1836, this authoress published three more volumes of plays, her career as a dramatic writer thus extending over the long period of thirty-eight years.
One of her dramas, 'De Montfort,' was brought out by Kemble, shortly after its appearance, and was acted eleven nights. It was again introduced in 1821, to exhibit the talents of Kean, in the character of De Montfort; but this actor remarked that, though a tine poem, it would never be an acting play. The design of Miss Baillie in restricting her dramas each to the elucidation of one passion, appears certainly to have been an unnecessary and unwise restraint, as tending to circumscribe the business of the piece, and exclude the interest arising from varied emotions and conflicting passions. It cannot be said to have been successful in her own case, and it has never been copied by any other author. Sir Walter Scott has eulogized 'Basil's love and Montfort's hate,' as something like a revival of the inspired strain of Shakspeare. The tragedies of Count Basil and De Montfort are among the best of Miss Baillie's plays; but they are more like the works of Shirley, or the serious parts of Massinger, than the glorious dramas of Shakspeare, so full of life, of incident, and imagery. Miss Baillie's style is smooth and regular, and her plots are both original and carefully constructed; but she has no poetical luxuriance, and few commanding situations. Her tragic scenes are too much connected with the crime of murder, one of the easiest resources of a tragedian; and partly from the delicacy of her sex, as well as from the restrictions imposed by her theory of composition, she is deficient in that variety and fullness of passion, the 'form and pressure' of real life, which are so essential on the stage. The design and plot of her dramas are obvious almost from the first act—a circumstance that would be fatal to their success in representation. The unity and intellectual completeness of Miss Baillie's plays are their most striking characteristics. Her simple masculine style, so unlike the florid or insipid sentimentalism then prevalent, was a bold innovation at the time of her two first volumes; but the public had fortunately taste enough to appreciate its excellence. Miss Baillie was undoubtedly a great improver of our poetical diction."
Besides these many volumes of plays, Miss Baillie has written miscellaneous poetry and songs sufficient to fill a volume, which was published in 1841. Her songs are distinguished for "a peculiar softness of diction, yet few have become favourites in the drawing-room." In truth, it is when alone, in the quiet sanctuary of one's own apartment, that the works of Miss Baillie should be studied. She addresses the heart through the understanding, not by moving the fancy or even the passions in any strong degree; she writes to mind, not to feeling; and the mind of the reader must become concencrated on the drama at first, by an effort of the will, before its singular merit will be fully apparent; even the best of all, "De Montfort," requires this close attention.
BANDETTINI, THERESA.
An improvisatrice, was born at Lucca, about 1756; she was carefully educated, but was obliged, from loss of property, to go on the stage. She made her first appearance in Florence, and was unsuccessful. Some time after this, while listening to an improvisatore of Verona, she broke forth into a splendid poetical panegyric
