R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

The Theatre in the 'Seventies 149Theatre till September in the following year, when it wasdisplaced by Apple Blossoms, a delightful but weakerpiece. These two plays were Albery's outstanding successes.In his other original plays there was the sparkling,promising first act; and then came the slackening of gripand the signs of infirmity of purpose. Yet there was noneof them that did not reveal a keen insight into life, andoften a vein of genuine poetry. The late William Archer,that fine critic and honest man—held Albery as a dramatistin high esteem. In an obituary notice, Archer wrote:' If Mr Albery had fulfilled the promise of the Two Rosesand the little group of comedies that followed close uponit, how deep would have been our mourning to-day!...Beside Albery at his best, T. W. Robertson at his best isas appollinaris to champagne, and H. J. Byron—well,shall we say lemonade?' Yes, dear Archer, but Robertsonwas a pioneer, Albery a disciple—in every sense of theword, a follower. Archer proceeds:I may possibly overestimate Albery's powers; for our detestablehabit of leaving the drama to moulder in dog-eared prompt-booksrenders it impossible for me to check my somewhat remote impressions.All I know is that some scenes in Two Roses andespecially in Forgiven, have caused me as vivid pleasure asanything I ever saw in a theatre. It is a mistake to suppose thatAlbery's best work is in Two Roses. That may be his best playas a whole (his least bad play would be a more correct form ofexpression), but I am much mistaken if several passages in Forgivendo not show to much greater perfection his wealth ofimaginative wit. His fancy, indeed, was too luxuriant to be keptwithin bounds by his rather deficient sense of dramatic propriety.But he could certainly have cultivated that sense, as well as theother faculties of the serious dramatist, had he so chosen. To aman with his eye for character and his delightful gift of dialoguenothing should have been impossible, had he only taken the troubleto master his craft.Archer continues: 'My one personal recollection ofAlbery is seeing him standing white with rage, before the