The sun., 1908-03-22


the experience gained by a study OF the
masterpieces Of their great predecessors
Thus II was that, with less compleuty "A to
form, the English drama became eclectic
III,
The student who should plan a personal
acquaintance with the entire body OF Eliza
bethan drama must prepare TO read at
least 900 plays, English and Latin, masques,
entertainments and civic pageants included.
and he must account for something less
than $50 pieces which are mentioned
though no longer extant Turning TO the
authors OF these pieces, he will encounter
at least 200 names The activity Of this
horde Of writer's ranged from the single
play Of the gentleman amateur, who af-
feoted q conoealment Of his authorship,
to the professional Of the surprising tecun-
dity Of Thomas Haywood, who confessed
TO have shared in the composition Of 22O
plays, OF OF Dekker. with whose personality
no less than seventy titles OF dramatic
performances have been associated, The
noble or gentleman author is a constant
figure Of the period, from Lord Oxenford,
Sidneys enemy to Carev, King Charles's
cupbearer. cavaliers like Lovelace and
trihers like Sucking and Killigrew.
Our author is convinced that the term
playwright has been much eX-
tended and misused, As a matter Of fact
this title has been denied TO Marlowe, and
OF late 10 Greene also The ballad in which
Marlowe is described as a player at the
Curtain 'in his early age is now considered
one Of Golfers forgeres. Prof. Schelhng
is inclined to question whether Lodge, a
Lord Mayors son, who tried TO conceal his
connection with the drama, ever rod the
boards, and like doubt is expressed as to
Kyd, who revolved in an outer orbit Of the
Earl Of Pembrokes circle. In our authors
judgment Peele was the only man Of note
who certainly shared with Shakespeare
in the latter's earlier days in London tho
double function Of actor and playwright,
Without repudiating altogether the au-
thority which makes Ben Jonson TO have
been an actor we must see that he could
not long have followed the calling sue
cessiully with his mountain belly and his
rocky face In the last decade Of tho
sixteenth century came Haywood, Field
and Samuel Rowley; William Rowley soon
followed. Our author holds that OF the 200
paywnghts Of the EGzabethan period and
275 actors scarcely a score combined the
creative function with mmetic art.
On the other hand, It cannot be denied
that by the date Of the accession Of King
James theatrical authorship had begun
TO attract the talents Of men Of better nur.
ture, and Marlowe, the shoemaker's son;
Shakespeare, a yeomans son, and JOnson,
whose father apparently was a small par
son. we're followed by Beaumont, son Of
Judge Beaumont Of Grace Dieu, leicester;
Fletcher, younger son Of the Bishop OF
Worcester, and by Chapman, Middleton
and Marston, each Of whom might write
himself gentleman without an invocato on
Of the Herald's Office such as Shakespeare
made. Nevertheless men Of obscure
origin continued to work and to glorify the
drama throughout the reign Of James and
that Of Charles--men like Webster, Of
whose birth and family we know nothing;
Bronze, who began life as a body servant
TO Ben Jonson, and Day, briefly described
~ .h3 5all5 great poet ss d rogue. FUrd
was but lawyers factor, and Shirley be-
gan as a schoomaster and later returned
10 this vocation and 10 hack writing.
On the death OF Marlowe in 1898 there
seems to be no doubt that Shakespeare
succeeded forthwith TO the headship OF his
profession, remaining to the end OF Eliza
beths reign practically the only permanent
playwright Of the Chamberlain's company.
Our author suggests that the lasting friend
ship Of Shakespeare and Jonson may have
been founded on Shakespeare's recon-
mendation OF Every Man in His Humor'
TO the Chamberlain's company in 1903,
That the friendship survived the touch Of
time and the hand OF death is indisputable.
According TO tradition Jonson and Drayton
paid a visit 10 New Place, Shakespeare 8
house in Stratford in 1910, Just prior 10 the
owners death. Shskespeare's closest in
Inmates, however. seem 10 have been fellow
actors, Burbage, Hemyng and Condell,
later his executors, and Augustine Phillips.
II we may Judge by the circumstance that
the Earl Of Southampton, to whom Shake
speare dedicated his narrative poems, is the
only patron Of their author who according
10 Lee "isknown to biographical research
the great dramatist seems TO have neg-
lected the incessant search for preierment
and cultivation Of great ones" that gave
Jonson list Of more than eighty dedicatees
and noble patrons Jonson's nearest
friends among dramstists were Marston.
with whom he quarrelled and Chapman,
whom he always esteemed. Similarity in
character and ideals must have drawn his
fellow scholar very close TO him, Daniel
was held by Jonson in contempt; Munday
he long ridiculed; lingo Jones was first HIS
associate in the composition Of masques
and then his bitter enemy; Field he had
educated; Randolph and Cartwright in
later times were his pOetical sons, and such
talent as Bronze possessed for making plays
was a legacy from Jonson. In word
the associates OF Jonson In literature, in
the drama and at the court embraced every
we'll known man in England during three
generations.
~.
Outside Of their incessant collaboration
our author has found il hard TO determine
the personal relations Of men Like Decker
and Haywood. The former seems to have