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family connected with it, as typically representative of English 
history; and even of world-history. Its surface furnished traces 
of mighty events in past epochs of the globe; and its name, its 
ownership, and its buildings marked important oscurrences in 
the life of the English nation. 
BULWER LYTTON’S DRAMATIC WORKS. 
By R. T. SUTCLIFFE. November 18th, 1884. 
Mr. Sutcliffe commenced by enumerating the works of the 
author, which number only seven, viz., ‘‘ The Duchesse de la 
Valliére,” ‘‘ Not so bad as we seem,”’ ‘‘ Rightful Heir,” ‘‘ Darnley,” 
“‘ Lady of Lyons,” ‘ Richelieu,” and.‘‘ Money.” The latter 
three he designated plays, and gave the following definition of 
the prefix, that it is neither comedy nor tragedy, but a cut between 
the two; more serious than the one, not so sombre as the other, 
yet a judicious mixture of the two ; in fact, a dramatic salad, in 
the flavour of which neither the oil nor the vinegar has an undue 
preponderance. The denouement is sure to be happy ; no matter 
the storms and tempests, the rocks ahead, the sea of troubles 
upon which the hero and heroine may be tossed, they are sure to 
come safe to port. The first work brought under notice was the 
“‘ Duchesse de la Valliére,”’ which was produced at Covent Garden 
in 1887. Mr. Sutcliffe gave a sketch of the plot of the play, and 
wound up with a reading of the scene between Louis XIV. and 
the Monk Bragelone. The ‘“ Lady of Lyons’ was the next play 
taken in hand, and the Times criticism of that period was read, 
from which it appeared the leading paper of the day made a dead 
set at the piece. It was first produced on the 15th February, 
1888, at the Covent Garden Theatre, under Mr. Macready. Mr. 
Sutcliffe gave a very careful description of the plot of this popular 
play, and illustrated it by two scenes which he recited, taking all 
the characters in the same. The scenes selected were the garden 
scene in the second act, where Claude Melnotte describes his 
imaginary home on the Lake of Como, and the other one that 
heartrending scene in his own home, where he has taken Pauline 
in fulfilment of his oath to Beauseant, and where he puts forth 
in such eloquence his apology and defence for his conduct. The 
reader then went on to criticise the characters of the play, and 
said that Claude and Pauline had an equal chance with their 
audience, as their parts were evenly balanced. The play ‘“ Not 
so bad as we seem,”’ was next briefly noticed and Mr. Sutcliffe 
