Jodelle is considered as the founder of the French tragedy; his first work was called Cleopatra Captive, published in the year 1552; his next was The Sacrifice of Dido, taken as closely as possible from Virgil, and a comedy, called Eugene, or the Rencounter. As Cleopatra Captive was the first tragedy ever acted in France, we will give a brief outline of the plot.

The piece is opened with the ghost of Antony, who complains that the Gods, jealous of his glory, had connived with Cupid to render him a slave to that passion which had caused his death. The ghost then appears to Cleopatra in a dream, and advises her rather to kill herself than be led in triumph, and chained to the chariot of Cæsar. The ghost (out of regard probably to the rules of Aristotle) enjoins her to meet him in the shades in less than twenty-four hours. In the second act, Cæsar enjoys the idea of Cleopatra's captivity. In the third he has an interview with the lady, who threatens to kick him, and he runs away. In the fourth she kills herself; and in the fifth they deplore her death.

A number of dramatic authors followed Jodelle, with various success; but as it is not our intention to give an exact history of the French stage, we shall say nothing of them till we come to Corneille, the Shakspeare of France. This great man, and well he deserves that epithet, was born at Rouen, on the 26th of June, 1606, and was originally intended for the bar. His first comedy, called Melite, brought out at the age of nineteen, arose from the following circumstance: A young man took his friend (Corneille) with him to visit his mistress; the lady chose the friend and rejected the lover; the friend, charmed with the preference, instantly became a poet.

His first tragedy was called Medée, which had not by any means very great success, and appeared in the year 1635; and in 1636 was performed the famous tragedy of the Cid, and never had a

drama more celebrated success; it was repeated by heart, was taught to children, and it was the custom to say, "Beau comme le Cid." It is hardly possible to enumerate the nest of envious hornets which were roused by the extraordinary merits and success of this piece. It was afterwards followed by a variety of tragedies and comedies that met with almost equal favour; but, at last, even this great writer was obliged to introduce machinery, splendid decorations, &c. to make his dramas go down, as we find in the account of the living pegasus which was introduced into his Andromede, brought out in the year 1650. We subjoin an account.

"The great object of admiration was a living pegasus, slung in a way so peculiar that he sprung into the air and seemed lost in the clouds. The poor horse, it seems, was kept without food till he was almost starved, and in that condition fastened in the flies to a cord, with pullies so constructed that by a counterpoise his own weight would carry him to the other side of the stage. When it was the proper time for this pegasus to exhibit, a man on the other side, so concealed as not to be seen by the audience, held in sight of the famished animal a sieve of oats. The creature instantly began neighing and pawing, and when he had been sufficiently irritated, the rope that bad restrained him was loosened, and the effort threw him into the air till he arrived at his stable in the clouds, when he was recompensed by a good supper for his dexterity. It is true (adds the author of the article) we have seen living horses in the Italian opera, bnt none of them had to boast of the warlike ardour of the pegasus in Corneille's tragedy of Andromede, his movements were admirable, and certainly contributed very materially to the success of the piece."

(To be continued.)

THE BAD ACTOR.

A PARODY OF CARDINAL WOLSEY'S SPEECH IN HENRY VIII. DEDICATED TO MR. .. ..

.....

We have selected the following Airs, &c. from the New Drama of Peter the Great.

SONG.-ILLO.

Your Highness, when he courted me,
He looked as sad as sad could be,
And talked a heap of flummery,
Which I've forgot.

At last, determined to unmask,
Says he, "It is a tender task,
But, dearest, I have come to ask-
You know what."

Says I, then pitying his distress,
Since you your meaning can't express,
You would be tying, I should guess,
A certain knot!

And so we crave, ere it is tied,
Your blessing, and, my Lord, beside,
You promised you would give the bride,,
You know what.

PETER.

A rover all over the wide world, I've found,

Wherever I sought 'em, good-fellows abound;

And be they of Swedish or Muscovite mothers,

To me all good-fellows are welcome as brothers.

My foe in the field, when his weapon's put up, [wine cup. A weary campaigner shall share my Then hob-a-nob, sing hob-a-nob, and drink while you may, To-morrow, boys, fight, but be merry to-day.

'Tis pity that heroes fall out when they please, [ease;

'Tis pity that millers can't live at their But what's that to you, they fight or [their laurel.

they quarrel, Content with your pay and a sprig of Be true to your leader, and conquer

who will, [the mill. Remember the welcome you had at Then hob-a-nob, &c. &c.