1826.] On the Decline of the Briiiah Drama. 5t 



at the end of ten years, one-third of the cliildrcn of the rich, and three- 

 fiftlis of the children of the poor, will have died.* It was calculated 

 former!}' that in France but a seventh of a generation, or fifteen persons 

 in a hundred, arrived at the age of sixty. At present the proportion 

 is twenty-four, and the general niortalit}', which was one in twenty-nine, 

 is now one in forty. 



MORTALITY IN FRANCE. 



In the last century (1780). In the present century (18^0). 



In 100 " In ino 



From the birth to .') years... 50,57 .'?7, 8.'> 



to 10 10,09 !), fi2 



to 20 9,90 8,33 



to 30 14,94 12,50 



to 40 19, H2 13, 3fi 



to 50 21,46 17,14 



to 00 31,10 25,08 



to 70 45,92 41,99 



to 80 73,46 65,48 



to 90 88, 16 84, 76 



tolOO ..., 100,00 100,00 



ON THE DECLINE OF THE BRITISH DRAMA. 



After all that has been, for some years past, said and written on the 

 decline of the British Drama, the cause of this degeneracy remains still 

 to be assigned. Critics have admitted and deplored, but have seldom 

 attempted to explain it ; and in the few brief inquiries which, from time 

 to time, they have been forced to make on this, one of the most in- 

 teresting subjects in our literature, they have been far from successful. 

 Nor is this failure matter of much surprise. It is always a difficult task 

 to trace and to explain the changes which occur in the taste and genius 

 of a people. And this difficulty lies not merely in discovering the 

 causes (which must always be many and complex), but also in assigning 

 to each its due share of importance. To perform this completely, and 

 with certainty, may be fairlj'^ pronounced impossible. The most that 

 can be done is, to point out some striking circumstances, which have an 

 indisputable influence on literature, though the precise amount of that 

 influence, and the manner and degree in which it is affected by other 

 kindred causes, cannot be wholly ascertained. 



But the present condition of the drama amongst us appears the more 

 surprising, from the vast powers which have been exerted in other walks 

 of the imagination. The history of our poetry can furnish few periods 

 so remarkable for fertility, variety, and vigour as the last thirty years. 

 For more than a century preceding, the flights of the muse were con- 

 fined to the middle and lower regions. Her movements, though grace- 

 ful, were timid and measured. Once or twice some efforts were made 

 at those lofty and adventurous courses which marked the sublime and 

 daring spirit of former times ; but these attempts were not much ap- 



* In the admirable parliamentary report on Benefit Societies, will be found 

 calculations on infant deatlis, and other similar matters of high importance, and to 

 which we shall allude hereafter. — Edit. 



