The Daughter of the Air is said to be a

mythic tragedy ; and is translated from the German of RA.UPACH, who himself com- pounded it of two Spanish tragedies by CALDERON, with a farther reference to the original historians. The subject is Semiramis, the Queen of the Assyrians ; and the only claim that the drama . has to be called mythic is, that the heroine is gratuitously sup- posed to be a daughter of the Air, by a species of supernatural procreation. We can discover no merit, either in the plot, the characters, or the language of this play; and we consider it so far from being dramatic, that we cannot detect a single scene which would be effective on the stage. The characters are so far from being characteristic, that as the translator says, " the drama, to be acted, would require no exertion in any of the parts." The lan- guage is not natural: it is, moreover, not English, and the poetry which is spoken of we cannot detect : we doubt the existence of a poetical idea in the whole play. Of the dignity and beauty of the language, our readers may judge from the following lines— which are not from Tom Thumb.

"Nixts.

Now lips be free your highest joy to prove, To suck the first nectarian drink of love!

(He is going to kiss her ; she pushes him back.)

SEMIRAMIS.

NINUS.

You treat your sovereign so ?

SEMIRAMIS.

That you are not, indeed, I let you know." [There wants here the stage direction of " Gives him a box on the ear.") Ninus, however, perseveres ; he thinks he has a right to kiss his queen that is to be.

" How, didst thou but mean thy king to slight, When choosing him thou crowned'st his delight !

I will have this : I will not be denied

The first assurance that you are my bride. (Catches hold violently of her hand.) Ha! do you find your strength at last o'erwound? (He gets her down here, we suppose.)

SEMIRAMIS.

( Snatching with her left hand a dagger out of his girdle.) Where courage is, escape will soon be found. NINUS.

(Falling back and letting her go.)

Ah I frightful wife ! thy husband wouldst thou kill?"

Commend us to the Daughter of the Air for a dramatic play ! The King and the Queen fighting for a kiss, is indeed high tra-

Off, insolent 1

gedy. JOHN REEVE ought to play Ninus, and Mrs. GLOVER the Daughter of the Air.