New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-21

brought out by another English house. ana
suit was brought by Low, Son, e. Co. 10 "a
strain its publication and sale. The prine,,.s
ground of defense was that the English con.
right did not protect the greater part Of th.
book, which had appeared first in America, a.S
that the concluding fragment could not Z.
copyrighted, because it was of no pecuniar,
value per Sc, and therefore not entitled 10 u.
protection of the law. The court held. bsv-
ever, that copyright could be taken out fer
part of work, and therefore enjoined the d.
PENDANTS from publishing or selling the last AN
chapters. This reminds us of the celebrate
sentence on burglar, who having got ahos.
half through window when he was cauek.
was condemned to be imprisoned ten yexS
quoad bis head and shoulders, while the ds.
posal of the rest Of his body was let 10 be-
Town discretion, G
J THE DRAMA OF THE FUTg sR
The beauty of this world is thai there q
always q good time coming, and the ohiei
charm of existence is that hope springs eter.
nal in the human breast. Thus Mr. Dion Boc-
cicault, some time ago, being invited TO eat
dinner with the Royal Theatrical Funders IN
London, and to speak to the toast of "Ths
Drama" writes word that, being i'll, lie must
decline the invitation, and that, moreover, he
has "no desire TO see defunct dramatists occu-
"pying the STAGE" because he believes " in the
living Drama" which we can easily under
stand, and Gin the Drama of the future,s
about which, however, the gentleman gives 10
no particular information. Nobody compre-
bends the Drama of to-day better than The
author of "LondOn Assurances" and it would
have been profitable, perhaps, aad certainly
pleasant if this clever playwright had pointed
out in what respect the Drama of the future
will probably differ from his own celebrated
and popular works. The play-gOing world d
to have something different; but we are LEFT
in the dark in regard to the particular kind OF
play which will delight our children and our
neutrality-suspicious. it will be tragedy,
comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral comical,
historical pastoral tragical- historical, tragi-
cal cOmical historical pastoral, scene indi-
vidable, OF poem unlimited"-an inadyertence
on the part of Mr.. Boucicault the more to be
deplOred because we shall none of us live To
see the works of the fine fellows who are to
dsplace the "defunct dramatists." There
is, however one consoIing consideration.
If things go on, or rather if they 90
the last few years, the period of perfect
nudity will arrive about A. ID. 1900, when
every actor having been reduced to the con-
dition of Adam and every actress to that OK
Eve-the reaction will commence, and immense
crowds will throng the theaters, attracted by
the novelty of returning costume-by the
freshness Of seeing tragedians "all buttoned
"to the chin" and ladies once moro in piquant
petticoats. We are not prophetic; but we arc
confident that at some future period the
public, grOundlings and all, will become sick
to death of legs, and will war, and hiss, and
whistle, and groan for the restoration of long
clothes; and that jumping, and spinning, and
standing upon the toes and the display Of
monstrous calves and deformed ankles, VIII go
quite out of date, and will be written about
curiously by the DR.. Dorans Of the next
generation If, by the Drama of the Future"
Mr.. BOucicault means plays with work in them
for heads instead of heels, appealing more to
the ears than the eyes, he is very cheerful
and encouraging prophet We only wish that
he had been little less oracular.
1t is a popularity of the present age that ID
is universally In the position of Mr.. Micawber
Il. e., waiting for something to turn up. Dis
contented as we are with to-day, 1t is aston
ishing what fine things are to happen
tomorrow! We have no great epic poets,
but they are sure to come if we will only he
patient; no frst-rate dramatic writers, but
they may be every moment expected;
no inspired painters, but the promise Of
scores of them; no immortal composers, but
Emusic of the future" of which Herr Wagner
is good enough to give us the prelude. 10
e 40,
titled TO as much credit for predicting the
trumphs of futurty as if we ourselves were to
assist at their accomplishment. Whereas, in
that hour of unlimited glory, we shall not only
be in our cofins, but held in perfect contempt
by the poets and playwrights and painters and
fddlers of the future. The philosophers of day
after-to morrow will be very likely to inquire
with some critical acerbty why we, who saw so
clearly our deficiencies and so precisely
estimated our wants, did not bestir ourselves to
supply them in our own day and generation.
If these poor people," they will say, in 1863
wanted good plays, pray why dijL't they write
them2 Why didn't Mr. Dion BOuccault, who
knew all about the Drama of the Future,
and saw distinctly in clear vision what ID
would be, anticipate, or rather hasten, this
I" Thespian Millennium Why did they all lei
90 dare not wait upon l would, like the cat
g. in the adagef" The only comfort, when Wa
consider these probable queries, is that we shall
none of us be in the flesh to be cross-exam-
ined, and if we are cut up in the quarterly
reviews of the period we shall happily know
nothing about it.
The most disheartening feature, however, Of
these golden predictions, is that they have
been made so often before, and that the world
IL still unitinn Cor thnir nncha ntino fnlfllmnnt