New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-29
LONDON NOTES.
THE FIRST COURT OF THE SEASON
MR. HENRY ARTHUR JONES'S CARL
CATURE OF HIGH LIFE-TURNER
MEZZOTINTS.

Palace was more brilliant than the Victorian
drawing room. The shabby old palace with its
spurious architectural effects, had resisted
strenuously decorative attempts in broad day
light. When the hour for the drawing room
was changed from to 10, the palace redeco-
rated the furniture reupholstered and the
gracious ballroom and other rooms adequately
lighted with American electric fixtures there
was an immediate gain in stateliness and i'm
prcssiveness Otherwise the changes were less
noticeable than Jenkins had been expecting 1t
was evening instead Of afternoon drawing
room, with a group of royalties behind the King
and queen instead of being in line with them
aud two courtesies instead of six or eight
There was a light supper. with the famous hook
cup, and the ballroom instead of the throne
room was the scene of the presentations The
guests at the palace had also been specially
invited. and had not attended as a matter of
privilege. Jenkins has a good deal to say about
tI-ese innovations as departures from Victorian
customs and reversions TO the procedure of the
earlier Georges. but the diplomats. who made up
a large contingent for the first court. dis
posed 10 minimize the importance of slight
changes which mnistered chiefly TO the comfort
Of the guests. Il the attendance was limited
there was compensation in reserve for enforced
ahsentees. for the number Of drawing rooms or
courts would be increased 70 six or possibly
seven for a single season. If the King had
verred 10 the night hours of the Georgian period
he had not introduced card tables. as George II
had done. nor had there been anything but
obvious advance in the dignity as we'll brill
lance # a stately court ceremonial.
The embassies now have entire responsibility
for the presentation Of foreigners. II was for
merry the privilege of American women who
had married Englishmen of rank and position
u introduce at court women from their
los rI,;e haS
been suspended. and all presentations are made
through the American Embassy. These
limited to four at each court or drawing room.
There were over seventy applications from
American women for the honor OF presentation
az the first court. but only four could be chosen
for the official list although according to the
Court Newsmans tally. two more were added
by special intervention of royalty. There Will
be another court during April probably
many as four during May and one early IN June
Al the best only twenty-eight Americans can
be presented at court this season. and the num-
her q applications Will long way into the
hundreds The adjustment Of rival claims for
the honor Of presentation at court requires more
tact, discretion and manipulation than all the
conventional functions of stateCraft Happy IS
the American Ambassador who can retire from
the Court Of ST. James's without having
wounded the feelings or excited the resentment
OF the ambitious fair among his own kin across
the sea!
Ny. Henry Arthur Jones Is neither frank nor
subtle in his dramatic methods. He prefers to
write farces and 10 excite thOughtless laughter
rather than thoughtful mirth; but instead OF
being honest and consistent he seeks TO palm
them off upon a critical public comedies OF
intrigue with an urdertone OF satire. The
Princess's Nose produced this week at the
Duke OF York's Theatre. is inherently farcical,
like The Maneuvres of Jane" but instead OF
being presented in it's true relations to stage
literature and in conformity with its vulgar
opera bouffe title, II is described comedy. is
played indecisiyely for three acts as a drama
Of offensive and defensive intrigue with satrical
reflection OF the manners OF the day. and is
wound UP as inane farce without moral OF rea-
son. Like The ManGuvres Of Jane" II may be
reconstructed and may have ephemeral sue
cess when played on broader lines; but why VIII
Mr. Jones persist in starting out In n false
direction and coming out on lower ground after
losing his way? His ingenuity ought 20 be eX-
pended upon dialogue and underplot rather than
upon fooling with his audience by suggesting in
three acts a trend toward tragic situation AID
then letting himself down 10 the level Of farce
in the final act and thereby justfying his Of
fenbach title His lack of candor and con-
sistency becomes even more conspicuous when
ACCOMPLISHED artists Ike Mr.. H B. Irving, Mr..
Gilbert Hare Miss Irene Vanbrugh and Miss
Gertrude Kinston are employed in futile at
tempts TO convert grotesque farce into comedy
Of intrigue and manners
The nature of the play will be disclosed by
brief exposition Of the nane title. The heroine
IS an Englishwoman, who has married a French
prince and is entertaining a company Of fash
tonable acquaintance at her country house in
the Midlands. Among her guests is her school
friend, Mrs. Malpas, who in the intervals or d
fast-and-loose Irritation with the prince amuses
herself by dropping hints that the hostess's nose
used 10 be unpleasantly red in girlhood. The
princess's nose when she appears in the tapes
Try parIor has not smitch of red. and it re-
tains 10 the final fall Of the curtain the leg ii
mate degree Of aristocratic pallOr. II appears
10 be out OF Joint during three acts, owing 20
the intrigue which Is going on in the country
house between the prince and Mrs. Malpas
When the princess has exhausted every arthce
IN undermining this intrigue and preventing
scandalous elopement motor car runs into her
rivals carriage and upsets il, and Mrs. Malpas,
with a broken nose, is disigured for life The
princess after vainly endeavorinG TO retain her
husbands affections by having his infant heir
brought upon the stage, by waiting upon him
with smiles cigarettes and drinks by showing
him her newest gown and by threatening to
firt with the lady killer in charge OF the
tableaus at the country house profits by the
accident and enjoys the luxury Of making not
poultices for the rival with the broken nose and
Of charging uTon the country doctors diagnosis
Of the case. The prince fguratively kicks him
self b., horsewhipping the lady killer and, with
due humility makes peace with the princess
and the brewer is brought back from Brussels
70 soothe and comfort the victim Of the motor
car accident The Princess's Nose" in this