For my chill shivering, when amid the assembly

Thou call'd'st him "Serpent !" and thou coldly said

"Proclaim the Congress !" or for that emotion,

That visibly had Asla's heart assail'd, When Oscar left Alf's train as they surveyed The castle, and then vanish'd 'mid the crowd! Yn. How? Is he not in her protection still?

Ir. No! she hath gone to search for him,
and thou,

Thou art like her, disturb'd ?—
Rise up, Braunhilda!

Assume the rights of misery-spare him not; Convulse him! May thy words all turn to fire,

And melt away the dross of that design, That cleaves as cankering rust into his soul! Dissolve, as if by lightning, and break through

His obstinate purposes. Then, if unmov'd, He will commit the deed, of which even thought

Is more than horrible, curses pursue me If I survive that foul accomplishment! She is about to go, but is detained by Braunhilda, who has slowly risen up, keeping her eyes still intently

fixed.

Braun. Oh! not yet-not yet-stay

Where are my people? They will wash off the gore, and lift him up; His mother cannot do this-That were more Than from weak nature could be hoped

Hold! Silence!

him come

In haste, the visions to dispel that haunt
His mother's brain!

Having already allowed an unusual space to this article, we must now, very briefly, analyse the following scenes, which are all highly effective, and contain a rapid succession of new misfortunes, tending to the climax of affliction in this deepest of tragedies. In scene eighth, Asla appears demanding Oscar of her father; who, in his turn, declares that he believed the captive still under her protection. She, on the contrary, complains that she has every where sought for him in. vain, and that the only tidings of her uncle-in-law that she has been able to obtain, are, that he was lately seen in company with Marduff-at which information Yngurd is agitated with the most agonizing apprehensions. Perceiving this, Asla again questions

him:

Father! whom in my vision I beheld Fly from thy bloody work-speak-tell me truly,

What mean'st thou? Where is Oscar?

In the ninth scene, a messenger arrives to inform Yngurd, that Count Egrösund, with a powerful troop of insurgents, is now drawing near to the castle, to which Yngurd only replies sought for and summoned without by commanding that Marduff be delay. After an interval of the most painful suspense, this officer appears, his countenance expressing so much disquiet that Irma exclaims, Oh, ask him not!

His visage has announc'd the horrid taleOscar is dead-is murder'd!

Marduff, on the contrary, declares that the young prince lives; but when Yngurd finds, in the course of investigation, that Oscar has been made acquainted with his murderous intentions, he exclaims

Curse on thy tongue-disgrace without the deed!

There is then no resource-we cannot both

Survive!

He grasps his sword, as if with the design of committing suicide, on which Asla eagerly interposing, declares that she can vouch for Oscar's inviolable secrecy that their souls are as oneand what she wishes to conceal he never can be brought to divulge. This interposition leads to a full disclosure of their mutual attachment, which she has concealed even from her mother, knowing that such an union (although the young prince is but her half-uncle) is prohibited by the laws of Norway. Yngurd immediately replies

more

Than she has utter'd? Thou frail tender thingWhen Egloff stabb’d himself—my heart resisted;

Go-go-thine will be broken!

At this juncture, Durdal rushes in with the sudden and overwhelming intelligence, that the dead body of Oscar has been discovered among the rocks on the sea shore. He had, as the reader no doubt already anticipates, leapt out from the "Gate of Death," and, being unable, as he intended, to reach the water, been dashed to pieces, thus realizing the terrific picture in the dream of Asla.

We have already observed, that these concluding scenes are all highly effective. The stage directions are, as usual, long and particular; but at present we must not dwell on the minute details of the catastrophe.

Marduff hastens out to ascertain, by his own eyes, the fate of his unfortunate victim. Asla, now repeating the last words of her vision, "The young knight lay upon the field of death, &c.

With the wild resolution of despair,

immediately follows him. Braunhilda remains leaning against a pillar, from time to time uttering the unconnected ravings of insanity. Meanwhile, the rebel army has actually reached the castle, having their power and resolution very formidably increased by the spirit of indignation and revenge excited by the now publicly known fate of Oscar. Alf, in the twelfth scene, appears endeavouring to persuade Yngurd that he ought to fly for refuge to the Danish fleet which lies in the harbour. This deliberation is interrupted by Marduff, who announces, that Asla, immediately on beholding the dead body of Oscar, rushed headlong into the sea, and is drowned. The queen, Irma, has also died of grief. Thus deprived of wife and daughter, Yngurd is not prevented from rushing out into the outer court of the castle, where the rebels are now contending with the royal guards. With supernatural strength and dig nity, he makes his way through the tumult; and at one blow fells their leader Egrösund to the earth. Being without his usual armour, however, he is in the same moment mortally wounded.

In the seventeenth and last scene, which is deeply impressive, Yngurd is again brought upon the stage in order to resign his crown to Alf-and to die.

Yn. Alf-now the toils of my last day
are o'er-

Yet seems it not, as if I went to sleep!
My spirit now looks up as if awakening,
And my heart feels unwonted strength. Not
death

But life may be compared to slumb'rous

dreams,

[He sinks down exhausted on his knees, and presents the crown.] Tell them that as your subject died their king.

Alf, deeply moved, kneels down beside the dying hero, and receives the crown;-Yngurd then sinks back and expires. A solemn stillness reigns for some moments; the nobles then swear allegiance to their new monarch, and proclaim him aloud King of Norway and of Denmark. Braunhilda, after a few lines of wild but significant raving, rushes out with an intention of suicide-and Alf commands, that proper attention be paid to control her. The acclamations in honour of his coronation are renewed, and the curtain falls.

which did not exist in the "Guilt," the "Ancestress," or the "Hakon Jarl," with which our readers are already acquainted. Notwithstanding these obstacles, we doubt not that

enough has been effected to impress the poetical student with a due respect for the rising genius of Müllner; who, with a mind richly stored by the fruits of laborious application, disdains to follow in the beaten tracks of authorship. Without a spirit of bold experiment, as well as that of humble and consecutive study, it is obvious, that novelty of excellence cannot be gained. That such boldness should more and more provoke the attacks of minor critics, both in his own and in foreign countries, was to be expected. Such opponents direct their mistaken efforts solely to the plucking up of weeds, and seem altogether insensible to the beauty of those flowers, by which the attention of better judges is agreeably and advantageously occupied. How much reason has this poet to congratulate himself on that selfpossession and steady perseverance, which, in despite of the rage of critics, who " admiring wont admire," have enabled him to acquire, perhaps, a wider influence over the popular mind in Germany, than any other dramatic author of the present era!

THE issuing of a commission to take trial of treasons in Scotland, is a matter of such rare occurrence, as to warrant, on that account alone, the introduction of some remarks on the proceedings held under it; but in a more extended view, it is a matter of general interest, leading to important results, and giving rise to reflections which may be considered not undeserving of notice.

Since the period (upwards of a century ago) when the act of union assimilated the treason law of Scotland to that of England, no trials for treason have taken place on this side of the border, except the trials of Watt and Downie in 1794, and the trials under the commission which has just concluded its sittings.* The

circumstances which gave occasion to this commission, and which have, to a certain extent, been disclosed in the course of the trials, were serious and alarming in no ordinary degree.

For some time past it has been known, that associations of a political nature have existed among the lower orders of the manufacturing population, in several of the central counties of Scotland. These associations, under the names of Unions and Reading Clubs, formed, in most instances, after a plan proposed by an itinerant orator, had for their professed object the extension of political information and general knowledge. But it was chiefly, if not solely, in the writings of those politicians called reformers that information was sought, and it was as

"friends of reform" that the members of these societies congregated. Under that general designation were comprehended many different grades of political character; for it has at all times been an object with political schemers to abolish nice distinctions, and include under one general epithet all among whom any similarity of views could be traced, whether originating in political affection or political antipathy, and whether directed towards the same or somewhat different results. The views of the friends of reform were probably as various as the visions of speculative politicians are infinite; but unfortunately they were here the grades of one scale; and although the difference betwixt the extremes of rational and radical might be apparent to spectators, who, not mixing with the throng, embraced in one extended view the whole compass of the scene, yet the individual shades of distinction were too nice for vulgar discernment, and not likely to strike the jaundiced vision of those who had not the capacity to extend their observation beyond the narrow range of their own immediate action.

Unfortunately, the depressed state of the manufactures was calculated to give encouragement to these political associations, and to render them dangerous. The mind of man is naturally active; and when it cannot find employment in its accustomed sphere, it seeks to exercise itself in another. Numerous public meetings were held, in different parts of the country-The unions became general throughout the manufacturing districts of ScotlandThey were divided into classes systematically-Aregular communication was kept up among them-Committees and sub-committees were appointed for the purpose of forming plans, and digest ing the means of carrying them into effect. In every free country, there are at all times men who make it their business to minister to the malevolent affections of the mind. Some look not, perhaps, beyond the immediate gain of providing the poi son-some, perhaps, aim at a petty distinction in their own narrow circle -and many, who have nothing to lose, wish to encourage commotion and disorder, in the hope that something may be gained. Times of privation and distress are the best suited to give encouragement to the views and ex

Men

ertions of these evil spirits. suffering the extremity of distress, without any immediate prospect of relief, are apt to receive with gratitude the prescriptions of any quack, and may be persuaded to try the effects of any remedy, however desperate. The impatient and feverish minds of the manufacturers were wrought upon by the exciting prescriptions of their political empirics, until they became convinced that the disease was rooted in the constitution, and that nothing short of a radical change could remove it.

As

The higher classes were not remiss in their endeavours to alleviate the distress of the lower orders. Considerable sums were subscribed, and operations were set a-going, to give employment to as many as possible of those who were unavoidably thrown idle; but the supply thus provided was necessarily scanty, and the poison disseminated by the emissaries of sedition had already begun to operate. The views of the reformers became desperate. Their conduct and deportment towards their superiors was totally altered. They had become indifferent and even insolent. Equality of rights and of property was the end at which they aimed, and the particular mode of partition and allot, ment was already talked of. these objects could not be accomplished without force of arms, it was resolved to have recourse to that alternative, and they individually set about supplying themselves with such arms as chance put within their reach. Great numbers of pikes were manufac tured in Glasgow and elsewhere, and arms were taken by force from such as were not thought to be friendly to the cause. Miscalculated and misled as to their own numbers, and still more deceived as to the numbers of their friends, both in this country and in England; without resources-without talent-without experience — a set of desperate and misguided weavers meditated no less than the total subversion of the British Constitution !..

On the 1st of April, an inflammatory and treasonable address was placarded and circulated throughout the bounds of the Union. That address, professing to proceed from the Committee of Organization for forming a Provisional Government, recommended a general strike of work, and called upon the

soldiers to imitate the conduct of their brethren in Spain, and free their country from tyranny and oppression.

The immediate effect of this address was a total suspension of work. The looms were completely deserted, and in general even the cotton mills were stopped, in consequence of the spinners declining to work, although the distress had by no means extended itself to them. The state of Glasgow in particular became truly alarming. The streets were crowded with idle, sullen, gloomy, manufacturers, consulting in groupes, or moving to and fro in large bodies, or straggling individuals; and each cotton mill that was stopped added several hundreds to the number.* This state of anxiety and suspense continued for some days, during which the Reformers were observed in different directions practising drilling and military evolutions. At length, on the night of the 5th, some of them turned out in arms in different parts of the suburbs of Glasgow, and every exertion was made by the leaders to increase their numbers, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Their resolution seemed to have abandoned them at the moment when active exertion became necessary. The few who actually took up arms, after wandering about the suburbs for a night, and getting themselves drenched with rain, found, in the morning, that their numbers were rather diminished than increased, and that the prospects of support with which their leaders had deceived them were vain. Their situation was miserable, and their cause hopeless-they were panic struck, and threw down their arms, and fled in all directions. The leaders who had been the most earnest in urging them on, were, as generally happens on such occasions, the first to abandon the cause, and seek safety in flight, leaving their deluded followers to atone to the injured laws of their

country. On the same morning a more adventurous party, who had marched into Stirlingshire to raise the friends in that quarter, were encountered at Bonnymuir by a detachment of the king's troops and county yeomanry-a skirmish ensued, in which the insurgents were completely defeated, and a great number of them made prisoners.

Such were the treasonable proceedings which led to the issuing of the Special Commission of Oyer and Terminer for the trial of the offenders. The commissioners were the four heads of Courts, viz. the Lord President, the Lord Justice Clerk, the Lord Chief Baron, and the Lord Chief Commissioner of the Jury Court, together with the five Lords Commissioners of Justiciary. The first sitting of the Commission was held at Stirling on the 15th of June. There were present, the four heads of Courts, and Lords Hermand and Gillies, being the two senior Commissioners of Justiciary. The Lord Advocate and all his deputes, and Mr Sergeant Hullock from England attended on behalf of the crown; and upwards of twenty other counsel were present. The Lord President delivered an admirable charge to the Grand Jury. True bills were found against upwards of thirty individuals, most of whom were in custody. The Court then proceeded to Glasgow, Dumbarton, Paisley, and Ayr, and in each of these four counties true bills were also found against several persons who were in custody, and others who had absconded. The total number of true bills found, amounted to no fewer than eightyeight. The trials proceeded in the same order, commencing at Stirling on the 13th of July. The first prisoner put to the bar was Andrew Hardie, and, after a long and anxious trial, the jury retired for about ten minutes, and returned with a verdict of guilty.

about.

YOL. VII

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