Plain English. By John Hollingshead. (Ghetto and Windus.)— " Plain
" as Mr. Hollingshead's "English" undoubtedly is, yet we are not quite sure of his meaning. Does he mean to say, without any reserve, that the business of the manager of a theatre is to provide what the public, or a section of the public sufficiently large to fill his house, may demand ? If so, does he hold this to be true of the dramatist, of the artist, of the author ? Are none of them to take any count of taste or morals, except so far as the police may enforce them ? It is an undoubted fact that an indecent play will draw a full house, an indecent book or picture command a large sale. Is this demand to be supplied ? Of course, Mr. Hollingshead would say "No." But we see no way out of the conclusion. Surely there must be a restraint that is not merely external, but comes from a sense of duty on every man who has to supply a public demand ? We have been drawn aside from speaking of the literary merits of Mr. Hollingshead's volume. This is of the less consequence, as our creaders know that he wields a practised pen, and writes with un- failing rigour.
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