y and magnanimity, or rather
such an exaggeration of violence and crime, that it is impossible to
discover in them the true characters of men. They are never so wicked
nor so generous as painted by this author. The aim of most of his scenes
is to place virtue and vice in contrast with each other; but these
oppositions are not according to the gradations of truth. If, during
their life, tyrants bore with what the oppressed are made to say to
their face in the tragedies of Alfieri, one would be almost tempted to
pity them. His play of Octavia is one of those where the want of
probability is most striking. In this piece, Seneca moralises
incessantly with Nero, as if the latter were the most patient of men,
and Seneca the most courageous. The master of the world permits himself
to be insulted, and his anger to be excited in every scene, for the
amusement of the spectators, as if it were not in his power to end it
all with a word. Certainly these continual dialogues give rise to some
very fine replies on the part of Seneca, and one would be glad to find
in an harangue or in a moral work the noble thoughts which he expresses;
but is this the way to give us an idea of tyranny? It is not painting it
in its formidable colours, but merely making it a subject for verbal
fencing. If Shakespeare had represented Nero surrounded by trembling
slaves, who hardly dared reply to the most indifferent question,
himself concealing his internal agitation and endeavouring to appear
calm, with Seneca near him writing the apology for the murder of
Agrippina, would not the terror have been a thousand times greater? And
for one reflection spoken by the author, would not a thousand be
generated in the soul of the spectators by the very silence of rhetoric
and the truth of the picture?"

Oswald might have spoken much longer without receiving any interruption
from Corinne; so much pleasure did she receive from the sound of his
voice and the noble elegance of his language, that she could have wished
to prolong this impression for hours together. Hardly could she remove
her eyes, which were earnestly fixed upon him, even after he had ceased
to speak. She turned them reluctantly to the rest of the company, who
were impatient to hear her thoughts upon Italian tragedy, and turning to
Lord Nelville:--"My Lord," said she, "it is not to combat your
sentiments that I reply, for they meet mine in almost every point: my
only intention is to offer some exception