EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION.

THIS once popular tragedy is the production of the celebrated Irish Barrister, Richard Lalor Shiel, the author of "Adelaide," Evadne," and "Bellamira." Mr. Shiel appears to have imbibed his dramatic inspiration from the transcendant powers of Miss O'Neill; for the whole series of our author's dramas were written expressly for that highly gifted actress. "The Apostate" was produced at Covent Garden theatre, in 1816, and was the first original part Miss O'Neill appeared in on the London boards. The array of tragic talent combined in the original cast. embracing, as it did, young Charles Kemble, Macready, the veteran Murray, and Egerton, with the exquisitely beautiful and thrilling personation of the heroine by Miss O'Neill, secured for the play a success, which its intrinsic merits could not singly have produced.

It is a dramatic incident worthy of record, that to this play Mr. Macready is indebted for the first decided appreciation of his peculiar and fine talents, by a London audience. The part of Pescara had been assigned to Booth, then a member of the Covent Garden company, and in the zenith of his fame. The eccentric and irritable tragedian resigned the part after a few rehearsals, considering it inferior to Charles Kemble's part of Hemeya, and Mr. Macready, in the exigency of the case, was entrusted with Pescara. His success in the part was little inferior to Miss O'Neill in Florinda. Our recollections of the original cast of this play, are still vivid; it was, indeed, an exhibition of concentrated talent, then common at the two great theatres in London, on which the lover of the drama still dwells with many a lingering reminiscence of the bye-gone glories of histrionic excellence.

The author's preface to this play will show the source from which he obtained his materials for constructing his plot. It is as follows:

:

"Sismundi gives a detailed account of a tragedy by Calderon, calledLove 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 for such a man as the present king of Spain !"

That Shiel has skilfully availed himself of the hints which gave rise to "The Apostate," cannot be denied. The situation and incidents are strikingly dramatic in their character, and the leading personages in the drama are all sufficiently conspicuous, and contrasted enough to produce a well-concerted whole. As was usual with Shiel, his heroine is, perhaps, unduly prominent, but the powerfully drawn character of Pescara, as played by Macready, and subsequently with even greater effect by Booth, leaves an impression upon an audience fully equal to that produced by the woes and sufferings of Florinda.

The accumulation of intense suffering and overcharged horror with which this tragedy abounds, prevent it from sustaining its original position on the stage. From the London theatres it is entirely withdrawn; and in this country it only retains its place in the acting drama, from the superior powers of Booth, who occasionally "stars" it in Pescara. H.

PROLOGUE.

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM WALLACE.

VARIOUS the realms, and boundless are the views
Where fancy wanders with the Tragic muse.
What spot a-night, o'er that expansive sphere,
Wakes manhood's sympathy-asks woman's tear?
'Tis Spain-th land where oft, enthroned sublime,
Shone muse-loved chivalry in olden time!

'Tis Spain-where late Britannia's conquering hand
Unmanacled the genius of the land,

Glory's bright beacon lighted once again,
Bade prostrate Europe blush, and burst her chain;
And gave the world that noblest chivalry
Of reas'ning man-immortal liberty!
What time stern Philip's ruthless edict fell
With persecution, and her band of hell,
In frantic ruin o'er the Moorish race-
Our poet chose his fancied scene to trace.
He there presents, in virtue's bold relief,
A Moorish lover and a Moorish chief;

And shows a villain robed in guilt and shame,
Although the villain bear the Christian name;
Convinced, when man in virtue's light you view,
Alike the crescent or the cross to you!

But not alone those springs, whose strong control
With ruder force can wake and vex the soul,
He tries-but still, in softer strains, would prove
That dearer spell of mightier power to move-
A woman's sorrows, and a woman's love!
One praise at least he claims to bless his lays-
Nor scene immoral, nor offensive phrase,
Wounds the chaste ear of virgin modesty-
Quells the pure ardor of young beauty's eye,
Or spreads the crimson of ingenuous shame
On outraged innocence's cheek of flame!
Next-though a foreign land the scene supplied→
Think not he chose a foreign muse his guide:-
Spurning wild Germany's uncultured schools,
And self-pleased Gallia's boasted borrowed rules,
A native muse, to-night, by native arts,

Would please your judgments and subdue your hearts-
And this, her simple suit, by me she sends-

Give British justice!-Yet-as British friends!

PESCARA.-Light brown tight pantaloons, trimmed with gold down the sides, jacket of marone and gold, same style as Iago's, trimmed with bright scarlet satinround Spanish hat, white and scarlet plumes, sword, gauntlets, and russet boots. HEMEYA.-Handsome Turkish fly of scarlet and gold, amber shirt of merino, reaching below the knee, white merino Turkish trowsers, rasset boots, scimitar, scarlet turban, &c.

MALEC, HALY, ABDALLAH.-Turkish flys of different colours, moderately trimmed with silver and gold, breastplates underneath, plain white shirts, Turkish pantaloons, russet boots, white turbans, scimiters, &c.

ALVAREZ.-Black velvet jacket and trunks, puffed with yellow satin and gold, scarlet silk tights, russet shoes, red rosettes, gauntlets, Spanish hat, white plumes, lace collar, sword, &c.

GOMEZ.-Scarlet trunks and jacket, white puffs, lightly trimmed with gold, amber tights, russet boots, sword, hat, and gauntlets.

MOORS.-Similar to Malec's, &c., but perfectly plain.

INQUISITORS.-Long black gowns, Inquisitorial caps, black robes over the gowns. SOLDIERS.-Steel breastplates, helmets, legs, and arms, russet boots, brown tights. FLORINDA.-Scarlet velvet train, handsomely trimmed with gold, white satin petticoat, handsomely trimmed lace veil of Spanish shape, suspended from back of head.

EXITS AND ENTRANCES.

R. means Right; L. Left; R. D. Right Door; L. D. Left Door; 8. E. Second Entrance; U. E. Upper Entrance; M. D. Middle Door.

RELATIVE POSITIONS.

R., means Right; L., Left; C., Centre; R. C., Right of Centre; L. C., Left of Centre.

THE APOSTATE.

ACT 1.

SCENE I.-A Moorish Apartment in Grenada.
Enter HALY, HEMEYA, and HAMET, L.

Hem. It is in vain-you talk to me in vain.
Ham. Have you forget that you are last of all
The race of famous kings who ruled Grenada
Before the Spaniard conquered? In their slavery,
The Moors still hold you for their righteous prince;
And, in return for kingly reverence,

You owe them kingly care.

Hal. Once, I remember,

The wrongs our Christian tyrants heap upon us
Could fire your soul with rage-Aloud you cried
Against the treacherous breach of every right
That Ferdinand secured; but now, when fame
Has told abroad, that Philip will blot out
The very name of Moor, and has decreed
To rob us of our faith, our nation's rites,
Our sacred usages, and all that men
Hold dearer far than life-this fatal passion
Has bound you like a spell,

Ham. This Spanish woman

Has banished from your soul each pobler care,—
The daughter of Alvarez! she alone

Possesses all your being! you can think

And speak but of Florinda-when the Moors

Weep o'er their cruel wrongs, Aben Hemeya

Amid the assembled council sits inwrapt,

And, in a lengthened sigh, breathes out, "Florinda!"
Hem. Oh! blame me not, it is my cruel fate!

I feel this passion, like necessity,

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