A Great Dramatist

New Zealand Tablet, 27 March 1913, Page 59

A Great Dramatist

One of the most eminent dramatic authors that the last century produced was the Irishman, James Sheridan Knowles, who was born 128 years ago. Several of his plays and tragedies are still as universally popular as they were at the first . presentation, and hold the place of honor-with the best productions of his' contemporary, Bulwer Lytton, of England, or the more recent Sardou of France. '.": % -fIt was in his play, ! Virginius,' that Macready won his greatest laurels in Drury Lane Theatre. James Knowles, the father of the dramatist, was a teacher of elocution, and was also the author of Knowles' Propouncing Dictionary, which is quoted as a standard authority by all current dictionaries. The family moved to London from Cork while the dramatist was a young boy. At the age of twelve years he had written a play for an amateur dramatic performance, which had considerable merit, and at 22 years he had made his debut as an actor. After the; age of thirty his . productions attracted wide attention, and many of them were pronounced successes. Knowles won his fame as dramatist rather, than as the actor, but retired from the stage only when he had passed his sixtieth year. In his later years he was pensioned by the Government, and lived in retirement on the income. He finally passed away in his seventyninth year, at Torquay, England, on the Ist of December, 1862. He taught school in Belfast for many years when a young man.