A Hundred Years Ago
THE " SPECTATOR," AUGUST 4TR, 1832.
DECAY OF THE DRAMA.—The best of all the cheap publications, Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, in a very sensible paper on the Decline of the Drama, professes astonishment that writers should be puzzled as to the cause. When the buckle trade declined, some years ago, "the cause," says Mr. Chambers, "was at once soon to be the ascendency of buttons." The idea is good. The drama is no longer so saleable a commodity, in consequence of there being now so many other channels of intellectual entertainment. The article supplied by the theatres may be procured elsewhere— at least one as good, and not very different from it. The attraction of the theatre, in its high and palmy state, doubtless consisted in part in the poetical passages, the flights of the imagination, the play of fancy, the wise thoughts for which the then drama was distinguished. Poetry now stops the way. "We cut out all that "—it interferes with the action. Poetry, thought, wisdom, tte., we can get elsewhere, but we cannot get " action " elsewhere ; and therefore we now look to the theatre for action, and action alone. It is the only ingredient not supplied in greater perfection from other sources. It is justly observed, in the paper we have referred to, that "the crown which at present purchases a night's entertainment at the theatre to one member of a family," would furnish, "for a whole month, the best literary productions of the day, from a circulating library ; or purchase a single volume, which not only gives rational entertainment and instruction for several nights, but remains a constant and ready instrument for repeating this entertainment and instruction, whenever it is required."
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