The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-06-10
Synopsis Of the Great Modern
Drama.

The story is from Dante. Side by
side with the immortal picture of
the Cenci, the divine and suffering
Beatrice, stands this story of the
guilty love of the Italian Fran
ces ca and Paolo of Rimini She
the loveliest and tenderest of Ital-
ian women, he the noblest and
most beautiful of her men. Flax.
man has told the story in color,
Dante in immortal verse, and he
who has seen the one and read the
other will carry to his death the
words of the guilty pair, uttered to
the author Of the Divine Comedy
and his Leader. and the remorseful
faces OF francesca and Paolo as
they appear on the canvass of the
inspired painter. Our poet has thus
told the story. The wars of the
Guelphs and Ghibelius are for a
moment suspended; each rests
upon his bloody sword exhausted.
Malatesta, Of Rimini, a Guelph, has
two sons; one Count Paolo, hand
some, noble, accomplished, 'sThe de-
light of Rimini' the other, Lanci-
ottOs hunchback, a brave soldier,
sensitive, the stay and barrier Of his
country. To cement peace Rimini
and Ravenna offer to unite their
houses by marriage, and Lanciotto
is chosen as the bridegroom for
Francesca, the loveliest maiden of
Ravenna, young, motherless and
tender. The hunchback> soldier
shrinks from the task of marriage
with his rivals daughter, but yields
upon condition that his handsome
and beloved brother shall go as en-
vOy to Rayenna, woo in his name
the fair Francesca. telling fully all
that should be told of the defects of
the bridegroom and using no deceit.
The first act ends with the departure
of the brother on his embassy to
Ravenna.
Act Second opens in Ravenna, the
scene is the Court Of Guido of Ra-
VIENNA, the father Of Francesca.
The destined bride appears, hopeful,
trusting. loving. The embassy ar
rives. She stands face to face with
Count Paolo. She the beauty of
Ravenna, he the delight of Rimini,
The deceit begins. She mistakes
him for her promised husband. Un-
deceived, she asks for truth, he hes
itates. The am bassador of love be-
comes the lover. 1t is mutual
Pressed to describe the qualities OF
Lanciotto. the ambassador equivo.
Gates. Surrounded by deceit, the
innocent child becomes her own
protector, and with Italian readiness
repays deception with deception.
Fallen already in love with the am
hassad0r, she yet consents, in spite
of the known deceit, to be the bond
which ends the wars of Guelph and
Ghibelin. Thus the second act
ends.
The scene is shifted to Rimini
Lanciotto the hunchback patiently
and arXiously awaits the news
from Ravenna. The Grand Square
is Illuminated, banners and trophies
hang from the windows of all loya
Guelphs. It is a feStal day in
Rimini. The bride approaches, who
uniting her blood with that Of ths
/ Malatesti, in the person of the he
] roic hunchback, Lanciotto, shall pu
an end to the destructive warfare
which has for centuries drencheC
Z the plains of Italy with blood. Fac
to face the bride and bridegroom
I stand. She shudders and fall
\ back. The hunchback observin!
] her demeanor realizes that she ha
been deceived and offers her re
lease. She resolves to repay de
ception with deceit, disclalms re
lease and anew betroJhes herself t
!. the hunchback. The curtain fall
4 upon his exultation in her uneX
pected love for him.
\ In the Fourth Act, we pass from
the Grand Square to the Cathedra
q of Rimini. Before the high alta
stand bride and bridegroom-hunch
back and divinity. The incens
rises. Rome's Cardinal perform
the sacred rite; around stan
friends and relatives, andGuelph an
Ghibelin are but empty names. Be
fore the altar steps the hunchbac
: and pauses 10 salute his bride. Sh
9 shudders and shrinks from him. II
I sees and learns the truth in tina
q involuntary act. While he med
\ tates, an outbreak of the Ghibelln
Y takes place. Before the very alta
y wars messenger appears, and h
y the hunchback, who hoped to b
the willing slave of Hymen, b;
comes Bellona's champion. Dast
ing aside his bride and Count Paolt
he rushes TO the wars to drown hi
sorrow in forgetfulness and strife
The fifth act opens in the Garden
of the Malatesti, at Rimlni. III
:. husband is at the wars. The vii
D. is at home. By her side are brotht
, and lover. He reads to her til
IS story of Sir Launcelot and Quee
Ie Guinevere. "He kissed herfull upo
i'd the mouth" As the poet writes
I'd SO they perform. and defy. fill
a love. domestic truth, loyalty to tt
lie absent, are swept away in that or
y torrent by which Anthony lost AZ
I'd tium, absorbing, unconquerab
love. The vindictive fool OVerhea
the scene, and hating Lanclott
rushes to him with the news. /
finds him in the camp, soldier D.