The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-13 00:00:00

LITERATUBE.

Principles of Comedy and Dramatic Eject. By Percy
Fitzgerald. One vol. ; pp. 368.—Tinsley.

The notorious decline of the drama in these days seems
appropriately enough to have elicited an argument in
regard to it—half protest, half remonstrance—from the
last and best of the biographers of Garrick. To those

unacquainted with the mingled earnestness and vivacity
of the writings of Mr. Percy Fitzgerald, it may appear
formidable rather than inviting that he should now set
forth his views upon this matter in the shape of a treatise
of such considerable dimensions. A large and (if weighed
in the balance, literally, not metaphorically) ponderous
volume, containing within it more imperial octavo pages
than there are days in the year, may for them have an
aspect more of warning than of invitation. Yet
having ourselves taken heart of grace to peruse this large
volume through from cover to cover before pronouncing
an opinion upon its merits, we can at once premise that
it is thoroughly readable, and in the mere style and man-
ner of it, as well as in the general soundness of its argu-
ment not unworthy of coming from the hand of David
Garrick's biographer. The book is subdivided into seven
parts, supplemented by a Postcript and an Appendix. As
its title indicates, it sets forth what its author conceives
to be the true principles of Comedy and of Dramatic
Effect. Those principles have notoriously, for some

years past, been either forgotten or disdained.
It Is well that they should be at last re-
called for a moment to the popular recollection.
Superficially it might almost seem as if the dramatic art
had risen rather than fallen in importance. For, whereas
formerly there were barely half a dozen theatres in Lon-
don—Drury Lane, Covent Garden, the Haymarket, the
Surrey, the Olympic, the Adelphi—there are now-a-days
upwards of twenty, " the cry being still they come," new
houses being still projected in various suitable parts of
the Metropolis. The prospect in this respect, indeed,
is rather alarming. Within the next ten years, our
author agrees that it is not at all unlikely the present
number of theatres, i.e„ a round score, may be doubled.
Already it is a case of multa not nsultuse. Professional
actors and actresses of any particular excellence,
instead of being anywhere collected together in a
good working company,,are scattered apart from each
other at random, one or two only of any real im-
portance being engaged upon any single establishment. A
strong cast, in consequence of this, is never possible now-a-
days. A solitary star may be seen here and there upon
occasion—never a constellation. Besides which, the line of
demarcation separating the theatre from the music
hall has long since boen blurred and all but
obliterated. Tragedy has merged into melodrama, melo-
drama into rhodomontade. Comedy has become exag-
gerated into farce, farce has been distorted into
extravaganza, into burlesque, into grinning through
horse-collars, tumbling as on the sawdust of
a circus, dancing break-downs on cellar flaps,
singing rhymed and choral idiotism. The Principles of
Comedy, forsooth,'meaning character, humour, equivoque,
repartee—nature and art exquisitely amalgamated—these
are lost to us altogether, like the secrets of stained glass,
of Greek fire, of prophecy, of incantation. These have
been recognised as the • true principles of Comedy
—witness this : dramatists like Colman, Murphy,
Morton, Goldsmith, Farquhar, Wycherley, Jonson,
Shakspere ; witness this again : comedians like Elliston,
Palmer, Lewis, Harley, Dowton, Munden, and a swarm
of other vanished celebrities. Whether those old-
world principles of comedy and dramatic effect
may even now be revived for the delight of
this present or of any future generation, may at
least be regarded as a legitimate subject for conjecture and
for aspiration. They are so regarded, at any rate, and are
in that earnest sense descanted upon by Mr. Percy
Fitzgerald. His book is a clever, wise, and gracious
remonstrance. In writing it he has taken occasion to
comment boldly and manfully upon theatrical managers
and theatrical critics, upon actors and players, upon the
state of the drama, and upon the style of the dramatists.
The book is worthy of careful perusal, of earnest and
cordial consideration. It is like letting a current of fresh
air into a fuetid and poisonous atmosphere. We welcome
it accordingly.

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