The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-06-11
History as Drama.

villain? Here again the American
historian is weak. You can see this,
because when he finds one, like Bene-
dict Arnold or Aaron Burr, he makes
the most of him. George III too,
that poor old simpletOn, is pressed in
to service, while as for his Ministers, a
more scheming set of villains never
existed. In English history, these
same villains become highly respect
able body, who made an unfortunate
error in judgment. At any rate, as
villains they are not needed, when
there are such eligible examples as
Henry Will, Guy Fawkes or Richard
III. to fall back upon. Henry VIII,
of course, masquerading as "bluff King
Hal" and as Defender of the Faith,
serves for hero at pinch. Villains
on the Continent are equally plentiful.
When weary of Caesar Borgia, you can
turn to the gentleman who ordered
the massacre of Saint Bartholomew,
or, for really buggy one, what's the
matter with Robespierrep
One last character of melodrsma
land all drama is melodrama-Only
some of it is expurgated and conven-
l tionalized) remains to be. considered.
What of the lady who dresses in a
blood-red gown and smokes a ciga-
rette in full view of the audience
Far be it from us to desire that the
adventures should intrude on the
sober halls of American history! Fan
cy Madame de Pompadour. potent
factor of state in the Administration
of President-Pierce, let us say, in or
der not to shock any susceptibifitfes.
The idea is as inconceivable as that of
Mrs. Beecher Stowe at the Court of
Charles II. or Margaret Fuller Ossoli
in the ante-and anti-Christian days
of Rome, which Juvenal describes
Yet these ladies of more brain than
: heart, and some of more heart than
brain, do their full share of beguiiine
the historical student, and the text
books of the young person in Other
lands have now and then a period
which the school-historians have t.
dismiss with Nothing doing from
A. D. so-and-so to A. D. thingumbob,
or words to that effect.
Yet in spite of these absentees from
the dramatis PERSONA there is none more
; dramatic than American history. Int
the space of a century are crowded tn
materials for two epic poems, eacl
with its protagonist, each protagonis
towering above his European contem
poraries in mental and moral grandeu'
: One exception there is, Napoleon, bu
: "his honor rooted IN dishonor stood, an,
= faith unfaithful made him falsely true.
1t is not for the mere mortal to con
= denim Napoleon, however; such cours
is too reminiscent of the resolutions o
the inhabitants of Lilliput agains
+. Quinbus Flestrin, the Man-M0untair
- The strutting figures of English states
= men look very small beside Lincoln
= even Gladstone, his equal in rugge
= probity, is mentally in very differen
:, category; he would certainly have il
- sued the Emancipation Proclamatio
u in good time, but he could not hav
+ stood for month against Lincoln
o. cabinet, nor could he, great orator 9
g he was, by any manner of means, hav
~ uttered the Gettysburg speech.
!. So that the lines of the America
:, - historian have, after all, fallen in plea
ant places. His is stern, intensi1
drama but it far more than compel
:" ~ safes what it lacks in romance by whit
- it has of power and majesty.
= No- ANGLICUS.