ng John in his habit as he lived;
here appeared the second and third Richards, King Henry, Queen
Katherine, and Wolsey; now was presented London, with its inhabitants
in the Middle Ages; now, the Venice of Shylock; and, anon, the
Bithynia of the days of King Leontes. The spectators applauded the
finery and the skill of the embellishments; and their favourable
verdict upon these counts carried with it, presumably, approval of the
players, and, perhaps, a measure of homage to Shakespeare.

The passion for extreme decoration, in relation both to scenery and
dresses, has not known abatement of late years, though it has sought
other subjects than those supplied by Shakespeare--most unwittingly;
for never could the poet have even dreamed of such a thing as "a
correct and superb" revival. But the question, as to the benefit done
to histrionic art by these representations, remains much where it
was. To revert to the shortcomings of the Elizabethan stage would be,
of course, impossible; the imaginations of the audience would now
steadily refuse to be taxed to meet the absence of scenery, the
incongruity of costumes, and the other deficiencies of the early
theatre. Some degree of accuracy our modern playgoers would demand, if
they disdained or disregarded minute correctness. Certainly, there
would be dissatisfaction if a player, assuming the part of King Henry
VIII., for instance, neglected to present some resemblance to the
familiar portraits of the king by Holbein. Yet the same audience would
be wholly undisturbed by anachronisms touching the introduction of
silken stockings, or velvet robes, the pattern of plate armour, or the
fashion of weapons. After all, what is chiefly needed to preserve
theatrical illusion is a certain harmony of arrangement, which shall
be so undemonstratively complete as to escape consideration; no false
notes must be struck to divert attention from the designs of the
dramatist and from his interpreters, the players; and to these the
help derived from scenery and dresses should always be subordinated.
Yet, when has the theatre been thus ordered, or have audiences been so
disciplined? Beaumont, probably, had good reason for writing to
Fletcher, concerning a performance of his "Faithful Shepherdess"--

Nor want they those who as the boy doth dance
Between the acts, will censure the whole play;
Some like if the wax lights be new that day;
But multitudes there are whose judgment goes