EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. No. CI. JUNE, 1825. VOL. XVII. Contents. LETTERS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF INDIA. No. II. HORE HISPANICE. No. X. CALDERON'S COURTESY NOT LOVE, PORTION THIRD, PORTION FOURTH, HORE GERMANICE. No. XXI. WIELAND'S ARISTIPPUS, PADDY PUMPS OF CORK to C. N. ESQ., AT EDINBURGH, ENGLISH AND IRISH LAND-LETTING, RINGAN AND MAY. ANE RICHTE MOURNFULLE DITTYE, MAIDE BE 641 667 668 669 670 673 681 684 701 MR HOUGGE, THE WITCH OF THE GRAY THORN. BY JAMES HOGG, THE ET- A LETTER TO CHARLES KEMBLE, ESQ., AND W. ELLISTON, ESQ., ON 5. Present Operations and future Prospects of the Mexican Mine Association. By Sir W. Rawson. 6. Letter to the Lord Chancellor on the Necessity and Practicability of forming a Code of the Laws of England. By Crofton Uniacke. 7. Arrowsmith's Outlines of the World. To A YOUNG LADY, THE TIE SEVERED. A SKETCH, WORKS PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION, 717 723 MONTHLY LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS, MONTHLY REGISTER. 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WITHOUT entering into a minute investigation of the chronological progress of the drama, from mysteries and moralities to regular tragedies and comedies, in the different countries of Europe, we may boldly assert that the Spanish theatre is the only one which can compete with our own in antiquity; it alone, like ours, burst at once from its shapeless chrysalis state, in full beauty and vigour, whilst those of France, Germany, &c. had, like some marine insects, to pass through various minor, unornamental, intermediate changes, previous to attain ing their perfect form. Whether this should be beneficial or detrimental to the art, we are not now to inquire; it is sufficient to mention the fact, that in the very infancy of the Spanish stage, and nearly contemporaneous with Shakespeare, arose Lope de Vega, and his immediate successor Calderon, since whose days no dramatist has appeared at all capable of rivalling their fame. During the period in which these authors flourished, the great preponderance of the power of Spain naturally rendered Spanish the prevalent European language, and the Spanish theatre may, in consequence, be justly regarded as the parent stock of the modern Continental theatres; a circumstance which, independently of its original and peculiar characteristics, entitles it to more attention than it has hitherto met with in this country. For the purpose of making it better known to our readers, we have selected CalVOL. XVII. deron's Famosa Comedia, AGRADECER Y NO AMAR, which may be paraphrased by The Renowned Comedy of COURTESY NOT LOVE, as the work of an author highly and deservedly celebrated by foreigners and rivals, as well as by his own countrymen-although we must confess ourselves absolutely astounded at Schlegel's comparing him to Shakespeare and as a fair specimen of most of the characteristics of its species most, not all-did we venture to produce one of the many scenes in which sacred beings are brought upon the Spanish stage, we should, in fancy, feel ourselves in the fangs of the Society for the Suppression of Vice at least, if not of the more authorized executive officers. As a brief abstract, with a few scenes, could hardly give a full idea of the original, we must say two or three words upon these general characteristics, particularly the versification, before proceeding to the individual Famosa Comedia. Of these, the most striking is that to which we have already alluded; a familiarity with all we deem too holy to be even mentioned lightly, amounting, according to our English ideas, to blasphemy. The chief of the remainder are such a profusion of inci dent, such an almost inextricable complication of plot, as give great spirit to the conduct of the piece, and create an eager rather than an intense interest in its progress and developement ;-a style even prodigally poetical, and indulging in descriptions more properly 4 0 epic than dramatic, intermixed with considerable liveliness of dialoguelittle pathos-little depth or strength of passion-and such a total absence of discrimination or individuality of character, that the personages are usually designated, in addition to their names, by the words Barba, Galan, Dama, &c. meaning, literally, old man, gallant, lady, but bearing more analogy to the Pere Noble, Premier Amoureux, &c. to be found in the composition of French companies of comedians, if not in French Dramatis Persone, than to aught within the sphere of British theatrical knowledge. In this enumeration of characters, if such they can be called, must not be omitted the indispensable one of the Gracioso, who is a sort of mongrel between Shakespeare's Clown and the French Scapin. The ordinary versification of Spanish plays was, until imitated of late years by some of the living German tragic authors, unlike that of any known theatre. These dramas are commonly written in lines of eight syllables, in trochaic metre, and with what are called asonante terminations; that is to say, that the two last syllables of the alternate lines consist of the same vowels, without paying any regard to the consonants; thus the words rapid, maxim, artist, hard ship, establish, having, magic, Cardiff, and a sad kiss, would be said to asonar. This species of versification could, in English, scarcely bear a semblance of metre or rhythm, and accordingly we have, in translating, abstained from any attempt at imitation, boldly substituting our natural blank verse. In Spanish, after a little habit, it satisfies the ear, but when it does so, its effect is, to us, decidedly lyrical, and consequently anti-dramatic; an effect heightened by a frequent, apparently most arbitrary, deviation into rhyme of all sorts; couplets, triplets, and stanzas of every possible length and structure, being promiscuously interspersed. Examples of this,—of an odd Spanish custom of pulling a song to pieces, in order to use it in the dialogue,-and of the sort of punning, quibbling jests of the Gracioso, as far as this last is practicable in translation, shall be given in our extracts. We now proceed to la Famosa Comedia itself, and shall begin by presenting our readers with the first scene considering first scenes as usually characteristic of the genus. The Princess Flerida and her ladies, equipped for hunting, or rather, we should think, for shooting, hurry on to the stage, and the Princess speaks Run, hasten, that we all may reach the castle Ismenia. Impossible ! Already is he close upon our steps. Flora. I hear the very trampling of his feet. Ismenia. Madam, he is so near, that on our shadows He now is treading. Flora. If your highness fears His sight, permit me with this gun t' oppose him; I'll undertake, despite his eagerness, His progress to arrest. Flerida. Hold, Flora, hold! Although concealment be my wish, I would not Purchase it at so high a price; and since, Fair Lisida, thou art so newly come, Thou needs must be unknown, do thou remain. It was myself he saw within the wood, In idle negligence, scarce half attired. (All except LISIDA hurry off.) I'll answer for't he shall not follow you! Enter LORENZO. Lorenzo. Stay, stay, ye beautiful divinities! Though monstrous be my fortunes, I myself. Lisida. Whate'er thou art, forbear! since more as man What do I see! Lorenzo. Though the strange prodigy Of finding thee upon these mountains-thee, I will retire, nor further seek to know To turn them backwards; fearing, not the fires And powder, in its hateful womb incloses, But those which in thy perjured breast lie brooding; A fierce volcano. Lisida. Oh that 'twere allowed, Lorenzo, to unravel to thy view, All the deceptions that entangle thee! And oh that I might tell thee what sad fortunes But since the present season offers not Sufficient leisure, some fair future day Shall grant it to my prayer; then shalt thou know Lorenzo. Could'st thou by new professions satisfy We may discourse.-Remain thou here, Lorenzo ; Lorenzo. Merciful Heaven! How many various contrarieties War in my fancy, and besiege my judgment ! Unfortunate! Ay, and a thousand times Unfortunate! Who had believed that she, The very cause of my seclusion here, 'Midst savage rocks, the courtier of their steeps, Companion of their craggy ridges, poor, Subdued and miserable, should even here Encounter me! Roberto, (the Gracioso, without.) What! ho! Lorenzo! ho! I say, Lorenzo! Lorenzo. 'Tis Roberto's voice. (Exit. |