colonial period, notwithstanding the anachronism that masked balls were unknown at that time in New England history.  The Swedish king appeared as Ricardo, Count of Warwick and Governor of Boston, and his attendants as Royalists and Puritans, among them two negroes, Sam and Tom, who are very prominent among the conspirators.  In this form, the Romans having no objection to the assassination of an English governor, the opera was produced with great success.

The first act opens in the house of the Governor, where a large party, among them a group of conspirators, is assembled.  During the meeting a petition is presented for the banishment of Ulrico, a negro sorcerer.  Urged by curiosity, the Governor, disguised as a sailor and accompanied by some of his friends, pays the old witch a visit.  Meanwhile another visit has been planned.  Amelia, the wife of the Governor’s secretary, meets the witch at night in quest of a remedy for her passion for Richard, who of course has also been fascinated by her.  They arrive about the same time, and he overhears the witch telling her to go to a lonely spot, where she will find an herb potent enough to cure her of her evil desires.  The Governor follows her, and during their interview the Secretary hurriedly rushes upon the scene to notify him that conspirators are on his track.  He throws a veil over Amelia’s face and orders Reinhart, the Secretary, to conduct her to a place of safety without seeking to know who she is.  He consents, and the Governor conceals himself in the forest.  The conspirators meanwhile meet the pair, and in the confusion Amelia drops her veil, thus revealing herself to Reinhart.  Furious at the Governor’s perfidy, he joins the conspirators.  In the denouement the Secretary stabs his master at a masquerade, and the latter while dying attests the purity of Amelia, and magnanimously gives his secretary a commission appointing him to a high position in England.

After a brief prelude, the first act opens with a double chorus, in which the attitude of the friends of the Governor and the conspirators against him is strongly contrasted.  In the next scene Richard and his page, Oscar, enter; and after a short dialogue Richard sings a very graceful romanza ("La rivedra nell’ estasi"), which in the next scene is followed by a spirited aria for Reinhart ("Di speranze e glorie piena").  In the fourth scene Oscar has a very pretty song ("Volta la terrea"), in which he defends Ulrica against the accusations of the judge, leading up to a very effective quintet and chorus which has a flavor of the opera bouffe style.  In grim contrast with it comes the witch music in the next scene ("Re del abisso"), set to a weird accompaniment.  As the various parties arrive, a somewhat talky trio ensues between Amelia, Ulrica, and Richard, followed in the next scene by a lovely barcarole ("Di’ tu se fedele”) sung by Richard, leading to a beautifully written concerted finale full of sharp dramatic contrasts.