old　devil　of　the　mediaeval　drama；　who　　was　made　only　to　be　laughed　at　and　taken　lightly；　a　buffoon　and　a　　laughing…stock　indeed。　　And　while　he　could　unveil　villainy；　as　is　　the　case　pre…eminently　in　Huish　in　the　EBB…TIDE；　he　shrank　from　　inflicting　the　punishments　for　which　untutored　human　nature　looks；　　and　thus　he　lost　one　great　aid　to　crude　dramatic　effect。　　As　to　his　　poems；　they　are　intimately　personal　in　his　happiest　moments：　　he　　deals　with　separate　moods　and　sentiments；　and　scarcely　ever　touches　　those　of　a　type　alien　to　his　own。　　The　defect　of　his　child　poems　is　　distinctly　that　he　is　everywhere　strictly　recalling　and　reproducing　　his　own　quaint　and　wholly　exceptional　childhood；　and　children；　　ordinary；　normal；　healthy　children；　will　not　take　to　these　poems　　（though　grown…ups　largely　do　so）；　as　they　would　to；　say；　the　　LILLIPUT　LEVEE　of　my　old　friend；　W。　B。　Rands。　　Rands　showed　a　great　　deal　of　true　dramatic　play　there　within　his　own　very　narrow　limits；　　as；　at　all　events；　adults　must　conceive　them。
  Even　in　his　greatest　works；　in　THE　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE　and　WEIR　OF　　HERMISTON；　the　special　power　in　Stevenson　really　lies　in　subduing　　his　characters　at　the　most　critical　point　for　action；　to　make　them　　prove　or　sustain　his　thesis；　and　in　this　way　the　rare　effect　that　　he　might　have　secured　DRAMATICALLY　is　largely　lost　and　make…believe　　substituted；　as　in　the　Treasure　Search　in　the　end　of　THE　MASTER　OF　　BALLANTRAE。　　The　powerful　dramatic　effect　he　might　have　had　in　his　　DENOUEMENT　is　thus　completely　sacrificed。　　The　essence　of　the　drama　　for　the　stage　is　that　the　work　is　for　this　and　this　alone　…　　dialogue　and　everything　being　only　worked　rightly　when　it　bears　on；　　aids；　and　finally　secures　this　in　happy　completeness。
  In　a　word；　you　always；　in　view　of　true　dramatic　effect；　see　　Stevenson　himself　too　clearly　behind　his　characters。　　The　〃fine　　speeches〃　Mr　Pinero　referred　to　trace　to　the　intrusion　behind　the　　glass　of　a　part…quicksilvered　portion；　which　cunningly　shows；　when　　the　glass　is　moved　about；　Stevenson　himself　behind　the　character；　　as　we　have　said　already。　　For　long　he　shied　dealing　with　women；　as　　though　by　a　true　instinct。　　Unfortunately　for　him　his　image　was　as　　clear　behind　CATRIONA；　with　the　discerning；　as　anywhere　else；　and　　this；　alas！　too　far　undid　her　as　an　independent；　individual　　character；　though　traits　like　those　in　her　author　were　attractive。　　　The　constant　effort　to　relieve　the　sense　of　this　affords　him　the　　most　admirable　openings　for　the　display　of　his　exquisite　style；　of　　which　he　seldom　or　never　fails　to　make　the　very　most　in　this　　regard；　but　the　necessity　laid　upon　him　to　aim　at　securing　a　sense　　of　relief　by　this　is　precisely　the　same　as　led　him　to　write　the　　overfine　speeches　in　the　plays；　as　Mr　Pinero　found　and　pointed　out　　at　Edinburgh：　　both　defeat　the　true　end；　but　in　the　written　book　　mere　art　of　style　and　a　naivete　and　a　certain　sweetness　of　temper　　conceal　the　lack　of　nature　and　creative　spontaneity；　while　on　the　　stage　the　descriptions；　saving　reflections　and　fine　asides；　are　　ruthlessly　cut　away　under　sheer　stage　necessities；　or；　if　left；　but　　hinder　the　action；　and　art　of　this　kind　does　not　there　suffice　to　　conceal　the　lack　of　nature。
  More　clearly　to　bring　out　my　meaning　here　and　draw　aid　from　　comparative　illustration；　let　me　take　my　old　friend　of　many　years；　　Charles　Gibbon。　　Gibbon　was　poor；　very　poor；　in　intellectual　　subtlety　compared　with　Stevenson；　he　had　none　of　his　sweet；　quaint；　　original　fancy；　he　was　no　casuist；　he　was　utterly　void　of　power　in　　the　subdued　humorous　twinkle　or　genial　by…play　in　which　Stevenson　　excelled。　　But　he　has　more　of　dramatic　power；　pure　and　simple；　than　　Stevenson　had　…　his　novels　…　the　best　of　them　…　would　far　more　　easily　yield　themselves　to　the　ordinary　purposes　of　the　ordinary　　playwright。　　Along　with　conscientiousness；　perception；　penetration；　　with　the　dramatist　must　go　a　certain　indescribable　common…sense　　commonplaceness　…　if　I　may　name　it　so　…　protection　against　vagary　　and　that　over…refined　egotism　and　self…confession　which　is　inimical　　to　the　drama　and　in　which　the　Stevensonian　type　all　too　largely　　abounds　for　successful　dramatic　production。　　Mr　Henley　perhaps　put　　it　too　strongly　when　he　said　that　what　was　supremely　of　interest　to　　R。　L。　Stevenson　was　Stevenson　himself；　but　he　indicates　the　　tendency；　and　that　tendency　is　inimical　to　strong；　broad；　effective　　and　varied　dramatic　presentation。　　Water　cannot　rise　above　its　own　　level；　nor　can　minds　of　this　type　go　freely　out　of　themselves　in　a　　grandly　healthy；　unconscious；　and　unaffected　way；　and　this　is　the　　secret　of　the　dramatic　spirit；　if　it　be　not；　as　Shelley　said；　the　　secret　of　morals；　which　Stevenson；　when　he　passed　away；　was　but　on　　the　way　to　attain。　　As　we　shall　see；　he　had　risen　so　far　above　it；　　subdued　it；　triumphed　over　it；　that　we　really　cannot　guess　what　he　　might　have　attained　had　but　more　years　been　given　him。　　For　the　　last　attainment　of　the　loftiest　and　truest　genius　is　precisely　this　　…　to　gain　such　insight　of　the　real　that　all　else　becomes　　subsidiary。　　True　simplicity　and　the　abiding　relief　and　enduring　　power　of　true　art　with　all　classes　lies　here　and　not　elsewhere。　　　Cleverness；　refinement；　fancy；　and　invention；　even　sublety　of　　intellect；　are　practically　nowhere　in　this　sphere　without　this。
  CHAPTER　XIV　…　STEVENSON　AS　DRAMATIST
  IN　opposition　to　Mr　Pinero；　therefore；　I　assert　that　Stevenson's　　defect　in　spontaneous　dramatic　presentation　is　seen　clearly　in　his　　novels　as　well　as　in　his　plays　proper。
  In　writing　to　my　good　friend；　Mr　Thomas　M'Kie；　Advocate；　Edinburgh；　　telling　him　of　my　work　on　R。　L。　Stevenson　and　the　results；　I　thus　　gathered　up　in　little　the　broad　reflections　on　this　point；　and　I　　may　perhaps　be　excused　quoting　the　following　passages；　as　they　　reinforce　by　a　new　reference　or　illustration　or　two　what　has　just　　been　said：
  〃Considering　his　great　keenness　and　force　on　some　sides；　I　find　R。　　L。　Stevenson　markedly　deficient　in　grip　on　other　sides　…　common　　sides；　after　all；　of　human　nature。　　This　was　so　far　largely　due　to　　a　dreamy；　mystical；　so　far　perverted　and；　so　to　say；　often　even　　inverted　casuistical；　fatalistic　morality；　which　would　not　allow　　him　scope　in　what　Carlyle　would　have　called　a　healthy　hatred　of　　fools　and　scoundrels；　with　both　of　which　classes　…　vagabonds　in　　strictness　…　he　had　rather　too　much　of　a　sneaking　sympathy。　　Mr　　Pinero　was　wrong　…　totally　and　incomprehensibly　wrong　…　when　he　　told　the　good　folks　of　Edinburgh　at　the　Philosophical　Institution；　　and　afterwards　at　the　London　Birkbeck　Institution；　that　it　was　lack　　of　concentration　and　care　that　made　R。　L。　Stevenson　a　failure　as　a　　dramatist。　　No：　　it　was　here　and　not　elsewhere　that　the　failure　　lay。　　R。　L。　Stevenson　was　himself　an　unconscious　paradox　…　and　　sometimes　he　realised　it　…　his　great　weakness　from　this　point　of　　view　being　that　he　wished　to　show　strong　and　original　by　making　the　　villain　the　hero　of　the　piece　as　well。　　Now；　THAT；　if　it　may；　by　　clever　manipulation　and　dexterity；　be　made　to　do　in　a　novel；　most　　certainly　it　will　not　do　on　the　stage　…　more　especially　if　it　is　　done　consciously　and；　as　it　were；　of　MALICE　PREPENSE；　because；　for　　one　thing；　there　is　in　the　theatre　a　very　varied　yet　united　　audience　which　has　to　give　a　simultaneous　and　immediate　verdict　…　　an　audience　not　inclined　to　some　kinds　of　overwrought　subtleties　　and　casuistries；　however　clever　the　technique。　　If　THE　MASTER　OF　　BALLANTRAE　（which　has　some　highly　dramatic　scenes　and　situations；　　if　it　is　not　in　itself　substantially　a　drama）　were　to　be　put　on　the　　stage；　the　playwright；　if　wisely　determined　for　success；　would　　really　have　…　not　in　details；　but　in　essential　conception　…　to　kick　　R。　L。　Stevenson　in　his　most　personal　aim　out　of　it；　and　take　and　　present　a　more　definite　moral　view　of　the　two　villain…heroes　　（brothers；　too）；　improve　and　elevate　the　one　a　bit　if　he　lowered　　the　other；　and　not　wobble　in　sympathy　and　try　to　make　the　audience　　wobble　in　sympathy　also；　as　R。　L。　Stevenson　certainly　does。　　As　for　　BEAU　AUSTIN；　it　most　emphatically；　in　view　of　this；　should　be　re…　writ　…　re…writ　especially　towards　the　ending　…　and　the　scandalous　　Beau　tarred　and　feathered；　metaphorically　speaking；　instead　of　　walking　off　at　the　end　in　a　sneaking；　mincing　sort　of　way；　with　no　　more　than　a　little　momentary　twinge　of　discomfort　at　the　wreck　and　　ruin　he　has　wrought；　for　having　acted　as　a　selfish；　snivelling　　poltroon　and　coward；　though　in　fine　clothes　and　with　fine　ways　and　　fine　manners；　which　only；　from　our　point　of　view；　make　matters　　worse。　　It　is；　with　variations　I　admit；　much　the　same　all　through：　　　R。　L。　Stevenson　felt　it　and　confessed　it　about　the　EBB…TIDE；　and　　Huish；　the　cockney　hero　and　villain；　but　the　sense　of　healthy　　disgust；　even　at　the　vile　Huish；　is　not　emphasised　in　the　book　as　　it　would　have　demanded　to　be　for　the　stage　…　the　audience　would　not　　have　stood　it；　and　the　more　mixed　and　varied；　the　less　would　it　　have　stood　it　…　not　at　all；　and　his　relief　of　style　and　fine　or　　finished　speeches　would　not　THERE　in　the　least　have　told。　　This　is　　demanded　of　the　drama　…　that　at　once　it　satisfies　a　certain　crude　　something　subsisting　under　all　outward　glosses　and　ve