New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-12
ATTITUDES VERSUS CRITICS.

decision some weeks ago In sui 1Of
libel brought against The Pail Mall Gazette
has stirred up all the bilious ill-humOr OF au-
thors and critics in England. Mr.. Gilbert,
author of Pygmalon and Gaatea, wrote
fairy spectacular play entitled The Wicked
World, in which a critic in The Gazette dis
covered more indecency and double entendres
than suited his taste, and SO Informed the
public. The action for libel followed. Ex-
perts, J. e., dramatic critics, were called III.
The play was given to the jury to read and
Justice Brett, the presiding judge, went
himself to see it acted The consequence
of all which pother was that the jury
decided that the play had not i'll
jured the critic nor the critic the play.
Justice Brett found no indecency to complain
of, going to look at it in what he announced to
be the proper frame of mind, condition OF
"mental robustness and not giriish sepsi-
tiveness." The majority of the English dra-
matte critics applaud this decision or the JUS
tice heartily, assuring us that neither novels
nor plays can be written exclusively for audi
ences of girls of sixteen, and that nothing can
be easier than to keep such prudishly innocent
auditors away. Which is no doubt truth and
common sense, but it is equally true that girls
of sixteen and others who have not Justice
Brett's mental robustness have a right to know
that the play is not meant as milk for babes,
in order to stay away.
This touches, after all, the secret Of criti-
cism Authors and playwrights are not so
thin skinned here rs in England, 80 that the
Justice of any criticism is seldom put to the
test of a libel suit in fact, the ordinary re-
viewer or dramatic critic ia usually faulty
through excessive good nature. "A few words
:" of praise he reasons, "cost him nothing,
"and count for 80 much to the poor devil
"who has written his book or play. As to the
"pubhc, they are bound to be swindled some
"where." But it is from the point of view of
the public, after ALL that the matter should be
settled. Book and play are in fact marketable
commodities, which the public are solicited to
buy; but, before doing 80, they certainly
have the right to know whether the COM
modify will suit them, which information
the critic processes to give them, and
when he does not do this honestly is in 80 far
accessory to the swindle. CaptiOus authors,
like Charles Reade and Mr.. Gilbert, should
remember the old prOverb, MANY men of
| "many minds" and that while they attempt
to cater to the taste of the whole public, the
critic judges with an eye to the needs of his
own especial audience. While Justice Brett
could see nothing Objectionable in this play,
the critic pronounced it unfit for girls of six
teen. One auditor sees nothing in lthe Opera
BOuffe but chance for hearty laughter: to
another it is grossly immoral. The lover of
Shakespeare is blind to the coarse meaning,
in the fine wit: the boor in the gallery
chuckles over it. To the strict church gOer.
Hamlet and Juliet, with all the gay following
are on the highway to hell.
Now each of these classes or parties of the
public has its own accredited critics, and each
has certainly the right to know what book
or play is, looked at from its particular
standing ground. The idea of bringing ex-
perts to decide the decency of a play was
shown in its folly by the decision which fol-
lowed it, wherein the Justice found the spec
tacle very good sauce for himself, but not at
all fit for tender young geese Of sixteen. Be-
cause they are vlrtuOus is certainly no reason
why he should not have his cakes and ale
only why not let the critics label this particu-
larry strong ale as hist We have q right to
know what we are taking in plays as in medi-
cine, that there shall be no mistaking the
doses for adults and children.