The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-11
SOME NEW HOOKS.


pfN ItfGO'E dramas
.fthe noc,'s works published by Calmann Levy
,psrsi directs attention to the scope and quality
~ tho nutbor's achievements in that direction.
Although tho prestino Of the lyric uoet and the
,,oiis, bavc in s,,no deuree ohscurcd earlier
,,iu,nnhs I'm another field Of art vet IL ia certain
amt the pl,ys which Hugo wrote some forty
1.o,rs ogo did fnr n timn illnmipo tho Frnnrh
.,.yc with glaan,s Of na formcr glory Moro
,vnr thcv hnvo hoen reproducnd in ono form
or another in ubrotto. TRANSLATION. or nara
,,hr,.c bv tho grnat tbcatres of the world in
! indian ~ pe,crshurp and Now York
porh,,a no yo,,r,, ortbo, bas sufrcrod moro
,,an u,,,o from, ,h, Iinl.ui,ica and preudices
,,hich hcse, tho s,aon Announcing himself as
,,innov,,or bc vos ~ coursc unclaimed an
.,,,lnw s,JoniiJ namoa boloved traditions
,vcrod conona ~ nrt ,y.rc invoked against
,,n, mi, nm n,,,rae,od nuhlic opinion seconded
. s,,snIcions ,;overnment and inspircd n trucu-
L., nrc.a "a, bopnn hv a declaration Of war
,nI nrin,cd +" Cromvell." Oncial bureaus col.
loco Iseturo hnlls. drawing rooms md cofreo
rrusoa wore scnndalizod Inv the nrincinlcs Of
.ir,n,atic ort mt forth in tho nrafano and olnh
,,,tod in the plnv. The Latin ounrter how.
ever swnrmed with partisans Of tho herosv
pndtho director Of tho OJ,on was persuaded In
,ncr his tbentre 10 Hugo. Amy Robsort, was
,.,.d and failed Next HUGO vroto " Marion do
1crme,, and suhmittnd il 10 tho Theotro Fron.
.,is II rnn the vauntlet ~ tho committed and
,hnrcunon WINS strangled bv an intnrli,t Rut
1I,go ,vas t,,lo,,itatlo and so,r h,d n fourth
,sace re,dv utber,o HE ,onronon,s bod con.
,,n,.d thcmselv,s with skirn,isb and arnhusb
INT tho nrst ronr.sentotion of "Ucrnonir ,,ovo
,ho signal of ,,I,rhc1 ha,,lo pro,dslnnod with
tnusaces and broad IN. stnIon,s faitbful 10
lingo mustorod enrlv ON tho field. Long hnir
p,d mated bsor,ls Via c,cs co,cois ord COW
ngo wells ofrri,hted tho nroprie,ies of the Mace
while flaming woisteont. and raggcd trousers
coats md hnts of every enoch and shane con.
trontad and ostonisbc1 IN. suoy, slecanco of
1aris such contests bnva hnt ana rnsnlt En-
,busias,n info.t. criti. tn, mir cec,rinos tho
loxes Herman" sneurad Tor tle n,on,ent nil
The triumph it, author could dosirc and tho
romantic lrann. .,nin,.I a f,ntholl an tho stopc
Of Racine.
In the next year. moreover tho Govern.
,ncnt of Charles Dix WAS overthrown. md
the play Marion de Iorme"l which
lad nrovnkad il. eansurn was welcomed
ST the Porto st Martin. Th.se viotor,os
wore encouraging but not eon.lusiye and
fhe dramatic Luthar had v.t n,uob work 10
do. II was sun in fa,t nm omen ouestion
whether thu novei b.r.e, ,vo,,l1 ,nd in s..lisr,
orin smoke. Two wears later " L. Rot s'A,nuse"
was in rehearsal at the Com6lie Francaise and
opain tho literary ronctionists mnsead th.fr
forces 10 repel the intruder An iptri,,ue
Matched ai tho side sconns ronrheI ministerial
circles and the niece was storpoI aftor one
nights performan.o: whereuron tho author
.uod the thcatr. and lpdlreotly imnencbel tho
conduct Of tho Government Thu courts re-
jcctcd his claim. II, hasten.d TO complete
'Luereee Borgin and ANIMAL IN n dirnront
tribunal. The new play was produced n; the
Porte St Martin and tunul,uous anulauso
,roclairned the verdict for the neonle
In the followln, vear "Anralo" took ms
.oasion Of the Conslie "Frnncniso" nm,
the deyotees Of tradition baited in their
last stronghold turned once moro Mt hny
Tho Society Of the Theatre Francais had
hound itself TO enact the works Of Hugo
90 many times n year. II broke the com
tract Obsolote rules were resurrectel TO em
barrass the author. and The elacoue WAS in
structed to hiss him. Even actrasses whose r,.
bust vigor lent TO other rales n spurious vitality
were made su ldenly IN by th.rn,urren,e Of tho
dstested novelties. The noot was at length
compellel To she for n uandan,us and damages
naainst tho comnanv Dut moon,rhile n silent
revolution had boen oir,,tod in nuhli, onfnfon
The Tribunal Of Commerce sustained both his
demands The matter WAS carried "a n higher
court but tho decree was affirmed The agbt
was over. Envy md nro,u,liee might coutinuo
e. sheer. but henceforth daspaired Of sitting
fugo. Tho conscientious artist now be.nue "A
prosperous man Like Cornoille he had written
for bread. but. unlike Cornelllc. he had never
sacrificed convictions TO necessities. Wemay
fairly say that the father Of French tragedy
had eyinced the resolution and s4lf-eonnienco
Of Hugo. the cid" would have had worthy sue
cessors and such a direction would have been
impaired to the Gallie stage ns mi,,ht have led
Racine to consecrnte his delicate genius To .l.-
gies and lyrics rather than dramas ana per-