trophies I have founded cities: Sar. What dost dread? Sal. Thou art guarded by thy foes: in a few hours Sar. I will trust no man with unlimited lives. Sar. That's a hard question--But, I answer Y Sal. I would thou wouldst not ask me: the next mon end Sar. Thou knowest I have done so ever • J have one more request. Sar. Name it. Sal. That thou this night forbear the banquet In the pavilion over the Euphrates. They had conjured up stern Nimrod from his ashes. Sar. Forbear the banquet! Not for all the plotters Sar. Perhaps. I have the goodliest armour, and And now I think on 't, 't is long since I've used them, Will I not? Oh! if it must be so, and these rash slaves Sal. They say, thy sceptre's turn'd to that already? No; I would not give the smile of one fair girl Sal. Given or received; we have enough within us, Of mortal misery, but rather lessen, By mild reciprocal alleviation, The fatal penalties imposed on life: But this they know not, or they will not know. I have, by Baal! done all I could to sooth them: I made no wars, I added no new imposts, I interfered not with their civic lives, I let them pass their days as best might suit them, Sal. Thou stopp'st short Of the duties of a king; and therefore They say thou art unfit to be a monarch. Sar. They lie.-Unhappily, I am unfit To be aught save a monarch; else for me The meanest Mede might be the king instead. Sal. There is one Mede, at least, who seeks to be so. Sar. What mean'st thou ?-'t is thy secret; thou desirest Few questions, and I'm not of curious nature. Sal. I will not pause to answer With words, but deeds. Keep thou awake that energy Which sleeps at times, but is not dead within thee, And thou may'st yet be glorious in thy reign, As powerful in thy realm. Farewell! [Exit SALEMENES. Farewell! Sar. (solus.) If they should sweep me off from earth and empire, I have loved, and lived, and multi ed my image; Is rank abundance, and a rotten harvest I'll think no more.Within there, ho! |