Volume I Part 32 (1/2)

[Sidenote: The same.]

”ALL THE YEAR ROUND” OFFICE, _Friday, 25th October, 1867._

MY DEAR LYTTON,

I have read the Play[88] with great attention, interest, and admiration; and I need not say to _you_ that the art of it--the fine construction--the exquisite nicety of the touches--with which it is wrought out--have been a study to me in the pursuit of which I have had extraordinary relish.

Taking the Play as it stands, I have nothing whatever to add to your notes and memoranda of the points to be touched again, except that I have a little uneasiness in that burst of anger and inflexibility consequent on having been deceived, coming out of Hegio. I see the kind of actor who _must_ play Hegio, and I see that the audience will not believe in his doing anything so serious. (I suppose it would be impossible to get this effect out of the mother--or through the mother's influence, instead of out of the G.o.dfather of Hegiopolis?)

Now, as to the cla.s.sical ground and manners of the Play. I suppose the objection to the Greek dress to be already--as Defoe would write it, ”gotten over” by your suggestion. I suppose the dress not to be conventionally a.s.sociated with stilts and boredom, but to be new to the public eye and very picturesque. Grant all that;--the names remain. Now, not only used such names to be inseparable in the public mind from stately weariness, but of late days they have become inseparable in the same public mind from silly puns upon the names, and from Burlesque. You do not know (I hope, at least, for my friend's sake) what the Strand Theatre is. A Greek name and a break-down n.i.g.g.e.r dance, have become inseparable there. I do not mean to say that your genius may not be too powerful for such a.s.sociations; but I do most positively mean to say that you would lose half the play in overcoming them. At the best you would have to contend against them through the first three acts. The old tendency to become frozen on cla.s.sical ground would be in the best part of the audience; the new tendency to t.i.tter on such ground would be in the worst part. And instead of starting fair with the audience, it is my conviction that you would start with them against you and would have to win them over.

Furthermore, with reference to your note to me on this head, you take up a position with reference to poor dear Talfourd's ”Ion” which I altogether dispute. It never was a popular play, I say. It derived a certain amount of out-of-door's popularity from the circ.u.mstances under which, and the man by whom, it was written. But I say that it never was a popular play on the Stage, and never made out a case of attraction there.

As to changing the ground to Russia, let me ask you, did you ever see the ”Nouvelles Russes” of Nicolas Gogol, translated into French by Louis Viardot? There is a story among them called ”Tara.s.s Boulla,” in which, as it seems to me, all the conditions you want for such transplantation are to be found. So changed, you would have the popular sympathy with the Slave or Serf, or Prisoner of War, from the first. But I do not think it is to be got, save at great hazard, and with lamentable waste of force on the ground the Play now occupies.

I shall keep this note until to-morrow to correct my conviction if I can see the least reason for correcting it; but I feel very confident indeed that I cannot be shaken in it.

_Sat.u.r.day._

I have thought it over again, and have gone over the play again with an imaginary stage and actors before me, and I am still of the same mind.

Shall I keep the MS. till you come to town?

Believe me, ever affectionately yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. Fechter.]

PARKER HOUSE, BOSTON, _3rd December, 1867._

MY DEAR FECHTER,

I have been very uneasy about you, seeing in the paper that you were taken ill on the stage. But a letter from Georgy this morning rea.s.sures me by giving me a splendid account of your triumphant last night at the Lyceum.

I hope to bring out our Play[89] with Wallack in New York, and to have it played in many other parts of the States. I have sent to Wilkie for models, etc. If I waited for time to do more than write you my love, I should miss the mail to-morrow. Take my love, then, my dear fellow, and believe me ever

Your affectionate.

FOOTNOTES:

[82] The Hon. Robert Lytton--now the Earl of Lytton--in literature well known as ”Owen Meredith.”

[83] Mr. Henry W. Phillips, at this time secretary of the Artists'

General Benevolent Society. He was eager to establish some educational system in connection with that inst.i.tution.

[84] The remainder has been cut off for the signature.