Hew Morrison Collection > Bolg solair

THE MUSE OF OSSIAN.
and Ellen Terry of the day— whose history is a touching romance, never
yet revealed, though dimly and sadly shrouded and mystified in two
bulky volumes of autobiography,
The play is founded on Macpherson's "' Comala," itself already in
dramatic form, and not without passages of pathos and impressive
eloquence. The scope of " Comala" Mr, Baker aims at " enlarging ; "
and to its character and incidents he seeks to bring variety and new
interest by weaving into the original dramatic story select passages from
the other poems of Ossian. In this curious work of dramatic patch-
work Mr. Baker has prisoned his own dramatic instinct, for he was an
actor, within an iron cage of stern self-suppression. Not one word of
his own was to be allowed. All his additions must be, even verbally,
in the fine gold of Ossian, Need one wonder if the result is sometimes
stiff, stilted and unspontaneous ?
The story is the old but ever rejuvinating story of love, jealousy,
treachery and madness, Fingal is away in battle with '" Caracul, King
of the World." On the bank of '■ Carun of the Streams," its waters
rolling in blood, Comala, beloved of Fingal, awaits the hero"s return.
A strange misgiving seizes her soul. " Why do I behold thy waters
rolling in blood ? Has the noise of battle been on thy banks, and sleeps
•the King of Morven ? " To Comala, thus alarmed, enters Hidalian,
Fingal's rival for her love. He cometh with the ready lie on his lips,
Fingal has fallen. The distraction of Comala is intensely tragic ; but
the scene is drawn out in prolonged and unnatural agony, Comala at
last rushes into the darkness, and is lost to view over the precipice.
Hidalian 's remorse and Fingal's despair close the second act. in the
third act the tragedy is renewed in Hidalian 's disgrace at his father's
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