to arm against the Romans and gives orders to prepare
the funeral pile for the sacrifice. The victim is to be Pollio, who
was captured in the act of carrying Adalgisa off by force. Norma
orders her father and the Gauls {237} away, that she may speak alone
with Pollio, to whom she promises safety, if he will renounce Adalgisa
and return to her and to her children. But Pollio, whose only thought
is of Adalgisa, pleads for her and for his own death. Norma, denying
it to him, calls the priests of the temple, to denounce as victim a
priestess, who, forgetting her sacred vows, has entertained a sinful
passion in her bosom and betrayed the gods. Then she firmly tells them
that she herself is this faithless creature, but to her father alone
does she reveal the existence of her children.

Pollio, recognizing the greatness of her character, which impels her to
sacrifice her own life in order to save him and her rival, feels his
love for Norma revive and stepping forth from the crowd of spectators
he takes his place beside her on the funeral pile. Both commend their
children to Norma's father Orovist, who finally pardons the poor
victims.

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO.

Comic Opera in four acts by MOZART.

Text by LORENZO DA PONTE.

This opera may be said to be the continuation of Rossini's "Barbiere di
Seviglia". The text too is taken from Beaumarchais' Figaroade, and the
principal persons in it, we find to be old acquaintances. It is the
same Count Almaviva, now married to Rosina; Figaro, the cunning barber,
has entered the Count's service and is about to marry Rosina's {238}
maid, Susanna. We meet among the others old Doctor Bartolo and
Basilio. Even in the management of the subject, and in the music we
find some resemblance. "Figaro's wedding" has the same character of
gaiety; no storms, very few clouds; there prevails throughout an
atmosphere of sunshine and brightness. After Don Juan, Figaro was
Mozart's darling, and it shines radiantly in the crown of his fame.
There is no triviality in it, as we find in most of the comic operas of
Offenbach and others; it is always noble as well as characteristic in
every part.

The text may be paraphrased thus:

Count Almaviva, though married to Rosina and loving her ardently,
cannot bring himself to cease playing the role of a gallant cavalier;
he likes pretty women wherever he finds them, and not withstanding his
high moral principles, is carrying on a flirtation with