Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-24
ADJUSTMENTS
Tomorrow Evenings Attraction at the
Opera House.
LAWRENCE BARRETT'S APPEARANCE
In the Great Character Of Francesca a
Rimini.
THE OTHER EVENTS OETHE BOARDS.

Tomorrow evening Mr.. Lawrence Bar
rett will appear at the Opera House in
George H. Boxers tragedy, in six acts,
of francesca Da Rimini."
The story of the tragedy is from Dante.
Side by side with the immortal picture OF
the Cenci, the divine and suffering Bea-
trice. stands this story of the guilty love
of the Italian Francesca and Paolo OF
Rimini. She the loyeliest and the tender
est of Italian women, he the noblest and
most beautiful Of her men. Flaxman 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 Fran
cesca and Paolo as they appear Oh the
canvass of the inspired painter. Our poet
has thus told the story. The wars Of the
Guelphs and Ghibelins are for a moment
suspended; each rests upon his bloody
sword exhausted. MalateSta, of Rimini, a
Guelph, has two sons; one Count Paolo,
handsome, noble, accomplished, ''The dc
light of Rimini;' the other, Lanciotto, a
hunchback, a brave soldier, sensitive, the
stay and barrier of his country. To ce-
ment q peace Rimini and Ravenna offer to
unite their houses by marriage, and Lam
ciotto is chosen as the bridegroom for
Francesca, the lovliest 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 60 as envoy to
Ravenna, WOO in his name the fair Fran
cesca, telling fully all that should be told
of the defects of the bridegroom and using
no deceit. The first act ends with the de-
parture of the brother on his embassy to
Ravenna.
Act Second opens in Ravenna, the scene
is the Court of Guido Of Ravenna, the
father of Francesca. The destined bride
appears, hopeful, trusting, loving. The
embassy arrives. 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. Undeceived, she asks
for truth; he heSitates. The ambassador
oflove becomes the lover. 1t is mutual.
Pressed to describe the qualities of Lanci-
otto the ambassador equivocates. Sur
rounded by deceit the innocent child be-
comes her own protector, and with Italian
readiness repays deception with deception.
Fallen already in love with the embassa-
dor 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.
MI 1900. = .L.rInl Dtpntpt |
Lanciotto, the ~hunchback, 1 patiently
and ~anxiOusly awaits the news from Ra-
VIENNA. The Grand Square is Illuminated,
banners and trophies hang from the win
dows ofall loyal Guelphs. 1t is festal
day in Rimini. The bride approaches,
who uniting her blood with that of the
Malatesti, in the person of the heroic
hunchback, Lanciotto. shall put an
end to the destructive warfare which has
for centuries drcnched the plains of Italy
with blood. Face to face the bride and
bridegroom stand. She shudders and falls
back. The huunchback observing her de
meanor realizes that she has been deceived
and offers her release. She resolves to re-
a deception with deceit, disclaims re-
lease and anew betrothes herself TO the
hunchback. The curtain falls upon his
exultation in her unexpected love for
him.
In the Fourth act we pass from the
Grand Square to the Cathedral Of Rimini.
Before the high altar stand bride and
bridegroom-hunchbaGk and divinity.
The incense rises. ROme's Cardinal per-
forms the sacred rite; around stand friends
and relatives, and Guelph and Ghibelin
are but empty names. Be-
fore the altar steps the h%unchback
and pauses to salute his bride. She shud-
ders and shrinks from him. He sees and
learns the truth in that involuntary act.
While he meditates, an outbreak Of the
Ghibelins takes place. Before the very
altar wars messenger appears, and he, the
hunchback, who hoped to be the willing
slave of hymen, becomes Bellona's cham
pion. Dashing aside his bride and Count
Paolo he rushes to the wars to drown his
sorrow in forgetfulness and strife.
The Fifth Act opens in the gardens OF
the Malatesti, at Rimini. The husband is
at the wars. The wife is at home. BY
her side are brother and lover. He reads
to her the story of Sir Launcelot and
Queen Gieneveve. 'He kissed her full
upon the mouth" As the poet writes; 30
they perform, and duty, filial love, do
nestle truth, loyalty TO the absent, are
swept away in that one torrent by which
Anthony lost Actium, love, ~unconquerable
love. The vindictive fool overhears
the scene, and hating Lanciotto, rushes to
him with the news. He finds him in the
camp, asoldier before the gates of Ravenna.
Breathless he tells his story and for reward
finds death. The soldier and the husband,
seeking vengeance, rides to kimini.
The last Scene opens on the boudoir Of
the guilty wife. The remorseful lovers
paint in horror their deceitful past, yet
dwell with rapture Oh the glorious delights
Of love. In the form of the injured hus-
band vengeance appears. The relief is
death. At the summit of illicit love
stands %retribution, and the immortal story
of Dante is ended with the immolation Of
the lovers, the vengeance of the bunch
back husband, and the baptism of the
strife of Guelph and Ghibelin in the blood
Of Francesca and Paolo and that of the
heroic and sensitive ~hunchback.
~
PRIMO karl.
nN 81.