New-York tribune., 1882-02-14
MIrSIC AND THE DRAMA
ARD p,sRETT AS KING ARTHUR.

A., .ptitled Pendragon," written Dy MI. VIZ
e., younc. of Chicago and now presented ior 'he
srst time in this city. This piece was first prouuceu
,s,t two months ago. in Chicago. and it there met
.r;tb sympathetic admiration. The author was LOT
~ on actor. and he wrote the play called JON
III III which was brought out. with Mr.. Barrett in
NJ" ri Of mart in the early days of Booths Theatre.
-, 70 he COMPOUNDED with Mr.Wllam Young,
,,oco the ed tor of the old Albion newspaper-now
.w,I,ct-the translator of Beranger, and also
,rriter Of plays That author resides in Paris, en-
ling at an advanced age. the blessings OF health,
to,tune and numerous and alfectionate friends.
,aa ,,r;tor of Pendragon" dwells here, and has
..oroeIv more than entered his career of dra-
rootic authorship, which, however, bids fair to be
.u,llv useful and brilliant. The piece hat he has
" ;von TO the stage is one of the best poetical
lovs that have been written in American literature
=, corries onward the tradition of Bird, Conrad,
Md panl Brown. Willis. Epes Sargent, Boxer,
cd the few Others of that kindred, who have at
last endeavored TO treat high themes III worthy
snirit-blendinc literary beauty with dra-
matte force II is a work that either
Gilbert or Westland MarstOn might well be proud
IN have written The reception accorded TO it, last
might by a large audience, was full of enthusiasm,
eager tender spontaneous. and such as at once IN
dicates its power the Imagination and the
feelings and its authentic title to permanent hold
upon the stage.
"pepdragon"is is not q dramatization of Tenny-
sons Idys of the King" although, apparently, it
owes its inspiration to that work. The author
had. no doubt, been affected, as the whole English
reading world has been, by that lovely and pa
thetic idvl of "Guinevere" in which the majesty of
human character, the grandeur of human sorrow the
sublimity of magnanimous and patient SOUL
rare felicity of dramatic conditions and the perfec-
tion of poetic eloquence, unite to form chrysolite
of beauty. The fourth act of his tragedy, indeed,
seems directly based on this original. But the most
that he has imbbed from Tennyson is that i'm pulse
which the master is always glad to impart to his
pupil and which the pupil may always take with
honor-just as he takes JOY from the sunshine.
mystery from the night savage gloom from the
tempest or the of eternity from the lonely and
solemn sea. No person possessed of quick sense
of dramatic contrast can have read Guinevere"
without perceving its possibilities of picture and
action. Ii was, doubtless, out OF an
ardent perception of these together with
O poetic delight in the imp osing char
acter of King Arthur, that Mr. Young was
prompted in his choice of the subject for the play.
His execution and his language are entirely his
own.
The legends connected with the knights of the
Round Table are of such a dubious and elastic
character that an author is vel! entitled to use
King Arthur-hke that other exalted person. John
Miton-had three wives and unfortunate in
two of them the first having been carried oil by
another king and the last having been seduced by
his rebeOus nephew, Modred. Mr.. Young has
fashioned the story as to give 1t a natural
air a deep human interest and rapid,
fluent. ascending movement from one crisis TO
another-oach effect being stronger than its
predecessor, and all of them tending to the clear
81. 1
an ideal of perfect heroIsm. He makes the King
more human than he found him, and he makes the
Queen more wiful in her sin. Ldncelot the Kings
friend is the remoTseful and guilty lover of the
Queen. M0dred, hating them all, and ambitions TO
possess the crown is the chief cOnrver of all HARM
Tiriea who possesses the queens confidence, loves |
LaacelOt and out of maddcning jealousy, betTays |
her mistress and precipitates the catastrophe. |
Gaaeerc has been false to Artkur, before the play
begins. In what manner this sin will come to light,
and what consequences viii eusue upon It's dis
closurc-thatIs the burden of the tragedy.
The King himself is noble, blameless, con-
fding and therefore such a as be-
comes anlictingy pathetic when struck to the
heart by treachery and sorrow. He Is shown to us
ss a very real person. and in no sense visionary His
practical motive, at the outset, is to emancpate
Britain from the yoke of ROme-wherein he pre-
figures the eighth Henry, who likewise had heroic
designs aud much trouble with the ladies. LGaoeOt,
wishing 10 break away from his unhOly tie with
Guinecere and to find distraction or death in the
wars would approve this royal design; but the |
Queen obsructs it, because she viii not release her
lover. NOdred and his faction also oppose il. But
Some of the Kings knights are faithful |
hnd the regal viii at length prevails. The |
scene is council chamber, and the Court |
Fool is made to figure in it, with good ehec-a de-
vice caught from Shakespeare, for heightening the |
mourniul gloom or tragic terror of lie by contrast
with pOtesque levity, SO that we may feel the III
finite pathos of the tears that shine through laugh-
Ter. All his set FORTH briefly and clearly in highly
pictorial first act, wherein there passages OF i'm
pressve eloquence, allotted mostly to King Arthur.
The second act passes in the forest and It's events
and elimination like those of the stormy conflict of
the two queens in Mary Stuart" are incidental to
a hunting party. Guinerere and LdRceiot meet, as
lovers, and talk freely of their circumstances;
Aodred and VirieR fit about spies upon
their privacy and learn that the Queen will retire
10 Camelot. and that Lanccot will TejOn her there
Tins Is then told TO the amazed and incredulOus King
and he at last reluctantly agrees to follow them
5hther In the third act Vien repairs to the guilty
Covers and confesses that she has betrayed them
warning Lanceot to fly from the impending peril
of the Kings approach. But it is Gunevere who
flies while Lancelot remains to meet his doom and
expiate his crime. There King Arthur finds him,
and there at a crisis Of great force but perfect sim
plicity, the injured monarch DEGREES that he shall
live in his shame and misery, saying he cannot
strike down the who, but little while before,
has saved his life battle. But upOn MOdred, the
palty nformer, King arthur pour, out hIs righteous
scorn. There is a fine of nobleness and deli
cacy III this, which bespeaks the highest conception
of true morality and manly self-sacrihce.
GHiRerere, meantim has fled To the monastery at
AlmeshuTy and here the fourth act passes showing
the Queen in dialogue with novice in sohloquy