André

CHARACTERS

General, dress, American staff uniform, blue, faced withbuff, large gold epaulets, cocked hat, with the black andwhite cockade, indicating the union with France, buffwaistcoat and breeches, boots,	Mr. Hallam.
M'Donald, a man of forty years of age, uniform nearly thesame of the first,	Mr. Tyler.
Seward, a man of thirty years of age, staff uniform,	Mr. Martin.
André, a man of twenty-nine years of age, full Britishuniform after the first scene,	Mr. Hodgkinson.
Bland, a youthful but military figure, in the uniform ofa Captain of horse—dress, a short blue coat, faced withred, and trimmed with gold lace, two small epaulets, awhite waistcoat, leather breeches, boots and spurs; overthe coat, crossing the chest from the right shoulder, abroad buff belt, to which is suspended a manageable hussarsword; a horseman's helmet on the head, decorated asusual, and the union cockade affixed,	Mr. Cooper.
Melville, a man of middle age, and grave deportment; hisdress a Captain's uniform when on duty; a blue coat, withred facings, gold epaulet, white waistcoat and breeches,boots and cocked hat, with the union cockade,	Mr. Williamson.
British Officer,	Mr. Hogg.
American Officer,	Mr. Miller.
Children,	Master Stockwell and Miss Hogg.
American Sergeant,	Mr. Seymour.
American Officers and Soldiers, &c.
Mrs. Bland,	Mrs. Melmoth.
Honora,	Mrs. Johnson.

Scene, the Village of Tappan, Encampment, and adjoining Country. Time, ten hours.

ACT I.

Scene I. A Wood seen by starlight; an Encampment at a distance appearing between the trees.

Enter Melville.

Melville.

The solemn hour, "when night and morning meet,"
Mysterious time, to superstition dear,
And superstition's guides, now passes by;
Deathlike in solitude. The sentinels,
In drowsy tones, from post to post, send on
The signal of the passing hour. "All's well,"
Sounds through the camp. Alas! all is not well;
Else, why stand I, a man, the friend of man,
At midnight's depth, deck'd in this murderous guise,
The habiliment of death, the badge of dire,
Necessitous coercion. 'T is not well.
—In vain the enlighten'd friends of suffering man
Point out, of war, the folly, guilt, and madness.
Still, age succeeds to age, and war to war;
And man, the murderer, marshalls out his hosts
In all the gaiety of festive pomp,
To spread around him death and desolation.
How long! how long!——
—Methinks I hear the tread of feet this way.
My meditating mood may work me woe.

[Draws.