In the revolution of July Dumas acted bravely, and has himself told the

story of his conduct with not a little boasting
In the revolution of July Dumas acted bravely, and has himself told the
story of his conduct with not a little boasting. He brought out the
drama of _Napoleon Bonaparte_, and that of _Charles VII._, after Louis
Phillippe was upon the throne. These dramas he had the fame of writing,
but other persons wrote largely in them. He adopted the plan of
employing good writers upon the different parts of a drama, and while
himself superintending the whole and writing prominent parts, yet
entrusting to his assistants a great portion of the composition. It was
his genius which arranged the plot and guided the selection of
characters, but the glory should have often been divided with his
humbler co-laborers. Victor Hugo wrote a play which the censors would
not allow to be brought out. He read it to Dumas. The latter soon issued
a play which was so very like that of Hugo, that when sometime after the
interdict was taken off from the play of Hugo, he was accused of
stealing from Dumas. But the truth was easily to be proved--that Hugo"s
play was _first_ written--and Dumas declared in the public newspapers
that if there was any plagiarism in anybody, himself was the guilty
party! A new play now appeared which was principally written by
assistants, and which was also defaced by plagiarisms. Like some of
those which preceded it, it made light, indeed glorified, vices of the
darkest dye.