In fancy nestle closely against his throbbing heart,
And throw my arms around him, no more--no more to part.
Hush! hush! his spirit's pinions are rustling in my ears:
He comes upon the tempest to calm my jealous fears;
He comes upon the tempest in answer to my call.
Wife--fame--and even honor--for me he leaves them all;
And royally I'll welcome my lover to my side.
I have won him--I have won him from Caesar and his bride.

MARY BAYARD CLARKE.

THE DRAMATIC CANONS.

II.

In our late inquiry[2] into the secrets of dramatic success, our
researches were principally directed toward the ascertainment of such
general and technical rules as might recommend themselves for the
treatment of all dramas, whatever the nature of their subject, tragic,
comic, or melodramatic. The limits of space unavoidable in a magazine
article prevented anything more than a fragmentary treatment of that
part of the subject, indicating the general line of argument that
seemed to be the soundest in the light of the present day, and
presenting for consideration twelve technical rules, more or less
general, which we shall here summarize for the sake of convenience, to
make clear what follows:

[2] "The Galaxy" for March, 1877.

I. The subject of a play should be capable of full treatment in fifteen
scenes at most.

II. It should be acted without the aid of narrative.

III. It should have a connected plot, one event depending on the other.

IV. The interest should hinge on a single action or episode.

V. Furniture and set-pieces should be kept out of front scenes if
possible.

VI. The best dialogue should be put in front scenes.

VII. They should end in suspense to be relieved by the full scenes.

VIII. Fine points should be avoided in opening a play.

IX. Act I. should open with a quiet picture, to be disturbed by the bad
element, the other characters successively coming in, the excitement
increasing.

X. Act I. should end in a partial climax of suspense.

XI. Each act should lead to the other, the interest increasing.

XII. The interest should be concentrated on few characters.

The reasons for some of these arbitrary rules will appear plain to even
a cursory observer. The others will recommend themselves, I think,
after an examination of the models cited in the article itself, to
which the reader is referred. It must not be supposed, however, even by
the lay read