ts
as his chief prototype. To call "Otho the Great" an excellent drama
would not be possible; but it can be read without tedium, and contains
vigorous passages, and lines and images moulded with a fine poetic
ardour. The action would be sufficient for stage-representation at a
time when an audience come prepared to like a play if it is good in
verse and strong in romantic emotion; under such conditions, while it
could not be a great success, it need not nevertheless fall manifestly
flat. Under any other conditions, such as those which prevail nowadays,
this tragedy would necessarily run no chance at all. In a copy of Keats
which belonged to Dante Gabriel Rossetti I find the following note of
his, which may bear extracting: "This repulsive yet powerful play is of
course in draft only. It is much less to be supposed that it would have
been left so imperfect than to be surmised, from its imperfection, how
very gradual the maturing of Keats's best work probably may have been.
It gives after all, perhaps, the strongest proof of _robustness_ that
Keats has left; and as a tragedy is scarcely more deficient than
'Endymion' as a poem. Both, viewed as wholes, are quite below Keats's
three masterpieces;[23] yet 'Otho,' as well as 'Endymion,' gives proof
of his finest powers." Another note from the same hand remarks: "The
character and conduct of Albert [the lover of Auranthe murdered to clear
the way for her ambition] are the finest point in the play."

Of the later drama, "King Stephen," so little was written that I need
not dwell upon it here.

"Lamia" was begun about the same time as "Otho the Great," but finished
afterwards. The influence of Dryden, under which it was composed, has
told strongly upon its versification, as marked especially in the very
free use of alexandrines--generally the third line of a triplet,
sometimes even the second line of a couplet. You might search "Endymion"
in vain for alexandrines; and I will admit that their frequency appears
to me to give an artificial tone to "Lamia." The view which Keats has
elected to take of his subject is worth considering. The heroine is a
serpent-woman, or a double-natured being who can change from serpent
into woman and _vice versa_. In the female form she beguiles a young
student of philosophy, Lycius, lives with him in a splendid palace, and
finally celebrates their marriage-feast. The philosopher Apollonius
attends among the guests, perceives her to be "human serpen