The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-09
CHRIST AND THE HETxIRA.
The Modern Miracle Play OF Giovan.i
BoxIo Which Has Excited All Italy.

Bovio which Has Excited Ali Italy.
FLORENCE. Nov. 22.-The great dramatic event
of the year In Italy has been the production
upon the stage OF an exquisitely written one-act
closet play published some years back by Clio
vanni Bovio, the eloquent and able Radical
Deputy. The excitement aroused by this little
prose poem. for as such It must be classed. Is yet
intense, and the popular edition of the libretto,
sold at the modest price of fifty centimes, has al
ready reached Its twenty-fourth edition. In
some respects the vehement passions awakened
recall the bitter criticisms that greeted Miss
Corelli's "Barabbas" and other recent attempts
In England, Germany. and France to treat In
novel or drama form of the old world story Of
the Christian Saviour. a return under q modern
guise to medieval methods and forms of thought
that betray the restlessness and want of founda-
ton of current beliefs and the desire after
higher ideals than materialism can furnish.
Still, when we remember how popular were the
miracle plays in the middle ages, and how these
dramatic performances included representa-
tions of scenes In the life OF Jesus and His
apostles, plays not only sanctioned but encour-
aged by the clergy, 1t seems strange that Christ
at the Feast of Purim'' should have aroused
such fierce opposition. Certainly conditions are
completely changed. Religion then formed the
largest part of daily life. Everything was re-
ferred to 1t and grew from II. Opposition to the
ohr,st,ah system ny those VINO had oeen received
AT pirth into the Chureh rarely occurred. That
CLASS "n,ch our iatter-aay slang calls the
masses ioi'owea IKE sheep the iead OF the
Clergy iheS mishtcriticise ana ourlesque the
priest, and especially the friar. In his human
capacity, but they accorded implicit faith to his
sacerdotalf functions. Furthermore, the priests
themselves instigated and often composed the
plays in question. The doctrines inculcated In
the plays were such as they taught.
no" Innings are u'hereht' inc spirit OF sSep-
.elsih q resoheu inc io"esto iass' those who
.ni"A' Anu 'hoso "ho N' others 'hihk TOT
.nem' ioio" ne" guiaes' reverence Is last
disappearing. io-oay beethoVen's Mount or
oiVes couio DO given IN England as IN tho
orlsihai uernhah' insleao OF being turned into
ba'ia at Engedi, though In Russia the HUI
sueho,s Z s'iii chahseu INTO uueiphs ana
uhtoehihes 70 s'oiu reiigious aliusions' and
hoso IN EstIo u eaiiea Aora' ana made
20 Ieier 0 tue rersiah farsees. but Russia Is
oehIhu' he age AND new ilaiy Is anxious TO be
e o y piohssi . pIosrsss' hence she
oi'eh persists IN doihg what priests dislike. not
oeeAueo pfiests are necessarily IN inc wrong
but because they are the avowed champions
and defenders OF the past, And. perchance for
some natures this may be the reason why the
play has aroused SO much interest. Italians, as
a rule, dislike priests as such; they have suffered
from them too much hence anything opposed
by the priests viii, prtad tdete, meet with favor
,nr,hsr nans.
iur'ne' eauso ior success apar'' OF course,
from the real merit OF the play must be sought
,ba Italian NInIs,rv g. u,hI,. t..~naN
u 'Sti@ ministry LOT pubic instruction and
~palIties. who have hitherto controIIs5 ,hsir
.hei'
W. ,Ss sas. 20 any n.sr,ersnGs or aleta'ion.