New-York tribune., 1868-07-04
THE DRAMA.
MIR. BRoUGHAM's LOTTERY OF LIFE.

be given tonight. Each representation has been wit
messed by numerous audience and each audience has
applauded the pcturesOf Madisonsquare the Thieves
Den the Concert Saloon the Fulton Ferry and the
Burning ship-that constitute this extraordinary drama
The precise result that ancipaedhas thus been at
tanned Public taste Assumed to require striking COM
bnatons OF stageeec sketches OF the streets and the
iargon of local slang These accordingly provided
"The end justifes the means" Public taste has ap
nroyed the mixture No "disapinting Sweedlepipes"
has been encountered In business point OF view there
FORE Mr. BrOugham has found obvious Justification
for writing bad kind Of play. Impartial criticism, how
ever-rghtully concerning itself with questions OF art
alone-can admit no justification forliterary sin Shrewd
ness in thing Success in art is quite
another "The Lottery of Life" may stuff Mr. Broughams
treasury positive repleon heartily hope VIII Dut
is and will be- for all that an inferior piece OF work Ine
best that can be said in its favor is said in describing
as a eyery-constructed play OF very bad KIND. NO
body Of course knows this better than Mr. Brougham
himself He promised to write just such drama and ne
has kept his word Nor do incline to blame him. IL
is always sad indeed to able man do anything un-
worthy OF his powers but we do not forget that IN te
existing state OF things in the theatrical world drama
tis however abe may sometimes nave no other atera
tive than to write down to the level OF crude popular
taste Besides. Mr. Brougham is not caow novice, on
the threshold OF his career striving TO palm off rubbish
for literature and with grOcerysore talent en-
deavoring to speculate in public imbecilty He may at
any time and before any literary tribunal appeal for
Judgment on his works. He Is, In fact, well known
to be remarkably gifted man, brilliant actor and
author thoroughly skilled in art and mstured by liberal
experience Such worker entitled to certain lmmuni
ties The pen that wrote Ulysses" is honOred none the
less because it has written the and the
"sptefu Letter." The veteran, who has borne the toll
and heat Of the day. right to sit his easy chair,
and smoke his pipe and make his little joke, as the golden
summer afternoon sweetly and TRANQUILITY toward
the beautiful night This Is precisely the position that
Mr. Broughsm has assumed in his Lottery OF Life" lie
making gOodnatured Joke He stands apart from the
work and laughs at his public all the time; and he Is
quite right in doing. II you will have nothing but
trash" he says, why trash you shall have. Laertes
could mouth Hamlet could rant. II nothing be remune-
ratye but the stageearpenter style or drama you sha
that old hand at the bellows can play stagecar
penter well sas anybody" And so he puts Forward
"The Lottery Of Life" The really sad consideration
after ALL Is public taste for the drama seems to
be--n condition to necessItate this sort OF trifng
While the drama as an institution, stood better
than it today-never that is could enlist greater
wealth and influence In its serYice-hrstelass dramauc
art almost entirely banshed from the NeWferk
stage; and OF the NewYork stage Is the repre-
sentative stage Of America. There is no question as to
this state OF things and presume there is no question
as to its chief inspiring The public and the public
alone is to blame It, Ludwig BOrne-as we have re-
minded our readers on previous occasion-yery wisely
said that the theater is never either much Detter
or much worse than the community wherein 1t estab
hshed II our stars shine but dimly through fog OF
thearc the fault Is not in our stars but In our
selves II we demand Shakespeare the managers
would gladly give him to IL were constantly TO
ask for good plays it is certain that should not ask in
vain Dramatic literature, garnered up during three
centuries is rich in resources OF thought, magnaton
humor fancy, invention character-pantlng ana comic
pathetic or sublime climax. 1t would indeed manifestly
be idle to expect comedies Hike 1.-The Rivals or
Masks and Faces" from the miscellaneous host OF CO
temporary playwrighs But there are men OF positive
ana superior ability writing for the stage, who would
gladly do their BEST il their best but wanted Mr.
Brougham is one OF them-and from him we ask a
LOTTERY Of Life" At any rate he thinks that we ask
and doubtless he has passed through cogen experience
reach this conclusion His inference Is not nattering
but IL may the less be just. what the puDhc
likes as in the pecuniary success OF TINS LATEST
expernent intellectual palate Is neither more nor
than welpanted absurdity In naming his play mr.
Brougham appears remembered the ancient and
honorable saying that human life Is lottery, wherein
some people draw blanks and some draw prizes DouDE
less also the wheel OF fortune reyolyed IN MS Dran
as he wrote though recall in the text OF the drama'
no aluson that antique and seryiceable implement
But in constructing his plot Mr. Brougham has certainly
remembered nothing but the crying necessity for the
per Of incident Doubtless he made the wiser choice
Living in the same age with the vOumineus Miss Brad
don he has earnedas everybody else hasthat the only
sure way TO succeed in manufacturing q genuine sensa
ton plot is wipe away from memory all trivial, ronu
records" probability, conference and nature TO x the
mental eyes directly upon the goal ofeec and to make
for straight whatever country may intervene
pon this lesson It IS very that the Lottery OF
Life has been based and perfected To review Its story
in searching spirit Is simply to quake with consterna
tion, that such things can be ana overcome
u.s. Herein, for instance, encounter an English Baro
net who to America In order TO discover ana 10
punch the head" of scoundrel whose victim he had
been made in earlier years. There is talk OF this Baro
nets having eloped with the scoundres mistress, think
ing her TO be his wife, and Of his having been duped by
her 10 such degree that he lost his well as
his morals-and had to be shut for twenty years. IN
lunatic asylum. This nice and highminded man repre-
sents virtue in Mr. Broughams drama and is seen to be
In quest both Of vengeance and Of his lost son. we
add that he keeps prizeghter for valet, and that he
commits the vengefu and holy business OF his life to the
direction of the first gentee swndler and baekguard
who happens 70 turn up "a delicate individual whose
wife is a pretty waitergr" and who lives by means OF
her swindng and his OWN, shall indicate with quite
sufficient drectness the basis Of wonderful nonsense
upon which the serious portion OF the story
is founded. Fortune hath freaks, but none SO
strange as this" Life may be lottery but 1t is not
characterized by muddes Of this Sort outside of bedam
Mr. Brougham must have enjoyed the heartiest OF all
possible laughter when he at length got his headpunch-
ing British Baronet fairly embarked on the stream OF
American adventure. OF course the eccentric nobleman
finds his foe and OF there is due punching OF
heads This foe, by the way proves to be threeeaf
swinder, and his status like those OF the Baronet
deaes all reason He is prosperous merchant, who car
res systematic swndlng, under the mask of piety
and loves kick his coaporter He rs also Jew, with
a Fagin makeup who keeps thieves den, and employs
youth Of this metropolis in the business of petty lar
ceny Finally he dealer in furniture who is fond OF
pretty waiter girls and who aptly typihes what Mr.
Brougham has neatly styled saloonacy In the nrst OF
these characters lie is TO be striving to ruin the
Baronets son. In the second lie uters forged bank bills
In the third he pays unceanly court TO the