The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-27 00:00:00

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LITERATURE.

Letzima, the Prophetess. A Tale of India. By
SYDNEY, LADY MORGAN. Charles Waterton, St.
George's-plaor, Hyda-park-corner.
In " Lemma, the Prophetess," a noel which was
published more than forty years ago, under the title
of "The Missionary," and which has for nearly a
long, we should suppow, been submerged beneath
the waters of oblivion, his been resuscitated. What-
ever timeliness it may posses, is derived from the
fact, stated in the preface, that its lamented author
was engaged just before her death in superintending
its revision through the press. We certainly cannot
share in the editor's supposition that it has claims on
I public attention from any light that it throws on the
recently all-absorbing subject of lodia. We might
about as reasonably expect that people should read
Rasalas with a view to accurate Information con-
cerning Abyssinia. Luxima," in fact, is one of
those fictions, common enough a generation or two
ago, in which "The Eat" was used as a tabula
rasa for fancy pictures of a didactic or romantic
kind as the cue might be. In the former there was
always a virtuous Brahmin, or hermit, or old gentle-
man of some sort, who followed no particular call-
ing, bat was " guide, philosopher, and friend " to all
ocean; was attired in dressing-gown, slippers, and
large white turban, and gave forth moral plati-
tudes in apqlogua and allegory, like a retired'
schoolmaster, with an unusual power of
language. In the latter we had young, lu:dent, and
eloquent warriors, dark-eyed girls of devoted dispo-
sitions, and the other elements of the old-fashioned
" Eastern " story which the curious will find in
" Lelia Rooth," preserved in the amber of Moore's
brilliant and polished verse. The whole thing has
long been abolished, and the publication of a tale like
" Luxima" is simply an anachronism. We know too
mucb,at the same time that we understand too little,
of those venerable and stubborn religions of India to
be interested in this sentimental conversion of a
Brahmin priestess by a Christian missionary; nor
does the following passage—we say it regret folly—
affect us as it would hays done some years ago :
Amnon his eyes, sad mating himself nearer, he meld
Lad to whet purpose, m dearest daughter, diet thou so
isdnelvfoualy weave those fragrant wreaths? "
" To bang epos the bower of thy repose," she repVed, " ss
a spell against evil."
" Alas!" he exclaimed, "in scenes as lovely sad remote
se those in which we sow wander, who could suspect that
latest evil locked? But the evil which always exists, end
that spinet which It is most difficult to guard, Gelato within
oorrelv. a, Lauima."
We cannot say that either the remodelling which
we are told the work has undergone, or the owe-
sionaLannotations verifying some item of description
in the text, hive succeeded in any degree in dispel-
ling the air of dreary unreality which pervades the
book. The only readers whom it can interest at all
are those who knew Lady Morgan personally ; they
may value it as they would a faded ornament from
her boudoir, and vela it the more because of its re-
minding them in fashion and material of a day long
past.

MUSIC.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, COVENT GARDEN.

Lucretia Borgia was produced lest eight, for the
first time this season at this theatre. The performance pre-
sented no new feature whatever. 0 riai was the heroine ;
Mario, German ; itonooni, the Duke of Ferraro; and Didi'ee,
Oren'. Though without novelty, however, It woe by no
means without interest; on the contrary, it wee an admit able
performance, and wee received with all the tonal applause by
• crowded end brilliant audience. Oil-i wee superb;
her beauty was cpseettlike ; her action fell of are
and p ahem; and her voices es pare, Nob, end beautiful as It
was tan jean ago. in this, as in sera& ether charsetere,
minutia leaves all rivalry behind. Mario'd voice at first at-
peered somewhat week Sea uncertain ; but it seemed that he
was husbanding lde sesseross for, in the great trio which
concludes the eseced act, and still more in the riming thine
of all, be pat hi& his whele strength, and seldom his done
so with greater dsc•. Renconl, as the terrible Duke, showed
the Lowers of • post tragedian, but hie vocal execution was
very imperfect. He wag with sant, and his intonetioa was
get duziog the whole evening. It is much to be regretted
that the physical means of this admirable artist are often so
tasSequete to realise his conceptions. Madame Dante was
as successful—es warmly applauded—as ever. She is err-
minty the best Orsini now on the msg.. Indeed, excepting
only Alboni, no one has ever excelled her.