er, that a subject so extensive can be exhausted in so
short an essay. Old actors and dramatists, in the light of their own
experience, may even doubt whether a theme so abstruse and difficult
can be treated at all, save by one of lifelong experience, and may be
inclined to sneer at the presumption of any person who attempts to
write on methods of attaining dramatic success before having attained
it himself by a grandly popular drama. It seems to the present writer,
however, that the inquiry is open to all, and if conducted on the
inductive method, with plays of acknowledged popularity for a basis,
may result in the settlement of some points around which he, in common
with other hitherto unsuccessful dramatists, has been groping for
years.

In closing the first part of our inquiry, we remarked on the fact that
the interest of a successful play increases gradually from act to act,
and that it is usually concentrated on a few people. The next question
that presents itself in our treatment of the play as a whole is as to
the best method of attaining this increase of interest from act to act,
and how it is done in successful plays. The suggestion in rule X. seems
to be the one most generally used by old dramatists for this
purpose--that is, the employment of the partial climax as a means of
exciting suspense. It may be said to be one of the most difficult
points in dramatic construction to decide when to bring the curtain
down at the end of a play; and the fall of the drop at the end of each
act offers nearly equal difficulties. Is there any guide to a solution
of this question in the handling of well-known plays? If there is, let
us endeavor to find it.

The first thing to be remarked is that we cannot apply to Shakespeare
for the information. The experience of nearly three centuries in the
acting of Shakespeare's plays has resulted in making the acting
editions very different from the original plays in arrangement, in
the suppression of whole scenes and acts, the substitution of others,
the amalgamation of plays, the taking of all sorts of liberties with
the action. Only in one thing do they remain at all times faithful to
the original author, in the preservation, for the most part, of his
language. Familiar instances will occur in the "Merchant of Venice,"
where the play is now always closed with the trial scene; a few
sentences between Bassanio and Portia, clumsily tacked on, being
regarded as preferable to the origin