thoughts are wanting in depth and breadth; the several parts are not smoothly rounded off nor are they harmoniously connected. Much that ought to have been further developed is only hinted at, and the end, especially, is introduced so arbitrarily, and so hurriedly brought to a close that some English critics have conjectured that the piece was never actually finished. Excellent, indeed, is the manner in which the poet has contrived to make use of the materials indispensable to comic poetry-accident, caprice and error, inconsistency, weakness, folly and perversity; intrigue does predominate, it is true, but is borne along and supported by the fantastic elements of external and internal contingency. But the humor, which in Shakspeare's later comedies pervades the whole, and gives them their comic significance, is wanting; the poet is still too much absorbed in directing the course of the action, and in the delineation of the characters; we cannot help noticing the trouble which it has cost him to find the end and aim of his drama; in short, he is still too much engrossed with his actual work, and this checks the flight of his thought, and the free play of his imagination.-ULRICI, Shakspeare's Dramatic Art.

Turning now from the thought of the play to its form, we are struck with what Shakespeare himself has described as "the even road of a blank verse"; we have such verse at intervals in others of the early plays, for instance, in A Midsummer Night's Dream: but in this play alone is it consistently maintained from start to finish; it is the blank verse which is "end stopt," in which the accents fall evenly, and the syllables are definite in number. Of course it is occasionally varied by couplets, and by quatrains and other forms of verse for which Shakespeare may have found a precedent in the play of The Two Italian Gentlemen mentioned in the former section.-LUCE, Handbook to Shakespeare's Works.

THE TWO GENTLEMEN

OF VERONA

SCENE, Verona; Milan; the frontiers of Mantua

"Dramatis Persona." "The names of all the actors" are given at the end of the play in the Folios; the form "Protheus” is invariably used for "Proteus," "Athonio" for "Antonio,” and “Panthion" for "Panthino."-I. G.

SYNOPSIS

By J. ELLIS BURDICK

ACT I

Proteus and Valentine are two young gentlemen of Verona and they are also intimate friends. Proteus is in love with a Veronese lady named Julia and for that reason refuses to accompany his friend to the court of Milan. But Antonio, the father of Proteus, desiring his son to know something of the world, sends him to join Valentine at Milan.

ACT II

Valentine meets and loves Silvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan. Silvia favors him but the Duke has chosen Thurio for his daughter's husband. The young people plan to elope. Just then Proteus arrives and Valentine introduces him to Silvia. Proteus promises to aid Valentine in his suit, but inwardly, having forgotten his vows to Julia, he determines to supplant Valentine in Silvia's regard and to win her for himself. Julia, receiving no word from Proteus, disguises herself and her maid in male attire and goes to Milan in search of him.

ACT III

The Duke is informed by Proteus of the lovers' intended flight and banishes Valentine from his dukedom. Thurio makes no headway in his suit with Silvia and he also asks aid of Proteus.

ACT IV

Valentine on his way home from Milan falls in with a band of outlaws as he passes through a forest on the fron

tiers of Mantua. These outlaws are pleased with the personality of Valentine and make him their captain. Julia arrives in Milan and with the assistance of a friendly innkeeper obtains service with Proteus as a page. He, in ignorance of her identity, employs her to take messages to Silvia, even sending her with the ring she herself had given him when they plighted their troth.

ACT V

By the aid of an old gentleman named Eglamour, Silvia escapes from her father's palace in an endeavor to join Valentine. As she enters the forest she is seized by an outlaw who attempts to take her to his captain. She is rescued by Proteus, attended by Julia. Proteus takes advantage of the situation to plead his love to Silvia, but is interrupted by the entrance of Valentine. Proteus, full of remorse for his conduct, craves pardon of Valentine. This is granted. Then the identity of Julia is discovered and she forgives Proteus for his faithlessness. At this point the Duke of Milan, who in his search for Silvia has been captured by other outlaws of the same band, is brought before Valentine. Valentine releases the Duke, who pardons him and all his band and consents to Silvia's marriage with Valentine.