I D O L S O F T H E F R E N C H S T A G E

B!

H T H E R L A N D E D WA R D S . . S U

I N T WO VO L UM E S .

V O L . I I .

S E C O N D E D I T I O N .

fi n n d n n

M I N T N C O P B L I S H E G O , U

H N R I A S T R E E T C O V N G A R D N E ETT , E T E ,

1 8 8 9 .

C O N T E N T S .

IN G U I M A R D MADEL E ,

UG Z ON MADAME D A ,

OIS C I ON MADEM ELLE LA R ,

A O I S C ON T T M DEM ELLE A ,

E OI S U C OU T MAD M ELLE RA R ,

M A S I N T - H U B T ! DAME DE A ER ,

C H RA EL ,

D S H B N H T . ARA ER AR ,

39 9 3?O

ID E E OLS OF THE FR NCH STAG .

MA D E L EI N E G UI MA RD .

MAD L IN G UI MA R D E E E , a dancer, who excited as

much admiration , and scattered as many fortunes

o n as any woman who ever appeared the stage , was o f ugly, thin, sallow complexion , and marked

- . L with the smallpox ord Mount Edgecumbe, in his

R emin iscen ces , tells us that when , at an advanced

she fo r age , appeared the second time at the

’ ’ i she l K ng s (now Her Maj esty s) Theatre, stil

“ possessed grace and gentility, adding that she had never been distinguished by anything more substantial .

V O L . II . [ d / o F re m é ta 2 o s f S ge .

Although by no means the last celebrated dancer

o n sh e who appeared the French stage , was the last dancer of French origin who acquired celebrity

o f f . C o in France amargo , one the most famous

her predecessors , was Spanish by birth ; Taglioni , o n e o f o f the most illustrious her followers , was

Ve stris Italian . The four members of the family ,

who , for about a century, directed the ballet in

France, were also Italians (their original name

Ve stri being ), and it would be easy to show that

dancing as an art was, like gloves , fans, and other

trifling but tasteful things , introduced into France

. . B o r ias from Italy Pope Alexander VI and the g ,

v ga e magnificent ballets at a time when the ballet,

as a dramatic form , was unknown in France .

- According, however, to Castil Blaze , who has investigated with equal care the history of the

o f o f ballet and the opera in France , traces d iv ertisscmcms o r , more less in dramatic style , may be found at so early a period as that of King

o f u C aribe rt Paris . This sovereign had previo sly f cared only fo r the pleasures o hunting. The

his chase was sole amusement , his daily occupa

the tion ; and , in pursuit of wild beasts , he quite ’ ’ M ade le in e G m ma ra . 3

n I n o b e r e eglected his Queen g g , who remained o desolate at home , and enjoyed nly an occasional

o f glimpse her royal husband . In order to keep

I n o b e r e him near her , g g had recourse to the c o f harms music , and instituted concerts at her

palace , consisting of hymns , chants , and national

o f songs , such being the only music that

arib e rt e . C period , however , se ms to have found

these entertainments depressing , and preferred the

l - f - bug e call o his huntsme n . In despair at the little success by which her

endeavours had been attended , the Queen now thought that a result might be o btained through e ntertainments o f a lighter and more engaging fkin d . Dancing and orchestral music she especially

counted on ; and the King , kindly renouncing his

’ field sports for a few days , found the Queen s new

idea so much to his taste that h e soon gave up

hunting and shooting altogether .

o f The spirit, however , the hunter was still

f ari r strong W ithin the breast o C b e t. Only he had f hi c o s . hanged the obj ects pursuit Two sisters , o f ravishing beauty , dancing like sylphs , and sing in n o w g like syrens , occupied in his heart the ’ Me F f e m fi ta e 4 [ ao/s of S g .

Méro place formerly held by partridges and deer.

fiede and M o rco v ére were the medi aeval names o f the young women who had so completely cap

’ tiv ate d C arib e rt s their prince ; and soon wife , the

I n o b e r e she too ingenious g g , saw that the remedy had contrived was worse than the evil she had L sought to avert . aws in those days were loose ,

and kings powerful ; and before long the singing

and the dancing , the talent, the beauty , and the

o f im charm the two sisters , had made such an

pression o n the happy King o f Paris that he

o n married them e after the other.

o f Towards the end the fourteenth century, in

1 393 n o t r the year , a masquerade , but a regula

ballet , was given, in which Charles VI. had a

narrow escape of his life . The Duchess de Berri

had given the ballet in her palace at the Gobelins ,

at which all the members o f her Court were

o f a present. Suddenly a party masks dressed s

o f savages appeared , when the Duke Orleans ,

who probably knew already who they were , took d up a torch in or er to examine them at his ease , h and set fire to the linen whic , seamed with h pitc , covered their corsets . The flames spread ' ’ a ra M ade le in e G a z m . 5

f o n e n rom to a other, and soon the savages , all

v ablaze , were shrieking like men possessed . E ery o n e rushed towards the doors ; but, in the midst o f o f this scene terror and disorder , the Duchess ,

o f who was in the secret the masquerade , recog n ise d him the King, and , covering with her dress , thus preserved him from the fire . The fright, however, with which he had been seized , had the e ffect of making him fall period ically into fits o f madness , which gradually became worse and worse . Count de Jouy and the Bastard of Foix had perished miserably ; and the young Nantouillet would have been broiled like ham had he not

o f thrown himself into a tub water . The Parisians c onceived violent suspicions against the Duke of O rleans , thinking that the act was premeditated a n d for many days he was obliged to remain in his palace without daring to show himself . To e xpiate his crime , he built a chapel at the Célestins , an d hastened to found a pious service for the

souls o f those who had died from this accident .

Good solo dancing , moreover, if not ballets in s e t form , might be seen at the Court of Francis

I . ; and the graceful and ingenious Marguerite de t/z e F re ez e/z ia e 6 [ d o/s of S g .

Valois has been called the Taglioni of her time .

o f o f L o w Don John Austria, Viceroy the Countries

- went to Paris post haste from Brussels , travelling

in co . se e g , in order to Marguerite dance a minuet ,

after which he at once returned to his head

at quarters . France, however, knew nothing this time o f such ballets as the B o rgias were in the

’ o n fi habit o f getting up . The Sovereign P ti s had 1 5 00 already, in , a theatre which was celebrated for the splendour of its decorations and the in

it six ge n u y of its machinery . Throughout the te e n th century the Italian composers were much

occu pied both with the ballet and with the lyric

drama ; and a ballet bearing a strong resemblance

to an Opera was performed in Paris, under the

B altaz arin i superintendence of , rather more than

three hundred years ago .

B altaz arin i , who , after establishing himself in

o f B e au o e u x France , took the name j y , without being introduced into France by Catherine de

Medicis, was sent there at her request, and by

her was received , and formally appointed to his

prescribed duties . He came accompanied by a band of violins ; a n d Catherine at once arranged ' ’ M e l in e G a zma ra a d e . 7

for B altaz arin i and his musicians to give proofs

of their ability as composers and executants ,

o f with whom were associated Beaulieu , Master

i . the Music to K ng Henry III , besides the artists

and decorators most in renown at the time . The

entertainment which B altaz arin i had been ordered

to prepare had no name at the time , and its author seems scarcely to have known whether

to call it a lyrical drama , a drama in dancing, o r by what other title . Ultimately he named

Ballet C i R e fin e it a comic ballet ( om gu e ole la. ) ; using the word comic , not in its narrow sense as amusing, but in its wide sense as dramatic . Thus the Theatre Francais is equally called the

ran aise Comédie F c , though it is , and always has

o f been, quite as much the home of tragedy as

. B altaz arin i B e au o e ux comedy , otherwise j y , says distinctly in his preface that what he has written

is a dramatic ballet , a play in which the action

is set forth by means of dancing and singing .

“ “ ” fo r The word opera, as standing Opera musicale,

B allet C omi u e d e had not yet been invented . The q la R ein e 1 5 81 , produced in the year , as represented

in the palace by the Queen , the Princesses , and [ e e t e 8 dots of ta Fr ma S ag .

C the nobles of the ourt, began at ten in the

n o t evening , and it did finish until three in the morning ; and is written in the records of the

“ time that the Queen and the Princesses, who represented Naiads and Nereids, concluded the

o f ff ballet by a distribution presents , o ered in

various ingenious ways , to the princes and the

o f nobles who , in the disguise Tritons , had danced

” with them .

That great warrior and statesman , Henry IV

was not ashamed to dance in ballets ; and Sully,

the Minister to whom he owed so much , used to — j oin him o n these occasions whether in a spirit o f a o r o f fl ttery, from a genuine love kicking up 1 8 . 5 9 1 610 his heels , does not appear From until more than eighty grand ballets were produced at

o f the Court Henry IV . , without counting minor divertisements and organised masquerades . The f L o . o n e Court ouis XIII was a serious , but it

was not without its ballets , which were directed

by the Duke de Namur. This nobleman was passionately fond o f dancing ; but he was affected

with the gout, and , either from a morbid delight

o w n f W in his suf erings , or from a ish to make ' ' M f n r a d e te z n e G a z a d . 9

t o f hem the subject mirth , he composed a ballet c L es o u tteu x alled G , in which , to assert his rank

b e among the dancers , caused himself to be carried

a t - their head in an arm chair . During the per

“ ’ fo rman ce o f - the Gout dancers , as the Duke s

o f ballet might have been called , the Cardinal S avoy happened to be in France , and the Queen paid him the compliment of asking him to arrange a ballet for the King . The courtiers laughed at

o f the idea, not because it seemed out place that a cardinal should undertake the duties o f a ballet

master, but because , coming from a mountainous c n o t ountry, he could , as they imagined , possess the delicacy o f taste so characteristic o f people d welling , like the French , in the plains . The news o f these criticisms before the work reached the

C an d ardinal , who , somewhat piqued , determined

to do his best , produced at Monceaux a ballet e L es M o n ta n eu rs ntitled g , in which the most grace ful tableaux were varied by some very ingenious

’ s atirical songs . The Cardinal s ballet was much a pplauded , and the laughter was all against those

who , by anticipation , had condemned it.

The Spirit o f Gossip is said to have been repre I o t/z F e n c/z ta O [ dots f e r S ge .

’ sented in the C ardinal s ballet by an old woman moun ted upon an ass ; the Spirit o f L ying by

a personage who had a wooden leg , whose dress was covered with masks , and who carried a dark lantern .

L ouis XIV . had scarcely attained his maj ority when Mazarin made him d ance before the public in

’ ’ L s it d s A r es d F r a ballet called a. P ro p er e e m e an ce .

As the Parisians o f that time had never seen a king

o n C to dance the stage , the ardinal thought it right put forward a special announcement o n the subject . “ i ” After receiv ng this year , the proclamation

“ so began , many victories from Heaven , it is not enough to render thanks in our temples ; it is also necessary that the gratitude o f our hearts should — manifest itself through public rej oicings , the siege

of Cassel, the capture of Arras , the Flemings drink

ing beer, the Spaniards and French fighting in

rhythm , with Jupiter, Apollo , Mercury , the Tritons ,

the Nereids, the Muses, a rhinoceros , and a famous

C ard e lin o n - acrobat, , dancing a tight rope , which is partially concealed by clouds from the eyes o f the

” spectators .

L d id the Meanwhile , ouis the Great his steps on 1 1 M ade le in e G n ima rd .

d u a - e stage , unmin f l of the f ct that a tight rop

dancer had , for a time at least , been placed

above him .

These ridiculous exhibitions did n o t pass with o ut criticism ; and in the form o f Books o f the

Ballet , pamphlets and satires , were published in

abundance .

o n e o f The title of these pretended libretti was ,

Grand Ballet danced o n the theatre o f France by Cardinal Mazarin and all the troop o f C ar d in alists Maz arin i : and sts . Basle At the shop

0 o f 4 . Mr Nobody . In

’ o f Maz arin s o r The laughable ballet nieces ,

” their theatre overturned in France .

Ballet danced before the King and the Queen

Regent his mother by the M az arin ic trio before

s ix leaving France , in burlesque verses, and in

” scenes .

Hitherto the ballet had been exclusively a royal

o f th e entertainment , to be witnessed only at one

’

L XI V. s Court residences . But in ouis reign , after 1 2 ols o tae re n en ta e Id f F S g . the o f L arrival ulli in Paris , and the establishment

’ o f the French Opera under the title of A cad emie

R o a le d e M u si u e o n e y q , it became of the favourite

e o f . L ntertainments the lyric theatre ulli , at

- once composer, conductor , ballet master and dancer, wished to get up the ballets himself ; and h e is said to have distinguished himself personally in the gro te squ e interludes of the B ou rgeo is Gen tilho mme .

o f To show what a serious view L ouis XIV . took d d ancing, it is only necessary to cite the ecree by

“ ” which he founded that Académie de Danse which , after a time , seems to have been absorbed by the

o n e Académie de Musique , called at time Académie d e Musique e t de Danse .

o f the Although the art dancing , began letters

“ o n e o f patent, has always been recognised as the most becoming and most necessary for forming the

body, and giving to it the most natural dispositions fo r o f a o f all kinds exercises , and mong others that

arms , and , consequently, one of the most useful to o u r nobility, and to others who have the honour o f approaching u s n o t on ly in time o f war in o u r

o f d e armies , but also in time peace in the iv rtise

o f o u r ments ballets ; nevertheless, into the said art ,

1 ols o tae re n en ta e 4 Id f F S g . o r d , as before suggeste , was received into the bosom

o f so - the called Académie de Musique , where , except

practically at rehearsals and public representations ,

o music was never made a subject f tuition .

Having thus far traced the history o f the ballet

n o f in Fra ce , and having already given a sketch the career of o n e o f the most famous of French

ballet dancers, Mdlle . Camargo , I may now pass e o n . to Mdlle Sall , who will always be known , in connection with literature , through the verses a e o f ddressed to her by Moli re , and the letter

sh e introduction which , when was about to

M o n te s u ie n L visit England, q gave her to ocke ;

t o G u imard and Madeleine , who inspired Mar

montel with the lines ,

” E st il e n v re i e n e e t b e e mn e e tc bi , j u ll da é , . and who was as much the friend o f painters as f o poets .

G uimard o f Madeleine , with all her powers fas cin atio n n o t n o r , was beautiful , even pretty , and f she was notoriously thin . Byron used to say o thin women that if they were o ld they reminded h im o f n o f spiders , if you g and pretty dried ]ll a d e le in n im r 1 e G a d . 5

’ b G uimard s utterflies . Madeleine theatrical friends,

‘ o f . h course , compared her to a spider Be ind the

’ ’ o f scenes she was known as Z A rat gn ee . Another

L s her names was a S qu ele tte d es Grace . Sophie

“ fo r Arnould called her a little silkworm , the

“ ' ” sake o f the joke about la fea ille d es ben efi ces ;

sh e tw o and once , when was dancing between male dancers in a p as d e tro is representing two

o f satyrs fighting for a nymph , Sophie said the exhibition that it was like two dogs fighting fo r

a bone .

Madeleine G uimard is said to have preserved her youth and her charm in a marvellous manner ; b e s su ch ides which , she had a perfect acquaintance

o f with all the mysteries the toilet that, by the arts

- o f sh e dress and adornment alone , could have made herself look young when she w as already begin l ning to grow o d . Marie Antoinette used to con sult her about her costume and the arrangement o f fo r her hair ; and once when , insubordination

she F o r at the theatre , had been ordered to

’ l E v e u e d an seu se q , the is reported to have said

“ : G o tho n to her maid Never mind , ; I have w ritten to the Queen to tell her that I have dis 1 6 ols o tae F re n o/z ta Id f S ge . covered a new style o f oo ifiWe ; we shall be free

” before the evening .

G uimard w a One evening, when Madeleine s

’ ’ f L es F étes d e Z H me n e t d e l A m u/r . dancing in y , a very heavy cloud fell from the theatrical heaven s

upon one of her shapely arms and broke it .

’ uima A mass was said for Mdlle . G rd s broken arm

o f N o in the Church tre Dame .

’ M G uimar . d s Houdon, the sculptor, moulded dlle

. e foot Fragonard , the painter , decorat d her m agnificent , luxuriously furnished hotel . In his mural pictures he made a point of introducing

o f the face and figure the divinity of the place ,

until at last he fell in love with his model , and ,

as o f was presuming so far to show signs j ealousy , —L replaced by David ouis David , the fierce and

virtuous Republican .

o f David , the great painter the Republic and

the w as o f of Empire , , course, at that time a very

was young man . He , in fact, only a student ; and

G u imard Madeleine , finding that the decoration

“ ” ’ o f her Temple of Terpsichore (as the d an seu se s M a e l d e in e G u ima rd . 1 7 artistic and voluptuous palace w as called) did

not quite satisfy his aspirations , gave him the stipend he was to have received fo r covering her walls with fantastic designs that he might co ntinue his studies in the classical style according

to his own ideas .

This was charity o f a really thoughtful and

o f delicate kind . As an instance bountiful gener

o sit - y and kind heartedness, may be mentioned

’ Madeleine G u imard s conduct during the severe

1 768 she winter of , when herself visited all the o poor in her neighbourho d , and gave to each destitute family enough to live on for a year .

“ N o t n yet Magdalen repe tant , but already Mag dalen charitable ! ” exclaimed a preacher in allu

’ sion to Madeleine G u imard s good action (which

soon became known all over Paris , though the

n o t dancer herself had said a word about it) .

” “ n s o The hand , he added . which k ows well

W how to give alms ill not be rejected by St .

o f Peter when it knocks at the gate Paradise . A few months before Gluck left Paris for the

t n o u t . las time , an insurrectio broke at the Opera

The revolutionary spirit was abroad in Paris . The

VOL . II . 1 8 o ls o tae F re n on t Id f S age .

o f o f success the American War Independence , the

o f tumultuous meetings the French Parliament , the increasing resistance to authority which now mani fe ste d itself everywhere in France : all these stimul ants to revolt seem to have taken effect o n the

o f singers and dancers the Académie . The com pany resolved to carry o n the theatre itself for

D e v isme s its own benefit, and the director was

called upon to abdicate . The principal insurgents

“ ” held what they called a Congress at the house o f

“ G u imard o f Madeleine ; and the God Dancing ,

Ve stris Auguste , declared loudly that he was the ff Washington o f the a air. Every day some fresh act of insubordination

was committed , and the chiefs of the plot had to be forced to appear o n the stage by the direct f agency o the police .

“ The Minister desires me to dance , said Made

“ G u imard o n o n e o f : leine these occasions Eh bien ,

’ qu il y prenne garde ; j e pourrais bien le faire

sauter .

th e o f G uimard d As leader the conspiracy , acte

with great skill and discretion .

” O n e thi n g abo ve all ! she said to her c o n ’l/ r . a d l G n in za d e e in e . I 9

“ federates , no combined resignations ; that is what

” ruined the parliament . m In the end , after any animated scenes , this revolt was terminated by the city of Paris can cel

’ D e v isme s th e ling lease , and taking upon itself management of the theatre ; D e v isme s receiving a

sum o f large in compensation , and the appointment

director at a fixed salary .

Mention has been made o f o n e stage accident which

to G u imard in occurred Madeleine . By another,

1 781 sh e w as , nearly lost her life . It in that year that the Académie Royale was burnt to the

’ ’ O r hee ground . Gluck s p had just been performed , and in the course o f the piece by which it w as

C oro n is succeeded ( , composed by Rey, conductor

o n e f o f the orchestra) o the scenes caught fire .

D au b e rv al , the principal dancer, had enough pre sence o f mind to order the curtain down at once .

o f C oro n is The public wanted no more , and went quietly away without calling for the conclusion of

’ Rey s opera , and without having the least idea o f what was taking place behind the curtain . In the meanwhile the fire had spread on the stage

n beyond the possibility of extinction . Si gers , 2 0 ols o tae re n en ta e Id f F S g .

- dancers, musicians and scene shifters rushed in

terror from the theatre, and about a dozen persons who were unable to escape perished in the con

fla ratio n G u imard g . Madeleine was nearly burnt

d - to eath in her dressing room , which was sur

o f rounded by flames . One the carpenters , how

lo e ever , penetrated into her g , wrapped her up

sh e in a counterpane ( was entirely undressed) , and bore her triumphantly through the fire to a place o f safety

’ G uimard s I have not space to describe Mdlle .

liaiso n private theatre , nor to speak of her with

the Prince de Soubise , nor of her elopement with

a German prince , whom the Prince de Soubise

pursued , wounding him , and killing three of his

servants , nor of her ultimate marriage with a

“ ” humble professor of graces at th e Conservatory

o f . Paris I must mention , however, that in her

decadence Madeleine G u imard visited L ondon (a

dozen Princes de Soubise would hav e followed her

with drawn swords had sh e attempted to leave L Paris during her prime) , and that ord Mount

Edgecumbe the author of the interesting M u sica l

’ R emin iscen ces saw d an ce , her at the King s Theatre

A D A M E D Z N M U G A O .

- R F E R L O U IS O S AL I L V . E E E E , afterwards Mme Dugazon , 1 75 3 was born at Berlin in . She was eight years o ld when her parents sent her to Paris . Daughter

of an actor who belonged to the Comédie Francaise ,

sh e was from childhood trained and destined fo r the

’ stage . Her father s first intention was to make

her a dancer, and it was as a dancer that

sh e made her d ebu t at the Comédie Italienne in

1 7 7 as (l e 6 . She appeared for the first time in a p

d ea n which occurred in the ballet introduced into

N e n velle E l e the co e oles F emm s.

o f She was dancing to the best her ability , and

u e not witho t a certain success, when Gr try was

- struck with her lady like air, the subtle play of her M a a me D u az o n 2 d g . 3

. n features, and the lustre of her eyes The you g girl evinced such talent that the master promised her a part in his next opera . He kept his word

1 7 69 L u cile and when, in , he produced , it was

“ fo r n her that he composed the charmi g air, On

’ ” dit qu a quinze ans .

The success with which sh e rendered it decid ed

her future . She sang the air with such grace ,

’ n aive te e such seductive , that Gr try advised her to devote herself seriously to the study of music , and promised that he himself would not forget

her .

sh e From that day, it is said , divided her

self between dancing , which was her duty, and the

study of music, which was her passion .

She found herself, at all events , in a good school .

Mme . Favart had consented to assist her with her experienced counsels . From the first moment

F av art h Mme . had foreseen that t is girl was destined to be her successor at the Opéra

Comique . She foresaw it, however , without

d o j ealousy , and was magnanimous enough to everything in her power to encourage the bent

she of the young aspirant . The lessons gave 2 ols o M e F n e n e/z ta e 4 Id f S g .

n o t were thrown away upon the gifted pupil , who repaid her teacher with the liveliest grati

t . ude If, at a later period , she caused the

o n public to forget her benefactress , she , her side ,

never ceased to remember her ; and even in her o ld age , when she had retired from the theatre ,

n o t Mme . Dugazon could mention the name of

v U n fo r F a art without tears in her eyes .

F v ar ff t un ate l . a t o y Mme , carried suddenly in her

’

- fifth forty year , did not live to see her pupil s

triumphs .

1 774 L fo r . e At length , in , Mdlle ef vre played

o f the first time a definite part . It was that

Pauline in S ylva in . Her success was enormous .

At a single bound sh e attained the highest

rank as an actress , and from this elevation

never afterwards descended . From year to year

her success continued to grow , and her talent

to expand . Each of her creations was a

’ ’ L E en . es ven em ts im reo u s l A m an t triumph p .

a lo u x L es A mo u rs o f r j , and a score othe

pieces , owed all their popularity to her imper

somations .

Although sh e appeared at the Comédie Italienne M a ame D u z n 2 d ga o . 5

1 774 in , she was not appointed a regular mem

o f ber the company until tw o years afterwards .

But from the first moment sh e had become the

o f u l h favourite the p b ic ; for, with her yout ,

she her beauty , and her talent , possessed all

n n the qualities which could e chant an audie ce ,

o f th and evoke the worship e pit . People vied with o n e other in eulogising her sympathetic

n se n voice , her fascinati g manner , her exquisite sibilit so y , her gaiety which was contagious , her

acting which was so tender and impassioned . Some chroniclers declare that she was extremely pretty rather than very beautiful , and that what particularly distinguished her was her air o f native

refinement . She had delicate features, a flexible

physiognomy , an expressive mouth , and , in par

ticu lar o f - , a pair deeply lashed , bewitching eyes , eloquent o f all th e flitting humours or profound

n emotions of her soul . Her figure , without bei g

tall , was well proportioned , and her gestures pos

sessed a peculiar charm .

so o f Rich in many natural gifts , she was course surrounded by a crow d o f suitors and ad

i o f w as so . m re rs. No actress her time besieged 2 6 d ol s o M e ro n t /z e I f F Stag .

The most dazzling offers were made to her o n

every side ; and her sole difficulty lay in deter

mining her choice . At length , to her misfortune ,

sh e t as it afterwards proved , decided to accep the

o f o f hand Dugazon , the Comédie Francaise , to h s e . whom , in due course , was married There is no doubt that Dugazon was a great

comedian , notwithstanding his bad taste and his

l o w . passion for what was , trivial , and burlesque

o f o s With a profound knowledge his art , he p

sessed a physiognomy of marvellous flexibility , which he could so change at any moment that it

“ appeared as if he had put o n a mask . By a

” “ o r o f trick , said a critic, by the contraction

o f his certain muscles face , he possesses the faculty o f instantly disfiguring himself beyond

” all recognition . Sometimes , it is true , he abused

“ ” this power of face , as Pope somewhere calls it, and disgusted the audience with his diabolical d id grimaces . But when he not run to ex

his tremes , he was inimitable in favourite parts ; and it was in vain that D az in co u rt atte mpted

o n e e to eclipse him . No , ind ed , could approach

him n in F o urberios . as Scapi the , as M Jourdain /l/ /n z 2 i u a d a e D ga o n . 7

’ l n B ou r eo is M ascarille l E to u rcli the g , as in , or as S an ar ll D g e e in o n Ju an .

But if the actor was excellent, the man was

altogether unbearable . A braggart and a meddler ,

as he was as rash with his sword with his tongue .

O ff o n e the stage , indeed , he was always , in way

or another, playing the fool ; and in the drawing room he was simply a rude j ester who took such gross familiarities that anyone who was once civil to him could never afterwards keep him at arm ’s

length .

He was admitted into the highest circles o f

o f b uflo o n society, but only in the character ; and

in this character , which he accepted with an air o f d id resignation , he not forget to revenge him

o u self everyone around . An audacious parasite, he was by no means easy to get rid o f when

once indiscreetly admitted .

It was Dugazon who was o n e day summoned

L . by ouis XVI when that monarch , displeased at seeing the Queen attend the balls of the Opera

b e in Opposition to his advice , had suddenly thought himself of a method Of curing her of so

low and frivolous a taste . 2 6 d ols o t/ze F re n e /z I f Stage .

The most dazzling Offers were made to her on every side ; and her sole d ifliculty lay in deter

mining her choice . At length , to her misfortune , as t it afterwards proved , she decided to accep the

o f hand Of Dugazon , the Comédie Francaise , to h s e . whom , in due course , was married There is no doubt that Dugazon was a great m co edian , notwithstanding his bad taste and his

v . passion for what was low, tri ial , and burlesque

o f With a profound knowledge his art , he pos

o f sessed a physiognomy marvellous flexibility , which he could so change at any moment that it

“ appeared as if he had put on a mask . By a

” “ o r o f trick , said a critic, by the contraction

th e certain muscles Of his face , he possesses faculty of instantly disfiguring himself beyond

is all recognition . Sometimes , it true , he abused

“ ” this power Of face , as Pope somewhere calls it, an d disgusted the audience with his diabolical d id grimaces . But when he not run to ex m tremes , he was ini itable in his favourite parts ; and it was in vain that D az in co u rt att e mpted

him N o o n e to eclipse . , indeed , could approach

him in the F o wrbe r ies . as Scapin , as M Jourdain

ls o Me F ff e n n t 2 8 Ido f e S age .

The King sent in the greatest secrecy for the

comedian , and gave him a positive command to

“ ” at disgust Marie Antoinette the next ball , by behaving to her as though sh e were the commonest

woman present, with no feelings which could , by

any possibility, be shocked .

Dugazon, with the utmost alacrity , undertook to play a part in which all his native rudeness

w as and vulgarity , by royal permission , to find

absolute vent . He attended the next ball in the

d fishw ife n isguise of a , and , taki g the Queen aside ,

u im u behaved to her with s ch coarseness , such p

dence , such vulgarity , that the spectators were

shocked and horrified .

“ ” h e Well ? said L ouis XVI . t next day to Marie

Antoinette .

“ ” Never, said the poor Queen , in her folly and

“ so imprudence , never was I much amused as at last night’s ball ! ”

Such , then , was the man who had married L . f n Mdlle efevre . The husband was o a teasi g

n an d w as ature , extremely j ealous ; the wife

an d h m pretty coquettis . Under these circu

n fe licitv o f o n sta ces , their domestic could not be l g m u n 2 [ Mada e D gaz o . 9 d uration . A month after their marriage the ill matched pair were already like cat and dog . In less than a year their household feuds were the

talk and scandal Of all Paris . The wife no longer

boasted of her fidelity , and scarcely disguised her

flirtatio n s ; while the husband wandered about like

b uflo o n O f a restless , pouring the tale his conjugal disasters into the ear of anyone who would listen

to him .

Their first grav e disagreement took place in

17 78 f o . , very shortly after the success Mme

L es O reilles ole M id as Dugazon in , in which she had undertaken the part originally assigned to d Mme . Trial , who was then seriously in isposed .

n B achau mo t relates the story in detail .

G o v rn m . e e n A certain M de Cazes , a young o flicial , had fallen madly in love with Mme

Dugazon . Nor was his suit rejected . The better h to hide their intrigue , and to insure t eir

. hus interviews , Mme Dugazon introduced her

’ at o f band the house the young man s father ,

where the whole party were invited to stay .

’

Here M . Dugazon and his wife s lover frequently acted comedy scenes for the amusement of the tae F re n e /z t 30 Ido ls of S age .

entire household . Soon , however , the husband began to suspect the motive with w hich his wife

had introduced him . Impelled by jealousy, he

’ o n e day forced his way into the young man s

room , locked the door , and , pistol in hand , seized

a him by the throat , thre tening to kill him

’ o n the spot unless he delivered up his wife s portrait and letters . M The wretched youth thought either that me .

Dugazon had made a confession , or that in some other way he had been betrayed ; and he there upon surrendered the letters and the portrait to

e n the husband , who withdrew from the room ,

O f his chanted with the success expedition .

M . de Cazes , however, recovered quickly from

. ran u r his terror He after the comedian , and p “ ! sued him downstairs , crying , Thief assassin ! Stop that villain ! ”

Dugazon , however, without showing the least

o r his alarm , even quickening pace , replied with exquisite cool n ess

n ! Excelle t , sir ; well played Your acting is l admirab e . The servants would be taken in by it

” o u r if they were not accustomed to farces . M o u n I a d me D gaz o . 3

d ff With these words he gained the oor , e ected

o f his exit , and left the domestics in a state uncertainty as to whether it was not after all a comedy .

Some days afterwards M . de Cazes happened t o be o n the stage at the Comédie Italienne after

o f im h . the performance , and Dugazon caught sight

He waited until the crowd had dispersed , and at d a moment when he was unperceive , stole behind

the young man , and , ere he had time to look

six o n round , administered five or smart blows

his shoulders with a cane . f . C o M de azes turned round in a state fury ,

“ ” beheld his rival (so the chronicler designates the

husband), and gave vent to terrible threats . M .

Dugazon pretended not to know what he meant , i and , going towards him , na vely demanded an

explanation , and asked whether he was not acting

some ingenious farce .

his M . de Cazes thereupon lost head with rage

called Dugazon an assassin , and asserted that he h ad j ust dealt him a shower o f blows with a

cane . d The comedian began to whistle , and preten ed ls t/ze r n 32 Ido of F e en Stage . that it was impossible for an actor like himself

ever to have taken such a liberty .

There were no witnesses to the assault, and

. ff much as M de Cazes continued to fume , the a air

. ended in nothing M . Dugazon , however , did not

afterwards omit to brag at every supper - table o f

the thrashin g with which he had avenged himself

’ upon his wife s lover . Meantime that lady ’s intrigues had become so

in numerous that the comedian , with all his

e n uit o r g y , could not detect punish more than

a mere fraction o f them . At length the actress

o r deserted her husband altogether , at least only

paid him an occasional visit .

in fid e litie s In spite , however, of her undisguised , 1 779 “ ” he was still , in , weak enough (says the

chron icler) to be jealous of his wife . One of her admirers at this period was a chevalier

named De L angeac . Dugazon wrote his wife a furious letter about her acquaintance with this

man , reproaching her at the same time with a

hundred other escapad es . The wife hastened to

hand the letter to the chevalier, who instantly

swore that he would su bject the write r to a n M adame D ugaz o . 33

hundred strokes with his walking stick . At this very moment the comedian happened to come upon

a the scene , and , having overheard the threat, p pro ach e d the chevalier and as ked him to name the day o n which he proposed to administer the casti

atio n to g , in order that he might prepare himself

return it . The chevalier replied with a blow from

o n his fist , which the comedian sprang at him and

struck him two or three times . Fortunately there

e were several persons pr sent, and the two men were separated .

The affair led to nothing ; and this was the

o n last occasion which Dugazon , now at length

’ e rfid ie s wearied with his wife s p , attempted to avenge his honour. He resigned himself to the

o f ff . situation , and cultivated a feeling indi erence

The husband and wife definitively separated , and ,

when the Revolution arrived , they both took steps towards Obtaining a divorce .

But in the meantime Mme . Dugazon had already

L . abandoned De angeac A rich Parisian , Boudreau

ff o f by name , who a ected the character financier

and art patron , had just presented her with a

w as r m charming little house , which furnished f o

L . V O . II n re n e ta 34 Idol s of t e F n S ge .

cellar to attic in the most exquisite style . She took up her abode in this new resid ence ; but she had scarcely had time to inspect all the marvels

Of luxury and elegance with which it w as replete when she suddenly yielded to the seduction of a certai n foreign count who w as himself a million

aire . This attachment , however , only lasted until

the count , soon afterwards, was recalled to his

n o w country .

1 782 th e At this period , in , curiosity of all Paris was excited by a young and handsome youth o f eighteen , who had arrived from Bordeaux , and

who possessed the most surprising , the most won d rf l n e u voice which it was possible to imagi e .

so Without knowing a note of music , he could imitate the voice O f every actor and actress at

the Opera , and the sound Of every instrument in the orchestra , that th e ear was absolutely de

iv e d t u c e . It was said hat , alone and naided , he c ould execute an entire opera .

This young prodigy became the rage o f the

. capital All the most famous actresses , and many

o f u d ladies in high society and noble birth , str ggle

n o o f h im e n d to gai p ssession . In the , however ,

6 o ls o tae re n en ta e 3 Id f F S g . wings in order to alight upon the next beautiful

flower which chanced to take his fancy .

o f ad Despite her life folly , her intrigues , her

ventures , Mme . Dugazon preserved at the Opéra

Comique an undiminished fame . If she once

accepted a part in a new piece , its success was

from that moment assured . Thus authors and

composers were alike at her bidding , and bowed d own to an actress who could command their fate .

o f An opera which the libretto was by Monvel ,

D e said e s and the music by , marks the commence

o f O f O n ment the most brilliant period her career . the 30th o f June 1 783 B laise ct B a be t was produced at the Comédie Italienne In this little work

Mme . Dugazon achieved a magnificent triumph .

“ a It is impossible , wrote a critic, to imagine

B ab so more adorable e t. Never before had much art

and so much nature been seen united ; never such

” exquisite sensibility and such intense passion .

was o f Such the success the piece that , at the

third representation , the Queen attended the theatre .

She was so charmed with the part played by Mme .

Dugazon that she longed to act it herself. The Il/I ad a me Du a n g z o . 37

piece was , in fact , soon afterwards presented at

- the royal theatre of Trianon , with Marie Antoinette

herself in the character of B ab e t .

Mme . Dugazon was summoned to the Court

to preside with Fleury at the rehearsals , and to

u assist the Q een with her advice . This was not h t rown away upon the royal pupil , who , according

to Fleury , almost equalled the actress herself in

a the part of B b e t .

She was a thousand times to be applauded , he

“ M em oirs says in his , when she fell into a pretty

rage , dashed away her flowers, and exclaimed , with the most charming toss of the head imaginable ,

‘ ’ ’ Tu m as fait e n d év e r e n d ev e ! e n d év e !

It was such a delicious mixture o f pouting and

o f pathos, of tears and rage , love and anger , that

the courtiers , who were given to abject flattery ,

” forgot to clap their hands , and simply wept .

But now the moment was at hand when Mme .

Dugazon , in her turn , was to draw tears from the

f N in a ou la F o lle ar amo u r eyes o all Paris in , p lli The idea o f this piece was suggested to M arso e r by an anecdote which was related in the journals

o f the time . It was said that , in the neighbour 38 Idols of tae Fre n en Stage .

hood of Sedan , a young girl about to be married had preceded her lover on the way to the church

n where the ceremo y was to be performed . He had

sh e promised to overtake her, but, as walked along

the country road which led to the church , she met a woman who told her that her lover was dead . f The shock deprived her o her reason . Thence

forth , until her death , she walked daily more than two leagues to that very church where she had

hoped to meet her intended husband . On arriving

sh e sit there would down , and wait for him the

sh e whole day . At length , at nightfall , would L e t . h as retrace her steps , exclaiming , us go He

n o - t yet arrived ; I will return to morrow .

Marso llie r When he had finished the libretto ,

it D ala rac submitted to y , who saw at a glance ff the opportunities it O ered for musical effect .

The composer quickly furnished the score ; but,

t at the last moment . both he and the librettis had grave doubts as to whether their attempt to depict madness o n the stage was n o t too

. to hazardous They hesitated , therefore , produce the opera ; but while they were still in a state o f o im e . G u ard ff indecisi n , M lle O ered to lend them M a a me D u a z o n d g . 39 her private theatre for an experimental re

presentation . Here , then , it was that , before

a distinguished audience of lords , ladies and f . o courtiers , Mme Dugazon created the part

ff she Nina . The e ect produced was prodigious .

o n 15 o f 1 786 o f and, the th May , the curtain

o n N in a the Comédie Italienne rose the opera Of , la F o lle ar a m o r p u .

The enthusiasm o f the public o n this occasion f O . reached the point delirium The tears , the

. su c applause , exceeded description Six times in

cession , at the end of the piece , the sublime lunatic was recalled ; and at each subseque n t

th e m b representation public excite ent, if possi le ,

N o t increased . an evening passed but some lady

o in the audience fainted with emoti n . b Madness ecame suddenly the fashion . In draw

- ff in g rooms young ladies a ected the part of Mme .

Dugazon , and threw themselves into every kind o f hysteria .

The critics , at length , took up arms against f this infatuation o n the part o the public . They declared that the success o f N in a was utterly

incomprehensible , and proceeded to show that the tn e re n en ta 40 Ido ls of F S ge .

subj ect of the piece was monstrous , the libretto

insipid , and the music detestable . The pedants

bewailed the decay of art upon the stage ; the

wits turned the entire opera into ridicule . But

wits , pedants and critics alike were ignored by

the public , who continued to besiege the doors of

the theatre .

o f On the night the first representation , a poet who was present had improvised the following octave in honour O f Dugazon in the part o f the demented heroine

To l e s oe o n m ate s n o us c urs s t é us divi s acc rds, ’ O n n e sait q u admire r to n gén i e e t te s charme s

T e e au ss itO t o e me s me u pl ur s , tu fais c ul r lar s Q u i d o n e re st e rait fro id ate s b rfilan ts tran spo rts ?

e t e s fin i Mais la to il e se baiss e la piece t e .

O o n e N n me o n t ucha t i a , subli Dugaz , A u ssitOt ce sse ta fo li e ’ ’ mo i mo o to i e 1a o n Mais , d a ur p ur , j ai p rdu rais

n Such was , i deed , the first impression produced im upon the public ; and , night after night , this

o f pression , despite the protests and lamentations

the critics , continued to deepen .

to Never before had Mme . Dugazon risen such a d an d o sh e azzling height ; , alth ugh gained many M a ame D u a n 1 d g z o . 4

o f - subsequent successes , the part the love sick

o f w as lunatic remained the triumph her life . It

N in a Marso llie r said of that had made the libretto ,

” D ala rac y the music , and Dugazon the piece . In due course she made a provincial tour in her

favourite character, and everywhere renewed the

success she had obtained in the capital . At every town she visited fétes were held in her honour ; and her j ourney from theatre to theatre resembled

a royal progress .

she w as On her return to Paris , so much the

so rage at the Comédie Italienne , exclusively the

sh e attraction , that on the nights did not appear

the boxes were empty , and the whole theatre a

desert .

1 7 86 sh e s e t o ut Suddenly , in the Spring of , L for ondon , tempted , as some said , by English

gold, but , in reality, led thither by a young man

fre with whom she was desperately in love . The qu e n te rs o f the theatre mourned and bewailed her

o f departure . The curtain the hitherto crowded

house now rose to empty benches , and the directors sent letter after letter to the actress

imploring her to return . She replied simply that F re n /z 4 2 Idols of tb e e Stage .

sh e she intended to remain where was , and that

her parts could be assigned to other actresses .

The managers were in despair . They attempted d to replace her , but the pit instantly revolte , and

would endure no substitute . Neither the beauti

Pitro t L ful , the pretty escot , nor the charming

Colombe, could obtain a single plaudit . At length

Dugazon condescended to return , and then once

more the crowd surged to the theatre , the roof ff rang with applause , and the co ers filled with

money .

0 N other actress could excite this enthusiasm ,

sin ce non e other possessed a talent s o flexible an d so so varied , powerful and yet exquisitely

’ i ve t o n e . n a e delicate Her seductive in scene ,

her impassioned force in another , defied all imi

tio n ta .

That she was greater as an actress than as a

“

is . vocalist beyond doubt She is not a singer ,

“ sa- id Gretry ; sh e is an actress who speaks son g

with the truest and most passionate accent .

h e she Per aps , however , Gr try hardly meant that

was not a fine vocalist ; for her voice , although

m o f li ited in range , was pure , flexible , and an

re t 44 Idols of t/z e F n e n S age .

sh e o f wealth had no passion , and to the end

“ ” her life she remained poor . At a time , says a

“ biographer, when Jupiters of all conditions solicited the honour o f descending at her feet

o f in a shower gold , we find this actress so

hampered fo r money as to write to a friend for

the l sh oan of fifty louis . Yet e was charitable

re to the utmost limit of her slender means , and

lie v e d n distress by more than o e method .

1 7 84 w w as In the inter exceptionally rigorous ,

and the poor suffered great hardships . At the f o . instance Mme Dugazon , special representations were announced for the benefit of the wretches

who were perishing with cold and hunger ; and

w as the sum so raised enormous . It was handed

fo r over to the Church distribution .

“ ” B achau mo n t The Church , says , was very h grateful for this assistance . But s e warned her cure’ s that they must not touch money which h came direct from the ands of an actress , and ordered that the alms should be purified by pass

ing through the exchequer o f the L ieutenant o f

” Police .

This ingenious device fo r disposing o f the casu M a a me u o d D gaz n . 4 5 istic al difficulty inspired a humorist with some

v lively erses, in the shape of an epistle supposed

to be addressed by St . Augustine to Mme . Dugazon

. re and her associates The lines , which deserve

production , ran thus

S ata o e e alut tr up italiqu , A c e co mité cath o liqu e ’ Do n t l o coe ur l o yal s a tte n d rit Sur la calamité publiqu e ’ e l e fil s d e n e o n e C st sai t M iqu , ’ e A n v o C st ugusti qui us écrit .

O u i me s m ar e e é itre , a is, p c tt p ’ J ab jure mai n t e t mai n t chapitre ’ O u j ai fro n dé v o tre méti e r

mm u m n o u b o e Co e ta t s it p e dia liqu .

O u i n e e n d e e n , sa s tr gara t ri , ’ Je cro irais q u u n co médi e n ’ R e e st u n o mme d e b e n isqu , s il h i ,

’ n D etre sauvé to ut co mme u autre . ’ U n m me e n e d u n a Otre i , fac p ,

’ e u n n e - t - o n C st sca dal , dira ;

S n P a cOte d e R o e e ai t aul si r ,

T - a- d e S n P e e rial vis vis ai t i rr , E t bi e n h e ure us e Dugazo n ’ ’ Aux pi e ds d u n diacre o u d u n vicaire L e paradis se rait bo uffo n ’ Tan t pis p o ur qui s e n scan dalis e ; All e z au ci e l par v o s v e rtus ’ lis E t laiss e z clab aud e r l E g e . 6 tn e re n n a 4 Idols of F e St ge .

f o . While still at the zenith her fame , Mme

Dugazon suddenly conceived a fancy fo r a new f style o stage impersonation . She abandoned the

o f character unmarried heroine , and devoted her self exclusively to the representation o f young

matrons . Anxious to retain an actress who assured the success o f whatever piece she acted

in , authors yielded to her inclination , and fur n ish e d her with the parts she desired . Scandal d id n o t omit to hint that there was a physical

fo r o n necessity this new taste her part ; but , at

v all e ents, her success in the matronly style was

phenomenal . It is said that her triumph in

C amille o u lo so u terra in effaced that which she had achieved in N in a .

o n When the Revolution arrived , Mme . Dugaz could not see without grief the downfall of the

an d royal family , whom she had always loved

venerated . At a time when so many persons were insulting the idols to which they had burned

n th e ince se just before , she had courage to

man ifest her true sentiments . Her heroism on this occasion is attested by a letter which was o n o o f Mrs ce in the p ssession Elliot , an English M a n da me D ugaz o . 4 7 woman still remembered by the passion with which she inspired the Prince Of Wales and th e

Duke of Orleans .

“ 20th o f 17 92 After the June , says the writer , those who wished well to the royal family u rged the Queen to exhibit herself sometimes in

u in public with the Dauphin , a beautif l and te re stin g child , and her charming daughter,

Mme . Royale .

“ She went, therefore , to the Comédie Italienne

tw o d . with her chil ren , with Mme Elizabeth ,

’ the King s sister, and with Mme . de Tourzel ,

’ the children s governess . This was the first

time that the Queen appeared in public . I was

in my box , just Opposite that occupied by the

Queen and suite ; and as she was more in te re stin co n g than the play , I kept my eyes s tan tly fixed upon her Majesty and the royal

party .

“ The Opera represented was L es E v en em en ts

’ im reo u s . p , and Mme Dugazon sustained the part o f the servant girl .

th e n o f Her Majesty , from mome t her entrance , ff seemed profoundly sad . She was much a ected 8 ols o M e P re n sa t 4 Id f S age .

l saw by the app ause Of the public , and I her frequently wipe her eyes .

“ sat The little Dauphin , who the whole evening

upon her knee , seemed anxious to learn the cause

’ Of his unhappy mother s tears , and she , in her

d . turn , frequently caressed the chil “ There is a duet in the Opera between the

servant girl and the valet , in which Mme . Dugazon had to say the following lines

’ J me mo n m e e n e me n ai aitr t dr t, ’ Ah co mbi e n j aime I n a maitre sse

sh e As the actress, when uttered these verses , placed her hand upon her heart and looked to

wards the Queen , everyone present understood the allusion . “ Thereupon a number of Jacobins who were

among the audience sprang upon the stage and ,

I f n o t . the actors had concealed Mme Dugazon , would certainly have killed her. They drove the poor Queen and her suite from the box they o ccu

u t pied , and all that the guard could do was to p them safely into the royal carriages .

“ ’ In the meantime the Queen s party had hurled M a ame D u az o n d g . 49 themselves upon the Jacobins ; but the soldiers

”

ff . intervened , and the a ray had no serious results

From that evening Mme . Dugazon scarcely ever

an d 1 92 appeared in public ; in 7 she retired , under

o f pretext failing health , but in reality to avoid playing in pieces which were opposed to her principles .

o n a o f . At length , the restor tion order, Mme

Dugazon decided to reappear ; and her return was welcomed by the public with enthusiasm . The tempests o f applause recalled the triumphs o f her youthful days .

“ o f o n e An idolater music , wrote of the

“ - audience , I was about to quit Paris post haste fo r a spot where honour called me, when I

broke my vows and remained in the capital , enchained by the fascinating accents o f Mme .

” Dugazon .

At the time of her return to the Comédie 1 801 Italienne she was simply a pensioner ; but in , when the two opera companies o f Paris were united

she in one troop at the Feydeau Theatre , became

a regular member , and at the same time occupied a seat in the administrative council .

V O L . II . r ta e 5 0 I do ls of tn e F e n en S g .

1 806 At length , in , she retired finally from the stage . The Restoration was hailed with joy by

she Mme . Dugazon , who declared that could now

“ ” at last die happy.

- O o f She went to Saint uen , and was one the f first to obtain an audience O the King. Her emotion was great when she found herself in L presence of ouis XVIII . She threw herself at his

feet , bathed in tears . The King kindly raised her

“ by the hand and said : So you have not forgotten

me ? N o r shall I ever forget the pleasure you

gave me at Versailles . I am very sorry the

state o f your health compels your retirement

from the stage . I should be charmed to se e you

reappear .

f was A ter her interview with the King , little

heard o f Mme . Dugazon . She lived in close

retirement , surrounded only by a few intimate

ff h e r friends . Her whole a ection was centred in

s o n o f Gustave , a young composer, the pupil Berton

G o sse c and , who, at an early age , exhibited remark

able talent . He afterwards produced many operas ;

’ and such was his mother s anxiety fo r their

she success , that is said to have invariably fallen

I E L LE C L I O N MA D E MO S A R .

IS TH great actress , whose fame threw even the

o f A L e co u v re u r name drienne into the shade , was f 1 2 o 7 3. born at Condé , in the province Hainaut , in She has herself told us how her ambition was first

d a —it directed towards the stage . One y was a

sh e — Sunday , and was then eleven years Old her

mother had shut her up , with her catechism and her

o f needlework , in the loftiest and barest room the

n house . Seated o a high chair with her forehead

resting against the window pane, the child watched

the fle e cy clouds as they flitte d across the blue

sk o f summer y , and thought the daisies and butter

flies in the meadows , and of the happy children

w ho were privileged to pick those d aisies and chase M a e mo ise lle l a ir n d C o . 5 3

those butterflies . Suddenly a window opposite was opened , and a new spectacle , strange and de lightful , presented itself to the eyes of the little w . sa n v l girl She the celebrated Mdlle . D a ge i le taking a dancing lesson in the midst o f an ad

o f miring family circle . At the end the lesson

’ l D v ill . an e e s everyone applauded , and Mdl e g mother

’ embraced her. The young girl s triumph was purely a domestic o n e ; but it had excited the

o f admiration and envy little Clairon , who resolved

that she also would be a dancer . She was then at

o n e Rouen , and evening, tired of being scolded

and slapped, and resolved to make a career for l herself, she left home and presented herse f at d the oor of the Rouen Theatre , where she was

t o i o f received, and allowed g ve some idea her

w as talents . She ready to dance , sing and act ; and so good an opinion did the manager form o f her that she was forthwith engaged in a general

’ way to play child s parts . After passing a year

to L o r two at Rouen, the young actress went ille ,

where an English general , during the intervals of

. a campaign , found time to fall in love with her

She declares in her M emo irs that she rejected /t ta e 5 4 Idols of tee Fre n e S g . him in from patriotic motives, and from her

vincible passion for the stage . She told him

sh e that belonged , in the first place , to France ,

n o and that , though she had Obj ection to live in

a palace, she could not, under any circumstances ,

desert the theatre .

o n e After moving from theatre to another, and

sh e leaving a good impression wherever was engaged , dl M le . Clairon at last received an order to make

d ebu t sh e her at the Opera, where first appeared

as Venus in a work long since forgotten .

It was not , however , as a vocalist that Mdlle .

Clairon was to make her greatest mark . She was born to shine in comedy ; and though sh e undertook with success the leading parts in the

o f C o rn eille R acin e tragedies and , it was in

’ Moliere s characters that sh e showed the p e rfe c f tion o her talent .

Small , slender, perfectly formed , and very grace

ful , Mdlle . Clairon is said , in representing dig n ifie d c m personages , to have looked tall and o manding ; and whether she played serious o r comic f parts, the theatre was always full . One o her greatest admirers w as Racine one o f her best M a m l C l r n de o ise l e a i o . 5 5

friends Adrienne L e co u v re u r. Among her guests L were numbered Voltaire , Diderot , Vanloo and ouis

hab rillan . . C t XV himself, together with Mme de , d ’ i ll . A ui n M m D o e . . u Mme g , de Villeroy , Mme d ffan i e t G al tz in . , and the Princess What souvenir of myself shall I leave with you when I go back to Russia ?” said the Princess

n e o day .

“ ' My portrait by Vanloo , replied the actress and Vanloo thereupon painted her in the char

o f acter Medea.

’ o n e Van lo o s L ouis XV . called day at studio

to se e how the portrait was progressing .

“ H o w fo rtun u te you are to have such a model !

“ ” he said to the artist ; and you , he added , turn

“

. C ing to Mdlle lairon , to be painted by such a

master ! I should like to have something to d o

o u with the work myself, and y must allow me

to contribute the frame . The portrait , more

over, must be engraved . That also shall be my

” affair.

At the height of her reputation , her head slightly turned by the adulation Offered to her

n . o all sides , Mdlle Clairon is said to have for ols o tee F re n o/t ta e 5 6 Id f S g . gotten herself so far as to demand the imprison ment of a critic who had failed to admire her ; e ff and Fr ron , the o ender in question , would , but

o f o r v for an attack gout, real simulated , ha e

’ F r l E v o é u e . been sent to q Soon afterwards , by f o f . o a caprice fate, Mdlle Clairon , accused

organising a cabal against a rival, was herself

’ l E v é u e she sent to For q , where held high court, receiving visits from all kinds Of illustrious

people , whose carriages are said to have made

the approach to the prison impassable .

The most remarkable , however , of the imprison

so ments to which , like many celebrated and

capricious actresses , Mdlle . Clairon had , in the

o f was course her career , to submit the one to

she which was condemned for refusing, from

o n conscientious scruples , to appear any more the

o n stage . After seeking enlightenment the point,

she had come to the conclusion that dramatic

performances , and all who took part in them ,

were condemned by the Church ; and , rather

she than remain among the excommunicated , d etermined to abandon her profession .

I n the first ages of C h ristan ity an e xco m M a e mo ise lle C l a ir n d o . 5 7

mu n icatio n n was pronounced against the stage , paga as it then doubtless w as ; and in France this ex

o r in communication had never , either in theory

practice , been revoked .

O f 315 At the first Council Arles , held in , in presence Of Pope Sylvester and the Emperor C o n s tan tin e , actors were , by the fifth article , form

“ L e s ally excommunicated . acteurs, in the words G of the Abbé uettée , who cites the article in his

’ H isto ire d e l E lise d e F ran ce g (Paris,

4 “ . 6 ea Vol I . page , les acteurs de th tre sont

” aussi excommuniés ; and the author complacently

“ : adds The Church , then , has never tolerated — theatres and spectacles those schools of immo r

” ality and corruption .

to o v Bossuet, , in the se enteenth century , con d e mn e d L ettre su r les S ectacles , in his p , dramatic

o n performances generally, the ground that the gloom which forms the greater part Of human life cannot be perm anently dispelled by the atri

cal entertainments , but only by meditation and

’ B o ssu e t s prayer. condemnation had been called

o f o f forth by the publication , on the part one

d iso ce s e o f the priests of his , a preface to a l tn e re n en ta e 5 8 Ido s of F S g .

o f volume plays , the priest himself having never, it

o f is said , set foot within the walls a playhouse .

Bossuet . moreover , obj ected to plays , on the ground that they generally turned upon the passion o f in flam love , which could not but have an mato ry effect o n the minds o f the audience . When the innocent priest pleaded that there were plays

o f in which there was no question love, the Eagle

“ o f Meaux replied that they must be exceed in l g y dull .

Finally , several examples have been given in these volumes o f the refusal o f Christian burial to French actors and actresses .

It was n o t to be wondered at that the primi tive Fathers o f the Church anathematised those authors and actors o f their time w ho were n o t only pagans but Open profaners o f the true re

i “ “ l io n . g But why , it was asked , should that ex communication still exist in France against a s e t o f persons who were neither pagan s nor p ro fan e rs o f religion ; who acted plays which were i filled with pure and v rtuous sentiments , and in which virtue was rewarded and vice placed in its most odious light .

6 /z re n en t 0 Idols of t e F S age .

was a paid servant of the King , and had refused

to do her duty .

“ “ The case of this actress , said a journalist, is

somewhat hard . The King sends her to prison

sh e if refuses to act, and the Church sends her

” to hell if she does . She had not been long in the Bastille when an order came from the Court for the players

to go to Versailles to perform before the King .

Mdlle . Clairon was released , and commanded to

make her appearance with the rest o f the c o m

pany . She decided to comply , being already , f O . indeed , tired the Bastille She performed at

Court with immense success , and , finding that all

attempts to gain her point were vain , continued

from that time to appear as usual o n the

stage .

o f the Many pamphlets had , at the height

o n o f dispute, been written the side the come

o f dians ; and one the ablest of these, which

o f proved , by the laws and constitutions France , that the excommunication levelled against the stage was an unlawful and scandalous imposi

tion , had no sooner made its appearance than it / n 6 1 M ade mo ise lle Cl a iro .

w as the seized , and condemned to be burnt in

Place de Greve by the common hangman . The d estruction o f this pamphlet afterwards provoked

o f a scathing tract , in the form an imaginary

’ o f dialogue between the master the King s revels ,

’ as fo r A advocate the players , and the bbe Grizel ,

o n C . t the side of the hurch This work , al hough

anonymous , was easily recognised as from the pen f o . Voltaire It was , in due course , burned by the

common hangman . This the writer seems to have

anticipated ; for he remarks in the tract that, if the hangman were presented with a complimentary copy

o f every work he was ordered to burn , he would

soon possess a handsome and very valuable library .

T he M em o i rs an d R eflection s o n the D ram a tic

A rt . o w n , which Mdlle Clairon published in her

lifetime , were originally intended as a posthumous

work ; and she had entrusted the manuscript to

an intimate friend , who was not to deliver it to

the printer until ten years after her death . Some

o f spurious version , however, the work having got

she into circulation , was obliged to publish an

a uthentic edition in her own defence .

M emo irs As to the , they are chiefly remark ta re n e t e 6 2 Ido ls of e F n S ag . able for a strange but extremely circumstantial

o f ghost story , which Mdlle . Clairon herself is the heroine . She tells us how her life was haunted by the shade o f a young man whose

sh e passion had slighted , and who, as he died

- broken hearted , vowed with his last breath to return from his grave in order to disturb her

o f . o w n peace mind Here , however, in her words is the extraordinary tale :

“ 1 743 In the year , my youth , and the success with which I had appeared at the Opera and at the French Theatre , procured me a considerable

o f number admirers , among whom were several

. . n f S . so o worthy and estimable characters M de ,

o f O f a merchant Brittany , about thirty years age ,

' d and possessing a handsome figure, with a cultivate

understanding, was one Of those who had made

the deepest impression on me . His manners

o f o f o n e evinced the education a gentleman , and

used to the best society . His reserve and

timidity , which scarcely allowed him to explain

me himself even by his looks, made distinguish m him from a ong all my lovers . After I had been M a e mo ise lle l ir n 6 d C o o . 3

o f some time the obj ect his attentions , I permitted

his visits at my house , and left him no room to doubt the friendship with which he had w f inspired me . Perceiving that I as o an easy

a n d . tender disposition , he was patient trusting that time would produce in my breast a stronger

‘ n sentiment than that of friendship . Who ca tell ?’ ‘ Who can say what may happen ?’ Such were his frequent remarks ; but by answering with candour all the questions which my reason o r

my curiosity dictated, he entirely ruined his cause .

o f so n he Ashamed being the of a merchant, had disposed Of his effects in order to expend the

product at Paris under a more elevated title .

T O This displeased me . blush for himself seemed

to me to j ustify the disdain of others . His

‘ humour was gloomy and melancholy . He was

’ ‘ sa too well acquainted with men , he would y , not

’ to despise and shun them . His plan was to live

fo r only for me , and that I should live only him

o u that displeased me still more , as y may well

m re imagine . I ight have been content to be

o f strained by a garland flowers , but could not

saw h t bear to be confined by a chain . I from t a o l o M e re n e n ta 6 4 Id s f F S ge . moment the necessity of destroying the flattering

d is hope which nourished his attachment , and Of

allowing his frequent visits . This determination ,

ih which I persisted , produced a serious indisposi

at tion , during which I paid him every possible

tention . But my constant refusal to indulge the passion he entertained for me made the wound

- in - still deeper ; and , unfortunately , his brother law ,

to whom he had given a power o f attorney to receive the property he was entitled to from the

O f his ff sale e ects , left him in such extreme want Of money that he was compelled to accept such

loans as I could accommodate him with . This cir

ms an e mo rtificatio n o cu t c was a deep to him . ! u

o f will perceive , my dear Henry , the importance

keeping this secret in your bosom . I respect his

memory , and would not abandon it to the insult

ing pity o f mankind . Preserve the same religious

silence which I have now for the first time violated ,

o u t o u but only of my profound esteem for y .

At length he recovered his memory, but never

his health . I considered his absence from me

would be to his advantage and therefore constantly

s refu ed both his letters and his visits . M e i lle r n . 6 a d mo se C la i o . 5

“ T wo years and a half passed between our first a hi cquaintance and s death . He entreated me to assuage by my presence the last moments of his life . My engagements prevented me from comply

o f ing with his request . He died in the presence h is domestics and an o ld lady whom he had alone fo r ff some time su ered to attend him . He then

’ e d A n tin lodged upon the Rampart , near la Chaus e ,

which had j ust begun to be built . I resided in

d e the Rue de Bussy , near the Rue Seine and

A o f o f bbey Saint Germain . My mother and several m d y frien s generally supped with me . My visitors

were an Intendant of the Privy Purse , whose friendship was of infinite service to me ; the good

Pipelet, whom you formerly knew and admired ;

R o se l e o f and y , one my companions at the theatre .

a young man o f respectable birth and talents .

o f The suppers that period , though the company

was small , were much more entertaining than the most expensive fetes have been fo r these forty

o n e years past . It was at of those suppers , and when I had been singing an air with which my

i fr ends expressed themselves delighted , that, just as

o u r the clock struck eleven , ears were startled E VOL . II . o fire re n en ta e 66 Idols f F S g . by the most piercing cry I had ever heard ; its long continuance and piteous sound astonished

everyone . I fainted away , and was nearly a quarter o f an hour insensible .

“ The Intendant was amorous and j ealous . When

o f I revived , he said to me , with some degree

‘ Spleen , that the signals of my rendezvous were

’ ‘ somewhat too noisy . I answered t hat I was

mistress Of myself, and at liberty to receive at l all hours whoever I thought proper . Signa s ,

therefore , would be altogether useless and , I

added, that the shriek which the Intendant called a signal was o f too dreadful a nature to an nounce the soft moments dedicated to love .

My paleness, the tremor which still remained

o f upon me , the tears which flowed in spite my f ef orts , and my entreaties that the company would

o f remain with me a part the night , convinced them that I was ignorant Of the cause that had produced the noise . We reasoned as to what could have occasioned it, and determined to set

people to watch in the street , in order to dis

. cover the cause , in case it should occur again

“ Everyone in the house , my friends , my neigh

6 8 Idols of tlze F re n e/z Stage .

phantom , and promised to give full belief to it

if it answered me . Whether it was owing to my

o r weakness daring boldness , I know not, but

I did as he requested me . The same cry was

f o f uttered three dif erent times , with a degree

rapidity and shrillness terrible beyond expression .

’ W o u r hen we arrived at friend s house , we were o o u t o f bliged to have assistance to get the coach ,

where we were found sitting in a state o f terror

and insensibility .

n After this scene , I remai ed some months with o u t hearing anythin g of it . I thought I was quit f o f o r . it ever, but I deceived myself

“ All the theatrical exhibitions had been ordered

o n o f to Versailles , account of the marriage the

Dauphin . We were to repair there in three days ,

and for some of the a ctresses lodgings had been

secured . Others , however, had none ; among them

Mm r v all e . G an e . being She remained with me , ex

pe c tin g in vain that a room would be procured for ff her . At three in the morning I o ered to share

m o n e fo r y chamber with her . It had two beds ,

m a n d yself , another for my servant . She accepted

m f an d th e o f tw o y of er, I gave her smaller the , M a e m i e ll l d o s e C a iro n . 6 9

and got into my own . While my servant was

to undressing herself to be by my side , I said her,

‘ n o w d We are almost at the end of the worl , and ,

besides , the weather being unusually tempestuous , the cry would be rather embarrassed to find u s o u t

’ here . It was at that instant uttered . Mme .

G ran v alle thought all the demons o f hell were in

the room . She ran in her chemise from the top

an d ff o n e to the bottom of the house , su ered no

rein ain d e r to sleep during the of the night . This ,

however, was the last time I was troubled with

the sound .

“ Seven or eight days afterwards , when I was

enj oying myself in my usual society , the clock

o f struck eleven , and immediately the firing a gun w a o n e s heard against of my windows . We were

s o f saw all sen ible it , we the fire and heard the

had report ; but , upon examination , the window

received n o kind Of damage . We concluded that

some person had a design upon my life , and

o n e that, having failed , it was necessary to guard against a similar attempt in the future . The

o f Intendant went at once to the house M . de

L his Murville , the ieutenant Of Police , who was s M re n n ta 70 Idol of e F e S ge . f fi riend . He came, accompanied by proper of cers ,

and examined the house Opposite mine , but with o an u t discovering y ground for suspicion . The following day the street was narrowly watched ; the Officers o f police had their eyes upon every

house , but, notwithstanding all their attention , there occurred the same discharge , at the same

o f hour, and against the same frame glass , for

o n e three whole months , though no could ever

is discover from whence it proceeded . This fact f attested by all the registers o police .

“ I became so accustomed to this new trick o f

the spirit which had before haunted me , that I

o n e no longer paid attention to it ; and evening ,

at the hour of eleven , when it was extremely

warm , I opened the window , and the Intendant and myself leaned over the balcony . The instant the clock struck eleven the gun was discharged

o n o u r there , and we both fell flat faces, as

. W if lifeless hen we came to ourselves , and

found that we were not hurt, and acknowledged to each other that at the moment the gun was fired we had each o f us received a V iolent slap o n the face , we could scarcely refrain from laugh M a e m s l e l r n d o i e l C a i o . 7 1

ing at the circumstance . The next day nothing particular happened . But the day after I was

invited by Mdlle . Dumesnil to an entertainment h ’ s e gave . I entered a coach at eleven O clock

- with my waiting woman . The moon shone bright,

o r and we proceeded along the boulevards suburbs , which were j ust then beginning to be built upon We were examining the houses which had lately

‘

- been erected , when my waiting maid said , Is it

’ ‘ in not here that M . de S . died ? From the

’ formation he gave me , that should be the place ,

I replied , pointing with my finger to a house which was before me . The explosion of a gun was immediately heard ; the coachman urged for

ward his horses , conceiving himself attacked by

robbers , and arrived at his destination scarcely

sensible . For my part , I was impressed with a degree o f terror from which I did n o t fo r a long

time recover . This was the last time I was terrified by the firing of the gun .

“ It was, however, succeeded by a noise like the

o f i clapping o f hands . The partiality the publ c had so long accustomed me to this interruption that I for some time paid no attention to it . My r n /i t 7 2 Idols of fire F e e S age .

friends remarked it , and told me they constantly

’ heard it at eleven O clock close to my door .

o n e They could distinguish no , and were con v in ce d that what they heard must have been the

result of some supernatural cause .

“ As the noise had nothing terrible in it, I did not observe what len gth of time it continued . It

was followed by melodious sounds , to which I paid

as little attention . It seemed that a celestial voice

sang the most tender and pathetic airs . The

o f music commenced at the corner the street , and f L concluded at the d oor o my house . ike all

the preceding sounds which had been heard , it baffled all discovery as to the cause . At the end Of about two years I ceased altogether to be dis

tu rb e d .

“ The house I inhabited was extremely noisy , on

o f its account proximity to the market, and the

o f number people who lived in that quarter. I required retirement fo r my studies as well as for

my health , which was much impaired . I was in

fo r rather easy circumstances , and wished a better

a f situation . I w s told o a small house in the

d e s two Rue Marais , which let for hundred francs , M a mo i e lle C l a iro n de s . 7 3 w here Racine was said to have lived forty years

with his family . I was informed that it was

s there that he had composed his immortal work ,

t and that there he died ; that, af erwards, it had

L e co uv re u r been occupied by the tender , who had

i ‘ ’ n t. o f e ded her days in The walls the house ,

‘ ffi I reflected , will be alone su cient to make me

feel the sublimity of the author , and acquire the talents necessary for an actress ; it is in this

’ sanctuary that I will live and die . I took it, and put a bill up in the apartments I had before

occupied . Among the number who applied for them were several persons attracted solely by

b o t o f curiosity . The pu lic had never seen me u

v the theatre . They wished to behold me di ested o f o f a crown , and, unsupported by the characters

Corneille, Racine and Voltaire , reduced to the rank o f an ordinary woman . I flattered myself that the alteration would not show to my pre

judice , as I still retained the same sentiments and

habits ; but I was rather short of stature , and I was supposed by those who had never seen me

ix o ff the stage to be s feet high . At home I

re appeared in my natural form . I never had tae re n en ta e 7 4 Ido ls of F S g . course to art except at the theatre : I was fearful

013? that , when surveyed the stage , the public would diminish twice as much from my stature as I

had been accustomed to add to it . I felt that those who avoided imposing upon the world

had nothing to fear from its censure . Happily,

n o t my nation is given much to reflection, and

I had the satisfaction o f finding that the public still continued to preserve the same opinion with

regard to my figure . “ I was informed that an elderly lady wished

se e sh e to my apartments , and that was waiting there for me . It has ever been my principle to

show the greatest deference to age . I attended her. An emotion of which I was not mistress

made me survey her from head to foot . This emotion increased when I perceived that sh e ex

ri n p e e ce d the same feelings . I was only able to

an d request her to take a seat , she accepted my ff o er . We continued some time silent ; but o u r eyes left no room to doubt the extreme desire we

. had to address each other She knew who I was ,

but I was unacquainted with her , and she felt that the task was imposed upon her o f breaking

tee r n t /z 76 Idols of F o Stage .

’ ‘ t It appears to me , madam , I replied , tha

an d the agitation in which you behold me , which

v e ery word you utter augments , makes it a duty

o w e I to myself to inquire who you are , of

o u whom y are speaking , and what your business

is with me . My character will not allow me to

be made the sport or the victim of anyone .

’ r o u o . Speak , I shall leave y

“ ‘ ’ ‘ I sh e , madam , replied , was the best friend o f ff to . S . M de , and the only person he su ered

be with him during the last moments of his life .

We have both reckoned the days and hours while speaking of you : sometimes making you — I an angel , sometimes a devil continually per su ad in g him to forget you , he constantly profess

r ing that he should adore yo u to the grave . You wh eyes bathed in tears , allow me to ask you y

o u so y rendered him miserable , and how , possess in o u g a tender and sympathetic soul , y could

o f o f refuse him the consolation seeing you , and

’ speaking to yo u fo r once only before he died .

“ ‘ ’ We cannot command our hearts , I replied .

‘ o f M . de S . was possessed merit and of many

t m es i able qualities ; but his gloomy , thoughtful M a e m is e r d o e ll Cla i on . 7 7 a n d despotic disposition made me equally d read his his T o society , friendship and his love . have h made him happy , I must ave renounced the

o f m pleasures society , and even the exercise Of y profession . I was poor and proud . I wished (and I hope I shall always possess the same disposi

n o t u b u t tion) to depend pon anyone myself. The friendship with which he inspired me made me attempt every means to induce him to adopt

sentiments more tranquil and equitable . As I ff could not e ect this , and was persuaded that his d erangement was less to be attributed to the excess O f his passion than to the v iolence o f his

character, I formed and kept a firm resolution f d o separating myself entirely from him . I refuse to se e him in his last moments because the sight o f him would have rent my heart ; an d I should have appeared to o cruel had I refused him what m he asked , while I ust have been wretched had I

o f granted it . These . madam , were the motives

o n e my conduct . I dare flatter myself no will

’ blam e me .

’ ‘ “ ‘ s h e d u h To condemn you , replie , would be

I t o u r G o d o u r j ust . is only to , our parents and l the e n a 7 8 Ido s of Fr ch St ge . benefactors that we are bound to sacrifice o ur it selves . On this last point , I am satisfied that was n o t from you that gratitude was due ; but his

u situation and his passion overcame him , and yo r last refusal hastened his last moments . He

- counted every minute till half past ten , when his servant positively informed him that you would

not come to him . After a moment he took my

o f hand in a paroxysm despair which terrified me .

“ C ru el w om an ! B u t she sha ll ain and exclaimed , g

I will u rsu e her as mu ch a ter m n othin g. p f y

” d eath as I have d u rin g my life . I endeavoured

’ n o to calm him , but he was more . “ I think I need not describe the effect which

the these last words had upon me . I thought all

powers o f heaven and earth had united to tor

ment my wretched life . But at length time and mature reason have restored calmness to my soul .

‘ ’ ‘ If, said I , there is no superior Being who directs

this world , it is impossible that one who is dead

t G o d can be brough back to life . If there is a — — and all Nature attests that He exists the attri H butes of His divinity are j ustice and goodness . e

o f will never, then , send into this abode misery and l l M ade moise l e C a iro n . 7 9 sorrow those whom He has deigned to release

from it . What am I that I should suppose He concerns Himself with so humble an individual ?

H o w can I suppose that o n my account He would derange the order of Nature to manifest His

o r o r o ut anger His goodness , to point to me the means o f avoiding misery o r guilt ? Such cares may be worthy of the Sovereign of the world when the whole human race is the o b j e ct of them ; but an individual is perhaps less in

His eyes than a grain o f sand in ours . L e t us adore Him , let us merit His mercies ; but let us

’ to not attempt scrutinise His ways .

o f re By this mode reasoning, and by various

fle ctio n s which occurred to my mind , I attributed the extraordinary circumstances which had so

bu t terrified me entirely to chance . I know not they were the effect o f chance ; but I cannot deny that what is so called has the greatest influence

o n what passes in the world . D E MO I E L L E O N T T MA S C A .

I N the year 1874 Beaumarchais had just c o m

le te d M arria e F i a r p his famous g of g o . If it was a difficult task to write such a masterpiece ;

“ to get it acted proved more difficult still . I l wi l not allow that piece to be played , said

’ the King . His Maj esty s words were repeated

“ to Beaumarchais . It shall be played ! was the

’ author s exclamation .

’ It required all Beaumarchais geni us to circum

. H o w vent the royal mandate he succeeded , how

o n e f he gained the Queen , flattered high O ficial , d w as efied another , until at length the work

brought to rehearsal , and , in the end , after a Ild d e m e l e a o is l Co n tal . 8 1

n hundred obstacles , to public represe tation , is suffi

n l c ie t y well known .

The famous first night was at hand . Ten

- O ffice hours before the box was open , the doors o f the Comédie Francaise were besieged . The e n

O f tire Court , the princes the blood , the members

o f . the royal family , pressed for places At eleven

’ o clock in the morning the footmen o f the Duchess de Montespan posted themselves at the f theatre door to await the distribution o tickets .

The miserly Mme . de Talleyrand paid three times

b o x the usual price in order to secure a . The soldiers employed to keep back the crush were

simply lost in the crowd , and vainly elbowed their

way about with the grooms and valets .

The night at length arrived , and the curtain

’ rose upon Beaumarchais masterpiece . The audi ence was simply a gorgeous array o f courtiers

’ and celebrities . The ladies silks rustled ; the

boxes were ablaze with diamonds . The success o f c w as the pie e incredible , and surpassed the

wildest dreams of both the author and the actors . The first twenty representations produced upwards of a hundred thousand francs .

VOL . II . 8 2 Idols of the Fre n ch Stage .

I know o f only one thing madder than

“ its my piece , said Beaumarchais ; that is ,

success .

The critics , however, attacked the play with

acrimony . They declared it absurd, immoral ,

im u monstrous . Its author was pronounced an p

dent knave , a rascal , an intriguer. Beaumarchais f simply laughed , and declared himsel flattered by

the abuse . The satires and songs which were directed against him disturbed the great author so very little that , it is said , he himself com

re posed a violent epigram against the play, it citing everywhere, and saying that he had

written it to encourage his enemies , who were

re not half up to their business , and did not

vile him nearly enough .

It was the M arriage of F igaro which first

revealed to the public the extraordinary talent ,

so so o f flexible and exquisite , an actress who

had hitherto remained in the shade . In this

work Mdlle . Contat gained the first Of her

triumphs .

Beaumarchais , who was quick to recognise talent ,

had detected the high qualities o f this actress

ta e 84 Idol s of the Fre n ch S g .

o f sh e a servant girl , assumed the fine lady , would have passed fo r a duchess o r a princess .

o r She had large eyes , alternately languishing

flashing with mischief . Her whole countenance

w as piquant and anim ated . She possessed a

se t o f beautiful teeth , which she revealed from

n f time to time in o e o her exquisite smiles .

“ ” She is an admirable Venus , said a pamphlet o f ou t the time , by some great sculptor from a block of the purest marble ; only he had n o t

time to finish his masterpiece , and confided the hands and feet to o n e of his workmen Her l hands and feet did , indeed , eave something to be h desired . But s e knew how to d issimulate this

o n imperfection , and the stage it passed unnoticed .

o n 1 7th 1 7 60 L Born at Paris the June , ouise Contat was pronounced an actress before she was six o n months o ld . It was the boards o f a theatre

she sh e that learned to walk , and still lisped when sh e was taught to spell her childish parts . At the age o f eleven sh e would have se t o ut o n tour with a wand ering theatrical troupe had n o t the actress

Prév ille h r Mme . rescued e from the life of miser

h s able vagrancy by w ich h e was threatened . M a m n t de o ise lle C o a t . 8 5

She adopted the little girl herself, and it was

o f w h o she and her husband , an actor renown , first trained the child in a methodical manner to

t . n o the stage The wife , it is true , was a pre ce tre ss p calculated to develop youthful genius .

w as ff Her own style sti and mechanical , and under her tuition the talen t o f the little girl was

. h likely to be cramped On the other and , her

fo r husband was a true artist , who took Nature

se e his ideal , and it was his chief care to that

’ “ ” N o t the child s genius had unfettered play . ,

“ sh e said Fleury , that did not herself discover

o f w as the secrets an art hich , a matter Of fact,

” e h e cannot be taught . But Pr ville , while gave

free scope to her natural bent , taught her that

stage mechanism which , as Fleury happily

“ is observes , it necessary to learn in order to

fo r appear in public, but still more necessary to

” get if o n e wishes to succeed .

It was on the 3d o f February 1 7 7 6 that the charming L ouise Contat made her d ebu t as

n B a az et. A tilad e in j Her early appeara ces , which ,

however , were confined to tragedy , made little

d n o m a . impression . Trage y was by e ns her forte r 86 Idol s of the F e n ch Stage .

d ebu t w Mdlle . Contat has just made her , rote

L “ aharpe , with a pretty face , but no voice , and

” little talent . Grimm was hardly more favourable .

“ ” “ She is mediocre , he said , in tragedy, and is marred by mannerism ' but she has an agreeable

face and lustrous eyes .

As to her beauty everyone was agreed . But some gift besides beauty was necessary for success ;

and although Mdlle . Contat possessed this gift, it

n o t as yet lay dormant . Managers , indeed , would give her the parts she required ; and fo r many

years she was condemned to the tragic style , in which none o f her qualities could reveal them

selves .

Mdlle . Contat was too beautiful to want , even at f o . an early age , a host admirers Her first love ff f a air was suf iciently unfortunate . The successful

L u b sac . o f suitor was a certain M de , an Officer ’ f the King s household . He was a man o inferior birth with an empty purse ; but he w as as hand

as some Apollo , and a wit into the bargain . He laid suc h persistent siege to the actress that she at length yielded in sheer weakness to his im

o r n i p tu ty . M a e mo ise lle o n t l d C a . 8 7

L ub sac De was distinguished by two vices .

He loved wine and cards . His passion for play was so reckless that b e one night staked his

o r beautiful mistress , , at least, put to hazard the

whole Of her diamonds and trinkets . He lost, and

the next day , j ust as Mdlle. Contat was about to

’ ete attend a f , she looked for her j ewellery in vain .

The caskets were all empty ; a clean sweep had been made of everything . She set up a cry of

L u b sac thieves , and called in the police . De thought it discreet to silence her by a free con

“ ” f s i n f e s o o his fault . He admitted that he had

d f n ple ged the whole o the missi g property . She

L u b sac was furious , and de expressed the deepest

contrition .

“ ” “ ! n Ah he cried , wringing his hands , if I o ly had a few louis at this moment I could repair everything

“ ? ” How cried Mdlle . Contat , with a sudden

gleam o f hope .

“ “ - L ub sac Why , to night , replied , I feel that

my luck is in . I should win everything back .

” so u But I have not a solitary .

The repentance Of the criminal was so comic l the r n t 88 Ido s of F e ch S age .

’ that it touched the actress s heart . Presently sh e

m sh e . s iled , then laughed outright In the end

o f she lent the gambler a couple louis , the last

o ff she had in the world , and he hurried to the — gaming table . In less than an hour he returned

triumphant . He had won . He brought back l the whole of the j ewel ery, which he had taken o u t O f pawn , and he had a few louis in his

pocket besides . It was impossible to be too severe with such

a man . The actress , however , could not put up

with him many months . He at length proved such a desperate rake that she dismissed him in

disgust . Some time afterwards he returned , and threw himself once more at her feet ; but she

o f ordered him out her presence , and dared him ever to have the impertinence to address her

again .

w as so She perhaps tired of penurious a lover . Her next choice fell upon the Marquis de Mau

e l p on , who was rich , and violent y in love with

. d her He was lavish with his money , and enied

n . fo r her nothi g He furnished a house her ,

he r d w loaded with presents , ecorated her ith price M o l n t l 8 ade m ise l e Co a . 9

m to m less dia onds . He bowed down her , oreover , l ike a slave , and yielded without a murmur to her

slightest caprice .

At last she grew tired o f him . He was dis

a missed . His successor was no less personage

’ o f th e d A rto is than a prince the blood , Count ,

the first gentleman in France next to the King .

” “ At that period , says a writer , what woman would have resisted the advances o f a prince o f the blood ? For an actress to have done so would

’ a have been regarded s high treason . The actress found the Prince sufficiently muni

fic e n t . But her extravagance was such that she would soon have ruined him had he left her the

his . full control of purse At length , to put a

check upon her reckless expenditure , he pleaded

poverty .

The actress n o w determined to practise a trick upon him in order to revive his generosity .

On a piece o f stamped paper sh e forged a

she legal warrant , by which it appeared that was required to pay a debt of ten thousand francs .

she This document left, as though by accident , m m upon her antelpiece , and the next ti e His Royal o ls h r n c 9 0 Id of t e F e h Stage .

o f Highness called upon her he caught sight it,

an d wished to read it . The actress pretended to

n — s atch it away from him , but at length with — apparent reluctance yielded to his curiosity .

sh e He inspected the judgment , said was very

wrong not to have taken him into her confidence ,

promised to take the debt upon himself , and

O ff carried the document . The next day he sent

her , not the ten thousand francs , but another legal h document , w ich provided that the warrant should

not be put into force for th e Space o f a year .

This royal piece Of trickery threw Md lle . Contat

o f into a state fierce indignation . The Prince , l however, had Simply indu ged in a little j oke , and the next day he made his peace with a

magnificent present .

The constancy o f the royal lover was o f no

long duration . He was volatile . A bird of fine

plumage , he presently Showed that he could

use his wings and escaped from the cage o f the

enchantress . M eanwhile , the actor Fleury was very much

H is attached to his fair associate . regard for her

w a s more disinterested than that of her other

l th t 9 2 Ido s of e Fre n ch S age .

w as . after the incident , when She at the theatre a letter from the mysterious stranger w as delivered t to her . He proved o be no less than a prince

n e o f a Pri ce H nry , brother the King of Prussi

o f and himself a friend the drama . He had w ritten to beg the “ modern Athalie ” to do him the honour to preside at the rehearsal of a n e w

piece in which he was interested . Partly to hear

Sh e the piece , but chiefly to oblige the man whom

had been on the point of killing , she complied with his request .

T he piece was a comedy with airs , written by

M an te u fe l Baron Ernest de , with music from the

z pen Of D e ed e . The subj ect was extremely inter

esting , and Mdlle . Contat saw that this Operetta would prove an immense success at the Theatre

ran ais F q , where , too , it would supply Fleury with a part in which he might make a great sensa

ea w as ti o n . To the Th tre Francais the piece accordingly transported , and it amply fulfilled

’ L es cle u x P a es the actress s anticipations . g was a

o o f pr digious triumph , and Fleury made the hero ,

a Frederick the G reat , a masterpiece which pl ced

him in n o f the first ra k his profession . M a e m se lle t d o i Co n ta . 9 3

1 788 . t This was in the year , when Mdlle Conta

o f h e r th e was at the height fame , and when authors and composers w ho bowed down at her feet knew that to have secured her patronage fo r a new piece was beforehand to have con quered

sh the public . A few years previously e was less famous by her talent than by her reckless life f and her independence o spirit . Until her crea

o f o f h tion the part Suzanne , her stage triump s

’ were comparatively meagre . As Julie in L I m

a tien t as R en d ez vo u s p , the Countess in the , as

Vicu a G ar o n Sophie in the c , she had pleased a few connoisseurs rather than impressed the public at large ; but the M arriage of F igaro revealed to her and to everyone her true bent as an d actress . It was in high come y that She was supreme and without a rival ; and to this pro vince she n o w resolved to confine herself. In her

u c hands th e fan became a sceptre . She had a se d

tive voice , an eloquent eye , an exquisite smile ; every

in thing , a word , which could enchant an audience

f o f in this style o impersonation . None the char acte ristics o f good breeding had escaped h e r ; an d

from head to foot her d istinction was perfect . th 9 4 Idols of e Fre n ch Stage .

Her Paris triumphs were in due time repeated in the provinces . The tours She made were one

long series o f ovations . At Marseilles crowns and

s wreaths were showered at her feet , and thousand Of complimentary stanzas were composed in her

honour . One of these may be here reproduced.

’ H i e r n u e n fan t d H e lico n

’ ’ D u n e e m o n m a o n n o n n n e s cr t i p rta t d é c aissa c . ’ A mi l e s n e oe d A o ll o n , uf s urs p

’ ’ N O n t pas to uj o urs été si chaste s q u e l o n p e n s e ;

’ T halie (ah ! qui l e fit cru san s b ruit e t san s éclat A d e ux e n fan ts d o n n a n aissan c e ;

’ ’ L u n e st M o lé e e st o n , l autr C tat .

L At yons the enthusiasm was not less great , and it was still further heightened when the actress gave

fo r the benefit Of the poor a performance which f realised a sum o nearly four thousand francs . At Toulouse she had arranged to give ten

representations . But an eleventh and a twelfth

scarcely sufficed to content the enthusiastic public :

and the proceeds o f these extra performances she

d e she istributed to the poor of Bar ges , where

went to take the waters .

Although detractors accused her o f ostenta

tion , She seems to have been genuinely charit

ols o the F re n c t 9 6 Id f h S age .

te re d the lists against Mdlle . Vanhove than she was

completely crushed . Mdlle . Contat had forgotten

u that , although she co ld give her Sister parts

to play , she could not furnish her with talent .

u re She , nevertheless , made subseq ent attempts to

o n instate Emilie the boards , in Opposition both

to Mdlle . Vanhove and Mdlle . Mimi . By these endeavours she drew upon herself many v iolent

reproaches in prose and verse . The following lines amon g others were evoked at the time

L e Theatre F ran gais a b e s o i n d e I ‘ e e rn e s

u i o me e n o e t n e o e n e . Q pr tt t , surt ut , qui s i t pas gru s V o us v o ul e z écarte r V an h o ve d u théfitre ;

P o e n e n a o o e n e l o t o n ur v ir b ut v us pr z haut ,

E t préte n d e z n o us faire aval e r l e go uj o n . ’ Je v o us déclare ie i qu o n n e s o u fiira pas ” V e n fin l Q u e Mimi sur an h o v e usurp e o pas .

T o this feeble attack Mdlle . Contat replied m and for so e time the quarrel continued , both in the public prints and behind the scenes at

- the theatre . Marie Antoinette , who had taken

fo r Mdlle . Vanhove under her patronage , secured

w her a part hich Mdlle . Contat had endeavoured

f r to Obtain o her sister . When the actress her

a o w n self, queen at the theatre , learned that her M a e mo ise lle o n t t d C a . 9 7

desire had been subordinated to the royal wish , she exclaimed : This Queen has a great deal o f influence ! ”

o f This , however, was said in a mere moment

pique . Mdlle . C ontat was much attached to the

royal family . One day the Queen , who wished

o f o u vern an te to assist at a representation the G , sent word to Mdlle . Contat that she should like

to see her play the principal part in the piece .

This part was suited neither to the age nor to the talent o f the lively actress ; but sh e n e v e rth e

to less promised Obedience , and at once began learn the fiv e hundred verses o f which the part

t wo w as consists . In days this accomplished , and

sh e played the character with wonderful success .

sh e Soon afterwards , in a letter wrote to a

friend , She alludes to her rapid study Of the

“ part in these words : I did n o t know before which was the seat of memory— I find it is the

” o f heart . This letter, published by order the

Queen , proved almost fatal to Mdlle . Contat , ’9 3 when , in , she was arrested , with the whole of

sh e her company . By a miracle , however , escaped

the guillotine .

l I . VOL . 8 ls o the re n c ta 9 Ido f F h S ge .

T he o n Revolution ! put a temporary check her h c . n s e areer Subseque tly appeared on the stage ,

with Fleury , at Bordeaux . Here the display o f her talents transported the public to a posi

tive frenzy , both inside and outside the theatre . Crowds gathered at the stage door to witness h e r o f departure at the end the performances .

They surrounded her, followed her with such

shouts , such a clamour, that at once delighted

’ le u r a n d alarmed . She would cling closer to F y s

o f side , and say to him with an air comic gravity

“ My dear friend , these people quite enchant me . Had we not better call the guard ?”

On the re - establishment o f the Comédie Fran

aise g , Contat resumed her position in the company,

and at once reconquered her former popularity .

sh e w as Indeed , under the Directory , more than

ever adored by the public, and in particular by

o f the gilded youth the capital , who literally

” swore by her.

“ Mdlle . Contat , having herself escaped the na

” tio n al knife , by no means forgot in her hour o f n e e d those o f her friends who lay under

o f the shadow the guillotine .

I O O ols o the re n t e Id f F ch S ag .

sh e had cancer in the breast , and soon learned — by an accident what the physicians attempted

: to disguise from her that her doom was sealed .

o w n Her physician , who hesitated to deal with s o grave a case himself, advised her to consult

the famous Dubois . She at once paid him a

w visit, and Dubois , hen he had examined her,

promised to confer with her private doctor , and

to prescribe to him a definite mode o f treatment .

o wn She was , accordingly , to pay a visit to her

sh e doctor three days afterwards , and duly pre

sented herself at his surgery . He asked her to

take a seat, and , promising to return to her in L an instant , quitted the room . eft by herself, She

c glanced round the surgery , and happened to atch s ight o f a paper which bore her name . As it

e was a mere prescription , it did not much xcite he r curiosity ; but half - concealed behind it lav a nother paper , which also bore her name , and w re hich She ventured to examine . It was the port which Dubois had drawn up o n her case .

I t informed h e r doctor that the patient was doomed ; that a painful operation might be at

n . tempted , but that nothi g on earth could save her M a e m is le C n t [ 1 d o e l o a t. 0

m The unhappy wo an fell back in a swoon .

fo r Dubois was sent , and secretly cursed himself for having omitted to take the report away in

his pocket . He restored the unhappy woman to ff consciousness , showed her a ectionate kindness ,

o f h and even tried to solace her with a ray ope , f f but the ef ect o the cruel shock remained .

o n Mdlle . Contat , however , lingered for two

. ff years She bore her su erings with heroism , and disguised them from the friends about her by an

air o f gaiety ; forcing a laugh in order to sup f a . o press groan At length , after five months

sh e o n 9 th o f terrible agony , expired the March

1 813. M D MO I S L L T A E E E RA UC O UR .

C H A P T E R I .

MAD AME FR ANC OI S E MAR IE A N TO IN ETTE C L A I R I E N l h was D o mb as e s 29 t 1 75 5 . born at , November , The father o f the future theatrical queen was a poor

village barber , with more children than he knew

n how to feed . He accordingly handed over o e Of

his girls to the local postmaster , who consented to adopt her. But the postmaster was not much

o ff better than the barber ; and having, after a

time , become bankrupt , he fled from his native

his o wn place , abandoning his wife and children ,

but taking with him his adopted daughter, who

his o wn was henceforth to pass as child .

re n ta e I 04 Ido ls of the F ch S g .

o f On the night the performance Raucourt, de

t e rmin e d . to crush his rival , shouted and roared

L aso z e liére o n , the other hand , lowered his voice , while still contriving to make himself distinctly

to heard . The contrast was not advantageous

Raucourt , whose loud , ponderous tones caused him t o be well hissed . Coming to the conclusion that

his own countrymen wo uld never appreciate him at h is true value , Raucourt now went to Spain, where not only he but also his adopted daughter appeared a s v members Of a tra elling French company .

The little girl made a good impression , and

1 7 70 e n returning to France , in , Obtained an

a e m n t sh e g g e at Rouen . Here acted with so

much success that the fame o f her talent reached

Paris ; and soon she received an official order to

l d ebu t visit the capita , and make her at the

Comédie Francaise . Raucourt followed his adopted child to the

c hO in a re apital ; p g, it may be , that those who pp

c iate d her would also form a good Opinion of

him .

Arriving in Paris , the young girl was not called

a upon to appear at once . She was placed for Ild ad e m R u rt 1 0 oise lle auco . 5 time under an experienced actor ; and it was n o t t 22d 1 772 until Sep ember , , that she made her d ébu t o f , the part assigned to her being that

Dido . There is scarcely another instance o f such a success as this youn g girl o f scarcely seventeen

at once Obtained . She conquered her audience from

the moment of her entry upon the stage , and the applause went o n increasing from act to act until at last the triumph of the d ebu tan te passed

all limits .

She will be the immortal glory o f the French

theatre , wrote Grimm , immediately afterwards . “ She effaces all that had previously been seen

” on the stage , said another critic . According

“ to B achau mo n t , it was impossible to describe

the sensation she caused , nothing within the

memory o f living man having been seen like it .

- a n . She is only sixteen and half, he co tinues

h as She is a study for a painter . She the most

beautiful , the most noble , the most dramatic face ; her voice is charming , her intelligence prodigious .

She did not make o n e mistake in the whole O f her very difficult part ; not the slightest false in

o n e tonation , not inappropriate gesture , not one t e I o 6 Idols of the Fre n ch S ag .

slip of any kind . She delighted everyone . She is a prodigy well calculated to make even her f ” most accomplished rivals die o spite . im According to another account , the first pression made by the young actress was so great that bravos burst forth before she had pronounced

o n e word . She had no sooner begun her part than the audience were carried away with “ deliri

’ “ ” o u s admiration and wild transports . From act

o n to act this rage , this fury, this frenzy went

“ increasing . The pit was struck as if by mad

ness . People laughed , wept , applauded , embraced one another , so that one might well have believed

that , after the performance , all the spectators

d o f t to woul , as a matter course, be aken the

”

m . nearest asylu Mdlle . Raucourt had risen that

morning poor and unknown . She went to bed

that night rich and celebrated .

The second representation was , if possible , more

brilliant than the first, and such was the eager ness to see the new actress that the public fl ocked into the orchestra and even invaded the

“ ”

. o n e stage Paris , said writer, would have been le ss profoundly moved had it suddenly been

t re n ta e 1 08 Idols of he F ch S g .

T h e d ebu ta n te w as ordered to appear at the

Court Theatre ; and her success at Versailles , if less noisy , was substantially as great as it had

“ B ach au mo n t been at Paris . The King, says ,

paid Mdlle . Raucourt (or de Raucourt, as he calls her) the compliment of remaining in his box

o f D id o throughout the performance , which was the more remarkable inasmuch as His Majesty does

not care for the theatre , and in particular dislikes

” tragedy .

L as ouis XV . had been as much dazzled any Of

his subjects . At the end Of the performance he

introduced the admirable actress to the Dauphiness ,

“ ” : saying I present to you Queen Dido , and he afterwards gave her fifty louis in token o f his

. d u satisfaction Mme . Barry was equally delighted h with her , and , wis ing to make her a present , asked whether sh e should offer her three d fo r o r o n e u se resses private for stage . The actress replied that she should prefer the stage dress , as the public would profit by it as well as herself.

M a The King had given orders that d lle . R uco m t should be received as a member o f the Comédi e M a ll a n r de mo ise e R n eo t . I 09

F ran gaise without being required to gi v e any

f w o n further proofs o her talent . Meanwhile her d e rful success , her mighty triumphs , filled her

rivals with despair . They did not , indeed , die

” o f m spite , but they combined against the co mon

enemy , against the newcomer who had caused the charming Adrienne L e c o u v re u r and the sublime

Clairon to be forgotten . The two leaders of the

opposition n o w organised against Mdlle . Raucourt

- V i . e str s were Mdlle de Saint Val and Mme . , who,

from enemies , became friends for the occasion .

They organised a cabal . They filled the pit with

hired agents , well paid to disturb the performance

and at the proper moment hiss . What , however, could a cabal do against a pu blic animated by — genuine enthusiasm an enthusiasm which became greater and greater in proportion as , from

interested motives , it was opposed . Everything would have been permitted to Raucourt now that s he was known to be the Obj ect o f such shameful

IlI ithrid ates attacks . One night when , in , she had

“ o f forgotten some her words , It is all through

- co m that Mdlle . de Saint Val , was the general

ment . At another time , when a cat had happened ls o the re n c t I 1 0 o a e . . Id f F h S g

“ o n V . e stris to cross the stage , Sent by Mme , said someone in the pit ; an explanation which was

received with loud applause .

Mdlle . Raucourt paid very little attention to an i organised hostility wh ch , in presence of universal ff admiration , had less than no e ect .

Amongst her innumerable admirers, more than

o n e . lover now declared himself Of these , among

w as B e au o n the earlier ones , the most notorious j ,

n B achau mo n t the Court ba ker, who , as put it ,

“ h e O f though had never been a man letters ,

’ wished to preside at the young girl s studies ,

“ and to make her rehearse at his house . People

“ o ccu say , continued the chronicler, that he is

pied more with her person than with her talent . Many wish that She would bring do wn the fat

o f ff - u this pu ed p financier, who , after having

1 748 n o w narrowly escaped hanging in , is the f Plutus o the day .

’ B achau mo n t s pious wish was not to be grati

. w as f fie d Mdlle . Raucourt at this period o her f career a mod el o propriety .

[ 2 ols o the re n c ta e 1 Id f F h S g .

! e s , objected someone ; the first, my dear — M . Raucourt . But the second and the third ?

The sword he habitually wore, the pistol he

occasionally carried , were , however , not wanted .

. o r Mdlle Raucourt was virtuous . rather she was

virtue incarnate . In vain was her heart besieged

li th e - O ffice o f f ke . box the theatre the nights O

her performance . The most brilliant propositions , the most attractive Offers had no effect upon her. One man placed fifty thousand francs at her

' e feet , another one hundr d thousand ; a third went

o f b t higher still in this species auction , p to no purpose .

All this became known to the public , and no

’ fi R au co urt s o n e could suf ciently praise Mdlle . sur

prising, unprecedented reserve She reaped the benefit O f her reputation when at night the ad

“ miring pu blic applauded her to the echo . Joan of Arc at the Comédie Francaise she was called ;

“ the Wise Virgin in the midst o f the foolish ones and Diana with the features of Venus .

“ It is said , wrote Grimm , that this charm in g creature , so imposing on the stage , is per fe c tly simple when She has left the theatre ; that M e r 1 ad moise ll e Ra u co u t . I 3

o f she has all the candour, all the innocence her age ; that all the time she can spare from the

’ study o f her art is spent in children s games . Endless dissertations were written with the view

' O f discovering metaphysically by what p o w e r ' a

so girl so young, and innocent , could represent with so much passion o n the stage the transports f and the fury o love .

Soon the virtue of Mdlle . Raucourt became the i great affair of the day . It was inqu red after

B ach aumo n t fo r o n e u every morning ; and , , is fo nd

“ s replying : The virtue of the new actress keep

“ up ; and again , The virtue of the new actress

” “ resists the most numerous assaults . Has she yielded ? “ Will she ever yield ? was asked : and heavy bets were laid on the subj ect .

sh e Meanwhile , was encouraged to persevere in her novel and surprising course . People took the same interest in her as in some marvellous

o f phenomenon . The ladies the Court combined together in order to preach to her , one after the

, other, the duties of morality and the delights o f a chaste and virtuous life . They assured her ,

n o t as if from experience , that happiness did I ] V O L . II . t I I 4 Ido ls of the Fre n ch S age .

v . consist in having lo ers At the same time ,

to handsome presents were made to her , as if reward her fo r her determined course . Princesses and duchesses vied with one another in enrich

. d u ing her wardrobe ; , and Mme Barry promised

her a dowry for the day of her marriage . The young woman ’s virtue was becoming f actually a source o profit to her . One day an

o ld n - gentlemen entered her dressi g room , and

: re said to her My age , mademoiselle , will h assure yo u as to t e purity Of my intentions .

I admire your talent , I admire your virtue , and

u m ff o u yo r odesty still more . Allow me to O er y

a slight token o f my admiration . He approached

- her dressing table , and laid upon it two rouleaus

o f o n e hundred gold louis each . Mdlle . Raucourt

n o t could refuse a gift made in such terms . and the Old gen tleman went away without making

himself known .

Another time a gentleman less o ld Offered her twelve thousand francs a year if she would re m sh e ain as was , and twice as much if, deciding

n o t to d o s o sh e . , gave him the preference ff She received o ers , moreover , from the Duke

s the re n c ta e I I 6 Idol of F h S g .

Mdlle . Raucourt , the poor young actress fainted ,

while her father , rising from the table, and draw

his ing sword , declared that he would have the

’ calumniator s life . The day afterwards the story was known all over Paris ; and the city was divided into those

it o f who believed and those who did not . One Voltaire ’s numerous correspondents told him what

had happened , describing to him the imprudence o f l Riche ieu , the awkwardness of Ximenes, the

w o f o f s ooning the lady , and the indignation the

n o . public . He did t hesitate to make amends He did his best to console the actress with the brilliancy o f his wit , the fascination of his style , sending

her letter after letter , and stanza after stanza .

IE so n I am the aged , and you the enchantress

” o n e Medea, he wrote to her day ; and the day

“ afterwards , I have scarcely left to me eyes to se e o u y , a soul to admire you , a hand to write

to you .

The verses with which he sought to pacify the

o f wounded lady were clever , course ; though , fo r o m th e V ltaire , com onplace . Here are two Of s ta n zas M a e moise lle a uco u rt d R . I I 7

R o te s e n s e n n e auc urt , tal t cha t urs

e o te o n d e s co n u éte s Chaqu j ur f t q . T u o p e o le s c oe fais s u ir r t us urs ,

T u o n e o e l e s t t s fais t ur r t ut s é e .

’ ’ L art d atte n d rir e t d e charme r A pare ta brillian te auro re

ton oe e s t o me Mais c ur fait p ur ai r, ” E t oe n e e n e n o e cc c ur dit ri c r .

Voltaire ’s reproach to the effect that the actress ’s

“ ” o f heart was made to love , in spite which it f o . had not yet made any Sign , was evil augury

O r , perhaps , as before suggested , the story of

v the Genevese may have been true . Voltaire li ed

o r close to Geneva, and was more less in a position to know .

However that may have been , the report was

Spread o n e day through stu p e fie d Paris that the

phenomenal virtue of Mdlle . Raucourt had at

last given way, and in presence of an attack from no less formidable an assailant than the

King himself . A Parisian belonging to the Court

“ wrote at this time from Compiegne : Mdlle . Raucourt has j ust given a performance for the

o n e benefit of His Maj esty . No expected it ; nor is it likely to meet with the success o f Dido . I I 8 Ido ls of the Fre n ch Stage .

sh e has fo r : However , this excuse herself What

? ho w woman resists her sovereign According ,

L . ever, to another authority , it was not ouis XV

’ but the Duke d A igu ill o n who was in question .

v o n It appears , moreo er, from a letter the

t . subj ec , that Mdlle Raucourt owed at this time

forty thousand francs , which the Marquis de

Bievre paid . Unedifying particulars are also given as to an annuity which he is said to have bought fo r her, the amount of the monthly allowance he

so . made to her , and on What had become of m Raucourt , with his fierce de eanour , his pistol

i d iflicult an d is . s his sword , not stated It , how

ever , to believe that he was not a consenting

o f his h party ; and thus the whole legend watc .

’ n o f ful ess , and his adopted daughter s virtue ,

becomes worthless . The actress now lived a life of the utmost luxury and extravagance ; and soon another

marquis appeared on the scene . She got this o n e she , de Villette , into many scrapes , for had m co pletely lost her head . She did her best to make him fight a duel with the architect

Bélan ge r about some Offen ce she had received at

2 the re n c ta e I 0 Idols of F h S g .

d isa The prestige o f Mdlle . Raucourt had p

o n e . p e are d . Her reign had been but a short With her reputation for virtue her renown as a

: tragic actress had vanished a proof that the public ,

even the French public , is more mindful than is

’ generally supposed o f an actress s private character .

It was now said that she had too long a waist ,

and that her skinn y arms left much to be desired .

o f Even the beauty her countenance was denied ,

upon the ground that it was too masculine .

People asked o n e another by what blindness they

could have admired a hoarse voice , exaggerated

gestures, and a generally vicious style . It was as though a bandage had fallen from the eyes o f

the public . One day the actress was adored , the next almost execrated .

Her extraordinary reputation for virtue h ad wounded many of her colleagues , and now that

this reputation had passed away , the public was indign ant to think how fo r a time it had been

- . V tri . e s s taken in Mme and Mdlle . de Saint Val had been obliged to keep quiet as long as their

. N o w rival enjoyed such immense popularity ,

n however , they fou d themselves free to give full M a e m oise lle u u rt d Ra co . I 2 I vent to their animosity ; and by this newly ao

quired liberty they fully profited . The idol had been overturned , and anyone who chose might insult it . Contrary to the custom o f the

o f French public , contrary also to the spirit fairplay , the audiences attacked in Dido and in

Cleopatra the private life of Mdlle . Raucourt, the

representative of those heroines . In her early days she had been known by the distinctive

“ and somewhat ridiculous title o f the chaste tra

” gedian . She now seemed to have resolved to take revenge for the strict rules sh e had formerly imposed upon herself ; always supposing that the ferocious attitude o f the protecting Raucourt had nothing to do with her supposed innocence which

may have been only the result of fear . From fault to fault sh e fell at last into the most

lamentable excesses , which were duly chronicled by the purveyors o f gossip to the Parisians and to the different crowned heads who could afford the luxury Of a private Paris correspondent .

” “ “ She had astonished Paris , wrote Grimm , by the prodigy of her virtue ; sh e n o w surprised it by the monstrosity of her vice . She at last I 2 2 o ls o the re n c ta Id f F h S ge . scandalised those who were least susceptible to

” scandal .

“ The most I nj uri ous letters were circulated

” “ : ab o min about her , says another writer the most

” “ able things were attributed to her. Mdlle .

Raucourt now shows herself in her true colours ,

we read elsewhere , no mystery , no secrecy is

” possible ; everything is unveiled .

Nothing that She does escapes notice . A new

planet is less attentively, less minutely ex amin e d from the summit o f the Observatory than is this theatrical star by the whole theatrical w orld . She at last , and no wonder, became

disgusted with her own profession , played care

lessly, and ceased to study .

There was a little reaction in her favour ,

o sh e h wever, when appeared as the Statue (who has since received the name of Galatea— whence derived it would be d ifli cu lt to say) in the

m a lio n o f n Jean Jacques Rousseau . In this

s h e piece made quite a sensation .

“ t B achau mo n t . re re Mdlle Raucour , writes , p s n e ted the Statue , and was really admirable .

Ma n y thought it was the finest part She had

2 l the re n t I 4 Ido s of F ch S age .

tend with , apart from the intrigues of her rivals

— at and the insults of the pit that time in France ,

d o f as in Englan , the recognised territory critics

professional and unprofessional . She had to

reckon with her creditors , who were both numer o us l and relentless . In less than three years , whi e

spending immense sums , she had also managed to contract debts to the amount o f some three

hundred thousand francs . At this time She is

reported to have kept twelve horses , several

o r all carriages , three four separate residences ,

furnished in the most luxurious manner, fifteen

o f servants , and a wardrobe the most sumptuous

kind , comprising male as well as female attire .

The co n versation having o n e day turned in her presence upon the follies of young men in connec

“ sh e : tion with women , calmly observed I am not surprised that so many men should ruin them selves for women ; it is the most expensive o f all

tastes . d At last , pursued by her cre itors , and hooted by

S h e to the public , was obliged seek safety in flight .

“

o f . The collapse Mdlle Raucourt , writes Grimm ,

has suddenly interrupted the performance o f M a e m ll n d o ise e R a co n rt . 1 2 5

’ e Z a Monsieur de la F vre s u ma . Sudden s was her

” “ disappearance , it took no one by surprise . It

o u r B achau mo n t was reserved for time , added ,

“ to se e the most brilliant actress o f the Comédie

F ran gaise so entirely without means as to be reduced to bankruptcy .

What had become of her ? was asked o n all

sides . This question was put very earnestly

indeed by the creditors , who rushed after the

n fugitive i every direction . Meanwhile , disguised

as a dragoon , Mdlle . Raucourt was conceal

ing herself in the neighbourhood of Paris . A

farmer, who mistook her for a young Officer in

trouble about an unfortunate duel , had given her hospitality.

After passing more than S ix weeks in this re

S h e treat , determined to risk a return to Paris ,

sh e where succeeded in reaching the Temple , at that time the recognised asylum o f t d e bto rs unable

to pay . Here she remained several months , while some O f her friends entered into negotiations with

d sh e the creditors . Time was grante to her , and was able to reappear at the Comédie Francaise ,

d e n e o f . where o her fiercest rivals , Mdlle Saint l h e n t 1 2 6 Ido s of t e Fr ch S age .

al in o f ff V , spite all her e orts , had not been able

sh e w as t o replace her . During the whole winter

in a state of perpetual anxiety .

fo r She looked everywhere some protector ,

n sa but n o o e would have anything to y to her .

At last she succeeded in exciting the interest o f

o f 1 7 7 7 the Queen ; when , in the month March , as she was getting into her carriage in order to L drive to ongchamps , she was arrested and taken

’ f r sh to F o r l E v équ e . Fortunately o her e did n t sh e o remain long in prison , or would have had

detainers without number lod ged against her . A

n n she be evolent ha d came to her assistance , and

left the prison , without giving anything what

ever except promises . Her liberator was the

L h ad Prince de igne , who come forward at the

k o n n o f . S o u c e i stance Mdlle , Of Mdlle . Rau

’ co urt s most intimate friend s . The Prince spoke o f s paying everything that was due , and as hope

were also entertained in connection with the Queen ,

n the creditors o ce more became pacified , and once m more granted time . A brilliant success ight still

s ave the distressed actress . She endeavoured to Obtain a new en gagement at the Coméd i e

n ta e 1 2 8 Idol s of the Fre ch S g .

C H A P T E R I I I .

IN less than a year Mdlle . Raucourt was entirely

- an d . forgotten, her two rivals , Mdlle de Saint Val

Mm Ve tri and e . s s had fallen out between them

V ris . e st o f s elves . Mme got the worst the

struggle , when the sublime idea occurred to her

of bringing back to Paris the exiled actress , who , s he knew , would totally eclipse the actress by

whom She herself had been overshadowed . The overtures made to Mdlle . Raucourt by her former

o f enemy , who now tendered the hand friendship

with a view to hostile action against another , were such that it was impossible n o t to accept

. Ve stris them Mme . undertook that there should

“ be n o more intrigues against the illustrious

” an d o f tragedian , assured her , moreover, the m ost powerful support , including that of all

’ Mm V tris e . e s o w n personal friends . These were

fi n m suf cie tly nu erous .

n n . t Retur i g to Paris , Mdlle Raucourt , withou l o o ki n g fo rward to the popularity which she had e n o d in j ye former days , expected at least to be i l/ad e mo ise lle R a u co u rt . 1 2 9

o n e received with ordinary consideration . No , however, would have anything to say to her ; neither the public nor those private acquaintances

sh e who , had felt sure , must have forgotten the

scandals Of a twelvemonth before . N O o n e desired even so much as a visit from this “ most compromising of women .

sh e w Without resources , without friends , kne h not where to go , when she received ospitality

hi “ from S O p e Arnould . Melpomene received by

” Armida was o n e o f the comments provoked by

’ Sophie s courageous act . It cost her , however, her

popularity . Her motives were misinterpreted . She was hissed at the Opera , and reviled wherever her

name was mentioned . d In no way isconcerted , Sophie did not content herself with giving to the persecuted actress mere

o n hospitality . She appealed to all her friends behalf o f a woman who was now n o t so much n o t appreciated as neglected and despised . Prince

’ d H én in e , who at this time was specially interest d

o f in Sophie , took up the cause her unfortunate

’ R au co u rt s friend and became o n e o f Mdlle .

n d warmest partisa s . For her sake he intrigue ,

VOL . II . I c ta 1 30 I dol s of the Fre n h S ge .

put forth all his influence, and appealed to every o n e on whom he had the slightest claim .

The company o f the Comédie Francaise did n o t

so prove , by any means , easy to deal with as

m Ve stris . M e . had supposed They had struck

o ff Mdlle . Raucourt their list , and intended to

maintain her exclusion . They declared that the

o f statutes the society were Opposed to her return ,

R t’ . au co ur s and maintained , moreover , that Mdlle

licentious conduct would disgrace their theatre .

o f On the other hand , the Duke de Duras , one f the high o ficials , was determined that Mdlle .

Raucourt Should return ; and as She was n o t

’ ’ ’ ’ ro te ee ro te ee o f only his p g , but also the p g the

h e Queen , had no trouble in procuring from the

Ki n g an order for her restoration to all the privileges which she had formerly enjoyed .

F o r her new d ebu t Mdlle . Raucourt chose her

o f : famous part Dido the part in which , several

u S he - O f ve rs before , had gained such unheard

A S triumphs . in the days of her first appearance , the app roaches to the theatre were besieged long b e o th n o r f re e doors were opened . But soone w as l had the house ful than , although the curtain

1 th r n ta e 32 Idols of e F e ch S g .

o f the chamber, and , above all , general super in te n d e n t O f the Comédie Francaise , he could not

o f prevail over the determination the public . In vain did the autocrat o f the theatre double and

treble the gu ard . A whole regiment would have been unable to secure applause for Mdlle . Rau

court .

Mdlle . Raucourt determined to try a new part ,

to o f e and her misfortune hit upon that Ph dre , which w as full o f lines that could with ease be

fo r turned against her. When , instance , the

actress had to exclaim ,

’ D e l austere pud e ur l e s b o rn e s so n t passée s

”

d ! . Yes , in eed cried the pit In another place

th e n the public seized upon li e ,

‘ ” E t mo i e réb u t d e N e e n tie re , trist la atur ,

a burst o f ironical applause showing that

Mdlle . Raucourt was herself looked upon as a

“ ” “

e . n o r se x triste r but Neither her beauty her ,

wrote Grimm , protected her any longer . Never before did the public forget to such a point its o w n n dig i ty . The Duke de Duras was in I l/I ad e mo ise lle Ra u co u rt 1 . 33

fo r some measure responsible these scenes , since ,

h e by his determination to overcome the public , H i exasperated it all the more . s Object w as t o V i . e str s please , in the first place , Mme , who her self desired that everything should be don e to R ’ . au co urt s . promote Mdlle success Accordingly ,

u the D ke not only trebled the guard, but filled

the pit with policemen . If anyone hissed , he was seized and taken to prison . But when one mal

content was removed from the theatre , ten others took his place ; and to put an end to the hissi n g it would have been necessary to arrest not only the whole audience but also the whole o f the

as public waiting outside , with the view , as soon

o f an opportunity presented itself, forcing their

way in .

“ “ The Comédie Francaise , said someone , has become a regular mousetrap .

o n n o Mdlle . Raucourt , beaten all points , resolved 1 5 longer to brave the storm . On the th of Septem ber 1 7 79 she inserted in the Jo u rn a l d e P a ris a

letter, ironical in its humility , setting forth that ,

d e far from aspiring to the parts o f Mdlle .

- sh e b ack Saint Val , had only come to Paris in t 1 34 Ido ls of he Fre n ch Stage . order to be a general under - study to the leading

artists . The creditors now Showed themselves more

’ lively than ever . Urged on by the actress s re

’ mo rse le ss n o t rivals , they left her a moment s

peace . She was about once more to expatriate

herself, in order to avoid imprisonment, when a

royal declaration was put forth , of which the chief

“ o r purport was , to render free from all seizure stoppage the wages and appointments o f the come dians and other persons attached to the play

- houses , up to the amount of two thirds , apart from the necessary expenditure for board and

lodging.

People did n o t fail to say that this declaration

had been made expressly for the benefit Of Mdlle .

Raucourt ; and , apparently , such was the case .

“ ” o r Two three times already , wrote a chronicler, the Queen had shown herself inclined to pay the

o f debts her favourite tragedian , but the enor

su m mity of the , at least three hundred thousand

francs , always prevented Her Majesty . It was fo und more economical to settle the matter by

o f means an edict, which cost nothing.

l th c a 1 36 Ido s of e Fre n h St ge .

a man , from her audacious demeanour , her loud

voice , and her gigantic stature .

“ She cast around her lascivious glances , and

‘ a voice cried o u t : Behold her ; the woman who has gone beyond all the abominations that ever

’ disgraced a nation of the earth .

“ And S h e now wishes to renew her scenes o f

extravagance and debauchery .

o f The author these prophetic denunciations ,

o f while accusing Mdlle . Raucourt everything

o f shameful that he could think , forgot to charge her with an act of treachery which she

“ o n o f was the point committing. She now

” O f rendered herself guilty the blackest act, says

. L a writer , that could be committed ess than a

in year after her return , one fine evening the

o f 1 780 S h e month January . secretly left the i hospitable abode of Sophie Arnould , tak ng with

’ d H én in her Prince . The story was soon known a ll over Paris , and was thought highly amusing .

Mdlle . Raucourt was considered despicable , but

n “ Sophie Ar ould was scarcely pitied . Mdlle .

o o n e co mme n Arn uld is j ustly punished , wrote M a e mo ise lle I fa n c n rt 1 d o . 37

“ d tator . She eserved this piece o f treachery for having welcomed a woman who is the opprobrium

’ o f her sex . Naturally the fugitive and her prince

did not know where to find a hiding place . They

were afraid of Sophie , whom they knew to be vindictive . Would she not suddenly disturb

n she them at the moment, perhaps , whe was

’ least expected ? Prince d A rtO is is said to have

sold them a house . He , in fact, let it to them ,

and , moreover, exacted payment .

Mdlle . Raucourt had still more than fifty

“ w creditors , who were always ho ling at her

. l she petticoats As if entang ed in a net , had to

struggle incessantly against her persecutors . She

defended herself as best sh e could with strata

sh e gems and with falsehood . Meanwhile , had

“ not the slightest idea of order or economy . She

would think herself dishonoured if sh e renounced

sh e her prodigal life . All the money can manage

to get together sh e employs only with a view to

” fresh loans .

M émoires S ecre ts r In the , under date Septembe

l 6th 1 78 1 , , the following passage appears Queen

Melpomene is more than ever ruined by debt . 2 the re n c ta e ols o . I 0 8 Id f F h S g

’ d H én in o f Prince , to save her from the pursuits

her creditors , has become the ostensible possessor

o f all her furniture and other property. But he i m s sum oned to declare upon oath , before the Civil

L ] is ieutenant, whether his pretended ownership not

simulated .

o f . u In the midst her distress , Mdlle Ra court

consoled herself by writing a play .

She composed for th e Theatre Francais a drama entitled H en rie tte ; the subj ect o f which was bor rowed from a ballet that she had seen at Warsaw

in the course Of her northern pilgrimage .

H en riette o r , the piece from which it was

taken , seems to have possessed some political colour ; and , produced only a very few years after

o f u the partition Poland by R ssia , Prussia and

o n o f Austria , it contained attacks the King

’ o r Prussia , at least hostile allusions to Prussia s

Sovereign , at that time Frederick the Great . War saw was still the capital o f that portion of

Poland which remained nominally independent ; for the partitioning powers had hitherto seized o n ly the outlying portions o f the condemned

S tate . But the Russians were all - powerful at

1 40 Idols of the Fre n ch Stage .

The manuscript is now in your hands , and I

- beg you to send it back to morrow , at nine

’ o clock in the morning, to its author, however il much mutilated it may be . He [ ] is resolved to run the risk Of the performance , well assured that friends and the general public will make amend s for the vexations which sh e [elle] has not

ceased to suffer on the part of the police .

On the 1 st of M arch 1782 H en riette was pro d uce d ; and never , according to Grimm , did any masterpiece O f Corneille or Racine draw such

. o f an audience In spite cabals , the play was

successful . Grimm describes the subject as mon f was o . strous , but the public not his Opinion

“ ” B achau mo n t The first act, says , was thought

l n co d , but the seco d excited long, frequent and

sincere applause . The third act was also ap

” lau d e d p , though with less enthusiasm . The

ad bravos were , according to some accounts, dressed less to the drama than to the actress who had written it . Everyone admitted that She m was char ing in the uniform o f a Prussian soldier .

o f The piece was not , course , universally praised . ’ M a e mo ise lle I i a n co n rt I d . 4 1

o n Everything is Germanic in this play , said e

“ n ewspaper ; subject, manners , costume and lan

” guage .

’ R au co urt s Mdlle . sworn foes , unable to get

H en riette n o w hissed , denied that she had written

. O f it It was really , they said , the work M .

D uro so w ho o u t y, had brought it under Mdlle .

’ R au co u rt s name . The following epigram on the subj ect is said to have been the work of Cham fort and two o f his friends ; though it is not so prodigiously witty but that one writer might have produced it

’ Au théatre o n vi e n t d an n o n c e r

‘ U n e e e n o e e pi c uv ll , Q ui d o it be auc o up i n tére sse r

’ ’ e me C e st d u n aute ur f ll e .

’ C e st u n histri o n L as d u c o till o n Q ui pre n d u h n o uv e l étre S o n coe ur e s t u se

S o n o fit e st g blasé , ” S o n e sprit vi e n t d e maitre .

Mdlle . Raucourt had now discovered a new line ,

to which she had resolved , as much as possible ,

o f to keep . Two years after the production ls o the re n c ta 1 4 2 Ido f F h S ge .

H en riette , she obtained a genuine success as a captain o f dragoons in a piece by Rochon de

L e Ja l o az Chabannes called u . The ease with which

she wore the uniform was particularly admired . We have already seen that for six weeks She w had , while lying in concealment , orn nothing

else . “ What an actor that Raucourt is ! ” exclaimed

- her rival , Mdlle . de Saint Val , and what a pity

’ she persists in wishing to play women s parts !

C H A P T E R I V .

6 I N 1 78 . Mdlle Raucourt , as an actress , was once more at the height o f h e r success . The writers o f the period seem , oddly enough , to have for

“ gotten the triumphs O f her earliest days . Rising

” o f from her position mediocrity , writes Bachau

“

. n o w mont , Mdlle Raucourt has taken her rank

” n o ur amo g great actresses .

“ ” a n The tr gic quee , writes at the same time

ls the re n c ta e 1 44 Ido of F h S g .

u his M s many favours . Fle ry sets forth in emo ir

o n o f that , the margin the depositions in the case

’ D H rb i o f l . e o s Md le Raucourt , Collot had written

” with his own hand , in red, an enormous G .

“ ” This was a death sentence without appeal . G stood fo r guillotine .

L ike so many of her colleagues at the Comédie

. i Francaise , including Mdlle Contat and her S ster

D az in o u rt - . L c Mdlle ange , , Saint Prix , Vanhove ,

e. Fleury himself, and very many more , Mdll Raucourt owed her life to the courage and in ge n u ity o f an obscure clerk in the employment

L a of the Committee of Public Safety , Jean de m bussiere by na e .

Having regained her liberty , Mdlle . Raucourt

fo r tried to form a company herself, and , suc ce e d in o g, took a theatre , which was so n , how

o f ever , closed by order the Government, some pretended allusion to its severity having been discovered in o n e of the pieces represented . m f o s o . In the idst many grave faults , Mdlle

Raucourt seems to have retained her feeling o f gratitud e towards the royal family which had S O o ften befriended her . Having passed beneath the M a e mo ise lle Ra uc u r 1 d o t. 45

sh e ru shadow of the guillotine , had enough p dence for a time to conceal her sympathies ; and

she when the great danger had passed , made no

o f secret her antagonism towards the Directory , and o f her desire for the restoration of the monarchy . She became a leading figure in what

L e e tit C o blen tz was called p , where the friends and partisans of the legitimate sovereign worked

b e together, as the German sovereigns had done fore invading France . She belonged to that faction of malcontents who longed for the re s to ratio n of the royal power , and imagined that

by force of j ests , sarcasms and epigrams , they

’ R au co u rt s o r could upset the Republic . Mdlle . d in ary costume is said to have been a constant

protest against the existing order of things . She wore on her spenser eighteen buttons , in allusion to L ouis XVIII ; and her fan was one o f those

- o f weeping willow fans , the folds which formed the

- face o f Marie Antoinette . Fleury speaks , more

o f . over , a certain shawl worn by Mdlle Raucourt ,

Of which the pattern , once explained , traced to the

o f L eyes of the initiated the portraits ouis , the

n Queen and the Dauphin . One day be accompa ied K VOL . II . re n ta e 1 46 Idols of the F ch S g .

- her to a fortune teller, who had been expected to

o f p redict the restoration the monarchy, but who foretold instead the revival o f the Comédie Francaise .

fo r The woman had read the cards aright , in

1 7 99 an order from the First Consul reassembled ,

o f in a new association , the remains the company d ispersed at the time of the Revolution .

she o f . Although complained the Republic , Mdlle Raucourt had contrived to make her fortune

through the good Offices o f political speculators

- dealing , under the new formed Government , in

assignats , Government contracts and confiscated

. n o w estates She was no longer in need , but ,

on the contrary , possessed property which brought d her in a consi erable income . As luxurious as

n v o f ever , the e riched actress ga e a series

’ etes splendid f , at which , without being invited ,

w as the general public , forcing its way in , at

o f least tolerated . Her illuminated gardens were ,

“ w as course , compared to fairyland , and here it

that all w ho thought fit to enter were allowed

to wander at will . d In the mi st of her magnificence , Mdlle . Rau

co urt heard o n e morning o f an accident which

re n c t e 1 48 Idols of the F h S ag .

1 5 3 she o n 7 , had now been some forty years the

stage , and began to Show unmistakable Signs of

i . 1814 fail ng powers A few years later, in , her

friends persuaded her to retire , and she appeared , fo r the last time, as Catherine de Medicis, in ’ E R ayn o u ard s tats d e Blo is.

n She did not long survive her retirement . O 1 5 1815 th January , after a short illness , she died , thanking God for having allowed her to

o f salute the return the legitimate dynasty .

Mdlle . Raucourt, however, had a better Opinion of the Restoration than had the Restoration O f l f . o Md le Raucourt . The clergy the restored dynasty had shown itself in many ways in

’ R au o u rt s tolerant ; and Mdlle . c funeral was the

o n e occasion Of a riot, which threatened at time

- to become formidable . The Curé of Saint Roch would not allow the body to be brought

into his church , though he is said to have

received again and again gifts from the actress , e ithe r fo r his church , or for the poor of his

parish . Only a few days beforehand , on the ff first day of the year, she had sent him an o er

in n g of five hu dred francs . [Ma e mo ise lle Ra u c d o u rt . 1 49

Representations were made to the clergy , but without avail . At last an indignant crowd broke

. L open the doors Of the church Meanwhile , ouis

I o f XVII , informed what was taking place , had ordered o n e O f his chaplains to go to Saint

Roch , and there , replacing the Curé , perform the

. funeral service The soldiers had been called out,

but they were j udiciously withdrawn . They were

kept, at least, in an attitude only of observation , while a crowd that was constantly increasi n g

followed the corpse o f Mdlle . Raucourt to the

- - cemetery of Pere la Chaise . While the public

o n e o f excitement was at its height, the deceased

’ “ actress s friends remarked : If poor Raucourt could only se e from her heavenly home what a scandal ! ” she is causing, how delighted she would be I T - H B T ! MA D AME D E SA N U E R .

C H A P T E R I .

A T a time when so much importance is attached by actors and even actresses to the unimportant

’ in question of the actor s social position , it may be

te re stin - g to mention that Mme . de Saint Huberty was at once the first actress and the first singer who was accepted in France both by women and

o f men as a lady . The society Sophie Arnould was eagerly sought by writers and philosophers o f l o f the greatest distinction , and by nob emen the highest birth ; but though Belanger (whose

o f L friendship for her, like that auragais , endured to the end) introduced her after his marriage to

the r n I 5 2 Ido ls of F e ch Stage .

burg to Toulouse . He was connected at the time

’ o f his daughter s birth with the theatre o f

Strasburg ; and She was only a few years Old

when , recognising her exceptional talents , he began to occupy himself seriously with her musical edu

cation . She was still but a child when , singing

o w n sh e to her harpsichord accompaniment, did so with so much taste that sh e excited the astonish

o f ment and admiration all who heard her . The fame of her precocious talent soon go t spread ff abroad , and engagements were o ered to her by

several provincial managers . But her father and

to o o f had mother knew much theatrical life , and to o great an affection for t heir daughter to allow

her at so early an age to separate from them . Early in 17 74 tempting proposals were made by the director o f a theatre at Barcelona ; but his

ff so n o t o er, like many others , was accepted . At last the parents decided that their daughter should a o n ppear the stage , but only at Strasburg , where

they would be with her. An interesting and unquestionably authentic

’ a ccount o f Antoinette Clavel s early youth has

’ C au ses C e lébres been preserved in the , published at M a a me d e a in t - H a he rt 1 d S y . 5 3

1 783 Paris in , the particular case in which this

o f account appears being that Antoinette Pariset,

o f - d widow Jean Pierre Clavel , against Clau e

- o n o f Croisilles de Saint Huberty , the subj ect his

n pretended marriage with Antoi ette Clavel , the

’ complainant s daughter . It appears , from the ex f ’ o . position Mme Clavel s case , that her daughter had been two o r three years at the Strasburg

sh e n theatre , when met behind the scenes , livi g o n intimate terms with the actors and actresses , a man who described himself as the director

’ “ ” o f general the King of Prussia s Menus Plaisirs , and in search o f new talent for the French Theatre

. to at Berlin He made a great deal , according f . o Mme Clavel , the name he bore , and claimed to be related to the first families in Germany . He

o f was still young, but had seen much the world ;

a good talker , and capable , by his gilded speeches , of exciting the imagination o f women . He made such magnificent promises to Antoinette , and held

o f o ut to her the hope such a brilliant career that,

o f 1 775 in the spring , the young girl resolved to

l . quit her parents secret y , and follow M Croisilles

- r d e Saint Huberty to Berlin . She had no soone t n e 1 54 Idols qf he Fre ch Stag . reached the Prussian capital than she discovered

“ ” that the pretended director o f the Menus Plaisirs o f the King o f Prussia was merely the stage

o f manager the company, and that he could only get partially carried o u t the conditions o f the

engagement which had induced Mdlle . Clavel to quit the paternal roof . Whether Antoinette was

’ - o r sh e Saint Huberty s mistress , only, as herself

maintained , an ambitious young artist led away by the prospect o f a most advantageous engage m ment , does not see certain . In any case , Saint

Huberty was very anxious to make her his wife ,

’ crirl s which certainly gives colour to the young 0 statement .

The so - called Saint - Huberty was the so n o f a l merchant at Metz , named simply Croisi les , and he had left home in order to gratify a passion he had

formed for theatrical life . He declared to Mdlle . Clavel that the boundless possessions Of the im agin ary house o f Saint - Huberty would one day be his ; that he could secure her a career o f the

most dazzling character ; that he loved her, and so

. n on The poor you g girl was in a foreign country ,

t m o f withou friends , and al ost without the means

n 1 5 6 Idols of the Fre ch Stage .

sh e alone was wanting to give it completeness , and rend er it wholly worthy o f performing before the

northern crowns . The skilful director knew how

o f to touch the heart a vocalist ; and partly ,

perhaps , because there was no other course Open

to her , but partly also because she liked the idea of rendering absolutely perfect a company which

already approached perfection , Mme . de Saint

Huberty started for Warsaw . M . de Saint

’ Huberty s troupe had not yet given a single re

presentation . The first performance , however, was highly successful .

Unwilling to let well alone , M . de Saint Huberty determined to form his establishment on

o f a more extended scale , and always in search

new talent , started for Hamburg. Thence , after

making some engagements , he had the imprudence

to go to Berlin , where his creditors arrested him ,

and threw him into prison . M a a me d e ain t- I f n he r d S ty . 1 5 7

C H A P T E R I I .

- THE Opera company which M . de Saint Huberty had left at Warsaw had meanwhile to get o n as

‘ well as it could without a director ; that is to

. A s say, very badly indeed far, however , as Mme .

- w as sh e de Saint Huberty personally concerned , had nothing to complain o f. She delighted every

’ in Z emire et A z or one , and other works Of the period . The Polish nobles loaded her with

e n presents , and the j ewellery She thus received abled her to raise a sum o f twelve thousand

sh e francs, with which liberated her worthless husband from his Prussian dungeon . Saint

Huberty now came to Warsaw . But the success fli ht of his company did not last , and soon the g y director was obliged once more to decamp , leaving behind him a howling mob o f creditors .

- It was then that Mme . de Saint Huberty , to protect herself from the demands made upon her

’ as the debtor s wife , and in order to disengage herself from all responsibility in connection with the r n ta I 5 8 Idols of F e ch S ge .

b o f his lia ilities , applied to the authorities Warsaw for a formal separation in regard to pro

perty ; when the request was granted , in an Act L . a which M Edmond de Goncourt , in his work

’ S ain t - H u bert d a res sa C o rres o n d an ce et ses y, p p

P a iers d e F amille p , reproduces

Before the notaries and the public Officers of

o f the ancient town Warsaw , runs the document,

“ appearing in person the noble Antoinette d e

Clavel , wife Of the noble Philippe de Saint

fo r Huberty , assisted the present Act by the

o f counsels the noble George Godin , present, and called by her to this effect : The said Antoinette

o f o w n de Clavel , sound in mind and body, her accord has freely and expressly declared and de clares by the present Act : That having learned

i - h e r that the nobleman Ph lippe de Saint Huberty,

h ad a o n husband , left Wars w account of a great

o f number debts by which he was crushed , and ign orant even of the place to which he had re

n tired , and refusing in any manner to be bou d

d o f c o n by the ebts her husband , which he had

d sh e tracte without her participation , separates

1 60 ols o the re n c ta Id f F h S ge . m o w n onths in her house , or , as the Poles say ,

“ ” palace . The prima donna’s husband had now established

himself at Vienna, where he arranged to Open an

. S O opera house on a magnificent scale , at least , he

assured his wife in a letter, which also informed her that he had retained for her in his new

company an excellent position . The unfortunate

d e ce singer had at last, however, after so many p

tions, become distrustful ; and she was encouraged in her unwillingness to j oin her husband by

o mirska the Princess L ub . But at length Saint

Huberty pleaded so eloquently in the letters which

his he continued to send that wife gave way ,

’ and , in spite of the Princess s remonstrances , started

for Vienna . She had no sooner reached her destination

she d than found , as the Princess had anticipate ,

’ that her husband s statements as to the company m he had for ed , the magnificent position which h e o n had reserved for his beloved wife , and so , w ere pure inventions . All he wanted his wife fo r was to save him from starvation . He knew

s he that would arrive with money in her pocket, M a a me d e a in t - H n he rt d S y . 1 6 1

s he and whatever had he at once appropriated .

was Before long, however, he obliged to quit

Vienna secretly, as he had before quitted Warsaw

- and Berlin ; and Mme . de Saint Huberty now

, f found herself alone and without resources , ree

to go wherever she might think fit . She had long desired to make an appearance at the Opera

of Paris , where Gluck was now supreme . She

o n started then for Paris , and her arrival hast s u e d w ho t to call on the great composer , had jus

A r o obtained an immense success with mid . Gluck at once saw what a charming artist had placed

r m re co m he self at his disposal . He im ediately

m 23d mended her for an engage ent , and on the Of

September 1 7 77 she made her first appearance at

“

A r mid o . Paris as Mélisse , in the opera of She

” has L e an agreeable voice , wrote the critic of

M ercu re d e F ra n ce his o f , in account her opening

“ performance . She sings and acts with much

delicacy of expression . She appears to be an ex c e lle n t musician , and she needs only a little stage experience in order to gai n greater develop

fo r h e r ment for her voice , and greater ease

acting .

V O L . II . i/z e F re m /z ie 1 6 2 [ d o/s of S ge .

Her success was in a great measure due to the

c are with which Gluck himself had taught her .

n o f sa o n Sca dal has , course something to y this

“ I s d head it likely , people aske , that Gluck would teach her fo r nothin g ? and how could sh e pay any money ? These malicious su gge s tions were probably made by some unprincipled

i in n i P cc st. Nothing, meanwhile , is more natural than that a composer should take an interest in a singer well fitted to impersonate his most im

portant creations .

- The n ews that Mme . de Saint Huberty had

achieved a great success at the Opera o f Paris

was sure before long to reach her husband ,

when , it need scarcely be said , he hurried to

’ o f the scene his wife s triumphs , in order to

n sh e co gratulate her, and see what could do f o r him . The poor woman could not let her

sh e fo r worthless husband starve , and obtained

him the place o f wardrobe - keeper at the Opera ;

h o f o ff which , for a man in the abit carrying

’ o ther people s garments and raisi n g money on

m w m as . the , scarcely a proper appoint ent

- d . Mme . e r Saint Hube ty now lived by herself .

e n /z S l a e 1 64 Idols of ! b e F r e g .

O h e sn o n Joseph , the younger, Advocate attached

C o f O o m to the Parliament, ounsellor the King ,

a o f missary at the Ch telet Paris , appeared Anne

’

- Antoinette Clavel , called Saint Huberty, King s pensioner at the Opera , who told us that Saint

Huberty, who claims to be her husband , in virtue

o f of a pretended act celebration at Berlin , has abused the confidence o f the complainant for

nearly three years , in order to instal himself

o f in her abode, and remain there in spite her ;

to demean himself as master , and even to mal treat her ; he nevertheless several times left the h ouse, but always carried away with him j ewels

and other property of the complainant, which he d ple ged and sold . He would again force his

co m way in , but with empty hands , and the plainant was unable to do anything against such

persecution , being without her papers . Finally ,

she this very day , while was at the Opera , the

- said Saint Huberty again abused her confidence , and profited by her absence to carry o ff the

goods , papers and music of the complainant ,

n includi g music which belongs to the Opera .

She finds herself in the greatest trouble ; an d ' / ’ ’ zll a m a a - s b 1 a a e e S zn Z e rly . 6 5

the said Saint - Huberty is cunning enough to ask

29 th t her by a letter, dated Wednesday , the ins , fo r papers and goods which he has already taken ff o . the precaution to carry For which reasons ,

and in order that she may enj oy peace at home , which the said Saint - Huberty has for a long time

prevented her from enj oying, and to force the

- Saint Huberty to give her back her property,

papers and music , especially that which belongs

co me to the Opera , she has to lodge the present

- plaint against the said Saint Huberty , requiring from us the Act which we have given , and signing it in o ur presence .

On an order from the L ieutenant of Police a portion o f the property stolen by Sai nt - Huberty

- was restored ; and Mme . Saint Huberty , with the

o n police her side , might now flatter herself with the hope that she was safe from further attacks and depredations o n the part o f her husband .

31 st o f o n e But on the August, just month after

f she her lodgment o the plaint above reproduced ,

was quietly asleep , when she was suddenly awakened

o f sh e by an irruption four men , among whom [ d / M F re n eé e 1 6 6 o s of e Stag .

- at once recognised the villainous Saint Huberty . Pointing to a man attired in the familiar black

o f garb of a commissary police , the husband rushed

’ “ : to his wife s bed and called out The pockets , gentlemen ! Seize her pockets ! ” It may have been customary in those days for ladies to have

- pockets in their night dresses . It appears , in any

o f case , from the narrative this scandalous scene

o f as given by M . de Goncourt, on the strength a formal plaint afterwards laid by Mme . de Saint

Huberty , that the four men seized her pockets , which she defended as well as she could . They

o f then dragged her , nearly naked , into the middle

the room , and there her husband , while the man in the black garments held her arms , showered

o f blows upon her , and , taking a pair scissors he

o f so had with him , cut the ribands . her pockets

savagely that , with the points of the scissors , he

wou nded her in several places . At last Saint

o f Huberty, having obtained possession the keys ,

o u t opened the cupboards , and turned them inside ,

addressin g at the same time to his wife the most

n frightful i sults . Now came in a fifth person ,

in also clad black , who proclaimed himself the

/z t 1 68 [ d o/S of M e F re fl e S age .

o f th e o f as regent Faculty Medicine , who reported follows

o f We , the undersigned , Doctor , Regent the

Faculty of Medicine in the University o f Paris and

o f o n Master in Surgery the same city , the requi

o f sitiou of the lady Antoinette Clavel , the Royal

o f o f - Academy Music , wife Philippe Croisilles de

- o f Saint Huberty, citizen Paris , certify that we

’ the l A rb re went to Rue de Sec , opposite the Rue de

o f Bailleul , in the house the said lady , whom we

found in her bed , complaining of violent pains in

an d her head , but without fever ; , by the examina m tion we ade , we found punctures as if made with

o m ts o f o r o n e o n the p scissors , other instruments ,

the right forearm and two o n the lower part o f

the same arm , a contusion with swelling at the top o f tw o o n the left arm , severe contusions the middle an d o f o n e o n outside part the right leg , and the

o f o n e middle and posterior portion the right leg ,

light contusion o n the midd le part of the corona] o n th e f n left, and , moreover, a di ficulty in breathi g ,

a n d a painful sensitiveness in other parts o f the

the o f body, result violence and pressure , for ’

M zz - a e rt 1 6 a da me d e Sa l l H é y . 9 which we have prescribed the fitting remedies ; in faith o f which we have drawn up the present

declaration , to serve and weigh according to its

— 1 — P aris S e tember 203 7 78 , worth , p GILLET , Master

” in Surgery .

’ - to Mme . de Saint Huberty s plaint did not lead any steps being taken against her husband ; but when the complainant threatened to demand her

“ n retirement from the Opera , u less her personal

” sh e n safety were guaranteed , received the assura ce that she need no longer fear the visits and assaults

f r o h e husband . The unhappy prima donna had n o t yet, however , liberated herself from her hus

’ band s persecutions . She had previously taken every precaution ; including the drawing up o f a formal act which her husband had been made to b sign . By this deed e abandoned all claims to her

o f salary, and to emoluments all kinds that might come to her from singing at concerts o r other

entertainments .

- — M . de Saint Huberty, however the original ,

- . f it may well be o M . de Saint Bertrand in Ernest

’ — Feydeau s M ari d e l a D an seu se was a cunning /s t/z e m 1 70 [ d c of e Fr a S l age .

rascal . He had bound himself to claim no portion

’ law of his wife s salary . But by she still remained answerable for his debts ; and he now prepared to obtain money from her through the claims o f

fictitious creditors , for, had the pretended debts

been genuine , we may be sure that M . de Saint Huberty would never have troubled himself to

facilitate their payment . On the demand of a e young woman named Gu rin, who declared herself a creditor for the su m o f four hundred and eighty — nine francs against M . de Saint Huberty , and

f - against the joint household o M . de Saint Huberty

and his wife , a formal opposition was made to the f — ’ payment o Mme . de Saint Huberty s salary ; and a few days afterwards this opposition was declared

good and valid , the directors and treasurers of the Opera being thereupon ordered to deliver over to

Croisilles de Saint - Huberty all sums due to his

wife until his debts were fully paid .

- In vain did Mme . de Saint Huberty represent

sh e G uérin s he that knew nothing of Mdlle . ; that o w ed her nothing , and had never been called u pon by her , before the legal proceedings , to pay

- a n . d y debt Mme . e Saint Huberty was informed

[ d o /s o Z/ze F re m /z ia e I 7 2 f S g .

in M . Edmond de Goncourt, his interesting work

o n o f - the life and letters Saint Huberty, gives abundant extracts from the pleadings in th e — case of Mme . de Saint Huberty against her hus band . The theatrical lawsuits , which from time to time varied the gen erally dry occupations o f the

Paris advocates , were then , as now , read by the public with great avidity ; and the counsel o n

o f these occasions , knowing that the eyes France

were upon them , would sometimes indulge in ex

ra r in ar f t o d y flights o rhetoric . It was argued on

- o f . behalf Mme de Saint Huberty that , apart from the injustice o f requiring her to support a pro

fli ate g husband , who had robbed her, insulted

in her, and inflicted upon her grave personal

she o f juries , was entitled , by the very constitution

the Opera , to have the full and absolute disposal

of her appointed salary . The King had said

“ o f - 0 this establishment , in letters patent ranted 1 2th 1 7 69 August , , that it was not less agree

” able to foreigners than to the nation itself, and that its magnificence contributed to the embellish

’ o f - ment the capital . Mme . de Saint Huberty s

o Ma Po tcl o f his adv cate , itre , asserted in favour - 1 M ada me d e Sa l ad Hu be rty . 7 3 client the immunity established in favour o f all

so persons of both sexes engaged at the Opera,

n o t o f that they did need , in case minority, the c o f o r onsent their father, mother guardian , and

o f did not need , in the case married women , the

o f h consent t eir husbands to draw their salary, an d give their receipt fo r the same without any

o n in t n authorisation . He then laid stress the e tion o f the founders to regulate things in such a manner that the salaries of those engaged at the Opera should serve fo r their personal subsist

o f ence , beyond all possibility their being taken

from them under no matter what pretext . a Heard at the Ch telet, the case seems to have n been decided against the u fortunate Mme . de

n - Sai t Huberty, whereupon appeal was made to

the Parliament of Paris . On the 1 9th of March 1 779 the case came before

- the Parliament , when Mme . de Saint Huberty was

“ defended by Maitre Mascassie s ; one of those

” pleaders , says M . de Goncourt, immortalised by

Racine in his famous comedy . The advocate

o f traced the history the stage from its origin , pointed o ut the influence of the fall o f Constan F r ta 1 74 [ ac/s of M e e m /z S ge .

tin o le o n M steries o n p the y , expatiated the operas

o f L ully and Rameau , and ultimately inquired if f e o . Md lle . Gu rin were really the creditor Mdlle

Clavel .

The Parliament of Paris , more just than the

o f ff court below , decided in favour the plainti ; and ’ d i e . s Mdlle . Gu rin s claim was dismissed The

’ d - train t obtained by her on Mme . e Saint Huberty s

property was annulled , and the two accomplices ,

- M . . co n dlle Guerin and M de Saint Huberty , were

n d d e m e to pay the costs .

During the law proceedings between Mme . de

- e Saint Huberty and Mdlle . Gu rin , M . de Saint

’ o f Huberty s representative , the director the Opera

fo r had , to his great personal convenience , kept m hi self the money which , under ordinary cir cu mstan ce s , he would have had to pay to the prima

donna . Although then the Parliament o f Paris

- had declared Mme . de Saint Huberty entitled

she to receive her salary , found it impossible to d get it , the impecunious irector wanting it for m l fi hi se f. This of cial seems to hav e been willi n g

’ o l - en ugh to p ay into M . de Sai n t Huberty s hands ; an d soon . in spite o f th e j ud gment given by the

/ M r i I 76 [ d o s of e F e a M S age .

n o w Mme . de Saint Huberty took steps for

liberating h erself finally from her husband ; and , o n the three grounds j ust specified , the secret marriage which she had contracted as a minor in

Germany was declared null and void . The hus

’ band s father , who was an honourable man , had

supported the demand , and the husband himself had been induced to allow the matter to rest with f the prudence o the court . In pronouncing their

decision , the j udges took into consideration the fact that there were no children born o f the marriage ; and the divorce was doubtless due to the infamous manner in which the husband had

systematically treated his wife . This , however , does not seem to have been touched upon in the

formal pleadings .

o f — The end Croisilles de Saint Huberty , accord ing to o n e of the gossipin g chronicles o f the

t m . n w as i e , quoted by M Edmond de Go court, id o n e . r th e a strange indeed To get of him ,

n Mi ister Amelot, who at this time took a great

d o - g n . av e i terest in Mme Saint Huberty , 0 him a

o an o f in d c mp y grenadiers , and sent him comman o n f it to s o me d ista t provi n cial to wn . — e r M ada me d e Sa me Hu b ty . I 7 7

— h ad Up to this time Mme . de Saint Huberty been misera bly poor ; living in wretched apart

o n e d ments , and wearing her black ress for such a time that the other members o f the company used to compare her to a dealer in second - hand

“ . garments , and to call her Madame la Ressource

Gluck , hearing her so addressed , said that she was

sh e well named , for that with her brilliant talent

o f would soon be the chief resource the Opera .

The associates wh o had derided her were as poorly paid as herself ; but they did n o t depend on their operatic earnings alone . Apart from her

- poverty , Mme . de Saint Huberty , with a husband constantly in o n e way o r another preying upon

. “ o f her, had more need protection than anyone .

But there was nothing mercenary in her character , and though sh e was ultimately to fall into the

o f o n e ways other operatic singers , must render her the j ustice to say that her self - respect saved her fo r a long time and in the midst o f the most

trying circumstances .

n Arthur You g , in his famous account of France

o f immediately before the Revolution , speaks

- passing from a drawing room in which Mme . de M VOL . II . e F r a M ta e I 7 8 [ d o /s of M e S g .

Saint - Huberty gained five hundred louis by her

o f singing , to a hut in which a family peasants d were dying of hunger . Without invali ating

’ k is Young s stri ing contrast, it difficult to believe

S - e that Mme . de aint Hub rty was at any time a tenth part so well paid as Arthur Young im

a in e d . g At the Opera , where she of course played

principal parts , her salary never seems to have exceeded six thousand francs a year to which must be added another six thousand o f

“ “ i r rat ficatio n s o . g , exceptional allowances Proud

” in her distress, says Emile Gaboriau , in his

’ ’ “ C om eclien n es A d orees , kept up by ambition

she which gnawed at her heart, lived a solitary

’“ r i life in her garret . O o sy made his appearance there but seldom ; he knew that there was no

sh money to be had . From morning to evening e

worked studied , practised incessantly . In time h r e v 01ce became more supple . She got it well

under control . She taught herself to move her

G o r a S e the e ro n m o I n th e o ffi ia ab i u p lls h ic a e as ab ve . c l acts he

is c a e d G o s i . A cco rdin to dmo n d d e G o n co r h e w as the ll r i l g E u t,

“ ! s o n o f o is i e s a me rch an o f M e z D e S n - e r s C . wa in r ll , t t ai t Hub ty ,

an c as e b ut an o n ame n a n me e radde d to the o n e e e o n y , r t l a sup r ally b l g

n to h im i g .

/ t 1 80 [ do ts of M e F re m z S age .

me as a musician , they will at least respect me

” as a man and a stranger.

“ ” n Wag er, remarks Gaboriau , would scarcely have said so much after the second representa

o f tion o f T an n hau ser. The first representation

T a n n /z a fa ser , it must here be observed , was listened to by the Parisians in silence ; it was only at the

second that shrieking and hooting were heard .

Piccin n i was altogether wrong about his opera .

It proved not a failure , but a triumph . More than a hundred person s followed him home after the

o n o f performance . He , his part , full emotion

- did nothing but ask fo r Mme . de Saint Hu berty

” “ ? o u t Where is she he called . I must see

her . I must embrace her . I must tell her that

u to her alone s ccess is due .

m - Soon afterwards M e . de Saint Huberty achieved

a new triumph as L ise in L e S eign eu r bien fa if sa n t

a part she played with so much pathos that she f is said to have fallen ill from excess o emotion .

H e r n ext success was o btained in a comic char

’ o f e E mbarras d es acter , that Rosette in Gr try s

t -Q R C It e . o f This piece , in spite the charm by

the which music is said to have been distinguished , M a a me t - u e rt 1 8 1 d d e Sa in H b y .

so fell , as many operas have fallen , from the

badness of the libretto . It was the production

o f L o urd e t - one de Sans Terre , to whom was given the appropriate name o f L o u rd e t de Sans e T te . In this strange work an Athenian noble man o f the time of Pericles is made to fast during

L . ent Opera girls are introduced , and a rich

mu n ifice n t merchant, wishing to be , gives someone

’ e a louis d or while, in the inevitable ballet, danc s

are executed by American savages .

C H A P T E R I V .

- BUT Mme . de Saint Huberty was now to appear

o f o f in the greatest all her parts , that Dido in

’ in n i f Picc s Opera o the same name . The Queen had just conferred upon the Italian composer a

fixed pension, instead of the annual presents which he had hitherto received ; and he wished to ac knowledge her generosity by producing a new 1 8 2 [ o s o M e e t e d t f Fr ma S ag .

M armo n e l o f masterpiece . t proposed the subject

Piccin n i Dido . at once accepted it , and retired

into the country to compose the work . When the

- opera was finished , Mme . de Saint Huberty, for

th e whom the principal part was intended , met

’ M r n composer at a mo te l s country house . She a dined with the two collaborators, and afterw rds

“ f S h e sang at sight the whole o her music .

o f entered into the spirit it so thoroughly , said

“ Marmon te l . , that I fancied she was on the stage

” Piccin n i was delighted .

- At this particular time Mme . de Saint Huberty

o f sh e was entitled to leave absence , and had

made arrangements for a visit to the south o f

France . She took her part with her, telling the composer that he could rehearse the opera

sh e without her, as should certainly know her

sh e music quite thoroughly before came back , and probably before anybody else would be

ready .

The piece , then , was put into rehearsal , while

Dido made a highly successful tour in Provence .

S h e excited everywhere the greatest enthusiasm . h s e . At Aix , however , unfortunately caught cold

[ o s o M e F re a M ta e 1 84 d t f S g .

Piccin n i worst productions . But consoled him

‘ ’ self by saying : Wait till my Dido comes ! At t he first rehearsal which took place with myself

‘ in : re the part, everyone said Why , he has

’ composed the whole work . This , however , was o u t o f the question , only four days had elapsed

since the previous rehearsal . This was what

Piccin n i said in reply

“ ‘ No , gentlemen , I have changed nothing. But D ’ until now id o was being played without Dido .

o f It was at Fontainbleau , in presence the King ,

that D id o was given for the first time . The

o f o f success the piece , and especially the success

the actress , was beyond all expectations . Never h ad such enthusiasm been witnessed at the Court . L Even ouis XVI . was delighted , though, as a rule ,

he did not like opera , his special aversion being

“ for comic opera which was not really comic . Je

’ ’ ” b o u flo n s n e n aime pas les qui me font pas rire ,

o n o n e he said , melancholy occasion , when a per

fo rman ce at the Comédie Italienne had not in f spired him with any degree o mirth . The praise which he is said to have bestowed

a. o f D id o n o t u pon the oper was , however, such '

- a r 1 8 M ada me d e S a z a t H ae ty . 5

“ as could have delighted the composer . It has

“ given me as much pleasure , he said , as a fine

” tragedy .

As for the principal singer , he at once ordered that a pension o f fifteen hundred livres (francs) should be given to her ; and he sent Marshal de

Duras to compliment her, and to tell her what

sh e delight had caused him .

“ ” This , writes an eyewitness , was the finest f scene o the evening . When Marshal de Duras

arrived behind the scenes, followed by a crowd

o f . courtiers in gala costume, Mme de Saint Huberty had not yet had time to change her

stage attire . She was standing up with the

o n crown her head , draped in the scarlet mantle o f f M arm l Pi the Queen o Carthage . o n te and e cin n i , intoxicated with j oy , had thrown themselves

d . at her feet , and were kissing her han s They

a only rose when they s w M . de Duras come

’ forward to repeat the King s words . The actress

listened to the Marshal , and her countenance , still

animated by inspiration , became illumined with f the joy o this new triumph . The blush of pride

rose to her forehead . It was a wonderful sight . M F re t 1 86 [ do ts of e m/z S age .

so There was much grandeur, so much nobility m and ajesty in her bearing, with these men at

re re her feet, that better even than during the p se n tatio n she gave the idea o f the Queen o f C ar

ha t ge . All the great nobles present seemed only

” her courtiers .

Dido at this moment was indeed a queen . She

was still , however , but a theatrical queen . A few

days later one o f the great nobles of the C ourt

- went to pay a visit to Mme . Saint Huberty, and

“ found the sublime Did o huddled up in an o ld

petticoat , and playing at piquet with her little

”

- o n . page , a table covered with a dish cloth

At Paris D id o obtained a greater success than

even at Fontainbleau . The first representation ,

which took place at the Opera on the l st of

m 1 783 . Dece ber , caused indescribable enthusiasm The public could not find means to express its

’ “ e admiration . After Dido s great air, Ah , que j

! fus bien inspirée the audience rose in a mass , and the performance was interrupted for nearly a

quarter of an hour by frantic applause . The suc

” “ c e e d in ! g air, Ah , prends pitié de ma faiblesse

raised the delirium o f the audience to the highest

[ s o M e re m /t ta e 1 88 dot f F S g .

o n w been seen the stage , and ill not soon be seen

again .

“ G in gu e n é wrote as follows : The talent o f thi s sublime actress has its origin in her extreme s e n i sibilit . y An air m ght be better sung, but it

to would be impossible to give to any air , any

recitative, truer, more passionate expression . No action could be more dramatic than hers ; no

silence more eloquent . It is impossible to forget

- her terrible dumb show , her tragic immobility , and the frightful expression o f her countenance d u r

n o f ing the lo g ritornello of the chorus priests ,

o f d towards the end the thir act , and while the

chorus is being sung.

At the performances she did no more than re place herself in the position in which she had naturally found herself at the first o f the final

rehearsals . Someone spoke to her o f the impres

h she sh e sion w ich seemed to feel , and which

“ so communicated fully to the audience . I really

“ sh e experience it , replied ; after the tenth bar ,

I b ut was all dead .

“ This reply , writes Gaboriau , in his chapter

o n - . o f Mme de Saint Huberty , reveals the secret '

- 1 8 M ada me d e S az n t H a ée rty . 9

’ o f the great lyric tragedian s talent . An actress

h o w sh e genius , she knew to keep her head ; but

gave up her whole heart , her whole soul . She really suffered the grief which sh e expressed in

- so heart rending a manner . She really felt as if h s e . must die To such a point was this true , that after each performance she was so exhausted that it needed several hours for her to recover

herself . — ff Castil Blaze , writing with a very di erent know ledge o f the musical art from that possessed by

o n M . Gaboriau (who tells us , in some remarks

’ - o n e o f Saint Huberty s singing, that her airs was

“ ’ d ia ason e o f d un p tr s declares Mme . de

Saint - Huberty that sh e was the first vocalist who

appeared at the French Opera . At the concerts o f as C o n certs S iritu els sacred music known the p , she o f held her place by the side Mara and Todi ,

who were never engaged at the French Opera .

She obtained , indeed , such a success at these

o n concerts that Métra, writing the subj ect , seems to regard her as to o dangerous a rival o f the tw o

vocalists , who , as vocalists , were certainly more

“ n - eminent than Sai t Huberty . Why should I not 1 0 [ o s o M e F re a M ta 9 d t f S ge .

sa is ‘ ’ y, he writes, that there nothing spiritual

in hearing at these concerts Mme . de Saint

b , , Hu erty who in the most voluptuous costume ,

o f with naked bosom , with eyes full voluptuous

ness , recites in a passionate voice the Psalms of David ? ”

C H A P T E R V .

A W L o f D id o w as ME N HI E , the success fully

tain e d at each succeeding representation . At the t welfth performance an incident took place which

s o f mark a point in the history the lyric stage .

' o f Dido , in the final scene the opera, had j ust

o f tE n e as had stabbed herself with the sword ,

o n e o f j ust uttered dying cry grief and love , when suddenly a crown of laurel was handed to the orchestral conductor to be placed at her

o f e . f et The house rose in a fury excitement , and called o ut that the crown should be placed

’ n o n the si ger s head .

[ s M e F r e r/i ta e 1 9 2 do t of e S g .

n seen , full of ge erosity , and at the theatre lost no opportunity of helping on struggling artists who had the same difficulties to contend with which

u o f she herself had fo nd so painful . One her

’ ’

ro te ees . fo r p g , Mdlle Maillard , rewarded her her kindness by trying to get from her the part of

a Dido . The ambition of the ungrateful wom n

“ ’ ” ‘ o e rl e ape d itself . Profiting by a passion with which sh e had taken care to inspire the Intendant

e o ld de la Fert , , and slightly imbecile , she secured

o ff an appearance , but only to be hissed the

stage , in a part which , more than any other ,

- l Mme . de Saint Huberty had made entire y her

own .

A day o r two after her coronation in the part

o f n - o ff- Dido , Mme . de Sai t Huberty, on an night

at the Opera , attended a performance at the

Comédie Italienne . No sooner was she per c e iv e d in her box than the whole audience rose ,

ste e d o ut the performance pp , and everyone cried ,

” Vive la Reine de Carthage .

- For Mme . de Saint Huberty in opera , as for M ll . S a é dlle in ballet , Mdlle . Clairon in tragedy , a n i F v ar in o d n . a t m m is M e c edy and co ic opera , ’

M a ame d e a l a t - H a ée rt 1 d S y . 9 3 claimed the honour of having played parts in the

costumes historically appropriate to them . The costumes worn at that time on the French stage

(nor were they much better on our o wn ) were simply ludicrous . But the public was accustomed

to them , and the managers found it more economi cal to keep to costumes already in the wardrobe

than to order new ones for every fresh piece . In

o f the heroic operas Gluck , Achilles and Aga

memnon wore wigs , curled and powdered , sur mounted by plumed helmets ; while their legs were e w ncased in pale green or pink rose breeches , ith I clocked silk stockings and shoes with red heels . t

o f Ve stris to is recorded Gluck that , when wished

o n e introduce a chacone into of his operas, the composer obj ected to it on the ground that “ the

to Greeks , whose manners we are endeavouring

” o f depict, knew nothing such a dance . It was apparently only to anachronisms in music an d dancing that Gluck obj ected .

The costume of the actresses was , if possible , still

l n th o f w e re th e . e more absurd . They all trains , g which was in proportion to the importance o f the d part . The train of an ordinary actress was hel

V O L . . II o M e F z 'e n M ta 1 9 4 [ do ts f S ge .

o r by a page dressed in black white . But actresses representing queens were entitled to two trains an d

two pages, who followed them everywhere, into

palace gardens , and even into dungeons , when by an adverse fate they were condemned to imprison

“ ment in some solitary tower. Nothing is more

“ n amusing , writes a critic of the time , nothi g

more comic than the perpetual movement o f these

little rascals, who have to run after the actress

when she is tearing about the stage in moments of

distress . Their activity keeps them in a constant

state of perspiration . Their embarrassment, their

blunders , excite general laughter . Thus a farce is

always going o n which diverts the spectator in an agreeable manner when the situation is too

” a touching or too s d . h s e . When appeared as Dido, Mme de Saint

’ Huberty would have no little boys running

after h e r ready to pursue her even to the

o ff funeral pyre . She , at the same time , threw the

conventional train, and all the trappings which l had habitually accompanied it, to appear on y in

the tunic designed fo r her by an artis t o f the

a period who had studied arch eology . The operatic

1 9 6 [ dots of M e F re m /z Stage .

o n who insisted , moreover, attiring her in a mag

‘ o u t n ifice n t Greek costume . The gondola went to sea escorted by more than a hundred rowing - boats

o f and sailing vessels . Barges full musicians took part in the water procession , and aquatic sports

were gone through , in which Mme . de Saint

n Huberty crowned the win ers .

These rejoicings were renewed on land . A plat

o n as form had been erected , which , in an opera , the queen o f the entertainment took her place in f the midst of a crowd o worshippers . Before her the national dances of Provence were per formed ; and when this open ! air ballet was at an

end , a banquet was held , at which Mme . de

- o f re Saint Huberty, occupying the seat honour,

ce iv e d the homage of two hundred o f the most

distinguished inhabitants .

the When , after festivities , she drove home , an extra carriage was found necessary for the

wreaths and crowns which had b e e n offered to

her.

‘ e tcs At Toulouse , if the f given in Mme . de

— ’ a n the S i t Huberty s honour were less splendid ,

e n o f thusiasm the public was equally great. In M a dame d e Sa in t 1 9 7

act o f D id o the third , the performance at the

last representation was suddenly stopped, when a

n doze young girls , dressed in white, advanced to

w d - ar s Mme . de Saint Huberty to offer her a

a o f b sket flowers , surmounted with a crown . — d At Strasburg the city , it will be remembere , — where sh e first appeared o n the stage she re ce iv e d an honour which will be remembered when all the others have long been forgotten . An artil

lery officer of the garrison , Napoleon Bonaparte

by name , who, according to recent historians , was

unable to spell, showed that he could write very ingenious verses ; and these he addressed to the

heroine of the moment . Napoleon appreciated b good music , y preference that of the Italian

- composers ; and Mme . de Saint Huberty, in the

part of Dido , must have impressed him greatly in order to draw from him the following stanza,

which I dare not call a sonnet , but which is some thing like one

’ o m n o n e n e e o n e R ai s qui v us va t z d u illustr rigi ,

’ V o y e z d o u dép e n dait v o tre e mpire n aissan t : ’ Did o n n e ut pas d e charme ass e z puissan t ’ so n m n s o b s tin e P o ur arréte r la fuite o f). a a t [ r a ta 1 9 8 dots of M e F e M S ge .

’ e o n o n e me n d e ce s e Mais si l autr Did , r t li ux,

E fit R e n e d e e été i Carthag ,

I l e fit o e b n o n n se s e , p ur la s rvir, a a d é di ux

E t vo tre b e au pays se rait cuce r sauvage .

L a At yons, where Dido met with the same p

lau se she p as at other cities , was much struck by

- the local tenor, Saint Aubin by name , who became

o f E o n to her a sort neas , not only the stage ,

but also in private life . When she returned to

Paris , nothing would satisfy her but to have him engaged at the Opera ; and her influen ce with the Minister was sufficient to procure from him

o n an order the subj ect, which the tenor , who L seems to have been attached to the yons Theatre , was , willing or unwilling , obliged to obey.

The royal command was in the followi n g terms

o f By order the King ,

- . - o f M de Saint Aubin , alto (haute contre) the

L is yons Theatre , ordered to come immediately to

Paris , in order to appear at the Opera .

Done , etc .

In vain did the L yons manager reply that the

o f - services M . de Saint Aubin could scarcely be z [ s o Me F r a t e o o dot f e M S ag .

n o t inferior merit . But she could forget that during her provincial tours sh e had been remunerated at the rate o f thirty thousand francs a

she sh e year ; and looked upon herself, all the time

was singing in Paris , as shamefully underpaid . It may here be suggested that the five hundred l o n o f ivres which M . de Goncourt , the authority

fo r Arthur Young , makes her receive her per fo rman ce s o n e at evening party , were possibly — fi v e hundred French livres o r francs certainly not

o u r o wn five hundred pounds sterling . It is only in

u time that such s ms have been paid to vocalists , o r o n e rather to vocalist, Mme . Adelina Patti ; for

o r singing , not at private parties , but at theatres concerts .

d e - If, however, Mme . Saint Huberty , with her

d - four hun red a year, was ill paid at the Opera , sh e fo r , perhaps that very reason, exercised an influence such as could scarcely be tolerated by

a private manager in the present day . We have seen that if she wanted to sing with a particular

sh e fo r tenor, caused him to be ordered the Opera b m y royal com and . We find her, moreover, pro

testi n g in quite a menacing tone against the M ad ame d e Sa in t 2 0 1

o f in dismissal this member of the company , and sisting that this other should be forthwith liberated

from prison . In the latter case , the incarcerated o n e had e v idently done her best to provoke the

o n e director . But she was of Mme . de Saint

’ Huberty s particular friends ; and the all - powerful prima donna required that without any further

se t G av au d an ado she should be free . Mdlle . ,

the young lady in question , had declared that she would o n no account sing in the now - forgotten

o ld en F leece opera called the G . The director ,

according to the custom in such cases , reported

to the matter the police , and the recalcitrant

o ff L a singer was carried to Force , where she appears to have been treated as a first- class misdemeanant . She had been cast for a part in

' o f Qin on e the opera , in which the principal

character was to be played by Mme . de Saint

Huberty , and the prima donna insisted upon her young friend being taken from prison and

to brought to her house , first dine with her ,

’ and then to go to a grand rehearsal o f S acchin i s new work . This arrangement seems to have

w as filled the two friends , as it sure to do , F re a ta 2 0 2 [ dots of M e M S ge .

with delight . Their gaiety, however, was not

f r o n e o l . without dark shade , wherever Md le

an ffi G av au d went a police o cer accompanied her .

ma . We y be quite sure , however, that Mme de

Saint - Huberty did not admit him into her

' ’ - sh dining room . Here e and her young p rotegee seem to have enj oyed themselves immensely ; and after the repast they went together , in the best

spirits , to the rehearsal , where the prima donna said aloud to everyone who cared to hear her

o ld en F leece that the G was a wretched opera , and that her friend G av au d an did quite right in refusing to have anything to do with such a

fo r work . She at the same time declared that ,

such a trifle, it was absurd and unjust to keep a young lady in prison . She also told the

manager of the Opera, Dauvergne , that , unless

in he reformed his ways, she would use her

flue n ce with the Ministry and the Court to get

o ut . him turned of his place She , in fact, wrote e to the Intendant , M . de la Fert , to demand ,

o f not indeed the dismissal Dauvergne , but the

G av a d an liberation of u .

- This time , however , Mme . de Saint Huberty

2 0 [ o s o M e re m /t t e 4 d t f F S ag .

as you have communicated to me , I must submit

o n th e to them , and play Friday part of Calliope

o ld en F leece in the G , since my liberty is at this

price . “ I have the honour

“ G A V A U D A N T H E U G R , YO N E .

But this spirited young person had not yet said her last word . On the day for which the

o f o ld en F leece performance the G had been fixed , an official came to the prison in order to se t

her at liberty . She informed him that for the

sh e present she would remain where was , that

she had ordered her dinner, and intended to eat ffi it . The o cial , however, had been ordered to

o ut take her ; and , after many arguments , and

o f m a slight exercise force , he anaged to get her

into the street, telling her that she might after

wards go wherever sh e thought fit . She went

s he back to the prison , where dined copiously,

not without wine . Then , in the liveliest con

dition , she went to the Opera , had a furious scene

with the stage manager, who , during her imprison

- ment, had given her dressing room to another ’

- 2 M ada me d e S az a t Hu be rty . 05

’ singer, and after a quarter of an hour s violent

language calmed down , dressed herself for the

o f part Calliope , and sang very charmingly .

C H A P T E R V I .

o f ONE constant cause dispute between Mme . de

- Saint Huberty and the management of the Opera ,

supported by the Minister, was her determination to wear the costumes appropriate to the parts

she played . Such was the stupidity , the sordid

o f she economy the directing powers , that had always the greatest trouble in obtaining permis sion to substitute for the conventional costume o f the operatic queen such dress as the personage she was to represent might fairly be supposed to have worn . e f . o n e o o n M de la Fert says , in his letters

“ ’ this subj ect : I have just ordered Saint - Huberty s

dress . This is terrible . The consulting committee

of the O pera held o n e d ay a special general meet [ o s o M e F re a M ta e 2 06 d t f S g .

- ing to consider whether Mme . de Saint Huberty could really be allowed to have the costume sh e

o f desired for the part Armida . Madame de

- o n Saint Huberty, said the report the subj ect

“ addressed to the Minister, has sent us the design o f a dress she requires for the part o f Armida .

n h The committee consideri g that t is part, in which

- Mme . de Saint Huberty has not yet been seen ,

h o f might give to the work the c arm novelty, and procure for the Opera advantageous receipts during

a series of representations , has thought it right

’

- to agree to Mme . de Saint Huberty s expressed wish ; the more so as she has no obj ection to L share the part with Mdlle . evasseur, it being

o f arranged that , in case illness , the costume made fo r this Opera shall be worn by the substitutes

”

- as well as by Mme . de Saint Huberty herself .

In the margin o f the report the following o b se r

“ vation o f the Minister appears : Good for this

o f time only , and without the establishment a

o f precedent . All the members the company must,

u without distinction , wear the dresses f rnished to

so them by the administration of the Opera , long

” as they are considered in a fit state to be worn .

[ s o M e F re e r/z ta e 2 08 dot f S g .

l and to be general y agreeable to you . But, at

u to the same time, you o ght understand that you

are obliged to conform to established rules , like

o f all the other members the company, and like those who played the first parts before you ; for

o f if, instead accepting the appointed costume , each o n e wished to dress according to individual

taste , the result would be hopeless confusion , together with an expenditure both useless and

” ruinous fo r the King and for the Opera .

In September 1 788 the director - general of the e Opera wrote to M . de la Fert that there would

n f be a great dispute o the subj ect o Mme . de

’ - o f e Saint Huberty s dress in the part Chim ne, which might involve the making of six new

fo r o n e o f dresses , two her, and for each her four d atten ants . Everyone in the present day will sympathise w . d e ith Mme Saint Huberty in her constant, ff though sometimes ine ectual , desire to obtain from the management a dress historically suitable to

she whatever part was about to play. Whether she was equally right in rebelling against the - 2 M ada me d e Sa in t Hu be rty . 09

authority of the musical conductor may be ques

io n e d t . Even now , the conductor most esteemed

by singers is the o n e who will allow them at

will to prolong their high notes, to introduce a

o f n profusion unmeani g ornaments , and generally

. o n o n e to take liberties with the time When ,

sh e occasion , Sophie Arnould found that was

batteu r d e m esu re at cross purposes with the ,

she exclaimed , in answer to his representations

“ ” L a ? - e la! mesure Quelle bete est c Mme . de

Saint - Huberty declared o n e d ay to the company

o n assembled the stage , not like a reasonable

. in woman , but like a fury , that M Vion was

o f a capable holding the b ton , and that if he appeared any more in the orchestra to beat

m fo r w as ti e , a duty which he entirely unfit, sh e o n , her side, whatever might be the result,

o w uld undress herself, and refuse to sing her part .

an Soon afterwards , before the season was at

’ sh e end, and without asking anyone s permission,

V o f started for Alsace , with the iew singing at

the Strasburg theatre . But an order from the

w as Minister forbade her appearance , and she

VOL. II . F r 2 1 0 [ dots of M e e a M Stage . at the same time summoned to return without

d elay to Paris .

a - At last Mme . de S int Huberty was so disgusted

with her life at the Opera, and with the difficulties

(many o f them o f her own creation) by which sh e sh e d was constantly surrounded , that resolve to resign, and accordingly wrote to the director the following letter

i n The trouble , the d sgust , the vexatio , caused to me by the reprimands and threats which your c ontinual complaints bring upon me from the ff Ministry, far from increasing my courage , a ect

my health and strength , and will , at last , bring about what is so ardently desired : the annulment o f my engagement , and my retirement from the

theatre , for it is impossible for me to support

. sir any longer such persecution You know , , that

I am well aware how much you hate me , and that I expect to feel all the effects o f your

” hatred .

2 [ o s o M e F re a M ta e 2 1 d t f S g .

had b i egun life in the army, and leav ng his

regiment because , as scandal would have it, he had neglected to fight a duel which circum

stances seemed to require , travelled for some

o f years in foreign parts . But at the time his

- becoming acquainted with Mme . de Saint Huberty ,

fo r o f he lived a great part every year at Paris ,

o f in the society philosophers , actresses , men of science and politicians . He took a great interest

w as o f in ballooning, and the friend the Mont

o lfie rs o n g and of Blanchard . He was intimate

terms with Rousseau . He was quite at home

o f with the members the Comédie Francaise , and

- he had been introduced to Mme . de Saint Huberty

as far back as 1 783. For several years he cor

- responded with Mme . de Saint Huberty when

his absence in L e Vivarais prevented his seeing

her ; and his letters , which have been preserved , testify to his admiration and affection for the

s singer , though for some time there was no que

n o f O n e o f tio in them passionate love . his

as earliest letters is interesting , showing that at

o f - the height her fame Mme . de Saint Huberty m still led a si ple life . M a a me d e a mt - a ée rt 2 1 d S H y . 3

I have heard enemies of yours , he writes

o f accuse you meanness , and laugh at you for

driving about Paris in a hired vehicle . But I also know many excellent and honourable persons

who admire you o n account o f this very simpli

o u o n city . Do y think that e can se e without

so sympathy , without enthusiasm , a woman much

so o u t admired , celebrated as you , drive in a hackney carriage when she could so easily com

mand the gilded chariot o f vice and infamy ?

What can be finer than to see talent in all its

brilliancy associated with the virtues o f a noble

? fo r a soul It is delightful , those who can p

re ciate p it, to be able to feel enthusiasm without

alloy ; it is glorious fo r the woman who inspires

it n o t to excite in the heart of her admirers that regret which is always caused by seeing a sublime

o r talent exercised by a man woman who , person

ally, is contemptible . For you alone was reserved

” this glory .

’ ’ d A n trai ue s C ount g correspondence with Mme . de Saint - Huberty extends over many years ; and

’

- it can be seen from Mme . de Saint Huberty s letters that she adopted all the philosophical and ta 2 1 4 [ do ts of M e F re a M S ge .

scientific views of her future husband . She thinks as highly o f the M o n tgo lfie rs as the Count him

’ f - o . self. Some Mme de Saint Huberty s letters are s o well written that the Count accuses her o f wasting her time in correcting them and copying them o ut afresh in order to show her

wit .

After helping to the best o f his ability to bring C about the Revolution , the ount saw enough of the proceedings o f the constituent Assembly to which he belonged to bewail its tendencies now

that he clearly perceived them . He had pub

“ l ishe d 1 788 o n , in , pamphlets the Rights of the

” People and o n the Constitution o f the Monarchy

meaning, no doubt , its reconstitution . He accused the nobility o f having formed in the nation a

nation apart , a separate order of the state, which

for centuries had kept the people in slavery .

“ The Third Estate , he wrote in a memorandum

“ o n is the States General , the People , and the

People is the basis o f the State ; it is the State

” itself .

The States General, however , had scarcely met

w hen he began to change his opinions ; and Mira

F ta 2 1 6 [ dots of M e re m /z S ge .

’ d a m d A n trai ue s The y after the arriage , Count g addressed to his wife this letter :

I may die , my dear wife, and cannot acquit

n o f mv se lf too se e a sacred duty .

“ There may be wanting to o ur union some

formalities which , according to the law of France , are required fo r the legalisation o f marriages ; and imperious circumstances may prevent me from

fo r m fulfilling these so e time to come . If I am

o u to die before that time , I should wish y to render to my memory the honour due to it by rendering to yourself that which is also due to

o f you . I declare , then , that after seven years

o f friendship , mutual confidence, I have united by marriage to my fate that of the woman who had the courage to share my destiny ; that o n

29 th o f 1 790 n the December , after having obtai ed from the Bishop o f Como a dispensation for

o f fo r the publication banns , and permission us to marry at any time and place that might

m a o f ] please us , I arried you in the Ch teau Caste

o f San Pietro , in presence two priests as

witnesses . ’

- a r 2 1 M ada me d e S a z a t H ée ty . 7

With many reasons for ke eping this marriage

o u secret , I did not conceal from y the most important o f all : the grief it would cause to

my worthy and venerable mother . But I knew

her, and was sure that, if she had to bewail

o u r my loss , she would forgive secret union , and would recognise the wife o f her son in w the oman who watched over his fate , who

softened its rigour , and who received the last f sighs o his heart.

The C ount n e w became the devoted servant

o f of the Bourbons , and the agent all the foreign courts who were willing to promote the reste ra f h tion o t e monarchy . The Count had only been able to scrape together some hundreds of pounds ;

o f and it was not until the death the King, in 1 f 7 9 3 o r . , that he received any pay his services

It was only , indeed , at that time that his

active services began , unless his publication of several pamphlets against the proceedings o f the revolutionary Assembly in France can be so

considered . He , at the same time , addressed

letters to the various courts , and succeeded in 1 8 [ o s o M e F re m /z ta e 2 d t f S g . bringing about a j oint understanding between those which were already opposed to the French

Revolution .

Some years afterwards, the Count and Countess

went to Venice , and were still there when

the French took possession of the city . Count

’ d A n traigu e s was at this time specially attached

o f M o rd v in o ff to the service Russia ; and when ,

the Russian Minister, about to quit the place , obtained from the French legation a passport for

his attaches himself, secretary and his , he included

’ d A n trai ue s among the latter the Count g , who , with his wife and a child born to them in

’ o f Switzerland , travelled as part the Minister s

o f suite . At Trieste the carriages the Russian

Minister were surrounded by bayonets , and the

B e rn ad e tte various members were brought before ,

M o rd v in o ff who was here in command . ex hibite d the passport he had obtained from the

o n B e rn ad e tte French legation , which said to him

“ : is abruptly Tell me at once, which the Count

' d A n traigu e s

” ’ is d A n trai u e s im It I , replied g ; and he was

’ r in M o rd v in o ff s mediately a rested , spite of repeated

M e F r n /z ta e 2 2 0 /dots of e e S g .

’ t n Af er seizing the Count s tru ks , and taking

from them his portfolio and all his papers , the French authorities allowed his wife and child to

accompany him back to Milan , whither he was sent under escort .

l n o Arrived at Milan , the Count ost time in writing to his mother to inform her o f th e marriage contracted seven years before in Switzer

in land . The mother received the news the most

gracious manner .

“ o f o ld The name mother, wrote the Countess

“ o n e o u to the new , which y give me , my dear w daughter , makes me hope that you ill receive

with pleasure the name which in testimony o f my n ff affectio I o er to you . It is a gift which the

n o t heart alone can appreciate, and yours will be

closed to anything that comes from the mother o f

n o u your husband . I k ow that y constitute his

o . o u happiness and his consolati n May y be happy ,

n s all three . I thank you for the obliging thi g

o u a n y are kind enough to s y to me . I can o l y contribute to your mutual satisfaction by my ff prayers , which I o er to God several times each

” day . n t - H a te rt 2 2 1 M a dame d e Sa i y .

At Milan the Cou nt w as taken straight to the

o f C d residence the omman ant, who at once

separated him from his wife , and sent him to

o f a convent where prisoners war were confined , with orders that he should be strictly watched .

w as o f A sentinel , in fact , placed at the end his

bed .

Soon afterwards he was taken to the castle, and there placed in a dungeon twelve feet long by six broad . On 1 2th June he was told that he would have

to start immediately for Paris, though , in con

o f o f sideration the state his health , there seemed to be some probability that his departure might

be postponed . The same evening, however, he

was d riven in a carriage to a place some seven o r

eight miles distant from Milan , where he had an

fo r interview , which lasted two hours , with

d tte o f B e rn a e . , in presence Berthier He was asked to give explanations in reference to the papers

found in his portfolio, which had not been

his examined in presence . He was questioned

in m particular about a me orandum , in which the

writer represented himself as the author o f the 2 2 2 [ o s o M e F re m /z ta e d t f S g .

coalition formed between Berlin , Vienna and

Madrid , which , after publishing it , the Directory , o n 4th 1 79 7 the of September , made the pretext

’ ’ for its coup d e tat.

o f He denied the authorship the document , declaring that he had n o t been to Vienna for

se t nineteen years , and that he had never foot

o r B e rn ad e tte either in Berlin in Madrid . came

’ d A n trai ue s to no decision, and Count g was taken back to his dungeon .

’ d A n trai ue s Meanwhile , the Countess g , remain

ing at Milan , hurried about the city soliciting from morning till night either the liberation of

o r o f her husband , , at least , the mitigation the

rigour with which he was being treated .

At last, thanks to the urgent representations

’ an d d A n prayers of his devoted wife , Count trai u e s w as g liberated on parole , with permis sion to visit the libraries and to walk about

o n the the city , but understanding that he was n o f six o t to change his place abode . But weeks

o n 25 th o f afterwards , the August , he somehow , with o r without a secret permission from the authorities , m disappeared . The people who lived in the sa e

2 [ s o M e F re n 2 4 dot f M Stage .

M o rd vin o ff . receive funds from , the Russian Minister

o f his C In case being recaptured , the ountess was

n - to send him his tru k , his dressing case , his books , ’ 1 1 and , moreover, 2, f, f, 3 3: She was further to

an d o f write to the Emperor to the King Spain ,

sh e urging them to take action . Finally, was to t a take the greatest care of her marriage cer ific te , an d of all the papers necessary , for establishing the identity of the child .

’ o f According to one version the Count s escape,

o f it was due to a bribe ten thousand francs , which the Countess had realised by the sale of her j ewels . As soon as she was informed that her husband o w had passed the fr ntier , she hastened to follo him , and o n the 8oth of August addressed to the Mar

’ D A n d re o li quis , in whose house they had been

lodging , the following letter

l e in Monsieur Marquis , I have the honour to

form you that, having obtained our liberty on con

o ur in co n ito d ition that we should make departure g , w e have fortunately succeeded in placing ourselves ,

t o u r f t o gether wi h ef ects , in safety , without any ’

- 2 2 M adame d e S a z n t H a ée rty . 5

d suspi ci on being aroused on the subj ect. Accor in l l e g y, Monsieur Marquis , I have the honour to thank you for all the attention s yo u showed us during my husband ’s captivity and my residence

o ur with you . I send you herewith the keys of

apartments, which , I think , are in the same con

n dition as when we entered, as well as the line

you were kind enough to lend us .

’ C o uN T E ss D A N T R A I G U E S .

It was understood in the Royalist Party that

’ the Count d A n traigue s owed his escape entirely to his wife ; and to recognise at once her devo

tion to her husband , and her services to the

“ ” cause, the Count of Provence, in his theoretic

o f o r character King, dec rated her with the orde

o f Saint Michael .

In the mon th of January 1 798 the Count

’ d A n traigu e s made an official announcement of 18 his marriage . In May 00 he received from

o f S icilie s b the King the two , oth for himself

and for his son, the royal order of Constantine ,

1 h n 1 8 4 together with a pension . On 6t Ju e 0

’ the Countess d A n tra igu e s received from the 11 VOL . . [ M e F r m /z ta e 2 2 6 do ts of e S g .

o f in Emperor Austria a patent confirming ,

flattering terms , a pension which she had pre v io u sly obtained .

— His Majesty the Emperor King , ran the

“ document , has very graciously resolved that

i o f o n e the life pens on thousand ducats in specie ,

- previously granted to Mme . Anne Antoinette

’ - d A n trai ue s Clavel de Saint Huberty , Countess g , in memory o f the services rendered by her to

h e r - o f late Maj esty, Queen Marie Antoinette

o f France , as superintendent the music of this

august princess , be assigned for the future

to the State Exchequer , and be paid quarterly , b eginning from the present date , on the signed

o r receipt of this lady her husband , His Majesty , wishing that this pension be subject to n o

o r o f charge , duty diminution any kind .

R D COLLO E O .

This patent found the couple at Dresden , where

’ the Count d A n traigu e s was fulfilli n g a secret m fo r m o f ission the E peror Alexander Russia , co rresp o n ding with Swed en through the Swed i sh

2 2 8 [ dots of M e F re a M Stage .

knowledge of the treaty, and had communicated

his information to Canning , who, in return , gave the Count a pension payable out o f the Secret

Service money ; and it was this , always accord in g to the accepted legend , which , a few years

c o f afterwards , aused the assassination both the

Count and Countess . e Fouch , it is said , wished to know what was

’ d A n trai u e s going on between Count g and Canning , and for that purpose sent two secret agents to L ondon , with orders at all cost to intercept the

’

. L correspondence The Count s servant, orenzo, is further said to have shown to the agents the letters which passed between his master and the Foreign Office ; and it was when he found

that his treachery was about to be discovered , through a visit which the Count was on the

o f point making to Canning , that, losing his

his head , he first assassinated master and mistress ,

and then committed suicide .

’ ’ d A n trai ue s What , however, could Count g secret correspondence matter to the French Government in presence o f the open facts that England was

’ carrying o n war against Napoleon s forces in ’

me e z n t - H a ae rt 2 2 M a da d S a y. 9

th e Spain , while Napoleon himself , at head of ? an immense army , was invading Russia

It appeared , moreover , from the evidence given L at the inquest , that orenzo killed his master

and mistress in a fit o f rage due simply to his

having received notice to leave .

C H A P T E R V I I .

T H E following account o f the tragic affai r appeared

T imes o f 23d 1 812 in the July ,

’ C d A n trai u e s The Count and ountess g , French

noblesse , and distantly related to the unfortunate

o f o n family the Bourbons , resided Barnes Terrace , f o n the banks o the Thames . They lived in h a style w ich , though far from what they had

formerly moved in, yet was rather bordering

o n high life than the contrary . They kept a

carriage , coachman , footman, and a servant out

f w as o livery . The latter an Italian o r Pied montese named L awrence ; and it is o f this wretch that we have to relate the following [ o s o M e F re e r/t ta e 2 30 d t f S g .

particulars . The Count and Countess intending L to visit ondon as yesterday , ordered the carriage

to be at the door by eight in the morning, which it accordingly was ; and soon after that hour they were in the act of leaving the house to get d into it , the Countess being at the oor , the Count

o f coming downstairs , when the report a pistol w as heard in the passage, which , it has since

ff asce r appeared , took no e ect ; nor was it then

t L ain e d by whom it was fired . awrence was

o n at this time in the passage , and , the smoke

r subsiding, was seen to ush past the Count , and

p roceed with great speed upstairs . He almost

his instantly returned with a dirk in hand , and plunged it up to the hilt into the Count ’s left

shoulder ; he continued his course and made fo r the

street door, where stood the Countess , whom he instantly despatched by plunging the same dirk l into her left breast . This last act had scarce y been completed when the Count appeared also at w the door, bleeding , and follo ing the assassin , who

made for the house and ran upstairs . The Count,

though extremely weak and faint, continued to

follow him ; but so great was the terror occasioned

[ s M F re a M ta e 2 32 dot of e S g . h ou se were all collected l ast night ; but no cause fo r so horrid an act was at that time known

all was but conjecture .

so The following circumstances , in extra o a re rdinary case , may be, however , worth while

lating . The Count, it appears , always kept a

brace of pistols loaded in his bedroom , and a small d m irk . About a onth ago the Countess and the servants heard the report o f a pistol u p

stairs , and were in consequence greatly alarmed ;

o n e o f when the latter, a female , went upstairs

’ an d looked into her mistress s room , it was full

o f sh e o ut. smoke , and screamed On its clearing

L n away , she saw awre ce standing, who told her nothing was the matter : he had only fired one

’ o f his master s pistols . It afterwards appeared

- that he had fired - into the wainscot ; it was

loaded with ball , and the ball from the pistol

is yet to be seen . “ The Count and Countess were about sixty

f T he e years o age . latter was highly a com

lishe d l p , a great proficient in music, and great y

admired fo r her singing in fashionable parties . There is no reason whatever to believe that M a a me d e a in t - u be rt 2 d S H y . 33

L awrence was insane . Only about ten minutes

his previous to committing this deed of blood , he went over to an adjoining public - house and

o f took a glass gin . He had lived only three

months in the family , and report says was to

be discharged in a few days . The Count and Countess had resided in Barnes

o r for four five years , and have left an only son , who a , we underst nd , is at present in this country studying the law .

“ o n Besides his house Barnes Terrace , Count ’ 7 d A n trai u e s . g had a town establishment , No

fift - six Queen Anne Street, W . He was y , and the

fift - o f Countess y three years age . The Count had eminently distinguished himself in the troubles which have convulsed Europe for the last twenty 1 7 89 two y ears . In he was actively engaged in

o f favour the Revolution , but during the tyranny

of Robespierre he emigrated to Germany, and was

employed in the service of Russia . At Venice , in

1 79 7 B e rn ad e tte , he was arrested by , at the order o f Bonaparte , who pretended to have discovered in his portfolio all the particulars o f the plot upon 1 8th which the Fructidor was founded . The Count [ o M e F r e r/z t 2 34 d ts of e S age .

made his escape from Milan , where he was con

w as fined , and afterwards employed in the diplo f matic mission o Russia at the Court o f Dresden . In 1 806 he was sent to England with credentials

o f from the Emperor Russia , who had granted him

a pension , and placed great dependence upon his

services . He received here letters of denization ,

and was often employed by the Government . The

Countess was the once celebrated Mme . Saint

ea ran ais. Huberty, an actress at the Th tre F c

She had amassed a v ery large fortune by her

professional talents .

sa sh e Needless to y , never appeared at the a The tre Francais .

The same impression o f the T imes contained this other account

’ d A n trai u e s The Count g , a very eminent politi

a o f cal character, formerly deputy the nobility o f o f Vivarais to the States General , author many

eloquent tracts , who had married the celebrated singer and actress of the Royal Academy of Music

- w . as at Paris , Mme Saint Huberty , murdered

2 r n /i 36 [ dots of M e F e e Stage .

ff taken e ect, took to the poignard , and stabbed his

master in the shoulder. Though the blow was

mortal , the Count had still strength enough to

walk to his room . The servant then ran to the

Countess, who was shrieking, and plunged in the most audacious manner the poignard into her

breast . She fell , and died instantly, without any

‘ L ! L ! ’ groans , saying only, orenzo orenzo

“ It appears that the Count died , as soon as he re — f o f entered his room , from an ef usion blood in

his chest . The murderer, bewildered and frantic w after his ferocious deed , came to the room here

o n o f his master was lying, and seizing another the four pistols which the Count kept constantly d for his protection at his be side . with the poignard , under a presentiment that o n e day o r other his

life would be attempted , discharged the contents

into his mouth , and shattered his head in the

most fearful manner . He died on the spot , and f fell dead by the side o his master .

wh o The alarm was given by the coachman ,

was standing at the door , and the other servants .

T w o professional men came instantly , but no assist

n m a ce could prevail . The house was bes eared with a me d e a in t - u be rt 2 M ad S H y . 37

blood , and presented a most shocking spectacle , the three bodies being extended in such a small space . The coachman drove to town to fetch the

w as doctor , and the lawyer who generally employed by the Count , and to convey the melancholy tidings to the house o f the deceased in Queen

W. Anne Street , , where a great crowd of people

o f were collected during the whole the day . Dr

C hav e rn ac of Gerrard Street, the surgeon , and

Mr Trickey, the solicitor, both the intimate friends

o f - the deceased , went post haste to Barnes Terrace .

ff o f The papers , j ewels and other e ects the Count and Countess were put under seal in their presence , and in that o f a magistrate and several respect

’ able neighbours . A coroner s inquest is to take

place this day at Barnes on the three bodies . “ No cause is yet known for the atrocious act

tw o which has deprived of life persons , who , b m y their talents , knowledge , a iable manners and

n powerful connections , ra ked very high in society . The Count was a man of colossal stature and

fift - o f imposing countenance , only y eight years age ,

f - and his lady fi ty two .

o f Mr Vansittart, the Chancellor the Exchequer , [ a e 2 38 do ts of M e F re M Stag .

o f the particular friend the Count , was informed f h o t e lamentable event early yesterday . and L ord Sidmouth commissioned Mr Brooks of the

L a Alien Office to take . conjointly with Count

a o f L I Ch tre , Commissary His Maj esty ouis XVII , the proper measures to secure the papers and

o f property the deceased , who had been formerly Commissary of His Most Christian Majesty in

Italy, and till his death an agent and corre

” o f sp o n d e n t o f the Emperor Russia .

The T im es o f 24th July 1 81 2 contained this report o f the inquest :

An inquest was held yesterday at the ‘ White

’ Hart , Barnes Terrace , before Charles Jemmett ,

E s . V o f q , Coroner for the County, after a iew the

’ o f d A n trai u e s bodies the Count and Countess g ,

o f and L awrence who murdered them .

Susannah Black , the first witness , deposed

o n 22d that , the July instant , she was ordered by

’ th e Countess , about eight o clock in the morning ,

to take some books , etc . , to the carriage door ;

h s he o th e an d t at f llowed the Countess to door,

2 40

e sh e w when the Count was abs nt , was ith the

her Countess in bedroom , when they heard a

loud report, and she ran downstairs thinking

a ‘ it was rap at the door. But finding no one

‘ ’

sh e L o n e . there , called awrence , but no answered

She then returned upstairs . The Countess met

d e e r o f the her at the bedroom , and said it f was the report o a pistol . Witness ran upstairs

’ to the Count s room and o n com i ng to the door

’ ’ saw sm o k e issu e frorii it L some , and saw awrence him in the room . She asked what he was doing,

‘ ’ and he answered Nothing. She then went to h e r L mistress , and told her awrence had fired

“ o ff . C a pistol The ountess went upstairs , and a a witness followed her , and he rd her t lk to

L n t awre ce very coolly, but could not ell what sh e as o r bu t said , she spoke French Italian ; the

Countess told her afterwards that he said he ff had been handling the pistol and it went o .

L sh e When awrence came to the kitchen , asked him how he dared to meddle with his master ’s

his n pistols in absence , and he a swered it went o ff by chance as he was handling it. She never k n ew o f any quarrel or an ger between the Count ' - 2 M a da me d e Sa in t Hu be rty . 4 1

L L and awrence . Said awrence was a sober man , but latterly had been more passionate than

wirid before . Yesterday morning , the having d t blown the parlour oor to with a grea noise , L the Count spoke rather sharply to awrence , thinking he banged it and would wake his

L in mistress . awrence had lived the family

1 d - about three months . Believe the dagger pro

. ’ ' d u ce d to be her master s, having . many times

seen it hanging in his room .

“ r the Elizabeth Ashton , another se vant of

C t h e Count and ountess , deposed that when

Countess came first downstairs , she was standing

on h e r T h e at the street door to wait mistress . d carriage was at the door . Her mistress passe w — C her , and ent towards the carriage the ount was coming downstairs . Witness heard the re

o f sh e port a pistol , was stunned by it , said

was a dead woman , turned round and said

’ ‘ ' L ! L ! wh e n l o o kin sh e saw awrence awrence , g up ,

L awrence coming downstairs with a pistol in o n e

the hand and a dagger in other . She screamed

‘ o ut n d ! and ran into the street, cryi g Mur er

’ murder ! went over to the public - house to give

. I VOL I . Q 2 [ o s o M e F re m /z ta e 2 4 d t f S g .

an alarm , and on her return found her mistress lying o n the footpath o f the street near the

ff sh e carriage , and being so a ected that found

w . she could not give any assistance , she went a ay

“ H e b d itch David , coachman to the Count and m Countess , deposed that he received orders fro L awrence to have the carriage ready yesterday 22d morning , the July, at five minutes before

eight ; that he was at the door with the carriage

before the clock struck eight ; that , as soon as

L to he arrived there , awrence came the coach ,

opened the door, and put into the carriage a

tin can filled with oil ; that he then went into

the house , and soon afterwards returned ; that

when the Countess came down , and was proceed L ing to the carriage , awrence went into the house , and soon after he passed his mistress the report

of a pistol was heard ; that the Countess asked

him , the coachman , what was the matter , and

he answered it was from the inside o f the house ;

w as that in a few minutes afterwards , as he

o n his saw sitting box before the door, he

L n awre ce come downstairs , and , with a sharp

he d w it instrument held in his han , which the

[ o s o M e F re a M ta e 2 44 d t f S g .

floor, apparently dead , with some blood near his

mouth . Mr King, a surgeon , then came and de

sired the Count might be stripped . Witness

assisted to do so , and held him while they got

a sponge and some water and washed the wound .

After that he went away, and drove carriage to

town . Believed L awrence was sober . He spoke

very correct to him , the coachman , when he gave him his order, and did not appear at all mentally deranged .

“ ‘ ’ William Hitchin, master of the Sun public

house at Barnes , deposed that yesterday morn

’ ing, about eight o clock , coming along the street ,

’ he saw L awrence put a tin can into the C ount s

carriage, and return into the house . When he

got opposite the door, he heard the report of a

saw pistol . Turned immediately round , and the

Count and Countess just within the door . The

Countess said something to the coachman , who

‘ ’ n a swered , It is indoors , my lady . The Count

and lady returned into the house . He then heard

some persons screaming, and was going to get

him n o t some weapon , but coachman begged to

go , and he did not . The coachman and he - r 2 M ada me d e Sa in t Hu be ty . 45 were going into the house when the Countess

o u t came of the house , passed them , and fell

. sh e down Thought had only fainted , and , while

saw o u t o f standing by her , the Count come m the house , with blood streaming fro his

shoulder . The C ount instantly returned into the

house , and immediately afterwards witness heard the report o f a pistol in one o f the upper rooms ; this report occurred before the Count could p o s sibl y get to his o wn room . Some people came

up , and he accompanied them into the house .

The first thing he saw o n the floor o f the p as

a sage was dagger, bloody , and with some silk on

‘ it as if it came from a shawl ; on desiring a

person to go upstairs with him , he refused with o ut a having weapon , on which witness gave

him the dagger, and himself took a poker .

The coachman followed , and the witness desired

him to go first into the room , which he

saw did . On entering the room , he the Count

sitting on a bed , alive , but speechless , and L awrence lying on the floor dead , with a brass

- double barrelled pistol close to him .

o f h Matthew Ball , Surgeon , Barnes , deposed t at , e F e a 2 46 ]dots of M r M Stage .

’ about a quarter past eight o clock in the morning,

a woman came to his house , and desired him to

’ ’ d A n trai u e s come immediately to Count g , for the

Count and Countess were both murdered ; imme d iate l y went , and when he came into the house , saw the C ountess lying on the floor o f the

parlour , and a great deal of blood both on the

floor and o n her clothes . Then examined and fo und a large lacerated wound o n her right

breast, made by a sharp instrument, which had passed through the third and fourth ribs to the

o f t ff cavity the chest , from which a grea e usion of blood had proceeded . As soon as he found

she the wound was mortal , and that could not

live many minutes , witness went up to the Count to assist Mr King, a surgeon , who had previously

an d gone up to dress his wound , found the Count had received a wound o n his left shoulder from

t h a sharp instrumen , whic had penetrated four m inches . He was otionless and speechless , and died in about a quarter o f an hour after his

Mr ( B . ) seeing him . Saw two small leaden bullets

- in the string board of the stairs , which appeared to n have been shot from a pistol . When he e

H L R A C E .

S A IX d ELI FEL , who became so celebrate under her

o f M u n f assumed name Rachel , was born at , a

28th 1 821 . village in Switzerland , on February

Her father, Jacques Felix , and her mother , Esther

Haya , were both French and both Jewish . They

- so dealt in second hand clothes , but were poor — that Elisa, at the age of ten , turned street singer

h o n e with her sister Sophie . As s e was singing d a L y in a thoroughfare at yons , Choron , who

happened to hear her , was struck with the beauty o f her voice , and , approaching her, inquired as to

her circumstances and her family . He next paid

v he a isit to her father , whom found in a garret, and offe red to admit the child to the Institution 2 R a M e t. 49

o f classical music o f which he was director . The

proposition was accepted , and a month afterwards the Felix family installed themselves at Paris . It

’ was at C ho ro n s suggestion that Elisa exchanged

’ her name for that o f Rachel ; but the director s confidence in her future as a vocalist was soon to

be overthrown , for the child completely lost her

voice . She then passed from the Institution to a dramatic school established by a disappointed o ld

- actor named Saint Aulaire , who , although he could d find no favour on the boar s himself, could at

least train others for the stage .

She progressed rapidly , and ere long attempted the representation o f some o f the light characters

o f e . Moli re It was in tragedy , however, in the

o f plays Corneille and of Racine , that she was

o f destined to shine , and at the age seventeen she had already identified herself with at least

- a - o f o f half dozen the heroines these great masters . Already her critics could find no adequate word s

in which to praise her , and already her audiences

experienced every emotion , every transport which she exhibited o r rather felt upon the stage ; for she so completely lost herself in whatever character 2 5 0 [ do ts of M e F re a M Stage . sh e was playing that she could scarcely be said

to act . She no longer knew herself to be

Rachel .

o f A record , however, her successes would fill a

volume . It is probable that she hastened her end

by excessive study , for she would sometimes within a few months learn half - a - dozen difficult

and elaborate parts , so as to represent them in the highest perfection . She often complained of

sh e fatigue and exhaustion , and was destined to succumb at the early age o f thirty - eight to co n

sumption . w In vie , perhaps , of her Jewish descent, Rachel

was frequently, though with great inj ustice ,

o f accused illiberality . Whenever she arrived in a

new town to give a performance , the municipality were scarcely contented unless she gave to the

poor the whole of her share of the receipts . She

gave much ; but not giving everything, as M .

“ e she Ars ne Houssaye puts it , might as well have

” given nothing . Nothing vexed her more than to hear herself

accused of meanness . One of her best friends , d Baron Rothschil , said to her, by way of consola

2 2 [ o s o M e re n t /z t 5 d t f F S age .

In reference to the gift o f eternal youth p o s

so sessed by many actresses , she once wrote “ L ook at a good housewife side by side with a ? good actress , and what do you observe At

o ld forty the former is already an woman , because she has troubled herself to o much about her domestic affairs . The actress of forty is

sh e still quite young, because has never bothered about washing bills o r the expenditure o f her

cook . The housewife has always been pre

an occupied with her household, whereas actress has had no preoccupation except in connection

: tw o o f with art and love fountains youth .

B ran téme But I am almost copying , for it ‘ is he who says : L ive like the rose . The

is more a flower cultivated , the longer it

lasts .

’ One o f Rachel s greatest dramatic triumphs

’ was achieved in Scribe and L e go u v é s play o f

A d rien n e L ec r r o u v eu . It was long, however, before sh e could be prevailed upon to represent

a t the chief character, though it had been written

o w n s L e o u v é his her uggestion . M . g required all

n inge uity to circumvent her caprice . Of the M e t 2 R a . 5 3 means by which he at length removed her pre

judice against the piece , he himself gives an account which is far too interesting to be omitted .

A d rien n e L ecou vreu/r The drama of , he says,

so now well known , in which the chief incident is the death o f an eminent actress by means of

a poisoned bouquet presented by a j ealous rival ,

o f was the joint composition Scribe and myself, and had been undertaken by us expressly fo r

o w n sa Rachel at her suggestion , I might even y

at her o w n request . But the few months that we devoted to writing the piece had the effect o f disgusting her with it. Changeful and

so fickle by nature , she was still more by

o f instability character . She was continually

’ o f asking everybody s opinion , and, course , every

’ body s opinion left its impression . A few j est ing remarks from some thoughtless critic com ple te ly disenchanted her with the idea that had m transported her with delight five inutes before .

o ur A d ri This was at least the case with poor en n e . Rachel ’s last advisers completely frightened

sa her . Such a daring , not to y shocking, de 2 [ o s o M e F re a M ta e 5 4 d t f S g . parture from the legitimate drama ! What !

H ermion e and P a u lin e consent to speak in prose ! The daughter o f Corneille and Racine become the step - daughter o f Monsieur Scribe ! Unheard of profanation !

“ o f On the day the reading, therefore , Rachel ,

as may be imagined , came to our meeting

fully determined to refuse the part . The room

— at was qu ite full . The actresses that time they were permitted to j udge like other people—were quite as numerous as the actors ; and a certain

quiet courtly air prevailed over all the assembly , striking me the very instant I entered with an

uneasy, chilling foreboding .

“ Scribe took the manuscript and began to read .

- I buried myself in an arm chair, and quietly watched .

“ I soon became aware o f a double play taking

place all round me , and compelling me to be a

. o u r most interested spectator First , there was

’ o w n , performed by Scribe s tongue ; secondly , there

was the other , progressing silently in the hearts o f n su n the judges , but visible as a oonday to the

o f eye the watchful observer . Vaguely informed

2 6 [ o s o M e re m /t ta 5 d t f F S ge .

S tay, I am wrong . There was another incident , o r o n e at least the beginning of , in the last scene

o n e o f a but the final act . R chel , interested

o f in the situation in spite herself, raised her back a little from the arm - chair in which she had been

as sh e o f reclining , motionless as if formed part

‘ it , and leaned forward slightly as if to listen w ith intentness to the words ; but noticing that

’ she I had observed the movement, sank back

- quickly into her arm chair , and instantly resumed

her marble countenance .

“ The reading over, Scribe and myself went into the

’ director s room , where the director himself joined us in a few moments , and told us , with an air of ’ l regret, probably quite sincere , that Md le . Rachel

‘ ’ n o t A d rien n e did see herself in , and , as the

work had been composed expressly for her, that the committee would prefer taking no immediate action in regard to it .

’ “ ‘ I n other words , observed Scribe as we left

‘ ! . the room , our piece is refused Good We must

’ wait for another opportunity .

N ext morn ing three different managers came R aM e 2 t. 5 7

u s ff the to make o ers for work . Scribe , who

dearly loved retaliation , and , above all , liked to

revenge himself while he was in the heat, wished

to close the bargain at once . But I demurred .

“ ‘ d ’ ‘ 1 . O u r No , my dear frien , said piece was ea written for the Th tre Francais , and it is at the ea Th tre Francais that it must be played . The

w as fo r part composed Rachel , and Rachel will

’ have to act it .

“ ‘ ’ B u t how can we induce Rachel to act it ?

How ? I do not know . But Rachel will

play it , and nobody else . While we were work

ing at the piece , though your share in it is con

sid e rabl y larger than mine , you often honoured me by saying that I understood Adrienne ‘ better

than you . I always believed , in fact, that there was something original and striking in the tragic actress who has learned nobility of character from the noble heroines sh e is so fond of re p re

senting , and who , by dint of interpreting the

great Corneille , has imbibed into her soul some

’ of the great Corneille s grandeur . Therefore , this great personage must appear nowhere else than

’ n m at the theatre of the great Cor eille hi self.

I I VOL . . 8 [ s o M F re a ta e 2 5 do t f e M S g .

My earnestness half convinced Scribe . He m p ro ised to wait a little . The managers became

o n e o f more importunate , them saying, by way o f an irresistible argument,

“ ‘ My leading lady has never died on the stage .

’ She would love to be poisoned .

“ Arguments o f this kind I had no great d iffi c ulty in meeting ; but when six months had passed

n o f without improvi g the aspect things , Scribe protested to me that he would wait no longer .

“ ‘ ’ ‘ Give me but a week , I replied . You are

e o n going to spend a few days at S ricourt . Start t — o . your trip day At your return, if I have

’ done nothing , I surrender gracefully .

“ ’ ’ ‘ Very well , was Scribe s answer . This day

’ u week I shall expect yo to breakfast at eleven .

“ ‘ ’ ’ Farewell . Till eleven o clock this day week .

O ff n o Scribe started . The course I w adopted was as follows “ A new director had been appointed for the ea Th tre Francais . I called on him at once , and

‘ spoke to him in substance as follows : You are aware that Mdlle . Rachel has refused our piece .

Had she a right to refuse it ? That I do n o t

a a e 2 60 [ dots of M e F re M St g .

’ h sh e a s e will play it, will have grand success ,

’ and she will call me her deliverer . ff ’ The o er is accepted , wrote Rachel that very

‘ evening to her friends . I cannot refuse M .

L e go u v e s request ; but I shall never play that

I must omit the term sh e employed to

is sa express her disdain . It enough to y that it

w as more expressive than polite . “ The next evening but one had been appointed

for the reading. The judges selected by Rachel

o f were Janin , Merle , Rolle , and the director the ea Th tre Francais .

“ flurrie d I felt , no doubt, a little as I entered f o . the room , but I was quite master myself I

knew I was in the right , and had carefully

trained myself for the encounter . I had thought over the question with myself somewhat in this

: way Scribe was certainly an excellent reader ,

and had really read o ur piece admirably before

the committee , except as regards one part , that of

Adrienne . In my Opinion he had not individual

ised the rdle sufficiently for Rachel ; he had read

it certainly with much spirit , grace , and warmth ,

b u t t o f , as I thought , not wi hout something the R aM e 2 6 1 t.

mannerism of a young leading actress . The grandeur I considered rather tame ; the heroine was somewhat obscured beneath the woman .

N o w o n , it was this precise point that I had

determined to attack Rachel , to capture her , to

tame her, to break her in , as it were , by pre

senting to her a new , and at the same time a grand

and noble personage . Her success would be no easy matter ; her attempt would be beset with great

danger and difficulty . To diminish this danger, and to smooth down this difficulty as much as

b o u r . possi le , was evidently business It was our

n business to sketch , in faint but ta gible outline, how sh e was to pass gradually from o n e line o f

character to another, and to convince Rachel her self that what the public would consider a complete metamorphosis was in reality nothing more to her than a mere change of costume .

This was the point that Scribe had not su ffi c ie n tly insisted o n ; this was the fine shading that he had n o t sufficiently brought o u t and this was precisely what I had been carefully preparing myself during the last two days to render perfectly visible and palpable to my 2 [ M e F r a 2 6 dots of e M Stage .

audience in general , but to Rachel herself in particular .

“ I arrive , and the actress accords me a charm

ing reception , full of that wheedling, cajoling , coaxing grace which became her so well . Her own fair hands prepare my glass o f sugared water ; her o w n fair hands bring me a chair ; her own fair hands dispose the curtains so that I may have the benefit o f the most favourable

n o t re light . I could help smiling to myself, me mb e rin r g, as I did too well the famous ph ase ,

‘ I will never play that and knowing, as I d id l too wel , the why and wherefore of all this

- pretty strategy . It was to sugar coat the pill .

How could so sweet and courteous a listener be ever suspected o f secret ill - will and malice afore thought ? It was all what is called in French

h ‘ e ’ t eatrical slang pr paration .

“ I begin . Throughout the first act Rachel a — h pplauded , approved , smiled did , in s ort, exactly the contrary o f what she had done at the com mi ? tte e reading . How was this It was easy to

A s see . Her part was well prepared . an excuse fo r sh e her rejection , wished to be able to say

e 2 6 4 [ d o/s of we Fran ck Siag .

In the second act Ad rienne makes her appear

o f B a az e t ance , holding in her hand the p art j ,

which sh e is studying . The Prince de Bouillon

‘ approaches her and observes gaily : ! o u still

to . appear be looking for something What is it ,

’ ‘ ’ ? fo r may I ask I am looking the truth , she

‘ ’ ‘ ’

! ! . replies . Bravo bravo exclaimed Janin Ah ,

‘ said I to myself , that comes from a friend , for

’ certainly the phrase does not merit a bravo .

Rachel , too , was a little startled, and gave

‘ Janin a look that seemed to say : What ! a

? ’ ’ traitor here Fortunately , the traitor s opinion ’ h soon became everybody else s Opinion . Rac el

d n o t surprise , and very much embarrassed , at

finding herself filled with her former disdain , made but a feeble resistance against the general

e n d o f impression , and at the the second act

even chimed in with the prevailing sentiment ,

‘ : saying Well , I always thought there was some

’ in thing that second act .

“ This was her last semblance of defence . From

the very beginning of the third act , she divested

herself o f her former prejudices as completely as

a politicians do of unpopular opinions . She p H ame l 2 6 . 5

lau d e d sh e n o w p , laughed , she shed tears , every

‘ ! and then muttering : How foolish I have been

o f At the end the fifth act , she even threw her

o n m self y neck , exclaiming, with streaming

‘ eyes : H o w have yo u kept yourself o ff the stage ?’

“ The reader had saved the author . f I was charmed and lattered beyond measure ,

o u as y may imagine ; the more especially as ,

n a few months before this , havi g heard Guizot deliver a rousing speech o n some subj ect o r

‘ sh e : other, had cried out How I should have liked to play tragedy with such a man ! ’

“ ’ Next morning , at eleven o clock precisely , I

’ rang Scribe s bell .

he said , with a bantering air , and

‘ evidently expecting to have a good laugh , what

’ luck ? How did you get o n ?

“ My only answer was to pull o ut one o f the

regular notices sent to the actors , and to read it .

“ ea F ran ais — Th tre e this day at noon , first

’ rehearsal of A d rien n e L eco u vreu r

he exclaimed ; he was actually too stu p e fie d to utter another word . 2 66 [ d o /s o M e F re n efi ie e f S g .

I told him the whole story , and a month after wards the curtain rose for the first and extremely

” o u r successful representation of joint production .

It has been said that Rachel died young. It w as during a rehearsal of A d rien n e that she

o f conceived a strange presentiment her end , which was then not far distant .

O f fo re bo d this rehearsal , with its melancholy

o f ings, and her sad death , three years afterwards,

’ L e o u v é s M . g account is deeply interesting

That month , he writes , revealed to me a curious instance o f the weird and strangely mys te rio u s emotions that are often attendant o n

dramatic interpretation .

“ O n e re evening, a few days after the first

o f A d rien n e presentation , the ordinary business of the theatre was interrupted for a regular

stage rehearsal . Scribe , detained at the Grand

L e P ro hete Opera by preparations for p , could not be present . Incessant corrections and repetitions delayed us all so long that it was fully eleven

' o t o clock before we g through the first four acts .

d / re /z ie 2 68 [ o s of M e F m S ge .

o n o ur The act over , return to the green

- h a room , I appened to look into mirror, and could

n h o w not help notici g pale my face was . Regnier

f r . o and Maillart , too , were like sheets As Rachel , she f sat for a time in a corner , silent, luttering

th e nervously , and wiping tears that still flowed

down her cheeks . I went up to her, pointing

’ by way of compliment at her companion s faces , and saying as I took her hand

You have played that fifth act , my dear , as you will never play it again in all your

’ life .

’ o w n That is my conviction , she replied .

‘ ’ But do yo u know why ?

“ ‘

I . d think I do None being here to applau ,

o f fo r ff you never thought acting e ect , and you

o wn became in your imagination poor Adrienne , expiring at midnight in the arms of her two

’ friends .

A fter thinking over this observation fo r a few

moments she replied ,

“ ‘ No . That is not why . An exceedingly strange

n o t phenomenon took place within me . It is d over A rienne that I have been weeping , but over R a e 2 6 M l . 9

! myself Something suddenly told me that , like

Adrienne , I should die young . I felt as if I were

o w n m lying in my room , at y last moment , present at my o w n death ! And when I repeated

“ : ! the lines Farewell , dramatic triumphs Fare

' ” well , entrancing art that I have loved so much

you saw me shed real tears . With mournful

despair, I was rapidly realising how soon time would sweep away every recollection o f

h o w my little talents , and the world would soon be left without the faintest trace o f poor Rachel ! ’ “ Alas ! Poor Rachel ’s presentiments were only too well founded ! A very few years later she

o n lay her deathbed , like her sister Rebecca, and

with the same hopeless , implacable disease , at a little f village in the south o France . In the hospitable

’ o f - o f S ard o u s sh e home a warm hearted friend , had received a singularly cordial and sympatheti c

hospitality . In this romantic villa of his , he had , however, indulged his somewhat mystical

love for the fanciful by accumulating, in strange

and curious contrast , many monuments of the f different religions o the far East . Every piece ’ e i r i 2 70 [ o s of M e F e n M S ege .

f o f furniture was symbolic o something. Arriv

ing hurriedly from her long j ourney , and almost

completely exhausted , Rachel , without looking

around , had hardly strength enough left to throw

n herself o a bed . Waking up suddenly in the

l she midd e of the night, utters a wild shriek o f terror ! Her eyeballs stare in a stony agony !

What does sh e see ? The bed o n which sh e lay was shaped like a tomb , and straight before her

’ m sh e eyes , and almost within ar s reach , sees the misshapen figure o f a woman stooping as

if to seize her . It was only a wooden image holding the curtain .

’ ! sh e It is Death screamed at last , flinging

‘ ! ! herself madly out of bed . Help help Protect me from Death ” Her last days were passed in those alternate fits of terrible illusion and gloomy consciousness

to which are peculiar organic maladies . She often said :

“ ‘ F o r six hours of the day I clutch at some thing like hope ; the rest o f the day is filled

’ with black despair .

ff sa Her su erings , strange to y , sometimes

2 [ d o/s o M e F re n M ie e 7 f S g .

No one c an create real w o m en better than

ebr te you . Promise to write me a play to cel a my retu rn to the stage

In three days she was dead . S H B E N H A D T A R A R R .

L I L A TT E girl , as Sarcey relates once presented herself at the Paris Conservatoi re in order to

f r sh e pass the examination o admission . All

“ o f T wo knew was the fable the Pigeons , but sh e had no sooner recited the lines

’ ’ e e o n s aimaie n t mo e n e D ux pig s d a ur t dr . ’ ’ ’ L u n e s e n n u an t au o d ux , y l gis

than Auber stopped her with a gesture .

“ “ l Enough , he said . Come here my chi d .

The little girl , who was pale and thin , but

whose eyes gleamed with intelligence , approached him with an air o f assurance .

11. VOL . 2 [ d o/s O M e F re e r/z ie 74 f S ge .

? Your name is Sarah he said .

” Yes , sir, was the reply . You are a Jewess ? ”

! e s , sir , by birth ; but I have been baptised .

She has been baptised , said Auber , turning

“ u to his colleag es . It would have been a pity if

n t such a pretty child had o . She has said her

‘ ’ o f fable the Two Pigeons very well . She must

” be admitted .

fo r she Thus Sarah Bernhardt , it was , entered

the Conservatoire . She was born at Paris in 1 847 . Her father, after having her baptised , had placed her in a convent ; but sh e had already

secretly determined to become an actress . In her course of study at the Conservatoire sh e so distinguished herself that sh e received a prize which entitled her to a d ebu t at the Theatre e Francais . She selected the part of Iphig nie , in which sh e appeared o n the l 1th o f August 1 862 and at least o n e newspaper drew special attention

“ to her performance , describing her as pretty and

n h e r elega t , and particularly praising perfect

w enu n ciation . She after ards played other parts

ea F ran ais at the Th tre e , but soon transferred

2 6 [ o s o M e F re n M ie e 7 d t f S g .

L r A l o f ee . ready she had riveted the attention

saw the public and the press , who that a brilliant

future lay before her .

At the end o f 1 87 2 sh e appeared at the

Comédie Fran caise and with su ch distinction

n that she was retained , first as a pe sionnaire , at

ix a salary o f s thousand francs . and afterwards

’ as a so c iete ire . Her successes w ere rapid and dazzling ; and whether sh e appeared in modern comedy , in classic tragedy , or as the creator o f characters in entirely new plays , the theatre

was al ways crowded . Her melodious voice

and pure enunciation , her singularly varied

n accents , her pathos , her ardent bursts of passio ,

h n were suc that her audience , as they hu g upon

an d her lips , forgot the caprices eccentricities by

she which was already characterised in private life .

I t ’ seemed , however , that Sarah s ambition was to gain personal notoriety even more than theatrical fame ; and by her performances o f o n e kind or another outside the theatre make herself the talk o f ff society . She a ected to paint, to chisel , and

to write ; sent pictures to the Salon , published

eccentric books , and exhibited busts . She would ’ 2 Se re /i B e rn /ze re i . 7 7

an d receive her friends palette in hand , in the

dress o f a male artist . She had a luxurious

f in cof in made for her , covered with velvet , which sh e loved to recli n e ; an d sh e m ore than once went

up in a balloon .

o r Her caprice , whether in private in public ,

I n 1 88 was altogether unrestrained . 0 Emile

’ ’ L A ren tu riere Augier s admirable comedy , , was

ran aise revived at the Comédie F g , and the author confided the part of Clorinde to Sarah h . o w Bernhardt After the first representation ,

so ah ever , she was enraged by uncomplimentary newspaper criticism that sh e sent in her re sig l . o f nation to M Emi e Perrin , director the

theatre , quitted Paris , and came to England ,

o f where she gave a series representations , and ,

u s appearing among for the first time, caused

a L a verit ble sensation in ondon society . Mean M while , . Perrin instituted against her, in the

o f name the Comédie Francaise , a lawsuit for

o f breach contract, with damages laid at

three hundred thousand francs . It was at this juncture that Sarah accepted the offers o f

an enterprising manager for a tour in America, ’ ‘ e 2 78 [ e ois of M e F re a M Sieg . where sh e achieved no less phenomenal suc cesses than in Europe .

A sensational account o f this American tour was afterwards pu blished by o n e o f her associ l ates , Mdlle . Marie Co ombier , under the title

A r a of S arah B e rn hard t en m e iq e . This was followed by a second volume from the same

B r S ara h a n u m . pen , entitled The latter book ,

as its title suggests , was not intended as a

compliment ; and Sarah Bernhardt brought an

she action against the writer , by which was compelled to expunge from her scandalous volume

all that was offensive .

’ The rest o f Sarah s career is too recent to

o f be traced in detail . Nor can the life an

actress o f our own time be dealt with so freely

as that o f a Sophie Arnould o r an Adrienne

L e co u v re u r.

From America Sarah returned to Paris , where she

all 1888 revived her old successes , and where , in ,

o n e - d at the Odéon , she produced a act come y from

’ L A vea her own pen , entitled , which met with a

somewhat frigid reception .

. Among her numerous eccentricities , Mdlle . Bern