Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-03-10


has tested the highest energies of the ''fsculty
divine" and won the most radiant honors for
its sons aud daughters. 1t is a mine from
which has been dug the purest and richest
jewels in the treasury of thought. 1t a gor
geOus parterre in which have been grown the
sweetest flowers of sentiment; where one
might walk everlastingly and dream that Eden
airs were cooling his brow, and Eden melo
dies were thrilling his heart-strings. 1t is
lterature's highest walk-a serene height
whose tosome sides are strewn with myrisds
Of hopes dashed in pieces, in the search OF their
ambitious but miscalcllating authors for the
summit ward "primrose path"--the royal high
r,ad of genius only, that elected few whose
commissions bear the seal and stamp OF the
Most High 1t is minds greatest and most
successful effort in evoking from the spirits
depths its diyinity-those angel aspiringS
which the humblest sometimes feel, and which,
in default of revelation, teach us we are FORM
ed for high mission here and glorious des-
tiny hereafter. More than any human agency
image of his God, and aspire to his smile.
Through the muddy vestments of decay"
we wear, it has disclosed shining spirit-gem
Like all true poetry, but more than any other
kind, its influence has been ennobling and ele
waiting, teaching us to look inwards and study,
and look upwards and emulate. In its pages
will be found the deepest philosophy, and the
very essence of unreveaed religion, sssnilat-
ing in character and Influence the true and re-
vealed. Its SUBJECTIVE human heart with its
troop of passions, and their manifold manites-
tstions-is the grandest that can exercise the
intellect; and in the hands of its giant-masters
its efforts b I'VE adorned while they have Illus
trated it. Correctly and naturally to render
and portray the workings of the heart when
in the exercise of one Of its great passions
love, anger, jealousy, hatred, avarice, ambition
is mighty task, and should be committed
TO no mean hands. All this has the poetry OF
the drama done 1t has achieved the most
difficult of intellectual labors, aud borne the
palm over all rivalry. In its most illustrious
cultivator-the all o'er-topping SHAKsPEARE-
the world to day recognizes and does homage
to the first name on the roll of genius. Other
bright names besides the great masters, in
whose hands humanity was but "a pipe to
play what step he pleased" have been made
brighter by their efforts in the field of the
drama. Byron, Utway, Sheridan, Knowles,
Beaumont and Fletcher, Massinger, Bulwer,
TalfOurd, Shiel, in our own tongue, besied
other luminaries on the Continent. In orr
country, Boxer, Of Philadelphia, has been,
perhaps, the most successful devOtee at the
shrine of the dramatic muse. His CdIaynOs
and LeonOr de GdzmGn are chsste and finished
compositions, evincrg high poetic genius, and
betokening yet more brilliant success. Mrs.
Anna Cora Richie (Mrs. Mowatt) has given
to the world several plays Of considerable
merit.
Lztalilro is the first dramatic essay of our
glorious Southwestern poetess, Mrs. French.
The scene is laid near the close of the fifteenth
century, in the capital of the Tezcucans, a
people described in Prescott's Conquest OF
of Mexico. Incidents forming the ground
work of the plct are narrated in the first por-
ton of that work, though the development Of
the plot is the work of the fair authoress' i'm
agiDation. The story is q simple one, its bur
then being love-noble. intense, yearning,
deathless woman's love. AhuitzOtI, the prince,
gallant warrior and only son of the Emperor,
loves in secret LztdliLro, the lady Of lula, who
is the betrothed Of the Emperor. 7dJcOldn, a
Judge of the realm, discovers the secret, and
it being law that whoever should aspire to
the hand or covet the maiden Of the Emperors
choice should suffer death, he disclOses the
secret and leads the Emperor to the trystine
place of the lovers in the palace gardens
This act on the part of 7dlcOlGn is prompted
by a revenge which he desires To wreak upon
the royal family who, on former occasion,
had in some manner injured him. The law Ia
memorable, and lac contemplates with great
satisfaction the parg he shoots TO the father 5
heart as well the sons, in sitting as its stern
minister. TaLcOLdn seeks an interview with
the Emperor on the day appointed for his sons
sacrifice, in which his rage becomes so violent
he SEXES the old man and inhicts such injuries
as shortly deprive him of life. While these
events are transpiring at the palace at sunset on
the summit of the high TeOcsllis the altar and
the sacrifcia stone are erected, and Ahuitsott,
accompanied by priests aud Vestals, is led forth.
LstGliL10, disguised, is among the latter. As
the knife is about To descend into the Princes
breast, she darts forward with q wild shrek
and receives the stab in her own heart. At
this moment band of soldiers arrives, pro.
claiming the death Of the old Emperor and
salutng the condemned Prince as Emperor.
lbs dying Iztailxo supplicAtes him to live with
her last words, but seeing bis hearts empire
wrecked before him, the Prince-w arrior sets
little vsule on earthly titles and power, and
turning to the priest, with these words,
'Nor life, nor power
Have longer any music for my soul:
TIE n.astcr-chord is broken
aAres his breast and bids him strike; the priest
hrsitAtiug-he SEXES the knife himself, aud
plunges ii in his bosom.
The plot, both in its prominent and less i'm
portant scenes, is artistically wrought out, and
we think, well adapted to the stage. In thin
department, the authorizes has shown the cul-
iva cd judgment of an experienced play
wright. The characters, the scenes, the his
tory aud habits and observances Of the peopl,
among whom il is laid, and more than all, the
subiec. itself, conspire To draw out the cliAste
imagery with which Mrs. French's mind drapes
every subject which it touches. The whole
play is filed with passages Of exquisite beauty
OF such Is the following 1t is LztalilrO'' au-