Retrospect of Domestic Literature— Drama and Novels. 59% 
ELVIRA. 
Thou fill the throne of Portugal! thy words 
Are thunder in my ears—-speak—-art thou 
leagu’d 
With him, the enemy of all mankind, 
Whase boasted conquests are rank usur- 
pations 5 
Who rules the nations with an iron hand? 
Soars thy ambition to a traitor’s name ? 
Turn'd vile usurper, whose foul deeds of 
death 
‘The pen of history shall write in blood ! 
Think’st thou Ervrra will unite in crimes, 
And smile upon the grandeur of a theft? 
Thou knowest not Ervira—true, I am 
proud 5 
But never shall a treason taint this heart. 
Mistaken man! beyond the tyrant’s reach 
>repar’d to fly, the Prince will shun his 
power. 
ALVAREZ, 
Vainly he hopes to scape impending fate, | 
And deems the hosts of France in sluggish- 
ness | 
Undone beyond the powers of restoration ; 
Wakes from his dream, and finds himself a 
vassal. , 
i ‘ ELVIRA, 
Ha! is it so?—-then duty be obey’d! 
in thee my simple confidence repos'd! 
Deceiv’d, Ifondly priz’d ‘hee for thy virtues ! 
All love is fed—it holds no competition 
>Twixt me, and firm allegiance to my prince, 
For ever, more the parent than che. sove- 
reign; 
For all his friendship, shall I thus requite 
him, 
And say to gratitude, ** I know thee not 
an 
The remainder of the dialogue in this 
interview is still more animated. But 
the single scene which occupies the 
whole of Act i. representing A Council 
Chamber ; present, the Prince, Arch- 
bishop of Liston, Archbishop of Braga, 
Emanuel, Alonzo, Alvarez, and other 
officers of state, is superior in sentiment 
and style to any of our modern dramas. 
One short specimen we submit to the 
judgment of our readers, and so conclude 
the review. : 
ALVAREZ, 
NaProLzon Offers friendship to our realm 5 
Holds out to PoRTUGAL a guardian hand, 
To him all Europe bows—-he only asks 
For friendship in return, and vigorous aid, 
fo gain that peace, for which my sovereign 
sighs. 
PRINCE. 
Tis he alone, who lifts his arm against us:: 
Yet he, with all his daring, views with fear 
The giant power of Britain—sacred spot! 
Vhe fam’d asylum from despotic power ; 
Where banish’d kings and princes Gnd a 
- Jagime ; 
- Where reigns a sovereign in his peoples’ 
hearts 5 : 
That happy Isle, where freedom only-dwelis, 
Yo rescue irom a tyrant’s rage the world, 
Wishes he peace with Encrany? to what 
end ? 
Yo snatch the sword of justice from her 
hand, 
To slay aud plunder with impunity. 
Yhe republication of the first folic 
edition of Suaxspeare’s Plays may be 
regarded as a phenomenon in literature. 
The text is a fuc-stmile, aud includes 
whatever errors may have crept into the 
first assemblage of the plays. As far as 
price goes, the possession of this invalu- 
able treasure may now be attained for a 
tenth of what its original has for a: Jone 
time brought. iy 
The posthumous work of Mr. Josrriu 
Srrutt, for which the world is indebted 
to his son, though interesting, and occa~ 
sionally marked by touches both of ele. 
gance and feeling, has certainly not re- 
ceived the last revisal of its author. It 
isa dramatic tale, entitled “ The Test o 
Guilt,” founded onthe vulgar notion that 
a murdered carcase bleeds afresh at the 
touch of the assassin.) | 
“The Heir at Law,” by Mr. Gronce 
Cotman, the younger, which was brought 
out at the theatre royal, iu the ilaymar- 
ket, aslong ago as July the 15th, 1797, 
is now first published in a genuine form, 
Of its merit as a dramatic production, no 
testimony can be needed on our part. 
Among the eperas which have appear- 
ed, “fhe Jew of Mogadore,” by Mr. 
CUMBERLAND, Is probably the best, 
‘Mr. Kenney’s “ World,” deserves 
the highest commendation, 
_ Here also we shall: introduce the 
“ Practical Illustrations of Theatrical 
Gesture and Action, adapted to the Bu. 
siness of the English Stage, and to the 
Characters of the English Drama,” frons 
the originul work of M. FEncer, mem- 
ber of the academy of Berlin. By Mr, . 
Henry Sippons. 
In a future retrospect, we shall pro- 
bably again notice the Dramatic and 
Poetical Works of the late Genrran 
Burcoyne, To which are prefixed, Me- 
moirs of the author. 
wovets, &c. 
Considerable praise is due, in this class, 
to * The Wedding-day,” by Mrs. Spence: 
The plot is unfolded in an interesting 
manner. The story has unity of design, 
fidelity in the delineation of character, 
chasteness of expression, and a vood 
moral, | of 
Another 
