Science, Art, And The Drama.

Science , Art , and the Drama .

A " MYSTERY PLAY" IN THE BLACK COUNTRY .

Among the thousands who saw , and the millions who read of the late representations of the world-renowned " Passion Play" of Ober-Amergau , there were probably but few who thought of the religious drama as a living institution in the very centre of England . It is , nevertheless , a fact that , in the " Black Country" of South Staffordshire the Mystery , or Miracle play is to be seen flourishing in rejuvenated vigour , conducted in a

distinctly religious spirit , and enjoying no little popularity . We had long been deeply interested in some of the byways of popular sacred literature , finding food for profitable reflection in the rude religious ballads of the peasantry , and revelling in the Coventry and Townley Mysteries ; when we chanced upon an advertisement of " The Sacred Drama of Absalom " ; to be performed bv teachers and scholars of a Sunday school , about sit miles

from Birmingham . It was Gunpowder Plot day ; and we journeyed to the scene of action through a region alarmingly suggestive of Dante ' s Inferno amidst a drizzling rain that might have ensured the harmlessness of Guy Fawkes and all his magazine . Ascending an outside stairway , we found ourselves in an irregularly-shaped room , lighted by six burners , and crowded to its utmost capacity with about 230 persons , who had paid 3 d . or

6 d . each for admission . There was a sprinkling of boys and girls , a large proportion of women , and a good number of men—colliers , iron-workers , and the like : a bona-Ude working class audience . At one end of the room was a permanent platform , about a foot high . This served for a stage . It was screened off with coarse ticking , the stripes running horizontally , of which , the middle portion being drawn up , revealed a set of side-wings of

red g lazed calico . There being no footlights , the stage was lighted by two gas burners from above . At the back were two windows , shaded with lace curtains ; between them hung a mirror , which was removed when the action was supposed to be out of doors . With one exception there was no attempt at scenery . On the rising of the curtain we see the entire company grouped upon the stage ; they are young people , ranging in age from 16 to 25 , fair

samples of the rude , plain spoken , but warm-hearted lads and lasses of tne village . The superintendent is a respectable elderly man , well-known as an effective , though uncultured p reacher . He announces a familiar hymn , which is heartily sung to an excruriating tune , well accompanied , however , by a working man , on a fairly good harmonium . He next calls on one of the company to offer prayer , after whicn an extempore prologue invites

attention to the moral teaching of what is to follow . The preliminaries conclude with a song of the conventional Sunday-school type on the duty of obedience to parents ; the curtain descends , and a musical interlude fills up the time while the stage is arranged for the first scene . In a few minutes the play begins . Absalom's servant , in his shirt sleeves and a white apron , admits a messenger in black cloth and vest , who brings a private message

for the Prince . Enter Absalom , in a robe of pink glazed calico ; to him the messenger hints , in a manner sufficiently intelligible to those familiar with the Bible narrative , but scarcely to others , the wrong done by Amnon to his sister Tamar . Absalom , sword in hand , swears the death . Scene 2 . — Absalom asleep on a couch ; stage dark . Enter three angels in white , who sing to the "Spanish Chant" a song about the danger of harbouring

revengeful passoins . They ( retire ; Absalom , awaking , soliloquises ; he has had a strange dream , but what of that ? For two years Tamar has endured her wrongs in silence ; dream , or no dream , she shall be avenged . Lights up . Enter the messenger , now regularly installed as Absalom ' s servant . With much unnecessary display of swords he is instructed when and how to kill Amnon . Scene 3 . —The two servants , in their shirt sleeves ,

but each with a sword at his side , are spreading a table with eatables , knives and forks , plates , glasses , and mugs . One remarks that Amnon ' s time is drawing near ; the other proposes to warn him ; the first , with an ominous grip of his sword , bids his fellow " keep a still tongue in his head . " Enter Absalom , as belore , and warns his servant that , if he fail in his task , it will be at his peril . Sundry guests enter in ordinary dress , with the

addition of belts and swords ; Amnon is conspicuous from wearing his hat —a hard felt . Absalom salutes them all , and Amnon in particular . They sit at table , eat and drink , and talk of sheep and crops—the talk being extemporised . Several toasts are drunk , and the scene is protracted to a wearisome length . Ultimately Amnon , being well plied with wine , becomes unmistakably drunk ; and , at a signal from Absalom , the servants kill him . General

scramble and much flashing of swords , and the guests retire in confusion . Absalom standing , sword in hand , over the body of Amnon , exclaims , " Now , my sister thou art avenged . " Scene . / . —The wise woman of Tekoa in a black straw hat , with a wide brim , tcte-a-tetc with Joab , in a dark frock coat buttoned up to the chin , a cap with a red band , and two medals on his breast . He instructs her as to the disguise in which she is to speak

a parable to David . Scene 5 . —David in a red tunic , with white facings , shawl-pattern dressing-gown , and gilt paper crown , is sitting moodily at a table . Unseen voices sing to the tune of Happy Land ; the burden of their song is "David forgi \ e ; " but David soliloquises , "Absalom beware . " Enter the woman of Tekoa in widow ' s weeds . She , by a parable , pleads for the pardon of Absalom , Joab is summoned to whom David gives

permission to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem , but will not see his face . The ¦ whole dialogue in this scene was taken verbatim , from the Bible , and was so well recited that at the close of the widow ' s speech , we were conscious of an unusual moisture about the eyes ; but what followed was exceedingly ludicrous . To Absalom enters a servant , who narrates the burning of Joab s corn ; he has come in all haste after obeying his master in this

Business , and " expects Joab and his servants are after him . " Presently another servant announces the coming of Joab , who complains of wanton damage . Absalom appeases him , and gains his promise to endeavour to onng about a complete reconciliation with ihe king . Scene 7 exhibits the reconciliation ; it is little more than a tableau , the attitudes apparently aiuuiea

irom a picture of " The Prodigals return . " Scene S presents a grottique specimen , the only one of the scene-painter ' s art . Absalom , in !> n . i Plnk j Ct"C 0 Iobe and a black felt hat > is seated reading on a cane is of 3 ui' " beS ' de the w * y of the £ ' " The £ ' which is dosed ' 01 practicable height , apparently about 18 inches wide and located near me inner angle of two bright red brick walls . ( To be continued . )

Painters And Other Artists In The Reign Of James I.

PAINTERS AND OTHER ARTISTS IN THE REIGN OF JAMES I .

with an « ! - ' - ? H . away what he liked < and sent Rogers to Mrs . Oliver , " option of £ IOoo or an annuity of ^ 300 { or her life ; she chose the

Painters And Other Artists In The Reign Of James I.

' atter . Some years afterwards it happened that the King's mistresses , having begged all or most of these pictures , Mrs . Oliver , wno was probably a prude , and apt 10 fxpress herself like one , said on hearing it that , if she thought the King would have given them to such abandoned creatures , he never should have had them . This reached the Court ; the poor woman ' s salary was stopped , and she never received it afterwards . The rest of the

limnings which the King had not taken fell into the hands of Mrs . Russel s father . Peter Oliver died about the year 1664 , aged near 60 . as Vertue says ; but this must be a mistake , as his father's drawing at Kensington finished by his son is dated 1616 , when by that account Peter was not above 12 years old . From his age , and the story of his widow , it is more likely that he died before the Restoration . Probably the date should be 1654 .

He was buried with his father in the Blackfriars . As in none of these accounts mention is made of any children of P-ter Oliver , we may conclude that Isaac Oliver , glass painter , born in 1616 , was son of the younger brother , James . Among the verses printed by 'he University of Cambridge in 1638 , on the death of Mr . Edward King , Milton ' s Ly : idas , o < ie of the Entjlisi copies is inscribed Isaac Oliver , who is supp ised to be the glass

painter , and then abmtthe age of 22 , as appears from the fallowing inscription on a painted window in Christ Cmch 0 < tird , "I . Oliver ae : « suce 84 , anno 1700 , pennet deditque . " The inscription upoi this windiw is " I . Oliver , " which is not necessarily the initial of " Isaac , " nor is there any proof that the execution of his gift did not precede the year 1701 . Trie fi test specimen of his minute works , sun dials with flies , insects , and butterflies , is ( or

was ) at Northill , in Bedfordshire , in the parlour window of the rectory hoase , This was probably a present to the rector , as Oliver had been employed to make a window of exquisitely finished emblazoning for the chancel . Both are inscribed " John Oliver fecit 1664 . " 0 te of his best performances is a sundial , with the arms of Archbishop Sheldon , and a view of the Theatre , Oxford , now in Lambeth Palace . This John Oliver was born in 1616 . and

was probably the son of one of Isaac ' s younger sons , who were brought up as painters in miniature ( for he speaks of them in his will as artists ) , and one of them , at least , might have practised drawing , annealing , and staining upon glass . In the beginning of the reign of James I . small portraits , oval or round , and about five or six inches by seven or eight in diameter , were much in usage ; of which there still remain some curious

specimens in different colleges at Oxiord . Tnere is one much smaller of Queen Ehz « beth , which came out ol a parlour in Kent , in which were likewise many / Esopian figures of animals , placed singly in lozenges . Aubrey , describing Lord Bacon ' s villa at Verulam , says " tnat tne glass window's of the gallery were all painted , and every pane with figures of beast , bird , or flower ; perhaps his lordship might use them as topics for local memory . " The name of Oliver appears to have been connected with the arts from the

time of James I ., to whom John Oliver was master mason , buried in tho church of St . Faith , London . His descendant , of the same name , was one of the three Commissioners for regulating the plan of rebuilding London after the fire of 1666 . Aubrey says that he was the City Surveyor , and that he became possessed of a great part of the MS . designs and sketches of Inigo Jones . The subject of the window in Christ Church , of which we have before spoken , is St . Peter delivered out of prison ; the drawing and execution good , but the colouring in some parts faint . ( To be continued . )

The Dowdeswell Galleries.

THE DOWDESWELL GALLERIES .

160 , NEW BOND-STREET , W . We went last week to the above Galleries . There are now on view a series of water-colour drawings , '' Castles , Abbeys , and Minsters , " by Mr . and Mrs . Harry Hine . There is some careful artistic work by this talented pair . We would especially draw attention to the admirable manner in which the architectural details . ire given . We noticed with great sitisfactioi NJS . 2 , 3 , 7 , 11 , 12 , 14 , 20 , 22 , 24 ( charming ) , 27 , 28 , 46 , 53 , and 54 . Tne collection is well worth a visit .

Mr . Vignoles Fisher , at the same Gallery , has a small number of his works—they are generally of merit—we prefer Nos . 4 , 5 , 9 , 24 , 26 , 29 , and 41 .

Arthur Tooth And Sons' Galleries, 5 And 6, Haymarket, S.W.

ARTHUR TOOTH AND SONS' GALLERIES , 5 AND 6 , HAYMARKET , S . W .

There is a collection here of most important works , which deserve the attention of the public . We can only briefly mention tnem : f . S . Robins , No . 1 ; P . de Went , 4 ; David Cox , 6 , 14 , 15 , 18 ; Sutton Palmer , 23 , 42 j Mrs . Allingham , 24 , 46 ; Birket Foster , 30 , 33 . 34 , 37 ; A . Tamburne , 36 , 38 ; F . Pradilla , 51 ; G . G . Kelburne , 56 ; B . J . Blommers , 6 J , 61 j E . Van Marcke , 71 ; Sigismund Goetze , 74 ; T . Sidney Cooper , R . A .,

75 ! J . Gallegos , 76 ; B . W . Leader , R . A ., 77 , 88 ( very good ) , no . 118 ( tine ); J . Macwhirter , R . A ., 78 , 86 , 102 ; Les Hirmann , 81 ; Luice Fildes , R . A ., 91 ; Briton Riviere , R . A .,, 94 ; Rosa Bonheur , 99 j Lord Leighton , 103 ; Henry Woods , R . A ., 106 ; Peter Granam , R . A ., in ; Josef Israels , 116 ; J . L . E . Meiisonier , 120 ; Sir L . Alma-Tadema , R . A ., 122 . It is a noble collection of high class art .

Terry's Theatre.

TERRY'S THEATRE .

At the above theatre there is now being performed "The Lion Hunters , " an English version of Pailleron ' s famous comedy , " Le Monde ou l ' ou s ' ennuie . " The translators are Mr . J . T . Green and Miss Martha Leonard . They have been most felicitous in preserving the spirit of the original , its epigrammatic style is cleverly rendered , and the entertainments of an intellectual nature . The piece has been well cast , so that full justice

nas been done to it by its able interpreters . Mr . H . B . Irving is entrusted with Bellace—how much he resemoles his father , especially in the tone of his voice ! Mr . J . L . Mackay , Paul Raymond ; Mr . Leslie Keynon , R > ger de Ceran : the Duchesse de Reville , admirably conceived by one of our favourite actresses , Miss Susie Vaugnan ; Jeanne Raymond , Miss Helen

Macbeth ; Lucy Watson , the English girl , a would be " bas bleu , " Miss Ierne Fitzgerald ; and Suzanne de Villiers , the charming ingenue , delightfully played by Miss Nina Boucicault . With such artistes it can easily be imagined how effectively and completely the famed conservatory scene is interpreted . Let none fail to see this sparkling comedy .