Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-10-19
TIE DRAMA.
"Good my lord, will you see the

"good nv lord, will you see the
t,',,,,, vall bszt.Ee!? DJy.u hear, Let them DC
wei u,e5 for they are the abstract ana oI'el
Casoniolers OF the time hamlet Ac' - S''u' -
Centuries before the sweet I'd OF Avon hAo irAitO
70, ths Ina Of the msaUch0ly Dine this Poeueal IN
ip,O.o,, the world bad rendered cheerful Anu mp
=, on.depes TO t. Damais representation had lens
hasn embodied a al olamsn; in society, aud even ID
,.l,on Wosther se read o. the H,ndo1 orgies IN hel
=, q, yishuu CT Darga or decipher, throug' the ei
t,,,s Of c. ampolon the simple eesgns al vera hr-
,..,i., of E,yp.iau moIu ueas; whether NO turn 10
- ga, a,,smu.s Of L eayuB and SJphocles 10 amus'
&c A,bsni.us With their choral odes 10 l.moie rime-
,er or srjly the flashed 'HIsta Of TsTe,oo and
Ma s,oo in later years. tas elry records Of our race
the samA the universal lsssou that dramatic cor
eani,n and display inherent pIssiOn thai they are
,scs.,.ry 10 the tslleetual welfare # mankind.
Hssory tells us tbaI man, W4eIhsr usdor ths toHid
nm sf lrdia sad Africa o, anil the anOWI OF North
arm Ea,ovs-uhsthor living in the bArbArisn Of the
Sa,k sae5 or and the cOsmopoIisau re6asm'nI Of
o-ovdsI cAu,tAs demands that this appeal 10 his in
.elsct and better nature b, real ID aud graft d.
idle 20 speak Of the demoraIz tiOn Of the Dams;
iti,ana urA want and na.ura nsG.c; it has AlSsyt
existed aud viii never die.
The pressn. oppOstOa Of the Church Is a compare
tysy Nc feature in its history; for is was born as a.
eemsn. of religious rOrshP and many years alter the
downfall Of the Roman Expire the Dramatic arr, Far
tl,ly Lost, was revived by the monks Of that period
The d ana is the great teacher Of the misses, and
IL les,Ou, are always appropriately adapted pandsrs
20 .bs degraded tastes Of hs fel aud abandoned or
n00d. N ,be demands Ct the eal waited and rChn;d
T.. v;,,l;,, !. ax,d and uuchangsAb's. OaVVao this
sv,r terminating seed in the gEd'n OF refinement
and bears the gOlisn Ia Of sagaten nsns and j'y
I'M, abandon t. and Ike those neg e,led plants Aoi
b.nhs Of the Dad and silent sea- its fruit turnI TO
a.hes on the hfs.
whathsrihs Dana clu3es TIE moral elevation Of q
eopls or whether il Only r,a es this, is not mate
al consideration; the important truth sAads patett
a. IN tb., the standard OF a Nations Drama is the
.,.nd.,d Of its moral ehArae.er R holds tWere the
mirror M 70 Na.ure, aud alcs the image faithfully.
An hls.cry teaches This grsa. truth.
Tb;s nav be illustrated. Ia thepays Of the Volup u.
E,,io,d.s We fad tia: BI,c1Anaill reVals formed
-, Of thu G,scans rel gon. Fass), MetAs;asiO. Ar
90 and Dlnte ts u Of the more seVaea and thbo-
a.. pSilosooSy Of thI msrcurid lAliln whist Cor.
nss and Rlcae fusosh for n the moral code Of he
coo,smDoraaeous FfelSaman 1t w turn to Spain,
hsrs eauvs fad truer reflection OF inner lie, thar
4, ,hs NAV. Of OadMOl The grlciIul, Ali L,ps te
We. of the Iertl pan. II old glad, ihe classic
vr;tinVs Of O.. uay and Rive, have, from change
the standard o. taste, long bSea oan4hed from th'
star: uLla "Msa 3 for Measure" and lhi Merry
wis Of Wlndssrn which brought such exquisite de-
Bvhs 10 EIlbssh aud her lldos Ia waiting, have, by
our modern bellies, b en- renOnely prescribed Pas
80. IN Shakespeare and OOnErsvs, Gilman and Sheri'