New-York tribune., 1920-11-14
tate. The aathor represents Caius's
ideals in the following fine passage.
Ideals Of Caius Gracious


ideals in the following fine passave
Ideals Of C.ius Gracious
wish 10 see a world that's ru,ea hv INV
"nich no debauching finger can approach
w.sn 20 see world that's free Of guile
wUr.a wtn no more market place hut made
l Il wish to sec mems eyes freed OF thst sIv
'na' qss. mqsan. that shrewd. that cunning
Which now proo,a!ms to all abroad N.
creature '"' 'ne
VINO hath attained the h,dcous shame
that's called success
1 ! w!sn TO see men strive for finer and,
TT ! wfsh nS'i "a and ID. stupid labor for crust
When Haunting show will be a,syrac.
when all 's "oo'
Must DO their measured doles Of toll for
OF spoil S''
And leave some time for every man to
His eyes ,,s. from trough. or furrow. and to
win The s,h,onusht. With love. with nature,
EacG act contains distinct dramatic
possibilities. First the patricians an.
proach Caius with bribes. which he in.
oignantiy rejects. Then the conserva.
1--WE leaders hatch plot to turn the
iickie populace against Gracious by a
raise charge of sacrilege. In the third
act the plot is successfully carried out
and Caius is forced to flee for his ,;fs
amid the jeers of his former sunnor+.
ers. Ihe fourth act shows - patri-
cians reveling in their hour victorv
mere IS gradual transition HE
supernatural in the conclusion. yhe
Furies croak out their prophecies O,
ruin and desolation for Rome. There
Is something of an apotheosis when
Ca'us, stabbed at his own command by
his faithful slave, holds converse WITH
the spirit of his murdered brother
Tiberius.
Patricians Denounced
The author infuses very genuine fire
and enthusiasm into his work. Th,
action never lags and the dialogue
never lapses into mere rhetorical dull
ness. His picture of the patricians
of the wealthy, is tremendously i'm
pressive in its ferocious bitterness. He
represents them as bloodsuckers and
exploiters, ruling the masses by cc.m-
bination OF caJoiery and brutality
cynically using religion and patriotism
as instruments Tor maintaining their
selfish power. In the Consul Fannius
who imparts series of Machiavellian
precepts to his son, we have q Mephis-
tophelian Polonius.
Mr.. Gregory possesses gift for
sharp individual characterization. Even
remarkable distinctness. One Of the
most sympathetic figures is Gracious s
wife. Licinia, who strengthens her hus-
bands courageous resolutions when
he appeals to her to advise him
whether or not to come to some agree
ment with the patricians. Incidentally
the passage in which Caius lays his
problem before his wife is an excel
lent illustration Of Mr.. Gregory S
ability to write nervous, forceful and
aignihed blank verse:
The words now spoken must foreclose tnc
quite
or one way or the other. One OF those
Spells truce with those whose might now
stands assured.
By every vested power, the states dread
law;
It spells soft leisure. and the sweet en-
joylnent
OF vivid lfe, and all the mortal things
The body Graves, and fancy finds It's
lovely lure.
But by the other way one quickly comes
TO desolatlons home, TO lowering nights
Of lead
To bloody, toll, to days and nights 8,
dread, CT
To scornng friends, to pain-rackec limbs
and tears
OF anguish for the dullness of the slaves
On whoee behalf these grinding griefs are
borne
A Most Interesting Experiment
Mr.. Gregory may fairly be said te
have broken ground in new and most
interesting experiment in American