The head upon the shoulders still?

Hak. How dar'st thou ?

Insolent slave !-Where is it?

Olaf. (Throwing off his disguise.) Here, Lord Jarl

Forgive me that I thus have brought mine head;

I found it most convenient.

Hak. (Drawing his sword.) Ha !—betrayed!

Olaf. Old man, restrain thine anger-Recollect

My head is on my shoulders. "Tis no longer The headless spectre of thy conscience now That stands before thee.

Hak. (attacking Olaf.) Death and hell! Olaf. (beating back his sword.) No more! Have I not warn'd thee?-Sheath thy sword. This wood

Is all surrounded by my trusty soldiers.
My power is greater here than thine-My

When hostile fate, not o'er myself alone,
But all Walhalla's deities, impended?
Olaf. Poor blind old man! I have com-
passion on thee,

And thy gray hairs

Hak. Compassion!-Thou proud boy! Thou see'st even here the last remaining embers

Of the old fire and valour of the North; And think'st thou, that a feeble power like thine,

Nourish'd by weak and feverish dreams, that flame

Will e'er extinguish? Truly, I know well, It is the part of Christians, with compassion Forsooth, to mend our morals and gain con

verts

While ours is with our whole hearts to despise you,

And strive for your destruction, as the foes Of our old northern gods and warlike fame. This was the part of Hakon, and therein Consists his crime. By Odin and by Thor, Thou shalt not with thy melancholy clouds Obscure the brave heroic sons of Norway. Olaf. Well, time will try thy words Now let us part

But wo to thee when we shall meet again! Hak. Aye-wo to me, if I shall not

o'erwhelm thee!

Olaf. The avenging spear of Heaven shall
pierce thy heart.

Hak. The arm of Thor shall break thy
cross in fragments!
(Exeunt severally.)

Thus ends the third act. In the beginning of the fourth, Hakon, now returned to the main land, is informed by a special messenger, that his eldest and favourite son, Erland, has just been killed by Olaf in a skirmish on the sea shore. He adds, that Olaf, misled by the splendid it was Hakon whom he had struckdress of Erland, believed at first that and was much disappointed when he discovered his mistake. Hakon, in the presence of the messenger, preserves a proud appearance of indifference, and coldly inquires, whether he has any more intelligence? On reflection, however, we shall insert a considerable part of the first scene for the sake of the soliloquy by which it is concluded.

Hak. Now-tell me all-where stands
the insurgent army?
Mess. In Orkdale, sire, by Orm of
Lyrgia

Commanded, and by Ekialm and Alf
Of Rimol. They are there with hearts in-
tent,

Their sister to avenge.

Hak. I do confide

In my tried bands of heroes, who will soon This wild horde put to flight.

bar

What then?

Mess. He struck thy son upon the head, So that his brains burst forth into the sea. Hak. Hast thou no more to tell? Mess. It vex'd king OlafWhen 'twas explain'd that he who had been struck,

Was not Jarl Hakon!-Many men were slain.

Yet some he spared, and learn'd from them the news,

Where stood the insurgent army; and how much

The people against thee had been incens'd.
Hak. Hast thou yet more to tell?
Mess. My liege, I have not.

Hak. Then go! (The Messenger goes out.)" It vex'd king Olaf, when 'twas prov'd

That he who had been struck was not Jarl Hakon!"

Forgive thy servant, Oh, Almighty Powers? If, worldly-minded, he forgot Walhalla! From this hour onwards all his life and deeds To you are consecrated. The bright dream That in the sunset placed upon my head The golden crown, is fled. The storm on high

Rages, the dark clouds meet, and rain pours down,

The sun appears no more; and when again The azure skies are clear'd, the stars in heaven Will glimmer palely on the grave of Hakon! The sea now holds my son! The little Erling,

'Tis true, remains behind. How can I hope That such a tender youngling can resist The raging storm's assault! So let me swear By all the diamonds in the eternal throne, Stars of the night, by you; and by thy car, All powerful Thor, that turns the glittering pole,

At midnight, toward the south! Even from

just been discovered by the soldiers or priests of Olaf in digging the foundation for a Christian church. This horn, which, as it appears, had been formerly used by the priests of Odin, in their solemn sacrifices, was immediately seized by the adherents of Hakon, who receives it with that superstitious reverence with which a wicked mind, conscious of extreme danger, grasps at every new and external event. Unluckily he discovers, engraven on the gold, an ancient inscription, which seems clearly to point out to him that the gods, in order to effect a reconciliation, desire from him the sacrifice of his remaining son! We regret not having room for the soliloquy, in which he gradually works up his mind to this horrible deed; which, however, is perfectly consistent with the spirit of the Northern mythology, and the system of worship by which it was distinguished. the conclusion of the scene, Hakon vividly imagines that he beholds the grim goddess, THORGIERDUR HORGABRUD, (who accompanies the warrior in battle, mounted on a white horse, with a bloody mantle over her shoulders), holding out to him a sharp and polished dagger, which (like Macbeth) he endeavours to grasp, and walks out with extended arms, following his frightful conductress. We know not a finer subject for graphic illustration.

At

In the next scene, which is both long and spirited, a supernatural interview occurs, which reminds us of the "dark knight of the forest," as he appeared in the manuscript copies of Mr Maturin's "Bertram. Olaf, when walking alone in the forest, is met by a one-eyed old man, by name Auden, who endeavours, not without some degree of success, to persuade the king that his endeavours to establish the Christian religion in Norway are illfounded, impracticable, and unworthy of being attended with any good result.

This one-eyed Auden (as the reader will no doubt conjecture) proves to be the great Odin himself, an evil spirit who thus appears, in order, by specious arguments, to perplex and weaken the mind of his opponent, and, if possible, to preserve his influence as heretofore over the Norwegian people. On the entrance of Tangbrand, however, Olaf's father-confessor, all the snares that had been laid by the wicked spirit are

I am afraid-Seest thou that old man there? Him with the beard? I am afraid of him! Hak. Child, it is Odin Would'st thou fly from Odin ? Erl. No-no. I fear not the great king in Heaven

He is so good and beautiful; and calls The flowers from the earth's bosom, and himself

Shines like a flower on high-But that pale

There on the hedge, when first thou

brought'st me hither,

To see the sun rise. Then let us go home; Believe me that old manmeans thee no good Hak. Go bring thy wreathe, and quick. ly come again. (Exit Erling.) A lamb for sacrifice is ever crown'd. Immortal Powers! behold from Heaven the faith

Of Hakon in this deed!

Erl. Here am I, father,

And here's the crown.

Stretch thy

Hak. Yet ere thou goest, my child, Kneel down before great Odin. hands,

Both up to Heaven, and say, "Almighty Father,

Hear little Erling-As thy child receive him, To thy paternal bosom !"

Erl. (He kneels, stretching his arms out towards the sun, and says, with childish innocence and tranquillity). "Oh great Odin,

Hear little Erling! As thy child receive him To thy paternal bosom !"

(Hakon, who stands behind, draws his dagger, and intends to stab him, but it drops out of his hand. Erling turns out quietly, takes it up, and says as he rises). Here it is

Your dagger, father! 'Tis so bright and sharp!

When I grow taller, I will have one too,
Thee to defend against thine enemies!
Hak. Ha! what enchanter with such
words assists thee,

To move thy father's heart?

Erl. How's this my father? You are not angry sure! What have I done? Hak. Come, Erling! follow me behind that statue!

Erl. Behind that frightful man? oh no! Hak. (resolutely.) Yet listen!There are fine roses blooming there--not white

But red and purple roses "Tis a pleasure To see them shooting forth-Come then, my

child!

Erl. Dear father, stay: I am so much

afraid

I do not love red roses.

Hak. Come, I say!
VOL. VII.

Hear'st thou not Heimdal's cock He crows and crows.

Now it is time! [Exeunt behind the statues. The miserable and despairing ty rant now fulfils the sacrifice of his son behind the scenes, an event which, however consistent, as we before observed, with the worship of Odin, would, of course, not be tolerated, with any modifications, on our stage. Immediately after the deed, Einar, the skilful archer (who, in a former scene, proved his extraordinary powers by shooting an arrow through the plumes master to the field, where he had inon Hakon's helmet), enters to call his tended to support him. On discovering the horrid crime, however, that has just been committed, he leaves him for ever, with vehement execra tions, and departs to join the forces of Olaf. The trumpets sound loudly at a distance, and Hakon rushes to the fight. Thus terminates the fourth

act.

The battle goes against the bloodstained Hakon; but he acquits himself with his usual bravery, and slays, among many more, the two brothers of his deserted mistress Thora, who, to revenge their sister's wrongs, had joined, among the first of the Norwegians, the standard of King Olaf, Left alone, in the darkness of night, upon the field of lost battle, Hakon knows not whither to fly for refuge➡ and at last relying on the potency even of injured and despised love, he resolves to commit himself to the lady Thora-the mother of the child whom he had sacrificed to Odin. The fifth act opens with a view of Thora's manslave, the solitary woman sits in sion where, attended by a single sorrow, waiting to hear the issue of the battle. This act is throughout so fine, that we shall extract almost the whole of it.

ACT V. RIMOL.

Night.-Thora and Inger sitting at a table with work. The lights are nearly burnt out.

Tho. Sleep, Inger, weighs upon thee heavily.

Ing. Midnight has passed long since. But listen, now,

They come. There is a knocking at the gate..

Tho. No 'twas the tempest. Through

the livelong night,

It beats and howls, as if it would tear up The house from its foundation.

Ing. In such weather

L