o the
poor, avenging the innocent, and chivalrous where ladies, or the lure of
plunder, called forth his prowess; that his depredations were numerous,
even in the face of day, and in the teeth of his enemies; and yet that
those who admired and sided with him were for a considerable period the
terror of the whole legal force who were on the alert to seize him. This
interesting memoir was recited by the son of Vulcan, with an enthusiasm
and delectable pronunciation, that could only be appreciated by hearing
it, and was altogether inimitable. Strange! thought I, that this cave,
once the residence of a robber, should now have become that of a
_forger_.

M.L.B.

* * * * *

The Selector;

and

Literary Notices of

_New Works_.

* * * * *

RIENZI.

In No. 335, we gave the outline of the story of Rienzi, principally from
Gibbon, but interspersed from other authorities. Miss Mitford's tragedy
has since been represented with considerable success, and published.
In the preface, we are told, that in addition to the splendid narrative
of Gibbon, recourse has been had to "the still more graphical and
interesting account of Rienzi's eventful career," contained in _L'Abbe
de Sade's_ Memoirs of Petrarque; and that, "as far as the female
characters are concerned," the materials are entirely from invention.
All this may appear well enough for the construction of the drama,
and the female characters are drawn with peculiar grace and feeling;
but we do not see why the character of Rienzi should be so essentially
altered from history as it has been; neither do we think that any
desirable effect has been gained by this change. In history, Rienzi is a
master-spirit of reckless and atrocious daring, but in the drama, he is
softened down to a fickle liberty brawler, and the sternest of his vices
are glossed over with an almost inconsistent show of affection and
tenderness. As he there stands, he is rather like an injured man, than
one who so liberally dealt oppression and injustice around him.

Miss Mitford's tragedy will, however, be read with considerable interest
in the closet, and fully to appreciate its beauties, every one who has
witnessed it, ought to read it; for many of its "delicate touches" must
be lost in the immense area of Drury Lane Theatre.[2] The plot is
simple, and is effectively told; but as the newspapers, daily and
weekly, have already detaile