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

156 Sir Arthur Pinerothe audience of Cyril's neglect of her. She is interruptedby the entrance of her husband who overhears herreading a letter, uncomplimentary to himself, from herold schoolmistress; whereupon Mrs Cuthbert starts to herfeet, crumples up the letter, and says, 'Oh, Cyril! Ididn't mean you to hear it'—surely a lesson to wives notto read letters, when alone, at the top of their voices. Somuch for Byron's method of writing a play which hedeemed not unworthy of perusal. The piece, with itscomic, and communicative, servants, its lengthy soliloquiesand preposterous 'asides', was a success, if notquite equal to Cyril's; but it is to be noted that Byronnever again essayed a five-act comedy, nor challengedthe critics on the score of calling him a ' droll'. Comparedwith Byron's most successful plays, Cyril's Success wasflat and dull. Its composition evidently weighed uponthe author and restrained his high spirits—those highspirits which, after all, were his most valuable asset.Byron's most successful play was Our Boys. Our Boyswas produced at the Vaudeville Theatre in January, 1875,and ran until April, 1879—a period of four years andthree months. It must be remembered, of course, thatin the 'seventies the rents of theatres, the salaries ofactors and actresses, and a playwright's royalties wereconsiderably lower than they are to-day. The salary of aleading actor or actress in the 'seventies was seldom morethan £20 a week. Nowadays that salary is paid to asubordinate actor for speaking only twenty lines, while£100 a week will hardly keep a leading actor in golf clubs.As for the playwrights, £3 a performance was the usualfee in the 'seventies, as it had been in the 'sixties. Thatis the payment Robertson received for his comedies atthe Prince of Wales's, Albery at the Vaudeville for TwoRoses, and Byron for Our Boys at the same theatre. Sincethen, I understand, dramatists have become more exact-