The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-04-26 00:00:00

DRAMATIC READING AT THE UNION

HALL.

A Dramatic Reading was given at the Union
Hall, on Wednesday evening last, by Mr. J. C. A.
Scott, the subject being selections from the "Faust'
of Goethe, from a new translation by Mr. Bayard
Taylor. There was a numerous and highly res-
pectable auditory present. In introducing his
subject to the audience, Mr. Scott remarked that
from the legend with reference to "Faust," it was
supposed that the latter lived about the same time
as Luther. He was a man who was described as
having considerable attainments, having studied
theology, and most of the sciences, together with
I magic, which was atthat time areeognised science,
and as such was regularly taught in the public
Universities. The legend was minutely particular
in some respects, especially as to the day, month,
and year in which Faust made his first compact
' with the Devil, which was to last for a term of 17
years, and as to the time at which he made his
second compact, which lasted for 7 years, and
about his being finally carried down to hell by the
Evil One. From these crude materials Goethe had
wrought that wonderful poem "Faust," which of
course he had filled up and modernised in the same
manner that our own Shakespeare had done with
" Macbeth,' or "Hamlet." The translation from
which he was about to read to them that evening
was that of Mr. Bayard Taylor, which he considered
was nearer the spirit of the original poem than
any other. In all translations there must be some
little harshness, but Mr. Taylor, besides being a
very gifted man, had started with a right concep-
tion, which he (the speaker) considered was half
the battle in translating. The poem was of such
length that it would he imposeiblefor him to give
anything but the principal outlines of the story,
and as it would lack the comic portions of it which
would have formed a relief to the more sombre
and gloomy parts of the narrative, he must crave
the induleence of those present, both on that ac-
count and on account of his own inability to do
justice to it. He then gave a synopsis of the first
portion of the poem, and said that they must
imagine the platform on which he was standing to
be a dimly-lighted dusty room, full of implements
of curious forms, books, bottles, a retort, it, skele-
ton, and the various paraphernalia which was
affected by a professor of chemistry in those days,
when chemistry was more properly called alchemy,
as it was half scientific and half magical. They
must suppose him (the speaker) to be Faust, an
old man sitting in a chair in that room.
Mr. Scott then commenced to read the poem,
which for the convenience of rending had been
divided into six sections, the first of which opened
with a description of Faust's invocation of the
Spirits. In attempting to interest an audience by
reading a poem of the above description we are
decidedly of opinion ihat Mr. Scott had consider-
ably over-rated his own powers. We very much
question if Mr. Bellew could have accomplished
such a task, for the inflection of the voice at the
end of each line, which was necessary to give
effect to the peculiar rhythm of the poem, and the
feet that to represent the voice of an old man Mr.
Scott occasionally spokes() low that he was scarcely
audible, together with the extraordinary length of
the reading, had a peculiarly monotonous and
dreary effect; and we were not at all surprised to
fiud that several of those present had resigned
themselves to the drowsy influence, and were
peacefully reposing in the arms of dummies before
the second part of the reading was half gone
through. Mr. Scott, however, laboured on with
praiseworthy zeal to the end of the third section,
which he had no sooner finished, andleft the plat-
form, when a regular stampede eneued, which was
only slightly checked by the re-appearance of Mr.
Scott on the platform, and his assuring those who
had not yet gone that he would read to them for
another quarter of an hour if they were willing to
listen to him. He was in the hands of the audi-
ence. He then left the platform and spoke to Mr.
Giles, and the latter gentleman said that before
they went they could not do less than return a
vote of thanks to Mr. Scott, who had so kindly
invited them to that entertainment. In attempt-
ing to read such a poem as that. Mr. Scott had
undertaken what was in reality too much for a
dozen men; and he hoped that when Mr. Scott in-
vited them to a reading of that description again
he would have some one to assist him to sustain
seine of the characters.

Mr. Scott, in reply, said he did not feel at all
exhausted, and could have gone on reading for
another hour for his own pleasure; and the meet-
ing then broke up.