He approaches, and each knowing the other, a conversation ensues under the hypothesis that each to the other is unknown—a very unoriginal, and, of course, a very silly source of equivoque, fit only for the gum—elastic imagination of an infant. But what we especially complain of here is that our poet should have taken so many and so obvious pains to bring about this position of equivoque, when it was impossible that it could have served any other purpose than that of injuring his intended effect! Read, for example, this passage:-VICTORIAN. How know you that? A little bird in the air Whispered the secret. There, take back your gold! Your hand is cold like a deceiver's hand! There is no blessing in its charity! How like an angel's speaks the tongue of woman, When pleading in another's cause her own! Now here it is clear that if we understood Preciosa to be really ignorant of Victorian's identity, the "pleading in another's cause her own" would create a favourable impression upon the reader or spectator. But the advice—"Make her your wife, etc. Again, when Victorian says:That is a pretty ring upon your finger, Pray give it me! The effect upon the audience, in a word, would be pleasant in place of disagreeable were the case altered as we suggest, while the effect upon Victorian would remain altogether untouched. A still more remarkable instance of deficiency in the dramatic tact is to be found in the mode of bringing about the discovery of Preciosa's parentage. Beltran Cruzado, The Count of the Cales, is not your father, But your true father has returned to Spain Laden with wealth. You are no more a Gipsy. Now here are three points:—first, the extreme baldness, platitude, and independence of the incident narrated by Chispa. The opportune return of the father (we are tempted to say the excessively opportune) stands by itself—has no relation to any other event in the play—does not appear to arise, in the way of result, from any incident or incidents that have arisen before. It has the air of a happy chance, of a God-send, of an ultra-accident, invented by the play-wright by way of compromise for his lack of invention. Nec Deus intersit, etc. The second point concerns the return of the father "laden with wealth. The third point has reference to the words—"You are now no more a Gipsy. Our romantic sense of the hero's chivalry declines into a complacent satisfaction with his fate. We drop our enthusiasm, with the enthusiast, and jovially shake by the hand the mere man of good luck. Click here to order! Or visit our site >> write analytical essay More info about: illustrative essay samples thesis statement essays paper writing essay youth culture crazy courage by alma luz villanueva term papers and essays james fenton nothing florida state university admissions essay
