Athaliah: A Tragedy / Intended for Reading Only, Translated Into English Blank Verse, From Racine (A. Gombert's Edition, 1825)

The play dramatizes the rise and fall of a ruling queen whose violent seizure of power and devotion to foreign worship are challenged by dreams and omens foretelling a surviving heir. Priests, Levites, and courtiers debate mercy and expedience while secret loyalties protect the hidden child; ritual scenes, prophetic confrontations, and a chorus of temple functionaries punctuate the action. Themes include the conflict between idolatry and covenant faith, the authority of divine signs versus political force, and the tragic consequences of paranoia and vengeance, all rendered in formal blank verse adapted from a French classical tragedy.