The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-27
DRAMATIC PLAGIARISM

Notwithstanding his apology for disturbing the
sacred dust in which the story slept had Dor.
! rowcd his version from one produced in Lon
| don in 1876, has been the subject VI some scan.
dal in dramatic circles and started an eager
discussion as TO how far plagiarism Of plays is
permissible. Dion Boucicault is unqucstiOn-
ably in popular estimation. m we'll entitled to
the distinction Of being the first Of plngiarlsts
rs Sam Ward is OF being the first Of lobbyists
or Longfclow the first Of living American
poets. Yet there is no dramatist Of our day who
can better afford to spare this somewhat dubi-
Gus distinction. for Mr.. BOucicaul, has written
more original plays. which will hold the stage
than any English dramatic author who now
lives or has lived-to take a distant datc-within
the last two centuries. How many English
PLAYS wrtton within that period survivor
or Farquhar and Congrcve. the two great
dramatsts Of their day. none. Once in twenty
wears The Bcau's Stratagcm" or Love for
Love may be drawn from the dust by some
pious dramatic .Encas like Mr. waack. and
rcvcrcntly placed upon his boards But it is Us
memorial service in remembrance Of the
dead. OF HolcrOt. but one. Tho Road to
RUM of Goldsmith. she Stoops to Con-
1ucr' Of Colman. four THE Heir at Law. e"
Iron Chest" Poor Gentleman" and John
Bull;" of Morton. Speed the Plough "
hilh NuIt loT nedTIN'ncs OF sheridan,
90 The School for Scandal" Rivals" and
Critic" of O'Kcefc. wild Oats !" of pobin.
Tho Honeymoon; :" Of She'll Evadne" and
The Aposiate;' Of Byron. Werner" of
Payne. Brutus;' Of Milman. "Fazio;" of
Maturln. Bcrtram = OF sheridan Knowles. The
Wife, "A Love Chase 1.-The Hunchback, ;" and
Nirginius - ofBanim. Damon and Pythias I"
OF Taiiuurd. lOn;" OF Lord Lytton. Lady Of
Lyons. Richeieu." and Money" Of Doug
lass Jcrrold. The Rent Day." and Of Robert
son. perhaps. Ours" Home" and Caste"
SO much for the dead or the living We know
not one but Mr. Boucicault who has writton
play which will live; for the only one Of Tom
Taylor's likely to live. The Ticket OF Leave
Man. is not original Mr.. Bouccault has writ
ten the following plays which may bc fairly
classcd as original: London Assurance;
=" Old Heads and Young Hearts" in which
the character OF Jessie Rual is copied
from French picture Of Country Cure
still may be considered originals Love in
Mae. the two ilrst acts Of which contain the
best dramatic dialogue in the English Ian
guage; Jessie Brown" The Octoroon. THE
Colleen Bawn.' Arrah Ma Pogue.' and The
Shanghraun eight plays out OF the four hun
dred which Mr.. Boucicaut. in one Of his graph
ic interviews. says he has written. We trust
the aspiring blood II any young American
dramatist But SO it is 1t is better he should
know H. The remaining three hundred and
ninety two Of Bouricaults are borrowed more
or less generally more. Many Of these fratted
brief but lucrative hour upon the stngc:
other, brought pang a. many managers aud
hite facompense 10 their author" still be-
they what they may. this is hard work for one
man.
tits not against plagiarism that honest pub
lic feeling rises in rebellion. Shakespeare was
IN certain sense n plagiarist. He borrowed
the witches incantation bodily from Middleton:
the eseription Of Clropatras barge and many
other passages from Putarch. Sheridan WAS
IN similar sense pagiarst. and borrowed
with unsparng hand. as Molitre declares he
also did wherever he found anything which
could be useful. And 30 on with most Of those
We have mentioned.
To borrow illustration from plays now per
forming in our theatres. Evadnc." at the
Fifth Avenue. Is to some degree borrowed
and Olivia" at the Union square. is n
drammi1tion Of Tho Nicar of Wakefield"
which. though Astounding more than any
OF Goldsmlths works in delightful aud original
traits. Is still very much borrowed in its general
tone and outline from Ficldng's Joseph An
dr"ws. In truth. a repetition OF new and strik-
ing pictures Of human lite is much TO be pre-
ierred To- the dull routine Of trte vapid. every
day commonplace. Nature is ever the same
and suggests the same emotions. The beech
that hangs lovingly over the summer stream. is
to us a- 10 those who went b.f,ro M il, ,Lo
f,rcstof Arden. an image Of ouict boan,y om5
r,f-.sb,,.,t m. - ~, -. 80
i"' o"A t." r. airs Us rugged
trunk % heaven, though the storm. with
rufi.u wing may hive struck " fl.. Iro,.b...
,,bi..i, ,.ro..., If, .,,,.,.,i,
q" S"u'"i''' I'pr's'n'9 H- uitu-
rhly low as In lie DAYS ot CorioIanus a
tuna ,r,,,,.,.t.i.,' md ,',1., va
'"'' ga" """ n'' h"l ana thc
Wor!d W'rc adapted 90 each other at the begin
ming and centuries have rolled 10y without al
,.ri,., ,Lir .i.,i l. .
'''- '''" '".'"hS' IL II the uFalna'si
.u9 mes '' srll' These lessons and perp''uate
them. He paints nature and the passions nf
mon md ,hav or.. ,,r ,,I,.,, ,h,,. -.
'' '" WA, WY Nu'e Nh'H
Al9''ph"h's produced MS Clouds. and an
Nhouian audience listened. hreathloss ~ the
Fnu,aui,iaa If 4..b,ina ar ,. u-it,.,.
=. " ' '+"l'"' ."
1upii''h7' I-lhg a. thry must, the sane ma
I".i- anu hIl'"l'hE I" tl" SUM passions and
'n'l iR-' ~ II, no WONDER thht rulncl"n'e-
snrr''iI u' I"nhl IN drHmalst. 90! every age.
NH cue. I'VE tAF 'hfl-i ih" playwright
iln9i nav. keen l't fWlGus. Inc cock found q
ftff lfs