, 1875-05-01

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bis worthy employer was not favourable
to the poets dramatic efforts, and hours
for study had to be stolen first, and then
hours for composition stolen again from
these. 1t may be noticed as curious that
almost the whole of the drama is occupied
with night-scenes. When "CetiIina" was
finished, an enthusiastic friend took it up
to Christiania to offer it to the National
Theatre ; the two youths had golden dreams
of sudden success. 1t was sure to be &C
cepted eagerly, and then the principal pub
fishers would all contend for the honour
OF purchasing the copyright at unprecedent-
ed terms. Unfortunately the result did
not Justify these hopes. The director OF
the theatre, after reading the piece, re-
turned it with thanks, the publishers re.
fused it one after another, and at last the
friend, whose enthusiasm had already been
shown ia his eagerness to bring it to the
capital. had the generosity to print it at
his own expense, aud it appeared rs the
production of q barbarous pseudOnym,-
Bryniotf Biarme. Very few copies were
sold, the poet and lis friend retained the
remainder, and as poverty pressed lbsen IN
after years, the edition of "Catjllna" was
one day packed up and sold lor n modest
ann to an wholly nnpoetlca. 'pIlow-chand-
Ter. Accordingly, The fist 80 till now
only edition of "Catijina" mas oesn one of
the rarest of Scandinavian books. So much
the poet now tells US for the first time.
1t is deeply interesting to add these pre-
fatory notes TO a life who's story has more
than once been dwelt on in these columns,
and which will always take u place among
the most curious records of iudomltable
literary struggle.
1t was not until he finally left his father
land, in 1864. that IbSen began to be at
all successful as poet. He had been
very slow in bis intellectual Development,
bot Notwithstanding he bad written much
before then that Norway has siuce been
proud to acknowledge. The two beautiful
saga-tragadies of Harmnadene raa Hs}ge-
E1nd, " The Warriors at HeIgeIand," and
K0ngsemnerne, "The Pretenders," were
written for the stage white he was Di-
rector Of the National Theatre at Chris
tianIa, and in these he commenced a new
school of poetry almost too startling to be
readily or willingly appreciated. But as
soon as he had left Norway, and dOmlcli-
ed himself in Rome, his fame seemed to
start into flame at once 10 Denmark,
Sweden, and Germany, and the Norwe-
gians earned from the critics of Europe
to value the treasure that they had driven
from amongst them. Year after year
pressing invitations to revisit his father
land reached Ibsen in his exile, now in
Rome, TOW in Dresden, now the darling
of literary society in Copenhagen, now the
guest and friend Of q king in Stockholm,
but for ten years he preserved unbroken
his determination to shake the dust of
Norway off bis feet. Last summer, how
ever, he relented and returned. Norway
received her poet with such jubilance as
scarcely anything but the visit of a mon
arch can call forth Ibsen was the hero of
the hour, and for willie he thought to
take up his abode in Chrlstiania. The feud
between the poet and his people was fully
healed, but the largerl life ot the great States
of Europe had becoms 500 habitual to
Ibsen for him to be able to endure the
small circles, the narrow interests, and semi
provincial crudities of the Norwegian capt.
tai. In an eloquent speech to the students
of the University, who came to his, house
TO serenade and do him honour, he, explain
ed thsthe must return into voluntary exile,
but that he should watch the daily history