The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-03
LORD LYrToN AS 4 DRAKATIsT.

entitled 'Dramatists of the Present Day
Lord Lytton is q man of high aspirations.
He is also man who has an amount OF ener-
getic enterprise seldom possessed by such
character. His importantly is as great as that
of the woman in the Gospel, and the puonc
Is his unjust judge. He will not hearken to
first denial, but gains his suit by his con-
tinual coming. Soon after attaining his ma
jority he published work of fiction, the
merits of which were not apparent. The
following year he produced pelham, and
the world adjudged him man of genius.
He wrote an epic poem, with Arthur as the
hero, which was received with derision
by presumably competent critics;
get on the appearance the other day of new
edition, the same poem was treated by the
Times and other high authorities with the con-
sideration due to a work of supreme excel
lence. In the year 1886 play from his pen,
entitled ''The Duchesse della Valliere, wasper-
formed at Covent Garden, and, although more
poetical than the poem, failed. But the play
wright did not therefore despair Two years
after, undisheartened by hostile CRITICISM, the
author produced at the same theatre his
"Lady of Lyons"-and the drama became the
most popular in our language, producing for
Lord Lytton an annual income as large as
that of fashionable tailor's foreman or of
two or three country parsons. AS versatile in
his pursuits as in his knowledge, Lord Lytton
is poet, novelist, statesman, orator, political
pamphleteer essayist, and dramatist. In
each department. he is influential, and in each
he has secured for himself place of honor.
Lord Lyttens contributions to the stage
are not many:-"The Duchess de La Val
liere," in five acts t1S36) "The Lady of
Lyons; or, Love and Pride" (1S3SC "Riche-
lieu or, the Conspiracy (1S39); ''The Sea-
Captain; or, the Birthright" Money"
comedy (1840); ''Not so Bad as we Seem; or,
Many Sides to a Character, written in 1851,
fret tad that wear aid of tba
Guild of Literature and Art; and ''The
of 1.-THE Sea- Captain, produced
in 1868, form, believe, a complete list of his
pieces. All these dramas have the same
merits and the same defects. Lord Lytton
is the best story teller 1 know. A brief tale
of vengeance told at Naples by one of the
characters in his novel "Zanoni' has never
been surpassed for the wondrous art with
which the incidents blended and the
effective force of the climax is strengthened.
In constructive skill and artistic
treatment, indeed, Lord Lytton has
not a superior. No caprice diverts him from
his main purpose. The progress of
his story is never deranged by episode. All
the details have essential use, and the reason
for their Introduction is seen at the end
The fifth act of '"The Lady of Lyons" opens
with the entrance of three officers Just re-
turned from the campaign, and they, in dis
cussing with General Damas the rapid pro-
melton of one of their comrades, Morier
disclose, in the most natural way, the career
of the hero during the two years and a half
which have elapsed since "Melnotte"
changed his name and became soldier.
An inferior artist would have evaded such
method of developing the plot. He
would have made Melnotte himself reveal by
soliloquy what is necessary to be learnt; or
some subordinate would announce the facts
after the fashion of messenger in the Greek
drama Lord Lyttons method is at once
natural and effective; and when we hear the
conversation we at once believe it is Just
what we should expect All the plays-not
excepting "The Duchess de La Valliere, "
which failed merely on account of its theme
have the same merit. But although no
drama can be good which is defective in
this respect, it is possible for drama to be
admirable in construction and yet have the
gravest faults 1t is the case with Lord
Lytton's plays. They are symmetrical; for
stage effect the situations are good; and the
artistic treatment is excellent yet in i'm
portant particulars Lord Lytton is excelled by
men greatly inferior to him in pretension and
fame His dialogue abounds in vices; it is
weak and stilted when, to the casual ear,
there is seeming strength.
look in vain for intellectual vigor.
Where the author aims at being
elevated, he is fatulent. Some of the
speeches made by Evelyn in the comedy oi
money" resemble what we hear from one OF
those high and mighty heroes who strut the
boards of a transporting theatre. They have
mesnipg, but the meaning is not worth dis
covering. In the first act there are long
wipded commonplaces which must exhaust the
patience of any audience. Here is an exam
ple:-
"LOok you now-Robe Beauty in silk and cache
mire-hand Virtue into her chariot-lackey theil
CaprIces-wrap them from the winds-fence them
round with golden circle-and Virtue and Beauty
are as goddesses, both to peasant and to prince
Strip them OF the adjuncts-see Virtue and Beauty
poor dependencies -solitary-waktng the world de-
ter: the same crowd gather eagerly around-fools-
fOpsibertines-nott TO worship at the shrine but tC
sacrifice the Victim
The last words of the same parsonage, who
is described as a man of genius are
my frends-we must confess it-amidst the hu
and the foll1es, the Vanities deceits and vice.
that play their parts in the great comedy OF lfe-i
though rare and few, as redeem the rest, brighten
ing the shadows that hunR from the form anC
bedy OF the time with glmpses OF the everlasting
holiness OF truth and love-"
Occasionally we light upon happy re-
partee, and genuinely epigram matte turn i!
given to the dialogue. AS a rule, however
energetic feebleness of expression is the
cardinal characteristic of the plays. Ease
polish, and fastidiousness are apparent; but
deEcacy and strength are equally wanting
When his Lordship desires to be more thar
usually vigorous he invokes the printers aid
and enhances the value of his thought by the
use of capital letters. Even his most effec
tive stage situations suffer from this defect
When, in 'Richelieu," the Cardinal will
naughty scorn, daunts Baradas, his tri