ust have
come to Huanebango and Corebus when they suddenly became conscious of
their respective wives' most prominent qualities. Into the midst of the
rejoicing comes a demand from Jack's ghost for the fulfilment of
Eumenides' compact that he should have half of whatever was won.
Resolute to keep faith, Eumenides prepares to cut his lady in twain,
when the ghost, satisfied with his honesty, restrains his arm. Thus the
play ends happily.

We have given the story in full on account of its association, in the
minds of some critics, with the plot of _Comus_. Because Milton, in
another work, has shown himself acquainted with Peele's writings, they
feel encouraged to see in the Ghost of Jack, Sacrapant, and Delia the
prototypes of the Attendant Spirit, Comus, and the Lady. One may
suppose that the same foundation of resemblance establishes Peele as
also the inspirer of the first book of _The Faerie Queene_ through his
_Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes_, with its knight and lady and dragon and
magician, Sansfoy. Professor Mason, on the other hand, prefers to regard
as mere coincidences those points which are common to both. By the
outline given, the reader who has not Peele's comedy at hand will be
assisted in making his own choice between the two opinions.

_David and Bethsabe_ presents the two stories of David's love for
Bathsheba and of the revolt of Absalom, as found in the Second Book of
Samuel (Chapters xi-xix). The succession of events is carefully
observed, each least pleasant detail jealously retained, and in some
places even the language closely imitated. Except in the old Bible
plays, one does not often meet with such rigorous adherence to the
original in the transference of facts from a narrative to a drama. To
this adherence are due certain features which any one not fresh from
reading the account in Samuel might easily attribute to the dramatist's
skill--the differentiation of the characters, the varying moods of joy,
sorrow, indignation, hope and despair, besides the unusual vigour of
some of the scenes. Dramatic art, however, is frequently as severely
tested in an author's selection of a subject as in his invention of one.
From this test Peele's talent would have emerged triumphantly had he
only possessed the ability to construct a plot; for there is an
abundance of the right dramatic material in his subject, and in his best
moments he displays wonderful mastery in the moulding of hard facts to
his use. Nothing c