The sun., 1908-03-22

70 be related with ever increasing Ugof
10 the close Of Elsabeth's reign. To this,
the most dlstinCtively English group in the
whole body Of England's dramatic litera-
ture, MarloWe had contributed tho con-
oentrated passion and pathetic end OF his
king Edward H.; Haywood the touch
ing story Of Jana Shore; while Shakespeare.
in the stories Of q dozen kings, breathed
immortality into the old tales Of Bollnshed
and embalmed the memory OF English
sovereigns in the pomp and splendor OF i'm
periShAbe art. This was Likewise the
Aourishing period Of the domestic drama,
and Of Shakespeare's romantic comedy AZ
well Actual contemporary life IL the
theme Of the former; the actual In lis medi-
oority, az In the grewsome group OF murder
plays; the actual illuminated by gleam
Of the romantic. A. in Dekker's Shoe
makers Holiday" Q50e); OF seasoned with
hearty humor, az In this same comedy, and
in Portsrs 'Two Angry Women dSes),
or the Merry Devil Of Edmonton uoOO).
Except In 'The Merry Wives Of Windsor
(iSss), we find Shakespeare in no domestic
drama Of native English scenery. As our
author points out, however, the story OF
Kate the Curst,' and her ultimate sub
lection 20 man; that OF Heena's winning
OF reluctant husband, Of Isabelle's devo-
ton 20 an unworthy brother, the loves Of
Romeo aud juliet, and the tale OF Ohelo,
wrought and practised on TO jealous mad
ness all these compositions are OF the very
essence Of domestic drama,
Prof Scheling proceeds to show that
as to romantic comedy nowhere is Shake
speare's supereminence more striking than
in the decade mentioned; for, while the
lighter productions OF these years TEEN
with romantic situations. this element is
usually combined with others. as, for in
stance, with a chronicle play, with tale Of
folklore or with a comedy the situation
, Of which Is suggested by Plautus, For
the period now under review II was left
to Shakespeare almost alone 10 pen In THE
Merchant Of Venice in Much Ado About
Nothing" and in Twelfth Night those
shghtsome and charming pictures Of the
courtship and hearts sorrows Of young
lovers. thrown into the enchanted land Of
Italy to veil but not conceal their true
English natures. and thus add the zest Of
novelty to their delightful adventures.
Our author is careful TO recall that -this
is not all that the romantic comedies OF the
master contained. whose view Of life was
ever 80 steady and so whole that he, least
Of all Of dramatic writers, ever withdrew
It's elements into biased draught Of the
half truth. But the quality Of romantic
beauty whatever else be in them, Is the
distinguishing quality Of all OF these
comedies, as II remained the salient feature
Of the more serious comedies-'All's Well
That Ends Well and Measure for Measure"
that followed them in the last years OF
the old Queens reign.
AZ he approaches these years our au-
thor finds other things 70 chronicle. There,
for instance. was Shakespeare's success
full solution Of the representation OF class-
cal history on the popular stage in Julius
Cesar (i0Ol), a success which ELECTED two
years later rejoinder from Jonson, who
held up his classical ideals in 'Sejanus';
a replication Of protest against Jonsons
pedantry from Marston in his 'Sophonisba,'
and a humble imitation from Haywood in
longing TO the year 1908, The latest years
Of Queen Elizabeth also witnessed Mar
ston's deliberate revival, In the second part
Of Antonio and Mellida,' Of the old trag-
edy Of revenge. with Jonson's consequent
revisions Of 'The Spanish Tragedy" and
Shakespeares rival rewriting Of the old
Hamlet Of Kyd,
he ~
JameSl. and the retirement OF Shakespeare
from the theatre marked the height OF Eng
lish comedy. and also the development Of
the new species OF dramatic composition
known as romance and tragi-oomedy.
Yet, notwithstanding the striking charac-
ter OF Fletcherian tTagi-oomedy and the
Middletonian realistic comedy OF manners.
each equally successful in its kind, and
notwithstanding that Shakespeare was now
in the maturity OF his splendid genius for
tragedy and was also 70 produce his gra-
cious and beautiful last plays, our author
thinks that this period, the first decade Of
King James. would perhaps be described
most accurately as the period OF Jonson,
for the revolution which his Mosques et-
fected in the entertainments Of the court,
for the professional technique which his
enlightened olassoism impaired to the
drama at large, for the literary success Of
his Roman plays, and for the literary and
popular triumphs Of his unmatohable CON-
edies Of manners. Shakespeare is ever,
IN t.2 .ao.c restricted sense Of the word.
ENzabethan Jonson was Jacobean, and
for that reason the dominating dramatic
influence Of the earlier half Of the reign Of
King James. NJ. W. II.