VARYING PURPOSES

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ing a serviceable, remunerative vehicle for Forbes-Robertson's professional use, is to present famous historical persons in their guise of every day, emphasize the fact that they were only men and women, and, under cover of extravagance of delineation, satirize conventionality and at times such rational morality as is so unfortunate as to incur the author's contempt. "He uses his folly as a stalking horse, and under cover of that he shoots his wit."

In Forbes-Robertson's production of the play the purpose was merriment, and that purpose was delightfully accomplished. Once in a while, acting Cæsar, he struck a serious note, as in the apostrophe to the Sphinx, a passage which shows vigorous imagination, and in the eloquent speech, at once passionate and rueful, about the wickedness and ineffable fatuity of war. The thought is old, and has occurred to many minds; but it is a righteous thought, and Shaw has given fine expression to it. ForbesRobertson uttered it with splendid fervor of conviction. His acting of Caesar, however, was for the greater part playful. He evinced a

keen sense of humor, and by archness of demeanor, quizzical facial expression, and piquant inflections of tone he often caused a delicious effect of delicate mirth. He was especially impressive, also, and therein showed consummate dramatic capability, at the moments when Cæsar ceases to be playful, and with inspiriting celerity vociferates his military commands. The personation was one that will long be remembered for its originality and dexterity of art, and still more for its denotement of personal authority, perfect mental poise, and lovely serenity of benignant, comprehending, tolerant, exalted spirit.

"THE PASSING OF THE THIRD FLOOR BACK."

In his personation of A Passer-by, in Jerome's "idle fancy," "The Passing of the Third Floor Back," Forbes-Robertson provided a striking illustration of combined intellect, moral nature, and individual character. That fabric of colloquy (for, being devoid of action, it is not a play) illustrates the proposition that "There is a soul of goodness in things evil,"

A GOOD PREACHMENT

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and declares that an appeal, made in a fraternal spirit, to the latent goodness in human nature will elicit a sympathetic response, and that human beings who, whether through vanity, weakness, selfishness, or the degrading pressure of adverse circumstances, have deflected from rectitude can be reclaimed by such an appeal. This doctrine may or may not be sound, but, whether veritable or fallacious, it is cheering and therefore salutary. Preaching, if we are to have it at all, should inculcate hope and belief, not fear and despair.

The Passer-by is an incarnation of the Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ, and the function prescribed for him in this piece is reclamation of errant humanity by celestial influence. He enters a household of which the members,-landlady, servant, and lodgers in a London lodging-house-are more or less mean, sordid, vulgar, selfish, vicious, wayward, or of unfixed principle, and at odds with themselves and their circumstances; and by assuming virtue to be latently existent in every one of them, and subtly and tactfully addressing "the better self" in

each person, he rectifies the moral condition of that household, causing every member of it to become self-respecting, honest, considerate of others, contented, and happy.

The wonderful success of Forbes-Robertson in this essentially undramatic character was due almost exclusively to what he was-to the simplicity, sincerity, dignity, charitable spirit, candor, moral excellence, and exquisite refinement which were the primal constituents of his nature. The representative of the Passer-by is necessitated to cast the spell of his gentle sympathy and beneficent persuasion over eleven different types of human errancy, using the same means in each instance. In that situation the peril of monotony and insipidity is always impending, but Forbes-Robertson's treatment of it was so ingenious, various, and fervently sincere that every moment of its display was made interesting, and more than once I have seen a multitude of eager spectators held in almost breathless suspense by the charm of his personality and the apparently unconscious felicity of his art. Preceptive drama is chronically tedious.

PLACE OF THE MORAL

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Morality in art should be suggestive, not didactic; but if all theatrical productions that are freighted with "lessons" could be interpreted as this one was by Forbes-Robertson, even preaching might become attractive.

"THE SACRAMENT OF JUDAS."

The action of this highly ingenious play, written in French by Louis Tiercelin, and tastefully "done into English" by that exceedingly expert dramatist Louis N. Parker, turns on two articles of Roman Catholic doctrine, that a man once ordained a priest is a priest not for time only, but for eternity, and that the priestly character and the personal character are distinct from each other. The play is called "The Sacrament of Judas" because it involves the bestowal of a sacrament by a man who has endeavored to repudiate his apostolic duty; "and those whom Judas baptized were not baptized again."

Jacques Bernez, the principal person of the drama, is a priest in disguise. The priestly office has, he feels, virtually been forced upon