tion of the
many manuscripts of plays, &c., which were found in his possession,
and which should certainly have been preserved among the archives of
the Chamberlain's office. Colman, however, proved a very tyrant--a
consummate Jack-in-office. As a gentleman of rather unbridled habits
of life, and the author of "Broad Grins" and other works certainly
paying small heed to the respectabilities, it had been hoped that he
would deal leniently with his brother playwrights. But he carried to
fanatic extravagance his devotion to the purity of the stage. Warned
by earlier example, few dramas which could possibly be considered of a
political complexion were now submitted for examination. Still the
diction of the stage demanded a measure of liberty. But Mr. Colman
would not allow a lover to describe his mistress as "an angel." He
avowed that "an angel was a character in Scripture, and not to be
profaned on the stage by being applied to a woman!" The exclamation,
"Oh, Providence!" was not permitted. The words "heaven" and "hell" he
uniformly expunged. "Oh, lud!" and "Oh, la!" were condemned for
irreverence. Oaths and all violent expletives were strictly
prohibited.

Now it was rather an imprecatory age. Men swore in those days, not
meaning much harm, or particularly conscious of what they were doing,
but as a matter of bad habit, in pursuance of a custom certainly
odious enough, but which they had not originated, and could hardly be
expected immediately to overcome. In this way malediction formed part
of the manners of the time. How could these be depicted upon the stage
in the face of Mr. Colman's new ordinance? There was great
consternation among actors and authors. Plays came back from the
Examiner's office so slashed with red ink that they seemed to be
bleeding from numerous wounds; line after line had been prohibited;
and by Colman of all people! Critics amused themselves by searching
through his own dramatic writings, and cataloguing the bad language
they contained. The list was very formidable. There were comminations
and anathemas in almost every scene. The matter was pointed out to
him, but he treated it with indifference. He was a writer of plays
then; but now he was Examiner of Plays. His point of view was changed,
that was all. It was no fault of his if there had been neglect of duty
on the part of previous examiners. Mr. Arnold, the proprietor and
manager of the Lyceum Theatre, expostulated with him on the subject.
I