The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-02-26

tecting story Of the Jews history his con.
tinual but uuavailing efforts TO escape from
the burden of existence.
appreciates the true spirit OF ihis wonderous table,
or we believe he In the first writer who has ever
thought OF considering the wandering Jew a. the
eype of humanity itself. ~ the incarnated symbol
Of mo1ern life, the REORGANIZATION OF the human
since the Christian era His DOCK 10 called
Aaasreras a Mystery; aud,i indeed, couia scarce
" CONS within the domain of art 10 any other
iosm.' story like that OF the Everlasting Jew,
which extends through all chimes and ages cannot
well be subject 10 any rigid artistic rule or 20 the
Underwriting requirements of the poetlcal unities-
The plan OF the ancient Nyser therefore, adopt.
I'd by Calds ron in his Autos Sacrdmenfdles was the
only one suited 10 NJ Quinets purpose for In these
compositions .anachronism 10 the law We are
told that when this prose poem of Ahasreyas first
appeared, II created o profound sensation Peo-
ole either releutessly denounced H. praised X.
to extravaganza. Perhaps the most brilliant cri-
tiaue thereon will be found 10 volume of literary
nisceanies by NJ Magnin L was Hrst published
In the Recne des Deax Moades, under the title Of
the Nature efthe Poetic Geaius. Speaking of NJ
Quiet, the reviewer remarks He interrogates
the soul Of the ocean, the thought of the sars the
song OF the flowers, the silence of The desert, with
as much love as the spirit OF races, the voice OF
the ages, the murmurs of the crowd, the Thought
of the cathedras II is bis vocation TO decipher
the grand characters which the finger OF the Eter-
nal has imprinted upon all things, and to interpret
In poetic vibrations the secret music which the
world breathes out from all its elements, and from
all Its creaturess
The scene of the prologue IL in Heaven. An
other and fairer world lie about to be created
But before engaging in this new work, the Divine
Being orders his angels to represent before bis
eternal throne the history of the Ages-the grand
drama of the Past. The first day Is called the
/ Creation This title Is not comprehensive
enough because this section of the poem embraces
| the annals of the world down to the period Of
Chrsts ad vent in addition to the story of the pri
meval earth. NJ. Quinets personifcations of natu-
| raj objects are bold in the extreme He endows
the ocean, the desert the flowers of the field, and
the monsters of the deep. with soul and an articu
| late voice The most interesting portion of the
FIRST act-if we may so term twill be found to
wards the close. The dranatist persona comprise
the River Euphrates, the Moon, the Stars, and q
Desert Flower-sister to the voice OF the latter.
Il Fz0cer of The Desert of Syria My head bends
beneath the light of stars My chaiice is surchar-
ged with dew, even a heart is oerburdened with
secret IL wishes 10 repeat In the night, my How
err has been darkened with blood coloured stains,
like the robe of Levite the day OF sacrihce.-
| The murmur of the stars has dropped into my
chalice, and mingled with my perfume. bear a
secret in my chalice-the secret of the universe,
which 1t whispered in a dream during the night,
and have voice to give it utterance. Ah tell
me which is the nearest city. Is 1t Jerusalem, or
| Bsbylon9 Let the passers-by come and gather the
! mystery that weighs down my crown, and causes
| my head to droop
The RiUer Euphrates Flower of the Desert
| bend thy head still lower over my bosom, that /
may the better hear thy murnlurs. 1 will carry
thee dancing from biloW to billow, as lar as the
| walls of Babylon Tell me thy secret, will bear
| II upon sivery waves even unto the foot OF the
Chadean towers.
Inhabitants of Babylon OH the house topS.-See
how the Euphrates sparkles to-nig hit amid its will
lows like the blade OF poinard fallen from a lestA
board. Its murmurs would be no sweeter if its
waters rolled over sacred vessels OF silver and OF
gold.
Il Siare-Or if whole people, bending DER its
shores, had poured therein the passion of their
tears.
Il King Or If an empire, with the tiaras of its
priests and the purple OF It's kiags, and with lis
glittering gods had been buried in its depths for
Thousand years like blossom amid the waters.
chorus OF Sphinxes relating the history of the
fabulous Ages, succeeds to the murmur of the
Waves and the whisper Of the Desert Flower
Presently the voices of Thebes Nneveh, Perse.
polls, Palmyra, and Babylon, are Joined Herewith,
Jerusalem at last gives utterance to the startling
news of the Christ-childs birth; Angels sing their
soags of triumphant JOY amid the Shepherds of
Bethlehem; the Kings of the East come from afar,
and offer gifts at the infant shrine new era com
mences Ia the annals of the uuiverse-and so the
fl rst day ends. 1t is followed by kind of inter-
lude-a dance of demons.
The second act is the p aSsion.' 1t opens with
lamentaton of the Desert In the next scene, we
are conducted to Jerusalem Christ is on the road
TO the Hill of Calvary, amid the tumult of an an
cry p6Opte mere we arc lutrVuuCCu LOT the nrst
time to Ahssuerus, who stands as an onlooker al
the door of his dwelling.
| Christ Is it thou Ahasuerus?
Ahasuerus. do not know thee
| C. am thirsty. Give PIE little water from
| thy we'll
| A. My well is empty.
c. Take thy cup, and thou shalt find it full
A. Ny cup is broken.
Help me to carry my cross on this rugged
path.
A. am not thy cross-bearer Call griffin
/ from the desert
c. Permit me to rest upon the bench at the door
of thy dwelling.
| A. My bench is occupied; there is no room for
| any one.
c. If thou woudst, thy bench should become a
golden throne at the portal of my fathers house
A. Go! blaspheme where thou wilt. Already
thou has caused my vine and fg-tree to wither.