318 



lo llic 

 it. For 

 and 



tion, so lliat aloes grow wild among tlic 

 rocks, and olive plantations tliiivo in it. 

 Above Varentia ate two very lofly moun- 

 tains, to the noitli of wliicii is a glacier. 



From this glacier proceeds the Milky 

 River, so called from the frothy nature 

 of its waves. The water is uncommonly 

 cold, and springs up from a cavern, 

 hounding to the distance of 1000 feet 

 round about. 



A narrative is told here of some 

 ctirious individuals that, in 1585, en- 

 tered the cavern, i)enetratin<; 

 distance of two leagues within 

 three days they remained, lost 

 bewildered, in the winding maze ; and, 

 when they came out on the fourth day, 

 they were so exhausted, that they only 

 survived three days longer. A curious 

 singula! ify attends this river; it begins 

 running in the month of March ; and, as 

 the weather gets warmer, the water 

 turns colder : it dries up, in autumn, and 

 remains dry through the winter. 



Not fur from the Milky River is the 

 little village of Capuanna, where Count 

 Serbclloni lias a beautiful country 

 house. A number of fine cascades are 

 formed here by a rivulet. Boldoni 

 Conceives, that Pliny the younger had 

 liis residence here. The banks of .'the 

 lake, on this side, are very steep. In 

 the little town of Mandello appears the 

 superb palace of Airoldi, the grandest 

 on the borders of the Lario, next to 

 Gravcdona. 



Lceeo is a pretty large town, and 

 situated at the efllux of the Adda, by tlse 

 eastern branch of the lake. Here a 

 double canal, drawn from the lake, gives 

 motion to 120 engines for foundaries, 

 wire drawing, oil presses, silk spin- 

 ning, &c. 



For the Blonilily 3Tfir/azinr. 

 NEWS FROM PARNASSUS. 



NO. XXXII. 



Alasco, a Trugedij ; by M. A. S/ue, 

 esq. R.A. 



IF there is one circumstance which, 

 more than any other, illustrates the 

 unrivalled genius of Sliakspeare, it is, 

 perhaps, his uniform success in that 

 exalted department of poetry which so 

 few of his countrymen, either belbrc or 

 since his time, have essayed with ad- 

 vantage, — the composition of tragedy. 

 Every period of our literature abounds 

 with specimens of excellent comedy ; 

 but, in contemplating the number of 

 candidates for the honours of the tragic 

 muse, and con.<;idcriiig to how few of 

 her volaiics she lias sliown' herself pio- 



Neicsfrom Parnasius, No. XXXlI. [May 1 , 



pitions, we cannot refrain from exclaim- 

 ing, (piantula portio ! Otway, Southern, 

 and Addison, it is true, still keep pos- 

 session of the stage; but, as for the 

 countless host of other writers w ho have 

 wooed the smiles of Melpomene, and 

 many of tliom in their own day with 

 good approbation, their elaborate efloits 

 are consigned to the tomb of the Capu- 

 lets, buried in oblivion, or known only as 

 closet plays.* In the present day, the 

 dearth of tragic talent has been peculi- 

 arly conspicuous; and the majority of 

 those who have aspired to the reputa- 

 tion of it have failed to obtain even an 



ephemeral triumph, while the produc- 

 tions of their few more fortunate 

 brethren have, generally speaking, been 

 allowed to strut their little hour upon 

 the stage, and have then been heard na 

 more.' With the e^vcepling of Cole- 

 ridge's "Remorse," Matmjn's "Ber- 

 tram," and Haines's " Conscience," 

 and " Durazzo,'" the molo-dramesand 

 mono-dr:imes put forth of late years 

 lo the public, uiid(!r the name of 

 tragedies, have no mure just claim to 

 the title, than Dr. Sonlhcy's Joan of 

 Arc to that of epic, which its modest 

 and erudite author so facetiously pre- 

 fixed to it. 



After having so long had reason In 

 lament tlie want of originality anil 

 talent in this walk of poctiy, it is truly 

 gratifying to meet with such a drama as 

 Alasco, the merits of which fully vindi- 

 cate its right to the appellation of a tra- 

 gedy, and redeem us from the hopeless- 

 ness we had begun to feel of again 

 seeing the " gorgeous nymph in scep- 

 tercd pail, come sweeping by." \Vc 

 deeply regret the official suppression by 

 which iMr. Slice has been precluded 

 from benufitiug the stage by his labours; 

 but, fortiniately, the portion which yet 

 remains to us of the freedom of the press 

 has power to prevent the total extinction 

 of talent ; and it is some consolation to 

 reflect, that, if this gentleman's tragedy 

 has not been aflowed toafi'ord an oppor- 

 tunity for the development of histrionic 

 talent, it will, at least, form a valuable 

 addition to our fund of dramatic 

 literatiirc. 



The materials of the story are re- 

 markably 



• Some of our readers will perhaps be 

 surprised at oiu" not iuchiding the names 

 of Moore and Lillo ; but, in a poetical 

 sense, wc do not conceive that such domes- 

 tic dramas as '' George Barnwell,'' or the 

 " Giiiiit'stcr," ran be dignitied with the 

 title y( tragedies. 



