sympathy. No one cared about their chief, the tenor; a very important detraction to begin with. The indispensability of a clear and interesting narrative, full of stage effect, can only be appreciated by the example of innumerable operas which have partially failed from the unintelligibleness of the story. Romani is certainly the very best libretto-writer the Italian stage ever had. There is much real poetry in his dramas, and nothing can be better than their construction and point. The difficulty of writing a good libretto is much greater than is usually imagined, and unless an author is fully acquainted with lyrical drama, he will as surely fail as some of our best authors have when attempting stage composition. In the countless Italian libretti, there are as many examples of ridiculous failure, as those obvious to every one, in our own writers for lyrical drama. Much of Balf's music, for example, is perfectly sacrificed from the absurdity of the words. Either from the defective libretto or want of inspiration (perhaps both), Alzira utterly failed. Want of originality, with very little dramatic effect, was obvious throughout the whole opera; and there is a too sensible family likeness with I due Foscari, in the few passages applauded. The tenor's air, finishing the prologue, a cavatina of the prima donna's, and a somewhat impressive scena of the basso, were the only three remarkable features of Alzira. The author seems to have forgotten the very system on which he composed his earlier works, namely, a determination to make every thing subservient to dramatic truth; rather than a miscellaneous introduction of unmeaning prettinesses, with little reference to their propriety.
From Verdi's early operas, he seems to have the same ideas about the lyrical drama as those so admirably illustrated by Mercadante, and such principles will, no doubt, ere long, become the classics of the art. The author of Il Bravo, without possessing that rarest of gifts invention, has obtained European fame by composing with a view of characterising his music with the poetry of his opera; though bold as regards originality, he always delights by truthfulness, and gains just as much from repetition as some authors lose notwithstanding the furore of their first representation.
The eternal thirst for novelty, a universal weakness in all opera goers on the Continent, is highly injurious to the art. No sooner has a composer made a fortunate début, than Milan, Naples, Florence, Vienna, and Paris solicit him for novelties. The large sums of money paid for a name in music, as well as the other arts, induces him to comply. Henceforward he must become a manufacturer; his one head and one hand must perform Herculean labours. Three or four operas are to be produced in one season! What is the result? Even the facundious Donizetti cannot overcome the difficulty; and clever adaptations of his own and other people's ideas are obvious in all his latter efforts. Verdi's new opera is a fatal example of the system. Had he written with greater care, and regardless of time, the result would have been more ultimately satisfactory to himself, and more gratifying to the musical world.
Abbas Kouli Khan; his kindness to Dr.
Wolff, 200.
Abdul Samut Khan, Nayeb or Lieutenant
of the Ameer; his infamous conduct to
Dr. Wolff, 198; persons murdered by
him, 201.
Aberdeen, Lord; his offer to reimburse
Capt. Grover, 278; negligence of the
Foreign Office, 280; course recom-
mended to him with respect to Capt.
Grover and Dr. Wolff, 281.
"Act to regulate the Issue of Bank
Notes in Ireland, and to regulate the
Repayment of certain Sums advanced
by the Governor and Company of the
Bank of Ireland for the Public Ser-
vice." 21st July, 1845, 466.
"Act to regulate the Issue of Bank Notes
in Scotland." 21st July, 1845, 466.
Adalay, a picture from the living Cau-
casus, by Vilney; description of Cir-
cassians, 258; denouncement of the
Emperor of Russia, 259.
Adouin; his physical Analogies, 9.
Alison on Population, 207.
Allotment System, 210.
Ameer of Bokhara, description of him,
191; his life, 192; reception of Dr.
Wolff, 192; requests Dr. Wolff to
write a life of Muhammed, 193; his
questions by his Makhrams or Cham-
berlains, 194; reads all the letters of
his subjects, 196.
An Act for the further Amendment of
the Church Building Acts, 9 Vict.
c. 74, p. 460; provides for the inde-
pendence of district incumbents, 461;
enacts that the charitable trusts shall be
divided among the districts, 463.
Astrologer's Daughter, by R. E. Hen-
dricks, 493; romance of the time of
Catherine de Medicis; first composi-
tion of the author.
Austin, Mrs.; her German fragments,
91; "her characteristics of Goethe,"
95.
Babbage, Mr., his calculating machine,
7.
Barry Cornwall, his songs, 73; their
defective execution, 78.
Bayly, T. H., his songs, 68.
Beethoven, Life by J. Moscheles, trans-
lated from Schindler, 380; his birth
and childhood, 381; a pupil of Haydn,
383; his suspicious temper, 384; re-
sidence at Vienna, 385; begins to lose
his hearing, 385; ill-used by his rela-
tions, 386; his quarrel with Hummel,
388; loses two noble patrons, 389;
his criticism on Rossini, 390; stric-
tures on his style, 392; his noble
opinion of his art, 393; concertos, by
J. Moscheles, 378; quartettes, edited
by S. Rousselot, 378.
Belgian Artists, 96.
Bennets Abroad, The, by Mrs. Ellis, dull
production, 288.
Bokhara, its population, 201.
Bowditch, his accurate knowledge of
Western Africa, 498.
British Mercantile Shipping, Parlia-
mentary report on this subject, 1844,
p. 128; shipping interest, evidence for
it, 129, 138, 147, 149; river builders,
132; Mr. Huskisson, his offer of
drawback, 136; materials for ship-
building, 137; state of British navy,
139; colonial ships wretchedly built,
142; Mercantile Shipping Board, its
necessity, 153; refuge-harbour com-
mission, 156.
Burke, Edmund, extracts from his
writings, by Peter Burke; pleasing
abridgment; life appended written
with great care, 251.
Capacelli (Marquis Albergati) composes
many plays and farces, 365.
Commedia dell'Arte, description of it,
356.
Commedie Scelte di Carlo Goldoni, 333.
Cologne, 98.
Conolly, Captain, English envoy to
Khiva, 271.
Correspondence, German, 253; Eastern,
259; Italian, 263; Neapolitan, 502.
Costello, Dudley, his tour through the
valley of the Meuse, 97.
Crosse, Mr., experiments, 8.
Cuvier, his classification, 9.
Damascus, description of it, 260.
Danube superior to the Rhine in pictu-
resque buildings, 118.
Diary of Travels in France and Spain,
by the Rev. F. Trench; work of a
highly Christian character; exami-
nation of state of Roman Catholic
churches of France and Spain, and
Protestant communities of France,
243.
Dibdin, Charles, his songs, 55.
Disraeli, his works, 291.
Dog, form not altered in 3,000 years, 14.
Dramatic Sketches, and other Poems, by
the Rev. J. Wills; some stories finely
conceived; defective in vigour; Daugh-
ters of Time the best in the volume;
some of them previously published in
Blackwood, Dublin University, and
other periodicals, 244.
Edinburgh Review, its attack on Lord
Byron, 269; its inaccurate statements
relating to Stoddart and Conolly, 271;
charges Capt. Grover with inaccuracy,
273; Dr. Wolff points out their error,
273; attempts to defend Lord Aber-
deen, fails in so doing, 274; its igno-
rance of Persian, 274; dishonest
method of quotation, 275; wrong in
the date of the execution of Stoddart
and Conolly, 277.
Edwin the Fair and Isaac Comnenus, by
H. Taylor, an historical drama, 248;
mediocre production, 249.
Ellenborough, Lord, detention of his let-
ter by Abdul Samut Khan from the
Ameer of Bockhara, 197; Ameer gives
it to Dr. Wolff, 203.
Enclosure Bill, differences of opinion on
it, 230; Mr. Hume's efforts for the
poor on this subject, 230.
Endowment, General Church, expected
from Sir Robert Peel for district
churches, 465.
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Giraud, an imitator of Goldoni, 365.
Goethe, translation from him, 308.
Goldoni on Modern Italian Comedy, his
autobiography, 335; passion for the
drama, 337; leaves the Dominican
College, 337; robbed at play, 339;
his parting with Toinette, 340; mid-
night adventure in travelling, 341;
love affair at Udine, 342; affair with
Madame Passalacqua, 344; reads his
opera of "Amalasonta, 346;" his thea-
trical difficulties, 349; critical review
of his characters, 360; his style, 361;
his plots, 362.
Gozzi, Count Carlo, restores the four
masks to the Italian stage, 364.
Grover, Captain, his exertions to aid Dr.
Wolff, 272; points out to Govern-
ment that Bokhara is not in Persia,
273; directs attention of the Govern-
ment to Lieutenant Wyburn, 273; his
efforts with the Stoddart and Conolly
committee; vile conduct of the Rev.
G. N. Stoddart to him, 273; thanked
by another member of the Stoddart
family for his exertions for Colonel
Stoddart, 274; right in the date of
the execution of Stoddart and Conolly,
277; his plan for marching on Bok-
hara, 277; refuses the money offered
by Lord Aberdeen for his letters, 278;
pays 400. for liberating his friend,
Dr. Wolff, 278.
Handvogal, Doctor, compelled to expa-
triate himself for vindicating the
cause of the Poles, 267.
Hahn-hahn, Countess, her works, 255,
256.
Herwegh, Georg. Gedichte, his lines on
Prince Puckler Moskau, 246; fuller
translation of same, 328; his Horse-
man's Song, 331.
Heuss Adam, Wanderings and Views of
Life, 254.
Herr Menk Dittmarsch, extract from his
work, 107.
Hints on the Nature and Management of
Duns, by the Hon. an immoral
work, 489.
History of the Marprelate Controversy,
by Rev. W. Maskell; tracts of this
controversy; anecdote of a clergyman,
252.
Horne, R. H., Dramatic Works;
death of Marlowe, 394; Cosmo de'
Medici, 396, 403; "Essay on Tragic
Influence," 403; his "Orion," 404-
407.
Howitt, W., his German experiences, 87.
Hughes, T. M., "Ocean Flower," a poem,
descriptive of Madeira; poetical ex-
tracts, 495, 496.
Indications of the Creator, by W. Whe-
well, opposed to the Theory of the
Vestiges, 18.
Italian Drama, abundant, but not excel-
lent, 351.
Jean Paul, a most original writer, 35;
his controversy with Goethe and Schil-
ler, 36; no adequate biography of
him, 38; the one by Otto the best, 39;
his best tales, 43; translated by Mr.
Noel, 44; his "Siebenkäs," 43; the af-
fection of various ladies for him, 51.
Jerusalem, description of it, 261.
Jews, warned Dr. Wolff not to go to
Bokhara, 189.
Khiva, population, 201.
Klaczko, Judel, his writings, 267.
Klose, C. L., his Memoirs of Prince
Charles Stuart, 159.
König, Henrich, excursion to Ostend,
253.
Kourakin, Prince, killed by his serfs for
his cruelty, 422.
Lander, extract from him, 498.
Laube's Heinrich, the three Royal Cities
of the North, 255.
Laurencet and Meyraux, their anatomical
views, 10.
Lectures delivered at Literary and Me-
chanics' Institutions by W. H. Lea-
tham, well conceived; history of Wake-
field and its antiquities, extremely
good, of Whig tendency, 244.
Jeigh Hunt, Poems of, 490; extracts
from him, 491; delightful work, 492.
Le Juif Errant, by E. Sue, 253; criti-
cism on this work, 299, 300.
Linz, description of it, 119.
Little Warblers, extracts from, 59.
Living German Poets, 304.
Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, his opinion on
small farms, 212; relations between
landlords and tenant farmers, 218.
Lords of the Soil, and Master Manufac-
turers, duties of landowners, 209.
Love's Legends, &c., by Archer Gurney,
241; his controversy with the West-
minster, 240; purity of thought and
diction, 241.
Lyrical Drama in Italy, 265.
Macgregor, Mr., condemns the Methuen
Treaty, 369; his reports on Portugal,
370; sources of his information, 372;
erroneous statements, 375, 376.
M'Neill, Sir John, article attributed to
him in the "Edinburgh Review," op-
posed to Capt. Grover, 269.
Maids of Honour, feeble, vaporous, for-
mal, and tedious, 289.
Master Manufacturers, their duties, 219;
wages and provisions for their work-
people, 221.
Memoirs in Syria, by C. F. Barker, au-
thor endeavours to induce persons to
settle in Syria, 244.
Mercadante, his operas; new Italian
composers, 265.
Montgomery, Rev. R., Ideal of the Eng-
lish Church, 492; attacks the opi-
nions of Mr. Ward; distinguishes
between the ideal and actual, 492; re-
futes M. Goudon, 492.
Morris, Capt., his Songs, 64.
Mount Sorrel, bad style, invention good,
as well as morality, 286.
New Zealand, by W. Brown, 499; ac-
count of Tapu; extract, 499; slavery
prevalent; delicacy of the women; an
example of it, 500; description of the
Attua, extract, 500; massacre at Wai-
roa; mistakes of Captain Fitzroy,
501; Bishop of New Zealand opposed
to the Wesleyans; productions and
Revenue, 501.
Naples, description of its literary aud
scientific congress; literature, 262.
Nota, an imitator of Goldoni, 366.
Poor-Laws, their operation, 225; main
object of Queen Elizabeth's law,
Population and Acreage, comparison of
that of England, and various other
nations, 207.
Prince Charles Stuart, his refusal to quit
Great Britain on his first landing, 161;
noble conduct of a Highlander, 161;
Cope retreats before him, 162; battle
of Preston-pans, 162; reaches Derby,
163; compelled to retreat, 164; his
defeat at Culloden, 165; quits England
for France, 165; his death, 165.
Pym, stupidity of this person, 486; asserts
that the world will come to an end in
1847.
Quarterly Review, its cruel attack upon
Keats, 269.
Official Accounts of Beard of Trade, 45.
Operas, favourite composers in Italy,
266.
Owen, Professor, his system of Palæont-
ology, 23; refers to Agassiz, 26.
Parish, Sir Woodbine, completes Naviga-
tion treaty between Great Britain and
Naples, 264.
Peel, Sir Robert, his financial policy,
467; abolishes small revenue duties,
468; prefers abolition to reduction,
468; removes restraints on manufac-
tures, 469; also on the transfer of
property, 470; encourages the colo-
nies, 471; reduces interest on National
debt, 472; profit to Government on
charters of Banks of England and Ire-
land, 472; imports, 474; immense
stimulus given to foreign trade by re-
duction of duties, 476; England at
peace with all the world, 479; his bank
regulations, 480.
Poland, the Palestine of the Jews, 267;
principal writers among the Polish
Jews, 267.
Pompeii, recent excavations; detail of a
painting lately discovered by Professor
Avellino, 264.
Railroads in Italy, 264.
Reports of British Association, 1840,
1841.
Rhine, Ascent of, 103.
Rhymes and Recollections of a Hand-
loom Weaver, by W. Thom; work of
great merit; factory system, 249.
Richardson H., Songs and Ballads, ex-
tracts from them, 494.
Ronge, various books and pamphlets on
him, 253.
Russia, account by a Russian statesman
of her Legislation, Administration, and
Policy in 1844, 413; his statement of
serfdom; his account of the popula-
tion of Russia Proper, 418; courts
and tribunals, 420; extracts from this
work, 423; finances of Russia, 427;
extract on this subject, 428; opposed
to the dismemberment of Poland, 432;
quotation on this subject, 432.
Russian laws on White Slavery, 413,
Saleh, Mahommed, the Akhund Zadeh,
inaccuracies in his account, 272.
Scenes on the Atlantic, by the author of
"Souvenirs of a Summer in Germany;"
pleasing work, 487; extracts from it,
487, 488.
Schefer, L. an Hegelian, 817; translation
from his works, 318.
Scriptural Communion with God, by R.
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