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The expression Aranza gives, when telling his wife he would wish 
her to be as Heaven made her, “With the pure red and white 
which that same Hand that blends the rainbow mingles in thy 
cheeks,” is, I think, singularly felicitous. 
Sheridan Knowles is the next famous dramatist of modern 
times, or rather of the present century ; but his style is not original, 
being moulded upon that of Philip Massinger, one of the best of 
our Elizabethan poets. His language is graceful and forcible, but 
at times the meaning of the sentences and the plots of his plays 
are somewhat obscure. “William Tell,” “ Virginius,” and “The 
Hunchback,” are the most popular of his plays. Selections from 
them may be found in every ‘‘ Guide to Elocution.” 
Bulwer Lytton, though somewhat high flown in sentiment, has 
done good service to the drama by his noble play of “ Richlieu,” 
the comedy of “ Money,” and the ever popular “ Lady of Lyons.” 
Society has altered much during the last decade. The taste 
generally is 7o¢ to see the Elizabethan or the legitimate drama, but 
to see reflected the manners, habits, and customs of this matter-of- 
fact age; and for that reason few men are to be found writing 
plays with any poetic skill, but rather attempting to string so many 
incidents together, either to excite interest or to cause a laugh. 
With rare exceptions, the poetical drama of the present day 
may be said to have died out, although Westland Marston, and 
Mr. Wills, the author of ‘Charles I.” and “ Jane Shore,” still live to 
prove that polished and graceful poetical writing may be appreci- 
ated by us even in these degenerate days. 
It is only natural that taste should change, and that T. W. 
Robertson, Albery, and Henry Byron in their comedies, such as 
“Society,” ‘Caste,” “The Two Roses,” and “ Our Boys,” should 
be preferred to the creations of our elder dramatists. As the 
glorious writers of the Elizabethan era reflected the age in which 
they lived, so do our modern writers mirror the faults and foibles 
