Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-30
A SINGULAR COINCIDENCE.

A SINGULAR COINCIDENCE.
Benedict Arnold Prefgured in Name and
and Character i'm a Drama Written Thirty
Years Before His Treason.
N. Quackenbos contributes the fol-
lowing singular information to the N.
Y. Evening Post:
Among the numerous condolences in
literature few are more remarkable than
the following, or of greater interest to
the American reader:
The tragedy of Edward, the Black
Prince" made its first app earance at
Drury Lane Theatre in the year 1850.
Though its author, William Shirly, pro-
duced many dramas, this is the only
once which has retained possession of
the stage, and even it is indebted for
its success more to the interest Of the
plot than to any dramatic merit. Every
one knows the story. Edward, Prince
OF Wales, called from the color Of his
armor the Black Prince, was the son of
Edward ILL.,, and born in the year 1880.
He greatly distinguished himself at the
battle OF Cressy, where he took the
standard OF the King of Bohemia, en-
broldered with three ostrich feathers
and bearing the motto, " Zch Diem p
l serve. This he always wore, ana
has since continued to be the crest of the
Prince of Wales. The battle of Polo
tiers furnishes the groundwork of this
drama, and many of the heroic acts of
the Black Prince are faithfully chron-
icled in the play. One of the remarka-
BILE colrcidents to which I allude is
found In the character of A,nold, which
seems to confer some token of the pro-
,hetlc upon the dramatist's pen. This
tragedy, as have said, was first placed
on the stage in the year 175O, but, it's
reception being by no means fattering,
it sank into obscurity, and for the period
of thirty-three years remained buried
from the public view. In the year 1888
it was again placed on the London
stage by Mr.. Kemble, that great TRACE
dian, selecting the character of the
Black Prince as the second part in
which to appear before a London au-
dience. At that time General Arnold
resided in London, pensioner on the
British government for the base
crime of having betrayed his own.
1t SO happened that on the first
night of the revival of the "Black
Prince" Arnold, unacquainted with
the fictitious events Of the play, was
spectator on the theatre, and at the
scene between Arnold and Ri6e-
mont in the opening of the third act,
and in that between Aznold and
Ed,Uard in the fourth act, a whisper
ran through the whole theatre, and
General Arnold at once became the
object Of universal gaze. Here was q
tragedy written in 1850, in which trea-
son formed conspicuous part of the
plot; the author giving the name of
Araaold to the British traitor, though it
was thirty years before the American
general committed his treason. And
on the revival of the play, the Ameri-
can traitor was spectator at the thea
tire on the first night of it's presentation.
But the coincidence of names is not
more remarkable than the language of
the play itself. The following is from
the third act:
Ribemont-Are you an Englishman?
Arnold had that name
Oh killing question-but have lost it now
Ribemont-Lost it, indeed
A17aOld-Illustrious Ribemont! Pity, if you
can,
A wretch-the most undone, of all mankind.
Ribemont--I much mistake your visage, or
I've seen you
linear attendance on the Prince of Wales.
A'?aod-I was, indeed-it's scandal to con-
fess it
was his follower was his humble friend;
He favor'd, cherish'd--lov'd me Heavily
pow'rs!
How shall give my guilty story utterance?
Level your fierce bolts! Transix me here,
Or hurl me bowling to the hell I merit
Rlbemorst-1nvoke no power. A conscience
such as thine
Is hell enough for mortal to endure
Begone, and hide thy ignominious head
Where human eye may never penetrate:
Avoid society, for all mankind
Will fly the fellowship of one like thee
ATasotd-My guilt humans me--and I'm
grown a coward.
Ra6eneont-The trumpets may awake, the
clarions swell
That noble ardor thou no more canst feel.
Disgraced from soldier to renegade.
Anon, while DER the dreadful field we drive,
Or dealing deaths Or daring slaught'ring
swords,
Do thou at distance, like the bastard hare,
All trembl ng, seek thy safety. Thence away,
AS fortune or thy genius may direct,
LILY COucCiouCo lily ~COmpdulOu buU De sure,
Whatever land you burden with your weight,
Whatever people you hereafter join.
Tell but your tale, and they will ALL like me.
Pronounce you abject, infamous and hateful.
Ar,0'd AFFECT and hateful Infamous
I'm all
The world has not another monster like me:
No hell in all it's horrid store Of eyes
Beyond what deserve Already here
feel the shafts-they rankle in my bosom;
And active thought anticipates damnation
The play abounds in other passages
equally opposite, and will we'll compen-
safe the linguistic readers careful peru
sal.
THE EARTHQUAKE BUSINESS.