University of Virginia Library

PREFACE.

Sismondi gives a detailed account of a tragedy by Calderon, called, “Love after Death; or, The Mountains of Grenada,” and founded upon the revolt of the Moors against Philip the Second. It is an historical play, and embraces the principal events during a warfare of three years.

The political condition of the Moors, as described by Calderon, appeared to the author to be highly dramatic. He has not consciously adopted a single incident in the plot, or line in the composition of the Spanish Poet, but has endeavoured to catch his general tone and colouring in depicting the detestation which the cruelty of the Spaniards had naturally generated in the Moors. He mentions this to relieve himself from the imputation of having sought the illegitimate assistance of political allusion; and he hopes that, upon reflecting on the nature of the subject, the reader will consider the introduction of the Inquisition as unavoidable. It would be hard, indeed, to write a play upon any event in the reign of Philip the Second, without inveighing against the persecutor and the tyrant. It would be impossible, in the present instance. If it be a fault, Schiller and Alfieri have fallen into it. It would be a very strange delicacy, indeed, were the author to spare the guilt, the ferocity, and the baseness of Philip, out of respect to such a man as the present King of Spain!

It has been also said that he is greatly indebted to the performers. He is, indeed, indebted, and most grateful to them. Who must not be under great obligations to such an unprecedented union of varied excellence as the proprietors of Covent-Garden

have brought together? The dignity,—the pathos, —the subdued and cultivated genius of Mr. Young; the fine countenance, the graceful movement, and the impassioned tenderness of Mr. C. Kemble; the just conception and the admirable execution of Mr. M'Cready, who, by his great powers, succeeded in counteracting the odium which such a character as Pescara was calculated to create;—these would impose obligation upon writers to whose talents the author does not aspire.—Of Miss O'Neill he forbears to say any thing—she finds her eulogy in tears—those evidences of tragic superiority to which Athens gave the palm.

It is not only to the performers in this tragedy that the author owes his thanks—he returns them to Mr. Fawcett, for his zealous and judicious superintendence of the preparation of his tragedy, and his gentleman-like attentions towards himself.

Mr. Bishop assisted the Author by two of those delightful airs which he only can produce.

He cannot conclude without expressing his warm acknowledgments for the liberality of the proprietors in sparing no expense, and for their great personal politeness.

The metre will be occasionally found incomplete, as the play is published from the prompt-book. The passages omitted in representation were not considered by the author as worthy of publication.