A History of Theatrical Art. By Karl Mantzius. Authorised Translation
by Louise von Cosset. Vol. III., " The Shake- spearean Period in England." (Duckworth and Co. 10s. net.)— This clear and accurate account of the Elizabethan stage will prove of great value to all students of English drama. The author has based his researches upon a wide acquaintance with the literature of the period, and he has succeeded in throwing great light upon many points of interest and importance con- nected both with the theatres and the actors of the Shakespearian age. The intricate question of the rise of the London play- houses has been ably dealt with, the neglected distinction between the " public" and the " private" theatres has been well brought out, and the subject of the actors' fees and salaries has been treated with admirable precision. In the descriptive and appre- ciative parts of the volume the author has not been, equally successful, though his apparent lack of delicacy may perhaps be partly put down to the baldness of the translation. We cannot help feeling, hoWever, that the omission of a large number of passages of not very luminous criticism would have greatly improved an instructive and excellent book.
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