EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION.

THIS Play was produced at Drury Lane Theatre on the 4th November, 1839, when that establishment was under the control of Madame Vestris. The intrinsic merits of the play, combined with the admirable acting of Mrs. Kean, then Ellen Tree, and the other leading performers, secured for it a continuous run of two months, and in the preface to the original edition, the author states, that he never received so high a price for a Drama before. "Love" has been equally popular in this country, principally through the inimitable personation of the heroine by Mrs. Shaw, this lady having actually identified herself with the strongly drawn character of the Countess.

Sheridan Knowles is one of the most prolific and successful dramatists of the present age, and notwithstanding his affectation, his palpable imitations of the style of the elder dramatists, his conceits, his metaphors, and his violations of historical and classical propriety, his plays continue to be among the most popular of our modern dramatic productions. We attribute a great portion of Mr. Knowles's success, to the skill he evinces in the construction of his plots, and the dramatic knowledge he possesses in arranging his incidents, by which a constant succession of stage effect is produced, rivetting the attention of the audience, and creating an uninterrupted interest in the developement of his plots, from the rising to the falling of the curtain. Mr. Knowles is also skilful in his delineation of character, and in the por traiture of the passions, and he can clothe his thoughts in language so strong, that admiration is frequently compelled, and sympathy elicited, even when the good taste of the reader or spectator is outraged at the mannerisms and affectations with which that language is overcharged. The play of "LOVE" we consider to be one of the most favourable specimens of Knowles's dramatic muse. It is a drama of passion; character being only so far developed, as is requisite for the display of the passion. The action is simple and not diffuse, all tending to the main purpose, which is to exhibit the influence of love on the human heart as seen in the principal persons of the drama. The struggle between love and pride in the Countess, and the combat between love and duty in Huon, are finely contrasted, and vigorously embodied. The double plot of the loves of Catherine and Sir Rupert

blends the lively and pathetic in a happy style, although the joke of Catherine, which so amusingly concludes the play, may be considered as partaking too strongly of the characteristic of a comedy ending. An objection might also be taken to the weakening of the interest that occurs in the two last acts: they drag slowly in the representation, and weary the patience of an audience. The dialogue is at times expanded, where compression would have added to its vigor. The acted copy we present to our readers has been skilfully pruned by the players to adapt it for representation, but curtailment is at best but a dangerous substitute for condensation. The language is, however, terse and rich, abounding in just thoughts, well expressed and aptly introduced. The speeches have generally a distinct purpose, they are not mere rhetorical flourishes embellished with the flowers of poetry, nor are they mere showy declamations. They breathe at times the true language of nature, speaking in a voice that finds a response in every breast. The following description of the varied

moods of love, is exceedingly rich in imagery, and withal truthful:

"I said it was a wilful, wayward thing,

And so it is-fantastic and perverse!

Which makes its sport of persons and of seasons,

Takes its own way, no matter right or wrong.

It is the bee that finds the honey out,

Where least you'd dream 'twould seek the nectarous store.

And 'tis an arrant masquer-this same love

That most outlandish, freakish faces wears,

To hide its own! Looks a proud Spaniard now

Now a grave Turk: hot Ethiopian next;

And then phlegmatic Englishman; and then

Gay Frenchman; bye-and-bye, Italian, at

All things a song; and in another skip,

Gruff Dutchman;-still is love behind the masque '
It is a hypocrite! looks every way

But that where lie its thoughts!-will openly

Frown at a thing it smiles in secret on:

Shows most like hate, e'en when it most is love;

Would fain convince you it is very rock
When it is water; ice when it is fire!

Is oft its own dupe, like a thorough cheat;
Persuades itself 'tis not the thing it is;
Holds up its head, purses its brows, and looks
Askant, with scornful lip, hugging itself
That it is high disdain -till suddenly

It falls on its knees, making most piteous suit
With hail of tears, and hurricane of sighs,
Calling on heaven and earth for witnesses
That it is love, true love, nothing but love I"

True dignity is happily depicted in the following passage. It smacks of the nervousness of the elder dramatists.

Riches impoverish, that divide respect!
Oh, to be cherished for oneself alone?
To owe the love that cleaves to us to naught
Which fortune's summer-winter-gives or takes!
To know that while we wear the heart and mind,
Feature and form, high Heaven endowed us with,
Let the storm pelt us, or fair weather war:n,

We shall be loved! Kings, from their thrones cast down,
Have blessed their fate, that they were valued for
Themselves, and not their stations, when some knee,
That hardly bowed to them in plenitude,

Has kissed the dust before them, stripped of all!"

As a whole, we would award to this play, the claim of a passionate earnestness in the dialogue, and a directness of purpose, not paralleled in any other production of the author's. We have noticed the popularity this play attained on its first production. The acting of Miss Ellen Tree, in the Countess, was highly lauded by the critics; exceptions were, however, taken to the predominance she gave to the lofty indifference the poet has thrown around the character of the Countess: we consider this point in the author's creation to be exceptionable;a passionate woman, such as the Countess is represented to be, would not have been able to reply to Huon's simple, affecting appeals, with haughty indifference; the love-sick girl would have appeared behind. We think the same error is palpable in Mrs. Shaw's other. wise perfect embodiment of the part; and, although the author may be chargeable for the defect, yet we hold it would be truer to nature did the representatives of the part subdue the hauteur and indifference of the Countess, and heighten the passionate devotion of the woman, in passages where the poet has failed in making the character a true transcript of nature.

H.

DUKE.-Blue shirt with hanging sleeves, trimmed with fur and silver, cap trimmed with fur and silver, rich belt.

PRINCE FREDERICK.-Pink shirt with hanging sleeves, cap trimmed with silver ULRICK.-Green velvet shirt with hanging sleeves, trimmed with fur and silver, red robe, trimmed with gold, black fur cap, rich belt.

SIR RUPERT.-Black shirt, with hanging sleeves, trimmed with silver, and cap. SIR OTTO.-Red flannel shirt with hanging sleeves, trimmed with gold.

SIR CONRAD.-Green flannel shirt with hanging sleeves, trimmed with gold, and сар.

HUON-His own dress.

NICHOLAS.--Plain shirt.

STEPHEN.-Fawn-coloured shirt with hanging sleeves.

HERALD.-Blue shirt, trimmed with black, herald's coat.

FALCONERS.-Green shirts and hats.

KNIGHTS. Full armour.

LORDS.-Shirts with hanging sleeves.

SOLDIERS.-Blue shapes.

EMPRESS.-Scarlet velvet, trimmed with ermine.

COUNTESS.-First dress: Purple velvet.-Second dress: White muslin. CATHERINE.-First dress: White satin.-Second dress: Red cloak and helmet, with visor.

CHRISTINA.-White satin.

BERTHA--Ditto.

EXITS AND ENTRANCES.

R. means Right; L. Left: R. D. Right Door; L. D. Left Door; S. E. Second Entrance; U. E. Upper Entrance; M. D. Middle Door.

RELATIVE POSITIONS.

R., means Right; L., Left; C., Centre; R. C., Right of Centre; L. C., Left of Centre.

LOVE.

ACT I.

SCENE I.—A Room in Catherine's House.
Enter NICHOLAS and CHIstina, r.

Chris. As thou lovest thine ease, Nicholas, restrai curiosity. It is a steed that runs away with a man, without his knowing it, until it has thrown him. The danger is never found out until the mischief is done. Besides, it is a woman's palfrey, which it befits not a man to ride. What signifies it to thee who comes into the house, whatsoever be the hour, so it is I that let him in ?

Nich. Doubtless, Mistress Christina; yet a knock at the door, at two o'clock in the morning-and the door opening at that hour, to let a man into the house-and that man a gay young spark-may make a body wonder, though he have no more than the ordinary stock of curiosity.

Chris. Propriety, Nicholas, belongs to no one hour of the twenty-four, more than to any other hour. It was fit that the young spark should come into the house, or I should not have let him in. And now mark what I say to you: Play not the house-dog any more. Do you mind? Let not your watchfulness interfere with your sleep, else, besides your sleep, it may peril your bed and board; but if thou hearest a knock when thou liest on the weary side of thee, and wakest, draw thy night-cap over thine ears, and turn on the other side; and so to sleep again-yea, though it be four o'clock in the morning, good Nicholas ! Nich. I shall mind.

Chris. Do so, and thou shalt be wise. Duty, that becomes a busy-body, ever turns itself at last out of doors. Hast thou a good place, friend Nicholas ?