New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-18

vslh, 4, ,,,. hisber aodI oftisr region Of Roman
most beautiful Of ali beautiful spots Is that
Inch dwels the history Of Vfg'niu' ana nus
n I,s sirnple besuty has not only rioed IT
esOt ~ u,.,.;ned heart of childhooa but has given
;'.ora,ion to the poet the Historian and 'as s''es
Wy wor,.n;n this. as 10 almost every other 10
zoo in history presided over the fate O. empire
BIO, so,, he vii. in blood which stained fathers
s1eI rose the reg perated liberties OF Rome. bu'
~. h.to,c GRANDEUR which throws 90 noble an air
".ou,a the story OF Virginia, "a altogether lost In mr.
O. Vices production the nais Of character which
lied The early history OF Rome are also rre'riev'
M, lost and the language which Mr.. Knowles puts
;',o Rom 80 mouths nigh. vel have been spoken in
Co,l IA On the Corso. lie himself by tina.
oflsggsId, haste. But the necessity Of the ex-
&c only proclsips the consciousness Of weakness in
Tie performance
Amer listening, almost with the weariness Of Ten.
n,,op's MsriaDne, to the un-Roman prsttle OF
certsin pseudo Romans, who are simply Irish.
rse disguised into gods, we expect, at the
sloss of the three penderous acts which drag
their dull length drowsiIy along, sorno cOmpenss'
tor for wei-ired pster &C, as the plot thckens
ard the denouenert draws uear But Instead Of i'm
psrpg a touch OF Roman character or Roman
nspi God TO the Roman maiden, he brings Virginia
sosn to the dead level Of an Eogiish chesp-novel
Mis, isintpg away under the shock of some rade
aggte sion produced upon her Rams gate nerves And
yhsiL!us, instead Of scornDg all spiteful and illegal
,sveI ge as pictured 10 the classic beauty Of Lvys
mage aud appealing with dignity TO the laws Of
hseountry for tie punshment of Appiuss guilt, is
dragged down ia Mr.. Knowless tragedy TO the de-
srs5pg position OF Bl.c'wols Island fanatic, and
the figure Of noble Romin, prtserviug amid the
fsGice Of the deepest becdod feeiogs of his heart
stern and severe virtue is stripped Of ali It's heroic
grandeur. Upon the encounter between Appius and
| yIgiIius as Knowles invcD's it, we look with the
sspe gaping curl sity or uomeaslred disgust as we
vould upon feon who, on his road TO the scafo'd
L attacked by msdaau broke loose from Bedam
II The felon is overcome by the physical strength OF
keluDsc, eomewhat Of feeling Of unjust sympathy
bsTskened even for such a f,lon as Appius, while
hebeatrg Of the heart for the lofty ard noble Vir.
snur Is replaced by sation Of horror &. the mis-.
srsbe maniac be has become. When the fight lie over
snd TIE ftlon If carried to his grave we mourn that
L TIE grave should be eVea so honorable; and when
hs maniac is carried to bis asylum, we think of the
Meh6ced maiden and mourn at aegitin ate defense
ofyr'ue should have doomed him to so igno ninous
| meDd. Thus by making maniac OF vrginius,
K1oves robs the Roman Of bis dignity, and by W ,k-
II TX
from the gallows, which his proper doom. Mr..
Knowles again endesvors TO excuse himself by say
N "that be was afraid to violate the respect due to
~ elristian audience by making Appius CO nmit
suicide upon the stage, by trepsssing upon their
Sense Of proprety by makiug virginus take the la
@nto bis own hands, But vrgnius does not take
I De law into bis own hands An action is brought
vainst Appius. A trial takes place in the public
tbunsl. Alpine is found guilty. Hesppeals against
L eeverdct. Pending the appeal Appius Is confined
hwiop, republicanism in those days no, ao wing the
l rel and Influential cuprit the advantage over the
mr ard III known Of an admission to b4il The hope
Mness Of his cause drives him to suicide In prison.
IMr Knowles had only followed the thread of his
| try he would never have found himself in this di
ama and had he really possessed that tender regard
krhs audience which he Processes, he should rather
have committed suicide hms If upon the stage than
h,bed the truth Of history and the intellect OF his
audience by rutblessly destroying the beauty and
po~y Of the lofty Roman. If he had such delicate
confederation for "his christian audience" Appius
,hdsd not h.ve been allowed to draw blush to the
cbak of many Of lie airer members by svowing with
.nb cynical bodne his quenchless lust for Virginia.
W,uld Il not. too, ha We been sweety consider.
,,,o have caused the maiden TO take few drops Of
,,,;o acid in a colored glass, with modest shyness
hel,s the scene 80 as not to let it transpre among
ur. oh,;.t;an audience The delcacy of such a
sutiaa on yireinias part would perhaps have recon.
al; %bo the theatrical audience TO the criminality oil
hs act and have spared the horrid shock OF seeing
sa III his own father upon the stage In TACT, II
~ EOS animated by the decorous motive he protests
A nucb. he should have omitted Virgnius, Virginia
eV Ann;us. or better still, have rejoiced all
.raenoes by never writing the tragedy at su
tn audience of Covent GARDEN, too, as far as We
b.e seen of it, is not by any means remarkable for
n,denem. We should rather have called il eminently
tohrsnt Danseuses of every description, with their
be,usies partially and impsrtially unvailed, from
Fanny Elsler and Cerito down to the last Seniors from
Andsusa with her castaguetta and boero, are gazed
at With rspturous delight, as they flash dawn the
stage with glitter OF sparkling steps, or cleave the
nh with voluptuous and cspricious bound. Yet
De habitues have never exhibited those chris.
I'm scruplss which certainly ought to exist,
BIT which unfortunately do not. Nay, even, we
lre seen among the audiences not a few wao vie,
even In coquetiy Of attire, with the most decolleee
,nope the heroines of the ballet The French drama
bv permitted to breathe Its poison from the Anglo
6xon stage. ProHgates are introduced, not With
roral view of creating disgust for the proasscy, but
With view Of establishing gusto for vice, by ex-
htpg in the most fattering light the wit and genius
d the proigate Fashionable roues, habtues OF IL
sutious haun,s, seducers of poor. honest girls, are
pAsssnty placed, not with moral view Of satiriz'
no ard reforming idleness intoxicat'on or hearess'
| ms. but of akiDg temperance and virtue wear
| ksyy look, and OF bringing labor into disrespeot
nd ideness into fashion. While thus the mind Is