The season of Irish plays now proceeding at the Court
Theatre gives an opportunity for mentioning a few recently published volumes connected with the Irish drama. T. M. Synge: a Critical Study, by P. P. Howe (Martin Seeker, 7s. 6d. net), is a well-written and perspicacious estimate of Synge's writings. It is not intended to bo biographical—the official biography is expected before long —but it contains a brief sketch of the dramatist's life before pro- ceeding to a detailed examination of his plays and essays. One cannot help feeling as one turns these pages how great a debt we owe to the "Irish National Theatre," and above all to Mr. Yeats, for rescuing Synge from Paris, and so enabling him to enrich English literature with these plays. It is especially desirable to remember this debt, since the very fact that the Abbey Theatre produced Synge so early in its career seems to have reacted rather unfavourably upon its later development. There is nothing in Synge's writings which can be considered "national " : he is simply a great dramatist who uses the Irish peasant's language as his literary medium. But his own triumphant power over it only serves to emphasize the weakness of his persevering fellow- workers.—We may remind our readers of the new "library edition" of his works, some volumes of which we have previously noticed, and of which we now have before us Two Plays, by J. M. Synge (Manuel and Co. 5s. net). This contains the " Playboy" and "Deirdre—We have also received a revised edition of The Land of Heart's Desire, by W. B. Yeats (same publishers, Is. net), Judgment, by Joseph Campbell (same publishers, Is. net), and Patriots, by Lennox Robinson (same publishers, le. net). The last of these was deservedly well received on its production in London last week.—Irish Folk-History Plays, by Lady Gregory, 2 vols. (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 10s. not) may be noticed at the same time. The first volume contains three tragedies and the second throe " tragic comedies."
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