Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 23.pdf/47

 The Law on the Stage forfeiture of his entire estate, both real and personal, and reduces him to

beggary.

A most eﬂective dénouement,

but it isn't justice and it isn't law. The excellent young woman whom we all ad mire for her well phrased ideas on 'mercy‘ wouldn’t be a safe person to preside over a night police court. She isn't ‘fossilized,’

is almost four Writing of wrights treat what we are

however, though she

27

“Waiter. Not at all, sir, a very natural mistake I am sure, sir. I’ve often wished he was a potman, sir. Had to

support him until he was thirty-seven; but doing well now, sir. “Lawyer. Modern democracy! “Waiter.

No,

sir,

only education, sir; Cambridge

local,

sir;

not

democracy;

scholarships, sir; Sidney

Sussex

hundred years old!” the way modern play the law, this writer asks to expect from them if

College, sir; very good thing for him, sir; he never had any turn for real work, sir!” A far better representation of the Shakspere thus felt at liberty to twist law on the stage, in this author's law and procedure to produce the opinion, is found in Alexandre Bisson’s desired dramatic effect. Taking up the “Madame X," which is “a very well case of Mr. George Bernard Shaw, he. constructed melodrama, in which the dénouement is a trial scene that does not remarks:— "One cannot help wondering whether shock one’s legal sense of the eternal .lr. Bernard Shaw had not just been ﬁtness of things, partly, perhaps, be served with legal process of some sort cause the setting is French. . . . at the instance of an unfeeling and un “In the English adaptation of poetic solicitor when he penned that ‘Madame X,’ Mr. Raphael, the trans amusing farce, ‘You Never Can Tell,’ lator, has been careful to preserve the which has been acted in this country French ﬂavor of the court scene. The recently. For the sake of the legal three judges and the public prosecutor profession let us devoutly hope that wear attorney, bright who redisuniforms, about to defend and thehis young own ’ the dramatist never gets into trouble with his tailor or other grasping trades mother, a black robe and cassock. There is something ridiculous about the wigs man. “As a. fair illustration of the way the of the English barristers and judges. ‘stage lawyer‘ is maligned and made They seldom ﬁt well and are made of ridiculous, I will quote brieﬂy from a horse hair. In American tribunals scene in ‘You Never Can Tell.’ attorneys have been known to address the court with their overcoats on. "A young lady is dining with an attor ney at a summer hotel, and the following When it comes to law on dress parade the conversation with their waiter ensues :— French have the best of us.” "Young Lady. Is your son a waiter But the truth of the matter, we are

too, William? “Waiter (serving fowl). Oh, no, Miss, he's too irnpetuous; he's at the bar. "Lang/er (patronizingly). A potman, eh? "Waiter. No, sir, the other bar; your

trofession, siﬂfa Q-C-v Sir ‘ “Wye, (embarrassed). I am sure I beg your pardon.

told, is that “the sober business of the

legal profession does not lend itself readily or naturally to dramatic situa tion. . . . “At ﬁrst blush it is difficult to under stand why this should be so. Every law suit would seem to lend itself to the requirements of dramatic construction. passing by well-deﬁned gradations from