of the fifth act, when the dupe's eyes must be
opened in time for the catastrophe.

These improvements have been carefully introduced into the present old new
tragedy. _Ugone Spinola_ is the presiding genius of _Doria's_ woes: and
dogs him about for the pleasure of making him miserable. He is a finished
epicure in revenge; picking little tit-bits of it with the most savage
_gout_ all through; but particularly towards the end of the play. This
taste was, it seems, first acquired in consequence of a feud that formerly
existed between _Doria's_ family and his own, in which his side came off
so decidedly second-best, that he only remains of his race; all the rest
having been murdered by _Doria_ and his father's faction. From such deadly
foes, it may be observed, that tragic heroes always select their most
trusted friends.

_Doria's_ father dies, and _Nina's_ consents to his marriage; so that we
see them, at the opening of the third act, the picture of connubial bliss,
in a garden belonging to the Duke's palace at Genoa, exchanging sentiments
which would be doubtless extremely tender if they were quite intelligible.
A great deal is said about genius being like love; which gives rise to a
simile touching a rose-bud in a poor poet's window, and other
incoherencies quite natural for persons to utter who are supposed to be in
love. This peaceful scene is interrupted by an alarm of war; and the
Prince goes to fight the Florentines.

The battle takes place between the acts; and we next see the Genoese
halting near their city after a victory. _Doria_, who in the first act has
been represented to us as an exceedingly gay young fellow, is here
described as indulging, in his tent, his old propensities; having brought
away, with other trophies, a fair Florentine, who is diverting him with
her guitar at that moment. This is excellent news for _Spinola_; the more
so as we are soon made to understand that _Nina_, being impatient of her
husband's return, has fled to his tent to meet him, and discovers the fair
Florentine in the very act of guitar-playing, and her spouse in the midst
of his raptures thereat.

A scene follows, in which _Spinola_, as a new edition of Iago, and _Nina_,
in the form of a female Othello, get scope for a great variety of that
kind of acting which performers call "effective." The wife--in this scene
really well-drawn--will not believe Doria's falsehood, in spite of strong
circumstantial evidence. _Spinola_ offe