The National Register.
London, England, 1811-02-03 00:00:00

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DRAMATIC REGISTER,
Sut—Whilst the pens of our modern dramatic writers are so
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buly employed in translating French pieces, will you allow a
constant reader to save one of the Parisian novelties from the
fate which no doubt awaits it on our stage, by inserting the
following translation of the account given of it by the French
celebrated critic, Abbe Geoffroy, in a late number of the Journal
de 1' Empire.
Yours, &c. AMICUS.

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PARISIAN THEATRE.

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Tilt (WEE/4 OF PERSEPOLI4.
Thera is a new wonder come to share the admiration of the
'public with the wonderful ruin, of Babylon and the wonderful
the cat! curiosity has not yet been weakened so much as to
make authors tired of attempting to afford it new gratification.
The spectacle of the Queen of Persepolis is preceded by a pro-
logue in dialogue, in which the characters are Orornase the good,
and Arintfine the evil genius. As the Queen of Persepolis is the
subject of the action of the piece, the author has done well thus
to introduce the theology of the ancient Persians and their ideas
on good and evil. in the system of the celebrated Zoroaster,
Orontase is the principal author of good, and Arinmene is the
being from whom emanates all that is evil. The one was the
God, the other the devil of the Persians. Their power was
equal, but after some thousands of centuries, the Devil-was to
be vanquished when the whole human race were to enjoy eter-
nal felicity. It was thus the sages of Persia explained those
things which human reason cannot resolve, but for an intimate
knowledge of which the ignorant constantly sigh.
In this piece Oromase descends from Heaven in a cloud;
"mane darts from a cavern which vomits forth fire. The
*conversation which passes between them consists of reproaches
on the part of the former, and bravadoes from the latter. From
these we learn, that the evil Genius has singled out for his vic-
tim the beautiful Arcane, wife to Z vas, King of Persia. His
cl,ject is to dethrone her husband, and throw her into the power
of a miscreant named Orbus, who is desperately enamoured of
her charms. Called up by the magic power of Arintane, Orhas
eppears, and receives from the evil Genius encouragement the
roost flattering, and instructions the most useful. He informs
him, that to get the Queen completely into his power, he must
Lave the address to gain from her a ring which had been given to ,
her by a wise man. This ring is a talisman, of sufficient
power to preserve her in she greatest danger. The dialogue
finished, t he scene changes to a very magnificent Palace, w here the
principal characters appear partaking of a superb entertainment.
In the tumult which prevails, Orbus takes an opportunity of pour-
ing poison into the cup of the King, and afterwards informs him
of the danger his life is in. The poison is tried on a slave, who
instantly falls a victim to it. The traitor Orbas finally accuses the
Queen of being a party in the plot. A poignard is found concealed
in the folds of the robe worn by ...Ir:une , which had been con-
cealed there by the traitor Ur/a. She is convicted of the crime
raid to her charge, and chased from the presence of her lord,
condemned to wander till she dies by famine, all persons being
forbidden to afford her an asylem, or any sustenance whatever.
Fast falling away thrthigh want and fatigue, she perceives a
morsel of bread, which a labourer he.; purposely let fall in her
path. She eagezly seizes it, but it is imninediately snatched from
her hand by one of the guards. ,She faints, and a soldier endea-
vours to profit by that morn.!nt to obtain her ring. The good
Gerdus.preserves it, causes the whole of the guards to be over-
taken by sleep, and makes a tree present itself to her view
loaded with fruit. Time Queen presses the juice of the fruit into
the mouth of her son, who WAS dying with thirst ; the :evil
Genius causes the words " Poisoned fruit" to appear above the
bush. The fruit is snatched from her, and she is accused of