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A TRAGEDY BY ONE OF HER MAJESTY'S COUNSEL.[1]
Mr. Henry Bliss, one of Her Majesty's Counsel, has perpetrated a tragedy. It is called "Robespierre." In it the Sea-green Incorruptible, as Carlyle dubs him, appears almost as much sinned against as sinning. He was not over-endowed with feelings; yet even his feelings would have been hurt by the sort of figure he cuts in these five acts and forty-one scenes. In one sense, by the perpetration of this tragedy Mr. Bliss has proved himself a greater offender than even Robespierre: Robespierre's forte was crime; but one of Her Majesty's Counsel has here gone a step further, for his tragedy is worse than a crime, 'tis a blunder.
To this, peradventure, he will demur. His Preface, if it does not exactly warn off the critics, as good as sets them at nought, though in the best of good-humour. He is prepared for the worst. He anticipates the possibility of having no reader but his friend Mr. Moile, and no purchaser but the trunk-maker. He owns, indeed, his desire to "contribute to the amusement of others," as an incentive to the production of this "Robespierre: a Tragedy;" and although "amusement" is not usually the scope and aim of writers of tragedy, in this instance there is every reason to prognosticate success: few may read "Robespierre," but all of the few will be "amused." On the other hand, supposing him to have failed in his appeal to a discriminating public, he falls back on the conviction that "abundant consolation may be found in the pleasure of the effort, and, let us hope, sufficient justification in the innocence of the motive."
Mr. Moile, it seems, had written a tragedy, "Philip the Second," in rhyming couplets, and Mr. Bliss is fired to imitate both the fact and the style of his learned friend's composition. He feels, nevertheless, that tragedies in rhyming couplets are not the order of the day; and facetiously says in his dedication, "I am sadly afraid you and I are the only individual (that being one of the few English words that have a dual[2] termination) to whom the fitness of such verse for such subjects is apparent." Mr. Moile, we suspect, is not over well pleased either with his disciple's tragedy, or his own implication in it. Nolens volens he finds himself mixed up with the transaction—or rather nolens only . His answer to Mr. Bliss's prefatory letter is inserted at the close of the volume; and from it we gather that had the Queen's Counsel taken the opinion of the Special Pleader ere he rushed into print, the present catastrophe of five acts and one-and-forty scenes might have been averted. One good piece of advice, however, in this ex post facto extremity , Mr. Moile does venture to give to Mr. Bliss—to wit, "Whenever you feel curiosity about the reception of your tragedy, let me advise you neither to inquire of your acquaintance, nor to look into newspapers or magazines." Candid Mr. Moile to give such advice! Heroically candid Mr. Bliss to print and publish it! Happy man be his dole.
