such jolly and robust
comedies as her _Seven Irish Plays_ and _New Irish Comedies_ is
clearly discernible. They are in the tradition of the best early
English comedy, from the miracle plays onward; of Hans Sachs's
_Shrovetide Plays_, and of Moliere's dramatizations of medieaval
_fabliaux_, as in _The Physician in Spite of Himself_. Lady
Gregory describes in her notes on _Spreading the News_ how the
play grew out of an idea of picturing tragic consequences from
idle rumor and defamation of character. It is certainly not to be
regretted that she allowed "laughter to have its way with the
little play," and gave Bartley Fallon a share of glory from the
woeful day to illuminate dull, older years.

The inhabitants of this same village of Cloon appear as old
friends in other of Lady Gregory's plays, with, as usual, nothing
to do but mind one another's business. In _The Jackdaw_ another
absurd rumor is fanned into full blaze by greed; upon _Hyacinth
Halvey_ works the potent and embarrassing influence of too good a
reputation. Still other plays attain a notable height of
beauty--notably _The Rising of the Moon_ and _The Traveling Man_.
_The Gaol Gate_ tells a story similar to that of _Campbell of
Kilmhor_, with genuinely tragic effect. She has written, besides,
two volumes of Irish folk-history, _Gods and Fighting Men_ and
_Cuchulain of Muirthemne_, which Mr. Yeats calls masterpieces of
prose which one "can weigh with Malory and feel no discontent at
the tally."[1] A writer who has produced such range and beauty of
works, from very human, characteristic comedy and farce to fine,
poignant tragedy, besides writing excellent stories and
contributing largely to an important experimental theatre, is
secure of her share of fame.

The "Removable Magistrate" is apparently one appointed by British
officialdom; this one, having just come from the Bay of Bengal,
is going to fit upon the natives of Cloon methods which may have
worked in a rather different district.

The song "with a skin on it," which Bartley sings, is given in
Lady Gregory's _Seven Short Plays_ (Putnam, 1909).

[Footnote 1: Appendix to _The Poetical Works of William B.
Yeats_, volume II, (Macmillan, 1912).]

_Winthrop Parkhurst_: THE BEGGAR AND THE KING

_The Beggar and the King_ looks at first like a pleasant
absurdity; it is in reality valuable as a short history of the
ostrich method of dealing with realities. The beggar, of course,
continues to cry aloud a