in all its horror, in the very hour of their
punishment. Lorenzo, under the figure of Erastus, is forced to occupy
the position once held by Horatio; Hieronimo, for the time being,
becomes a second Lorenzo, abettor to the treacherous guest; thus Lorenzo
falls by the same fate that he visited upon Horatio. Balthazar plays his
own part under a new name; he is still the stranger basely seeking the
love given to another; but this time he meets the reward due to
treachery, slain by the hand of Bell'-Imperia.--The death of Hieronimo,
badly mismanaged, is the only real blot upon the artistry of the play.
It must be passed over with a sigh of regret, in the same way as we
accept, as inexplicable, the 'Out, vile jelly!' of _King Lear_. To seize
upon it as typical of the nature of the tragedy would be very unfair.

Hieronimo is the great character of the play. Most of the others are
mere continuations, serviceable enough but without improvement, of those
in _Jeronimo_, Pedringano being a second edition of Lazarotto. But from
the outline sufficient may be gathered to make unnecessary a long
analysis of the author's new and greatest creation. We see in it
originality of conception; we are touched by its intense humanness and
by its inherent simplicity; but we are startled by its change, its
growth, under the influence of circumstances, to a certain subtle
complexity. All are great qualities, but the last is the greatest.
Growth, the reaction of events upon character--not the easily portrayed
action of character upon events--are the marks by which we recognize the
work of the master-artists in characterization. We can guess at the
tragic intensity of human sorrow from the difference between the
simple-minded little Marshal who acts as Master of the Revels in
arranging a 'show' and illustrates his reason for preferring Horatio's
claim to be Balthazar's captor by quaint parallels from some old fable,
and the arch-deceiver who can converse easily with the Duke of Castile
as he fixes up the curtain that is to conceal Horatio's corpse and be
the background to the murder of the duke's only son and daughter.
Hieronimo's smallest claim to greatness, yet a considerable one, is the
fact that he revealed to playwrights the strength and horror of madness
on the stage. Of the extent to which Shakespeare made use of this
character and certain scenes a reminder may be added. In _Hamlet_ is
found madness, assumed simplicity, delay in action, the inv