that the three unities of time, place, and action, are observed in Ivan with tolerable strictness; and it must be allowed in general, that they cramp too much the genius of the author and the imagination of the reader, which, by the happy construction of the English drama, as contradistinguished from that of France, allows an unlimited and fearless range. The fable of Mr. Sotheby's piece, however, is so judiciously managed, that the restraint is scarcely felt, and the reader is not aware of the short time occupied in bringing the story to a conclusion, until he has had time to reflect upon its progress: the same remark will apply to the unities of place and action. Indeed the great object of the author seems to have been the production of a performance adapted in many important respects to the prevailing taste, and yet preserving not a few of the valuable requisites of a good tragedy. If we are asked, whether much fine poetry is to be found in Ivan, much delicate description and nice delineation of varied character, we must answer in the negative, and we apprehend that Mr. Sotheby did not intend to introduce them: he was too well aware of the impossibility of giving effect to such parts in the present state of our theatres to make the vaiu attempt: but as we before remarked, his tragedy is full of business of importance; and declamatory eloquence and passion, suited to the space the actor's voice is to fill, are to be found in it from the beginning to the end. The principal fault, in what may be termed the mechanical portion of the performance, is, that the situations are not sufficiently varied, and there is rather too much of conspirators and poisons, the former of whom are for ever swearing fidelity, and making resolutions, without coming to any fulfilment of their designs until the very end of the piece: this may be said to fill up time on the stage without advancing the catastrophe. We will, in the first instance, give a short outline of the fable. Ivan, the rightful Emperor of Russia, before he arrived at manhood, had been confined in the fortress of Schlussalburgh by a powerful nobleman named Naritzin, and Elizabeth had been raised to the throne in his stead. No motive for this act of disloyalty is mentioned, and Naritzin, to whose custody Ivan is entrusted, seems half to repent his agency in the business when he witnesses the gloomy imprisonment of his legitimate sovereign. Rimuni, a cruel and haughty courtier, soon supersedes Naritzin in the favour of the Empress he fills her with alarm for the security of her throne while Ivan remains alive, and finally procures Naritzin to be accused of treason. On his trial before the Empress, Naritzin vindicates himself from the charge of endeavouring to re-instate Ivan, and he is restored to favour on condition that he will keep his prisoner ever near his person, and will plunge a poignard in his breast if any attempt be made by him to regain the crown of his fathers: this condition is extorted by the alternative of the instant death of Ivan if it were refused. In the mean time, the conspirators, friends of Ivan and of his parents, are secretly at work to procure his release, imagining that Naritzin will second, or at least not obstruct, their design, and ignorant of the solemn engagement he has entered into with the Empress. This may be considered the pivot of the tragedy; for Naritzin, while he preserves his loyalty to the mistress whom he had seated on the throne, feels the strongest regard for Ivan, whose noble qualities began gradually to expand, and of whose impetuosity and love of justice and revenge he was in constant terror. Petrowna, the wife of Naritzin, had informed Ivan of the intentions of his friends before she learnt that her husband had engaged to destroy him if he attempted to regain his throne; and this intelligence naturally rouses all the energies of the young man, as far as those energies existed in his emaciated and forlorn condition. In the end the conspirators break into the prison to free Ivan, and to restore him to his dignity. Naritzin is now called upon to fulfil the solemn promise; but when in desperation he lifts his hand against Ivan (to whom he had before disclosed the secret), it is arrested by one of the conspirators; and Ivan, who, notwithstanding all bis sufferings, loves Naritzen as a father, in order to redeem his pledge, seizes a weapon, and destroys himself at the very moment when his freedom was assured. This is the catastrophe of the piece, and the curtain falls somewhat abruptly in the German style; but after such an act of heroism, nothing could be said or done that would not appear almost absurd and impertinent On reading this sketch, our readers will not fail to remark, that, for the sake of his tragedy, Mr. Sotheby does not scruple to violate in a slight degree historical truth, both with regard to events and the character of Ivan, which he has represented, not only in an amiable, but an admirable point of view: his object, however, was to write a tragedy, not a history; though when both can be combined it is doubtless to be preferred. We shall now give a few specimens from different parts, that our readers may judge of the style as well as the story. The following is from the scene where Naritzin is accused by Rimuni, before the Empress, of endeavouring to procure the liberation of Ivan.` "Narit. When Ivan's wrongs rang loud on every tongue, · Of conscience here to lodge its gather'd venom, This dreadful charge: and here to dedicate, The closing of a day whose dawn was glory- "Lords. Treason! Emp. (to the Lords) Peace! be silent! I too have human feelings--human pity. "Narit Outrag'd! I spake the word--look at this charge. (Takes a paper from his bosom.} I would not, for thy sake, my gracious mistress, Before the public eye produce this deed. 66 Emp. My Lord Naritzin! this imports my honour. "Rim. Ha! "Narit. "Guard this Ivan: Close fetter'd, in a dungeon's cell immure him, Save thine; such food, as nature craves, be his. (Aside.) "Narit. (holding it before her) The sovereign's hand has sign'd it: Lo! here, the name Elizabeth subscribed. Emp. My name! oh, Heaven! I will'd that Ivan should be close immur'd, Not harshly tortur'd. "Narit. (kneels) Hear me. CRIT. REV. VOL. IV. Sept. 1816. 2Q "Narit. Vouchsafe me audience: if this hand Blot out the stain and character of blood: Not of that fiend,-of thy own heart take counsel: Life's tranquil day. The peace, the public weal, Claim justly such restraint; but all beyond Ruthless oppression. "Rim. Dar'st thou thus proclaim it Before thy sovereign's presence? "Narit. Sir, I speak Under the terror of no earthly power: (Pointing up.) This scene is nervous, and well conducted, and in the acting might be rendered exceedingly effective. The next extract is from the end of Act III., and is part of a dialogue that Mr. Sotheby states in the preface to have been added for representation: although there is much power in it, we doubt whether such a scene be consistent with nature. Rimuni, the author of the close confinement of Ivan, visits his cell when Ivan and Naritzin are together. "Narit. (endeavouring to prevent Rimuni's entrance) Enter nol. "Rim. I will behold him. "Ivan. Heav'n! vengeance! vengeance! (To himself.) "Rim. (considering Ivan) Stern his threatening brow. Naritzin haste, the empress waits thy coming. "Ivan. (with affected calmness to Rimuni) Stay yet awhile -the scene will glad thy soul Survey this haunt congenial to thy nature. Stay man-stopping him)—the serpent, that in upper air Nay, gaze around. "Narit, Peace, Ivan! "Rim. (aside) Taunting boy; Yes, I will know thy nature, and subdue it." "Ivan. (calmly takes the lamp, and directs the light to several places) Look on these damps-this pestilential dew, That, drop by drop, bursts on the mouldering stone "Ivan (holding up the lamp to his own countenance.) Look on these orbs of vision, temper'd down To the dull glimmer of this feeble lamp:' These, at my birth, the great Creator gifted With power and capability, at once With one swift glance to sweep the vault of heaven,{ I feel in each brac'd sinew strength and power s To rend thee into atoms. (Violently seizes him.) "Rim. (drawing a dagger) Perish first (Ivan runs, and bars the door, and snatches the dagger.) "Narit. Ivan! hold: or instant death In torturing flames consumes us. "Ivan. (drops the dagger) Thou in torture For Ivan's deed?-away, thou fiend! delay not- Hence!-tell the usurper, in this cell of horror I o'er thee stood, the dagger in my grasp, Nor struck the blow: then, for thou canst, command her To free-no, fix on Russia's throne crown'd Ivan. [Exeunt Narit. and Rim." We shall conclude by the subsequent quotation from Act V., where Naritzin informs the hero of the solemn vow made to the Empress, that he will stab Ivan, if he make any attempt to regain his freedom and throne. |