New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-19
TWO AMERICAN DRAMAS.
WORKS BY MISS RlVES AND MioS Wlhhl>"
ATHEIwOLD BY Amclie Rlves. 16mo. PIP. no.
Harper a. Brothers.
GILES COREY. WOMAN. Play. BY Mary f.
Wilkins Illustrated. Duodecimo. PIP. los.
IIarppr & Brothers.


Harper & Brothers.
Amclo Rivcs has chosen for her subject an oiu
story in early English history. and one which lends
tsof tboroucbly TO literary and dramatic purposes
I, is the story OF "A king who, hearing oil the beauty
~ a Girl I'm his Kingdom, sends one OF his hoD's u
see and TO report upon the daHsel. But Inc hoD''
himself straightway falls In love with the beauty
forges his fealty to his lord marrlcs his chaf"'r
out OF hand and then finds ii necessary 10 lie u c
king whose suspicious, however, are rouSeu Ill" "o
insists upon paying visit to the castle OF MS
trcachcrous Thanc The latter tries to avoid us
coyery even at this crisis by pcrSuading his young
wife 10 Disguise herself and TO stain her lace. lhe
king comes, and the hostess, instead OF op'ymH her
husband Is led by her vanity TO array herself III h'r
richest robes and to put on all her Jewels reNc"7
herself thus to the king In all her ranscchdeht love
Illness The deceived monarch Is furious and bitter
marrcl cnsucs between him and Athelwod, ending III
n combat I'm which Athclwold Is slain. The tragedy
,s led m 10 and engineered by the evil minded
priest O,wald who has acted In conjunction WIN 'h'
kings favorite Elfrcda. In his plot against Athei
void. Oswald I'm the final scene. Is himself stabbed
Icy Athclwold's trusty page. aud Is left dying.
This Is Il bare outline Of II drama wilch from
literary point Of view deserves very high praise
The scene OF action being set so far back-in the
tenth century that Is 20 saythc question oil language
has but the rcmotcst significance. 1t Is very Wen
known by all who have followed the Iaporioas anu
prolonged researches OF Mr.. Ellis and h. bahd OF
fellow. workers that we neither know, nor are k'y
&c know. much Of the language which was uSeu Ill
England as far back the tenth century Wha'
we do know however. Is that 1t was not an. 'hh'S
like English rs the world has come TO UNDERSTAND
English and that It was far removed from the
tongue OF Chaucrr and sponsor ana shakespeare AZ
from our own. This being the case, the writer VINO
seeks to reproduce events OF that period ned ho' III
concerned about cxactncSs. In the present Instance
n1arD al IL
lions which may be supposed TO produce the ehect
~ archalsm but which are really merely fanci'ul
and have no bearing whatever upon the talk OF inc
pcriod Dut they are not without their use ana they
do serve to lend a certain emphasis and certain
qualntncss Ia the situation.
In regard to the dramatic effectiveness OF the pay
M tbouchts OF arclaIsm have for a moment mi,lcd
the nnth0r. She has sought in,tincvrly the most
vigorous presentation OF the story, and she has en-
ployed n language which this purpose ad
miruily From beginning to end the reader VIII be
Impressed by the vgor. compactness. felicity ana ap
po-iicncss OF the phraSr'logy. Ia" heroine "ds
doubtless spice OF mischief In her. what beautiful
and much courtcd girl has not But 1t Is made pm'e
clear that even 10 the last. when sh" COMMITS hc'
fatal mistake She l. loyal 10 her husband fhe char
nc-r OF the latter Is well and strongly drawn Ills
un.,,y conscience I, seen 10 be- disturbing BIN more
and moro n, time passes. He cannot face his friend
and ,o,cr,gn Of old. II" Is full OF srltr"proa'h
and with II naturally SPRING an unworthy DOUBT 81
his love- who l., girllikc. attracted h. the Thought
Of courts sulcndor. and who cannot ut Know mat
she would slime A. the spouse Of king. But al" Is
loyal vet Aihclwod 1, afraid TO trust her. aw' his
back 81 confidence It I, Which eventually pr'Gpat'~
tb. tragedy NJ this dramatic progress, OF the sitna
lion Is worried out with unquc,t0nablc SIKH ana
powcr There I, no decline IN III" Interest OF the
DRAMA The scencs between the fill and htr nurse
serve occasionally 10 heht"n III" situihon ana nv
the time rcInforc" III" general impression OF
hcr loyalty The scenes between the Ling fvoiit",
rl,r,d, and the priest oswald are never scnsa
ton,l vet are rill ~ sinister meaning. The char
meter Of oswald IS not carefully blocked out but Ills
evil nature I, made thoroughly apparent ana he l.
held mp 10 the odium OF TIE spectator "h'lFY
through his own speech and action. Aui'l"old him
self Is n nnc character full of noble traits. hut too
weak for the great temptation laid upon him. lie
find, It possible mlSrcprcscnt his love 10 u" king,
10 declare that common report has .i,ca her h"au"'
she does not possess. 10 pretend that his dSir" I"
marry her himself Is merely greed Tor her pos
sessions. In his almost Insane jealous, Ia" woud
subsequently have her dishcur" h'r'"lt 80 that ia"
King might suspect nothing: and when L. J. al last
exposed and no recourse l. left him. lac becomes
desperate and would Kill the king. who may become
his rival All through the drama the 'nse OF
destiny impeding thc unhappy man Is strong IL"
cannot fight against II. The fatal endowment OF
sup,rpal feminine beauty break, dow Al lis re-
serves and destroys all his healthy rc''Ncs lie be
comes u fasIarr aud then traitor. and he dies IN
the midst OF hi, misery.
The act on Is steady swift, direct and unhampcrcd
There Is indeed, nm almost masculine breadth ana
,rmnc.s IN the general construction. We do not
think that the author has succeeded very we'll IN her
songs. which light enough but Tor the most part
poincss There time In Ehglish piaSwilnhg
when very poor dramas were commonly "nrlc FL by
very good songs but not to expect too much
81. flNz ak nprW rs A
whole we think Amclic Rivcs has done exceedingly
we'll. II really Is good play and II Will bear
ANALYSIS Every line and every scene have their own
interest and serve TO carry forward the plot and 10
strengthen tie general situation. The sentiment con
vcycd /, frequently elevated ana beautiful The
construction Is musical and flowing. The converse
lion Is nervous and pregnant. The acil)n is in no
Instance ovcrsiraincd or In any manner unnatural.
There Is cvcnnc>S, and a sustained cvcnncsS, IN
the whole work which enhance, lis effect. and when
the end arrives feel that nothing mean or ignobc
absurd las been suffered 10 Interfere with the
dramatic effect.
The story Of Giles Corey and his wife Martha Is
one Of the familiar landmarks of an age which IN
nearly every RESPECT seems strange and ncOmpr'
hcnsblc TO the modern American mind How came
II that 80 short time ago comparatively the PEG
pie OF those colonies delivered over TO strange
dclu ion which had already overrun all Europe and
which had even then nearly died OF natural cNhaus.
lion Effort, interpret the Salem wtchcraft
mania have been made rcpcatedly-nay. II Is not
for iir, time that the strange old tragedy Of the
Corcys Is dramatizcd. The work has been attempted
before. and more than once. but there Is "A fascination
about II which has naturally drawn Miss wilkins In
that direction. II has to be said that she has done
FER work well. The impression 10 be conveyed In
such a work +, the principal thing to consider and.
thus regarded there will b" found little room for
laul,hnding her play History. of course. has been
followed as closely possible. but the material has
been worked up very effectively. Perhaps tie figures
Of the child Phoebe and the malicious old nurse are
fictitious. but they only to vvlfy the general
impression and show how the atmosphere at the
time was saturated with suspicion superstition.
and how anything ana everything tended to In
crease the popular and above ALL The prlcstly