The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-18

p01t0Os
We have lately advocated the support of
the Opera upon the ground that 1t was almost
the only amusement patronized by the fashion
able world. Beyond this there is a still higher
ground. In fact, the Opera has come to be in
the European capitals the only amusement for
intellectual, active men, whether princes, cabinet
ministers, great bankers, professional men, schO-
lars and savans, or great merchants. The same
change is gradually coming over uA. The reason
Is quite plain. Our amusements, like our meat,
drink and raiment, must accommodate them
selves to the necessities of the case. The theatre,
once the most popular amusement. has been de-
Ginning for many years. In France-the most
theatrical of nations in every way-the subject of
the decadence of the drama has began to excite
the attention of the writer's, who assign a great
many causes for it, but have not hit the right
one. In England the theatres are either given
up to the opera and ballet, or the stage is &C.
cupied by light pieces and snowy spectacles.
1t is a matter of complaint, also, that there are
standard plays written nowadays, no come
dies like Sheridan's, no tragedies like Shaks-
pere's, no dramas like Knowles. 1t is quite
true; and the reason is found in the fact that
nobody wants them. The history Of the theatre
gives us several episodes of the same character.
In Greece the tragedies of Euripides and the
comedies of Aristophanes were the fashion; it
was while the science of esthetics was being
cultivated, to the exclusion of everything else
when the schoolmen wrangled q month over a
Lpoffu darsvatsou- Uhau tho atafaarnaU WQrp
all ambitious to be sauans, and when the saudns
all believed themselves profoundly versed in
the science of government-when men o~faction
frittered away their minds in the discussion of
visionary theories and spent hours over the
adornment of a robe or the tying of a sandal,
that the drama was in its prime. 1t was an in
tellectual stimulant, and was needed by the
lazy, indolent, luxurious Greeks. From Greece
the drama, with the sister arts, came to Rome;
but the Romans delighted more in warlike
spectacles, in conflicts of gladiators, in wild
beast fights, in the circus and boxers, in panto-
mines and shows of all sorts, than in the higher
forms of the drama. In the general re-Organi-
cation of Europe, during what we call the
middle ages, the theatre went almost out of
sight, and we do not find it positively fourishing
in England until the reign of Elizabeth, nor in
France until the time of Louis XIV. Its chief
patrons in.both countries were the court gal
lants, who staggered behind the scenes, bullied
the actors, firted with the actresses, then went to
the tavern, and after a drunken brawl, with
perhaps a duel or two on hand for the next day,
they reeled home to bed. There was i'm
p%risonment under the Georges, and the theatre
became more intellectual, and as q refined
amusement 1t was patronized by the better
classes, as well as the courtiers.
The classic apothegm, 'times change and men
change with them" has, however, been verified
by the history of public amusements. The men
of Shakspere's, Moliere's and Sheridan's times
were accidentally the powers and rulers in the
land by right Of birth. Education and refine
ment were confined to the few, and they used
their powers, which were great, and their &C.
complishments, which were many, for the worst
purposes. Now we see that the leading men
In the Olympic race Of science and Of art
are the men of the people. The great states
men and lawyers and physicians and explorers
and scientific men and bankers and merchants
and inventors, are all men Of action-all work.
ing for name and fame, for q place in the
golden record of this age of progress. Their in
tellectual faculties are tasked to the utmost
their labors are more exhausting and severe
than those of the common day laborer. II q
man of hereditary rank hopes for a name, he
must make it for himself. We find the repre-
sentatives of dynasties trembling before bank
parlors, princes glad to win q place among men
of science, and sovereigns stimulating an1 re-
warding the efforts of artistic and mechanical
genius. The natural effect of all this is an
over stimulation Of the Intellectual faculties,
which renders some soothing recreation
absolutely necessary. The man Of ac-
ton, with his brain aleady over task
ed, does not 60 to the theatre and
attempt to eliminate the plot Of some STU
pid comedy, or to analyse a trashy melo-drama.
He desires repose aud amusement at the same
time. He finds both at the Opera, where his
mind is soothed and refreshed by the concord
of sweet sounds, set in a delicate dramatic
frame, just suffcing to give tone, body and
color to the picture. In a brilliant theatre,
surrounded by q well dressed and well bred
audience, ksseaing to the gems of the best mas
tiers, SaithAuTly interpreted by the best artists,
he finds q deges Of quiet enjoyment-the re-
finement of sensuous pleasure.
If one carefully scans the audience at the
Opera in any of the great cities, he will find
among the audience all these leading men of
the time-men whose names are ever on the
lips of the people, always before the world
upon the broad page Of journalism. 1t is for
them that we would have the Opera supported,
and we can see that this class are
more and more drawn to it. With us subvcn-
tons or subsidies from the government are out
of the question; and those who would sub
scribe for the Opera are the owners of the
house, and entitled to free admissions. We be-