stage-worthy, success would give me no pleasure, and failure great pain. It is for this reason that, even during the time of being one of the committee of one of the theatres, I never made the attempt, and never will[377]. But I wish that others would, for surely there is dramatic power somewhere, where Joanna Baillie, and Milman, and John Wilson exist. The _City of the Plague_[1816] and the _Fall of Jerusalem_ [1820] are full of the best "_matériel_" for tragedy that has been seen since Horace Walpole, except passages of _Ethwald_[1802] and _De Montfort_[1798]. It is the fashion to underrate Horace Walpole; firstly, because he was a nobleman, and secondly, because he was a gentleman; but, to say nothing of the composition of his incomparable letters, and of the _Castle of Otranto_[1765], he is the "Ultimus Romanorum," the author of the _Mysterious Mother_[1768], a tragedy of the highest order, and not a puling love-play. He is the father of the first romance and of the last tragedy in our language, and surely worthy of a higher place than any living writer, be he who he may.[378] In speaking of the drama of _Marino Faliero_, I forgot to mention that the desire of preserving, though still too remote, a nearer approach to unity than the irregularity, which is the reproach of the English theatrical compositions, permits, has induced me to represent the conspiracy as already formed, and the Doge acceding to it; whereas, in fact, it was of his own preparation and that of Israel Bertuccio. The other characters (except that of the Duchess), incidents, and almost the time, which was wonderfully short for such a design in real life, are strictly historical, except that all the consultations took place in the palace. Had I followed this, the unity would have been better preserved; but I wished to produce the Doge in the full assembly of the conspirators, instead of monotonously placing him always in dialogue with the same individuals. For the real facts, I refer to the Appendix.[379] DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. MEN. Marino Faliero, _Doge of Venice_. Bertuccio Faliero, _Nephew of the Doge_. Lioni, _a Patrician and Senator_. Benintende, _Chief of the Council of Ten_. Michel Steno, _One of the three Capi of the Forty_. Israel Bertuccio, _Chief of the Arsenal_, } Philip Calendaro, } _Conspirators_. Dagolino, } Bertram, } _Signor of the Night_, "_Signore di Notte," one of the Officers belonging to the Republic_. _First Citizen_. _Second Citizen_. _Third Citizen_. Vincenzo, } Pietro, } _Officers belonging to the Ducal Palace_. Battista, } _Secretary of the Council of Ten_. _Guards_, _Conspirators_, _Citizens_, _The Council of Ten_, _the Giunta_, etc., etc.