Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Prince of Walcs's: " The Merchant of Venice ".—St. James's : " Tom Cobb," comedy in three acts, by W. S. Gilbert.— Drury Lane: "II Gladiatore" drama in five acts, translated into Italian from the French of Alexandre Sournet.—Strand: " Weak Woman," a comedy in three acts, by H. J. Byron.—Charing Cross: "Jeanne Du- barry," a drama in three acts, by H. Herman.—Olympic : " The Spendthrift," a comedy in five acts, by James Albery.—Drury Lane: " Amlcto" .—Court: "A Nine Days' Wonder," a comedy in three acts, by Hamilton Aide.—Princess's: "Katharine and Petruchio," altered from Shakspcare, by David Garrick. April24,1875. ix passing from the domain of realistic comedy to that of the comedy of manners, the management of the Prince of Wales's Theatre attempted a march of no ordinary difficulty and danger. Recognising the efforts that had been made to give completeness in respect to external details, sensible of the merits of portions of the performance, and pleased with a series of bright and life-like pictures, the public accepted a representation of the " School for Scandal" which effected a rupture with tradition, and a complete severance of modern art from that of past days. Now, however, when a further step is taken, and the " Merchant of Venice '' is produced in the . same style as the " School for Scandal," a like display of clemency or favour is not to be expected. What respect for dramatic art still exists in England clings to Shak- speare ; and an attempt to convert his plays into spectacularentertainments, however it may suit the ignorant pleasure- seekers who, flocking to Drury Lane, have turned what should be a national theatre into something not widely different from a circus, is not likely to find acceptance from a more enlightened public. In spite, accordi...