Tobias studied law with his mother’s brother, James Milner, who resided in Philadelphia, where he practiced law,—­but who subsequently became a distinguished Presbyterian minister and Doctor of Divinity—­and was admitted to the Elkton Bar and practiced his profession successfully until the time of his death which occurred in the Fall of 1828.  He was a man of fine ability and amused himself when he had leisure in courting the Muses, but owing to his excessive modesty published nothing now extant except “Tancred, or The Siege of Antioch,” a drama in three acts, which was printed in Philadelphia, in 1827.  Owing to the fact that simultaneously with its publication, a drama of the same name by another author appeared as a candidate for literary favor, Mr. Rudulph—­though his work was highly commended by Joseph Jefferson the elder, then in the height of his dramatic career, through the foolish fear that he might he accused of plagiarism—­suppressed his drama and never allowed it to be introduced upon the stage.

Mr. Rudulph married Maria Hayes.  They were the parents of four children, Amelia, James, Anna Maria and Tobias.  The two first mentioned are dead, the others reside in Elkton.  Until a very recent period the family spelled the name Rudulph, which spelling has been followed in this work, though the name is now generally spelled Rudolph.

SELECTION FROM TANCRED.

Tancred was the son of the Marquis of Odo, surnamed the good, and Emma, the sister of Robert Guiscard who figured conspicuously in the wars which distracted Europe just previous to the first Crusade, which occurred under the leadership of Peter, the Hermit, and Walter, the Penniless, in A.D. 1096.  The scene of the drama is laid at Antioch in 1097.  A historian of the Crusades in speaking of the siege of Antioch, says that the wealth of the harvest and the vintage spread before them its irresistible temptations, and the herds feeding in the rich pastures seemed to promise an endless feast.  The cattle, the corn and the wine were alike wasted with besotted folly, while the Turks within the walls received tidings of all that passed in the crusading camps from some Greek and Armenian christians to whom they allowed free egress and ingress.  Of this knowledge they availed themselves in planing sallies by which they caused great distress to the Crusaders.  The following extract comprises the third scene of the first act and is laid in the camp of the Crusaders—­the chiefs being in council.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lorraine. Alexius, Emperor of Greece. Bohemond, Prince of Tarentum. Tancred. Raymond, Count of Thoulouse.

Alex. 
  The truce being ended, I propose, my friends,
  To-morrow we should storm the walls of Antioch—­
  What say my worthy allies?—­

Boh. 
  If any here so base and cowardly,
  As to give other counsel, let him speak.—­