Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-10-26
"PATIENCE."
,;,LuERr AND sULLIvAN's NEW OPERA
Takipg on the English Esthol

Taxing On the Engllsh Esthetes.
North American.
"Patience; or, Bunthrone's Bride"
the new comic opera by Gilbert and Sulli-
van, is . satire upon peculiar phase of
English society, which has
been extensively and graphically illus
trsted in those very clever drawings by
Du Mauzier which have appeared from
time to time in the pages of "Punch." It
Is . burlesque upon the extravagances of
the ultra esthetic mediavalists, who form
. literary and artistic clique. in which
Oscar Wilde, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Al
geruon s. Swinburne and Burne Jones are
the prophets and high priests. In order tc
appropriately and distinctively designate
tho followers of this new religion, it has
been found necessary to coin new word,
and as they are nothing if not aesthetic,
they have come to be known as aesthetics.
There is no difficulty in identifying
them, for their characteristics are we'll
defined. Their speech betrays them,
and even their personal appearance gives
them away. The typical aesthetic is as
bilious as Robsspierre, and as lank and
limp as his favorite lilly. He clings and
pines and droops. Good health and ro-
bust habit of body are his peculiar aver
sion. These things are vulgarly material
an6 common place, while he is quite too
utterly ideal and spiritual. 1t is another
part of the aesthetics creed to arrange
himself in attitudes modelled after the
figures in fourteenth century illumina-
tions, attitudes which are regarded as
expressive of tho most sublimated senti-
,ments and the most etherially artistic
emotions. For he is excessively emotional,
80 much 60 that he has been compelled to
devise a vocabulary of his own for the ad-
equate expression of his thonghts and
feelings. He says that SO and SO is quite
too distinctly precious, and that some
thing else is purely earnest or souifully
intense or wholly too utterly tOo-too. He
has an ecstatic admiration for mediaval art
and is impressed with q soulfuliy intense
conviction that modern life is SO hopeless
" common place that the rapturous mel
ancholy which is to be evolved from q
contemplation of the unattainable is the
solitary comfort of the conscientious ideal
ist. This is the person whose ways havo
furnished Mr.. Gilbert with a subject which
calls forth his keenest wit and sharpest
satire, and which has been to Mr.. Sulli
van the inspiration for some of his most
charming music. No mere outline of its
story or narration of its incidents can ad-
equately suggest the clevernesses and
effectiveness of MI. Gilbert's librettO. Its
strength lies in its dialogue, which is
wonderfully droll and telling, more so
than in either of the two similar pieces by
the same author. There is a naive sim
plicity in the words of PinafOre +"
which renders the humor of that opera
moro readily apparent, and therefore more
Immediately appreciable, but the libretto
of Patience is the most entertaining
of the two, while it is incomparably
superior to that of tho " Pirates of PEN
zance." As usual with Gilbert'S pieces,
the actual story which forms the basis for
the superstructure of dialogue and situa-
tlon is short and simple. When the cur
tain rises, band of aesthetic maidens are
discovered reclining upon the stage in a
variety of the aforesaid medieval attitudes
expressive of listless languor and de-
spairing ideality. 1t appears from the
chorus with which the proceedings arc be-
gun that these picturesque maidens are all
hopelessly in love, and it subsequently,
transpires that the object Of their unan-
imous affection is person whom
the leader of the band characterizes us
Our Reginald."' Reginald, however, is
obdurate to their devotion. He prefers
Patience. the village milk-maid, whose
heart is less impressible than the feelings
of the aesthetic, or rather whose taste is
different. After the subject Of love has
been briefly discussed, the limp young
ladies in the classicaily.clinging draperies
adjourn to lift up their voices in morning
carol to their Reginald. and company of
heavy dragons, in buff and scarlet regi-
mentals, files upon the stage. After a
chorus and patter song by the colonel
" our Reginald appears. He is glad in
dirty sage green. and is followed by the
aesthetic maidens, who are singing about
hopeless love and miseries," while they
accompany themselves upon the mandolin,
cymbal, pipe. dulcimer, psaltery, and all
manner of aesthetic instruments. Though
old acquaintances, they tako no notice of
the dragons, whose indignation and sur
prise at such unusual treatment impcls
them to exclaim
Now is not this ridiculous and Is not this
A thorough paced absurdity! Explain it ii
Instead Of rushing eagerly to cherish us an d
They all prefer this melancholy literary
man.
l0SteQu OF Slyly Deer1Og nj us,
Casting looks endearing at us.
Blushing at u.s. flushing ut us, flirting with :,
tan,
They're actually snccring at us, ficcring at
IN, Jeertng at US.
Pretty sort OF treatment for a military man
But this impassioned expostulation pro
duced no effect: Tue maidens continue
their alteration of Bunthorne, who further
enthralls them by reciting poem, fresh
from his gigantic brain, which is described
by it admirers as "purely fragrant aud
earnestly precious One of the officers
says it seems to be nonsense. but is silenced
by tho rcjoinder that it is such "precious
nonsense" The military men then
make . last appeal to the rapturous
maidens in the name of common sense, but
they are haughtily repalsed. at can
never be, says the Lady Saphir. "You
arc not Empyrean. You are not Della
Cruscan. You are not even Early Eng
lish. As she reviews their miserable
state her heart softens, and she ends by
imploring them to be "Early English, ere
it is too late." Then the maidens and
the dragons exeunt severally, and Bun
thorne is left alone. He has just informed
tho audience that he is an aesthetic sham
that no 'tdoes not care for dirty greens, by
any means. whom Patience enters, and
by way of advancing his suit he takes her
also into his confidence. She says she
don't like poetry, and in a burst
of reckless fiankness he avows that
it is the same way with him. He
doesn't like poetry, aud, warming as he
proceeds, he explains that he is not as bill
lious as he seems, and that there is more