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

minded OF Burgers Icnoro In the smothered IRE
and dreamy revcrie of SPANS German Queen.
and II seems Ruy Bias had cause enough to
love tho gracious lady whose delicate sympathy
and implicit faith go far to cnnoble at once his
person and his soul. Then. too the betrothed
Of Hermann reproducea. warmed. however. and
soitcncI. tho features Of Cornoille's master
piece. Both aro Castilinns of blue blood. but
Chimcnc is tho typical Spanish heroine whom
Caldcron might have dreamed. Dona Sol the
glowing woman whom tho courticr poet
might have scen Mt tho court Of Philip
III. But It is especially in the drama Of
Angelo" that two winning. though opro-
site feminine natures are cOntrastcd with
striking effect. Had Rodolpho. tho hero OF the
piece, been younger I'm feeling and experience.
wa are made TO infer that La Tisbc's sumptuous
beauty and magnetic vitality would have
gained the day; but tho sprlngtidc OF his
youth is past and her charms are power
less to dim tho mild image Of her rival
Caterinas tenderness is yelled by n sweet tim
idity. and she has the icrvor Of Murillo's vir-
gins chastcned 10y their perfect modcsty. But
In Tisbc adds lustre to u type which the drama
has often studied being ono OF those crring. but
generous women whose faults accuse an ardent
temperament rather than n perverted heart
misguided certainly and cvilstarrcd but not
not know whether to envy more the poet or the
audience who saw such artists MS Mile Mars
and Nine. Dorval interpret the heroincs OF
Angelo.
We cannot dismiss historical Plays without
n glance at the degree Of fidelity with which
they reflect the tints and texture Of their sup
posed times. We know 1t is a nice question how
far dramatist should even try to reproduce the
letter Of history. But waving that nobody will
concedc TO Hugo oil the accuracy he claims. In
Cromwell. particularly. there are numerous
anachronisms and some errors more material.
For instance. role in the plot is assigned 10
one Syndcrcomb. who as it happened. had pre-
viousy died in prison. Again. the date of tho
supposed conspiracy is June. 1851 but there Is
no record Of Lord Ormond's presence in Lon
don at that time Hugo makes Carr KERR.
whom he calls m Old scctary." bigoted par
tisan OF the Long Parliament and reiteratcs
with some minute less In the notes a statement
81 the text that in the rebellion OF
1850 Carr. seconded by Suachan. withdrew
his forces from tho Parliamentary camp" He
could scarcely separate from that to which no
was never attached 1t Is well enough cstab-
liShed that this grained fellow Kerr had
raised some regiments In the west Of Scotland
for the Commission Of Estates and refused 10
Join-not OF course the English whom he was
in arms TO oppose. but-his brother Scots under
David Lcsly. Neither can we like the con-
trivancc by which. in Hugo's drama. Cromwell
aims To convert his installation into n corona
ton and fitch rs II were n crown which he had
already solcmnlv declined. Such underground
procedure would have CALLED the mans naughty
temper and moreover. affrontcl the English
people.
Tho lahorious research which has commonly
proceeded the construction Of Hugos PLAYS
demonstrates. NJ all events literary integrity
which dramatist- rarely display and we have
touched some errors of detail only because the
author asserts 10 prefaecs and notes a puntil-
ious eNaetitude o. which few historians even can
pretend. II appears Ia be the privilege of
genius. as Of ROYALTY To- lavish large gifts with
careless hand. while It is rather those humber
acquisitions derived not from nature or fortune
uui from severe toll. 10 which they point with
pride. Thus Milton dwct with peculiar satis-
faction onthc learning which alorns the Para
disc Reganel" and the author Of "Chide
Harold" recalled with especial fondncss his
duh paraphrasc Of the "Ars Poetica" So
much Is certain. that in Hugo's dramas
We breathe the atmosphere and glow with the
passions ~ their times He has approached.
for example. the great Protector in the precise
temper Of Cromwell's Ironsides a wholesome
mixture of naive sngacity and sober admira-
ton, OF candor and respect. equi-distant from
the resentment Of Ludlow. the prejudice ~
Clarendon. aud the hero worship Of CARLYLE
Drawn from such a standpoint. the portrait il
instinct with spirit. and delivers the liueaments
Of life Talma. W. are told. complained to Hugo
that he had played warriors and heroes. but
never a man. Had he lived. he was TO have
acted Cromwell
twill be- conceded doubtless that the central
G 81 B.
thel' "a. tho beauty which drama,st aims to
incarnate may be- at times spiritual beauty q
beauty which surpos,s an ideal and implies in
ward alaptatiou-in short. a reflex OF moral
perfection. Accordingly the creative power and
ethical worth of "A dramaist will often be found
in nice proportion. II only his art be suifl-
cently incisiyo and voracous he has tporhaps
against his Will pronounced a sermon. We
discern the intimate relation of art To- eth les
within c.Ttc!r foit hy contrasting Racine =
Phedrc with Victor IIugo's Lucrere Borgia. "
Both are fair women and syren -tongued
both are capable Of murder and Of darker sins
both invoke sympaihy-let us sec which COM
mands il Phodre robes "a british appetite in
soft and graceful fances. and pushes Il vile de-
sign behind Il mask u sentiment. Sho proposes
To- atone for ruthless deed 10y n tardy remorse
and 10 shift the res possibility Of guilt by ours
ing the accomplice who has deciphered her
secret wish. In the treatment Of her Illicit pts
sion Their" was manifcstly much to soothe and
nothing 20 chafe the conscience Of Nine de
Mouto-pan. Consequently the critics of
Versailles protested that Racine had So TO
speak, purified Ph5drc. The truth is tho
poet had washed her in strong acids
the Cleansing kills. The wicked woman Of
Crock tragedy has shrunk TO n guilty ghost
Racine, no doubt was good man as we'll as