The Project Gutenberg EBook of Possession, by Laurence Housman

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Title: Possession
A Peep-Show in Paradise

Author: Laurence Housman

Release Date: March 1, 2009 [EBook #28232]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Possession

_Uniform with this Volume_

Angels & Ministers: Three Plays
of Victorian Shade & Character
by Laurence Housman

Possession

A Peep-Show in Paradise

by Laurence Housman

Jonathan Cape

Eleven Gower Street, London

_First published in a limited edition of 500 numbered copies only for
sale Oct. 1921. Popular Edition, Jan. 1922_

_All rights reserved_

Introduction

THIS play--originally intended to form part of _Angels and
Ministers_--was separated on an after-thought as a concession to those
who do not like to have their politics and their religion mixed. And, as
the Victorian age was eminently successful in keeping the two apart, it
is 'in keeping,' in another sense, with the Victorianism of the religion
here portrayed that it should make its appearance under a separate cover.

As some of my critics seem anxious to trace the inspiration of these
Victorian plays to an outside source, and are divided, as regards the
historical section, between the _Abraham Lincoln_ of Mr. John Drinkwater
and the _Queen Victoria_ of Mr. Lytton Strachey, may I assure them that
my historical method of treating Kings and Queens 'intimately' was
derived from my own play _Pains and Penalties_, published in 1911, and
that my anthropomorphic theology is based upon the first book I ever
wrote, _Gods and their Makers_, published in 1897. I do not think that
_Possession_ owes anything either to _Cranford_ or the writings of Mrs.
Humphry Ward.

Dramatis Personae

JULIA ROBINSON }
LAURA JAMES }--- _Sisters_
MARTHA ROBINSON }
SUSAN ROBINSON _Their Mother_
THOMAS ROBINSON _Their Father_
WILLIAM JAMES _Husband to Laura James_
HANNAH _The family servant_

Possession

SCENE.--_The Everlasting Habitations_

_