of Alfieri, such a profusion of energy 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 exceptions to your rather too general observations.  It is true that Metastasio is rather a lyrical than a dramatic poet, and that he describes love like one of the fine arts that adorn life, not as the most important secret of our happiness and our pain.  I will venture to say, notwithstanding our language has been consecrated to the cause of love, that we have more profoundness and sensibility in describing any other passion than this.  The practice of making amorous verses has created a kind of commonplace