The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-11
TENNYSON'S NEW PLAY.
What is Thought ii London of the Poet
I,aureate's Latest Work.
L%Scotaman. December ~ !


Tho st. James Theatre was crowded by a
fashionable audience, anxious to witness the
ono act play of the Laureate, entitled Tho
Falcon. and founded upon u we'll known story
OF BuCcaeeio. Thctale, " haH boon noted, has
done duty before on the stage, having been
set to music by NJ, Gpunod under The title of
In Colombo, an English version OF which was
given some years ago at the Crystal Palace,
MIR. Lungfellow. too, founded one OF his
Tales of u Weystde lnu' upon II, aud now
Mr. Tennyson has dramatiSed 1t. The story.
which is tho ntuth novel oil the Fifth Day, Is
a simple ono. and may thus be sunni artzad
from Boeeacrio: A certain young Flo1rntine.
rrederigu of Egll Albright ie In love with n
lady called Niue. Giovanni. aud ito gain her
affection we quote from the excellent trans
latton edited by Mi. Wright, i. s. Al.
used 60 be continually giving tilta,
balls and such diversions. lavishtng W
tis money In rich presents aud every
thing that was extravaganza. Thus
he ruins himself and retires to the country,
where his only amusement md source OF SUB
tenance was hawking. The lady's husband
dies, md she goes into retirement with her
son. This lad meets Fredetigo. adtntres his
pet hawk. and falling i'll, with u sick ehild's
fancy, nothing would suit him but tue
Knights much priced hawk. Giovanni goes.
although unwllIingly. to beg II. aud then the
knight, who ia very poor, at his Wits end to
entertain her worthtly, kills the bird To lur-
nish "A meal for her and her friend. Thus
With itit HWY tilNhts i'i ItdiFSi III ttliitN
grant 1t, much ~ hia sorrow, but She IL SO
struck with his maAnanimtty that after her
sons death. when she comes Into much
wealth. shc marries him, and Frederigo, wa
are told, "lived In all true happiness with her,
and was d better manager of his affairs for
the timeto COME Such is Boccheciota story,
but MIR. Tenuyson has considerably modified
II, He opens IN tho poor cottage of the I'M
poveriahed Knight and we SEQ hie Joy when
Id hears that the Lady Giovanni IL in his
-trl11ANt1INl ,t.1i1.N rsfn lnnf Tt nlnTA hnyp 1inuE
his falcon Ia to him. The lady comes to the
house. the falcon ls served for her meal, as In
the original, and then she prefers her request.
We are told, however. beforehand, that abe
has refused his love since her widowhaod on
account OF an ancient feud between their
houses. md that also makes the petition
moro difficult. or course the Knight cannot
grant Il, and then the lady falls at his feet,
conquered by this additional proof OF his
love. and thcy agree together To look after
her sick son.
In all honesty, ana Wits every respect for
the Laureate, the little piece, though 1t Is
written with some neal ness and point, shows
but few traces of the poetic power We might
reasonably expect, There Is q vast amount oil
domestic detail, enc the Knights poverty Is
insisted upon lie many speeches, which are in
tended TO be humorous. bat which are rather
dreary. Thus, for example, we ftnd the serv-
ing man, Flippo, q sort OF feeble Caleb bal.
derstone, who Is evidently modelled on Shake
SnhHEb = JlOWItSy IpuilHk W sbg ~ hoi FiVAihA,
"Spoons, my lord, meaning there are none
In the ftlace; and the old nurse whines about
breaking the salad bowl. Here aud there we
come across lines which will bear quotation.
Thus, for example, Frederigo tells the lady
that she can touch no chord In him that
would not answer you In music When he
speaks af his adventures az Othello says he
did To Desdemona, he declares of her wreath
that
"Iwore the lady's chaplet round my neck:
II served me for Il blessed rosary"
some diamonds he had presented to her in
old days, she says. -
No other heart
OF such magnihcenee OF courtesy
Beats cut of heaven"
But at the same time the language, though
aIWays happy. never seems to rise to the len
nysonian level, and indeed the poet seems to
have striven rather to he faeetiouS than to be
~poetical, and with Indifferent success. The
piece Is a pretty one, but 1t ought to nave
been something more, and 1t indubitaoly
leaves a sense of disappointment. 1t was
we'll acted. Mr.. Kendall gave due emphasis to
the part OF the Knight. He played pathett-
cally and with as much power as was pos
sible, and bore himself calamity. Mrs. Ken
dial, exqulsitely attired, gave a very charm
ing and sympathetic rendering of the Lady
Giorannu, and was especially happy IN her
| appeal to the Knight to sacrifice his beloved
bird, pleading her sons illness as the excuse.
The two other characters-for there are oniy
four La the play-the servant man and the old
nurse. were adequately sustained by Mr.. Dem
ney and Mrs. CASTOR Murray, the latter being
especially good. The Falcon was listened to
with much attention n received with ap-
pIause. In spoons to q call Tor the autn0r,
Mr.. Hare. came forward and said that Mr..
Tennyson wa not In the house, but that his
con MIR. Hallam TeDnySou} was, and that he