the two forget all their woes in the
joy of being together; Manon deeply repents of her sins and follies and
humbly craves his pardon, while {456} he covers her wan face with
kisses. Then he tries to raise her, imploring her to fly with him, but
alas release has come too late, she sinks back and expires in her
lover's embrace.

ODYSSEUS' DEATH.

Fourth Part of the Odyssey in three acts by AUGUST BUNGERT.

This last part of the Tetralogy bears more decided indications of
Wagner's influence than the others do; and though strikingly beautiful
in many ways it fails to excite quite the same interest as the others,
because it reminds us too much of the Nibelungen Ring, especially of
Siegfried; nevertheless it deserves attention as the conclusion of the
whole series and also on account of Bungert's adopting a later version
of the story of Odysseus, whom Bungert does not suffer to die
peacefully in his old age, but makes him fight as a hero to the very
last.

The prelude opens in Kirke's gardens. The nymphs of the spring are
singing to her, while her son Telegonos, a youth of 15 is playing with
a lion. Kirke has often spoken to her son of his glorious father, whom
he never saw and now his curiosity is awakened, and he asks his mother,
why his father never comes home to her. Kirke now thinks that the time
is come when she should reveal the story of her love to her son. He
hears that his father is no god, but a human hero who after a short
time of bliss remembered his earthly wife {457} Penelopeia, and
returned to her, leaving the goddess alone and broken
hearted.--Telegonos determines to go forth in search of the hero of
Troy and hopes to bring him back to his mother's arms. Kirke presents
him with the golden cup, from which Odysseus once drank the magic
draught of forgetfulness; she hopes to remind him thereby of their past
bliss and thus to win him back.

The first act takes place in Thesprotia. Odysseus has just returned
from a victory over the friends and relations of the insolent suitors
he had slain on his return home; he has conquered their country and is
now greeted with acclamations of joy by his warriors. Despoina, queen
of Thesprotia, and once Penelope's attendant has been made prisoner and
is to be put to death, but Telemachos, Odysseus' son fascinated by her
beauty, intercedes for her. Odysseus resolves to let the oracle of
Dodona decide her fate and Despoina is led back to the tent, but
mana