1 JANUARY 1921, Page 34

Four _Mystery Plays. By R. Steiner. (Putnam. 2 vols. 1534—It

is difficult to get any clear idea of these four theo- sophical dramas of the soul through reading them in translation, for it states in the preface that they were written• strictly for acting purposes, much of them being composed at the actual rehearsals. Mr. Steiner has his theatre in Switzerland, and his effects must be interesting and worth a visit, but from the point of view of artistic achievement they cannot compare with Viler de L'Isle Adam's great mystical work Axel, which they resemble.