The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-30 00:00:00

THE ENGLISH STAGE AND DRAMA

If the next age is not much better informed upon
all matters of history than the present, it will be
,wing to no fault of our contemporaries. There is
'carcely a subject, in the elucidation of which great
labour and research are necessary, that has not en-
joyed the benefit of both within the last few years.
Wherever it was possible that facts might be dis-
covered among private or public documents, there
the industry of the histor!c writer has sought them
out ; and (we mention it with pride, as a proof that
the spirit of a narrow selfishness is on the decrease)
he owners of private and the keepers of public
records have cheerfully laid open their treasures for
the general benefit. Mr. Collier's work, on early
English Dramatic Poetry and the Stage, just pub-
lished, is a proof at once of the industry and zeal of
the author, and of the politeness of those whose
libraries could afford him any assistance in his re-
searches. The list of
_gentlemen to whom he ex-
presses his obligations for aid of this sort is delight-
fully numerous; and at the head of these stands the
name of the Duke of Devonshire, whose dra-
matic treasures are well known, and to whom,
in honourable consideration of the advantages
Mr. Collier has enjoyed from his Grace's libe-
rality, the work itself is very properly dedicated:—
After thus enumerating the sources of his informa-
tion, we felt that the author had in some measure
given bond to the public that his book should be a
perfect, as well as an arousing repository, of all im-
portant matters relating to the History of the Stage.
These conditions he has certainly fulfilled ; and he
has accompanied the " Annals" by a detailed and
critical account of the origin and progress of Dra-
matic Poetry, from its earliest dawn, to its perfection
in the time of Shakspeare, which contains a vast
deal that is entirely new, and is unquestionably a
larger mass of information than is included in all the
other works hitherto published on the same subject.
The author candidly informs us, that when he
commenced his researches, nearly twenty years
ago, he " was discouraged on all hands by those
who imagined that Malone, Steevens, Reed, and
Chalmers had exhausted the subject, and that, in the
harvest they had reaped, they had not left even glean-
ings behind them." From the state of despondency
into which this assumptive declaration of opinion
might have thrown him, he was, however, speedily
rescued, by observing, not only that documents in
public offices had been unexamined, but that even
the manuscripts in that great national receptacle, the
British Museum, contained much that had remained
undetected. As a proof of this, he mentions that
he found two of Ben Jonson's Masks in his own
hand-writing no where noticed. A great many
other valuable sources, for the free use of which he
is indebted to the various persons mentioned in his
preface, were entirely unexplored, and from these he
seems to have drawn most copiously.
Mr. Collier begins his details regarding the esta-
blishment and progress of the stage as a national
institution, as early as the year 1119, when the Mi-
racle play or St. Katherine was represented at Dun-
staple, and from thence he proceeds to the year
1268, when he shows that the Scriptural Dramas,
called the Whitsun Plays, were first represented at
Chester. Here we may take occasion to notice a
point that is quite new in the work before us, viz.,
proofs that prior to A.D. 1328, Miracle-Plays (com-
monly, but mistakenly, called " Mysteries ") were
in French, and that Ralph Higden was the first to
translate them into English. Coming down to a
later date, Mr. Collier establishes that Richard 111.
and "Jockey of Norfolk" had each of them com-
panies of players attached to their domestic esta-
blishments ; and further, that Richard was a great
encourager of music, as well as of the drama.
Henry VII. showed extraordinary liberality to his
theatrical retainers, whose names and salaries are
furnished from books of payments recently discovered
in the Chapter-house, Westminster; and the details
at this period are very curious and complete. The
same remark will apply, even in a greater degree, to
the reign of Henry VIII., for we are furnished with
the expences of the Royal Revels, including plays,
disguisings, and masquerades, in the handwriting of
William Cornish and Richard Gibson, who were
themselves actors, and were appointed to superin-
tend. The most singular of these is, perhaps, a
play at the dawn of the Reformaticn, when Luther,
his wife and others were brought upon the stage
before the King by Right wise, Master of St. Paul's
School. The particulars regarding the stage at
later dates are extremely amusing, and they are
brought down to the year 1617, when the theatrez
were closel by the Puritans. The narrative. is il-
lustrated throughout by notes, containing ballads,
poems, epigrams, and historical And personal anec-
dotes, most of which are for the first time intro-
duced to notice. Among these we may mention
the novel information regarding Shakspeare and his
brother John, Ben Jonson, Marston, Spenser, Webs-
ter, 4nd several others, besides original letters from
the notorious Thomas Nash, John Lily, and others,
The History of Dramatic Poetry to thn Cone of
Shakspeare occupies about a volume and a half of
the three stout octavos, and here all we can at pre-
sent say is, that the ar-44npraent adopted by Islr.
Collier of itself 11,;cidates his subject, Independent
of the explanatory introductions by which each di-
vision is preceded. Here his obligations to the
Duke of Devonshire are most apparent, for the use
of me.:iy unique productions in the collection of his
Grace, including the interludes of Godly Queen
Hester, Alt3ion Knight (a political drama of the early
part of the reign of Elizabeth), Robin Conscience,
&c. To Lord 1, L, Gower, Mr. Collier seems
also to have been greatly indebted for the use of
" The Rare Triumphs of Love and Fortune," and
many other most rare books at Bridgewater-house.
In this important department, Mr. Collier has, in
fact, had no predeceskor, anti we are not therefore so
much surprised 4t tihe discoveries he has made,
It is urprising to €bserve how lit:lz Malone,
Chalmers, Reed, and others knew even about the
construction of our old thee,tres and their appurte-
nances necessary for the acting of the plays. Ac-
cording to Mr. Collier (who proves satisfactorily
4)1 that he advances), Malone commilited some al-

most unaccountable errors, We were a little struck
by an air of selkong,denee in the preface, hut we
found it fully warranted as we proceeded, especially
by thi.a the third part of the wculg before us, which
shows, in the fullest n,tiner, and under distinct
heads, all that relates to theatres, plays, playepi and
auihozs, including a good deal of informAtion on the

manners of the time, as fAr .I,s regards audiences.
We have not spare to subjoin any of tt,e details,
but we eamAc.t avoid referring to Ylie convincing
mod; In which Mr. Collier reasons upon the subject
of scenery in our old Oayhoitises—a point so long
disputed by tSteevens and Malone—but now, as we
apprehend, finally settled. The author has spared
no labour to make his work a standard book of re-
ference, and a source of abundant e.,tid entertaining
information.—Morning Cll,l•Q4ple.

TitE YOUNG DUK E.---.ThiS is called, in
certain 'coteries, a " slashing novei,". and it is truly sqch ;
the whole world of prei2nce is exposed—not in sorrow
nor in anger--,h4t with no small portion of " mirthful
malice." The hypocrisy of tradesmeaa who fatten on the
vices of the great-,-the affectation and airs of certain
fashionable prolessors.....the hollowness and self-seeking of
political partisans—the chastity of opera.singers--and the
modesty of high-bred dames, form parts of the view of life
delineated in his new work by the brilliant author of
" Vivian Grey."