The Sun.
London, England, 1824-11-13 00:00:00

FOR TIE SUN.

THE DRAMA.--(LETTER IL)
MR. EDlTOR—Coinciding as I do, generally,
with Mr. LACY'S sentiments on the Drama (and
few, I believe,will be found hardy enough to sign—
dissentient), I yet object to his epistolary address,
" Dramatists of the day," as too general, sweep-
ing, and undefined a designation to embrace all
to whom it is meant to apply. Does it include
all dramatic Authors who now walk terra firma,
all living writers of Plays ? Or, does it refer to
a retrospective period of five, ten, fifteen, or
twenty years ? Is the Author of Virginias, and of
Cants Gracchus, a modern dramatist ? To this
last query, the answer, I suppose, must be in the
affirmative. Then, the observations on, and the
character given generally to the productions of
the Dramatists of the day, viz. briefly, that they
are deficient in action, meagre in plot, and re-
dundant in poetry, do not apply to the works in
question. Their action constitutes their chief
merit, nor is there ten lines of poetry to be found
in either, or both productions.*
Not only does the designation of " Dramatists
of the day" include all indiscriminately who have
written better or who have written worse, but
comprises also, in no remote degree, those who
may write, but have never yet written at all.—
They are assuredly headed with the name of im-
becile by the generality of the title, because the
stigma is attached to the age, not to the indivi-
dual, and is meant to remain until written off by
a succession of talent, who, profiting by expe-
rience, example, and these our lectures, shall
hereafter arise and write better.
I am no more of a Critic or a Dramatist than
Mr. Lacy. My love for the Stage may, and my
admiration of SIIAICSPEARE I am certain does,
equal his. Though agreeing with him in essen-
tials, I yet think his censure loud and indiscri-
minate, for, be it remembered, in lashing a cer-
tain class of the Dramatists of the day, he but
lashes the card.+

'l'kat any individual possessed of talent, and
with the command of leisure, should ever thi►►k
of devoting that talent and that leisure, to writ-
ing for the Stage, is no matter of surprise and
astonishment. A more barren or thankless em-
ployment, either for profit or praise, he could
not well select. Criticism will see, that lie
" feeds not fat" on the one, while Managers (to
make use of Parliamentary language) will take
care that he gets his change out of tl►e other.
Objections, unquestionably may be co►►jured up
against Authorship of every kind and degree :
but, without exaggeration, the difficulties and
d►sagreeables that lie in the path of the domestic
aspirant, are of a nature to check the ardour and
turn the purpose of the most sanguine tempera-
ment.

The catalogue of these, and of the causes of
failure, is voluminous. T. enumerate a few—
the working out of the tragic vein, or want of
material in the mine ; the refinement and fastidi-
ousness of modern taste ; the overwhelming and
deadening sway of criticism ; the size of our pa.
tent theatres, better suited to the exhibition of
a spectacle or melo-drama than the performance
of legitimate drama ; and tile almost hopeless
impossibility of introducing a new piece through
the medium of the Managers, are amongst the
most prominent—awl, to the omnipresence of
which, may fairly be attributed, in great mea-
sure, the departure of genius from our domestic
hemisphere.

The last is not the least of the difficulties the
modern Dramatist will have to grapple with. For
I hold it is inaispensible, that every play should
first be introduced to the notice of the public
through the channel of the theatre. Dramatic
poems may as well (much better) assume any
other form of poetry, and will lobe nothing by
the exchange. It is not in private that Mel-
peme is to " spit, fire and spout rain ;" but it is
44 on the magnificent sweep of the boards" she is
to extend her stride, make faces, and begin.—
Managers, therefore, in their official capacity, are

invested with almost unlimited command over the
writings of dramatic Authors; and, like all ab-
soluteMonarchs,verge, of course, towards despo-
tism. This is, iu itself, so intolerable an evil,
and militates so strongly against the best interests
of the Drama—causing enmities, too often, where
friendship should exist—that I mean, by and bye,
to suggest a plan for the institution of a Society,
who, through the medium of their Committee,
shall act as a mediating power between the Belli-
gerents.

To write a tragedy, even of the modern school,
is not exactly the amusement of an evening. A
plot, and a dramatis persona;, are to be sought
after; certain passions of the human breast are
to be developed ; interest is to be excited, and a
catastrophe awarded at the end of five acts.—
Suppose this accomplished—the last polish Is
given, the Play copied, and sent or presented to
the Manager for representation at his theatre.
An answer is promised in a fortnight. The Author
is fortunate if he receives one in three months.—
At last it comes in a laconic form, accompanying
the returned MS., and expressing the regret of
the Manager, that it will not suit their establish-
ment. For be it remarked that Managers, or
Committees of Management make it a rule never
to comment upon the merits or fitness of a piece
for representation, or give reasons for their re.
fusal--because, forsooth ! the Play might again
be returned to them in its amended state ! Vary
prudent and circumspect this in Managers, cer-
tainly, but not particularly encouraging or grati-
fying to Authors. The Tragedy is offered
to the other house, and the reply is similar ; and
this will invariably be found to be the practice of

• Mr. Lacy, to be sure, in a subsequent letter (Vide Lend.
yag. for May, 1824) in reply to 4"rerentius Secundus," says,
Besides, Virginias is not, strictly speaking, of the poetic
school, though cotemporary with it; there is very little poetry
in Virginia:. Virginias succeeds, in great part, by its action
anti contructian, thereby showing you how much can be done
without the aid of poetry.".—This id sufficient for what 1 have
advanced. In the same letter, Mr. Lacy places Virginius, as
an actng play, much below the Revenge. " God bellows to
groundhog, and groundling to god, that Virginias is not fit to
servo Zunga as a mute,"—but of this branch of the subject—
more, anon.
t C admit my inability to atibrd the reader an explanation
of this phrase. (li;tirron.)—Having_ served for ten years
during the late war, in a regiment of Local M I ilitia, 1 think
may boldly pronounce the phrase to be of military origsti,—in
allusion to the practice of regimental drum-boys, who are first
taught to exercise their cat..o%nine.titils on that inanimate, un-
oinuding object—a Card.—(Pit k a.)

Managers, unless ninety lines at least out or I
hundred of the presented piece happen to meet
with their approbation : they will then, indeed,
condescend to co-operate with the Author is
rendering his production (in their opinion) more
worthy of public favour, and its appearance on
the boards of their Theatre is forthwith au.
nounced. The proportion that accepted, bears to
rejected Plays at our patent theatres, I have 110
means of ascertaining ; one,
in twenty, I judge
to be an average, favourable rather to the lesser

number.
Meanwhile our Author, disappointed, but not
'depressed, sullen, but not subdued, returns,
after a proper interval, again to the charge:—
Schooled by experience, and profiting by observa-
tion, study, and the lessons of criticism, be col-
lects his resources ;—again, the necessary time
is spent upon plot, counter-plot, language, sen-
timent, pathos, character, action, and final ca.
tastrophe ; and again he approaches the dome of
the Muse's temple with more confident hopes,
more assured expectations, and better defined
ideas of suscess. In vain ! Nineteen to twos
(betting is fashionable !) the result of both ap-
plications is equally favourable. The same laco-
nic reply is given—the same mystery is
preserved
—no offer of assistance—no pilot's signal thrown
out to the Author—no beacon-light displayed, by
which he can correct his course and gain the har-
bour in safety ; but, with cold-blooded iaditre-
rence, lie is left in the dark, on a lee-shore, upon
a strange coast, to swim, or to founder, as chance
or his stars may direct. At this point, commonly'
ends the ambitious career of our dramatic aspirant.
Chilled by neglect, the dreams of his youthful
fancy have now melted into air—thin air! Told*
intellectual eye the visions of hope have disap-
peared ; the sound of " Fame's trump" tingles
no longer in his ears ; but in soberness of thoughts
with reason at the helm, he perceives he has ,been
pursuing a phantom ; relinquishes the pursuit,and
stepping aside, plunges into another path eithe.r
of literature, pleasure, or business, whereis
h
the
courtship of the haughty Melpomene, and
slights of her repulsive guardians, are
alike for-
gotten. Thus, for want of direction and encos•
ragement ut the first, is sensibility and genius too
often driven from the field. How few, comps-
ratirely, start into excellence at one ? The pro...
gress of, improvement may be traced in the most
gifted of writers ; Venice Preserved, was not the
first production of Otwuy. Othello and Macbeth,
were amongst the latest of Shakspeare's.
I know not, Sir, if our critics on the left maynot have had the corner of one eye tarried to-
wards Managers when they wrote the following;
^u It is owing to this, (early admiration, following;
recollection of the elder Dramatists) we suPPelle'
that we can scarcely venture to ask ourseltt
steadily, and without an inward startling or,
feeling of alarm, what reception one of Slat:.
speare's irregular Plays—the Tempest, for ilia
ample, or the Midsummer Night's Dreamw" r
boardsi
admission
oonu rnlo'ial
et Patent tl
would Theatres.
they For,
fir;d, svfirtohin tie:
eccentricities, were their beauties ,
wary and calculating Managers.—it
Thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks the
cc
i 115;
liable, Sir, that the experiment will soon be t»
bnt if any author now a days, deviating frenY„ta
common track of his cotemporaries or inlleutii.
predecessors, aims at a bolder delineation of eay..a
is not Pre'
meter, a stronger expression of passim! iiie'r
sentiment, a more animated action, a ilveibis
dialogue nisi
and less constrained diction) ~
fad
laudable attempt at improvement . suits
ginality is checked at the outset--It co
own pictures,
thrown back upon his hands without
not the establishment—and the Play is at oeinig
COlllll/.10:
end : he has no clue,
Thus debarred of seeing himself represante,, his
r a
irleacsohlaincfeor
orfefiiimsail)robvecinn:::lllo:;.:
the Stage—shut out from the exhibition 0 '
by mistakes can in future be rectified, be tor
heightened, or defects that cher"
hidden ;k the
vivified--this, sobered and shaded.--Mar A
wanes,
end,—talent driven from the task, or res
for thi)
by arbitrary regulations from writi"g, ibhod
Stage, either resigns it in disgust, or ' cr.. boo
no means left him, witeliests
and confined" seldom hazards the attempt'
0"000„
descript herd of stragglers,
the place of Genius is usurped by a """gortiaet
whose di" eider
notes, unlike the choral harmony of the, the
school--are heard only by fitful starts in the
purlieus of Drury-lane and Covent-
hungers-oil and the appendages of a playb el.,c
of whose effusions it may truly be aid, ir.„..
" they glitter, flutter, buzz, die (in ifl1"14.
rEo'rk,
and are forgotten !"
• Edinburgh Resiew, Ne. 72. pale 422,
garder;...e 1.

iilpßle,llEtTsqH.
Goode, of' the Inner Temple, , --- ..--..------_
t 1 lad! Dl.llBl'll
On the Sib inst., at Ryde, Isle of Wight) the
porch, of a
On Friday, in Bread-street, Mrs. John ShuttleWor
daughter. • bd Ow 14d1
On the 12th inst., at Tuiret-house,. South Lam el'
of William Ifeseltine, Esq., of a daughter. of A
On the 12th inst., the lad of A.- L Prevost' Dul"
y . .
daughter. inst., the
In Somerset-street, Portman square, on the 10th .0 of
,l'of a son.
lady of Captain -Hine, of the East India naysl arv`
daughter, who did not survive.
-----------"'"'''''
' MARRIED. SO
On the 11th inst., at St. Stephen's; Norwich, Thollutfjoba
Reich, Esq., of that city, to Mariam eldest daughter
Blake, Esq. of the same'city. ' chat
Eici ('' 1
On the 11th inst. Thomas Hough= Sparks. "chat 0
tenham, to Sarah Davis' Pratt, only daughterof the lIW '
Pratt, Esq., of Tottenham. h, )11.
Wm. ThurBday, the 11th inst at St. Pancras charc „liter
'''."" M'Michael, of Brid .'Eleanor, second daur
o th, to don.
of William Crowther, Esqgn, otsThornhaugh.street, Lo Toro
On the 10th inst., at Si. Giles's, Camberwell, Henry
_OO4
nor, Esq., of Union-place, Lambeth, to Ann Susanna,
daughter of J. W. Jones, Esq., of Camberwell. —......../"...

stro:ennt, thvhereulnBlstthwh
licinknsitst.q,
uaaatrteh.pi t nisho ate4tilet'
tsy
wsphilltiOir
late Count
;silutinarto.
npßoui_
pcfhoanr tstl.. K
Richarde y eoyf s
ow of the
sincwearanctiSmith,
At the house of Mr. Tebbut, -house,
daughter,_t of James Barker, of the East India service. or.
Es
.week., aged 80, at his house on Coomb and
acting manager in one of the most respectable
northern circuits.
formerly a comedian in the Bath 'rho ":f tbc

Printed and Published for the PnorizrETO ft IA At 141,"
Omer, No. 112, Strand, by J. B. CAROT4IIP's