And the question of morality in relation to the drama is confessedly very difficult to deal with.

"It must be something almost of a scandalous character to warrant interference," says Mr.Donne.

"If you sift the matter to the very dross, two-thirds of the plays of any period in the history of the stage must be condemned.

Where there is an obvious intention, or a very strong suspicion of an intention to make wrong appear right or right appear wrong, those are the cases in which I interfere, or those in which there is any open scandal, or any inducement to do wrong is offered; but stage morality is--the morality of the stage, and generally, quite as good as the morality of the literature of fiction." This does not define the Examiner's principle of action very clearly.

As instances of his procedure, it may be stated that upon religious grounds he has forbidden such operas as the "Nabuco" of Verdi and the "Mose in Egitto" of Rossini, allowing them to be presented, however, when their names were changed to "Nino" and "Zora" or "Pietro l'Eremita" respectively.