The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-07
TENNYs0N's NEW PLAY.

ENN SUN'S NEW RLAxs
what Is Thought I'm London OF th,
/ Feet Laureate's Latest Work.
lscotsman.i
The st. James Theater was crowded
by a fashionable audience, anxious t,
witness the new one-act play by the Lau
reate entitled 1.-THE Falcon" and founded
upon a well-known story in Boccaccio
The tale, it may be noted, has done duty
before on the stage, having been set tt
music by M. Gounod, under the title Of
LA Colombo" an English version ol
which was given some years ago at the
Crystal Palace. Mr.. Longfellow, too
founded one Of his "Tales Of Wayside
Inn" upon it, and now Mr.. Tennyson has
dramatized it. The story, which is the
ninth novel of the Fifth Day, is simple
one, and may be thus summarized from
Boccaccio: A certain young Florentine,
Frederigo of Egli Albright, is in love
with lady called Nine. Giovanna, and,
ito gain her affections 1--WE quote from
the excellent translation edited by Mr..
Wright, F. S. A., used to be continually
giving tilts, balls and such diversions,
lavishing away his money in rich pres
ents and everything that was extrava-
CANT"
Thus he ruins himself and retires to
the country, where his only amusement
and source of sustenance was hawking.
The lady's husband dies, and she goes
into retirement with her son. This lad
meets Frederigo, admires his pet hawk,
and falling i'll, with a sick child's fancy,
nothing would suit him but the Knights
much-prized hawk. Giovanna goes, al
though unwillingly, to beg it, and then
the Knight who ia very poor, at his
wits end to entertain her worthily, kills
the bird to furnish meal for her and
her friend. Thus, when the lady makes
her request he can not grant it, much to
his sorrow, but she is so strnck with his
magnanimity that after her sons death,
when she comes into much wealth, she
marries him, and Frederigo, we are told,
"lived in all true happiness with her, and
was better manager of his affairs for
the time to come" 4..
Such is Boccaccio's story, but Mr..
Tennyson has considerably modified it.
He opens in the poor cottage of the i'm
poverished Knight, and we see his Joy
when he hears that the Lady Giovanna
is in his neighborhood, while we learn
also how dear his falcon is to him. The
lady comes to the house, the falcon is
served for her meal, as in the original,
and then she prefers her request. We
are told, however, beforehand that she
has refused his love since her widowhood
On account of an ancient feud between
their houses, and that also makes the pc
tition more difficult. Of course the
Knight can not grant it, and then the
lady falls at his feet, conquered by this
additional proof of his love, and they
agree together to look after her sick SON.
In all honesty, and with every respect
sor the Laureate, the little piece, though
It is written with some neatness and
point, shows but few traces of the poetic
oower we might reasonably expect There
8 a vast amount Of domestic detail, and
he Knights poverty is insisted upon in
many speeches. which are intended to be
humorous but which are rather dreary.
Thus, for example, we find the serving
pan, Filippo, who is sort of feeble
Jaleb Balderstone, and who is evidently
modelled on Shakespeare's clowns, COM
ng to say in perplexity, spoons, my
ord" meaning that there are none in the
'lace; and the old nurse whines about
'reaking the salad-bowL Here and there
We come across lines which will bear
Iuotation. Thus, for example, Freder-
90 tells the lady that she can "touch no
hord" in him that would not "answer
'ou in music" When he speaks of his
dventures as Othello says he did to
)esdemona, he declares Of her wreath
hat
IT wore.the lady's chaplet round my neok
IL served me for blessed rosary"
Again, when she returns one of his
fits, some diamonds he had presented to
er in old days, she says:
mo other heart
OF such magnificence of courtesy
Beats out OF heaven"
'ut at the same time the language.
hough always happy, never seems to rise
0 the Tennysonian level; and indeed,
he poet seems to have striven rather to
e facetious than to be poetical, and with
Indifferent success. The piece is pretty
ne, but it ought to have been something
1ore, and it indubitably leaves sense Of
isappointment. 1t was we'll acted. Mr..
lendal gave due emphasis to the part of
he Knight. He played pathetically
nd with as much power as was possible,
nd bore himself gallantly. Mrs. Ken
al, exquisitely attired, gave a very
harming and sympathetic rendering Of
he Lady Giovanna, and was especially
Apply in her appeal to the Knight to
,crifce his beloved bird, pleading her
,n's illness as the excuse. II
The two other Characterization there
re only four in the play-the servant
ian and the old nurse. were adequately
lstained by Mr.. Denney and Mrs. Gas
IN Murray, the latter being especially
ood. "The Falcon" was listened to with
luch attention and received with ap-
lause. In response to call for the au-
1or, M. Hare came forward and said
1at Mr.. Tennyson was not in the house,
TT 4 YN