The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-10
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TIE Bssi,,ines 81 The Easiish Drama s.<
~. Novel
Tho history Of English literature which
Prof. HENRY MoRLKY Is producing under the
namo Of English Writers tCassell d Col has
reached the eighth volume. which deals with
fine period from Surrey to Sponsor. and ends
with tho year 1879. II was at this epoch that
i, England flrst experienced the direct influence
OF italian literature. which had been oply In
directly and slightly felt in Chaucer's time,
hut was to remain the dominant exter-
mi force until It was supplanted by French
literature after the Restoration. To Italy. at
this period. wc owe not only the sonnet and
other metrical schemes adapted to lyrical aud
narrative poetry. but also the unrhymed
jambic pentam eter. or blank verse. which was
10 plny so great . role in English lltera-
turc. Still moro significant is this part
Of the sixteenth century. because 1t wit
messed the birth Of the English drama ind Of
English prose fiction about whose inception
Mr.. Morley has collected . multitude OF illumi-
native ind decisive facts. We purpose to
bring together tho data benring on these sub
jscts. which are scattered throughout the
volume md which demonstrate that the
modern drama Of England as we'll ns OF
Italy. Spain. and Franco. 10 founded. not
on the so-cnllcd miracle plays. but on the
Latin tragedies and comedies which them
selves were. for the most part, modelled on
Creek prototypes. II will DO made equally
clear that tho modern English novel is the out
come OF sixteenth century attempts to para
phrase or initiate the Italian prose- talos-
The imitation OF the Latin dramatlsts began
in Italy rs early as the first part OF the four
tcenth century. Thus Albertino Mussato OF
Padua, who died in 1880. produced two traR-
= edies in such Latin rs m italian audience
, might pnrtly understand: one was an
~Achilleis," the other IN "Eccerinis1 on a
nntive theme. Ezzelin. Tyrant Of Padua- Tho
story was told in i've acts. each consisting OF a
narrative spoken in character. first. by the
mother OF Ezzclin. second by a messenger.
third by dialogue between two brothers. in
terrupted by messenger. and fourth and nth
cach by a messenger Single speakers I'D
dressed tho chorus which occasionally asked
q question. and at the close Of each act lament
cd or moralizod. Each Of tho i've acts OF a
tragedy by Seneca was usually closed in this
way by the chorus. In 1340 appeared
Latin comedy. named Paulus.'
whose professed object was to correct
tho manners OF the young Throughout the
fifteenth century there was brought out from
time to timo a tragedy or comedy writton in
Latin. Ono Of these Latin plays. the "Lusus
Ebriorum." was translated into italian and
published under the name OF "Catinia" In
1872. This seems to have been the earliest
printed comedy in any Of the modern Ian
guages OF Europe In 1886 there was acted In
Ferrara transations OF the "MenRchmi" and
"Amphitryon" OF Plautus. In the same the
atre were presented new Italian plays. one q
tragedy named "Panfla." and also a
comedy. both in Terra Eima. During the
carly years OF tho sixteenth century Car
dinals and other dignitaries frequently had
plays OF Seneca. Plautus. and Terence acted
before them. The best Of tho Latin plays
presented ut this period was the Golden
Shower" n tragedy on the story Of DanaR pro-
duced in 1899. About the same time Coriolano
Martirano B shop OF San Marco made some
excellent Latin versions OF plays OF Eschylus.
sophocles. Euripides. and Aristophanes- Ma
tive Italian comedy was represented in the
first years OF tho sixteenth century by Ariosto.
His earliest comedy was Il Suppositi" THE
Suhstitu.esL where master and man change
pluces. In this Ariosto himself says that he
followed the "Eunuch" OF Terence and the
SCnptives" OF Plautus To the same period
OF his life belongs Arosto's "Cassarla."
wherein the characters are like those OF the
Latin comedy. but the plot Is his own. These
plays were first written in prose. but after
W{lfU recNSL lHLO unTHyluel NcEoos AuIO0
other com adies by Ariosto were also In blank
verse. Trissnos "Sofonisba." also in un-
rhyncd verse. WAS printed in 1920 and was
the first Italian tragedy Of mark. OF three
comedies by Machiavelli. who died In 1927.
one is three-act version OF the Casino" OF
Plautus; another a prose version OF the An
-drln' of Terence: while the third. Mandrn-
COLA" had plot OF its own. illustrating the
degradation OF society in Florence The Latin
play OF "Acolastus" Tho ProdiGal SOM by a
schoolmaster Of the Hague. Willem de volder
which was first acted in 1929. and was
edited by John PalGrave in 1910 as an Eng
lish schoolbook. was a memorable example
OF tho transition movement made through
colleg as and schools from Plautus. Terence.
aud Seneca. to the modern drama In Eng
land no advance had been made beyond an
Imitation Of Latin models in Latin plays writ
ten by Englishmen. until 1t occurred to head
naster Of Eton to take the next STEP Through
out the fifteenth century. indeed. Latin plays
had been acted on special occasions at the
large public schools and universities: 1t is we'll
known that the custom survives to this day
at Westminster. A hoad master able to give
hisboys OH original Latin play to net probably
did so. Ultimately Nicholas Udall who was
hcad master OF Eton between 1884 and 154l.
conceived the idea that his boys might amuse
themselves and their PARENTS better II he
wrote for them play In English. Accord
inGly he seoms to havo given them Ralph
Noystor Doistor.' which avowedly followed
Plautus and Terence. and is. 80 far as
s We know. tho first English comedy This play.
Nsitten In lively rhyming couplets inter-
spersed with few merry songs. was levelled
against vainSlory. and had its obvious FORE
runner in Plautus's Miles Gloriosus."
"Ralph Register Doistor" was not printed till
1885. and the only known COPY OF 1t Is In the
. library OF Eton College,
With the accession Of Elizabeth the develop
mont OF tho English drama proceeds more rap
idly. In 1860 Jasper Haywood. IN Oxford man.
published u translation into English verse OF
Eeneca's tragedy called "Troas." In the
next two years lie brought out English YER