New-York tribune., 1884-12-20

~, paRRErr IN "A BLOT ON THE 'SCuT-
~ CHEON."
tny TELEGRAPH TO the TRrsuss.l

tny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIsusB.l
az v,.uxcroy. Dec. 19.-There can be no
-, that "a Blot IN the 'Scutcheon " isa great
g. The objection OF course, was cns ago m"oe ,ha'
-. literary rather than dramatic. When'
a., dramatic work i' conceived III
,.u, OF imagination. cast IN an iueM
.aa s,pressed IN poetry. the Obvious and usual
snt denies II all practical value for the stage ihls
.,. .asv refuge of critical mcdiocrlty. Bfownings
-. mo, with this scrt Of dcuia when it was hrst pro
s.a.a IN England forty years agoby Macroeoy' ana u
a.. lain neglected ON this ground over Aimee WI h"w
- lawrence barrett rcvlvcH n. and Tor tho frst
s,.. ,n out dramatic history, this noble Tragedy "1c'
A. ,isse IN The American theatre
1 ar.t performance. given here tonight ~ Nlhaushs
- House has just ended and IN tho brilliant succos-
,a,oed hy Mr. narfct tho conventional doctrine mat
s,,, IA necessarily failure receives Wholesome hnu
so.e,nsl rebnLa MIR iarre,t has shown holh Wisdom
"a oonraee In making this revival, and tho symra'hy
81 enthusiasm Of tho apprccialVo ana humorous
Audience that greeted him may surely 10
go "a an earnest OF the general pnpllc
oo.ntanee which awaits his noble endoaNor throughout
,, country II was a splendid thing to undertake. ana
., hasbeen splendidly accomplished. some OF BOWL
,ns recent verse has been so queer-by reason Oh po'h
ob,curty and fantastic exravagance ana py reason VI
hoInc net,es and uncouth rhymes-that 1t is comfort
10 he reminded by this revival of the Browning o o'ho
aavs who wrote sane English with the mag
r,econt sweep and splendor Of true poetic hspratoh
,he poet who moulded and guided his emotion anu MS
sye instead OF allowing to them the reckless license OF
their caprice
h, tragedy could not easily he overpraised 1t tells
No mucl-and yet contains and suggests so much more
than tells The loftnes and sadness of tine theme the
romantic atmosphere, the picturesque inNe>tltnre
OF austere family tradition, and stately EhShsh
landscape the undercurrent Oh throppihg PASSION
and the srglng tide of the rugged yet meodous verse
are brought home to the Imagination only the more I'll
reciy for the influence of visible scene ana piicuc"
notion Tie piece does lack inherent dramatic power
but its pathos is overwhelming and its idea OF moral
herosnin human conduct SO far transeendshe average
conception of such matters as to seem IRA
tonal and unreal. The characters are
all made of one and the same
poetic substance and they speak the same poetic speech
fhey are apprchendel with poetic insight Through th
drift OF the tragedy Furthermore Is lereepune ,e u
welcome Int true doctrine that Tor h1.idn ~
who remains noble the ezd o sin l. death II is"ssDe 10
conceive cyadng the cOnsequencesoi sin bN becoming
TOO cOntemptihle even Tor punishment dr h''s
made few changes in the piece. II Is gwen IN loul '
of tbe lovers. The second falls TeShfD'S curse
MIR Barrett has here provided exit and reentiahce
The third act devoted to TeShaos Of dfg
in the moonlit avenue OF the park. Here aSih hr
procession which is in the highest degree expresse ana
beautiful The Last act is the SnpeTh5y p5,S grp c ed
;n the death Of both; iew 70 "nv, ns,o "1h fhe
sconence of events more smooth and the movement
more direct Every spectator must have been aware o
fhe strange wonderful effects that genius has derived
iu of the simplest matcrialss youth and girl nave
Enned. The youth proposes to make the EII mr., mr.
wife, and lie has asked ana ohiallied her
proud brothers consent to their union Inc Alll
In her remorse shrinks from the marriage. me
brother meanwhile il secretly appriseG or MS slSe
trror but not lovers He watches Tor MN pN
night interccps him, and kills him, too late pereNlng
he needless cruelty and horror OF this deed Inc gi
Sics broken hearted, and he himself dies, OF POI
which he swallowed to avengc his own crime, WDch
= the usurpation OF the justice of heaven.
Lawrence Barrett has surpassed the imperona9n
ha he tonight, in the even Sustainiucnt oi Hop
personality and III the spontaneous hdehcy 0i ttcinch-
ious passion controlled by an indomabie intellect Ihc
Iandyke and figure the stately bearing Inc ar o.
nnate virtue ana Justice, the latent suggesNenc~s OF
ianger. the snOulderng passion. the linpetuOus Feh
mence and the native tenderness OF manly a.
lection at heart. unite to make this one OF me
most dramatic and memorable images Of orr time IN"
Expressive line of the tragedy VIII often he spoken
D. him hereafter: "Ah. ThOrOd. can but remember
you" .,,. - -
Mis-. Marie Wainwright made brilliant success as
GwcndDiHe-hy sterca Joy in the celebrated scene be
tween the sisters, being expressed with eXtraodnhIy
nature aud power. Mr. Il. g. Rogers gained
special honor. Miss Kate MOl0ny of Detroit u beginner
failed ia iGiJcd She Is young. gentle and earnest nu
yet actress The audience contained many oi thc
agnitaries of this place. them General sherman
Lawrence Barrett i've times called out amid great
eupause W. ",