,,later ,,queens ,,of ,,the             
,,french ,,stage  ,illustration3 ,sophie
 ,arnould4  ,printed by ,j4 ,b4 ,grange 
7,wallace ,collection7                  
,,later ,,queens ,,of                   
,,the ,,french ,,stage                  
,,by                             ,h4    
,,noel ,,williams         ,,author ,,of 
8,,queens ,,of ,,the ,,french ,,stage10 
8,,madame ,r,,camier            ,,and   
,,her ,,friends10 8,,madame ,,de        
,,pompadour10 8,,madame                 
,,de ,,montespan10 8,,madame ,,du       
,,barry10 ,,etc4                        
,illustration3 colophon                 
,,london ,,and ,,new ,,york             
,,harper  ,,brothers                    
#de ,,albemarle ,,street1 ,w4           
#aijf                                   
,,to                             ,a4 ,m4
 ,,broadley     ,,contents              
,,page  ,i4   ,,sophie ,,arnould        
#a  ,,ii4  ,,mademoiselle ,,guimard     
#ii  ,,iii4 ,,mademoiselle ,,raucourt   
#adc  ,,iv4  ,,madame ,,dugazon         

#aie  ,v4   ,,mademoiselle ,,contat     
#bbc  ,,vi4  ,,madame ,,saint-,,huberty 
#bfc       ,,index                      
#cde     ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations    
,,sophie ,,arnould 7,photogravure7      
,frontispiece  ,after the painting by   
,,greuze in the ,wallace ,collection at 
,hertford ,house  ,,gluck               
,to face page #ef  ,after the painting  
by ,n4 ,f4 ,,duplessis  ,,sophie        
,,arnould                               
8      #gb  ,from an engraving by       
,,prud',,hon after the drawing by ,c,,ur
  ,,marie ,,madeleine ,,guimard         
8     #aab  ,from an engraving by       
,,gervais after the painting by         
,,boucher  ,,mlle4 ,,raucourt           
8     #afj  ,from an engraving by       
,,ruotte after the painting by ,,gros1  
in the collection of ,mr4 ,a4 ,m4       
,,broadley  ,,madame ,,dugazon          
8     #bjb  ,from an engraving by       
,,monsaldi after the painting by ,,jean 
,,baptiste ,,isabey  ,,louise ,,contat  
8     #bdj  ,after the painting by      

,,dutertre  ,,madame ,,saint-,,huberty  
8     #bhh  ,from an engraving by       
,,colinet after the painting by ,,le    
,,moine      ,,later ,,queens ,,of ,,the
 ,,french ,,stage     ,i  ,,sophie      
,,arnould   ,in her unpublished         
,mmoires1#a which she began1 but never  
completed1 and only a few pages of      
which--possibly all that she wrote--have
 been preserved1 ,sophie ,arnould tells 
us that she was born in #agde1 8in the  
same alcove in which ,admiral ,coligny  
had been assassinated two hundred years 
before40 ,as a matter of fact1 the      
celebrated singer was born on ,february 
#ad1 #agde1 and it was not until some   
years after her birth that her parents  
removed to the ,htel de ,ponthieu1 ,rue 
,bthisy1 then known as the ,rue des     
,fosss-,saint-,germain l',auxerrois4#b  
,sophie's parents belonged to the upper 
bourgeoisie1 and at the time of her     
birth appear to have been in comfortable
 circumstances4 ,her father1 ,jean      
,arnould1 was a worthy man1 whose       

worldly ambitions were limited to       
securing a comfortable competence1      
retiring from business1 and purchasing  
some ,government or municipal office and
 the social distinction which went with 
it4 ,her mother1 however1 had received  
an excellent education1 8which1 joined  
to her natural intelligence10 says      
,sophie1 8rendered her in society the   
most amiable and interesting of women40 
,she affected literary society and      
numbered among her friends and          
acquaintances ,voltaire1 ,fontenelle1   
who1 a few days before his death1 called
 to show her the manuscript of one of   
the great ,corneille's tragedies1       
,piron1 the ,comte de ,caylus1 ,moncrif1
 the ,abb 7afterwards the ,cardinal7 de 
,bernis1 ,diderot1 and d',alembert4  ,so
 impressed was ,madame ,arnould by the  
conversation of these celebrities1 that 
she determined to make her little girl a
 prodigy of learning4 ,sophie's         
education began almost as soon as she   
was out of her cradle4 ,she was         

precocious and learned quickly4 ,at     
four1 she declares1 she could read2 at  
seven she wrote better than at the time 
of penning her ,mmoires1 and at the same
 age could read music at sight without  
any difficulty4 ,the infant prodigy was 
petted and spoiled to the top of her    
bent1 8dressed up in silk and satin1    
with marcasite necklace and flowers in  
her hair40  ,when the child was four or 
five years old she attracted the        
attention of the ,princess of ,modena1  
wife of the ,prince de ,conti1 from     
whom1 however1 she was separated4       
,madame de ,conti1 lonely and bored1    
without husband1 lover1 child1 or       
occupation1 took a violent fancy to     
,sophie1 and begged ,madame ,arnould to 
let her have the little girl to live    
with her4 ,madame ,arnould consented1   
and ,sophie became the plaything of the 
eccentric princess1 8who dragged her    
about everywhere as she might have her  
little dog10 now nursing her on her     
knee1 now setting her down to the       

harpsichord1 now taking her visiting in 
her carriage1 now summoning her to her  
salon to amuse her guests1 and anon1 if 
she happened to be in an ill-humour1    
turning her out into the ante-chamber to
 play with the yawning lackeys4  ,no    
pains were spared with ,sophie's        
education1 and the best masters of the  
day were engaged to teach her all the   
arts and accomplishments4 ,before she   
was twelve1 she could both write and    
speak her own language correctly--a rare
 accomplishment in those days outside   
literary circles1#c and was familiar    
with ,latin or ,italian2 while she could
 sing like a professional4  ,her musical
 talents were not destined to remain    
long hidden4 ,when the time for her     
first communion drew near1 she was      
placed in the ,ursuline ,convent at     
,saint-,denis1 the suprieure of which   
was a fellow townswoman and friend of   
,madame ,arnould4 ,here she sang in the 
choir1 and with such astonishing success
 that ,court and town flocked to hear   

her1 and ,voltaire1 from his retreat at 
,ferney1 wrote to his little friend a   
letter congratulating her on her twofold
 success as a vocalist and a first      
communicant2 an epistle which ,madame   
,arnould1 who did not share the         
,patriarch's views on matters of        
religion1 promptly committed to the     
fire1 although the ,duc de ,nivernais   
begged for a copy on his knees4 ,on     
leaving ,saint-,denis1 ,sophie returned 
to live with ,madame de ,conti1 who1    
delighted by the notice which she had   
attracted1 provided her with the most   
celebrated music-masters to be found in 
,france3 ,balbatre gave her lessons on  
the harpsichord1 and the famous         
,jliotte--,jliotte1 the pride of the    
,opera6--,jliotte1 8the happy and       
discreet conqueror of all the fair      
ladies in ,paris60--condescended to sing
 with her4 ,sophie proved herself worthy
 of her teachers4  ,it was then the     
fashion1 among ladies of rank1 to do    
penance during ,lent by retiring to one 

of the many convents in ,paris or its   
neighbourhood4 ,some of the visitors    
were1 of course1 sincerely desirous of  
benefiting by the services1 the         
conversation of the nuns1 and the       
opportunities for meditation which these
 peaceful abodes afforded2 but to the   
majority the practice would appear to   
have been regarded merely as a kind of  
rest cure4 ,there was nothing at all    
austere or conventual about the life for
 such as these4 ,they rose late1 walked 
in the gardens1 dined on plain but      
well-cooked food1 received visits from  
their friends1 attended a service or    
two1 supped1 and retired early to bed2  
and if their souls did not greatly      
benefit1 the early hours and simple fare
 worked wonders with their complexions4 
,they had1 too1 an opportunity of       
listening to some very beautiful        
singing2 for1 during ,holy ,week1 the   
convents vied with one another in       
engaging the finest voices of the ,opera
 to reinforce their choirs1 and the     

services of such singers as ,jliotte1   
,chass1 and ,mlles4 ,fel1 ,chevalier1   
and ,anna ,tonelli were always in great 
request4  ,at the beginning of ,holy    
,week #ageg1 ,madame de ,conti1 who1 as 
became an ,italian princess1 was very   
strict in her observance of ,lent1      
arrived at the ,abbey of ,panthmont1    
where she found the community in a state
 of consternation4 ,the convent in      
question had not deemed it necessary to 
enlist the services of any of the stars 
of the ,opera1 as it numbered among its 
inmates a nun with an exceptionally     
beautiful voice4 ,but alas6 she had     
suddenly been taken ill1 and it was     
feared that it would be impossible to   
replace her4 ,half fashionable ,paris   
would be coming on ,holy ,wednesday to  
hear the ,tenebr sung1 and there would  
be no one capable of singing it4 ,the   
abbess fell upon ,madame de ,conti's    
neck and wept tears of mortification4   
,the princess bade her not despair1 told
 her of the talent of her little protge1

 and suggested that she should be sent  
for2 a proposal to which the grateful   
abbess readily consented4  ,holy        
,wednesday came1 and with it a great    
crowd of visitors4 ,at the beginning of 
the service ,sophie was a little        
nervous1 but quickly recovered her      
presence of mind1 and sang so divinely  
that her hearers were enraptured1 and   
some1 in spite of the solemnity of the  
place1 could not refrain from applause4 
,the following day there was not a      
vacant seat in the church2 while on     
,good ,friday the doors were literally  
besieged1 and more than two hundred     
carriages were turned back4 ,those who  
had succeeded in gaining admission had  
every reason to congratulate themselves 
on their good fortune1 for ,sophie sang 
the ,miserere of ,lalande1 and with such
 exquisite pathos that there was        
scarcely a dry eye in the               
congregation4#d  ,paris was as delighted
 as if it had found a new fashion4 ,all 
the ,faubourg ,saint-,germain wended its

 way to the ,htel de ,conti to          
congratulate the princess upon the      
possession of this little wonder with   
her angelic voice4 ,the ,court was      
scarcely less interested and1 finally1  
the ,queen1 the pious ,marie ,leczinska1
 who lived in a little world of her own 
and seldom troubled herself about what  
was happening in the one outside1       
expressed a desire to see ,sophie4  8,on
 your account10 remarked ,madame de     
,conti to the radiant girl1 8her        
,majesty condescends to remember my     
existence40 7,the said ,majesty did not 
approve of ladies who lived apart from  
their husbands47 ,nevertheless1 the     
,queen had to be obeyed1 and so the     
princess1 who was proud of her protge   
and1 in truth1 far from displeased with 
so striking a tribute to her            
discernment1 ordered her coach and set  
out for ,versailles4  ,on reaching the  
,chteau1 ,madame de ,conti and ,sophie  
were conducted to ,marie ,leczinska's   
apartments1 where the ,queen almost     

immediately joined them4 ,her ,majesty  
smiled very graciously upon the girl1   
and kissed her forehead1 murmuring3     
8,she is indeed very pretty60 ,then     
several portfolios of music were put    
before her1 and she was bidden to choose
 what she would like to sing1 and not to
 be afraid2 a somewhat unnecessary      
exhortation1 since never was there a    
more self-possessed young person4       
,sophie1 quite undismayed by the        
presence of her royal auditor1 forthwith
 assailed a very difficult piece1 and   
had scarcely finished when the ,queen1  
who was herself a musician of no mean   
attainments1 remarked to ,madame de     
,conti3 8,i should like to have her1    
cousin2 you will give her up to me1 will
 you not80 meaning that she wished to   
make her one of her ,musicians of the   
,chamber4 ,afterwards refreshments were 
brought in1 and the ,queen1 having      
complimented the young singer and       
bestowed upon her a friendly pat with   
her fan1 took her departure4  ,but there

 was another ,queen of ,france3 ,madame 
de ,pompadour1 to wit1 who had already  
expressed a wish to hear ,sophie sing2 a
 wish which could no more be ignored    
than that of ,marie ,leczinska4 ,on the 
morrow of the interview with the ,queen1
 ,madame du ,hausset1 the favourite's   
femme de chambre1 presented herself at  
the ,htel de ,conti1 bearing a letter   
from her mistress to the princess1      
requesting the loan of little ,mlle4    
,arnould till the evening4  ,this       
request caused ,madame de ,conti        
considerable embarrassment4 ,what one   
called then 8les grandes convenances0   
forbade her to present ,sophie to both  
the crowned and the uncrowned ,queen of 
,france4 ,on the other hand1 a refusal  
would mortally offend the latter1 who   
was an extremely awkward person to      
offend1 as a great many people1 from    
,princes of the ,blood and ,ministers of
 ,state to ballad-mongers1 had found to 
their cost4 ,the poor lady was at a loss
 what to do4  ,finally1 she sought      

refuge in a compromise4 ,sophie should  
go to ,versailles again1 but1 on this   
occasion1 not in her patroness's        
company1 but in that of her mother4 ,so 
,madame ,arnould was sent for and told  
to take her daughter1 as from ,madame de
 ,conti1 to the favourite2 and the      
princess congratulated herself on having
 emerged with credit from a very        
embarrassing situation4  ,madame de     
,pompadour received her visitor very    
graciously1 and remarked that 8mother   
and daughter were the very picture of   
one another10 after which1 saying that  
the ,king had sent for her1 and that she
 would return in a few minutes1 she left
 them to themselves4 ,in the room in    
which they sat were two magnificent     
harpsichords1 one of which had been     
decorated with charming pictures by     
,boucher4 ,this instrument attracted    
,sophie's attention1 and1 while ,madame 
de ,pompadour was absent1 she stepped up
 to it1 ran her fingers over the keys1  
and began to sing4 ,the marchioness1    

returning at that moment1 listened      
entranced to the girl's singing until   
she had finished1 when she exclaimed3   
8,my dear child1 le bon ,dieu has made  
you for the theatre2 you were born1     
formed as one ought to be for it3 you   
will not tremble before the public40    
,then their hostess conducted them      
through her apartments1 where ,sophie   
appears to have been particularly struck
 by the favourite's sumptuous bed1 with 
its green and gold hangings and gold    
fringes1 raised1 like a throne1 upon a  
das1 and enclosed within a semi-circular
 balustrade of gold and marble1 the     
exact counter-part1 in fact1 of the     
,queen's own couch4 ,the marchioness    
begged her to sing again1 and1 delighted
 with her sweet voice1 smilingly        
inquired who were her masters2 to change
 countenance1 however1 when she heard   
their names1 for they were the same whom
 she had engaged for her idolised little
 daughter1 ,alexandrine d'toiles1 who   
had died some years before4  ,as ,sophie

 and her mother were taking their leave1
 ,madame de ,pompadour drew the latter  
aside1 and said in a low voice3 8,if the
 ,queen should ask for your daughter for
 the music of the ,chamber1 do not have 
the imprudence to consent4 ,the ,king   
goes from time to time to these little  
family concerts1 and1 instead of giving 
this child to the ,queen1 you will have 
made a present of her to the ,king40    
,then she turned to ,sophie1 and1 having
 examined the lines in the girl's       
forehead and hand1 said to her gravely3 
8,you will make a charming princess60   
,a few days after these visits1 ,madame 
,arnould received a communication from  
the ,gentlemen of the ,chamber to the   
effect that her ,majesty had deigned to 
admit the demoiselle ,sophie ,arnould   
into her private company of musicians   
and singers1 at a salary of one hundred 
louis2 ,madame ,arnould received a      
similar appointment1 at the same salary 
as her daughter4  ,hardly had the good  
lady had time to master the contents of 

this document1 when there came a second 
of a much less welcome nature4 ,it was a
 lettre de cachet1 informing her that by
 the express order of the ,king1 the    
demoiselle ,sophie ,arnould was attached
 to his ,majesty's company of musicians1
 and1 in particular1 to his theatre of  
the ,opera4  ,on reading this1 the poor 
mother burst into tears4 ,she had no    
objection to her daughter singing before
 the virtuous ,marie ,leczinska1 but the
 ,opera was a very different matter4 ,no
 young girl could hope to preserve her  
virtue for long at the ,acadmie ,royale 
de ,musique1 the rules of which         
emancipated its members from parental   
control4 ,rather than see her child     
ruined1 she resolved to consign her to a
 convent1 and1 accordingly1 hurried off 
to ,madame de ,conti to implore her     
assistance4  ,madame de ,conti promised 
to do all in her power to save ,sophie  
from the danger which threatened her1   
and took the girl to her friend the     
,abbess of ,panthmont4 8,i bring you10  

said she1 8this young girl1 of whom the 
,gentlemen of the ,chamber wish to make 
an actress2 a decision which does not   
meet with my approval4 ,conceal her for 
me in some little corner of your        
convent1 until ,i have had an           
opportunity of speaking to the ,king40  
,to which the discreet abbess replied3  
8,princess1 salvation is possible in    
every profession4 ,i cannot bring myself
 to thwart the wishes of the ,king1 to  
whom ,i owe my abbey4 ,go and see the   
abbesses of ,saint-,antoine and         
,val-de-,grce3 perhaps1 in this matter1 
they will have more courage than        
myself40  ,madame de ,conti tried       
,saint-,antoine and ,val-de-,grce2 but  
at both she received the same answer as 
at ,panthmont2 and was reluctantly      
forced to the conclusion that further   
attempts in the same direction offered  
but very small prospect of success4     
,there remained1 however1 another way of
 escape3 marriage4 ,sophie had an       
admirer--a devoted and1 what was more to

 the point1 an eligible admirer--a      
certain ,chevalier de ,malzieux1 who    
asked nothing better than to give her   
the protection of his name4 ,in his day1
 ,m4 de ,malzieux had been a noted      
vainqueur de dames1 but that day1 alas6 
was long past1 and though he strove     
manfully to repair the ravages of time  
by the aid of an ingenious toilette1 the
 only result of his efforts was to give 
him the appearance of a majestic ruin4  
,madame de ,conti had1 at first1        
regarded this veteran dandy's attentions
 to her protge with scant favour1 and1  
meeting the old gentleman one day at the
 ,arnoulds' house1 charitably related   
for his benefit the story of a prince of
 her own family1 who had imprudently    
contracted a marriage at the age of     
eighty1 and had died the same night4    
,still1 a day or two later1 she told    
,sophie that she might do worse than    
take charge of the chevalier and his    
infirmities1 provided that he would     
agree to settle his whole fortune upon  

her2 and after the arrival of the lettre
 de cachet from ,versailles1 and her    
abortive attempts to secure the girl's  
admission to a convent1 actually        
proposed to send for ,m4 de ,malzieux1  
and have the marriage celebrated there  
and then4  ,madame ,arnould1 however1   
did not altogether approve of such      
haste1 while ,sophie shed tears enough  
to melt the heart of the sternest       
parent2 and the matter1 therefore1      
remained in abeyance4 ,nevertheless1 the
 chevalier1 encouraged by ,madame de    
,conti1 pressed his suit with ardour1   
dyed his eyebrows1 rouged his cheeks1   
8shaved twice a day10 and1 one fine     
morning1 presented himself at the       
,arnoulds' house1 bearing the draft of a
 marriage-contract1 in which the whole  
of his property1 amounting to some      
#dj1jjj livres a year1 was settled upon 
,sophie4  ,the prospect of so           
advantageous a settlement in life for   
her daughter was a temptation greater   
than any self-respecting mother could be

 expected to resist1 and though ,m4     
,arnould declined to force the girl into
 a marriage which was distasteful to    
her1 his wife lost no opportunity of    
sounding the praises of ,m4 de          
,malzieux--or rather of ,m4 de          
,malzieux's income--in ,sophie's        
reluctant ear4 ,that young lady1        
however1 only pouted1 and when her      
antiquated admirer strove to soften her 
heart towards him by citing the example 
of ,madame de ,maintenon1 who1 when a   
young and beautiful girl1 no older than 
,sophie herself1 had espoused the       
crippled poet ,scarron1 replied1        
laughing3 8,i will make a similar       
marriage to-morrow1 on condition that my
 husband will begin by being a cripple1 
and end by being a king40#e  ,and so    
poor ,m4 de ,malzieux's contract was    
never signed1 and no alternative now    
remained for ,madame ,arnould but to    
allow ,sophie to enter the ,opera1      
trusting that1 for some time to come1   
her services would only be required for 

the ,concerts of ,sacred ,music which   
were given during ,lent4 ,this hope1    
however1 was not realised1 for the      
directors of the ,opera happened to be  
just at that time on the look-out for   
some novelty to divert the attention of 
their patrons from the mediocrity of the
 pieces with which they had lately been 
provided1 and1 accordingly1 on ,december
 #ae1 #ageg1 the young singer was called
 upon to make her first bow to the      
public4  ,it was a very modest          
dbut--merely the singing of an air      
introduced into an opera-ballet by      
,mouret1 entitled ,les ,amours des      
,dieux4#f ,nevertheless1 restricted as  
were the girl's opportunities on this   
occasion1 she quickly became a public   
favourite2 indeed1 the eagerness to see 
and hear her was so great that on the   
evenings on which she appeared1 the     
doors of the theatre were besieged1 and 
,frron sarcastically observed that 8he  
doubted whether people would give       
themselves so much trouble to enter     

,paradise40  8,mlle4 ,arnould10 says the
 ,mercure de ,france of the following   
,january1 which was but the feeble echo 
of the enthusiasm of the public1        
8continues her dbut in ,les ,amours des 
,dieux1 with great and well-deserved    
success4 ,she attracts the public to    
such an extent that the ,thursday has   
become the most brilliant day at the    
,opera1 altogether effacing the ,friday4
 ,the second air which she sings affords
 her more scope for the display of her  
talent than the first4 ,she possesses at
 once a charming face1 a beautiful      
voice1 and warmth of sentiment4 ,she is 
full of expression and of soul4 ,her    
voice is not only tender1 but           
passionate4 ,in a word1 she has received
 all the gifts of ,nature1 and1 in order
 to perfect them1 she receives all the  
resources of ,art40  ,at the beginning  
of the ,new ,year1 ,sophie appeared in a
 second piece1 called ,la ,provenale1 in
 which she confirmed the favourable     
impression she had created in ,les      

,amours des ,dieux4 8,mlle4 ,arnould10  
says the ,mercure1 8sang the ,provenale 
with the ingenuous charm of her age4 ,in
 this rle she had only one important    
song4 ,it is the monologue 7#8,mer      
paisible'44471 into which she threw all 
the expression that it demanded4 ,the   
crowded houses which have followed it up
 to ,lent are proofs of the pleasure    
which she gives the public40  ,in the   
following ,april the young actress      
reaped the reward of her success by     
receiving her first important part1 that
 of ,venus in ne et ,lavinie1 a tragic  
opera in five acts by ,fontenelle1 music
 by ,dauvergne4#g ,the confidence       
reposed in her was not misplaced1 and   
she received as much applause as she had
 previously obtained in ariettas and    
pastorals4 ,such was her success indeed 
that she was speedily promoted to the   
principal rle1 and the admiring critic  
of the ,mercure1 who had already spoken 
in high terms of the new singer's       
rendering of ,venus1 consecrated to her 

the following article3  8,on ,tuesday1  
,april #ac1 ,mlle4 ,arnould played the  
rle of ,lavinie for the first time4 ,her
 success was complete4 ,the tragic      
indeed seems to be the genre most suited
 to her4 ,it is1 at any rate1 that in   
which she has appeared to most          
advantage4 ,her gestures are noble      
without arrogance and expressive without
 grimaces4 ,her acting is vivacious and 
animated1 and yet never departs from the
 natural4 ,this excellent actress has   
already partially corrected herself of a
 kind of slowness1 which is only        
suitable to the arietta4 ,bad examples  
had led her astray4 ,we invite her to   
pay heed to no one but herself1 if she  
wishes to approach nearer and nearer to 
perfection40  8,so great a success      
renders it almost needless for us to    
observe that ,mlle4 ,arnould has        
retained this rle2 that she has brought 
back the public to the ,opera2 finally1 
that she has adorned ne et ,lavinie with
 an appearance of novelty40  ,some      

months later the ,mercure returns to the
 subject of ne et ,lavinie1 and observes
 that ,mlle4 ,arnould played the latter 
part 8with that intelligence1 that      
dignity1 those natural and touching     
graces which enchant the public40       
8,happily10 continues the critic1 8she  
has depended upon her own impulses      
before allowing herself to be           
intimidated by all the little prejudices
 of the art4 ,model as a dbutante1 she  
reanimates the lyric stage and appears  
to communicate her soul to those who    
have the modesty and the talent to      
imitate her40  ,towards the end of ,june
 of that year1 ,sophie created a trio of
 small parts in an opera-ballet in three
 acts1 entitled ,les ,ftes de ,paphos4#h
 ,coll1 that most exacting of critics1  
is very severe on this piece1 but1 at   
the same time1 has nothing but praise   
for ,sophie1 who appears to have covered
 herself with glory4 8,at the first     
representation10 he writes1 8the music  
of this ballet was thought pitiable1 and

 it would not have survived six1 if it  
had not been for a young actress who    
made her first appearance this winter1  
and who1 in four months1 has become the 
queen of the theatre4 ,never have ,i    
seen combined in the same actress more  
grace1 more truth of sentiment1 dignity 
of expression1 intelligence1 and fire4  
,never have ,i seen grief more          
charmingly expressed4 ,she can depict   
the deepest horror without her          
countenance losing one feature of its   
beauty4 ,she would be twice as great an 
actress as ,mlle4 ,le ,maure1#i if she  
only possessed two-thirds of her voice1 
and ,mlle4 ,le ,maure will always be    
regarded as a great artiste4 ,i speak of
 ,mlle4 ,sophie ,arnould1 who is not yet
 nineteen years old40#aj  ,the voice of 
,sophie ,arnould was very far from being
 a powerful one4 8,nature10 she says in 
her ,mmoires1 8had seconded this taste  
the taste for music with a tolerably    
agreeable voice1 weak but sonorous1     
though not extremely so4 ,but it was    

sound and well-balanced1 so that1 with a
 clear pronunciation and without any    
defect save a slight lisp1 which could  
hardly be considered a fault1 not a word
 of what ,i sang was lost1 even in the  
most spacious buildings40  ,she might   
have added1 without fear of             
contradiction1 that her voice was       
infinitely sweet and that she possessed 
the gift of imparting to it wonderful   
pathos and expression4 8,she brought to 
harmony1 emotion1 to the song1          
compassion1 to the play of the voice1   
sentiment4 ,she charmed the ear and     
touched the heart4 ,all the domain of   
the tender drama1 all the graces of     
terror1 were hers4 ,she possessed the   
cry1 and the tears1 and the sigh1 and   
the caresses of the pathetic4444 ,what  
art1 what genius1 must there have been  
to wrest so many harmonies from a       
contemptible voice1 a feeble throat40#aa
  ,another important factor in ,sophie's
 success is to be found in the fact that
 she was not only a great singer1 but an

 accomplished actress1 which great      
singers rarely are4 ,when ,madame       
,arnould had found that she had no      
alternative but to allow her daughter to
 enter the ,opera1 she had1 like a      
sensible woman1 decided that1 since to  
the ,opera ,sophie must go1 nothing     
which could possibly make for her       
success in her profession should be     
neglected1 and had sent her to take     
lessons in singing from ,mlle4 ,fel1 and
 in acting from ,mlle4 ,clairon4 ,the   
girl had not failed to benefit by the   
teaching of the famous tragdienne1 and  
her command of facial expression and the
 dignity and grace of her movements     
would have reflected credit on a veteran
 member of the ,comdie-,franaise1 while 
for a dbutante of the lyric stage they  
were little short of extraordinary4     
,and yet1 with all her vocal and        
histrionic talents1 it may be doubted   
whether ,sophie would so speedily have  
attained the dazzling position in the   
estimation of both the public and the   

critics which was now hers1 had she not 
been fortunate enough to possess        
physical attractions of a high order4   
,if we are to judge of her appearance   
solely by her portraits by ,la ,tour and
 ,greuze1 she must have been a very     
pretty woman4 ,in the former1 which the 
excellent engraving by ,bourgeois de la 
,richardire has helped to popularise1   
,sophie is depicted at the moment when  
she is about to sing4 ,her lips are     
parted2 her eyes1 fine and full of      
expression1 and surmounted by arched    
eyebrows1 are turned imploringly        
heavenward2 while her face1 which is    
oval in shape1 with small and regular   
features1 wears a look at once charming 
and pathetic4 ,in the ,greuze           
portrait--now in the ,wallace           
,collection at ,hertford ,house--the    
actress is dressed in white1 with a     
large black hat decorated with a white  
plume4 ,her elbow rests on a chair1 her 
chin on the back of her hand2 her       
expression is nonchalant and slightly   

ennuy4  ,these portraits1 as we have    
already remarked1 are those of a very   
pretty woman2 but it should be added    
that the pen-portraits which some of her
 contemporaries have left of ,sophie are
 not altogether in accord with the      
crayon of ,la ,tour or the brush of     
,greuze--nor yet with the description   
which the lady gives us of her own      
charms#ab--;and we are1 therefore1      
inclined to think that both artists have
 rather idealised their subject1 a      
practice not uncommon with              
portrait-painters in the eighteenth     
century or1 for that matter1 in much    
later times4 ,coll and ,grimm1 it is    
true1 both speak of ,sophie as          
beautiful1 though without condescending 
to particulars2 but1 on the other hand1 
,madame ,vige ,lebrun asserts that the  
beauty of her face was spoiled by her   
mouth1 while one of the inspectors of   
the ,lieutenant of ,police describes her
 skin as 8black and dry40 ,that curious 
work ,l',espion anglais confirms the    

artist and the inspector3 8,to tell the 
truth1 there is nothing remarkable about
 her2 her face is long and thin2 she has
 a villainously ugly mouth1 prominent   
teeth1 standing out from the gums1 and a
 black and greasy skin40 ,the writer    
adds1 however1 that she possessed 8two  
fine eyes10 a feature which also        
impressed ,madame ,lebrun1 who says that
 they gave their owner 8a piquant look10
 and were 8indicative of the wit which  
had made her celebrated40  ,but two fine
 eyes1 as one of her biographers very   
justly observes1 count for much1        
especially when animated by the         
intelligence1 the feeling1 and the      
passion which belonged to ,sophie2 and  
no sooner did she appear upon the stage 
than a host of soupirants gathered about
 her4 ,for some months1 however1 they   
sighed in vain4 ,the guardian of the    
,golden ,fleece was not more vigilant or
 more awe-inspiring than ,madame        
,arnould4 ,every evening she escorted   
her daughter to the theatre1 remained in

 her dressing-room while the mysteries  
of her toilette were being performed1   
accompanied her to the corner of the    
stage1 and then waited in the wings     
until the young actress made her exit1  
when she again took charge of her4 ,she 
seemed to have as many eyes as ,argus   
himself4 ,if an admirer bolder than the 
rest ventured to approach ,sophie1      
before he had uttered half a dozen words
 down would swoop the watchful mother1  
with a freezing3 8,allons6 laissez la   
petite en repos1 s'il vous plait1       
,monsieur60 before which the luckless   
gallant fled incontinently4 ,if a poulet
 were despatched1 it was invariably     
intercepted and returned to the sender1 
with a message which made him feel      
supremely foolish4 8,she is not a woman 
at all10 exclaimed the indignant ,duc de
 ,fronsac1 after one of these rebuffs2  
8she is a veritable watch-dog60  ,but   
even the most intelligent of watch-dogs 
cannot always discriminate between      
friend and foe4 ,the danger came from a 

quarter whence the poor mother least    
expected it4 ,she herself admitted the  
wolf into the sheepfold4  ,for some time
 past1 matters had not gone well with   
the ,arnoulds2 ,m4 ,arnould had become  
involved in some disastrous             
speculations1 which had swallowed up the
 greater part of his fortune1 and a long
 and serious illness had made further   
inroads upon his resources4             
,accordingly1 about the time that       
,sophie made her dbut at the ,opera1 he 
removed from the ,rue du ,louvre to the 
,htel de ,lisieux1 ,rue                 
,fosss-,saint-,germain-l',auxerrois1 and
 converted his new residence into an    
inn1 where 8persons from the provinces  
were accommodated at thirty sols a      
night40#ac ,to this inn there came1 one 
fine day in the spring of #ageh1 a      
handsome young man of about five and    
twenty1 who informed the ,arnoulds that 
his name was ,dorval1 that he was an    
artist by profession1 and that he had   
just arrived from ,normandy1 to study   

painting and get a play produced4 ,m4   
,dorval was a model guest4 ,he never    
grumbled about his food or his wine1    
never questioned the amount of his      
bills1 never returned home with an      
unsteady gait or accompanied by         
undesirable acquaintances1 as did so    
many young provincials who aspired to   
imitate the vices of the fine gentlemen 
of the capital4 ,and then he was so     
ingenuous1 so friendly1 and had such    
charming manners4 ,he knew nothing of   
the ways of ,paris1 he said1 but1       
morbleu6 he had heard that it was a     
terribly wicked place and full of snares
 and pitfalls for unwary youth4 ,would  
,m4 ,arnould do him the favour of taking
 care of his purse8 ,would ,madame have 
the complaisance to do the same for his 
lace8 ,ah6 it was indeed a fortunate    
hour which had led him to the ,htel de  
,lisieux6  ,the good people might have  
thought it a little singular that a     
young man with so well-filled a purse   
and such fine lace should have selected 

so unpretentious a hostelry as theirs   
for a lengthy stay2 also that1 although 
he never looked askance at the menus of 
the ,htel de ,lisieux1 he was constantly
 receiving hampers containing fish1     
game1 truffles1 and choice wines1 which1
 he said1 came from his fond parents in 
,normandy1 and begged his hosts and     
their daughter to share with him4 ,but  
,m4 ,dorval quite disarmed suspicion--if
 any existed--by reading the letters he 
received from home to the sympathetic   
,madame ,arnould1 and1 besides1         
innkeepers have more important matters  
requiring their attention than the      
investigation of the private affairs of 
their guests1 particularly those who    
give no trouble1 pay regularly1 and are 
so agreeable and open-handed as was this
 young ,norman4  ,m4 ,dorval overwhelmed
 ,madame ,arnould with attention2 he had
 literary tastes1 and recognised in her 
a kindred soul4 ,to ,sophie he was also 
attentive1 though not more so than      
good-breeding required4 ,in a short time

 he had become quite a friend of the    
family1 dining and supping with them1   
escorting the ladies to the ,opera and  
home again at the conclusion of the     
performance1 and spending the rest of   
the evening in their company4 ,one      
night1 after playing a couple of games  
of backgammon with ,m4 ,arnould1 ,dorval
 pleaded an insupportable headache and  
retired to his modest apartment4 ,soon  
afterwards a man in a lackey's livery   
entered the house by means of a false   
key1 knocked at his door1 and informed  
him that all was ready4 ,dorval emerged 
from his room1 and was joined by        
,sophie4 ,the pair crept noiselessly    
down the stairs1 across the courtyard   
and into the street1 at the corner of   
which a coach was awaiting them4 ,dorval
 helped the girl in and took his seat   
beside her2 the driver cracked his whip2
 the coach rolled away4 ,sophie was     
carried off6  ,terrible was the         
consternation at the ,htel de ,lisieux  
the following morning4 ,madame ,arnould 

was like one distraught2 ,m4 ,arnould1  
who had not yet fully recovered from his
 recent illness1 had a serious relapse4 
,as for the ,chevalier de ,malzieux1    
when the news was communicated to him he
 took to his bed and never left it      
again1 dying of grief--or1 perhaps1 of  
wounded vanity4 ,in ,paris1 nothing else
 was talked of but the elopement of the 
queen of the ,opera1 and many were the  
wagers made about the identity of the   
fortunate individual who had borne away 
the coveted prize4 ,all uncertainty was 
soon at an end4 ,two days later a letter
 was brought to the ,htel de ,lisieux1  
signed ,louis1 ,comte de                
,brancas-,lauraguais1 in which the      
writer offered his apologies to ,m4 and 
,madame ,arnould for the deception he   
had been obliged to practise upon them1 
and concluded by a formal promise to    
espouse their daughter--if he should    
ever become a widower6  ,madame ,arnould
 dried her tears2 ,m4 ,arnould's illness
 took a favourable turn4 ,since ,sophie 

had been carried off1 it was at least   
some consolation to learn that her      
abductor was a man of rank and wealth1  
and not a mere middle-class libertine2  
one1 too1 who1 without doubt1 was only  
prevented from giving his name and all  
that went with it to the object of his  
affection by the unfortunate            
circumstance that he was already        
provided with a wife4 ,the worthy pair  
quite forgot their disgrace as they     
thought of the brilliant future which   
awaited their daughter1 when the earth  
should have closed over poor1 delicate  
,madame de ,lauraguais--she lived till  
#agic1 and her career was ended by the  
guillotine--and the count's father1 the 
old ,duc de ,lauraguais1 should have    
gone the way of all flesh4 ,why1 if the 
,fates were kind1 ere many months had   
passed ,sophie might be a countess--nay1
 a duchess6 ,and so when1 in due course1
 the prodigal daughter came1 in a       
magnificent coach1 to pay a visit of    
courtesy to her parents1 she found1     

instead of tears and reproaches1        
caresses and pardon4 ,such was the moral
 code of the year of grace #ageh6       
99       99       99       99       99  
,louis ,lon ,flicit de ,brancas1 ,comte 
de ,lauraguais1 the first lover of      
,sophie ,arnould1 was a singular        
creature4 8,he has all possible talents 
and all possible eccentricities10 wrote 
,voltaire1 while ,coll describes him as 
8the most serious fool in the kingdom40 
,his conceit was stupendous1 his        
extravagance unbounded1 his energy and  
versatility truly astonishing2 he       
dabbled in everything and confidently   
believed that he excelled in whatever he
 might choose to undertake4 ,now he was 
composing tragedies intended to eclipse 
the masterpieces of ,corneille and      
,racine2 now making experiments in      
chemistry or anatomy which were to      
completely revolutionise those sciences2
 anon writing treatises in favour of    
inoculation1 or endeavouring to bring   
about reforms in the theatre1#ad or     

riding in horse-races4#ae ,the violence 
with which he advocated his own views   
and his unsparing denunciations of all  
who ventured to differ from him1 no     
matter how highly placed they might be1 
were perpetually bringing him into      
collision with the authorities1 and he  
was several times exiled or imprisoned1 
only to resume his eccentric career the 
moment his punishment was at an end4    
,the stories about him are numberless4  
,on one occasion he wrote a comedy1     
entitled ,la ,cour du ,roi ,ptaud1 and  
coaxed his unsuspecting father to       
persuade the ,comte de                  
,saint-,florentin1 the ,minister of the 
,king's ,household1 to direct the       
,comdie-,italienne to produce it4 ,the  
order was on the point of being sent1   
when one of ,saint-,florentin's         
secretaries1 happening to glance through
 the play1 discovered1 to his horror1   
that it was nothing less than a clever  
and biting satire on certain            
idiosyncrasies of his ,most ,christian  

,majesty ,louis ,,xv4 himself1 which1   
had it been represented1 would most     
certainly have entailed banishment or   
the ,bastille on all concerned in its   
production4#af  ,on another1 he         
appeared1 at four o'clock in the        
morning1 at the lodging of two poor but 
talented young chemists1 hustled them   
into a coach which was in waiting1 and  
carried them off to ,svres1 where he had
 a little house1 in which he was in the 
habit of conducting his chemical        
experiments4 ,leading his companions to 
the laboratory1 he addressed them as    
follows3 8,messieurs1 ,i wish you to    
make certain experiments2 you will not  
leave this house until they are         
completed4 ,adieu2 ,i shall return a    
week hence2 you will find here          
everything you require2 the servants    
have orders to attend to your wants2 set
 to work40 ,so saying1 he locked them in
 and went away4 ,when he returned1 the  
young chemists communicated to him the  
result of their labours1 a discovery of 

some little importance1 upon which he   
offered them a sum of money if they     
would agree to surrender to him the     
credit of having made it4 8,you10 said  
he1 8have genius1 and you want money4 ,i
 have money1 and ,i want genius4 ,let us
 strike a bargain4 ,you shall have      
clothes to wear1 and the glory shall be 
mine40 ,the young chemists consented1   
and ,lauraguais went about boasting     
everywhere of the discovery he had made2
 and such1 says ,diderot1 who tells the 
story1 was his conceit that he soon     
succeeded in persuading himself that it 
was he to whom the credit really        
belonged1 and that the young men had    
done nothing1 except render him some    
merely mechanical assistance4#ag  ,a    
third story of this extraordinary man is
 even more amusing than the preceding   
one4 ,he appears to have had a theory   
that it would be possible for a person  
to support life entirely on a diet of   
forced fruit1 provided that they were   
kept in the same temperature as was     

required for the production of what they
 consumed4 ,he1 therefore1 persuaded one
 of his mistresses to allow herself to  
be shut up in a green-house and fed upon
 grapes1 pine-apples1 and so forth4     
,this regimen1 as may be supposed1 did  
not agree with the lady1 who soon       
declared that she was starving4         
8,ungrateful girl60 exclaimed the       
disgusted count4 8,can you complain of  
not having sufficient to eat--a trivial 
matter at best--while you are thus      
abundantly supplied with the luxuries   
that every one longs for80  ,so         
eccentric a character as ,lauraguais was
 hardly calculated to make any woman    
happy1 whether wife or mistress1 and    
,sophie declared long afterwards that   
the count 8had given her two million    
kisses and caused her to shed four      
million tears40 ,nevertheless1 the      
liaison was a tolerably long one1 and1  
for the first three years1 in the course
 of which the actress presented her     
lover with two children1 we are assured 

that they were a most affectionate      
couple4 ,by the police-reports of the   
time1 ,sophie is represented as an      
extravagant1 grasping and avaricious    
woman1 who cared for the count only so  
long as he was able and willing to      
gratify her innumerable caprices4       
,extravagant she no doubt was1 but in   
regard to the other and graver charge1  
she would appear to have been maligned1 
that is to say1 if we are to place any  
reliance in the following anecdote      
related by ,diderot3  8,for some days   
past a rumour has been current that     
,mlle4 ,arnould is dead1 but it requires
 confirmation4 ,in the meanwhile1 the   
,abb ,raynal has made me her funeral    
oration1 by relating to me some         
fragments of a conversation which passed
 between her and ,madame ,portail the   
wife of a president of the ,parliament  
of ,paris1 in which1 it appears1 the    
latter played the part of a wanton1 and 
the little actress that of an honest    
woman3  8#8,is it possible1             

,mademoiselle1 that you have no         
diamonds8'  8#8,no1 ,madame1 nor do ,i  
think them necessary for a little       
bourgeoise of the ,rue du ,four4'       
8#8,then1 ,i presume1 you have an       
allowance8'  8#8,an allowance6 ,why     
should ,i have that1 ,madame8 ,m4 de    
,lauraguais has a wife1 children1 a     
position to maintain1 and ,i do not see 
that ,i could honourably accept the     
smallest part of a fortune which        
legitimately belongs to others4'        
8#8,oh1 par ma foi6 ,if ,i were in your 
place1 ,i should leave him4'  8#8,that  
may be1 but he likes me1 and ,i like    
him4 ,it may have been imprudent to take
 him1 but1 since ,i have done so1 ,i    
shall keep him4'  8,i do not recollect  
the remainder of the conversation1 but  
,i have an idea that it was as          
dishonourable on the part of the        
president's wife as honourable on the   
part of the actress40#ah  ,if           
,lauraguais really was so generous a    
protector as the police-reports and     

those writers who accept them would have
 us believe1 it is certainly rather     
surprising to find on ,november #ac1    
#agei1 when the count's passion for his 
mistress was undoubtedly at a very high 
temperature1 the sieur ,jean ,baptiste  
,delamarre1 tipstaff to the ,chtelet de 
,paris1 acting on behalf of the sieur   
,jean ,baptiste ,desper1 perruquier1    
requiring the attendance of a commissary
 of police to witness an execution upon 
the goods of the demoiselle ,madeleine  
,sophie ,arnould1 residing on the first 
floor of a house in the ,rue de         
,richelieu4 ,the said demoiselle1 it    
appeared1 had1 twelve months before1    
taken the apartment in question1 on a   
lease for three1 six1 or nine years1 at 
an annual rental of #bdjj livres2 but   
the perruquier had not as yet seen any  
part of that sum4 ,the goods seized were
 left in the charge of one ,chevalier1  
fruiterer of the ,rue ,traversire1      
parish of ,saint-,roch1 from whom1 we   
may presume1 ,sophie or ,lauraguais     

subsequently redeemed them4#ai          
99       99       99       99       99  
,after her elopement with the ,comte de 
,lauraguais1 ,sophie became more than   
ever the idol of the public1 and1 for   
the next few years1 might without       
exaggeration have parodied the famous   
mot of le ,grand ,monarque and          
exclaimed3 8,l',opra1 c'est moi60       
,never1 declared both public and        
critics1 had the heroines of lyrical    
tragedy3 the ,psychs1 the ,proserpines1 
the ,thisbs1 the ,iphises1 and the      
,cloptres1 found so worthy a            
representative1 and1 no matter how      
insipid the opera which related the     
story of their woes might happen to be1 
the young singer was always sure of an  
enthusiastic reception4 ,the patrons of 
the ,palais-,royal seemed indeed as if  
they could not have enough of her2 the  
directors1 who owed to her popularity   
their increased receipts1 were at her   
feet2 every one adored her1 or pretended
 to do so1 and every one trembled before

 her epigrams4  ,for side by side with  
her reputation as a singer and actress1 
,sophie was building up another         
reputation1 and one which was to endure 
long after her stage triumphs had been  
forgotten3 that of a diseur de bons     
mots1 and of bons mots of a peculiarly  
caustic kind4 ,few indeed were the wits 
of her time--and they were plentiful    
enough in the eighteenth century--who   
cared to cross swords with her1 and such
 was the dread which her sharp tongue   
inspired that people imagined they      
detected a sarcasm lurking even in her  
most innocent remark1 as the following  
incident will show4  ,it was the custom 
of the ,royal ,family of ,france to dine
 in public 7au grand couvert7 on certain
 days of the week1 and any respectably  
dressed person was permitted to view his
 ,most ,christian ,king partaking of his
 soup or his venison4 ,in the days of   
,louis ,,xiv41 who1 if his              
sister-in-law1 the ,princess ,palatine1 
is to be believed1 was in the habit of  

disposing at a single meal of as much as
 would suffice an ordinary person for at
 least three1#bj a dinner au grand      
couvert must have been a spectacle worth
 going a long way to see2 but as 8the   
,well-,beloved0 had no pretensions to   
emulate the gastronomic feats of his    
predecessor1 the ceremony was now shorn 
of much of its former interest4 ,sophie1
 who had never yet enjoyed a near view  
of her sovereign1 expressed one day a   
desire to attend one of these dinners1  
and a noble admirer1 accordingly1       
conducted her to ,versailles and into   
the ,salon de ,grand ,couvert1 where he 
placed her exactly opposite the ,king4  
,his ,majesty was in the act of raising 
his glass to his lips when he caught her
 eye4 ,at the same moment ,sophie       
remarked1 half-involuntarily1 to her    
companion3 8,the ,king drinks60 ,louis1 
who had heard much of the young lady's  
biting wit1 was apparently under the    
impression that these simple words were 
intended as a covert jest at his        

expense1 and became so embarrassed that 
every one present noticed it4 ,finally1 
he motioned to ,sophie to withdraw1     
which she did1 reflecting that a        
reputation as a wit sometimes has its   
drawbacks4  ,to appreciate the          
witticisms of ,sophie ,arnould as they  
deserve1 they must be read in the       
language in which they were uttered1    
for1 when translated1 the point of many 
of them--plays upon names and so        
forth--is lost4 ,not a few1 too1 of her 
most pungent sayings will scarcely bear 
reproduction in a modern work1 for her  
wit was essentially the wit of the      
coulisses1 whose frequenters were seldom
 at any pains to curb their tongues1    
even in the presence of the highest in  
the land4 ,fortunately1 however1 there  
still remain a considerable number of   
mots which may be rendered into ,english
 with tolerable fidelity and without    
injuring the susceptibilities of even   
the most fastidious of readers4  ,sophie
 was an inveterate punster1 a form of   

wit more appreciated in the eighteenth  
century than it is to-day4 ,here is one1
 however1 which most of us will find it 
hard not to forgive4  ,the ,duc de      
,bouillon became so enamoured of the    
charms of a young singer named ,mlle4   
,laguerre that1 in the course of three  
months1 he was reported to have         
squandered upon her no less a sum than  
#hjj1jjj livres4 ,this prodigality      
greatly exasperated the creditors of the
 duke1 who complained to the ,king      
himself1 with the result that the       
infatuated nobleman received orders to  
retire to his country-seat4 ,a few days 
later1 some one1 meeting ,sophie1       
happened to inquire after the health of 
,mlle4 ,laguerre4 8,i do not know how   
she is at present10 was the reply2 8but 
for the last month the poor child has   
been living entirely on soup            
7bouillon740  ,this same ,mlle4         
,laguerre created the principal rle in  
,piccini's ,iphignie en ,tauride1       
produced on ,january #bb1 #agha4 ,at the

 first performance she sang admirably   
and contributed largely to the          
enthusiastic reception it received2 but 
on the second evening her efforts were  
but too obviously inspired by wine4     
8,mon ,dieu60 exclaimed ,sophie4 8,this 
is not ,iphigenia in ,tauris2 it is     
,iphigenia in ,champagne60  ,mlle4      
,laguerre was only one among many of    
,sophie's colleagues to suffer from the 
sharpness of that lady's tongue4 ,she   
was particularly severe upon the famous 
danseuse ,mlle4 ,guimard1 the subject of
 our next sketch1 whose many wealthy    
conquests would appear to have excited  
her jealousy4 ,mlle4 ,guimard1 though   
the very embodiment of grace and        
elegance upon the stage1 was slender    
almost to attenuation1 and ,sophie      
dubbed her 8la squelette des ,grces40   
,seeing her one evening performing a pas
 de trois with two male dancers1 she    
declared that it put her in mind of a   
couple of dogs quarrelling over a bone4 
,on another occasion1 when the          

danseuse's well-known liaison with      
,jarente1 ,bishop of ,orlans1 the holder
 of the feuille of benefices1 happened  
to be the subject of conversation1 she  
remarked3 8,i cannot conceive why that  
little silk-worm is so thin2 she lives  
upon such a good leaf 7feuille740       
,another butt of her sarcasm was ,mlle4 
,beaumesnil1 who1 after gallantries     
innumerable1 married a singer of the    
,opera1 named ,belcourt4 ,by that time  
her charms were on the wane1 and1 making
 a virtue of necessity1 she became a    
model wife4 ,one day1 some one speaking 
of her early career1 observed that she  
had then been like a weather-cock1      
veering round to a new lover every day4 
8,just so10 answered ,sophie1 8and very 
like a weather-cock in this also1 that  
she did not become fixed till she was   
rusty40  ,but ,sophie was very far from 
confining her witticism to her comrades 
of the ,opera2 no one was safe from her 
shafts4 ,when the intriguing old ,duc de
 la ,vauguyon1 the ,dauphin's governor1 

who had done his best to sow dissension 
between that prince and ,marie          
,antoinette1 died1 he was regretted by  
no one4 ,the day after his death1 the   
opera of ,castor et ,pollux was played4 
,in this piece there was a ballet of    
devils1 which on this particular evening
 went all wrong1 whereupon ,sophie      
observed that the devils were so much   
upset by ,m4 de la ,vauguyon's arrival  
among them that their heads were turned4
  ,m4 de ,boynes1 who succeeded the ,duc
 de ,choiseul-,praslin as ,minister of  
,marine1 in #agfj1 was an honest and    
well-meaning man1 but entirely ignorant 
of the duties of that important post4   
,one evening he appeared at the ,opera1 
where the scene on the stage represented
 a ship on a stormy sea4 8,oh1 how      
fortunate60 exclaimed ,sophie4 8,he has 
come here to get some idea of the       
,navy40  ,better perhaps was her remark 
about the ,abb ,terrai1 the detested    
,comptroller-,general of ,finance1 whose
 expedients for raising money excited so

 much indignation in the last years of  
,louis ,,xv4 ,the abb1 who suffered from
 a defective circulation1 was seen1 one 
bitter winter's day1 with his hands     
hidden in a huge muff4 8,what need has  
he of a muff80 asked the actress4 8,are 
not his hands always in our pockets80   
,the ,ministers1 indeed1 seem to have   
been very favourite objects of ,sophie's
 sarcasm4 ,on being shown a snuff-box1  
with the head of the ,duc de ,choiseul  
on one side1 and that of ,sully1 the    
great ,minister of ,henri ,,iv4 on the  
other1 she exclaimed3 8,tiens6 they have
 put the receipts and the expenses      
together40         99       99       99 
99       99  ,the liaison between       
,sophie and the ,comte de ,lauraguais   
was1 as might be expected1 from the     
singular character of the latter1 not   
untroubled by storms4 ,the count1 though
 honestly attached to his mistress1 was 
jealous1 suspicious1 headstrong1 and    
passionate1 always full of some new and 
frequently wild project or other1 with  

which he expected her to sympathise1    
while the slightest opposition to his   
wishes was sufficient to throw him into 
such paroxysms of rage that it was      
dangerous to approach him4#ba ,at times1
 he led poor ,sophie a terrible life1   
and over and over again she was on the  
point of leaving him4 ,at last1 in the  
autumn of #agfa1 after their irregular  
union had lasted about three years1 it  
came temporarily to a close4            
,lauraguais had written a tragedy on the
 not very novel subject of ,iphigenia in
 ,tauris4#bb ,he had dedicated it to    
,voltaire1 and1 so soon as it was       
completed1 set out for ,ferney1 to read 
it to the ,patriarch4 ,it would appear  
that1 for some time past1 the count's   
vagaries had been more than usually     
difficult to endure--possibly the       
labours of composition had not been     
without their effect upon his temper4   
,any way1 ,sophie resolved to profit by 
this moment of liberty1 and no sooner   
had her tyrannical lover left ,paris1   

than she ordered her coach--a present   
from the absent ,lauraguais--threw into 
it pell-mell everything portable that   
she had ever received from him3         
jewellery1 plate1 lace1 porcelain1 and  
so forth1 placed the two children whom  
she had borne him on the top1 and       
despatched the whole cargo to the ,htel 
de ,lauraguais1 ,rue de ,lille1 with a  
note for ,madame de ,lauraguais1 in     
which she stated that 8having resolved  
to recover her freedom1 she did not wish
 to retain anything which might serve to
 remind her of her unhappy              
love-affair40#bc ,madame de ,lauraguais1
 who was a good and long-suffering      
woman1 accepted the children1           
8regretting very much that they were not
 her own10 but sent back the coach and  
the rest of its contents4  ,at the same 
time1 ,sophie wrote to ,ferney the      
following letter3  8,monsieur1 mon cher 
ami1--,you have written a very fine     
tragedy1 so fine that ,i can no more    
understand it than your other           

proceedings4 ,you have gone to ,geneva1 
to receive a crown of the laurels of    
,parnassus from the hands of ,m4 de     
,voltaire1 leaving me alone and         
abandoned to myself4 ,i profit by my    
liberty1 that liberty so precious to    
philosophers1 to leave you4 ,do not take
 it ill that ,i am weary of living with 
a madman who dissected his coachman1 and
 who wished to act as my accoucheur1    
with the intention of dissecting me     
also4 ,allow me1 therefore1 to remove   
myself out of reach of your philosophic 
bistoury40#bd  ,when the ,comte de      
,lauraguais received the aforegoing     
epistle he was so overcome that he      
clutched his valet by the shoulder1     
exclaiming3 8,support me1 ,fabien2 this 
blow is more than ,i can bear60 ,then1  
bidding a hasty adieu to ,voltaire1 he  
posted off to ,paris and tried1 by      
promises1 threats1 and every means he   
could think of1 to induce his mistress  
to return to him4 ,all his efforts were1
 however1 fruitless1 and soon afterwards

 ,sophie placed the comble upon his     
misery by 8coming to an arrangement0    
with ,m4 ,bertin1 a wealthy             
financier4#be  ,the gallantry of the    
eighteenth century1 it should be        
understood1 had its etiquette1 which was
 strictly observed by all who wished to 
be thought men of honour4 ,before even  
approaching ,sophie on the matter1 ,m4  
,bertin wrote to the ,comte de          
,lauraguais1 to inform him that1 having 
been given to understand that all was at
 end between the count and ,mlle4       
,arnould1 he proposed to take the lady  
in question under his protection1 if she
 were willing to honour him by accepting
 it4 ,sophie consented1 on certain      
conditions2 ,lauraguais sorrowfully     
withdrew1 and ,m4 ,bertin gave a        
supper-party1 at which he formally      
presented ,mlle4 ,arnould to his        
friends4  ,m4 ,bertin was not only rich 
and generous1 but easy-going1           
good-tempered1 and practical2 in fact1  
the very antithesis of his erratic      

predecessor4 ,he had lately been cruelly
 deceived by ,mlle4 ,hus1 a star of the 
,comdie-,franaise1 his admiration for   
whom is said to have cost him something 
like a million livres1 and his heart    
positively yearned for sympathy and     
affection4 ,but alas6 ,sophie had none  
to give him4 ,it was in vain that he    
paid her debts2 that he provided a      
handsome dowry for one of her sisters2  
that he commissioned a celebrated       
coachbuilder of the singular name of    
,antechrist to construct for her an     
equipage which was the envy and         
admiration of all the ladies in ,paris2 
that he loaded her with diamonds4 ,the  
actress soon decided that poor ,m4      
,bertin was dull1 wearisome1 altogether 
insupportable1 and began to look about  
for fresh conquests4  ,she had not far  
to look4 ,so soon as it was known that  
the adorable ,mlle4 ,arnould was no     
longer inaccessible1 all the admirers   
whom the jealous transports of          
,lauraguais had kept at a respectful    

distance flocked around her1 and        
,sophie1 having broken with the man who 
had possessed her heart1 threw scruples 
to the winds1 and bestowed her favours  
upon several gallants1 varying in social
 position--or1 at least1 so ,m4 de      
,sartines's inspectors reported--from   
the ,prince de ,conti to a handsome     
young friseur1 who called daily to dress
 the lady's hair4  ,but1 in spite of    
these 8passades0 and the lavish         
generosity wherewith her titular        
protector sought to gain her affections1
 love for ,lauraguais still smouldered  
in ,sophie's breast1 and1 at the        
beginning of the following year1 only a 
few days after the enamoured ,m4 ,bertin
 had bestowed upon her the sum of       
#ab1jjj livres1 by way of a ,new ,year's
 gift1 all ,paris was astonished to hear
 that she had thrown over the financier 
and returned to the count4  ,at first1  
the public was inclined to applaud what 
it was pleased to consider the rare     
disinterestedness of the lady in        

preferring a comparatively poor admirer 
to an exceptionally wealthy one4 ,but   
when it became known that poor ,bertin's
 brief reign had cost him over #ajj1jjj 
livres1 exclusive of the ,new ,year's   
gift mentioned above1 it veered round1  
and ,bachaumont reports that the general
 impression was that the financier had  
been very hardly treated4 ,he himself   
expresses the opinion that the favoured 
lover was in honour bound to indemnify  
the abandoned one for the very large    
sums he had expended on the capricious  
,sophie1 and that1 as this had not been 
done1 ,mlle4 ,arnould must be held to   
have gained the affection of tender and 
susceptible hearts on false pretences1  
and must therefore--morally at          
least--8be relegated to the crowd of    
women from whom she had been drawn40#bf 
,it is only fair to ,lauraguais to say  
that1 very soon after this was written1 
he gave the lie to the rumour that      
,sophie's liaison with ,bertin had been 
nothing but an ingenious speculation on 

the part of that lady1 by refunding to  
his discomfited rival all that he had   
disbursed on her behalf1 so that1 in the
 end1 the financier 8lost nothing except
 the most charming woman in ,paris40    
99       99       99       99       99  
,the second stage of the liaison between
 ,sophie and ,lauraguais was not less   
stormy than the first2 in fact1 it might
 quite as appropriately be called a     
renewal of hostilities as a renewal of  
love4 ,a week or two of bliss1 and then 
their quarrels recommenced1 more        
frequent and more violent than before4  
,after what had passed1 the count felt  
that he had the right to be suspicious1 
and he took the fullest advantage of it4
 ,almost every day there were angry     
accusations1 indignant denials1 bitter  
reproaches1 and floods of tears1        
followed by apologies1 vows of          
amendment1 and reconciliation4 ,never   
was there a more singular pair of       
lovers4 ,they seem to have been         
perpetually separating and coming       

together again1 for1 though life with   
one another was intolerable1 they were  
even more unhappy apart2 while if any   
misfortune happened to befall either of 
them1 however strained their relations  
at the time might be1 all grievances    
were straightway forgotten4 ,an instance
 of this occurred towards the end of the
 following year4  ,the practice of      
inoculation for the small-pox1 which had
 been introduced into ,england by ,lady 
,mary ,wortley ,montagu early in the    
eighteenth century1 had hitherto made   
but little progress in ,france1         
notwithstanding the fact that it had had
 several distinguished advocates1       
including ,voltaire and ,jean ,jacques  
,rousseau4 ,towards the year #agfc1     
however1 a strong movement in its favour
 took place1 in consequence of which the
 ,parliament of ,paris1 on the          
requisition of the ,advocate-,general1  
,joly de ,fleury1 passed a decree       
prohibiting inoculation until the       
,faculties of ,medicine and ,theology   

should have pronounced a definite       
opinion on the subject4  ,the decree    
roused the indignation of ,lauraguais1  
who was one of the warmest supporters of
 the innovation1 and his indignation    
vented itself in a ,mmoire sur          
l'inoculation1 wherein ,m4 ,joly de     
,fleury was very roughly handled4 ,this 
memoir he read before the ,acadmie des  
,sciences1 of which he was a member1 and
 demanded permission to print it4 ,the  
,academy at first demurred1 but         
ultimately gave its consent1 on the     
understanding that the references to the
 ,advocate-,general should be expunged4 
,apparently this condition was not      
observed1 for the publication of the    
memoir was followed by an acrimonious   
correspondence1 ending with a lettre de 
cachet1 which directed that ,m4 le      
,comte de ,lauraguais should be conveyed
 to ,metz and imprisoned in the citadel 
during his ,majesty's pleasure4#bg  ,on 
learning of the arrest of her lover1    
,sophie was in despair4 ,she closed her 

salon and put on mourning4 ,the few     
friends who were permitted to intrude   
upon her sorrow found her dissolved in  
tears1 and went about declaring that    
nothing so pathetic had ever been seen  
before4 ,the ,abb de ,voisenon wrote to 
the imprisoned count1 describing in     
touching language the actress's grief1  
and felicitating him on having found a  
faithful mistress at the ,opera2 a piece
 of good fortune1 said the abb1 so      
remarkable that it ought to go far to   
console him for his captivity3      8,ne
 te plains pas de ton malheur1      ,du 
cur de ,la ,vallire il te fournit la    
preuve1      ,on assure qu',arnould se  
souvient d'tre veuve      ,et que de sa 
constance elle fait son bonheur40       
,lauraguais's family and friends did    
everything in their power to procure his
 release2 but both ,louis ,,xv4 and     
,choiseul had come to regard that       
nobleman as a public nuisance1 and      
turned a deaf ear to their appeals4 ,and
 so the count remained for some four    

months at ,metz1 and might have remained
 a good deal longer1 had not a fortunate
 chance enabled ,sophie to intervene on 
his behalf4  ,on ,november #b1 the opera
 of ,dardanus was played before the     
,court1 at ,fontainebleau1 ,sophie      
taking the part of the heroine ,iphise1 
one of her most successful              
impersonations4 ,on this occasion she   
appears to have surpassed herself1 and  
even the bored ,king was moved to       
something like admiration4 ,profiting by
 the impression she had created1 without
 waiting to doff the robes of ,iphise1  
she begged for a few minutes'           
conversation with the ,duc de ,choiseul1
 and1 throwing herself at his feet1     
besought him to release her lover4 8,the
 heart of the gallant and all-powerful  
,minister was touched1 and he had not   
the courage to refuse to this beautiful 
and tearful ,iphise the return of her   
,dardanus40#bh  ,lauraguais returned    
more infatuated than ever4 ,gratitude   
had redoubled his love for his mistress2

 never had she appeared to him more     
adorable4 ,declaring that it was his    
intention to consecrate to her alone the
 liberty which he owed to her1 he       
installed himself at ,sophie's house1 as
 in the early days of their liaison1 and
 refused even to see his unfortunate    
wife1 whom he unjustly suspected of     
having been a trifle lukewarm in her    
efforts to obtain his release4 ,this was
 a little too much for the endurance    
even of that long-suffering lady1 and1  
soon afterwards1 she sought and obtained
 a judicial separation4  ,his few       
months' imprisonment at ,metz would     
appear to have exercised a chastening   
effect upon the volatile count1 as1 for 
the next three or four years1 though    
quarrels were still of frequent         
occurrence1 there was no open rupture   
between the lovers4 ,during this period1
 two more children were born to them3 a 
son1 ,antoine ,constant1 who            
subsequently entered the army1 rose to  
be colonel of a regiment of cuirassiers1

 and was killed at the battle of        
,wagram2 and a daughter1 ,alexandrine   
,sophie1 of whom we shall have something
 to say later on4  ,perhaps the         
comparative harmony which now reigned   
between this singular pair was the      
result of a tacit understanding that    
they should forgive and forget4 ,at any 
rate1 they were very far from being all 
in all to one another during these      
years4 ,some doubt seems to have existed
 as to whether ,alexandrine ,sophie1    
born ,march #g1 #agfg1 had not the right
 to claim an even more illustrious      
descent than that of the ,brancas2 for1 
though ,m4 de ,lauraguais recognised the
 child as his1 the assiduous attentions 
paid by the ,prince de ,conti to her    
mother rendered it quite possible that  
she had royal blood in her veins4 ,on   
his side1 the count indulged in several 
8passades10 one of which1 with a certain
 ,mlle4 ,robbi1 a colleague of ,sophie1 
threatened to develop into a more       
permanent connection4 ,finally1 in the  

spring of #agfh1 the union was again    
dissolved1 ,lauraguais being1 on this   
occasion1 the one to sever the knot4    
,on ,february #bf of that year1 a young 
,german danseuse1 ,mlle4 ,heinel by     
name1 who had already achieved a        
reputation in ,vienna1 made her         
appearance at the ,opera1 and created a 
great sensation4 8,mlle4 ,heinel10 says 
,grimm1 8afflicted with seventeen or    
eighteen years1 two large1 expressive   
eyes1 and two well-shaped legs1 which   
support a very pretty face and figure1  
has arrived from ,vienna and made her   
dbut at the ,opera in the danse noble4  
,she displays a precision1 a sureness1  
an aplomb1 and a dignity of bearing     
comparable to the great ,vestris4 ,the  
connoisseurs of dancing pretend that1 in
 two or three years1 ,mlle4 ,heinel will
 be the first danseuse in ,europe1 and  
the connoisseurs of charms are disputing
 the glory of ruining themselves for    
her40#bi  ,in a letter written some     
months later1 ,grimm becomes quite      

ecstatic over the beauty and talent of  
his young compatriot3  8,her grace and  
dignity make of her a celestial         
creature4 ,to see her1 ,i do not say    
dance1 but merely walk across the stage1
 is alone worth the money that one pays 
at the door of the ,opera40#cj  ,the    
charms of this 8celestial creature0     
proved more than the susceptible heart  
of ,m4 de ,lauraguais could withstand1  
and we read in the ,mmoires secrets1    
under date ,march #bh1 #agfh3  8,her    
7,mlle4 ,heinel's7 attractions have so  
captivated ,m4 le ,comte de ,lauraguais 
as to cause him to forget those of      
,mlle4 ,arnoux 7sic74 ,he has given her1
 as a wedding-present  l',allemand1     
#cj1jjj livres1 #bj1jjj livres to a     
brother1 to whom she is much attached1  
an exquisite set of furniture1 a coach1 
and so forth4 ,it is computed that the  
premire cost this magnificent nobleman  
#ajj1jjj livres40  ,sophie appears to   
have been anything but heart-broken at  
the desertion of her eccentric          

lover--probably she was as anxious to be
 rid of him1 for a season1 as he was to 
leave her--and1 less than a year later1 
we find her corresponding with him in   
the friendliest manner4 ,by that time   
the count had had more than enough of   
the society of ,mlle4 ,heinel1          
concerning whom ,sophie has many        
spiteful things to say4 ,she herself1   
she informs him--perhaps with a view of 
exciting his jealousy--is receiving     
great attention from the ,prince de     
,conti1 who often invites her1 together 
with other past1 present1 and potential 
members of his seraglio1#ca to his box  
at the ,opera1 where he invariably      
greets her with a kiss upon the chin4#cb
  ,sophie's life at this period affords 
us very little that is edifying to      
contemplate1 and much that is the       
reverse4 ,her apartment in the ,rue du  
,dauphin was the rendezvous of many wits
 and men of letters3 ,marmontel1        
,crbillon fils1 ,dorat1 ,voisenon1 and  
the ,abb ,arnaud2 but it was also       

frequented by nearly all the fashionable
 libertines of the day1 and 8her table  
was an altar of free life and free      
love40 8,foreign ,ambassadors covered   
her with diamonds1 ,serene ,highnesses  
threw themselves at her feet1 dukes and 
peers sent her carriages1 and ,princes  
of the ,blood deigned to have children  
by her40#cc ,unlike the majority of her 
colleagues1 who clung tenaciously to the
 few poor shreds of reputation that were
 left them1 ,sophie appears to have been
 perfectly indifferent to public        
opinion1 and jested cynically with      
comparative strangers on the depraved   
life she was leading4  ,in the spring of
 #aggj1 we find her accepting a new     
amant en titre1 in the person of        
,charles ,alexander ,marc ,marcellin    
d',alsace1 ,prince d',hnin et du        
,saint-,empire4 ,the ,prince d',hnin was
 a dull1 pompous man1 nicknamed1 by a   
play on his title1 8le prince des       
nains10 who seems to have taken the     
actress under his protection merely     

because it was the mode in those days to
 keep a mistress1 and the more notorious
 the lady1 the greater the distinction  
she conferred upon her lover4 ,his chief
 recommendations1 so far as ,sophie was 
concerned1 were that he was very rich   
and disposed to allow her to do pretty  
much as she pleased1 so long as the     
admirers whom he chanced to encounter on
 his visits to her house behaved towards
 him with the deference which he        
considered due to his exalted rank4     
,her apartment in the ,rue du ,dauphin  
not being large enough to accommodate   
all the distinguished persons who       
desired to pay homage to her1 ,sophie1  
about this time1 removed to a more      
commodious one in the ,rue des          
,petits-,champs4 ,this1 in its turn1    
becoming too small for her requirements1
 she made up her mind to have an htel   
built1 and selected a site in the       
,chausse-d',antin1 immediately adjoining
 the htel of ,mlle4 ,guimard--the       
8,temple of ,terpsichore10 as it was    

called--the erection of which had       
half-ruined more than one of the adorers
 of 8la squelette des ,grces40  ,in the 
,bibliothque ,nationale may be seen a   
drawing of the faade of the proposed    
house1 and plans of the rez-de-chausse  
and the first and second floors4 ,the   
drawing of the faade bears the following
 inscription3  8,faade of a projected   
house for ,mlle4 ,arnould in the        
,chausse-d',antin4 ,the house to be     
constructed side by side with that of   
,mlle4 ,guimard1 and to be of the same  
dimensions4--,blanger40  ,on the        
portico1 which is supported by two      
,doric columns1 may be seen the figure  
of the ,muse ,euterpe1 with the features
 of ,sophie ,arnould4 ,the plan of the  
second floor is inscribed3 8,plan of the
 second floor of ,mlle4 ,arnould's      
projected house1 in which there are to  
be four small rooms for the             
accommodation of the children40  ,this  
palace never got beyond the paper stage1
 for ,sophie fell in love with the      

architect and the architect with her1 in
 consequence of which1 we may presume1  
the ,prince d',hnin1 or whatever wealthy
 admirer was to have defrayed the       
expenses1 declined to have anything     
further to do with the scheme4  ,franois
 ,joseph ,blanger1 the architect in     
question1 was a charming man4 ,he was   
then about thirty years of age1         
handsome1 good-tempered1 witty1 and one 
of the most rising members of his       
profession4#cd ,sophie loved him        
dearly--for a time at least--though this
 did not prevent her indulging in       
various passing fancies4 ,once1 when he 
was temporarily out of favour1 she sent 
him his cong1 and1 at the same time1    
wrote to an actor named ,florence1      
inviting him to take the vacant place in
 her affections4 ,blanger1 however1     
happening to call at her house at a time
 when she was not at home1 found the two
 letters on her desk1 read them1 and    
promptly changed the envelopes4 ,the    
result was that ,florence received the  

cong1 instead of the avowal of love1 and
 naturally became very cold in his      
manner towards ,sophie1 who1 deeply     
mortified1 turned for consolation to her
 faithful architect4  ,at one time a    
rumour was current that ,sophie was     
about to become ,madame ,blanger1 and1  
when questioned on the matter1 the lady 
replied3 8,what would you have8 ,so many
 people are endeavouring to destroy my  
reputation that ,i need some one who can
 restore it4 ,i could not make a better 
choice1 since ,i have selected an       
architect60 ,the marriage1 however1 did 
not take place1 though that would not   
appear to have been the fault of        
,blanger4 ,notwithstanding the fact that
 a lady with so romantic a past1 and    
three fine children to prevent people   
forgetting it1 was hardly the kind of   
wife for a rising professional man1 the 
architect would have been only too      
willing to regularise their connection4 
,but ,sophie had no mind to marry any   
one who was unable to satisfy all her   

caprices2 and it is probable that the   
rumour referred to was started and      
circulated by her with the object of    
giving the lie to another1 which was    
occasioning her intense annoyance4#ce   
,sophie's insolence and pride in this   
the heyday of her prosperity knew no    
bounds4 ,she insulted the ,lieutenant of
 ,police and was1 in consequence1 placed
 under arrest for twenty-four hours2 she
 made biting epigrams about ,ministers  
and other distinguished persons1 which1 
no doubt1 duly reached her victims'     
ears2 she behaved with such 8unexampled 
audacity0 and 8essential want of        
respect0 towards ,madame du ,barry1 on  
the occasion of a performance before the
 ,court1 at ,fontainebleau1 that1 but   
for the intervention of the injured     
lady--the most sweet-tempered left-hand 
queen who ever degraded a throne--she   
would have spent the next six months as 
a prisoner in the ,hpital1#cf and she   
drove the unfortunate directors of the  
,opera to the verge of distraction with 

her whims and caprices4  ,the race of   
prime donne is proverbially a capricious
 one2 the profession of an impresario   
one of the most trying which can fall to
 the lot of man4 ,yet1 it may be doubted
 whether any queen of song since opera  
was invented can have occasioned her    
managers anything approaching the       
anxiety and annoyance caused by ,mlle4  
,sophie ,arnould4 ,she knew she was     
necessary1 well-nigh indispensable1 and 
she abused her position4 ,dearly did the
 administration pay for the increased   
receipts which her popularity brought   
them4 ,every day she had some new       
grievance1 some unexpected whim4 ,she   
wished to sing and she did not wish to  
sing1 she retired and she reappeared4   
,sometimes she would create a part in an
 opera1 sing divinely to crowded houses 
for three or four nights1 then suddenly 
discover that it was unsuited to her or 
made too great demands upon her         
strength1 and insist upon another singer
 taking her place for the remainder of  

the run of the piece4 ,a few evenings   
later1 jealous perhaps of the applause  
which her successor was receiving1 she  
would come down to the theatre and      
announce her intention of resuming her  
part1 only to throw it up again so soon 
as she considered that she had asserted 
her superiority4  ,to revive an opera in
 which she had scored a success was     
often as risky a venture as to produce a
 new one1 since it might1 and very often
 did1 happen1 that ,mlle4 ,arnould--who1
 it should be mentioned1 unlike the     
majority of public performers1 cared    
very little for applause--would be      
indisposed1 that is to say1 indisposed  
to exert her full powers1 with the      
result that the once popular piece would
 be received in comparative silence4 ,in
 ,february #agfi1 ,dardanus was revived4
 ,iphise1 the heroine1 was one of       
,sophie's greatest rles1 but on the     
first night she either could not or     
would not sing1 and the opera became1 in
 consequence1 8almost a burlesque40  ,it

 is only1 however1 fair to say that she 
made ample atonement on the following   
evening4 ,thinking perhaps1 as one of   
her biographers suggests1 that any one  
was good enough to sing with a voiceless
 prima donna1 the management entrusted  
the part of ,dardanus to a new tenor    
named ,muguet1 8who had neither voice1  
figure1 nor expression40 ,the audience  
not unnaturally resented the experiment1
 and ,m4 ,muguet and the opera with him 
were in a fair way to be hissed off the 
stage1 when ,sophie came to the rescue  
and1 by superb singing and impassioned  
acting1 restored the house to good      
humour and converted a complete failure 
into something approaching a success4   
,seeing that the ladies of the ,opera   
were the ,king's servants in the literal
 sense of the phrase1 and that          
misbehaviour on their part was wont to  
be construed as disobedience to his     
,majesty's commands and punished        
accordingly1 why1 it may well be asked1 
was such conduct tolerated8 ,why did not

 the chief of the ,king's ,household    
intervene with one of those lettres de  
cachet which were generally so          
efficacious in bringing contumacious    
artistes to their senses8 ,the answer is
 that ,sophie had so many noble admirers
 always ready to espouse her cause that 
to punish her as she deserved could not 
have failed to create a great deal of   
unpleasantness2 for which reason1 though
 the directors appealed again and again 
to the ,comte de ,saint-,florentin to   
exercise his authority1 their           
representations were without effect4    
,here is an instance3  ,on ,march #bd1  
#aggb1 ,sophie1 who was announced to    
take the part of ,thlare1 in ,rameau's  
,castor et ,pollux1 had not arrived when
 the time came for the opera to begin1  
and her place was1 therefore1 taken by  
her understudy1 ,mlle4 ,beaumesnil4 ,as 
no intimation of her inability to appear
 that evening had reached them1 the     
directors naturally concluded that she  
had been suddenly taken ill1 and their  

astonishment and indignation may be     
imagined when they presently espied the 
lady in a box1 laughing and talking with
 several of her admirers1 and1          
seemingly1 in the best of health and    
spirits4 ,a message demanding an        
explanation of what she meant by        
appearing in the front of the house when
 she was 8billed0 to play a part        
produced the impertinent reply that she 
had come to take a lesson from ,mlle4   
,beaumesnil6 ,the angry directors       
thereupon appealed to the chief of the  
,king's ,household and begged him to    
send the recalcitrant actress to ,for   
l'vque4 ,but the ,prince d',hnin1 or    
some other influential adorer1          
interceded on her behalf1 and the only  
punishment she received was 8a severe   
reprimand40  ,such misplaced leniency1  
,bachaumont tells us1 was highly        
displeasing to a certain section of the 
,opera's patrons1 and when1 an evening  
or two later1 ,mademoiselle did         
condescend to appear1 a number of people

 came to the theatre 8with the intention
 of humiliating her by hissing40        
,sophie1 however1 perhaps desirous of   
making atonement to the public for its  
previous disappointment1 put forth all  
her powers and sang and acted so        
admirably that the malcontents' courage 
failed them1 and1 finally1 forgetting   
the object which had brought them       
thither1 they joined heartily in the    
general applause4#cg  ,owing to the     
cares of maternity and other causes1    
chief of which would seem to have been a
 pronounced antipathy to hard work1     
,sophie's appearances at the ,opera were
 very irregular1 and sometimes her name 
did not find a place in the bills for   
several months together4 ,thus1 she was 
absent from ,october #agfa to the       
following ,february2 again from         
,november #agff to ,august #agfg2 while 
in #aggj she does not appear to have    
sung at all4 ,a less popular actress1 or
 one whose life outside the theatre was 
less notorious1 might have incurred some

 risk of finding herself forgotten4 ,but
 ,sophie's admirers were numerous and   
faithful1 and when she had a part which 
suited her1 and was in the humour to do 
herself justice1 her singing and1 more  
especially1 her acting were so superior 
to her rivals that the house was        
invariably crowded4 ,among her triumphs 
may be mentioned3 ,thisb1 in ,pyrame et 
,thisb2 ,oriane1 in ,amadis de          
,gaule2#ch ,aline1 in ,aline1 ,reine de 
,golconde1#ci 8which10 says ,bachaumont1
 8she endowed with all the delicate     
graces of sentiment1 beauty1 and        
talent02 ,psych1 in ,l',amour et ,psych2
 ,iphise1 in ,dardanus1 and ,thlare1 in 
,castor et ,pollux1 when the critic of  
the ,mercure declared that she was 8not 
a character of the piece1 but ,thlare   
herself1 and that the feelings she      
depicted passed involuntarily into the  
souls of the spectators40#dj         99 
99       99       99       99  ,although
 ,blanger was ,mlle4 ,arnould's amant de
 cur1 the ,prince d',hnin remained her  

titular protector4 ,the prince was an   
exceedingly dull and fatuous person1    
with the most absurdly exaggerated idea 
of his own importance1 and bored the    
lady insufferably1 although financial   
considerations compelled her to tolerate
 him4 ,at the same time1 she was at no  
pains to conceal from her friends the   
ennui which his visits occasioned her1  
and when1 at the beginning of the year  
#aggd1 the ,comte de ,lauraguais1 with  
whom she still maintained friendly      
relations1 returned from a lengthy visit
 to ,england1 she hastened to pour her  
troubles into his sympathetic ear4      
,perhaps ,lauraguais would have been not
 unwilling to resume his connection with
 ,sophie1 had there been no ,prince     
d',hnin in the way1 and cherished a     
grudge against that nobleman for taking 
the place which had so long been his    
own4 ,perhaps he had some other         
grievance against him1 for the prince   
was by no means universally beloved4    
,any way1 he determined to have a little

 diversion at his expense4 ,we read in  
the ,mmoires secrets3  8,february #ai1  
#aggd4--,the ,comte de ,lauraguais1 that
 amiable nobleman1 whose                
inextinguishable gaiety is so           
marvellously seconded by his lively     
imagination1 after having amused        
,london1 has come to enliven this       
capital with his sallies and ingenious  
pleasantries1 of which one relates a    
charming instance3 ,some days ago1 he   
summoned four doctors of the ,faculty of
 ,medicine to a consultation1 in order  
to know whether it were possible for any
 one to die of ennui4 ,they replied in  
the affirmative and1 after a long       
preamble1 setting forth the reasons for 
their decision1 signed a paper to that  
effect1 in all good faith4 ,the family  
of ,brancas is so generally composed of 
lunatics1 hypochondriacs1 hysterical and
 melancholy persons1 and so forth1 that 
they imagined that the question put to  
them concerned some relative of the     
consultant1 and agreed that the only    

means of effecting a cure was to remove 
out of the patient's sight the object   
which occasioned this condition of      
inertia and stagnation4  8,armed with   
this document duly signed and witnessed1
 the facetious nobleman proceeded to lay
 it before a ,commissary of ,police and1
 at the same time1 to lodge a complaint 
against the ,prince d',hnin1 who1 by his
 continual obsession of ,mlle4 ,arnoux  
7sic71 would infallibly cause that      
actress to perish of ennui1 and the     
public to lose one whom it valued       
highly1 and whom he especially desired  
to preserve40  ,needless to say1 the    
commissary did not issue the warrant    
demanded2 but1 equally needless to say1 
he related the jest to every one he     
happened to meet that morning1 with the 
result that1 in a very few hours1 this  
8charming instance of the               
inextinguishable humour of the ,comte de
 ,lauraguais0 was the talk of ,paris1   
and was voted the best comedy that had  
been played for many a long day4 ,the   

,prince d',hnin naturally did not look  
at the matter in quite the same light1  
and talked about sending the count a    
challenge4 ,according to one account1 he
 actually did so1 and a bloodless duel  
followed4 ,but since1 as we shall       
presently see1 he was a nobleman by no  
means remarkable for his courage1 it is 
more probable that he ultimately decided
 to pocket the affront4  ,in the course 
of that same month1 ,sophie ,arnould    
determined to withdraw altogether from  
the ,opera and1 accordingly1 sent in her
 resignation1 giving as her reason the  
unsatisfactory state of her health4 ,the
 ,duc de la ,vrillire1 however1 declined
 to accept it1 at the same time assuring
 her1 in a courteous letter1 that1      
8under no circumstances would more be   
required of her than her strength would 
permit of her undertaking40 ,although it
 would appear that ,sophie was really   
somewhat out of health at that time--so 
that ,lauraguais's charge against the   
poor ,prince d',hnin was not without a  

basis of truth--her resolution to quit  
the scene of her many triumphs was      
dictated by a very different reason4    
,the fact of the matter was that the    
,sophie ,arnould of #aggd was not the   
,sophie ,arnould of #ageh--not the      
singer who had charmed all ,paris in    
,les ,amours des ,dieux and ne et       
,lavinie4 ,her voice1 always more       
expressive than powerful1 was becoming  
perceptibly weaker4 ,her beauty1 though 
she was still very attractive1 had lost 
its freshness4 ,her frequent absences1  
her endless caprices1 her arrogance and 
insolence1 so long tolerated1 had begun 
to weary not only the long-suffering    
directors of the ,opera1 but the public 
and the critics who influenced it4      
,where there had been applause1 there   
was now silence4 ,where there had been  
praise1 there was now criticism1 and    
criticism sometimes of a peculiarly     
galling kind4 ,in a word1 ,sophie's long
 reign was drawing to a close4 ,and     
,paris was eagerly awaiting the arrival 

of a new composer4 ,gluck1 who was to   
revolutionise opera in ,france1 was     
coming1 at the invitation of ,marie     
,antoinette1 to give a series of        
8musical dramas0--as he himself called  
them--reconstructed from those which had
 delighted ,vienna and ,italy4          
,supported as he would be by the young  
,dauphiness and the ,court1 his success 
was a foregone conclusion4 ,what        
unthinkable humiliation for her if1 when
 the principal parts came to be         
allotted1 she should be passed over in  
favour of one of her youthful           
competitors3 ,mlle4 ,laguerre or1 worse 
still1 ,rosalie ,levasseur1 the mistress
 of ,mercy-,argenteau1 the ,austrian    
,ambassador1 between whom and herself   
the bitterest rivalry existed6 ,rather  
than incur such a risk1 she would retire
 of her own accord1 while her laurels   
were still untarnished1 while her       
sovereignty was still acknowledged4     
,illustration3 ,,gluck  ,after the      
painting by ,n4 ,f4 ,,duplessis  ,but1  

as we have just seen1 her resignation   
was not accepted1 and when ,gluck       
arrived in ,paris1 he appears to have   
had little difficulty in deciding to    
entrust the title-part in his ,iphignie 
en ,aulide to her1 though his choice was
 probably influenced more by ,sophie's  
histrionic than her vocal capabilities1 
for while her voice was neither so      
powerful nor so fresh as those of the   
two ladies mentioned above1 her acting  
was immeasurably superior to theirs4    
,we are inclined to think1 however1 that
 even if ,sophie had been much less     
fitted than she was to undertake the    
difficult rle of ,iphignie1 ,gluck would
 still have hesitated before passing her
 over1 since to have done so would have 
been certain to arouse a storm of       
hostile criticism1 a singularly         
inauspicious opening to his ,paris      
campaign4 ,as matters stood1 his        
position was1 at first1 far from an easy
 one4 ,the musical world of ,paris was  
the most critical and contentious of any

 capital in ,europe1 and the advent of a
 foreign operatic troupe or a new       
composer was invariably the sign for the
 amateurs of music to range themselves  
into hostile camps and to discuss the   
merits and demerits of the innovation   
with as much warmth as1 in the present  
day1 rival schools of politicians might 
debate a question of international      
importance4 ,just as in #ageb1 when an  
,italian troupe came to perform the     
,serva ,padrona of ,pergolese and other 
works of the ,italian buffo order1 all  
musical ,paris was divided into         
,buffonists and anti-,buffonists2 so    
now1 immediately on ,gluck's arrival1   
two parties were formed1 one prepared to
 laud to the skies everything the master
 might compose1 the other resolved to   
uphold the traditions of the old ,french
 opera at all costs and to drive the    
daring reformer from the field4#da      
,gluck found the task of producing      
,iphignie the most difficult of any     
which he had yet undertaken4 ,what he   

saw and heard at the ,palais-,royal     
disgusted as much as it astonished him2 
orchestra1 singers1 chorus1 ballet--all 
were lamentably inefficient1 and it was 
obvious that a course of the most       
rigorous training would be required ere 
they would be competent to do his work  
anything like justice4 ,the state of the
 ,paris ,opera at this time was indeed  
almost incredible4 8,disorder1 abuse1   
caprice1 routine1 inertia10 says        
,desnoiresterres1 8were despotically    
enthroned there1 without a protest from 
any one4 ,if reform were urgent1 so many
 persons were interested in the statu   
quo that there was scarcely any hope of 
obtaining from the administration1 from 
this ignorant and prejudiced crowd1 any 
improvement that was at all practical4  
,in the midst of all the pomp and       
expenditure was a carelessness1 an      
anarchy1 a disorder past all belief4    
,actors and actresses pushed indecency  
to such a point as to appear outside the
 coulisses1 the latter in white         

camisoles with a culotte d'argent and a 
band across the forehead2 the former in 
a simple peignoir4 ,it was not an       
infrequent sight1 while the foreground  
was occupied by ,jupiter or ,theseus1 to
 see1 through the scenes1 the dancers   
moving and fluttering about1 they having
 actually chosen the background of the  
stage to practise their steps and make  
their jets-battus40#db ,the choruses    
drew themselves up in a semi-circle1    
impassive1 without a gesture1 like      
grenadiers on guard1 and evinced not the
 slightest interest either in the words 
they had to sing or in the action of the
 principal performers4 ,the latter went 
to the opposite extreme4 8,one sees the 
actresses1 almost in convulsions1       
violently tear the yelps out of their   
lungs1 their fists clenched against     
their chest1 the head thrown back1 the  
face inflamed1 the veins swollen1 the   
stomach heaving2 one does not know which
 is the more disagreeably affected1 the 
eye or the ear2 their exertion gives as 

much pain to those who see them as their
 singing does to those who hear         
them40#dc  ,the orchestra1 which in     
winter was in the habit of performing in
 gloves1 is compared by ,mercier1 the   
author of ,le ,tableau de ,paris1 to 8an
 old coach drawn by consumptive horses  
and led by one deaf from his birth10 and
 besides being careless and indifferent1
 was continually at variance with the   
singers on the question whether the     
latter should follow the musicians or   
the musicians follow them4 ,grtry       
relates the following conversation1     
which took place between ,sophie        
,arnould and ,francur1 the conductor of 
the orchestra1 during a rehearsal of his
 own opera of ,cphale et ,procris1 in   
#aggc3  8,what is the meaning of this1  
,monsieur8 ,the orchestra seems in a    
state of rebellion80  8,what do you mean
 by rebellion1 ,mademoiselle8 ,we are   
all here for the service of the ,king1  
and we serve him zealously40  8,i should
 like to serve him also1 but your       

orchestra puts me out and spoils my     
singing40  8,nevertheless1              
,mademoiselle1 we play in time40  8,in  
time6 ,quelle bte est-ce l8 ,follow me1 
,monsieur1 and understand that your     
accompaniment is the very humble servant
 of the actress who is reciting60  ,as  
the ,goncourts point out1 under the     
apparent insolence of her claim1 ,sophie
 was here asserting the rights of the   
dramatic vocalist before the musical    
revolution1 of which ,gluck was the     
pioneer1 when opera-singers were        
regarded merely as men and women        
reciting musical tragedy with           
intonations indicated by a musician4    
,until then they had enjoyed the most   
complete independence as to the manner  
of presenting their phrases4 ,until then
 they had been at liberty to hurry or   
slacken the time1 to pause on or shorten
 any particular note1 according to the  
inspiration of the moment1 or even as   
they felt more or less fatigued1 the    
orchestra following as best it could4   

8#8,quelle bte est-ce l8' ,sophie had   
but little doubt when she uttered these 
words that cette bte was on the eve of  
reducing her talent and reputation to   
nothing40#dd  ,the pretension1 however1 
was one which a composer1 like ,gluck1  
8who took the trouble to note not only  
the inflections of the voice1 but also  
the long notes and the short ones1 the  
accent and the time10 could not for one 
moment tolerate2 and his insistence on  
its abandonment was the cause of endless
 wrangling at rehearsals1 where the     
principal vocalists roundly declared    
that1 if he refused them the liberty    
which had so long been theirs1 their    
talent would become superfluous and they
 would be reduced to the level of mere  
chorus-singers4  ,these disputes were   
chiefly with the lady members of the    
troupe1 though the male singers did not 
fail to occasion the composer an        
infinity of trouble4 ,legros1 who had   
been cast for the part of ,achilles1 had
 an admirable voice1 but his singing was

 totally lacking in expression1 while   
his movements on the stage were stiff   
and awkward2 and though ,gluck laboured 
unceasingly to remedy these faults1 it  
was some months ere he succeeded4       
,larrive1 to whom had been entrusted the
 rle of ,agamemnon1 was even more       
difficult to deal with1 being so        
obstinate and self-opinionated that to  
remonstrate with him seemed almost waste
 of breath4 ,once the composer was      
forced to tell him that he seemed to    
have no comprehension of his part1 and  
to be unable to enter into the spirit of
 it4 8,wait till ,i put on my costume10 
answered the singer complacently2 8you  
won't recognise me then40 ,at the       
general rehearsal ,gluck took his seat  
in a box4 ,larrive reappeared1 in the   
costume of ,agamemnon1 but his          
interpretation remained the same4 8,ah1 
my friend60 cried the composer1 8,i     
recognise you perfectly60#de ,finally1  
,gluck had to contend with the ballet1  
and1 in particular1 with its chief1 the 

celebrated ,gaetano ,vestris--8le dieu  
de la danse0--who once observed that    
there were only three great men in      
,europe3 ,frederick ,,ii41 ,voltaire1   
and himself6 ,vestris naturally         
considered the dancing by far the most  
important feature of an opera1 and1     
although there were already several     
ballets in ,iphignie1 wanted yet        
another4 ,gluck angrily refused4        
8,quoi60 stammered ,vestris2 8moi6 le   
dieu de la danse60  8,if you are the    
,god of ,dancing1 ,monsieur10 replied   
the composer1 8dance in heaven1 not in  
my opera60#df  ,when1 some months later1
 ,orphe was being rehearsed1 the        
ballet-master asked ,gluck to write him 
the music of a chaconne4 ,the latter1   
who had strongly objected to the        
introduction of any dancing whatever    
into ,orphe1 being of opinion that it   
would interfere with the seriousness and
 pathos of the general action1 was      
horrified4  8,a chaconne60 he cried4    
8,do you suppose1 ,monsieur1 that the   

,greeks1 whose manners ,i am            
endeavouring to depict1 knew what a     
chaconne was80  8,did they not80        
rejoined the ,god of ,dancing4 8,then   
they are much to be pitied60  ,in those 
days it was the custom to attend the    
rehearsals of a piece which happened to 
be arousing an unusual amount of        
interest1 and the demand for admission  
to those of ,iphignie was so great that 
,la ,vrillire wrote to the directors of 
the ,opera1 ordering them to take       
special precautions to avoid any        
disturbance and to allow no one to enter
 without a ticket signed by themselves4 
,the desire to be present is not        
difficult to understand1 since to see   
,gluck at a rehearsal must have been a  
sight not easily forgotten4 ,throwing   
off his coat and replacing his wig by an
 old cotton night-cap1 he would dart    
about the stage1 imploring ,mlle4       
,arnould to follow his music1 ,m4       
,larrive not to sing through his nose1  
,m4 ,legros to endeavour to express     

something at least of the dignity and   
nobility which one was accustomed to    
associate with the great champion of the
 ,greeks1 and the chorus to endeavour to
 look and move a little less like       
automata4 8,look you1 ,mademoiselle60 he
 would cry1 purple with passion1 when   
,sophie or some other actress proved    
more than usually contumacious1 8,i am  
here to make you perform ,iphignie4 ,if 
you are willing to sing1 nothing can be 
better4 ,if you are not willing to do   
so1 do not trouble4 ,i will go and see  
,madame la ,dauphine and tell her what  
you say4 ,if it is impossible for me to 
get my opera produced1 ,i shall order my
 travelling-carriage and take the road  
to ,vienna40  ,this indeed was no idle  
threat1 and had it not been for the     
support accorded him by ,marie          
,antoinette1 there can be very little   
doubt that he would have shaken the dust
 of ,paris off his feet4 ,but1 with the 
,dauphiness behind him1 the malcontents1
 grumble as they might1 had no option   

but to obey this terrible man1 whom they
 devoutly wished at the bottom of the   
,seine4  ,the first performance was     
fixed for ,april #ac1 #aggd1 but almost 
at the last moment ,legros announced    
that he was too ill to appear4 ,gluck   
immediately demanded the postponement of
 the opera4 ,the management pointed out 
that the ,royal ,family were to be      
present1 and that all arrangements had  
been made for their reception1 and      
begged him to allow another singer to   
take the place of the absent tenor4 ,the
 composer rejoined that1 rather than see
 his work mutilated by an inferior      
rendering of so important a part1 he    
would throw it into the fire2 and the   
directors were compelled to give way4   
,the opera was eventually produced on   
,april #ai1 amidst the most intense     
excitement4 ,from eleven o'clock in the 
morning the box-offices were besieged by
 an immense concourse of people1 and it 
was found necessary to double and treble
 the ordinary guard1 to prevent         

disorder4 ,the public interest was no   
doubt stimulated by rumours that the    
,anti-,gluckists were planning a hostile
 demonstration2 and ,marie ,antoinette1 
in great alarm for the success of her   
protg1 sent orders to the ,lieutenant of
 ,police to take measures to nip any    
such attempt in the bud4 ,the           
,dauphiness herself1 accompanied by her 
obedient husband1 the ,comte and        
,comtesse de ,provence1 the ,duchesses  
de ,chartres and de ,bourbon1 and the   
,princesse de ,lamballe1 entered the    
theatre before the public was admitted1 
and was followed by most of the         
,ministers and practically the whole    
,court2 indeed1 but for the absence of  
,louis ,,xv4--who scarcely ever visited 
,paris during the later years of his    
reign--and ,madame du ,barry1 the       
spectators might have imagined          
themselves at ,versailles or            
,fontainebleau4  ,the opera was very    
cordially received1#dg though1 according
 to ,grimm1 parts pleased more than the 

ensemble4 ,both he and the ,mmoires     
secrets are very severe upon the        
ballets1 8the airs of which had been    
absolutely neglected02 while the latter 
declare that 8the decorations were      
pitiable40 ,the second representation   
did not take place until three days     
later1 when the crowd was even greater  
than on the first night1 and a brisk and
 remunerative business was done by      
certain speculators1 who had bought up  
the two-franc parterre tickets and      
retailed them at from three to seven    
times their value4#dh ,during the       
interval1 certain improvements appear to
 have been made in the ballets1 scenery1
 and accessories1 for the opera was now 
8applauded to the skies1 and1 when the  
curtain fell1 the calls for the author  
lasted for half an hour40#di ,the       
author1 however1 did not appear1 being  
ill in bed1 a fact which1 considering   
all the worry and anxiety he had        
suffered during the past few weeks1 will
 hardly occasion much surprise4  ,all   

the leading performers distinguished    
themselves1 and ,sophie covered herself 
with glory4 8,mlle4 ,arnould10 says the 
,mercure1 8charms as much as she        
astonishes us in the rle of ,iphignie1  
by her dignified and sympathetic acting1
 by the animation and correctness of her
 singing1 by an expression always true  
and delicate2 by her voice itself1 which
 seems in this opera to possess more    
variety1 power1 and extent40 ,grimm1 a  
far less partial observer1 where ,sophie
 is concerned1 than the musical critic  
of the ,mercure1 is equally             
enthusiastic3 8,she renders the part of 
,iphignie as it has perhaps never been  
rendered at the ,comdie-,franaise1 and  
she sings not only with all the charm   
that we have found in her for a long    
time past1 but with an infinite         
precision1 which is less common with    
her4 ,it seems that the ,chevalier      
,gluck has exactly divined the character
 and range of her voice and has assigned
 to it all the notes of her part40#ej   

,iphignie grew in favour with each      
repetition and soon became quite the    
rage1 as a proof of which may be        
mentioned the fact that the ladies began
 to wear a 8headdress in the form of a  
coronet surmounted by the crescent of   
,diana1 whence escaped a kind of veil   
that covered the back of the head2 it   
was called  l',iphignie40  ,encouraged  
by the success which had attended       
,iphignie1 ,gluck at once set to work to
 adapt ,orfeo1 the most successful of   
the operas he had produced in ,italy1   
for the ,paris stage4 ,a good many      
alterations were necessary1 as the      
title-part had originally been written  
for a contralto1 the celebrated         
,guadagni1 and it had now to be cast for
 ,legros4 ,that gentleman1 whose head   
would appear to have been slightly      
turned by the applause he had received  
as ,achilles1 when handed his part1     
informed the composer that he should    
decline to sing it1 unless he had an    
opportunity of making a brilliant exit  

in the first act2 and this necessitated 
further alterations4 ,however1 the rest 
of the troupe were by this time far more
 amenable to reason than they had been  
during the rehearsals of ,iphignie1 and 
by the end of ,july the opera was ready 
for production4  ,it was while ,orphe   
was in preparation that an incident     
occurred which was not without its      
effect upon ,sophie ,arnould's          
connection with the operas of ,gluck4   
,after her triumph in the part of       
,iphignie1 ,sophie had1 of course1 been 
entrusted with that of ,eurydice1 and   
had persuaded the composer to hold some 
informal rehearsals in her apartment in 
the ,rue ,neuve-des-,petits-,champs4    
,now1 for some reason1 the prima donna's
 titular protector1 the ,prince d',hnin1
 had conceived a strong antipathy to    
,gluck 7,mr4 ,douglas supposes that he  
was displeased at the frequency of the  
composer's visits to his mistress's     
house1 though1 as jealousy was certainly
 not one of his failings1 this seems to 

us hardly probable71 and had on several 
occasions let fall very disparaging     
remarks about the ,german musician1     
which had in due course reached the     
latter's ears4 ,one day1 in the midst of
 a rehearsal1 the ,prince d',hnin was   
announced4 ,all rose from their seats   
and bowed--all1 that is to say1 save    
,gluck1 who settled himself more firmly 
in his chair and took not the slightest 
notice of the distinguished visitor4    
8,i was under the impression10 remarked 
the ,prince1 when he had recovered from 
his first astonishment1 8that it is the 
custom in ,france to rise when any one  
enters the room1 especially if it be a  
person of consideration40  ,gluck sprang
 from his seat1 walked up to the        
speaker1 and1 looking him full in the   
face1 replied3 8,it is the custom in    
,germany1 ,monsieur1 to rise only for   
those whom one esteems40 ,then1 turning 
to ,sophie1 he added3 8,since ,i        
perceive1 ,mademoiselle1 that you are   
not mistress in your own house1 ,i leave

 you and shall return no more40 ,with   
which he picked up his hat and stalked  
out4  ,gluck wanted to challenge the    
prince to a duel1 but1 being assured    
that such a step would be useless1 as   
the latter would certainly shelter      
himself behind his rank and refuse to   
fight with a musician1 took counsel with
 his friend and admirer the ,duc de     
,nivernais4 ,that nobleman1 whom ,lord  
,chesterfield had once held up to his   
son as a model for him to form himself  
upon1 was now in his sixty-eighth year1 
notwithstanding which he at once        
constituted himself the composer's      
champion1 and informed ,m4 d',hnin that 
he must either apologise to ,gluck or   
fight him 7the duke74 ,in the meanwhile1
 the story had reached ,marie           
,antoinette--now ,queen--who sent a     
peremptory order to the prince to make  
reparation to her injured protg1 under  
pain of her displeasure4 ,the latter1   
reflecting that even if he escaped the  
sword of the duke1 who handled one as   

neatly as he composed verses1 he would  
undoubtedly be exiled1 had no choice but
 to obey1 and1 with a very bad grace1   
called upon ,gluck and made the amende  
honorable4  ,orphe et ,eurydice was     
produced on ,august #b and met with a   
success surpassing even that of         
,iphignie4 ,the same1 unfortunately1    
cannot be said of ,sophie4 ,the friendly
 critic of the ,mercure declares that   
8she acted and sang with much soul1     
intelligence1 and correctness02 but the 
general opinion seems to have been that 
her display was decidedly inferior to   
that which she had given in the previous
 opera4 ,this impression is1 no doubt1  
partly to be accounted for by the fact  
that she was on this occasion somewhat  
overshadowed by ,legros1 who1 ,grimm    
tell us1 8sang the principal rle with so
 much fire1 taste1 and sentiment1 that  
it was difficult to recognise him40 ,at 
the same time1 it is evident that her   
voice was no longer equal to the strain 
of any very exacting part1 especially   

if1 as was now very frequently the case1
 she happened to be in indifferent      
health4  ,in the early days of ,january 
#agge1 ,iphignie1 in which ,gluck had   
made several alterations1 was revived   
and received with even more enthusiasm  
than on its first production4 ,all the  
artistes resumed their old parts1 and   
,sophie's rendering of the heroine was  
again loudly applauded4 ,she did not1   
however1 enjoy her success for long1 as1
 after a few performances1 she resigned 
her part to ,mlle4 ,laguerre1 who in    
,march fell ill and was1 in her turn1   
replaced by ,rosalie ,levasseur4        
,sophie's health1 at this time1 would   
appear to have been far from            
satisfactory4 ,any way1 she did not sing
 again for more than ten months1 and    
thus took no part in ,cythre assige1 a  
light opera first produced in #agei1 and
 now reconstructed by ,gluck1 at the    
request of ,marie ,antoinette4 ,the     
libretto was by ,favart1 and the        
incongruity between his light and       

playful style and the solemn and        
pathetic music of the composer caused   
the piece to be very coldly received4   
,at the beginning of ,december1 ,sophie 
reappeared in the rle of ,adle in ,adle 
de ,ponthieu1 a part which she had      
successfully created three years before1
 and might have repeated the triumph she
 had then secured1 but for an           
unfortunate incident which occurred on  
the first night4  ,louis ,,xvi4's       
younger brother1 the ,comte d',artois   
7afterwards ,charles ,x47--a very       
different person in those days from the 
gloomy and ,jesuit-ridden old monarch of
 #ahcj--;attended the performance1 and1 
from the shelter of his private box1    
proceeded1 as was his wont1 to ogle and 
make signs to the actresses upon the    
stage4 ,presently he cast 8a benevolent 
glance0 upon ,mlle4 ,arnould1 when that 
lady so far forgot the respect due to   
the visitor's exalted rank as to smile  
familiarly in his direction1 8exactly as
 she might have done to a comrade or a  

lover40 ,the audience1 the chronicler   
tell us1 was inexpressibly shocked at   
the lady's behaviour1 and 8testified its
 indignation in a manner that was       
humiliating to her40#ea  ,meanwhile1    
,gluck was at work upon his ,alceste1   
and ,sophie had every reason to believe 
that1 after her brilliant triumph in    
,iphignie and her very successful       
rendering of the part of ,eurydice1 she 
would again be cast for the principal   
rle4 ,but alas6 a bitter disappointment 
was in store for her4  ,we have         
mentioned that ,rosalie ,levasseur was  
the mistress of ,mercy-,argenteau1 the  
,austrian ,ambassador at the ,french    
,court4 ,shrewd and capable though      
,mercy was in everything relating to his
 professional duties--the manner in     
which he had succeeded in keeping the   
peace1 and all that it involved1 between
 ,marie ,antoinette and ,madame du      
,barry1 during the last years of the    
late ,king's reign was a perfect        
masterpiece of diplomacy--in love1 he   

appears to have been as foolish as any  
of the gilded youths who haunted the    
coulisses of the ,opera and the         
,comdie-,franaise4 ,the fair ,rosalie   
exercised the most absolute ascendency  
over him--a fact which was the more     
astonishing1 as all ,paris knew that she
 had an amant de cur1 in the person of  
,nicolet1 the clown4 ,mercy1 in fact1   
could deny her nothing1 and even carried
 his infatuation so far as to purchase  
for her a barony of the ,holy ,roman    
,empire1 with a considerable revenue2   
while1 on another occasion1 he          
condescended to bribe ,larrive1 whose   
singing in a certain opera the young    
lady found was quite eclipsing her own1 
not to put forth his full powers4#eb    
,now1 ,rosalie had set her heart upon   
supplanting ,sophie and filling the     
principal part in the forthcoming opera1
 and called upon her lover to assist her
 to realise her ambition4 ,first1 she   
suggested--or persuaded ,mercy to       
suggest--that ,gluck should take up his 

quarters in her house1 in the ,rue des  
,fossoyeurs-,saint-,germain1 and give   
her singing-lessons2 a proposal to which
 the composer1 who1 besides being an    
,austrian subject1 was under            
considerable obligations to the         
,ambassador1 who1 with ,marie           
,antoinette1 had been mainly            
instrumental in bringing him to ,paris1 
readily consented4 ,next1 she induced   
him to teach her the music of ,alceste  
and took care to show herself a docile  
as well as an industrious pupil4        
,finally1 she hinted pretty plainly that
 he ought to entrust her with the       
title-part when the opera was produced1 
pointing out that1 though she might lack
 the histrionic ability of ,mlle4       
,arnould1 her voice was fresher and more
 powerful1 to say nothing of the        
advantage which the composer would      
derive from having the part rendered    
exactly as he desired1 whereas the elder
 actress would very probably insist on  
rendering it in conformity with her own 

ideas4  ,these arguments were1 it is    
needless to say1 warmly seconded by     
,mercy2 and ,gluck1 who was anxious to  
please the amorous diplomatist1 and in  
whose mind the insult he had received   
from ,sophie's titular protector perhaps
 still rankled1 after some hesitation1  
yielded to their wishes4  8,gluck10 says
 the composer's ,french biographer1     
,desnoiresterres1 8was wanting in       
gratitude towards ,mlle4 ,arnould1 so   
charming1 so passionate in ,iphignie1 so
 pathetic still1 though somewhat        
eclipsed by ,legros1 in ,orphe40 ,at the
 same time1 he points out that ,gluck   
would never have superseded ,sophie had 
he thought that the change would        
prejudice his work1 and that the event  
proved that he had not over-estimated   
the talents of ,rosalie ,levasseur1 who1
 in the part of ,alceste1 8displayed    
much art and sensibility40#ec  ,poor    
,sophie seems to have borne her         
disappointment1 notwithstanding that she
 could hardly have failed to see in it  

the end of her own dramatic career1 with
 praiseworthy equanimity1 merely        
observing when she heard the news3      
8,rosalie ought certainly to have the   
part2 she has the voice of the people40 
,this remark was duly repeated to her   
triumphant rival1 who retaliated by a   
disgusting lampoon1 composed by one of  
her admirers named ,guichard1 copies of 
which were printed and circulated in the
 theatre1 while others were sent to     
,sophie's friends4 ,the injured lady1   
however1 was equal to the occasion2 she 
sent certain copies which had fallen    
into her hands to the journals1 and     
turned the tables very adroitly on      
,mlle4 ,levasseur and her ally1 all     
decent-minded persons combining to      
condemn such methods of warfare4        
,although the dethroned prima donna     
wisely refrained from giving public     
expression to her feelings1 others were 
not prepared to imitate her discretion4 
,the ,prince d',hnin1 who could be very 
bold indeed when there was no likelihood

 of his being called upon to fight a    
duel1 having heard that there was some  
talk of giving ,sophie's dressing-room  
at the ,opera to ,rosalie ,levasseur1   
went down to the theatre and threatened 
to flog the unfortunate directors within
 an inch of their lives1 if they dared  
to inflict such a slight upon a lady    
whom he honoured with his protection2   
the few critics who still remained      
faithful to the waning star condemned in
 unmeasured terms the selection of      
,mlle4 ,levasseur for so important a rle
 in place of an actress 8who had so long
 been1 and still was1 the delight of the
 ,opera02 while the ,anti-,gluckists1   
only too delighted to find so stout a   
stick wherewith to belabour the         
composer1 raised a perfect howl of      
indignation4  ,illustration3 ,,sophie   
,,arnould  ,from an engraving by        
,,prud',,hon after the drawing by ,c,,ur
 in the ,collection of ,m4 ,godfrey     
,meyer  ,the result of all this was most
 unfortunate for ,sophie4 ,the contest  

between the ,gluckists and their        
opponents had now reached a very acute  
stage1 and it was the general belief of 
the composer's admirers that the        
partisans of the old school were        
prepared to employ the most questionable
 methods in order to counteract the     
ever-increasing popularity of the       
,german4 ,a rumour spread that a cabal  
had been formed to ensure the failure of
 ,alceste1 and that ,sophie and her     
friends had joined it4 ,there seems to  
have been little truth in this report1  
the best refutation of it being the fact
 that1 although ,alceste was somewhat   
coldly received at first1 its success   
grew with each performance1 and none at 
all1 so far as it concerned ,sophie1    
who1 in a letter to a theatrical        
journal1 ,le ,nouveau ,spectateur1 in   
acknowledgment of some sympathetic      
references to herself which had appeared
 in a previous issue1 expressly         
disclaimed all hostility to ,gluck or   
,rosalie ,levasseur3       8,i await    

with impatience your judgment on the    
opera of ,alceste1      which is about  
to interest and divide all ,paris4 ,your
 views will      confirm those which ,i 
myself have formed from witnessing the  
rehearsals only4 ,if the success which  
,i obtained in ,iphignie      might have
 predisposed me in favour of the        
authors1 their want of                  
consideration1 ,i even venture to say   
their bad conduct1 towards me      might
 have served to alter my opinion of     
them4 ,but ,i have too much      respect
 for myself to join 7as these gentlemen 
would have people      believe7 in any  
cabal which may be formed for or against
 the new      work4 ,such things ,i have
 always considered beneath me2 the      
former      savours of charlatanerie1   
the latter of baseness4 ,i have confined
      my vengeance to not asserting my  
right to the principal rle4#ed      ,but
 no personal reason will make me        
underrate genius1 nor prevent      me   
from rendering justice to that of ,m4   

,gluck4 ,he is1 ,i proclaim it          
aloud1 the musician of the soul and     
master of all the modulations      that 
express sentiment and passion1          
especially grief4       8,as to the     
author of the words1 ,i leave to the    
public the task of      judging him4 ,if
 ,i belonged to the ,acadmie-,franaise1 
my opinion      would carry as much     
weight as that of any other of the      
,forty4 ,but ,i      belong to the      
,acadmie ,royale de ,musique4 ,i        
acknowledge my      incompetence and my 
motto is3 tacet4 ,i will merely permit  
myself      to say that one does not    
always find subjects as interesting as  
,iphigenia1 nor models as sublime as    
,racine4       8,in regard to the       
performers1 if ,i may be allowed to     
speak of them1      ,i should praise the
 acting of ,m4 ,gros ,legros1 in the    
part of      ,admetus1 and the singing  
of ,mlle4 ,rosalie1 in the part of      
,alceste4       8,i have the honour to  
be1 very perfectly1 ,monsieur1  8,your  

very humble and very obedient servant1  
8,,sophie ,,arnould40    ,the good      
effect which this letter might have     
produced was1 unhappily1 entirely       
discounted by a series of bitter attacks
 upon ,alceste1 ,gluck1 and ,rosalie1   
which appeared in subsequent issues of  
the same journal4 ,on the day after the 
first performance of the new opera1 the 
,nouveau ,spectateur published an       
anonymous letter1 containing the        
following choice morsel of criticism3   
8,it seemed as if the music was being   
sung by invalids who had just swallowed 
half a pint of emetic and were making   
futile efforts to vomit40  ,this was    
soon followed by a second letter        
reproaching ,gluck for having taken 8a  
girl like ,rosalie to play the part of  
,alceste10 and several articles         
declaring that the opera was 8more      
mournful than affecting10 and that1 in  
preferring ,mlle4 ,levasseur to ,mlle4  
,arnould1 the composer showed that he   
8misunderstood the taste of the nation  

in music as well as in acting40  ,these 
letters1 there can be little doubt1 were
 the work of ,lefuel de ,mricourt1 the  
editor of the journal in question1 a    
libellous scribe of the school of       
,pidansat de ,mairobert4#ee ,but the    
admirers of ,gluck and the friends of   
,rosalie believed1 or affected to       
believe1 that1 if not written1 they had1
 at any rate1 been inspired by ,sophie1 
and thirsted for revenge4  ,their       
opportunity arrived at the beginning of 
the following ,october1 when ,sophie1 in
 the vain hope of counterbalancing the  
success of ,rosalie in ,alceste1 created
 the part of ,lyris in ,euthyme et      
,lyris1 an opera by a very mediocre     
composer named ,desormery4 ,the theatre 
became the battlefield of the contending
 factions4 ,the ,anti-,gluckists and the
 personal friends of ,sophie crowded to 
the ,palais-,royal and loudly acclaimed 
the singer2 but the opposition came in  
even greater numbers1 and the applause  
was drowned in a tempest of groans1     

hisses1 and cat-calls4  ,marie          
,antoinette heard of the scenes which   
were nightly taking place at the        
theatre1 and1 though herself an         
enthusiastic supporter of ,gluck1 was   
indignant at the treatment accorded an  
actress whose talent she had often      
admired4 ,she determined to come to her 
assistance and1 therefore1 visited the  
,opera on two or three occasions and    
warmly applauded ,sophie4 ,on the       
evenings on which she was present the   
opposition was silent1 but the next the 
hissing and hooting broke out with      
redoubled violence1 rather intensified  
than otherwise by the ,queen's          
intervention4 8,to-day10 we read in the 
,mmoires secrets1 8the ,queen being no  
longer present to intimidate the pit1   
the partisans of the ,chevalier ,gluck  
arrived in force and completely         
overwhelmed ,mlle4 ,arnoux 7sic7 with   
the hisses which they had spared her at 
the previous performance4 ,she also sang
 badly4 ,one does not believe that she  

will dare to continue to present herself
 to the eyes of the public1 and         
especially to its ears2 and perhaps this
 humiliation will mark the period of a  
definite retirement1 to which the       
weakness of her voice ought to have     
determined her ere this40#ef  ,the      
writer of the above paragraph was1 no   
doubt1 actuated by personal hostility to
 the actress2 but1 at the same time1 it 
was only too true that ,sophie's voice  
was failing rapidly4 ,early in ,march   
#aggg1 ,iphignie en ,aulide was again   
revived1 and ,sophie reappeared in the  
part which she had created so           
brilliantly4 ,she was now1 however1     
manifestly unequal to the effort        
required of her1 and seemed to have     
altogether lost her old power of holding
 the audience enthralled4 8,the public10
 she had once observed1 8behaves to     
actresses like ,love to warriors2 it has
 no consideration for an old soldier02  
and she herself is a particularly       
painful illustration of the truth of her

 own axiom1 at least1 so far as it      
concerns the ,parisian playgoers of the 
eighteenth century4 ,forgetting the many
 triumphs of the woman who had for      
nearly twenty years been its idol1 the  
public seemed to see before it only a   
performer who had committed the         
unpardonable offence of disappointing   
its expectations1 and joined with the   
,gluckists and the personal enemies of  
the actress in expressing its disgust4  
,sophie was relentlessly hissed4#eg     
,again the ,queen attempted to stem the 
tide of public feeling by attending the 
theatre and applauding the unfortunate  
singer4 ,but ,marie ,antoinette was now 
fast losing what popularity she had once
 enjoyed with the ,parisians1 and even  
her presence and example 8did not       
prevent the malcontents from continuing 
their indecent manuvres40  ,it is not   
easy to understand why ,sophie1 who1 in 
the heyday of her success1 had often    
absented herself from the theatre for   
months together1 merely from indolence  

or caprice1 should have continued to    
appear on the stage1 in the face of     
these hostile demonstrations4 ,the only 
explanation which her biographers can   
find is that she had recently concluded 
with the directors of the ,opera a fresh
 arrangement1 whereby1 in lieu of the   
regular salary which she hitherto       
received1 she was to be paid the sum of 
five louis for each performance1 and    
that1 since she is known to have been at
 this time in pecuniary difficulties1   
she endured the taunts of the public for
 the sake of the money4  ,for our own   
part1 we are inclined to think that1    
though financial considerations may not 
have been without their effect upon her 
decision1 her chief reason was a very   
different one4 ,sophie was a courageous 
and high-spirited woman2 she knew that  
the demonstrations against her were     
prompted far more by personal animosity 
than by the failure of her powers1 and  
she was determined not to allow her     
enemies the satisfaction of boasting    

that they had driven her from the stage4
  ,the malice of her foes1 however1     
pursued her even outside the theatre4   
,she was hissed while performing at a   
concert given by the ,duc and ,duchesse 
de ,chartres4 ,she was driven1 one day1 
from the garden of the ,palais-,royal1  
by an ill-bred youth1 who1 on           
recognising her1 began to sing the air  
from ,alceste3 8,caron t'appelle1       
entends sa voix60 ,even ,lefuel de      
,mricourt abandoned her1 and in an      
article in his precious journal1        
8regretted the loss of a part of her    
physical gifts by an actress who had    
been so long the idol of the public40   
,at length1 at the beginning of ,june   
#aggh1 ,sophie decided to retire from   
the stage4 ,she continued to sing from  
time to time at the ,concerts of ,sacred
 ,music1 at benefit performances1 and in
 private theatres2 but at the ,opera her
 name was definitely placed on the      
retired list4 ,for her services at the  
theatre1 she received a pension of #bjjj

 livres1 and one of the same amount in  
her quality as ,court singer4 ,this1 as 
pensions went in those days1 must be    
considered liberal treatment and        
compares very favourably with the lot of
 the actors and actresses of the        
,comdie-,franaise1 who1 even after      
thirty years' service1 only received a  
pension of #aejj livres4 ,mlle4         
,clairon1 the greatest tragdienne of her
 time1 on her retirement in #agff1 after
 twenty-two years on the stage1 had to  
rest content with one of #ajjj livres4  
99       99       99       99       99  
,now began for ,sophie ,arnould a life  
very different from that to which she   
had so long been accustomed4 ,youth1    
beauty1 and fame were gone1 and with    
them her lovers too1 for1 soon after her
 retirement from the stage1 the ,prince 
d',hnin deserted her for ,mlle4         
,raucourt1 of the ,comdie-,franaise1    
whom ,sophie had generously taken to    
live with her1 and endeavoured to       
protect against the hostility of the    

public4#eh  ,one thing1 however1 still  
remained to her--her wit1 which1 if it  
were powerless to retain her wealthy and
 aristocratic admirers1 sufficed to draw
 to her salon men whose friendship was  
infinitely to be preferred4 ,poets1     
philosophers1 encyclopdists1 dramatists 
were all at home in the house of ,sophie
 ,arnould4 ,diderot and d',alembert were
 among her most frequent guests2        
,helvtius1 who had once1 for a brief    
period1 been very near and dear to her1 
remained one of her greatest friends2   
,beaumarchais delighted in an assaut    
d'esprit with his witty hostess2        
,rulhire came and brought with him ,jean
 ,jacques ,rousseau2 ,marmontel1        
,duclos1 ,favart1 ,linguet1 and a host  
of lesser lights made her salon one of  
their favourite rendezvous2 that most   
affable of literary noblemen1 the       
,prince de ,ligne1 seldom failed to make
 his appearance there whenever he       
happened to visit the ,french capital1  
and ,voltaire himself--,king            

,voltaire--when he came to ,paris in    
#aggh1 to enjoy at last the triumph of  
his renown at its centre--and to        
die--condescended to call upon ,sophie4 
,the day and hour of the great man's    
visit were duly notified to ,sophie1    
who1 knowing what kind of a reception   
would please him1 collected a band of   
children1 headed by her own little      
daughter1 ,alexandrine1 who1 the moment 
,voltaire entered the room1 sprang      
forward and proceeded to hug and kiss   
him4 ,the ,patriarch was delighted4     
8,you wish to kiss me10 said he         
laughing1 8and ,i have no face left60   
,after conversing with ,sophie for some 
time1 the poet remarked3 8,ah1          
,mademoiselle6 ,i am eighty-four years  
old1 and ,i have committed eighty-four  
follies40  8,a mere trifle10 replied    
,sophie consolingly2 8,i am not yet     
forty1 and ,i have committed a          
thousand60  ,that same year1 ,mesmer    
visited ,paris1 professing to cure all  
diseases by means of animal magnetism1  

and speedily became the doctor  la mode4
 ,some of ,sophie's friends advised her 
to consult him1 but1 as she did not     
happen to have any need of his          
professional services herself1 she sent 
her lap-dog instead1 declaring that1 if 
he could cure that pampered animal1 who 
had been ailing for some time past1     
presumably as the result of a too       
generous diet1 she would believe in him4
 ,mesmer1 anxious to prove that the     
success of his system was not dependent 
upon the credulity of the patient1      
undertook the case1 and1 in a few days1 
returned the dog1 with the assurance    
that it was now in the best of health4  
,sophie thereupon wrote him a letter of 
thanks1 which the doctor sent to the    
journals4 ,he soon1 however1 had cause  
to regret this step1 for1 four days     
later1 the dog died1 much to the joy of 
the sceptics1 who asked ,sophie what    
could have induced her to give the      
,german a testimonial so little         
deserved4 8,i have nothing to reproach  

myself with10 she replied2 8the poor    
animal died in excellent health40  ,when
 ,sophie retired from the stage1 she was
 apparently in possession of what most  
members of her profession1 in those     
days1 would have considered a very      
comfortable income1 as from a packet of 
letters published for the first time by 
,m4 ,henri ,gauthier-,villars1 in ,la   
,nouvelle ,revue 7,february #ahig71 we  
learn that her notary1 a certain ,m4    
,alleaume1 was in the habit of paying   
her fifty louis a month1 out of the     
moneys she was supposed to lodge in his 
hands4#ei ,the maintenance and education
 of her three children1 however1 seems  
to have involved her in considerable    
expense1 while during her long years of 
prosperity she had acquired such        
extravagant habits that her income was  
quite inadequate for her needs1 and she 
was1 in consequence1 continually in     
pecuniary difficulties4 ,her letters to 
,alleaume1 indeed1 are almost without   
exception demands for money1 in which   

she brings all her persuasive powers to 
bear upon the stern man of business1 in 
the hope of inducing him to unlock his  
cash-box and advance her 8her month40   
8,well1 petit pre ,alleaume10 she       
writes1 8,i never see you now1 and ,i   
ask myself why8--why this difference to 
poor ,sophie8--for it is not kind of you
 to avoid the poor people who love you4 
,you will reply to that3 #8,but it is   
you who never see me1 unless you have   
something to ask4'  8,wait and see if ,i
 never ask for anything1 unless ,i visit
 you4 ,here for example3 ,will you      
please advance me my month8 for ,i am   
absolutely without funds4  8,will petit 
pre ,alleaume remain inflexible for four
 days to the request of ,sophie80  ,and 
again3  8,i swear to you1 though you may
 be somewhat incredulous as to the state
 of my mind1 that when you have put my  
little business clear and straight--,i  
promise you1 on my word as a living     
being1 that ,i will think twice ere ,i  
incur the smallest expense4 ,it is not  

possible for me to be miserly--it is a  
disgusting vice40  ,then1 in a third    
letter3  8,eh6 bon jour1 my good friend2
 it is an age since ,i saw you or       
embraced you4 ,when are you going to    
spend a morning with me8 ,do you know   
that ,i have learned a good deal of     
sense since the beginning of the year8  
,do you know that ,i intend to keep my  
word and commit hardly any foolish      
extravagance2 and you will see that you 
will be very satisfied with poor        
,sophie4 ,if you knew how many small    
debts ,i have discharged1 you would be  
well content with your ,sophie4 ,i have 
not yet got into my den 7at             
,port--l',anglais71 but so soon as ,i   
have1 ,i should like to meet you1 and   
talk over all this business at our      
leisure4 ,if1 in the meanwhile1 you     
would like to come this evening and eat 
a truffled turkey1 much bigger and a    
thousand times more of a dinde than ,i  
am1 you will be welcome40  ,in spite of 
these promises of amendment1 we find    

her1 shortly afterwards1 writing to     
inform the worthy notary that an        
execution has been levied upon her for  
non-payment of her capitation tax and   
other dues1 and to beg him to send her  
the sum of #aif livres to enable her to 
get rid of the emissaries of the law4   
,as time goes on1 the letters multiply1 
all full of entreaties1 excuses1        
promises1 regrets1 expostulations4 ,she 
assures him that she cares nothing for  
money--one can well believe that--but   
has an intense desire to be free from   
debt4 ,then1 when he shows a marked     
disinclination to make any further      
advances1 she declares that not even on 
the stage of the ,opera has she met with
 so inhuman1 so hard-hearted1 a monster4
 ,but the notary1 annoyed at finding    
that her promises are never kept1 and   
that1 notwithstanding her protestations1
 she makes no change in her extravagant 
way of living1 shuts himself up in his  
office and turns a deaf ear to her      
appeals4 ,sophie redoubles her          

entreaties1 reiterates her vows of      
amendment1 sends him epistles bedewed   
with her tears4 ,all is in vain2 petit  
pre ,alleaume remains inflexible4  ,in  
,november #aghj1 ,sophie's daughter1    
,alexandrine1 married a certain ,andr de
 ,murville1 a young man of respectable  
middle-class family1 who dabbled in     
literature4 ,alexandrine was1 at this   
time1 only in her fourteenth year2 an   
ungainly1 red-haired child1 who seems to
 have inherited both her mother's biting
 wit and--or1 at least1 so scandal      
asserted--her mother's indifference to  
the conventions of morality4#fj ,for    
which reasons1 ,sophie was probably glad
 to be rid of her4 ,the ceremony took   
place at ,saint-,roch1 and was attended 
by several worthy bourgeois couples1    
relatives of ,murville1 who must have   
been considerably shocked when ,sophie1 
on being presented to them1 remarked    
upon the strangeness of the circumstance
 that the mother of the bride should be 
the only unmarried lady present4#fa     

,for the next few years1 we hear little 
of ,sophie4 ,she appears1 like so many  
women of her class1 to have endeavoured 
to find consolation in devotion1 but    
soon gave up the attempt1 protesting    
that the directors of conscience were   
worse than the directors of the ,opera4 
,by the bankruptcy of the ,prince de    
,gumne1 in #aghb1 she lost a            
considerable part of her fortune--how we
 are not told--a disaster which probably
 accounts for the fact that she soon    
afterwards quitted ,paris and took a    
little house at ,clichy-la-,garenne1    
8with an acre of land1 which1 however1  
she did not cultivate40 ,here1 in #aghe1
 she was joined by her daughter1 whose  
marriage had turned out very unhappily1 
and who was now suing for a separation1 
on the ground of her husband's cruelty4 
,in her plaint1 which bears date        
,october #ai1 #agie1 ,alexandrine       
declares that 8since she had had the    
misfortune to espouse the sieur         
,murville1 she had never known a        

moment's peace02 that he had 8several   
times struck her at the end of frightful
 scenes02 that she had been forced to   
make over to him all the moneys that had
 been settled upon her1 and that she was
 now 8sick1 destitute1 and in urgent    
need of medical assistance to prevent   
the loss of an eye1 which her husband   
had grievously injured at the risk of   
killing her40  ,in a second plaint1 made
 the following year1 she relates that1 a
 few days after the birth of her first  
child1 towards whose support he now     
refused to contribute1 her husband had  
called her atrocious names1 seized her  
violently by the right arm1 8with such  
force as to leave a red mark10 and1     
finally1 turned her out of the house1 at
 one o'clock in the morning4  ,about the
 same time1 the unhappy ,alexandrine    
applied to the ,minister of the ,king's 
,household for admission to the ,opera  
in the humble capacity of a             
chorus-singer2 but1 for some reason1 her
 request does not appear to have been   

granted4  ,at ,clichy1 ,sophie lived a  
very quiet life1 though she seems to    
have been fond of entertaining her      
humble neighbours4 8,i went sometimes to
 see ,mlle4 ,arnould1 at ,clichy10      
writes ,millin4 8,one day1 ,i found her 
in the midst of a large circle4 ,there  
were twenty persons at table4 ,i was on 
the point of retiring1 when she called  
me back and said to me3 #8,come in6 ,i  
am marrying the son of my cook to the   
daughter of my gardener4 ,both families 
are my guests2 we are celebrating the   
pleasures of ,love and ,equality4' ,in  
the evening1 her two sons arrived4 ,they
 wanted money4 ,she had none to give    
them4 #8,ah1 well6' said she1 #8each of 
you take a horse from the stable4' ,and 
they went away with the two horses40#fb 
,the expenses of her family--she had now
 to support ,alexandrine and her two    
children1 in addition to her            
sons--pressed heavily upon poor ,sophie1
 and1 in ,january #aghh1 we find her    
writing to one of her old friends1 a    

financier of the name of ,boutin1       
begging him to arrange for her a loan of
 #bd1jjj livres1 which she proposes to  
repay by four yearly instalments of     
#fjjj livres4 ,as security1 she offers a
 mortgage on her house at ,clichy1      
which1 she declares1 is worth #bj1jjj   
francs1 and another on the furniture of 
a house belonging to her in the ,rue    
,caumartin1 and assures him that she    
will keep her promise to repay the money
 8with certainty1 honour1 and probity40 
,she appears to have obtained the       
accommodation she sought1 but was       
speedily in difficulties again1 and     
compelled to apply for assistance to    
some of her old friends1 whom1 when they
 sent her money1 or even 8evinced an    
intention to oblige her10 she overwhelms
 with gratitude1 declaring that1 if it  
be true1 as learned men assert1 that the
 soul never perishes1 her own will      
remember the obligation1 even after     
death4  ,yet1 harassed though she was1  
she could sympathise with the distress  

of others4 ,on ,january #ba1 #aghi1 a   
young man of the name of ,bompas was    
arrested at the ,barrire de ,clichy1    
with three parcels in his possession1   
containing a large quantity of lady's   
underwear1 8marked with the letters     
,s4,a4 in red cotton10 a porcelain      
mustard-pot1 a green morocco case       
holding two decanters and a crystal     
goblet1 two pairs of candlesticks1 and  
various other articles4 ,on being       
brought before a commissary of police1  
he confessed that the above-mentioned   
articles were the property of ,mlle4    
,arnould1 whose residence he had        
burglariously entered the previous      
evening4 ,sophie caused inquiries to be 
made and1 finding that ,bompas was a    
journeyman carpenter of hitherto        
irreproachable character1 who had been  
out of work for several weeks and had   
been driven to the theft by necessity1  
generously declined to prosecute1 and   
the prisoner was accordingly released4  
,several writers have stated that1 in   

the early days of the ,revolution1      
,sophie's salon became a political club 
and that she herself was an enthusiastic
 advocate of republican doctrines4      
8,there are beings10 wrote ,champcenetz1
 in the course of a brutal attack on the
 ex-singer which he published in the    
royalist organ1 ,la ,chronique          
scandaleuse1 8who would not die content 
unless they had degraded themselves in  
every conceivable way4 ,of this the aged
 ,sophie ,arnould is an example4 ,after 
delivering herself for forty years to   
every scoundrel of bad taste1 she has   
now turned demagogue1 that she may      
receive at her house the dregs of the   
human race4 ,she has sent to study at   
the ,jacobins the two children1 with    
whom a man of gallantry once presented  
her1 through inadvertence40#fc  ,that   
,sophie1 in common with her old lover   
,lauraguais and others of her           
aristocratic and literary friends1      
sympathised to a certain extent with the
 ,revolution--that is to say1 with the  

,revolution in its earlier phases--is   
probable enough4 ,that1 crippled as she 
was with debts1 she kept open house for 
all the turbulent spirits of her time1  
or carried her partisanship so far as to
 endeavour to influence the opinions of 
her sons1 who were quite old enough to  
form them without any assistance from   
their mother1 as ,champcenetz--an old   
enemy1 by the way1 of both ,sophie and  
,lauraguais--asserts1 we beg leave to   
doubt4 ,any way1 her enthusiasm for the 
new order of things must have been very 
short-lived1 for1 in #aghi1 her pension 
of #djjj livres was reduced to #bjjj1   
and from #agic not paid at all1 but1    
according to an entry in the ,archives1 
8left owing40  ,in #agij1 ,sophie sold  
her house at ,clichy-la-,garenne and    
purchased1 8for a mere song10 an old    
disused priory at ,luzarches4 ,her new  
residence she christened ,le ,paraclet1 
though whether she derived much comfort 
from the house itself is open to        
question1 as it was in the last stage of

 dilapidation1 and she had no money to  
spare for even the most urgent repairs4 
,in an amusing letter1 written in #agid 
to ,belanger1 she describes it as 8only 
the carcase of a house1 which waits for 
doors and windows until it shall please 
,god to send me the means10 and adds    
that she is 8camping provisionally in   
the dovecot of the ancient monks40  ,her
 surroundings1 however1 appear to have  
afforded her some compensation for the  
ruinous condition of the building4 8,i  
have a beautiful park1 containing all   
that it is possible to desire whether   
for ornament or use2 superb             
kitchen-garden2 a vineyard1 which has   
yielded me this year six hogsheads of   
wine2 a forest1 a wood1 an orchard1 a   
pond well stocked with fish1 fresh air1 
beautiful scenery1 good land4 ,this is  
the fourth year that ,i have been here1 
and ,i remain in the greatest solitude4 
,but well6 ,i have not felt one moment's
 ennui since ,i came40  ,while at       
,luzarches1 ,sophie received a          

domiciliary visit from the local        
revolutionary committee4 ,she received  
them with a smiling face1 though she    
must have been quaking with fear1 since 
her intimacy with the ,prince de ,cond  
and other distinguished migrs was       
sufficient to have sent her to the      
guillotine a dozen times over4  8,i have
 always been a very active citizen10    
said she2 8,i know the ,rights of ,man  
by heart0 7a remark which was certainly 
true71 8and ,i have sung twenty years at
 the ,opra-,national for the pleasure of
 the ,sovereign ,people40  ,the         
committee1 however1 were not satisfied  
with these assurances and insisted on   
ransacking the house1 in quest of       
compromising correspondence and so      
forth4 ,presently they came across a    
bust of ,gluck and paused before it4    
8,it is ,marat10 said ,sophie1 in a tone
 of the deepest veneration4  ,the worthy
 sans-culottes uncovered1 and convinced 
that they had just been contemplating   
the august features of the father of the

 people1 whose sanguinary career the    
knife of ,charlotte ,corday had recently
 brought to an abrupt termination1      
retired1 with many apologies for having 
doubted the patriotism of the ,citoyenne
 ,arnould4#fd  ,sophie remained at      
,luzarches for seven years1 8tout  fait 
en paysanne40 ,she wore sabots1 she     
planted cabbages1 she gathered peas and 
apples1 and she reared1 or tried to     
rear1 poultry4 ,her daughter            
,alexandrine lived with her for a couple
 of years1 and then took advantage of   
the new law of divorce to get rid of the
 estimable ,murville and replace him by 
the son of the local postmaster1 8a     
stout boy1 who was quite unsuitable for 
her40 ,sophie1 though1 as we have seen1 
by no means strait-laced herself1       
strongly disapproved of her daughter's  
conduct1 and made it the occasion of one
 of her most celebrated bons mots4      
8,divorce10 she gravely observed1 8is   
the sacrament of adultery40  ,all this  
time the unfortunate woman was gradually

 becoming poorer and poorer4 ,her       
pension had been discontinued2 the      
greater part of what money she had      
possessed apart from that seems to have 
been swallowed up1 with so many other   
fortunes1 in the financial chaos which  
accompanied the political one2 while to 
apply to her friends for help was no    
longer of any avail4 ,not a few of them1
 among whom was the ,prince d',hnin1 had
 departed to another world1 by way of   
the ,place de la ,rvolution2 others1    
like ,lauraguais1 were in exile2 those  
who were still within reach of her      
appeals were ruined4 ,of all her old    
friends and admirers the only one to    
whom she could turn was ,belanger1 and  
it was but little that he could do to   
assist his once-adored ,sophie4 ,he     
himself had been imprisoned and had     
narrowly escaped the guillotine1 and    
when he was released1 to find that      
everything portable belonging to him had
 been carried off by a faithless        
servant1 he was thrust1 bon gr mal gr1  

into a miserably-paid municipal office1 
which kept him hard at work from seven  
o'clock in the morning until nearly     
midnight1 and left him no time for      
practising his profession4 ,moreover1 he
 was now married1 having1 while in      
prison1 espoused a companion in         
misfortune1 ,mlle4 ,dervieux1 of the    
,opera1 who had been a notorious        
courtesan1 and1 consequently1 had no    
money to spare for old friends in       
distress4  ,nevertheless1 the           
kind-hearted architect did all that was 
in his power4 ,he wrote to ,sophie2 he  
went to visit her2 he entertained her at
 his house1 and acted as her            
intermediary with the ,minister of the  
,interior1 in order to secure the       
restitution of the pension to which she 
was entitled4 ,and ,sophie1 on her side1
 makes him the confidant of all her     
hopes and disappointments1 and writes   
him long1 affectionate letters1         
beginning3 8,mon bel ange10 and one of  
them superscribed1 8 mon meilleur ami40 

,once1 learning that she was in sore    
distress1 ,belanger sent her a double   
louis--probably all that the poor man   
could afford--which the grateful ,sophie
 acknowledges in the following letter3  
8#h ,nivse1 ,year viii4 7,january #bi1  
#ahjj74       8,ah1 mon bel ange1 my    
friend1 you are always the same for     
goodness and generosity4 ,what a good   
heart is yours6 ,i would thank      you 
sincerely1 my poor friend1 but what     
expressions can ,i      employ8444 ,they
 would always fall short of my          
gratitude1 not for      the money1 but  
for the action4 ,ah6 what good you have 
done my      heart6 ,here are a hundred 
years of happiness for me1 if ,i had    
them      to live4 ,console yourself1 my
 friend2 ,i have still a few sous1 and  
have no need of the two louis that you  
sent me1 and of which you      have     
deprived yourself for me2 for ,i also   
know what your position      is4 ,but ,i
 will keep this piece to wear upon my   
heart1 and it      shall not leave me   

until my death4 ,i know the motto ,i    
shall put      there2 it shall be my    
relic4 ,good-bye1 mon bel ange1 my good 
angel1 my true friend4 ,believe me there
 does not exist on earth a      being   
who is more tenderly attached to you1   
and more inviolably      attached to    
you1 than your  8,,sophie ,,arnould4    
8,on the #bdth1 ,i shall be with my good
 friends1 with you and your      wife1  
and shall devote that day to my         
happiness40  ,in another letter1 written
 eleven months later1 we find her       
rejoicing over the victory of           
,hohenlinden1 in which 8her son in the  
army1 her hussar1 had well avenged them 
with the army of the ,rhine against the 
,austrians40 ,she has received details  
of the engagement from ,constant        
himself1 who sends many affectionate    
messages to his 8good and tender mother0
 and the ,belangers1 and desires to be  
remembered to 8the amiable ladies of    
their circle40 ,the hastily-scribbled   
notes of the hussar1 who seems to have  

been both a good son and a brave and    
capable officer--he rose1 as we have    
mentioned elsewhere1 to the rank of     
colonel and fell at ,wagram--seem to    
have been one of the chief consolations 
of poor ,sophie's life4  ,when the first
 of the above letters was written1      
,sophie had been living for some years  
in ,paris4 ,she had returned to the     
capital in #agig1 and had at first taken
 lodgings over a barber's shop in the   
,rue du ,petit-,lion1 from which1       
however1 she had removed1 a few months  
later1 to an apartment in the ,htel     
d',angivilliers4 ,she still retained    
possession of the old priory at         
,luzarches1 and appears to have         
occasionally visited it4  ,from the     
,htel d',angivilliers1 we find her      
writing to ,lauraguais1 who1 though he  
had contrived to save his head1#fe was  
now almost as poor as she herself was1  
and was living on a small farm which he 
had bought or rented at ,manicamp1 in   
the department of the ,aisne4 ,he had   

invited her to share his retreat1 but   
,sophie felt obliged to decline the     
offer4 ,she had succeeded1 not without  
great difficulty1 in obtaining from     
,franois de ,neufchteau1 the ,minister  
of the ,interior1 a pension of #bjj     
livres a month1 and1 as pensions were   
paid very grudgingly1 she feared that   
her leaving ,paris might serve as an    
excuse for discontinuing it4 ,unable to 
join ,lauraguais in the country1 she now
 invites him to come and live with her1 
8as to end her days near him1 to render 
him all the attentions of friendship1 of
 the most tender1 the most constant     
attachment1 is the desire of her heart  
and will crown her happiness40 8,one    
must have money1 you will say10 she     
continues1 after pointing out that      
,paris will be the safest place for him 
to be in1 in the coming renewal of the  
faction strife1 which she believes to be
 close at hand4 8,but you have a little1
 and ,i have a little also4 ,we shall   
not have any great expenses to meet4 ,no

 rent to pay2 we must breakfast at home2
 for dinner we can visit our friends2 we
 will be moderate at their houses and   
very moderate at our own4 ,i have also  
some wood at ,le ,paraclet1 a portion of
 which ,i will have brought here4444 ,as
 to our means of living2 well1 my       
,dorval1 we must help one another4 ,we  
will take for our models ,baucis and    
,philemon4 ,dorval will write the great 
adventures of the ,revolution2 ,i will  
transmit to posterity those of our      
youth4 ,that is already a long time ago1
 but one never forgets what has moved   
one deeply4 ,the heart alone1 my        
,dorval1 has imperishable               
recollections4444 ,i shall prepare for  
you all that ,i can procure for your    
needs and comfort4 ,you shall have a    
fine room1 very large and airy and in a 
good position1 where you will be alone  
and free1 with a staircase and door to  
yourself1 a good bed1 chairs and        
commodes to match1 a big table for your 
papers1 writing materials1 c4 ,finally1 

,i hope you will not be uncomfortable4  
,as for other matters1 ,i have all that 
is required4 ,to assist me1 ,i keep one 
servant1 a woman about thirty years of  
age1 unmarried1 and not too intelligent1
 but who works well and is a great help 
to me4 ,the intelligent ones are only   
intrigantes1 c4 ,we must avoid all that1
 and for good reasons4 ,but do not1 my  
friend1 be uneasy about yourself2 ,i    
shall always be at your service1 and    
shall always say3      8#8,ah6 qu'on est
 heureux de dchausser ce qu'on aime6'   
8,adieu4 ,i will let you know when the  
lodging will be ready4 ,that will not be
 long2 and do not send any excuses for  
not coming4 ,adieu40  ,lauraguais did   
not see his way to accept this          
invitation1 but he appears to have been 
residing in ,paris1 for some time at    
least1 during the last year or two of   
,sophie's life1 and to have done what   
little he could to assist her4  ,the    
poverty in which poor ,sophie spent the 
last years of her life was in a great   

measure the result of her own goodness  
of heart4 ,soon after she removed from  
,luzarches to ,paris1 her daughter      
,alexandrine died1 leaving behind her   
three children totally unprovided for4  
,the ex-singer heroically undertook the 
charge of her grandchildren1 although   
she must have been aware that the cost  
of their maintenance would leave her    
with hardly sufficient to procure the   
barest necessaries4 ,still1 by the aid  
of the most rigid economy1 she contrived
 to support both herself and them until 
the summer of #agii1 when ,franois de   
,neufchteau resigned office1 and the    
pension he had accorded her was         
discontinued4 ,the unfortunate woman was
 now almost penniless--it was at this   
time that ,belanger sent her the double 
louis which called forth the letter of  
thanks we have already cited4           
,nevertheless1 even when face to face   
with starvation1 her wit did not desert 
her1 as will be seen by the following   
letter1 which she addressed to ,lucien  

,bonaparte1 the new ,minister of the    
,interior3  ,,paris1 ,i ,pluvise1 ,year 
viii4 7,january #ba1 #ahja74            
8,,citizen ,,minister1--,i am called    
,sophie ,arnould2 a name perhaps        
quite unknown to you1 but formerly very 
familiar to the ,theatre of      the    
,gods4      #8,je chantais1 ne vous     
dplaise4'  444,since my earliest years1 
and without any other destiny than the  
chance which governs so many things1    
twenty years of my life have      been  
consecrated to the ,thtre des ,arts1#ff 
where some natural      talents1 a      
careful education1 and the most artistic
 teaching were      supported by the    
counsels of men of taste1 scholars1     
artists1 in a      word1 of persons     
justly celebrated4 ,as for myself1 ,i   
had then to      recommend me1 a        
suitable physique1 an abundant youth1   
vivacity1      soul1 a bad head1 and a  
good heart4 ,these were the auspices    
under      which ,i was fortunate enough
 to make my life illustrious1 and to    

gain1 together with a sort of celebrity1
 glory1 fortune1 and many      friends4 
,alas6 now ,chance has turned against   
me4 ,as for celebrity1      my name is  
still cited with some praise in         
association with those      of ,psych1  
,thlare1 ,iphignie1 ,egl1 ,pomone1 in a 
word1 at the      ,thtre des ,arts4 ,as 
for the friends1 ,i can only say that ,i
 so well      deserved them that ,i have
 only lost those whom death has taken   
from      me1 and those of whom the     
decemviral axe has deprived me4         
,there is thus only inconstant ,fortune 
which1 without rhyme or      reason1 has
 given me the slip 444 and in what      
circumstances too6444      ,when ,i am  
too old for ,love and too young for     
,death4 ,you see then1      ,citizen    
,minister1 how cruel it is1 after so    
much happiness1 to find      oneself    
reduced to so miserable a state1 and1   
after having kindled      so many fires1
 to be to-day without even a log to burn
 on my own      hearth6 ,for the fact is

 that1 since the nation has placed me on
 its      ,pension ,list1 ,i have       
nowhere to sleep and nothing to live on4
 ,i      assuredly do not ask for       
riches1 but only for enough to enable me
      to finish my life and to avoid an 
unhappy old age4 ,i have heavy          
expenses1 because1 in my fortunate days1
 ,i was the support of the              
unfortunate members of my family4 ,that 
had to be1 but my poverty      does not 
make them rich4 ,finally1 ,citizen      
,minister1 ,i beg you to      come to my
 assistance and to continue those       
benefits which my      friend1 ,franois 
de ,neufchteau1 when he became          
,minister1 procured      for me4 ,i owe 
this testimony to his heart4444         
8,,sophie ,,arnould40    ,lucien        
,bonaparte's reply to this letter was to
 promise ,sophie a free benefit at the  
,opera4 ,he subsequently1 however1      
withdrew this permission1 at the same   
time announcing his intention to make   
her1 by way of compensation1 a grant of 

#fjjj francs4 ,but1 in the then depleted
 state of the ,treasury1 many months    
frequently intervened between a promise 
and its performance2 and the poor woman 
could only obtain a portion of the      
money4 ,her condition was now pitiable1 
since not only was she living in extreme
 poverty1 but her health was failing    
rapidly4 ,an accident which she had met 
with some time before had induced a     
malignant growth which defied medical   
treatment1 and occasioned her terrible  
suffering4 ,in her distress1 she begged 
,belanger to write to the ,minister1 and
 the architect addressed to ,lucien     
,bonaparte the following pathetic       
letter3  #aa ,messidor1 ,year x4 7,june 
#cj1 #ahjb74       8,,citizen           
,,minister1--,i address this letter to  
you alone4 ,it is      written from the 
bedside of the celebrated ,arnould1 who 
is now on      the point of death4 ,she 
did not die until four months later4    
,this      woman is dying in want of the
 necessaries which her state of         

distress does not permit her to procure4
 ,you accorded her a benefit            
performance at the ,thtre des ,arts1 for
 which some obliging      persons       
offered her #ab1jjj francs4 ,you        
subsequently desired that      this     
permission should be withdrawn and1 in  
exchange1 offered her      #fjjj francs4
 ,she has only received #djjj4 ,the     
#bjjj which are still      due would be 
of the greatest service to her2 but to  
whom am ,i to      address myself to    
obtain the fulfilment of your promise8  
,the      treasurer of the ,thtre des   
,arts declares that he must have a      
special order from you1 and that1       
without such order1 he can hand         
over nothing4 ,and this unhappy woman1  
of whom ,gluck said3 #8,without      the
 charm of the voice and elocution of    
,mlle4 ,arnould1 my      ,iphignie would
 never have been accepted in            
,france'--this      unfortunate woman   
finds herself to-day deprived even of   
the means      of prolonging her life1  

for want of assistance6 ,what would the 
,moncrifs1 the ,rousseaus1 the          
d',alemberts1 the ,diderots1 ,helvtius1 
the ,baron d',holbach1 and all those    
celebrated men who so courted      her  
society 7as you may find in their       
correspondence7 have said to      this8 
,what would ,voltaire himself have said8
 he who1 at the age of      eighty-four1
 had himself carried to her house1 and  
inscribed these      verses on her bust3
      8#8,ses grces1 ses talents ont    
illustr son nom2       ,elle a su tout  
charmer1 jusqu' la jalousie4            
,alcibiade en elle eut cru voir         
,aspasie1       ,maurice1 ,lecouvreur1  
et ,gourville1 ,ninon4'       8,this    
woman1 now so utterly forsaken1 was once
 surrounded by men of      learning4    
,she lived to help the unfortunate2 she 
lived to leave      models and pupils to
 the stage1 which she adorned and even  
created4      ,eminent men have         
immortalised her talents and her wit2   
and yet this      woman is dying for    

want of means to procure remedies for   
the cruel      sufferings which she is  
enduring40#fg  ,it is believed that this
 letter was the means of shaming the    
,minister into paying the remainder of  
the sum due4 ,let us hope that such was 
the case1 and that the money was able to
 procure poor ,sophie some relief in her
 last hours4 ,she died on ,vendmiaire   
#cj1 ,year xi4 7,october #bb1 #ahjb71   
having previously received the last     
,sacraments from the hands of the cur of
 ,saint-,germain-l',auxerrois4  ,she was
 buried the following day2 in what      
cemetery is uncertain4 ,the ,goncourts  
think it must have been at ,montmartre1 
because all persons at this period who  
died in the ,ier ,arrondissement were   
interred there4 ,but1 as ,mr4 ,douglas  
suggests1 it is quite likely that       
,belanger or ,lauraguais might have     
caused her to be buried elsewhere4      
,,ii  ,,mademoiselle ,,guimard          
,according to a report of a             
police-inspector named ,marais1         

published for the first time in the     
,revue rtrospective 7vol4 viii471 the   
real name of this famous danseuse was   
,marie ,morel1 and she was the natural  
daughter of a ,jew named ,bernard1 who  
died at the ,chtelet1 where he had been 
imprisoned for debt1 and a girl named   
,morel1 of good bourgeois family4 ,there
 is no truth in this report1 however1   
save so far as the illegitimacy of the  
lady is concerned1 as1 from the         
registers of the parish of              
,bonne-,nouvelle de ,paris1 it appears  
that she was the daughter of one ,fabien
 ,guimard1 inspector of the cloth       
manufactories at ,voiron1 in ,dauphin1  
and of ,marie ,anne ,bernard1 and that  
she was born in the ,rue de             
,bourbon-,villeneuve1 ,december #bg1    
#agdc4fh ,the acte de naissance         
describes ,marie ,anne ,bernard as the  
wife of ,fabien ,guimard1 but1 though   
she called herself by the name of the   
father of her child1 they were1 as a    
matter of fact1 never married1 as ,m4   

,campardon discovered in the ,archives  
,nationales a deed legitimating the     
danseuse1 bearing date ,december #agfe1 
without doubt consented to by ,guimard1 
in order to secure his daughter's       
succession to his property4#fi  ,in this
 deed1 the demoiselle ,marie ,madeleine 
,guimard1 making profession of the      
,catholic1 ,apostolic1 and ,roman       
religion1 declares that she was born of 
the illegitimate connection which       
formerly existed between the sieur      
,fabien ,guimard1 inspector of the cloth
 manufactories at ,voiron1 and the      
deceased ,anne ,bernard1 her father and 
mother being both then free and         
unmarried2 but that1 in the misfortune  
of her birth1 she has had the good      
fortune to be educated with great care1 
and that her father being desirous of   
continuing the marks of tenderness and  
personal affection that he has always   
manifested for her1 and wishing to      
assure her his property1 has consented1 
in conjunction with his brother1 priest 

and canon of the diocese of ,orlans1 to 
accord to her letters of legitimation1  
for the purpose of effacing the stain of
 her birth and giving her the enjoyment 
of the privileges and advantages of     
legitimate children4  ,and ,louis ,,xv41
 by his special grace1 full power1 and  
authority1 legitimates the said         
demoiselle ,guimard1 and1 in the        
impressive language of the ancient      
monarchy1 declares that it is his royal 
will and pleasure that she shall bear   
the name of ,marie ,madeleine ,guimard1 
that she shall be held1 considered1 and 
reputed1 as he holds her1 legitimate1   
that she shall never be reproached with 
her birth and that she shall enjoy1 in  
the said quality1 the same honours1     
prerogatives1 rights1 privileges1       
franchises1 and advantages as are       
enjoyed by his other legitimate         
subjects4  ,in the above declaration1   
,madeleine speaks of her good fortune in
 being educated with great care1 and of 
the marks of tenderness and personal    

affection she had received from her     
father4 ,it would appear1 however1 that 
the act of legitimation was a tardy act 
of reparation on ,m4 ,guimard's part1   
very probably dictated by the approach  
of death1 for his neglect of the duties 
of a father1 since no trace is to be    
found of his having exercised any       
supervision over his daughter's early   
years2 and the girl's education1 or at  
least the choregraphic part of it1 seems
 to have been undertaken at the expense 
of a ,m4 d',harnoncourt and the         
,prsident de ,saint-,lubin1 two elderly 
rous1 whose practice it was to defray   
the education of young girls who        
happened to have caught their fancy1    
with a view to making them their        
mistresses when they should have reached
 a suitable age4  ,whether either of    
these amiable old gentlemen received    
anything in return for his trouble is   
problematical1 for ,madeleine ,guimard  
was ever fastidious2 but1 according to  
that highly unedifying work1 ,la ,police

 devoile1 the president did not sigh    
altogether in vain4         99       99 
99       99       99  ,in those days    
there was a corps de ballet attached to 
the ,comdie-,franaise1 some of the      
performances of which1 notably ,la ,mort
 d',orphe1 ou les ,ftes de ,bacchus     
7,june #agei71 and ,vertumne et ,pomone 
7,april #agfj71 enjoyed a vogue         
comparable to the most successful       
ballets of the ,opera itself2 and it was
 in this corps that ,madeleine ,guimard1
 in virtue of the double protection of  
,m4 d',harnoncourt and the ,prsident de 
,saint-,lubin1 made her first appearance
 on the stage in #ageh4 ,she was then in
 her sixteenth year1 and is described1  
in the report of the police-inspector   
,marais already referred to1 as 8bien   
faite et dj en possession de la jolie   
gorge du monde1 d'une figure assez bien1
 sans tre jolie2 l'il fripon1 et porte  
au plaisir40  ,of her professional      
career at the national theatre we have1 
unfortunately1 no details2 the brilliant

 talents which made her so celebrated in
 later years were probably as yet       
undeveloped1 or1 at any rate1 she was   
afforded no opportunity of displaying   
them4 ,on the other hand1 we have a good
 deal of information1 of a somewhat     
unedifying nature1 in regard to her     
private life4 ,her mother appears to    
have exercised over the young coryphe a 
commendable vigilance2 nevertheless1 in 
,september #agfj1 the girl was detected 
in an amorous correspondence with a     
dancer of the ,opera named ,lger1 whom1 
we learn from a ,plainte rendue par la  
mre de ,mlle4 ,guimard1 danseuse  la    
,comdie-,franaise1 contre un sieur      
,lger1 qu'elle accusait de vouloir      
sduire sa fille1 had introduced himself 
into the house1 under the pretext of    
giving his inamorata lessons in her art4
  ,the result of this liaison1 if we are
 to believe the scandal-loving scribes  
of the time1 was a child1 to which the  
danseuse gave birth in a barn1 in the   
midst of winter1 8sans feu et sans      

linge40#gj ,the story of the child is   
very probably apocryphal2 at any rate1  
we hear nothing further about it1       
though1 of course1 it may have died in  
infancy4 ,but there can be no doubt that
 ,madeleine ,guimard did live for a time
 with ,lger1 and in great poverty too2  
for some years later1 when she had risen
 to fame and opulence1 the poet ,barthe1
 in his ,statuts pour l',opra1 alludes  
to the episode in the following verses3 
8,que celles qui1 pour prix de leurs    
heureux travaux1      ,jouissent  vingt 
ans d'un honnte opulence1               
,ont un htel et des chevaux1      ,se   
rappellent parfois leur premire         
indigence      ,et leur petit grenier et
 leur lit sans rideaux4            ,leur
 defendons1 en consquence1              
,de regarder avec piti            ,celle
 qui s'en retourne  pi2                 
,pauvre enfant dont l'innocence         
,n'a pas encore russi1            ,mais 
qui1 grce  la danse1            ,fera   
son chemin aussi40#ga  ,the 8widow0     

,guimard--the lady gave out that she was
 a widow1 to account for the            
non-appearance of the inspector of cloth
 manufactories--was not nearly so       
ferocious a guardian of her daughter's  
honour when the soupirant did not happen
 to be a poor devil of a dancer2 and    
when1 not long afterwards1 the wealthy  
financier1 ,m4 ,bertin1 of whose        
unfortunate connection with ,sophie     
,arnould we have spoken in our study of 
that singer1 appeared upon the scene and
 offered to furnish1 for ,mlle4         
,madeleine's accommodation1 a handsome  
apartment near the ,comdie-,franaise1   
the fond mother seems to have regarded  
his advances with complacency1 if not   
with a warmer feeling4  ,in #agfa1      
,mlle4 ,guimard quitted the             
,comdie-,franaise and accepted an       
engagement at the ,opera1 to double     
,mlle4 ,allard1 at the very modest      
salary of #fjj livres a year4 ,here1 on 
,may #i1 #agfb1 she made her first      
appearance1 in the part of ,terpsichore1

 in the prologue of the ,ftes ,grecques 
et ,romaines1 and obtained a great      
success4 ,her nimbleness and her grace1 
though at that time perhaps a little    
affected1 gained her loud applause1     
which never failed her during the       
twenty-seven years of her theatrical    
career4  ,the year which followed her   
dbut1 ,mlle4 ,guimard secured a genuine 
success at a performance of ,castor et  
,pollux before the ,court1 at           
,fontainebleau4 8,this young person10   
says the ,mercure de ,france1 8already  
known and applauded on the ,paris stage1
 has given before the ,court1 at        
,fontainebleau1 agreeable proofs of her 
progress1 and particularly in the       
ballets of this opera1 where she danced 
several pas de deux40  ,every year      
,mlle4 ,guimard continued to grow in    
favour1 with both the habitus of the    
,opera and at the ,court4 ,as ,egl in   
,les ,ftes d',hb1 ou ,les ,talents      
lyriques1 by ,mondorge and ,rameau1 as  
,flore in ,nas1 as an ,amazon in        

,tancrde1 and as the statue in          
,pygmalion1 she was received with       
ever-increasing applause1 and after her 
appearance in the last-named part1 she  
was generally admitted to be one of the 
most brilliant danseuses who had ever   
appeared on the ,paris stage4  ,the     
dance of ,mlle4 ,guimard has been       
described by ,noverre as the poetry of  
motion4 ,it was a very simple one1      
consisting merely of a variety of little
 steps1 but every movement was          
characterised by such exquisite grace   
that the public soon came to prefer her 
to any other performer4 ,what1 however1 
chiefly distinguished her from her      
colleagues was the fact that to her     
talents as a danseuse1 she united all   
the qualities of an excellent actress2  
her countenance1 her attitude1 her      
gestures all spoke1 and her dance seemed
 to be only the faithful and very       
animated expression of the sentiments   
which she experienced4#gb ,but let us   
cite on this subject1 a passage from a  

very interesting letter written1 some   
three years after her death1 by her     
husband1 ,jean tienne ,despraux1 to a   
friend1 who had asked him for some      
information about his wife and the      
,opera3  8,there are three kinds of     
grace3 grace of form1 grace of attitude1
 and grace of movement4 ,grace of form  
is the gift of ,nature2 it is rare4     
,that of attitude is a choice of        
positions of the body1 which good taste 
chooses and indicates4 ,that of movement
 consists not merely in passing from one
 attitude to another1 in following the  
cadence of the music1 but it requires   
the expression to be in conformity with 
the genre that it represents1 especially
 in the danse terre--terre1 which is    
very different from the danse saute4 ,it
 is in the danse terre--terre that      
,mlle4 ,guimard charmed1 for more than  
twenty-five years1 a critical public1 in
 the gavottes of ,armide and in two     
hundred other dances4 ,she was always   
new2 ,i do not speak only of her feet1  

they count for little in comparison with
 the charm of body and head4 ,it is that
 which is the perfection of the picture4
 ,she played perfectly both comedy and  
opra-comique4 ,her expressive face      
depicted easily all the feelings that   
she experienced1 or was believed to     
experience4 ,that was why she displayed 
the most perfect pantomime in ,mde et   
,jason1 in the ballet of ,ninette1 in   
,myrza1 and in many other ballets4 ,she 
was always perfect1 because grace never 
forsook her4  8,she knew how to         
distinguish the trivial from what was   
really comic1 and joined to the charm of
 grace and of harmony of movement facial
 expression4  8444,she did not approve  
of the present fashion of raising the   
foot as high as the hip4 ,these         
exaggerated movements dislocate the     
body1 and are the enemies of grace4     
,attitudes of this kind have no other   
effect than to astonish the             
parterre40#gc  ,madeleine ,guimard was  
not beautiful1 she was not even pretty2 

her complexion was unpleasantly sallow2 
her thinness so extreme as to earn from 
her charitable colleagues of the ,opera 
the sobriquets of 8the spider10 8the    
skeleton of the ,graces10 and so forth4 
,but she more than atoned for these     
natural disadvantages by an             
indescribable charm of manner1 which    
conquered the minds and hearts of all   
with whom she came in contact4 8,love10 
says one of her biographers1 8is not    
blind for nothing1 and ,madeleine       
,guimard possessed more than any other  
woman of her time the art of placing a  
bandage over the eyes of those who      
regarded her40  ,her triumphs in the    
sphere of gallantry rivalled those which
 she obtained upon the stage4 ,not one  
among her contemporaries succeeded in   
achieving a similar notoriety4 ,princes 
of the ,blood and dancers of the ,opera1
 great noblemen and men of letters1     
financiers1 painters1 and--,o tempora6  
,o mores6--bishops1 nay1 even an        
archbishop6#gd--none could resist this  

nameless charm2 all1 in turn1 were at   
her feet4  ,in the early years of her   
career at the ,opera1 the reports of the
 inspectors of the ,lieutenants of      
,police provide us with abundant        
information in regard to the amorous    
adventures of the danseuse4 ,to ,m4     
,bertin1 who1 poor man6 probably bored  
,mlle4 ,guimard as much as he had       
,sophie ,arnould1 succeeded ,m4 de      
,boutourlin1 the ,russian ,ambassador to
 the ,court of ,spain1 who1 during a    
visit to ,paris1 lived with her for some
 time1 but1 finally1 had the bad taste  
to leave her for ,mlle4 ,lafond of the  
,comdie-,italienne4 ,mlle4 ,guimard1    
however1 speedily turned the tables upon
 the 8,italians10 by detaching the      
,comte de ,rochefort from ,mlle4        
,collette of that theatre1 a triumph    
which enriched her jewel-case by 8a     
diamond collar of great price10 and     
other acquisitions4 ,in the             
meanwhile--for the lady1 like ,mlle4    
,clairon1 was quite capable of carrying 

on two or three love-affairs at once--a 
connection of a more durable nature had 
been formed between the danseuse and the
 farmer-general ,jean ,benjamin de la   
,borde1 first valet-de-chambre to ,louis
 ,,xv4  ,jean ,benjamin de la ,borde1   
celebrated by those two verses of his   
friend ,voltaire1      8,avec tous les  
talens le destin l'a fait natre      ,il
 fait tous les plaisirs de la socit10   
was an ideal lover4 ,he was at this time
 about thirty years of age1 an          
accomplished courtier1 a musician of    
some little talent1 and possessed of    
considerable literary gifts1#ge and 8a  
frank1 loyal1 modest1 generous1 and     
kind-hearted man40  ,from this liaison1 
in ,april #agfc1 was born a daughter1   
baptized as the child of a father and   
mother unknown1 but formally            
acknowledged by her parents seven years 
later4 ,in ,may #aggh1 at the age of    
fifteen1 this daughter1 who bore her    
mother's baptismal name of ,marie       
,madeleine1 married one ,claude ,drais1 

a goldsmith and jeweller of the ,quai   
des ,orfvres4 ,the girl did not go to   
her husband empty-handed1 for the       
marriage contract1 which is given by ,m4
 ,campardon1 in his ,l',acadmie royale  
de ,musique au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle1 makes 
provision for a dowry of #abe1jjj       
livres2 8#ajj1jjj livres in cash1 which 
the demoiselle ,guimard engages to pay  
in cus of six livres1 within the space  
of two years10 and #be1jjj livres1      
composed of a trousseau1 furniture1     
diamonds1 jewellery1 clothes1 linen1 and
 lace4 ,the marriage was a sad one1 as  
the young bride died a year later1 to   
the great distress of her mother1 who   
was so prostrated by grief that it was  
some months before she was able to      
appear again upon the stage4  ,one might
 have supposed that the possession of a 
lover like ,m4 de la ,borde1 who1 in    
addition to his many amiable qualities1 
was a wealthy man1 would have satisfied 
,mlle4 ,guimard4 ,such1 however1 was not
 the case1 as1 in #agfh1 we find her the

 mistress--or rather one of the         
mistresses--of the ,marchal ,prince de  
,soubise1 whom the favour of ,madame de 
,pompadour promoted to the command of   
the ,french troops so disastrously      
defeated in the ,battle of ,rossbach4   
,the seraglio of the ,prince de ,soubise
 rivalled that of the ,prince de ,conti2
 but1 whereas the latter's included     
ladies of every station in life1 that of
 the former seems to have been mainly   
recruited from the ,opera1 and the      
pensions paid by him to danseuses who   
had ceased to find favour in his eyes   
must alone have represented a           
considerable fortune4  ,the prince was  
generosity itself4 ,he made ,mlle4      
,guimard a monthly allowance of #bjjj   
cus1 surrounded her with every luxury   
that the heart of woman could desire1   
and loaded her with costly gifts4 ,the  
faithful ,la ,borde1 who1 though no     
longer the lady's official protector1   
was graciously permitted to remain her  
amant de cur1 continued to contribute in

 a rather more modest manner to the     
expenses of his beloved1 and the        
toilettes1 and equipages1 and diamonds1 
of ,mlle4 ,guimard surpassed even those 
of ,mlle4 ,deschamps1 whose magnificence
 had up to that time never been         
approached4  ,at the fashionable drive  
to ,longchamps1 on the ,wednesday1      
,thursday1 and ,friday of ,holy ,week   
#agfh1 a function always much patronised
 by the 8haute impure0 of the capital1  
the equipage of ,mlle4 ,guimard was the 
centre of attraction4 8,the ,princes and
 ,grandees of the realm10 say the       
omniscient ,bachaumont1 8were present in
 the most imposing and magnificent      
equipages1 and the courtesans were      
conspicuous1 as they usually are4 ,but  
,mlle4 ,guimard1 #8la belle damne1' as  
,m4 ,marmontel calls her1 drew upon her 
the attention of all by a chariot of    
exquisite elegance1 very worthy to      
contain the ,graces and the modern      
,terpsichore4 ,what has particularly    
engaged the attention of the public are 

the significant ,arms that this         
celebrated courtesan has adopted4 ,in   
the midst of the shield one sees a mark 
of gold1 from which springs a mistletoe4
 ,the ,graces serve as supporters1 and  
,cupids crown the design4 ,the whole    
emblem is most ingenious40#gf  ,every   
week ,mlle4 ,guimard gave three         
supper-parties4 ,to the first came the  
most distinguished noblemen of the      
,court and other persons of             
consideration2 the second was a runion  
of authors1 artists1 and savants1 a     
company not unworthy of comparison with 
that which assembled in the salon of    
,madame ,geoffrin2 while the third1 says
 ,bachaumont1 8was a veritable orgy1 to 
which were invited the most abandoned   
courtesans1 and where luxury and        
debauchery were carried to their        
furthest limits40  ,but what were these 
suppers compared with the entertainments
 which the danseuse gave at her superb  
country-house at ,pantin1 in which1 she 
had constructed a charming miniature    

theatre1 built in the form of two       
demi-ellipses8 ,the salle was #aeg ft4  
#i in4 in length1 and #ba ft4 #h in4 in 
breadth1 while the distance from the    
bottom of the orchestra to the ceiling  
was #bb ft4 ,it had seating             
accommodation for two hundred and       
thirty-four spectators1 exclusive of the
 accommodation provided by the boxes1 of
 which there were six4 ,several of these
 boxes were protected by grills1 in     
order that exalted personages might     
enjoy the performances without being    
recognised4  ,here1 in #agfh1 was       
performed ,coll's ,partie de ,chasse de 
,henri ,,iv41 before a distinguished    
company1 for all aristocratic ,paris    
disputed for invitations to ,mlle4      
,guimard's entertainments1 and people   
spoke of 8going to ,pantin0 as they     
spoke of going to ,versailles4  ,the    
success of this comedy was so great that
 two other performances were to have    
been given at the following ,christmas2 
but the public had begun to murmur at   

the frequent absences of the best actors
 and actresses of the capital1 and the  
representations were forbidden by an    
order from the ,gentlemen of the        
,chamber1 which prohibited the members  
of the ,comdie-,franaise and the        
,comdie-,italienne from performing      
anywhere1 save in their own theatres4   
,illustration3 ,,marie ,,madeleine      
,,guimard  ,from an engraving by        
,,gervais after the painting by         
,,boucher  ,all the pieces performed at 
,pantin were not nearly so              
unobjectionable in character as ,coll's 
charming comedy2 indeed the dialogue1   
songs1 and dances of the majority of    
them were exceedingly free1 and in some 
cases disgracefully licentious#gg2 while
 the farewell address pronounced from   
the stage1 at the temporary closing of  
the theatre in ,september #aggj1 was one
 of the most outrageous pieces of double
 entendre ever uttered in public4#gh    
,mlle4 ,guimard's house at ,pantin has  
long since disappeared2 even its site is

 a matter for conjecture1 and no        
contemporary description of it          
unfortunately exists4 ,some of its      
contents1 however1 have come1 from time 
to time1 into the market1 from which we 
know that it must have been one of the  
most charmingly-appointed houses of the 
time1 with its painted wainscots1 its   
marble floors1 its fluted pilasters1 and
 its exquisitely decorated panels2 a    
house worthy for a queen to inhabit     
instead of a danseuse4  ,the generosity 
of the ,prince de ,soubise and the      
devoted ,la ,borde1 lavish though it    
was1 failed to suffice ,mlle4 ,guimard1 
who1 to meet her ever-increasing        
expenditure1 found herself reluctantly  
compelled to associate with them a third
 lover4#gi ,this time she turned in the 
direction of the ,church2 ,m4 de        
,jarente1 ,bishop of ,orlans1 was the   
happy man6  ,it was a prudent choice2   
,m4 de ,jarente held the 8feuille des   
bnfices0 which meant that he controlled 
the greater part of the ecclesiastical  

patronage of the realm4 ,how he had     
discharged that important trust previous
 to his liaison with the notorious      
ballerina we are unable to say4 ,how he 
discharged it after he had succumbed to 
her charms is but too well known3 the   
feuille des bnfices became 8the fief of 
the ,opera02 the ante-chamber of ,mlle4 
,guimard was crowded with ecclesiastics 
soliciting the honour of an audience1   
and abbeys1 priories1 and chapels were  
knocked down to the highest bidder4 ,and
 the danseuse1 reclining gracefully on  
her chaise longue1 was heard to inquire 
ironically of a friend about to present 
to her a young abb who had come to ask  
for a benefice3 8,is this man of good   
moral character80         99       99   
99       99       99  ,but1 with all her
 faults and follies1 ,madeleine ,guimard
 was not without redeeming qualities4   
,of her1 as of ,madame du ,barry1 it    
might be said that1 if her wealth was   
ill-gotten1 it was not always ill-spent4
 ,no more charitable woman breathed2 her

 purse was always open to the           
necessitous1 and she was never happier  
than when relieving the wants of others4
 ,grimm relates that during the terrible
 ,january of #agfh1 when whole families 
of the poorer inhabitants of ,paris were
 perishing from cold and hunger1 ,mlle4 
,guimard begged the ,prince de ,soubise 
to give her her ,new ,year's gift in    
money1 instead of the jewellery which   
was his customary offering to his       
enchantresses4 ,then1 one evening1 she  
left her house1 alone and simply        
dressed1 taking with her the #fjjj      
livres which that good-natured libertine
 had sent her1#hj and distributed the   
money1 together with a considerable sum 
from her own pocket1 among her indigent 
neighbours1 visiting the most squalid   
and miserable dwellings1 in order to    
discover the cases most deserving of    
assistance4 ,this generous act1 it      
appears1 was accomplished with the most 
profound secrecy1 and until the         
inquiries of the police had penetrated  

the mystery1 not even the objects of her
 bounty had the slightest clue to the   
identity of their benefactress4  ,mlle4 
,guimard's benevolence is commemorated  
by a rare engraving of the time1 without
 the name of the draughtsman or the     
engraver1 bearing the title3            
,terpsichore ,charitable                
ou                                      
,mademoiselle ,guimard                  
visitant les ,pauvres4  ,in this        
engraving one sees an old woman lying on
 a pallet in a barn1 and1 advancing     
towards her1 a lady wearing a hood1     
followed by a troupe of ,cupids1 bearing
 bread1 soup1 and wine4  ,the           
ballerina's liberality was far from     
being confined to the poor4 ,her purse  
was open to all1 no matter how little   
claim they might have upon her4         
,struggling tradesmen in the grasp of   
usurers1 clerks out of employment1 and  
even gamblers unable to discharge their 
obligations came to knock at the door of
 her htel1 and few went empty away4     

,once1 an officer came to ask for the   
loan of a hundred louis1 wherewith to   
pay a debt of honour1 and offered to    
sign a document in acknowledgment4      
8,monsieur10 replied ,mlle4 ,guimard1   
8your word is quite enough for me4 ,i   
imagine that an officer will have at    
least as much honour as an ,opera-girl40
  ,her house at ,pantin did not long    
content ,mlle4 ,guimard2 and she1       
accordingly1 conceived the idea of      
building herself an htel in ,paris2 not 
an ordinary htel1 be it understood1 but 
a veritable palace1 a palace such as no 
divinity of the stage had ever before   
inhabited1 save in her dreams4 ,the will
 of the danseuse was law to her adorers2
 the prince1 the bishop1 and the        
farmer-general hastened to disgorge the 
necessary funds1 and the 8,temple of    
,terpsichore10 as it was called by the  
,parisians1 began to rise4 ,the site    
chosen was in the ,rue de la            
,chausse-d',antin1 not far from the spot
 where stood the htel of a rival        

courtesan1 ,mlle4 ,dervieux4 ,le ,doux1 
the architect of ,madame du ,barry's    
pavilion at ,louveciennes1 drew up the  
plans4  ,a charming coloured sketch1 in 
imitation of a water-colour of the time1
 has preserved to us the appearance of  
the htel of ,mlle4 ,guimard4 ,the porch 
is adorned by four columns1 above which 
is an isolated group1 in ,conflans      
stone1 #f ft4 in proportion1            
representing ,terpsichore being crowned 
by ,apollo4 ,this was the work of the   
sculptor ,le ,comte1 who is also        
responsible for a beautiful bas-relief1 
#bb ft4 in length1 and #d ft4 in height1
 where he has executed the triumph of   
the ,muse of dancing1 who is shown      
seated in a chariot1 drawn by ,cupids1  
preceded by ,bacchantes and ,fauns1 and 
followed by the ,graces of choregraphy4 
,two little windows enable us to obtain 
a glimpse of the interior4 ,one shows us
 the ante-chamber and the salle--manger1
 the latter of which is decorated with  
vases of gushing water1 borne by groups 

of ,naiads4 ,the other introduces us    
into the theatre1 an imitation in       
miniature of the salle at ,versailles1  
with a ceiling painted by ,taravel1 and 
accommodation for five hundred          
spectators4#ha  ,this little palace1    
built and embellished under the         
supervision of the adoring ,la ,borde1  
was a jewel of architecture1 a marvel of
 decorative taste4 8,picture to         
yourself10 says a brochure of the time1 
8picture to yourself the happy and most 
brilliant assemblage of all the arts3   
they meet here to surpass themselves4   
8,the exterior is charming4 ,the        
intention of the architect has been to  
represent the ,temple of ,terpsichore in
 the faade of the entrance side2 it     
would have been impossible to be more   
successful4  8,in a little space1 this  
delightful residence offers every       
conceivable advantage and charm1 and    
what is not presented by truth is       
supplied by prestige4 ,there is nothing1
 even to the garden1 which does not     

charm and astonish by its wholly novel  
taste4 ,the apartments seem to owe their
 different charms to magic2 riches      
without confusion1 gallantry without    
indecorum2 they show us the interior of 
the ,palace of ,love1 embellished by the
 ,graces4 ,the bedchamber invites       
repose2 the salon1 pleasure2 the        
salle--manger1 gaiety2 the forms are    
ingenious1 without1 however1 there being
 any recourse to the extravagance of    
contrast1 which is so often abused4 ,a  
hothouse in the interior of the         
apartment takes the place in the winter 
of a garden2 it is furnished with a     
similar taste4#hb ,the design is soft1  
without injury to the effect2 the       
trellis is in accordance with the best  
architectural taste2 the arabesques have
 nothing fantastic about them2 the      
execution of all these different marvels
 appears to be the work of the same     
hand4 ,delicious harmony1 which puts the
 comble upon the reputation of the      
architect1 since it proves him to have  

recognised the importance of the choice 
of the artists who have seconded his    
efforts1 and the importance of          
impressing them with his own ideas4 ,we 
find here a little ballroom1 whose style
 of decoration renders it enchanting and
 perhaps unique4 ,one finds also a      
miniature theatre1 which may be regarded
 as a chef-d'uvre of its kind44440#hc   
,two interesting anecdotes1 both        
relating to famous painters of the      
eighteenth century1 attach to the       
adornment of the 8,temple of            
,terpsichore40 ,mlle4 ,guimard often    
came to visit her palace and supervise  
the decorations of the interior4 ,one   
day1 she remarked a young artist who was
 painting the arabesques on the walls1  
and1 observing that he seemed sad and   
dispirited1 questioned him and learned  
that he was studying under ,vien1 but   
that poverty compelled him to earn his  
bread by undertaking commissions of this
 kind1 and prevented him from devoting  
himself to the studies necessary to     

enable him to compete with success for  
the ,prix de ,rome4 ,the kind heart of  
the danseuse was touched by the young   
man's story2 she immediately told him to
 abandon his work in the                
,chausse-d',antin and return to his     
studies1 and sent him each month two    
hundred livres for his expenses4 ,thanks
 to her generosity1 ,vien's pupil was   
able to take full advantage of his      
master's lessons1 and1 studying with    
unremitting ardour1 carried off the     
coveted prize4 ,this young artist was   
none other than ,jacques ,louis ,david1 
the painter of ,socrates1 ,brutus1 ,the 
,sabines1 and ,leonidas4  ,the other    
story relates to ,fragonard4 ,fragonard 
had been chosen by ,le ,doux to paint   
the principal panel of the grand salon1 
a repetition in painting of the         
sculpture of the faade1 that is to say1 
the representation of ,mlle4 ,guimard as
 ,terpsichore1 and 8surrounded by all   
the attributes which were able to       
characterise her in the most seducing   

manner40 ,the work was still unfinished1
 when a quarrel arose between the lady  
and the painter1 which ended in the     
latter being sent away and the          
completion of the task entrusted to     
another artist4 ,one day1 curious to see
 how his work had fared in the hands of 
his successor1 ,fragonard found means to
 introduce himself into the house1 and  
made his way to the salon without       
encountering any one4 ,here1 the sight  
of a palette and colours gave him the   
idea of a very piquant revenge4 ,in four
 strokes of the brush1 he effaced the   
smile from the lips of ,terpsichore1 and
 imparted to them instead an expression 
of anger and fury1 taking care1 however1
 to make no other alterations in the    
portrait4 ,this done1 he took his       
departure as stealthily as he had       
entered4  ,as ill-luck would have it1   
not long afterwards1 ,mlle4 ,guimard    
herself arrived on the scene1           
accompanied by a party of friends1 who  
had come to pass judgment on the work of

 the new painter4 ,her indignation and  
disgust at finding herself thus         
disfigured may be readily imagined1 but 
the more angry did she become1 the more 
striking was the resemblance between    
herself and the portrait1 a fact upon   
which1 we may be very sure1 the wittier 
members of the party did not fail to    
comment4  ,the little theatre1 of which 
we have already spoken1 was inaugurated 
on ,december #h1 #aggb1 before even the 
house itself was completed4 ,the pieces 
selected for the occasion were ,la      
,partie de ,chasse de ,henri ,,iv41 and 
that exceedingly gay comedy1 ,la ,vrit  
dans le vin1 both by ,coll1 ,mlle4      
,guimard's favourite dramatist2 and     
great was the competition in fashionable
 circles to obtain tickets of admission4
 ,it will be remembered that the        
performance of the former play by the   
members of the ,comdie-,franaise1 at    
,pantin1 at ,christmas #agfh1 had been  
forbidden by the ,gentlemen of the      
,chamber2 but now1 thanks to the good   

offices of the ,prince de ,soubise1 the 
prohibition1 though repeated1 was       
annulled by ,louis ,,xv4 himself4 ,a new
 difficulty1 however1 arose1 through the
 opposition of ,christophe de ,beaumont1
 the austere ,archbishop of ,paris1 who 
objected to the opening of the theatre1 
on account of the licentious character  
of ,la ,vrit dans le vin1 and1 to pacify
 the metropolitan1 it was found         
necessary to substitute for this comedy 
a pantomime entitled ,pygmalion1 a      
parody of ,coll's little play of that   
name4 ,on the great night1 ,mlle4       
,guimard must have been a proud woman   
indeed1 since the most distinguished    
members of the beau monde and the       
demi-monde had congregated in the       
8,temple of ,terpsichore10 to do honour 
to its mistress3 two ,princes of the    
,blood1 the ,duc de ,chartres and the   
,comte de ,lamarche1 and a select       
assortment of the most fascinating      
courtesans in ,paris1 8all radiant with 
diamonds40  ,in ,june #aggc1 the ,prince

 de ,soubise1 ordinarily the most       
complacent of lovers1 who had1 up to    
that time1 accepted with an almost      
marital indifference the division of    
,mlle4 ,guimard's favours between ,m4 de
 la ,borde and himself1 suddenly        
developed a violent attack of jealousy  
and insisted on the lady giving the     
farmer-general his cong4 ,poor ,la      
,borde was in despair and straightway   
fell into a condition of the deepest    
melancholy1 which even his beloved music
 was powerless to dissipate4 ,at length1
 he determined to act on his own maxim3 
8,on combat l'amour par la fuite et la  
colre par le silence10#hd and departed  
on a course of foreign travel1 visiting1
 amongst other places1 ,ferney1 with a  
commission from ,madame du ,barry to    
kiss its owner on both cheeks4  ,nothing
 seems to have delighted ,mlle4 ,guimard
 more than scandalising the devout1 and 
it must be admitted that the            
entertainments which she gave in her two
 theatres at ,pantin and the            

,chausse-d',antin contributed very      
effectively to that end4 ,in the early  
spring of #aggf1 she conceived the idea 
of organising 8a picnic of scandalous   
immorality1 a picnic such as ,french    
society had never yet beheld40 ,there   
was to be a play1 needless to say of a  
very free and easy kind1 in which ,mlle4
 ,guimard herself was to take part1 and 
the famous courtesan1 ,mlle4 ,duth1 to  
dance4 ,then ,mlle4 ,dervieux was       
charged to order from a fashionable     
traiteur a sumptuous supper4 ,and the   
play and the supper were to be followed 
by a ball1 gambling for colossal        
stakes--it is to be presumed the ladies 
did not intend to risk their own        
money--and 8everything which could      
accompany an orgy of this nature40  ,the
 fte1 originally fixed for the          
,carnival1 had been postponed to the    
first ,thursday in ,lent1 in order1 say 
the ,mmoires secrets1 to render it more 
singular and more celebrated4  ,all was 
arranged1 the play staged1 the supper   

prepared1 when1 on the complaint of     
,mlle4 ,guimard's enemy1 the ,archbishop
 of ,paris1 the ,king interfered and    
sent an order prohibiting play1 ball1   
and supper4 ,the ,comte d',artois and   
the ,duc de ,chartres1 both of whom were
 to assist at the entertainment1 did    
everything in their power to obtain a   
reversal of the order1 but without      
success2 and the commandant of the watch
 received instructions to post men in   
the streets leading from the traiteur's 
shop to the ,chausse-d',antin1 to       
intercept the supper on its way to      
,mlle4 ,guimard's htel4  ,under these   
circumstances1 the danseuse and her     
friends decided that the only thing to  
be done was to abandon the proposed     
entertainment1 and send the supper to   
the cur of ,saint-,roch1 for            
distribution among the sick poor of his 
parish4 ,and1 as each of the subscribers
 to the prohibited picnic had           
contributed the sum of five louis1 the  
wits named it1 8le repas des ,chevaliers

 de ,saint-,louis40  ,nevertheless1 in  
spite of the archbishop and the dvots1  
the theatre of the ,chausse-d',antin    
continued to flourish and to number     
amongst its patrons ,princes of the     
,blood1 grands seigneurs of the ,court1 
and courtesans of the highest           
distinction4 ,the parody of ,ernelinde1 
composed by the dancer ,despraux1       
performed there in ,september #aggg1    
enjoyed an immense success1 and was     
commanded to be represented before the  
,court at ,choisy1 the following month1 
when the young ,king1 who had hitherto  
shown but little taste for the theatre1 
laughed so immoderately throughout the  
three acts1 that he bestowed a pension  
on the dancer4         99       99      
99       99       99  ,mlle4 ,guimard's 
life of gallantry and extravagance did  
not cause her to neglect her profession4
 ,no more assiduous student of her art  
ever pirouetted across a stage1 and her 
career was a series of almost unbroken  
triumphs4 ,in the ballet of ,la         

,chercheuse d'esprit1 by ,gardel the    
elder1 played before the ,court in      
#aggg1 and produced at the ,opera the   
following year1 her dancing and         
pantomime1 in the part of ,nicette1 were
 generally allowed to have been         
inimitable4  8,the difficulty of        
pantomime10 writes ,lefuel de ,mricourt1
 in his journal ,le ,nouveau            
,spectateur1 8is the power of expressing
 by means of gesture what seems to      
require the assistance of words4 ,it was
 difficult1 for example1 in the person  
of the ,chercheuse d'esprit to supply it
 in the verse1      #8,allez chercher de
 l'esprit1'  which forms the nud of the 
piece4 ,but the acting of the ,guimard  
leaves nothing to be desired at this    
interesting moment40  ,the critic of the
 ,mercure de ,france is still more      
eulogistic3 8,one cannot praise too     
highly the talent of ,mlle4 ,guimard1 in
 the rle of ,nicette4 ,it is necessary  
to see her to confess that never has one
 rendered a simpleton 7niaise71 at the  

same time simple and mischievous1 more  
gracefully than this charming           
actrice-danseuse1 who1 in her art1 is   
always what one would desire her to be40
  ,and ,grimm1 in his ,correspondance   
littraire1 after declaring that the     
talent of ,mlle4 ,guimard has caused one
 to overlook the faults of the ballet1  
praises the danseuse in these terms3    
8,she has imparted to the rle of        
,nicette1 a gradation of shades1 so     
fine1 so correct1 so delicate1 so       
piquant1 that the most ingenious poetry 
would be powerless to render the same   
characters with more wit1 delicacy1 or  
truth4 ,all her steps1 all her          
movements1 are soft and harmonious1 and 
exhibit a meaning both sure and         
picturesque4 ,how nave is her           
simplicity1 and yet how devoid of       
silliness6 ,how well does her natural   
grace conceal itself without            
affectation6 ,how gradually does her    
character expand1 and how much she      
pleases1 without exerting herself to    

please6 ,how she comes to life in the   
sweet rays of sentiment6 ,it is a       
rosebud which one sees expand1 to escape
 slowly from the fetters which envelop  
it1 to tremble into bloom4 ,we have     
never seen1 in this kind of imitation1  
anything more delicious or more         
perfect40  ,some months later1 in       
,ninette  la ,cour1 she played the part 
of ,ninette 8in a way which stupefied   
the spectators40 8,one was really       
confounded to see this artiste1 admired 
hitherto for the grace of her acting1   
transform herself of a sudden into a    
maladroit1 awkward creature1 overcome   
with astonishment at the novel sights   
which meet her eyes1 and depicting in a 
striking manner the impressions of a    
peasant leaving her village for the     
first time4 ,the following circumstance 
is able to convey some idea of the      
difficulties which ,mlle4 ,guimard had  
overcome in this rle4 ,it was remarked  
that at the time of the minuet that     
,nicette dances before the ,king and his

 ,court1 she made great efforts to dance
 out of time1 and that generally1 in    
spite of herself1 the sensibility of her
 ear forced her to dance correctly40#he 
,other scarcely less brilliant triumphs 
awaited ,mlle4 ,guimard in the ballets  
of ,les ,caprices de ,galathe1 composed 
expressly for her by ,noverre1 ,mde et  
,jason1 ,myrza1 ,la ,rosire1 and ,le    
,premier ,navigateur1 ou le ,pouvoir de 
l'amour4 ,her success in the last-named 
piece1 produced on ,july #bf1 #aghe1    
four years before her retirement from   
the stage1 was celebrated by the poet   
,dorat in the following pretty verses3  
8,quelle nymphe lgre1  mes yeux se      
prsente6      ,desse1 elle foltre et    
n'est point imposante1      ,son front  
s'panouit avec srnit1      ,ses cheveux 
sont flottants1 le rire est sa beaut4   
,d'un feston de jasmin1 sa tte est      
couronne1      ,et sa robe voltige1 aux 
vents abandonne4      ,mille songes     
lgers l'environnent toujours2      ,plus
 que le printemps mme1 elle fait les    

beaux jours4      ,des matelots joyeux1 
rassembls auprs d'elle      ,dtonnent   
sa gloire une ronde nouvelle1      ,et  
de jeunes pasteurs1 dsertant les        
hameaux1      ,viennent la saluer aux   
sons des chalumeaux4      ,c'est        
l'aimable gat2 qui peut la mconnatre1   
,au chagrin qui s'envole1 aux jeux      
qu'elle fait natre8      ,fille de      
l'innocence1 image du bonheur1      ,le 
charme quite suit1 a pass dans mon cur4 
,sur ce gazon fleuri qu'elle a choisi   
pour trne1      ,pasteurs1 excutons les 
danses qu'elle ordonne4             99  
99       99       99       99           
,fuyez1 arrtez-vous1 suspendez votre    
ivresse2      ,comme ,guimard enfin     
appelez les dsirs1      ,et que vos pas 
brillants soient le vol des             
plaisirs40#hf  ,it is hardly necessary  
to remark that such an artiste was      
appreciated as she deserved by the      
administration of the ,opera1 to whom   
she rendered so many services4          
,unfortunately1 she not seldom abused   

the position which her talent and her   
intimate relations with the most        
distinguished personages of the time    
gave her1 and occasioned the unfortunate
 directors almost as much trouble and   
anxiety1 in her way1 as did ,sophie     
,arnould4 ,thus1 in the spring of #aggb1
 she1 with her lover1 the dancer        
,dauberval1 organised a mutiny against  
,rebel1 who had just been appointed     
8,directeur-gnral de l',acadmie royale  
de ,musique0--a mutiny which was only   
quelled by the personal interference of 
the ,minister of the ,king's ,household1
 who summoned the malcontents before him
 and threatened them with severe pains  
and penalties if they continued         
contumacious4 ,six years later1 we find 
her at the head of the opposition to    
,devismes1 who1 appointed director of   
the ,opera at ,easter #aggh1 had        
introduced various innovations1 which1  
though popular with the patrons of the  
theatre1 were strongly resented by the  
artistes4 ,the principal 8insurgents0   

held what they called a 8,congress0 at  
,mlle4 ,guimard's htel1 and ,auguste    
,vestris1 with characteristic modesty1  
compared his position with that of      
,washington4 ,the revolt ended in the   
town of ,paris cancelling ,devismes's   
appointment and taking upon itself the  
management of the theatre1 ,devismes    
receiving a large sum by way of         
compensation4#hg  ,a memoir sent by     
,antoine ,dauvergne1 the then director  
of the ,opera1 in #agha1 to ,la ,fert1  
,intendant des ,menus1 shows us ,mlle4  
,guimard supreme in the coulisses of the
 theatre4 ,all the affairs of the       
,opera1 he says1 are treated of in      
private committees held at ,mlle4       
,guimard's htel1 and the orders of the  
administration are ignored whenever they
 happen to clash with the wishes of the 
lady1 to whom every one--dancers1       
vocalists1 composers1 scene-painters1   
and so forth--is subservient4 ,a little 
later1 ,dauvergne complains that the    
demoiselle ,guimard refuses to have an  

understudy in the ballets d'action1 in  
consequence of which1 whenever she is   
unable to appear1 there can be no       
ballet2 also that she has quarrelled    
with ,noverre and proscribed his        
ballets4 8,not only does she refuse to  
dance in them herself1 but she is       
unwilling for other persons to dance in 
them40#hh  ,there exists a curious      
document1 dated #aghc1 drawn up by ,la  
,fert1 for the information of the       
,minister of the ,king's ,household1 on 
the talents1 faults1 habits1 characters1
 and so forth of the singers and dancers
 of the ,opera4 ,and here is what the   
,intendant des ,menus says of ,mlle4    
,guimard3  8,dlle4 ,guimard4--,premire  
danseuse de demi-caractre4 ,her talent  
is known to every one2 on the stage she 
still retains a very youthful           
appearance2 if she has not a great deal 
of execution in her dancing1 she        
possesses1 by way of compensation1 much 
grace2 she is very good in ballets      
d'action and in pantomime2 she has much 

zeal and works hard2 but she is an      
enormous expense to the ,opera1 where   
her wishes are followed with as much    
respect as if she was its director4     
,following her example1 the other       
actresses demand the most costly dresses
 and equipments40  ,but enormous expense
 or not1 the directors of the ,opera    
seemed to have been possessed by an     
ever-present dread lest ,mlle4 ,guimard 
should take it into her head to retire  
or transfer her services to some foreign
 stage4 ,after the destruction of the   
,opera by fire in ,june #agha1 and while
 the new ,opera of the ,porte           
,saint-,martin was in course of         
erection1 the minds of many of the      
homeless singers and dancers 8turned    
towards the shores of ,great ,britain   
and the guineas of ,drury ,lane10 and1  
in spite of the most stringent          
precautions on the part of the          
,government1 several of them succeeded  
in emigrating4#hi ,although ,mlle4      
,guimard's fortune placed her in a      

position1 where1 according to the       
expression of ,la ,fert1 8she had very  
little need to trouble herself about    
,england10 the anxious ,intendant was   
only half-reassured and wrote to the    
,minister of the ,king's ,household1    
begging him to use every inducement     
possible to keep the lady in ,france4   
,mlle4 ,guimard remained faithful and   
reaped the reward of her fidelity in the
 spring of the following year1 when she 
demanded and obtained a pension of #bejj
 livres1 which1 with an annual          
gratification of #aejj livres and her   
salary of #bjjj livres1 brought her     
professional income up to #fjjj livres4 
,in the fire at the ,opera-house1       
referred to above1 ,mlle4 ,guimard had a
 very narrow escape of her life4 ,the   
fire broke out at the end of the third  
act of ,orphe1 happily after the        
majority of the audience had quitted    
their seats4 ,mlle4 ,guimard was in her 
loge at the time1 and1 not daring to    
leave it1 would probably have been      

stifled1 had not a scene-shifter come to
 her assistance and1 wrapping her in the
 curtains--for she was                  
half-undressed--carried her through the 
smoke and flames to a place of safety4  
,this was not the only time the danseuse
 was in danger during the course of her 
professional career4 ,in ,june #aghd1   
while appearing at the ,opera-house in  
the ,haymarket1 in ,london1 then under  
,gallini's management1 the theatre was  
completely destroyed by fire4 ,boaden1  
in his ,life of ,john ,kemble1 thus     
alludes to the catastrophe3  8,on the   
#agth of ,june #aghd1 ,i was1 on my     
return from a visit1 crossing the ,park 
from ,buckingham ,gate to ,stable ,yard1
 ,st4 ,james's1 when this most          
tremendous conflagration burst upon me2 
it seemed to make the long line of trees
 wave in an atmosphere of fire4444 ,the 
fire had commenced in the flies and     
burst through the roof in a column of   
confirmed fierceness1 that evinced its  
strength to have been irresistible1 even

 when it was first perceived4 ,in the   
theatre1 about two o'clock1 they had    
been rehearsing a ballet1 and the first 
alarm was occasioned by the sparks of   
fire which fell upon the heads of the   
dancers4 ,mme4 ,ravelli was with        
difficulty saved by one of the firemen2 
,mme4 ,guimard lost a slipper1 but      
escaped in safety40  ,a few years after 
her first appearance at the ,opera1 an  
accident occurred which might have been 
attended with serious consequences to   
,mlle4 ,guimard4 ,one night in ,january 
#agff1 during a performance of ,les     
,ftes de l',hymen et de l',amour1 a     
heavy piece of scenery fell upon her1   
throwing her to the ground and breaking 
her arm4 ,had it struck her upon the    
head1 she would certainly have been     
killed4  ,at the end of the year #aghb1 
came the bankruptcy of the ,prince de   
,gumne1 whose wife1 gouvernante to the  
children of ,louis ,,xvi41 was the      
daughter of the ,prince de ,soubise3 a  
catastrophe which involved more than    

three thousand people1 many of whom were
 completely ruined4 ,mlle4 ,guimard's   
tender relations with the ,prince de    
,soubise had come to an end some years  
earlier--she had been succeeded in his  
affections and the enjoyment of the two 
thousand cus a month1 by her niece and  
pupil1 ,mlle4 ,zacharie1 a damsel of    
fifteen summers--but she still remained 
on excellent terms with her former lover
 and received a handsome pension1 as the
 reward of her not very faithful        
services4 ,this pension she now         
determined to renounce1 in favour of the
 creditors of the ,prince de ,gumne1 and
 having persuaded several other ladies  
of the ballet1 who1 like herself1 had   
once basked in the smiles of the        
8,sultan of the ,opera0 and had been    
similarly provided for1 to follow her   
example1 they met one day in her        
dressing-room and drew up a letter to   
the prince setting forth their wishes1  
copies of which they caused to be       
distributed among the habitus of the    

theatre4           ,letter of ,,mlle4   
,,guimard and other danseuses of the    
,opera to ,m4 ,,le ,,prince ,,de        
,,soubise4                              
8,,monseigneur1--,accustomed1 my        
comrades and myself1 to have you in     
our midst at each performance of the    
,thtre-,lyrique1 we have      observed  
with the most bitter regret1 that not   
only were you weaned      from the      
pleasures of the play1 but that none of 
us have been      summoned to those     
frequent petits soupers1 at which we    
had1 in      turn1 the happiness of     
pleasing and amusing you4 ,rumour has   
only      too well informed us of the   
cause of your retirement and of your    
just grief4 ,up to the present1 we have 
feared to trouble you1      making our  
sensibility yield to our respect2 we    
should not even      dare to break      
silence1 without the pressing motive    
which our      delicacy is not able to  
resist4 ,we flattered ourselves1        
,monseigneur1 that the bankruptcy 7for  

one must needs employ a term      with  
which the foyers1 the clubs1 the        
gazettes1 ,france1 and the      whole of
 ,europe resound71 that the bankruptcy  
of ,m4 le ,prince de      ,gumne would  
not be on so enormous a scale as was    
announced4 ,but      the derangement of 
his affairs has reached such a point    
that no      hope remains4 ,we have come
 to this conclusion from the generous   
sacrifices to which1 following your     
example1 the principal chiefs      of   
your illustrious house have resigned    
themselves4       8,we should believe   
ourselves guilty of ingratitude1 were we
 not to      imitate you1 in seconding  
your humanity2 were we not to return the
      pensions which your munificence   
has lavished upon us4 ,apply these      
revenues1 ,monseigneur1 to the relief of
 the many suffering military      men1  
the many poor men of letters1 the many  
unhappy servants1 whom      ,m4 le      
,prince de ,gumne drags into the abyss  
with him4 ,as for      ourselves1 we    

have other resources2 we shall lose     
nothing1      ,monseigneur1 if we retain
 your esteem for us4 ,we shall even be  
the      gainers if1 in refusing your   
benefits1 we compel our detractors to   
confess that we were not altogether     
unworthy of them4                       
8,we are with profound respect1 c4      
8,in the dressing-room of ,mlle4        
,guimard1 this ,friday1 ,december #f1   
#aghb40  ,in ,august #aghc1 ,mlle4      
,guimard was attacked by small-pox1 to  
the great alarm of the patrons of the   
,opera1 who feared that1 even if she    
were to recover1 the priests might      
succeed in persuading her to renounce   
her profession4 ,happily1 however1 the  
attack was a mild one1 and on ,august   
#bi a fte was held at the danseuse's    
htel1 8to render thanks to her lovers   
for the care they had taken of her40    
,in the following year1 however1 ,mlle4 
,guimard did announce her intention of  
retiring1 whereupon ,la ,fert wrote in  
hot haste to the ,minister of the       

,king's ,household1 begging him to      
promise her an addition of one thousand 
livres to her retiring pension1 if she  
would reconsider her decision4 ,as the  
ballerina had already demanded this     
favour1 it is probable that the         
announcement of her approaching         
resignation was merely a ruse on her    
part to force the ,minister's hand4     
,the ,minister replied the same day to  
,la ,fert1 that1 8although a favour     
accorded to one person opens the door to
 a whole crowd of pretensions10 in      
consideration of her long services1 he  
promised to assure to her1 when she     
should retire1 the additional thousand  
livres which she demanded2 but on       
condition that she should preserve the  
most profound secrecy in regard to this 
favour4  ,in the early part of the year 
#aghe1 ,mlle4 ,guimard fell into        
financial difficulties and was obliged  
to sell the 8,temple of ,terpsichore10  
in the ,chausse-d',antin4 ,instead of   
putting it up to auction or inviting    

private offers1 she decided to adopt the
 somewhat novel expedient of disposing  
of it by lottery1 and1 having succeeded 
in obtaining the permission of the      
authorities1 or at any rate a promise   
that they would not offer any opposition
 to the scheme1 caused the following    
prospectus to be circulated3            
8,prospectus of a lottery of the house  
of ,mlle4 ,guimard1 of which the draw   
will take place in public1 ,may #a1     
#aghf1 in a room of the ,htel des       
,menus1 ,rue ,bergre1 in the presence of
 a public official4  8,this house is    
situated at the entrance of the         
,chausse-d',antin1 and consists of a    
building1 with a court on one side and a
 garden on the other4 ,the side facing  
the court is adorned by a peristyle2 the
 rez-de-chausse1 which is raised on     
eight steps1 is divided into an         
ante-chamber1 dining-room1 bedchamber1  
boudoir1 a large room lighted from      
above1 to serve as a picture-gallery1   
dressing-room1 bathroom1 c41 all richly 

decorated4  8,above are also private    
apartments very commodious1 and likewise
 very richly decorated4  8,a building   
facing the street contains stables and  
coach-houses1 and above is a theatre    
with all its accessories4  8,the garden 
is adorned with covered bowers4 ,the    
greater part of the furniture remains in
 the house1 having been made for the    
place4  8,the lottery will consist of   
#bejj tickets1 at #abj livres a ticket1 
of which one will be the winner4        
8,immediately after the lottery has been
 drawn1 ,mlle4 ,guimard will transfer   
the contract of the sale of the house   
and the furniture1 to the benefit of the
 owner of the winning lot40  ,the       
drawing of the lottery1 originally fixed
 for ,may #a1 #aghf1 was1 for some      
reason1 postponed until the #bbnd of the
 month1 when it took place in a tent    
erected in the garden of the ,htel des  
,menus4 ,there were two wheels1 in one  
of which had been placed #bejj numbered 
tickets1 and in the other #bdii blank   

tickets and one bearing the word ,lot4  
,the draw began at ten o'clock in the   
morning2 but it was not until late in   
the afternoon1 and after #bbfg tickets  
had been drawn1 that the winning one was
 forthcoming1 when it was found that    
,mlle4 ,guimard's htel had become the   
property of the ,comtesse de ,lau1 who  
had only purchased a single ticket4     
,that lady subsequently sold the htel to
 the banker ,perregaux1 for #ejj1jjj    
livres4         99       99       99    
99       99  ,mlle4 ,guimard was growing
 old2 the fatal epoch when beauty is    
usually compelled to renounce its rights
 had come2 but1 like the wicked old     
,marchal de ,richelieu1 she seemed to   
have drunk of the fountain of eternal   
youth1 and on the boards of the ,opera1 
environed by her cloud of gauze1 she    
appeared as young and fresh and charming
 as ever4 ,what was her secret8         
,according to the actor ,fleury it was  
an ingenious one4 ,at twenty years of   
age1 he tells us1 she had had her       

portrait painted by a faithful hand1 and
 now1 each morning in her boudoir1 with 
this picture on one side and her mirror 
on the other1 she worked to assimilate  
the face she saw reflected in the latter
 to the work of the painter1 nor did she
 desist from her labours until she felt 
certain of a perfect resemblance4 ,her  
admirers1 it is scarcely necessary to   
observe1 were not admitted to this      
function4#ij  ,mlle4 ,guimard visited   
,london on several occasions during the 
season to dance at the ,opera ,house in 
the ,haymarket or at ,covent ,garden4   
,three letters1 two written respectively
 on ,june #bj1 #aghd1 and ,april #af1   
#aghi1 to the banker ,perregaux1 the    
third bearing date ,may #bf 7probably   
#aghg71 contain some interesting details
 about her sojourn in ,england4 ,from   
the first1 we learn that she was engaged
 at a salary of #fej guineas1 half of   
which seems to have been paid in advance
 and the balance on the termination of  
her engagement4 ,the latter instalment  

she complains that she had just seen    
devoured by a fire which had reduced the
 theatre to ashes4 ,she graciously says 
that she has no complaint to make of the
 inhabitants of ,london2 but the        
,italians of the ,opera--8,ah1 les      
coquins60 ,they are everything that is  
bad4 ,and the rest of the letter is     
chiefly taken up with an account of her 
dispute with ,gallini as to whether or  
not her articles had been dissolved by  
the destruction of the theatre4  ,the   
second letter1 in order of date1 is more
 interesting4 8,since my arrival in this
 town10 she writes1 8the people have not
 left me a single moment to myself4 ,i  
am overwhelmed by the kindness of all   
the great ladies and principally of the 
,duchess of ,devonshire4 ,i pass all my 
time with her1 when ,i am not engaged at
 the theatre4 ,in truth1 my dear little 
good friend1 the manner in which ,i am  
everywhere received is so flattering    
that a less sensible head than that of  
your little good friend might be turned 

by it40 ,she goes on to say that she has
 just been given a benefit performance1 
which has realised #iej guineas1 and has
 concluded an engagement for the last   
five weeks of her stay in ,england4 ,for
 this she is to receive #fej guineas1   
8which makes a very pretty sum for me to
 bring back to ,paris40 8,this journey  
has not been so unprofitable1 hein6     
,what think you about it8 ,they love me 
to distraction1 these good ,english6    
,voil ce que c'est que le mrite60  ,the 
third letter shows us that in ,london   
the ballerina was regarded as the very  
glass of fashion3 8,for the ball a ball 
at ,drury ,lane organised by the        
,duchess of ,devonshire and other ladies
 one must have dresses1 and the ,english
 ladies are as coquettish as the        
,french4 ,the moment ,i alighted from my
 carriage on my arrival1 ,i was besieged
 by marchandes des modes and tailors1   
who had come to beg me1 on the part of  
the ladies1 to give my opinion on their 
costumes4 ,you know well that ,i did not

 make the fashions40  ,of ,mlle4        
,guimard's visits to ,england there     
exists a weird souvenir in the form of a
 coloured etching entitled3  8,the      
,celebrated ,mademoiselle ,g----rd1 or  
,grimhard1 from ,paris4 ,published by   
,thomas ,humphrey1 ,may #bf1 #aghg40    
,the leanness of the ballerina1 of which
 we have spoken elsewhere1 seems to have
 increased with years1 and was the theme
 of jests innumerable at her expense and
 that of her lovers1 most of them1      
however1 good-natured enough1 for       
,madeleine ,guimard had few enemies1 and
 even the chroniclers of contemporary   
scandal generally have a good word to   
say for her4  ,in the etching in        
question one sees1 under a toque with   
sky-blue plumes1 a woman1 with a death's
 head crowned with false hair1 and a    
bony neck1 raising in the air a         
consumptive leg and waving her arms1 at 
the ends of which are phalanxes of      
little bones in place of fingers4#ia    
,on her return to ,paris1 from ,england1

 in the summer of #aghi1 ,mlle4 ,guimard
 married ,jean tienne ,despraux1 the    
dancing-master and poet1 who had been   
for some years an intimate friend1      
though not1 it would appear1 a lover4#ib
 ,the marriage took place on ,august    
#ad1 at the church of ,sainte-,marie du 
,temple1 the age of the bride being     
forty-six and that of her husband       
thirty-one4 ,the acte de mariage1 cited 
by ,jal1 states that the two had        
received the nuptial benediction1 8after
 having renounced their profession10    
and1 to the great sorrow of her         
countless admirers1 the ,opera knew     
,madeleine ,guimard no more4  ,it is not
 altogether easy to determine the       
reasons which induced ,mlle4 ,guimard to
 take this step2 a step which1 as we    
have mentioned1 entailed the            
renunciation of her profession4         
,certainly it could not have been any   
interested motive1 since ,despraux was  
in far from affluent circumstances1     
while the danseuse was in possession of 

a comfortable little fortune1 as        
fortunes went1 in theatrical circles1 in
 those days4#ic ,nor is it at all likely
 that she was consumed with any very    
violent passion for the dancing-master1 
who1 on his own confession1 was         
insignificant of figure and remarkably  
plain of face4#id ,the probability is   
that she was by this time heartily tired
 of the stage and of a life of          
gallantry1 and desired to spend the     
remainder of her days in retirement and 
the odour of sanctity1 with a man who1  
if he had no physical attractions to    
boast of1 8possessed all the little     
agreeable talents calculated to assure  
the affection of a woman of pleasure    
whose youth was dead40#ie  ,however that
 may be1 the mnage appears to have been 
a happy one1 and that notwithstanding   
the fact that the danseuse and her      
husband were very far from enjoying the 
life of comfort and tranquillity to     
which they had looked forward4 ,for the 
,revolution had begun2 and the          

,revolution meant to themselves and     
hundreds of other pensioners of the     
,state an abrupt descent from           
comparative affluence to poverty4 ,their
 circumstances were1 of course1 superior
 to most of their colleagues1 as        
,madeleine ,guimard had saved money1 a  
very small proportion1 it is true1 of   
the enormous sums which had passed      
through her hands1 but still sufficient 
to save them from actual want4  ,when1  
in #agib1 the municipality entrusted the
 management of the ,opera to ,celerier  
and ,francur1 ,despraux was nominated by
 them a member of the administrative    
council and stage-manager4 ,these posts 
would have more than compensated him for
 the loss of his pensions1 but1         
unfortunately1 the directors were       
shortly afterwards accused of           
embezzlement and arrested2 and in       
,september #agic1 ,despraux1 perhaps    
fearful of sharing their fate1 resigned4
  ,he and his wife now retired to a     
little house on the summit of           

,montmartre1 to reach which1 he tells   
us1 it was necessary to traverse a road 
so steep that the ,jacobin patrols      
neglected to ascend it1 and they were1  
in consequence1 left undisturbed4 ,here 
they appeared to have lived for some    
three years1 and it was here that       
,despraux composed most of the poems    
which he published later1 under the     
title of ,mes ,passe-,temps4 8,i        
composed these chansons10 he says1 8to  
find some distraction from the terrible 
evils that beset us1 and as a little    
surprise for my wife1 whom ,i           
adored40#if  ,notwithstanding the       
disparity in years between them1 there  
can be no doubt that ,despraux was      
devoted to his wife1 and in a poetical  
8bouquet0 entitled ,un ,bon ,mnage1     
published in #ahjf1 he informs the world
 of the profound happiness which he has 
found in his union with the danseuse3   
99       99       99       99       99  
8,ah6 mon ,dieu6 combien j'tais fou6    
,je redoutais le mariage2      ,et      

j'avais lu1 je ne sais o3      #8,le    
bonheur n'est pas en mnage4'            
,erreur6 ta bont1 ta raison      ,m'ont 
enfin prouv le contraire1      ,et je   
vois1 dans l'heureux garon              
,l'heureux imaginaire 7bis74            
,magdelaine aime ma gat      ,et moi sa 
tournure m'enchante1      ,elle fait ma 
flicit      ,elle est en verit1         
charmante6      ,elle prouve depuis     
vingt ans      ,par sa grce qui m'est si
 chre1      ,qu'on a l'art d'arrter le  
temps1      ,quand on a l'art de plaire 
7bis740  ,in #ahjg1 ,despraux was       
appointed inspector of the theatres of  
the ,opera and the ,tuileries4 ,having  
religiously preserved the traditions of 
the ancient ,court1 he was often        
consulted in regard to the ceremonial to
 be observed at the ftes of the new     
,court of ,napoleon4 ,he became1 in     
fact1 a kind of unofficial master of the
 ceremonies1 and1 in this capacity1     
assisted at all the solemn functions of 
the ,empire1 notably at the marriage of 

,napoleon and ,marie ,louise1 of which  
event he has left an interesting account
 in his ,souvenirs4 ,when the ,empire   
fell1 he found himself out of           
employment2 but in #ahae received the   
appointments of inspector-general of    
,court entertainments and professor of  
dancing and deportment at the cole      
,royale de ,musique4  ,the mnage        
,despraux-,guimard resided1 in these    
last years1 in the ,rue de ,mnars1 where
 the ex-danseuse surrounded herself with
 a large circle of friends4 ,often the  
conversation turned on the past triumphs
 of ,mlle4 ,guimard1 when the younger   
members of the company would express    
their regret that it was impossible for 
them to form an idea of that marvellous 
talent which1 for a whole generation1   
had so enchanted the patrons of the     
,opera1 and would beg their hostess to  
give them a few steps of the ballets in 
which she had achieved her greatest     
successes4 ,at first1 the ballerina     
refused1 on the score of her age and the

 decline of her physical powers4 ,but   
the ingenious ,despraux erected in the  
salon a theatre1 the curtain of which   
was so arranged as to reveal only the   
knee and the legs of the actors4 ,and   
here he and his wife1 concealing thus   
all the ravages that time had wrought   
upon face and figure1 danced with legs  
and feet which seemed to the delighted  
spectators to have preserved all the    
grace and suppleness of youth4  ,later1 
when increasing years and feeble health 
had caused her to retire altogether from
 society1 if one of the few intimate    
friends who were still admitted to the  
house happened to refer to her glorious 
past at the ,opera1 the old artiste     
would sometimes offer to amuse her      
visitors with what she called her       
theatre4 ,with that1 she would draw from
 under her fauteuil a little drum1 which
 she would place between her feet on a  
foot-stool4 ,then she would join two of 
her fingers1 bow1 lift the curtain1     
announce some ballet1 and1 by a marvel  

of memory and agility of hand1 dance    
with her two fingers all the steps of   
this ballet--her own steps1 and the     
steps of those who preceded1 and of     
those who had doubled her--with such    
correctness as to make her audience     
appreciate the superiority of her own   
dancing4#ig         99       99       99
       99       99  ,on ,may #d1 #ahaf1 
,madeleine ,guimard--or rather ,madame  
,despraux--died at the age of           
seventy-three2 the death of the famous  
danseuse of the eighteenth century      
passing almost unnoticed in this ,paris 
of the ,restoration1 which seemed to    
have already forgotten her dazzling     
triumphs of yesterday4     ,,iii        
,,mademoiselle ,,raucourt   ,several    
versions have at different times been   
current in regard to the origin of      
,mlle4 ,raucourt4 ,according to the one 
which1 until comparatively recent years1
 found almost general acceptance1 her   
baptismal name was ,franoise ,marie     
,antoinette ,clairien2 she was born at  

,dombasle1 on ,november #bi1 #agec1 and 
was the daughter of 8a poor barber      
overwhelmed with children10 who         
consigned her to the care of the village
 postmaster1 a person called ,franois   
,saucerotte1 by whom she was adopted4#ih
 ,that a child of that name was born at 
,dombasle1 on the above-mentioned date1 
is true enough2 but she was not the     
future tragdienne4 ,the actress in      
question was born in ,paris1 on ,march  
#c1 #agef2 ,franois ,saucerotte was her 
own1 and not her adopted1 father1 and   
she was baptized at the church of       
,saint-,severin1 by the name of ,marie  
,antoinette ,joseph1 as witness the acte
 de naissance1 given by ,auguste ,jal1  
in his invaluable ,dictionnaire de      
,biographie et d',histoire3             
8,wednesday1 ,march #c1 #agef4--,marie  
,antoinette ,joseph1 born to-day1       
daughter of ,franois ,saucerotte1       
bourgeois of ,paris1 and of ,antoinette 
de la ,porte1 his wife1 residing ,rue de
 ,vieille-,bouclerie4 ,the godfather was

 ,julien ,mrel1 labourer1 the godmother1
 ,marguerite ,lancelin1 fille majeure1  
both residing ,rue du ,bac4 ,the        
godmother has declared herself unable to
 sign her name4 7,signed7 ,mrel1        
,saucerotte40  ,what occupation was     
followed by ,franois ,saucerotte at the 
time of his daughter's birth is         
uncertain--bourgeois de ,paris being a  
trifle indefinite4 ,but1 a few years    
later1 he was seized with an ambition to
 become an actor and1 accordingly1      
applied for and obtained an ordre de    
dbut at the ,comdie-,franaise1 where he 
appeared under the name of ,raucourt4   
,the dbut1 however1 was not a success2  
and the pit intimated its sense of ,m4  
,raucourt's shortcomings in so          
unmistakable a manner that1 after his   
second appearance1 that gentleman       
prudently decided to seek fame and      
fortune before a less critical audience4
 ,he accordingly retired to the         
provinces1 and from thence migrated to  
,spain1 as a member of a ,french        

travelling company1 taking his little   
daughter with him4 ,the latter1 who     
early decided to follow her father's    
profession1 amply atoned for any lack of
 ability on his part1 and showed such   
extraordinary precocity that at the age 
of twelve she was already playing with  
success in several tragedy parts4  ,from
 ,spain the ,raucourts--to give them the
 name by which they were henceforth     
known--appear to have journeyed to ,st4 
,petersburg2 but1 towards the end of the
 year #aggj1 returned to ,france1 where 
the girl obtained an engagement at      
,rouen1 the conservatoire of the ,paris 
theatres4 ,here she acted with such     
success1 notably as ,euphmie in ,de     
,belloy's ,gaston et ,bayard1 that the  
fame of her talent soon reached the     
capital and she received an order from  
the ,gentlemen of the ,chamber to make  
her dbut at the ,comdie-,franaise4      
,mlle4 ,raucourt and her father arrived 
in ,paris in the spring of #aggb1 where 
they rented a modest apartment in the   

,rue ,saint-,jacques1 for though rich in
 hopes1 their purses were light4        
,provincial players in those days gained
 abundant experience1 but very little   
money4  ,the young actress's first      
appearance at the ,comdie-,franaise was 
preceded by some months of study1 under 
the direction of ,brizard1 who was as   
excellent a teacher as he was an actor1 
and1 delighted with his pupil's         
intelligence and industry1 did not rest 
content until he had taught her         
everything he knew4 ,in the course of a 
few weeks1 she is said to have mastered 
no less than nineteen important tragedy 
parts4 ,from ,brizard's hands1 and at   
his suggestion1 she passed to those of  
,mlle4 ,clairon2 and the celebrated     
tragdienne1 partly out of a real liking 
for the girl and partly out of a desire 
to set up a rival to ,madame ,vestris1  
with whom her relations were at that    
time very strained1 spared no pains to  
put the finishing touch to the actor's  
work4#ii  ,at length1 towards the end of

 the year1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt was deemed  
worthy to challenge the verdict of the  
,parisians1 and1 on ,december #bc1      
#aggb1 she made her dbut1 as ,dido1 in  
,le ,franc de ,pompignan's famous       
tragedy1 being then within rather more  
than two months of completing her       
seventeenth year4  ,and what a dbut it  
was6 ,never in the whole history of the 
theatre had so young an actress secured 
so brilliant1 so extraordinary1 a       
triumph4 8,before the tragedy began10   
says ,grimm1 8,brizard himself harangued
 the pit1 demanded its indulgence for a 
budding talent1 and assured it that his 
pupil1 formed by the criticisms of the  
public1 would one day be its work4 ,the 
pit1 which loves to the point of folly  
actors to address it1 particularly when 
they call it the arbiter of tastes and  
of talents1 warmly applauded the        
harangue of ,achates ,brizard4#ajj ,but 
when it beheld the most beautiful and   
the most noble creature in the world    
advance1 in the character of ,dido1 to  

the edge of the stage2 when it heard the
 sweetest1 the most flexible1 the most  
harmonious1 the most impressive of      
voices2 when it remarked a style of     
acting full of dignity1 intelligence1   
and the most subtle and delicate shades1
 the enthusiasm of the public knew no   
bounds4 ,they raised cries of admiration
 and applause2 they involuntarily       
embraced one another2 they were         
perfectly intoxicated4 ,when the play   
was over1 the enthusiasm spread to their
 houses4 ,those who had been present at 
,didon dispersed to their various       
quarters1 arrived like men demented1    
spoke with transports of the dbutante1  
communicated their enthusiasm to those  
who had not seen her1 and at every      
supper-table in ,paris nothing was heard
 save the name of ,raucourt40#aja       
,mlle4 ,raucourt had risen that morning 
unknown1 at least so far as ,paris was  
concerned2 she retired to bed a         
celebrity1 the idol of the playgoing    
public4 ,all the gazettes1 all the      

journals1 all the correspondence of the 
time1 resounded with her praises4       
8,nature10 wrote the dramatic critic of 
the ,mercure1 8appears to have lavished 
its gifts upon her3 she is beautiful1   
she is impressive in all her rles1 she  
possesses a kind of innate aptitude for 
tragedy1 and the most triumphant means  
of giving expression to its energy1 its 
sentiment1 and its passion2 a voice     
flexible1 sonorous1 and well-modulated2 
a physiognomy which depicts the         
affections of the heart in all their    
variations2 a look eloquent and         
expressive1 the art of speaking to the  
eyes and of investing her by-play with  
interest4 ,this young actress has       
received everything from beneficent     
,nature1 and study and experience have  
had little to do with perfecting and    
completing her talents40#ajb ,grimm     
predicted that she would be the 8gloire 
immortelle0 of the ,french stage4       
,another critic declared the            
annihilation of the ,british fleet alone

 could have aroused a deeper enthusiasm 
than her acting2 while the ,mmoires     
secrets hailed her as a veritable       
prodigy3 8,it is impossible to describe 
the sensation she has created2 nothing  
like it has been seen within the memory 
of living man4 ,she is only sixteen and 
a half2 she is a study for a painter4   
,she has the most noble1 the most       
dramatic face1 the most enchanting      
voice1 a prodigious intelligence2 she   
did not make a single false intonation4 
,throughout the whole of her very       
difficult part1 she did not commit the  
slightest error1 not even an            
inappropriate gesture4 ,a little        
stiffness and embarrassment in the      
movements of her arms is the only fault 
people have been able to find in        
her40#ajc  ,let us here remark that all 
this eulogy was very far from being     
deserved1 and that the critics ere long 
found reason to modify their enthusiasm4
 ,mlle4 ,raucourt was unquestionably a  
very handsome girl1 and certainly       

possessed many of the qualities         
attributed to her by her admirers2 but  
she never attained anything like the    
standard of excellence of ,adrienne     
,lecouvreur1 or ,mlle4 ,dumesnil1 or    
,mlle4 ,clairon4 8,with a little        
sensibility10 remarks one of her        
colleagues of the ,comdie-,franaise1    
8she might have been the greatest of    
tragdiennes2 but that quality1 so       
invaluable on the stage1 was wanting40  
,she was wanting also in versatility2   
her acting was1 so to speak1 all of a   
piece2 she sinned in excess of force and
 energy1 and never mastered the art of  
varying her intonations1 what ,mlle4    
,clairon called 8the eloquence of       
sounds40 ,no one knew better than did   
she how to give expression to the great 
passions3 hatred1 jealousy1 revenge4    
,she was admirable in the ,agrippine of 
,britannicus1 inimitable in the ,jocaste
 of dipe4 ,but the more human1 the more 
tender passions3 pity1 tenderness1 love1
 were unknown to her4 ,thus her         

rendering of ,phdre1 the greatest       
character of the classic rpertoire1 was 
never more than moderately successful1  
and compared very unfavourably with that
 of ,mlle4 ,dumesnil4#ajd  ,however1 the
 public having with one accord decided  
to place the new actress on a pedestal  
and fall down before her1 was1 for the  
time being1 blind to her shortcomings4  
,its enthusiasm increased with each     
performance1 until it reached a         
veritable frenzy4 ,on the days on which 
she was to appear1 the box-office of the
 theatre was literally besieged from an 
early hour in the morning4 ,servants    
sent by their employers to secure places
 discharged their mission at the risk of
 their lives2 several were carried away 
in an unconscious state1 and one is said
 to have died1 as the result of the     
injuries he received4 ,tickets for the  
pit1 costing twenty-four sous1 were sold
 for nine or ten francs apiece1 in the  
court of the ,tuileries1 by persons who 
had been intrepid enough to secure them2

 the prices of the other places rising  
in the same proportion4 ,the days of the
 ,rue ,quincampoix seemed to have       
returned4  ,when the time for the       
performance drew near1 the scene almost 
baffled description4 ,all the approaches
 to the ,comdie-,franaise were so       
blocked with people that the actors     
themselves could with difficulty        
persuade their excited patrons to make  
way for them4 ,an enormous crowd surged 
round the theatre1 forced the doors1 and
 struggled and fought for the best      
places in the pit4 ,those who1 by good  
fortune or superior physical strength1  
emerged triumphant from the mle1 arrived
 panting for breath1 with their clothes 
nearly torn from their backs1           
dishevelled hair1 and faces streaming   
with perspiration4 8,do you think10     
inquired an old lady1 in ,grimm's       
hearing1 one evening1 8that if it had   
been a question of saving their country1
 these people would have exposed        
themselves like this80  ,the enthusiasm 

of the town spread to the ,court1 and1  
on ,january #e1 the new actress was     
commanded to appear at ,versailles1     
where she seems to have created a       
similar sensation4 ,louis ,,xv41 despite
 his indifference to tragedy1 sat out   
,didon to the end1 sent for ,mlle4      
,raucourt and1 after warmly             
complimenting her1 presented her to the 
,dauphiness1 as the ,queen of ,carthage4
 ,he also made her a present of fifty   
louis1 and gave orders that she should  
be received as a member of the ,comdie  
without being required to give any      
further proofs of her talent4 ,madame du
 ,barry hastened to follow his          
,majesty's example1 and offered the     
young actress the choice of three       
dresses for her private use1 or a robe  
de thtre4 ,to which the girl replied    
that she would prefer the stage costume1
 8since1 in that case1 the public would 
profit by ,madame la ,comtesse's        
goodness as well as herself40#aje       
,after appearing four times in ,didon1  

,mlle4 ,raucourt played the parts of    
milie1 in ,cinna1 ,monime1 in           
,mithridate1 ,idam1 in ,voltaire's      
,orphelin de la ,chine1 ,hermione1 in   
,andromaque1 and1 finally1 that of      
,pulchrie1 in ,hraclitus1 in all of     
which rles1 ,grimm tells us1 8she showed
 the happiest dispositions and announced
 the greatest talents40 ,the furore she 
excited1 so far from diminishing1       
continued to increase1 and not a day    
passed without some persons being more  
or less seriously injured in the        
struggle at the doors of the theatre4   
,the climax of absurdity seems to have  
been reached a few evenings after her   
visit to ,versailles1 when her admirers 
in the pit clamoured for 8a benefit     
performance for the new actress10 and   
refused to allow the play to proceed    
until the management had announced their
 willingness to accede to their patrons'
 wishes1 provided the ,gentlemen of the 
,chamber would accord them permission4  
,in the meanwhile1 the triumphs of      

,mlle4 ,raucourt1 the ovations of which 
she was every evening the recipient1 had
 begun to arouse the alarm and jealousy 
of her colleagues4 ,the two leading     
actresses of the company1 ,madame       
,vestris and ,mlle4 ,sainval the        
elder1#ajf had been for some time mortal
 enemies2 but1 in the presence of this  
newcomer1 who had in a single night     
relegated them both to secondary places 
in the affections of the fickle public1 
they recognised the wisdom of forgetting
 their differences for the nonce and    
making common cause against the         
interloper4 ,they organised a cabal2    
they filled the pit with their personal 
friends and with hired agents1          
instructed to interrupt the finest      
tirades of ,mlle4 ,raucourt with jeers  
and hisses1 and1 behind the scenes1 they
 did everything in their power to render
 their young rival's life a burden to   
her4 ,their intrigues were fruitless1   
nay more1 they recoiled upon their own  
heads4 ,the voices of the malcontents   

were drowned in the bursts of applause1 
which increased in volume and frequency 
the moment it became known that an      
opposition was at work4 ,so indignant   
were the audience that any shortcomings 
on the part of its idol were at once    
attributed to the machinations of her   
jealous rivals4 ,one evening1 when      
playing ,monime1 she forgot her part4   
8,it is all the fault of those          
,sainvals10 said the indignant parterre4
 ,on another1 a cat happened to stray on
 to the stage and interrupted the       
performance with plaintive cries4 8,i   
will wager that that cat belongs to     
,madame ,vestris60 cried a wag in the   
pit2 and the sally was followed by a    
roar of derisive laughter4#ajg ,the     
intriguers found themselves covered with
 ridicule2 while ,mlle4 ,raucourt's     
position grew stronger every day4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,the extraordinary popularity of ,mlle4 
,raucourt with the playgoing public was 
enhanced by an unsullied reputation off 

the stage4 8,i understand10 writes      
,grimm1 8that this charming creature1 so
 imposing on the stage1 is very simple  
in private life2 that she has all the   
candour and innocence of her age1 and   
occupies with girlish amusements the    
time not set apart for study4 ,many     
dissertations have been written with the
 view of discovering metaphysically by  
what power a girl so young and innocent 
can represent with so much power on the 
stage the transports and the fury of    
love40 ,he adds that so determined was  
her father to defend her chastity that  
he invariably carried two loaded pistols
 8in order to blow out the brains of the
 first who should make an attempt on the
 virtue of his daughter40#ajh  ,m4      
,raucourt indeed followed his talented  
daughter about like her shadow2 to the  
theatre1 on her shopping expeditions1 to
 the private houses to which she was    
invited4 ,during the performances1 he   
mounted sentinel in the wings1 to be    
ready to place himself at her side the  

moment she made her exit4 ,people       
compared him to a jealous lover keeping 
watch over a flighty mistress4  ,all    
these precautions1 however1 were quite  
unnecessary4 ,mlle4 ,raucourt was       
virtuous1 or rather she was virtue      
itself4 8,in vain was her heart besieged
 like the box-office of the theatre on  
the evenings on which she was to appear2
 in vain her adorers prostrated         
themselves before her4 ,she turned a    
deaf ear to the most brilliant          
propositions2 she repulsed with horror  
the most tempting offers40  ,soon the   
virtue of ,mlle4 ,raucourt became as    
celebrated as her talent2 it was the    
talk of the town2 the memoirs and       
correspondence of the time are full of  
it4 8,the virtue of the new actress     
still keeps up40 8,the virtue of the new
 actress resists the numerous assaults  
to which it is subjected40 8,the new    
actress has begun to give petits        
soupers1 which1 it is hoped1 may lead to
 what she has hitherto escaped40 ,and so

 forth4  ,it cannot be said that the    
young woman lacked encouragement to     
persevere in a course which1 for an     
actress in those days1 was as laudable  
as it was novel4 ,every evening the     
theatre resounded with acclamations1    
which were intended to be as much a     
tribute to her exemplary conduct as to  
her beauty and talent4 ,devout ladies of
 the ,court vied with one another in    
giving her good advice and in enriching 
her wardrobe2 and all manner of         
flattering epithets were bestowed upon  
her4 ,she was 8,jeanne d',arc at the    
,comdie-,franaise10 8the ,wise ,virgin  
in the midst of the foolish ones10      
8,diana with the features of ,venus40   
,nor was material encouragement wanting1
 as the following anecdote will show3   
8,january #bj1 #aggc4--,mlle4 ,raucourt 
continues to create the greatest        
sensation4 ,it is reported that the     
other day a man entered her             
dressing-room1 who informed her that she
 could judge from his age and his       

appearance that he was not prompted by  
any unlawful motive1 but that he was    
guided solely by a profound sentiment of
 admiration for her talent2 that he     
entreated her not to be offended with   
one who1 in his enthusiasm1 desired to  
give her proofs of his esteem by a      
little tribute which he would lay upon  
her toilette-table2 and forthwith       
deposited there two rouleaux of one     
hundred louis each40 ,mlle4 ,raucourt1  
the chronicler adds1 graciously replied 
that it was impossible for her to refuse
 a gift offered in such terms1 and the  
gentleman departed1 without making      
himself known4#aji  ,a few days later1  
the lady received an anonymous offer of 
#ab1jjj francs a year1 8for so long as  
she remained chaste40 ,the writer went  
on to say that if she decided not to do 
so1 and would grant him the preference1 
the pension should be doubled4 ,the     
,nouvelles  la main1 which reports this 
incident1 informs its readers that it is
 not yet known which offer ,mlle4       

,raucourt had decided to accept2 but    
since the anonymous 8benefactor0 was    
commonly understood to be none other    
than a ,prince of the ,blood1 the ,duc  
de ,bourbon to wit1 it would be scarcely
 reasonable to expect her to continue   
inflexible4  ,the young actress1        
nevertheless1 would accept nothing from 
the duke1 and her refusal placed the    
comble upon her fame4 ,her enemies      
declared that she must be 8not a woman  
at all1 but a monster02 her idolators   
could find no words in which to express 
their admiration4  ,voltaire was the    
first to besmirch the spotless          
reputation of ,mlle4 ,raucourt4 ,it is  
said that so much fuss about the virtue 
of an actress irritated him1 and that he
 was annoyed because the girl's         
successes in the classic rpertoire had  
caused the production of his ,lois de   
,minos1 from which he expected great    
things1 to be indefinitely postponed4   
,as1 however1 ,voltaire1 with all his   
faults1 was incapable of deliberately   

slandering a woman1 it is probable that 
he acted in good faith1 prompted by a   
desire to unmask a hypocrite4           
,circumstance sometimes obliged the     
,patriarch to play the hypocrite        
himself2 but he hated hypocrisy in      
others2 and the news that a young       
dbutante1 solely on account of an       
undeserved reputation for virtue1 was   
being exalted above his beloved         
,adrienne ,lecouvreur and his favourite 
interpreter1 ,mlle4 ,clairon1 may well  
have filled him with righteous          
indignation4  ,however that may be1 he  
wrote to his friend1 the ,marchal de    
,richelieu1 that he was informed1 on    
excellent authority1 that1 while in     
,spain1 the supposed immaculate         
,raucourt had been the mistress of a    
gentleman from ,geneva1 who had been    
travelling in that country4  ,as        
ill-luck would have it1 when the letter 
arrived1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt was dining at 
,richelieu's house1 chaperoned1 it is   
hardly necessary to observe1 by her     

vigilant father2 young ladies who valued
 their reputations did not go           
unprotected to visit that evergreen     
sinner4 ,d',alembert1 the ,princesse de 
,beauvau1 and ,mlle4 ,clairon's sometime
 adorer1 the ,marquis de ,ximens1 were  
also present4 ,as every one was anxious 
to know what the great man had to say1  
,richelieu1 without opening the letter1 
handed it to ,ximens1 with a request    
that he would read it to the company4   
,the marquis complied1 and proceeded    
until he had uttered the fatal sentence1
 when he stopped abruptly and began     
mumbling apologies4 ,terrible was the   
commotion which ensued4 ,mlle4 ,raucourt
 promptly swooned away2 her father drew 
his sword1 swearing that he would       
proceed to ,ferney and run the          
,patriarch through the body2 the        
,princesse de ,beauvau called the       
maladroit marquis a fool2 while wicked  
old ,richelieu1 we may presume1 looked  
on choking with suppressed mirth4  ,on  
the morrow1 the story was all over      

,paris4 ,the first feeling was one of   
incredulity--people are always slow to  
believe that idols of their own creation
 have feet of clay--and both ,court and 
town took the side of the outraged      
actress1 and declared that she had been 
grossly calumniated4 ,d',alembert       
reported the scene at the marshal's     
house1 and the feeling which his        
accusation had aroused1 to ,voltaire1   
who1 perhaps alarmed for the future     
reception of his tragedies1 hastened to 
pour the balm of his flattery upon the  
wound which he had inflicted3 8,i am the
 aged son1 and you the enchantress      
,medea40 8,i have scarcely left to me   
eyes to see1 a soul to admire1 a hand to
 write to you40 ,and then he breaks     
forth into verse3      8,raucourt1 tes  
talents enchanteurs      ,chaque jour te
 font des conqutes1      ,tu fais       
soupirer tous les curs1      ,tu fais   
tourner toutes les ttes4             99 
99       99       99       99           
,l'art d'attendrir et de charmer      ,a

 par ta brillante aurore1      ,mais ton
 cur est fait pour aimer1      ,et ce   
cur ne dit rien encore40  ,but the      
mischief was done3 no amount of epistles
 or madrigals could repair it4          
,gradually people began to think that   
there might have been more truth in the 
story about the ,genevese lover than    
they had at first supposed2 ,voltaire1  
they reflected1 lived close to ,geneva1 
and was probably well informed4 ,mlle4  
,raucourt's many adorers took courage2  
they redoubled their attentions2 they   
refused any longer to believe her       
indignant protestations4 ,nothing1 as   
the actor ,fleury observes1 is more     
dangerous to virtue than such           
incredulity1 nothing more disheartening 
than to make sacrifices in which the    
world does not believe4 ,whether        
,voltaire's accusation was true or not1 
certain it is that ,mlle4 ,raucourt ere 
long came to the conclusion that she had
 made sacrifices enough1 and one fine   
day the town 8learned with stupefaction0

 that at ,compigne1 where the troupe of 
the ,comdie-,franaise was giving a      
series of performances before the       
,court1 the impregnable virtue of its   
idol had at length succumbed4  ,it was  
at first reported that the fortress had 
surrendered to no less a person than the
 ,king himself4 8,no one expected this  
dbut10 writes a ,parisian staying at    
,compigne1 8which is not likely to meet 
with the success of ,didon4 ,but she has
 an excuse4 ,what woman can resist her  
,king80  ,soon1 however1 this rumour was
 contradicted4 ,it was not his ,most    
,christian ,majesty1 but his ,prime     
,minister1 the ,duc d',aiguillon1 who   
had triumphed over the resistance of the
 lady4 ,a more unfortunate choice for an
 actress who wished to retain her       
popularity with the ,parisians could not
 have been made4 ,next to the           
,chancellor1 ,maupeou1 and the          
,comptroller-,general1 the ,abb ,terrai1
 d',aiguillon was the best-hated man in 
,france4  ,mlle4 ,raucourt's intimacy   

with the ,minister lasted but a very    
short time2 it was merely a galanterie4 
,but1 in ,march #aggd1 we learn that she
 is living openly under the protection  
of the ,marquis de ,bivre1 a young      
officer of ,musketeers1 with some       
literary pretensions1#aaj who had paid  
her debts1 amounting1 it was said1 to   
#dj1jjj livres1 made a settlement upon  
her1 and allowed her a handsome sum per 
month1 for current expenses4  ,the once 
modest and retiring young actress1 as if
 resolved to atone for the strict       
decorum she had formerly imposed upon   
herself1 now lived a life of the utmost 
luxury and extravagance4 ,she had ten or
 twelve horses in her stables1 rented   
two or three houses1 and kept fifteen   
servants1 while her toilettes were the  
envy and despair of all feminine ,paris4
 ,on ,good ,friday1 she drove to the    
,abbey of ,longchamps1 in the train of  
,mlle4 ,duth and ,mlle4 ,clophile1 the  
inamorata of the ,spanish ,ambassador1  
two of the most extravagant courtesans  

of the time1 8in a pompous equipage     
drawn by four horses40 8,the carriage   
was of an apple-green colour1 encrusted 
with different coloured stones1 the     
mountings of the harness were of silver1
 and the reins of crimson silk40 ,the   
chronicler adds that it is common belief
 that ,m4 de ,bivre is not the only     
person who pays for these luxuries4     
,soon ,m4 de ,bivre was discarded and1  
8after some excursions into the ,court  
and financial circles10 ,mlle4 ,raucourt
 accepted the protection of another     
marquis1 de ,villette1 the dissipated   
husband of ,voltaire's 8,belle et       
,bonne40 ,m4 de ,villette's reign was   
even shorter than that of his           
predecessor in the lady's affections1   
and far from a tranquil one4 ,not       
content with doing her very best to ruin
 him by her extravagance1 his mistress  
tried to inveigle him into a duel with  
the architect ,belanger1 over some      
epigram which ,sophie ,arnould had made 
at her expense1 and was highly indignant

 when poor ,villette1 who was of a      
peace-loving disposition1 declined to   
humour her4 ,after a few weeks1 they    
quarrelled violently over money matters 
and parted on very bad terms1 but not   
before the marquis had1 by a letter to  
the gazettes1 taken the whole town into 
his confidence in regard to the way the 
lady had treated him4  ,illustration3   
,,mademoiselle ,,raucourt  ,from an     
engraving by ,,ruotte after the painting
 by ,,gros in the ,collection of ,mr4   
,a4 ,m4 ,broadley  ,mlle4 ,raucourt's   
conduct grew worse and worse2 soon she  
had become perfectly reckless4 ,women   
like ,camargo1 ,clairon1 ,guimard1      
,gaussin1 and ,sophie ,arnould had been 
lax enough in their morals2 but1 at     
least1 they had been capable of more or 
less disinterested attachments1 and had1
 moreover1 generally contrived to cast a
 veil over their worst irregularities4  
,mlle4 ,raucourt seemed as heartless as 
she was indifferent to public opinion4  
,she passed from gallantry to gallantry2

 she ruined foolish young men and then  
laughed at their folly1 cynically       
observing that 8women were the most     
expensive of all tastes02 she flaunted  
her profligacy in the face of all       
,paris1 and contracted immense debts1   
which there was no possibility of her   
being able to discharge4 8,in the space 
of a few months10 writes ,grimm1 8she   
astonished ,court and town1 as much by  
the excess of her irregularities as she 
had by the rare prodigy of her          
innocence4 ,she scandalised even those  
who were least susceptible to scandal40 
,the day of reckoning was not long in   
arriving4 ,her renown as a tragdienne   
disappeared with her reputation for     
virtue2 and this actress who1 at the    
time of her dbut1 had been vaunted as   
the superior of ,dumesnil and ,clairon1 
was soon to become one of the most      
striking examples in theatrical history 
of the fickleness of the mob4 ,the      
public decided that it had been the dupe
 of an unscrupulous hypocrite and burned

 with righteous indignation4 ,soon      
detractors arose3 they declared that the
 young actress had no soul1 no          
sensibility2 that her delivery was      
stilted and artificial2 that she        
indulged too freely in gesticulation2   
that her acting lacked restraint1 and   
that her voice--that 8sweetest1 most    
flexible1 most harmonious1 most         
enchanting of voices0--was harsh and    
unpleasant4 ,they found fault with her  
figure3 her waist was too long1 her arms
 too thin4 ,finally1 they even denied   
the beauty of her face1 on the ground   
that it was too masculine4 8,it was as  
though a bandage had fallen from the    
eyes of the public40  ,there can be very
 little doubt that ,mlle4 ,raucourt's   
acting was now distinctly inferior to   
what it had been at the time of her     
first appearance at the                 
,comdie-,franaise4 ,a dissipated life   
does not conduce to success in any      
profession1 and it would appear that1 so
 far from making any progress1 she had  

neglected her studies to the point of   
forgetting much of what ,brizard and    
,mlle4 ,clairon had been at such pains  
to teach her4 ,still1 as we have said   
elsewhere1 her talents had been absurdly
 overrated1 and a reaction was bound to 
set in sooner or later4 ,that it came so
 quickly1 however1 and assumed so       
violent a form was the result of        
circumstances entirely unconnected with 
her art4  ,her reception as ,hermione1  
in ,andromaque1 in ,march #aggd1 was the
 first sign of the coming storm4        
,according to the ,mmoires secrets1 the 
acting all round on this occasion left a
 good deal to be desired2 but the       
public1 who had just learned that ,mlle4
 ,raucourt was living openly with the   
,marquis de ,bivre1 concentrated its    
resentment upon her1 and she was loudly 
hissed4  ,the hostile demonstrations    
grew more frequent and more pronounced  
in proportion as the actress's          
irregularities became more notorious4   
,nevertheless1 so long as there was     

nothing worse than innumerable          
gallantries with which to reproach her1 
she was not without supporters in the   
pit1 whose acclamations served to       
counteract1 if not entirely to drown1   
the cries of the malcontents4           
,presently1 however1 ugly rumours began 
to spread--rumours which attributed to  
the young tragdienne the shameful vices 
of ancient ,greece1 and which1 there is 
reason to believe1 were but too well    
justified4#aaa ,every one now turned    
against her2 those who had been loudest 
in chanting her praises were now        
foremost in ridicule and abuse1 and such
 was the general odium which she had    
contrived to excite that she counted    
herself fortunate if her appearance on  
the stage was received in silence4      
8,never10 wrote ,grimm1 8was idol       
worshipped with more infatuation2 never 
was idol broken with more contempt40    
,there was1 however1 a slight reaction  
in her favour when1 on ,october #cj1    
#agge1 she appeared as the ,statue1 in  

the ,pygmalion of ,jean ,jacques        
,rousseau4 8,she was truly beautiful in 
this pose10 says the critic of the      
,mmoires secrets4 8,it is considered the
 most successful part she has yet       
undertaken40 ,and ,la ,harpe writes3    
8,this rle1 which would be suitable for 
so few women1 is precisely that which is
 most becoming to ,mlle4 ,raucourt4 ,the
 only thing required of her is to be    
beautiful1 and in that she is a complete
 success4 ,it is impossible to imagine a
 more seductive vision than this        
actress1 as she poses on her pedestal at
 the moment when the veil which has     
hitherto covered her is drawn aside4    
,her head was that of ,venus1 and her   
leg1 half-discovered1 that of           
,diana40#aab  ,but this was1 after all1 
only a respite4 ,soon her humiliations  
recommenced4 ,her rivals1 ,madame       
,vestris and the elder ,mlle4 ,sainval1 
powerless1 as we have seen1 to injure   
her1 so long as she retained her        
popularity1 had not been slow to take   

advantage of the change in public       
feeling4 ,a cabal was formed against her
 at the theatre2 she was systematically 
entrusted with parts quite unsuited to  
her style of acting1 and sometimes      
called upon1 at a few hours' notice1 to 
appear in characters which she had only 
partially studied4 ,thus1 during a      
revival of ,britannicus1 ,mlle4         
,dumesnil1 happening to fall ill1 the   
luckless young actress found herself    
suddenly compelled to play ,agrippine1 a
 rle which1 though in later years one of
 her most successful impersonations1 was
 at this time almost unknown to her4    
,before the play began1 d',auberval1 who
 by no means approved of the proceedings
 of the cabal1 came before the curtain1 
informed the pit of ,mlle4 ,dumesnil's  
indisposition1 and begged its indulgence
 for her substitute4 ,his request was of
 no avail2 and poor ,mlle4 ,raucourt met
 with such a reception that she fainted 
and had to be carried off the stage4    
,to the intrigues of her rivals and the 

insults of the pit were now added the   
importunities and threats of her        
creditors4 ,in the four years she had   
been a member of the ,comdie-,franaise  
she had1 besides spending immense sums  
belonging to her infatuated admirers1   
contrived to run into debt to the extent
 of something like #cjj1jjj livres1 and 
went in hourly fear of arrest4 ,at      
length1 the situation became            
intolerable1 and she resolved to seek   
safety in flight4 8,it was intended to  
produce the ,zuma of ,m4 ,le ,fvre10    
writes ,grimm1 8when the compulsory     
disappearance of ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 who  
was to have played one of the principal 
parts1 caused the rehearsals to be      
suddenly interrupted4 ,sudden as was her
 disappearance1 it has occasioned little
 surprise40  ,nothing was heard of the  
fugitive for six weeks1 during which1 it
 was subsequently ascertained1 she had  
been hiding in the neighbourhood of     
,paris1 disguised as a dragoon4 ,a      
good-natured farmer1 who mistook her for

 a young officer in trouble about a     
duel1 had given her shelter4 ,at the end
 of that time she returned1 to find that
 her name had been struck off the books 
of the ,comdie-,franaise1 and her place 
given to ,mlle4 ,sainval the younger1   
who1 received with enthusiasm on her    
dbut1 had been subsequently altogether  
eclipsed by ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 and1 for  
some time past1 had been playing at     
,lyons4#aac  ,at first1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt
 took refuge in the ,temple1 the        
sanctuary of insolvent debtors1 while   
some of the few friends still left to   
her negotiated with her creditors1 with 
a view to obtaining a reprieve4 ,perhaps
 the creditors thought that1 if time    
were given to her1 the lady might       
contrive to secure some wealthy admirer1
 by whom their claims would be settled4 
,any way1 they consented to accord her a
 few months' grace1 and1 in the autumn1 
,mlle4 ,raucourt left the ,temple and   
went to live with a ,madame ,souck1 8a  
,german woman of horribly depraved      

morals10 in the ,rue du ,faubourg       
,saint-,denis4 ,madame ,souck1 it       
transpired1 had introduced ,mlle4       
,raucourt into the house in the         
temporary absence of the landlord1 who1 
on his return1 found her established in 
a vacant suite of apartments1 which she 
firmly declined to vacate4 ,when he     
ventured to remonstrate1 ,madame        
,souck's servants threatened him with   
8coups de bton et autres violences10 and
 also maltreated one of his tenants1 who
 would appear to have taken the         
landlord's part4 ,so threatening1       
indeed1 did the attitude of the two     
ladies and their domestics become that  
the poor landlord declared1 in a        
complaint he lodged before a commissary 
of police1 that he dared not even sleep 
in his own house1 8for fear of          
accidents40#aad  ,madame ,souck's       
finances1 like those of her friend1 were
 in a parlous state1 and1 in the        
following spring1 a firm of             
silk-merchants of the ,rue ,saint-,honor

 levied an execution upon her premises1 
and placed one ,thomas ,philippe ,violet
 and another bailiff in possession4     
,madame ,souck1 however1 was not a lady 
to submit tamely to such inconvenience1 
and1 on ,march #bg1 we find ,thomas     
,philippe ,violet appearing before a    
commissary of the ,chtelet to lodge a   
complaint and demand protection against 
the dame ,souck1 the demoiselle         
,raucourt1 and other persons1 8their    
accomplices1 abettors1 and adherents40  
,in this document1 he declares that1 on 
the night of the #beth to #bfth inst41  
at two hours after midnight1 the said   
dame ,souck and the said demoiselle     
,raucourt1 8both dressed in men's       
clothes10 arrived1 accompanied by the   
said accomplices1 abettors1 and         
adherents1 and1 after creating a        
terrible uproar and 8swearing by the    
,holy ,name of ,god10 proceeded with    
blows and kicks to force the doors1 and 
ejected both him and his colleague into 
the street4#aae  ,that same day1 ,mlle4 

,raucourt was arrested1 at the suit of a
 usurer1 who had grown tired of waiting 
for his money1 and conveyed to ,for     
l'vque4 ,fortunately for her1 she       
contrived to obtain her release before  
the news of her arrest had been noised  
abroad1 in which case she would have had
 any number of detainers lodged against 
her1 and might have remained under lock 
and key for an indefinite time4 ,the    
,prince de ,ligne1 who had1 or had      
formerly had1 tender relations with     
,madame ,souck1 happened to be in ,paris
 and1 at the instance of that lady1     
intervened on the actress's behalf4 ,he 
appears to have settled the usurer's    
claim and also to have encouraged a     
belief that he intended to pay all      
,mlle4 ,raucourt's debts4 ,by this means
 the tragdienne obtained a fresh        
respite1 which she employed in          
endeavouring to gain readmission to the 
,comdie-,franaise4 ,in this she failed  
and1 finding that her creditors were    
again on the point of taking up arms1   

she once more took to flight1 and this  
time left the country1 accompanied by   
her devoted friend1 ,madame ,souck4     
,the movements of ,mlle4 ,raucourt      
during the next two years are shrouded  
in mystery4 ,all that is known for      
certain1 is that she exploited ,north   
,germany1 ,poland1 and ,russia1 and     
passed some time in ,berlin and ,warsaw4
 ,in ,july #aggh1 the ,nouvelles  la    
main report that1 at ,hamburg1 both she 
and ,madame ,souck had been arrested on 
a charge of swindling1 and1 having been 
whipped and branded1 expelled from the  
city4 ,this1 however1 was no doubt only 
malicious gossip spread about by the    
young actress's enemies1 determined to  
keep not only the ,comdie-,franaise1 but
 ,france itself closed against her2 and 
there was probably more truth in a story
 from ,holland1 to the effect that      
,mlle4 ,raucourt had become the mistress
 of a wealthy ,russian nobleman and had 
8squandered in a very short time a large
 fortune40         99       99       99 

99       99  ,in the meanwhile1 great   
events were taking place in ,paris4 ,the
 alliance between ,madame ,vestris and  
,mlle4 ,sainval the elder1 which their  
common jealousy of ,mlle4 ,raucourt had 
called into being1 had lasted only so   
long as the total discomfiture of that  
lady had rendered necessary4 ,its object
 accomplished1 it was dissolved1 and the
 parties turned their weapons against   
each other4 ,counting upon the support  
of her lover1 the ,duc de ,duras1 who1  
in his capacity as ,first ,gentleman of 
the ,chamber1 exercised a not altogether
 judicious control over the affairs of  
the ,comdie-,franaise1 ,madame ,vestris 
appropriated certain characters of the  
classic rpertoire which ,mlle4 ,sainval 
had hitherto regarded as her exclusive  
property4 ,the latter angrily protested1
 and the matter was referred to the     
,gentlemen of the ,chamber1 who1 at the 
instance of the ,duc de ,duras1 decided 
in favour of ,madame ,vestris4 ,this    
decision was followed by open war       

between the two actresses and their     
respective partisans2 nothing else was  
talked of in the green-rooms1 the cafs1 
and the salons of ,paris1 and very hard 
knocks were given and received4  ,madame
 ,vestris wrote to the ,journal de      
,paris1 to justify the course she had   
taken2 ,mlle4 ,sainval promptly replied2
 but the editor returned her letter1    
with an intimation that he had received 
instructions from a high quarter that no
 reply was to be inserted4 ,indignant at
 such injustice1 the lady thereupon     
expanded her letter into a pamphlet1 8in
 which ,m4 de ,duras was insulted1 and  
the ,queen even mentioned in a manner   
far from respectful40#aaf ,marie        
,antoinette1 who1 ,madame ,campan tells 
us1 was accused1 by implication1 of     
leading the ,king by the nose1 seems to 
have been rather amused than otherwise2 
but the duke was furious4 ,the pamphlet 
had contained several of his private    
letters1 and while all playgoing ,paris 
was indignant at the partiality which   

these revealed1 all literary ,paris was 
making merry at the expense of an       
,academician who could not write his    
mother-tongue with even an approach to  
accuracy4 ,the angry nobleman insisted  
that condign and exemplary punishment   
should be meted out to the offender1 and
 poor ,mlle4 ,sainval was expelled from 
the ,comdie-,franaise1 prohibited from  
performing in any provincial theatre1   
and exiled to ,clermont1 in             
,beauvoisis4#aag ,this high-handed      
action was bitterly resented by the     
public4 ,mlle4 ,sainval had been far    
more popular than her rival1 whose      
relations with the ,duc de ,duras had   
caused her to be regarded as a minion of
 the ,court1 and the habitus of the pit 
now1 almost to a man1 declared in her   
favour4 ,madame ,vestris's appearance on
 the stage was the signal for a storm of
 hisses2 while1 on the other hand1 the  
younger sister of the disgraced actress 
was received with tumultuous cheering1  
and when1 one evening1 in the character 

of ,amnade1 in ,tancrde1 she pronounced 
the line1      8,l'injustice  la fin    
produit l'indpendance10  the applause   
absolutely shook the theatre4 8,nothing 
was heard but cries of #8,sainval6      
,sainval6 les deux ,sainval6' ,the      
presence of the guard had no effect2 the
 pit that night would have opposed a    
regiment40  ,alarmed by these           
demonstrations1 the ,gentlemen of the   
,chamber decided to mitigate the        
punishment inflicted upon the elder     
,sainval1 who was1 accordingly1 granted 
permission to leave ,clermont and to    
play in the provinces4 ,everywhere she  
was received with frantic enthusiasm4   
,at ,bordeaux1 at the conclusion of the 
play1 two cupids descended from a cloud 
to crown her with laurels1 and the      
audience pelted her with flowers until  
the stage resembled a flower-garden4    
,by far the wisest course would have    
been to reinstate ,mlle4 ,sainval at the
 ,comdie-,franaise and thus deprive the 
turbulent patrons of that institution of

 any further excuse for demonstrations  
in her favour and against her rival4    
,but1 since the ,gentlemen of the       
,chamber were of opinion that this would
 be too great a concession to popular   
clamour1 it was decided to endeavour to 
direct public attention from ,mlle4     
,sainval and her wrongs by recalling    
,mlle4 ,raucourt4  ,madame ,vestris     
herself seems to have been the first to 
suggest this step4 ,she was1 of course1 
well aware that if1 by any chance1      
,mlle4 ,raucourt were to recover the    
place she had once held in the          
affections of the public1 she herself   
would be completely overshadowed4 ,but1 
since her own eclipse would undoubtedly 
be shared by ,mlle4 ,sainval1 whom she  
now hated far more than she ever had the
 younger actress1 she was prepared to   
regard that eventuality with            
complacency4  ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 then at 
,berlin1 was accordingly invited to     
return1 and accepted the invitation     
readily enough1 though it may be doubted

 whether she would have done so at all1 
could she have foreseen the kind of     
reception which awaited her4 ,her       
creditors1 acting doubtless on a hint   
from an influential quarter1 showed no  
disposition to molest her2 but the      
scandals with which her name had been   
associated had not been forgotten4      
,every door was closed to her2 no one   
could be persuaded to have any dealings 
with this 8most compromising of women40 
,friendless and without resources1 she  
knew not where to go1 when the          
good-natured ,sophie ,arnould offered   
her hospitality4 ,it was a courageous   
act on the ex-singer's part1 since her  
own and ,mlle4 ,raucourt's enemies did  
not hesitate to attribute it to the most
 shameful motives4 ,the same abominable 
charge which had been brought against   
the tragdienne was now openly levelled  
at her4  ,sophie1 however1 cared very   
little what people might say about her4 
,not content with extending her         
hospitality to the proscribed actress1  

she did everything in her power to      
interest her friends in favour of her   
protge4 ,to please his mistress1 the    
,prince d',hnin became one of ,mlle4    
,raucourt's warmest partisans1 and used 
all his not inconsiderable influence to 
break down the social quarantine to     
which she was subjected4  ,mlle4        
,raucourt's reinstatement at the        
,comdie-,franaise was more easily       
proposed than accomplished4 ,the        
majority of her former colleagues       
opposed it most strenuously1 on the     
ground that their statutes prohibited   
the readmission of a player who had been
 excluded by a vote of the socitaires1  
and that the misconduct of the actress  
in question had injured the company in  
the estimation of the public4 ,the      
,gentlemen of the ,chamber1 however1    
turned a deaf ear to their              
remonstrances4 ,marie ,antoinette1 a    
great admirer of ,mlle4 ,raucourt's     
acting1 and ever ready to take the part 
of any of her sex whom she considered to

 have been hardly treated1 espoused her 
cause1 and even talked of paying her    
debts1 and on ,september #aa1 #aggi1 the
 ,journal de ,paris contained the       
following announcement3                 
8,comdie-,franaise4--,we understand that
 the demoiselle ,raucourt1 absent from  
this theatre for three years1 will      
reappear there this evening1 in the rle 
of ,dido40  ,dido1 it will be           
remembered1 was the part in which the   
actress had made her sensational dbut1  
seven years before2 and the recollection
 of the triumph she had secured on that 
occasion had doubtless influenced her   
choice of this rle4 ,now1 as then1 the  
doors of the theatre were besieged1 and 
the salle crowded to its utmost         
capacity4 ,but alas6 how different were 
the feelings which animated the         
expectant audience6 ,mlle4 ,raucourt had
 been thrust upon the town in defiance  
of feelings which ought to have been    
respected2 night after night the pit had
 clamoured for ,mlle4 ,sainval1 and1 in 

her stead1 it had been given--,raucourt6
 ,and to make matters worse1 it was an  
open secret that the ,court intended to 
pay her debts 8out of the people's      
money40  ,long before the curtain rose1 
angry murmurs heralded the coming storm1
 and the moment ,dido appeared1 it burst
 in all its fury4 ,the uproar was       
indescribable4 ,hisses1 groans1 and     
cat-calls came from all parts of the    
pit4 ,the grossest epithets1 the most   
shocking abuse1 were showered upon the  
unfortunate actress4 8,it was           
impossible10 says one account1 8to hear 
a single word of her part4 ,the other   
actors were allowed to speak1 but so    
soon as her turn arrived1 the clamour   
began again4 ,it is suspected that the  
partisans of the demoiselles ,sainval   
are no strangers to this fermentation40 
,even more violent was the hostility    
displayed when1 two nights later1 ,mlle4
 ,raucourt appeared as ,phdre4 ,all who 
are familiar with ,racine's famous      
tragedy know that the part of the       

hapless heroine contains many lines     
which may be readily applied to her     
impersonator by a hostile audience1 and1
 in electing to play it1 ,mlle4         
,raucourt furnished her enemies with    
weapons of which they did not fail to   
make the very fullest use4 ,the         
well-known lines once addressed by      
,adrienne ,lecouvreur to her rival and  
would-be assassin1 the ,duchesse de     
,bouillion3                      8,je   
sais mes perfidies1     none1 et ne suis
 pas de ces femmes hardies1     ,qui1   
gotant dans la crime une tranquille     
paix1     ,ont su se faire un front qui 
ne rougit jamais10  were greeted with   
cries of dissent and uproarious         
laughter4 ,the words1      8,de l'austre
 pudeur les bornes sont passes4440  were
 answered with shouts of 8,c'est vrai6  
c'est vrai6 il y a longtemps60 ,while   
when she came to the passage in which   
,phdre1 in an agony of remorse1         
exclaims1      8,et moi1 triste rebut de
 la nature entire4440  the ironical     

cheering1 ,la ,harpe tells us1 seemed as
 if it would never cease4 8,neither her 
beauty nor her sex10 writes ,grimm1     
8could protect her any longer1 and never
 did the public go so far in            
forgetfulness of its own dignity40  ,for
 these disgraceful scenes1 the ,duc de  
,duras seems to have been1 in no small  
measure1 responsible4 ,in his anxiety to
 secure a hearing for ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 
this well-meaning but maladroit nobleman
 had foolishly endeavoured to overawe   
the opposition by trebling the guard and
 8filling the pit with policemen10 who  
pounced upon and conducted to prison the
 most prominent of the disturbers4 ,such
 tactics naturally had the effect of    
exasperating the malcontents to the last
 degree and of alienating many whose    
sympathies had hitherto lain with the   
persecuted actress4 8,while the ,comte  
d',estaing is fighting the ,english1 to 
make them recognise the independence of 
,america10 it was bitterly said1 8the   
,duc de ,duras imprisons ,frenchmen for 

refusing to applaud ,raucourt60         
,nevertheless1 fair-minded persons      
appear to have been practically         
unanimous in condemning the conduct of  
the pit4 8,nothing10 writes ,la ,harpe1 
8can prove more clearly that the spirit 
of the parterre is changed4 ,the        
excesses in which it indulges1 unknown  
until now1 show how badly composed it   
is4 ,never would an assembly of         
respectable persons permit itself to say
 to a woman1 whatever she might be1 that
 she was #8le rebut de la nature        
entire4' ,one can decline to listen to  
her1 but it is shocking and abominable  
to go to such lengths as this40 ,he adds
 that1 in his opinion1 the disturbance  
was organised by the elder ,mlle4       
,sainval1 8who knows better than any one
 how to set to work the crowd of venal  
ruffians who compose to-day a third of  
the parterre1 and sometimes make        
themselves its masters02 and declares   
that so disgusted is he with the cabals 
and acrimonious quarrels which divide   

the theatrical and literary worlds1 that
 he has determined to abandon dramatic  
criticism altogether1 and has1          
accordingly1 resigned his post on the   
,mercure4#aah  ,in the face of such     
bitter hostility as she was called upon 
to encounter1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt might    
well have been pardoned if she had      
withdrawn a second time from the stage4 
,that she declined to bow to the storm  
proves her to have possessed courage and
 pertinacity of an unusually high order4
 ,indeed1 her firmness on the night of  
,phdre1 when1 at each hostile           
manifestation1 she had slowly and       
deliberately repeated the line which had
 evoked it1 had undoubtedly contributed 
to exasperate the baser kind of her     
persecutors4 ,a little reflection1      
however1 sufficed to assure her that1 if
 she wished to regain the indulgence of 
the public1 she must have recourse to   
other methods1 and1 accordingly1 she    
addressed to the ,journal de ,paris the 
following letter3  8,september #ac1     

#aggf4       8,unusual circumstances    
having placed me in the position of     
occupying at the ,comdie a different    
emploi from the one ,i      intended for
 myself1 permit me1 through the medium  
of your journal1      to inform the     
public that ,i have no other ambition   
than to fill it      to the best of my  
ability2 that ,i do not purpose playing 
parts of      any other kind1 except    
when it is absolutely indispensable for 
the      service of the ,comdie2 that1  
far from desiring to deprive my         
comrades of anything1 my only wish is to
 understudy them2 too happy      if1 by 
my zeal1 my exactitude1 and my efforts1 
,i succeed in      convincing the public
 of my respect and of my anxiety to     
please      them4  8,i have the honour  
to be1 c41  8,,de ,,raucour40    ,this  
diplomatic epistle seems to have been   
not without its effect1 and1 though her 
reception at the ,comdie-,franaise still
 left much to be desired1 no attempt was
 made to repeat the violent scenes which

 had marked her two first performances4 
,on the other hand1 her creditors1 urged
 on by her personal enemies1 had again  
taken up arms and left her not a        
moment's peace4 ,in order to avoid      
imprisonment1 she was once more on the  
point of expatriating herself1 when a   
royal edict appeared which 8rendered    
free from all seizures1 confiscations1  
or stoppages the wages and appointments 
of the players and other persons        
attached to the theatre1 up to the      
amount of two-thirds1 apart from the    
necessary expenditure for board and     
lodging40  ,it was common belief that   
this edict had been inspired by the     
,queen1 who had seen in it an economical
 method of settling the debts of her    
favourite actress1 and its appearance1  
while saving ,mlle4 ,raucourt from the  
necessity of choosing between           
imprisonment and flight1 exposed her to 
a fresh storm of invective4 ,a score of 
pamphlets and leaflets1 some in prose1  
some in verse1 were launched against    

her1 in which she and her supporters1   
the ,duc de ,duras1 the ,prince d',hnin1
 ,sophie ,arnould1 ,madame ,vestris1 and
 ,brizard1 were assailed in the most    
violent manner4 ,a few passages from one
 of these effusions1 entitled ,la       
,vision du prophte ,daniel1 will convey 
a good idea of the methods employed     
against unpopular personages in the     
eighteenth century3  ,the ,old ,satrap  
the ,duc de ,duras1 having banished     
,mlle4 ,sainval1 8to punish her for     
having more talents than his concubine  
,madame ,vestris10 announces his        
intention of recalling the ,harlot of   
,babylon ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 8whom all    
nations have rejected10 and forcing the 
people whom he governs to receive her4  
8,and one heard a cry3 #8,way1 way for  
the ,prince des ,nains the ,prince      
d',hnin6'  8,and ,i looked1 expecting to
 behold at the head of a troop of       
pigmies an abortion4  8,and ,i saw a    
tall1 thin man1 with a foolish eye and a
 silly smile1 affecting an air of       

importance2 and what was my surprise to 
see1 through his transparent body1 that1
 in place of blood1 a black and         
poisonous mud circulated in his         
veins44460  8,and his corrupt heart was 
falling into rottenness4 ,and one saw   
there none of those feelings which      
characterise the nobility2 cowardice1   
poltroonery1 debauchery1 infamy1 deceit1
 avarice1 and duplicity1 shared what    
remained of this gangrened heart40      
8,and he made his way through the crowd1
 leading by the hand a woman1 whom ,i   
took for a man1 from her impudent       
demeanour1 her loud voice1 and her      
gigantic stature ,mlle4 ,raucourt4      
8,she cast around her lascivious        
glances4444 ,and a voice cried3         
#8,behold her2 the woman who has gone   
beyond all the abominations wherewith   
the nations of the earth are soiled4    
8#8,and she is about to renew here the  
scenes of debauchery and extravagance   
which she has given elsewhere4'0#aai    
,at the beginning of the following year1

 the ,nouvelles  la main announce that  
,mlle4 ,raucourt has repaid the         
hospitality and protection received from
 ,sophie ,arnould by 8an act of         
frightful ingratitude1 unhappily but too
 common among women10 namely1 by        
stealing away from her the ,prince      
d',hnin1 8in order to rivet her fetters 
upon him40 ,the writer adds that ,sophie
 is furious1 and that the guilty pair1  
fearful of the consequences of their    
treachery1 have fled to ,bagatelle and  
taken refuge with the ,comte d',artois1 
who is credited with a desire to        
participate in the good fortune of the  
,prince d',hnin4  ,the report that the  
prince had taken ,mlle4 ,raucourt under 
his protection1 in the technical sense  
of the term1 was true2 but1 so far from 
having sought refuge with the ,comte    
d',artois1 at ,bagatelle1 he appears to 
have rented the chteau from its royal   
owner4 ,sophie ,arnould1 if she         
cherished any animosity against the     
offenders--which is open to question1   

the probability being that she and the  
prince were by this time heartily tired 
of one another--would have been far more
 likely to revenge herself by some      
biting bon mot than by personal injury4 
,paris and ,versailles1 we are told1    
laughed over this adventure till its    
sides ached1 for a whole week4 ,mlle4   
,raucourt's conduct was considered      
despicable1 but there was little pity   
for ,sophie1 who1 one writer declares1  
was justly punished 8for having welcomed
 a woman who was the opprobrium of her  
sex40  ,it is to be hoped that the      
,prince d',hnin found in ,mlle4         
,raucourt's society sufficient          
compensation for being dragged through  
the same gutters as the tragdienne by   
the scribes who delighted to assail her1
 and for the fact that it was now his   
privilege to deal with the horde of     
creditors who were 8perpetually howling 
at her skirts40 ,to do him justice1     
meanness was not one of his failings2   
but adversity had not taught the lady   

wisdom1 at least so far as financial    
matters were concerned1 and no sooner   
did her unfortunate lover discharge one 
debt than she appears to have           
straightway contracted another4 ,under  
date ,september #af1 #agha1 we read in  
the ,mmoires secrets3  8,queen          
,melpomene is more than ever ruined by  
debt4 ,the ,prince d',hnin1 to aid her  
to escape the pursuits of her creditors1
 has taken over all the furniture and   
effects of this actress4 ,but he is     
summoned to declare upon oath1 before   
the ,civil ,lieutenant of ,paris1       
whether his ostensible ownership is not 
simulated40  ,it would be interesting to
 know what course the prince adopted    
under these somewhat embarrassing       
circumstances2 but1 unfortunately1 the  
chroniclers do not tell us4  ,in the    
meanwhile1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt was seeking 
consolation for her many troubles in the
 cultivation of the ,muses4 ,she was at 
work upon 8a drama in three acts and in 
prose10 entitled ,henriette1 adapted1 it

 would appear1 from a play which she had
 seen at ,warsaw1 some years before4    
,the plot was briefly as follows3  ,a   
,prussian colonel1 ,stelim by name1     
wounded in a duel1 is carried to the    
house of ,henriette's father and nursed 
by the lady1 who falls deeply in love   
with her patient4 ,the colonel recovers 
and returns to his duty1 all unconscious
 of the passion which he has inspired4  
,the lovelorn ,henriette resolves to    
follow him1 runs away from home1 dressed
 as a man1 and enlists in her colonel's 
regiment4 ,one day1 she surprises her   
beloved in the act of kissing the hand  
of a strange lady1 upon which1 unaware  
that the latter is only his sister1 she 
is so overcome by jealousy and          
mortification that she deserts4 ,she is 
pursued1 recaptured1 tried by           
court-martial1 and condemned to be shot2
 but1 at the last moment1 her secret is 
discovered1 and all ends happily4       
,henriette did not reach the stage of   
the ,comdie-,franaise without           

encountering many difficulties4 ,in the 
,warsaw play1 ,frederick the ,great and 
his army had been treated with very     
scant respect2 and the ,prussian        
,ambassador now demanded that ,mlle4    
,raucourt's adaptation should be very   
strictly scrutinised1 and that 8all     
passages calculated to wound the ,king  
his master eliminated40 ,as there seem  
to have been a good many of these1 it   
was feared1 at first1 that the play     
would be mutilated beyond recognition1  
even if it were not prohibited          
altogether4 ,but the ,prince d',hnin    
left no stone unturned to rescue his    
mistress's work from the claws of the   
censor1 and1 after many conferences and 
much correspondence1 it was finally     
decided to spare those passages 8in     
which the impertinence towards the ,king
 of ,prussia was more remarkable for its
 intention than for its effect40  ,the  
play was produced on ,march #a1 #aghb1  
before a densely crowded house1 which   
the authoress1 by a very adroit manuvre1

 had taken care to predispose in her    
favour4 ,it was then the custom on first
 nights to reserve a large number of the
 parterre tickets for distribution among
 the author's friends1 who1 of course1  
applauded enthusiastically1 no matter   
how coldly the production might be      
received by the general public4 ,but    
,mlle4 ,raucourt refused to avail       
herself of this privilege1 declaring    
that 8if her drama were a good one1 it  
would succeed on its own merits02 a     
decision which1 we are told1 was        
received with universal applause4#abj   
,on the whole1 the verdict of the public
 was favourable4 8,the first act10 say  
the ,mmoires secrets1 8was thought cold1
 but the second excited long1 frequent1 
and sincere applause4 ,the third act was
 also applauded1 though with less       
enthusiasm40  ,the critics were1        
however1 anything but kind4 ,grimm      
describes the subject as 8monstrous02   
,la ,harpe stigmatises the work as 8an  
absurd and foolish rhapsody10 a striking

 proof of 8the decadence of talents and 
the corruption of taste02#aba while the 
,mercure1 after declaring that the play 
possesses many faults and advising      
,mlle4 ,raucourt 8to treat of subjects  
with a truer and worthier moral end10   
declines to say any more4 8,the author  
is a woman1 and we do not wish to play  
with her the part of ,diomed40#abb  ,but
 whatever opinions they may have held in
 regard to the merits of the work       
itself1 every one agreed that ,mlle4    
,raucourt was charming in the uniform of
 a ,prussian soldier2 and ,la ,harpe    
states that people went two or three    
times solely to see her masquerading as 
a man4  ,her success in ,henriette      
encouraged ,mlle4 ,raucourt to undertake
 a real masculine part1 and1 two years  
later 7,march #aghd71 she secured a     
genuine triumph1 as a captain of        
dragoons1 in a play by ,rochon de       
,chabannes1 called ,le ,jaloux4 ,the    
ease with which she wore the uniform    
appears to have been particularly       

admired1 a circumstance which is not    
surprising when we remember that1 when  
in hiding1 in the summer of #aggf1 she  
had worn a very similar dress for more  
than six weeks4  8,what an actor that   
,raucourt is60 remarked the younger     
,sainval1 who enjoyed a not undeserved  
reputation as a wit4 8,and what a pity  
she persists in wishing to play women's 
parts60  ,little by little the hostility
 of which ,mlle4 ,raucourt had so long  
been the object subsided4 ,slowly but   
surely the tragdienne recovered the     
ground she had lost1 until1 in #aghf1 we
 find the ,mmoires secrets declaring    
that 8she will soon take rank with the  
greatest actresses10 and that 8the most 
critical amateurs were fain to confess  
that she had made prodigious            
improvement40  ,this happy result seems 
to have been due partly to a genuine    
love of her art1 which led her to devote
 far more time to serious study than had
 been the case in earlier years1 and    
partly to the exercise of a good deal of

 tact--willingness to understudy her    
former rivals1 to condescend to the     
parts of nurse and confidante1 and1 in  
short1 to do almost anything that was   
required of her--which had disarmed the 
jealousy of her colleagues and rendered 
her an almost popular member of the     
troupe4 ,it was certainly not           
attributable to any change in her       
morals1 for if scandal were no longer   
busy with her name1 it was from no lack 
of material4 ,in the years immediately  
preceding the ,revolution1 however1     
people had more important matters to    
discuss than the amours of actresses4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,the ,revolution very nearly proved     
fatal to ,mlle4 ,raucourt4 ,the         
questions which were agitating the      
public mind were very far from leaving  
the national theatre undisturbed4 8,even
 our little green-room10 writes ,fleury1
 8was not exempt from the invasion of   
the moment4 ,melpomene and ,thalia had  
the mortification to see their sacred   

altars profaned by the party pamphlets  
of the day1 their venerated sanctuary   
converted into a political club40 ,the  
house of ,molire1 in fact1 was divided  
against itself4 ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 ,mol1 
,fleury1 and ,louise ,contat had tasted 
too many of the sweets of ,court favour 
not to deplore deeply the fall of the   
old rgime2 while1 on the other hand1    
,talma1 ,madame ,vestris1 ,dugazon1 and 
,mlle4 ,deschamps espoused the popular  
side with the fervour of rooted         
conviction4 ,of the remainder1 the      
majority were either ,royalists or      
moderate constitutionalists4#abc  ,this 
divergence of political opinion soon led
 to angry recriminations and thence to  
an open rupture1 and1 in the spring of  
#agia1 ,talma and his friends1 finding  
their position growing intolerable1     
withdrew from the company1 to found1 at 
the ,palais-,royal1 the ,thtre-,franais 
de la ,rue de ,richelieu1 which1 in the 
following year1 became the ,thtre de la 
,rpublique4  ,having purged itself of   

its ,republican members1 the ,comdie    
threw itself boldly into the political  
strife1 and1 throughout the terrible    
winter of #agib-ic1 allowed no          
opportunity to slip of advocating the   
restoration of order and security4 ,on  
,january #c1 #agic1 during the ,king's  
trial1 it produced a play1 by ,jean     
,laya1 entitled ,les ,amis des ,lois1 in
 which ,robespierre 7under the name of  
,nomophage71 ,marat1 and other          
,montagnards were held up to ridicule   
and odium4 ,how such a play contrived to
 escape the vigilance of the ,republican
 censors is not easy to understand1     
since so thinly veiled were the         
allusions that almost every passage was 
punctuated by the cheers and hooting of 
an excited audience4 ,it was1 of course1
 speedily suppressed1 and from that     
moment the doings of the ,comdie were   
closely watched by the sanguinary       
faction now rising to supremacy in the  
,state1 which only awaited an           
opportunity of closing the theatre and  

arraigning the whole company before the 
,revolutionary ,court4  ,an adaptation  
of 8,pamela10 by ,franois de            
,neufchteau1 afterwards ,minister of the
 ,interior1 which contained not a little
 material calculated to awaken regret   
for the proscribed nobility1 provided   
the ,jacobins with the pretext they     
desired1 and1 on ,september #c1 the     
whole of the players1 with the exception
 of ,mol1 who had contrived to effect   
his escape1 and ,des ,essarts1 who was  
taking the waters at ,barges1 were      
arrested and conveyed to the            
,madelonettes1 in the ,quartier         
,saint-,martin-des-,champs1 and         
,sainte-,plagie1 in the ,rue de la      
,clef2 the men being assigned to the    
former prison and the women to the      
latter4  ,that the players1 or at any   
rate those of them who held the most    
pronounced counter-revolutionary        
opinions1 were doomed1 was the opinion  
of even their most sanguine friends4    
,the ,revolutionary ,court1 which had   

been created in the previous ,march1 to 
judge without appeal conspirators       
against the ,state1 still retained all  
the forms of justice--it was not until  
,june #agid that the hearing of counsel 
and calling of witnesses were dispensed 
with--but its proceedings were1 in the  
great majority of cases1 a hollow farce4
 ,the judges were appointed from the    
ranks of the most ruthless ,terrorists2 
the jurymen1 nominated by the           
,convention1 were all 8gens             
d'expdition02 while1 as to give evidence
 on behalf of an accused person was to  
incur the danger of sharing his fate1   
witnesses for the defence could with    
difficulty be induced to come forward4  
,for some cause which is not quite      
certain1 but was probably1 as ,fleury   
suggests1 the fear of disseminating the 
small-pox1 at that time prevailing in   
the ,madelonettes1 the case of the      
imprisoned players was not dealt with   
for more than nine months4 ,at length1  
on ,messidor #h1 the ,committee of      

,public ,safety deliberated upon their  
fate2 and ,collot d',herbois sent to    
,fouquier-,tinville the accusatory      
documents against ,dazincourt1 ,fleury1 
,mlles4 ,raucourt1 ,louise and milie    
,contat1 and ,lange1 who were considered
 the most culpable1 accompanied by the  
following letter3  8,herewith ,i send   
you the documents relating to the actors
 of the ,comdie-,franaise4 ,in common   
with all patriots1 you know how         
counter-revolutionary their conduct has 
been4 ,you will bring them before the   
,court on ,messidor #ac4 ,with regard to
 the others1 there are some among them  
who may be punished with banishment4    
,but we will see what can be done with  
them after the others have been tried40 
,and on the margin of each of the six   
dossiers1 ,collot d',herbois1 in his own
 hand1 had traced a capital ,g in red   
ink4 ,for the docile ,fouquier-,tinville
 that capital ,g signified3             
8,guillotinez60  ,the trial was fixed   
for ,messidor #ac1 and1 on the following

 day1 it was intended that ,mlle4       
,raucourt and her five colleagues should
 make their final bow to the public1 on 
the ,place de la ,rvolution4  ,however1 
neither trial nor execution ever took   
place1 for1 on the morning of the #acth1
 it was found that the six dossiers had 
mysteriously disappeared1 and all       
efforts to recover them proved          
fruitless4  ,let us see what had become 
of them4  ,in conformity with the usual 
practice1 the papers had been sent by   
,fouquier-,tinville to the ,bureau des  
,pices ,accusatives at the dismantled   
,tuileries4 ,now1 in this department    
there was a clerk named ,charles de     
,labussire1 who had accepted the post as
 a means of securing his own safety1 and
 who at heart was a devoted ,royalist4  
,through ,labussire's hands passed all  
the documents relating to prisoners     
awaiting trial and1 whenever he could do
 so with but little fear of discovery1  
he did not hesitate to destroy them4 ,at
 first1 he observed great caution and   

confined himself to abstracting a few   
pages from the portfolios2 but1 so soon 
as he became aware of the reckless      
disorder which characterised the        
proceedings of the fatal committee1 he  
enlarged the scope of his operations and
 is said to have saved some hundreds    
from the guillotine1 among whom was no  
less a personage than ,josphine de      
,beauharnais1 whom ,fate subsequently   
raised to the imperial throne of        
,france4 ,the method he adopted was an  
ingenious one4 ,as it was then summer   
and exceedingly hot weather1 and the    
lighting of a fire might have attracted 
attention1 instead of burning the       
papers1 it was his practice to soak them
 in water1 until the bulky parchments   
had become balls of soft paste1 which   
could be stowed away in his pockets1 and
 to await a favourable opportunity of   
throwing them into the ,seine4  ,on the 
night of ,messidor #i1 ,labussire       
abstracted the papers relating to the   
imprisoned actors and carried them off4 

,he had1 however1 a very narrow escape  
of detection4 ,on his way to the river1 
his movements aroused the suspicion of a
 patrol1 by whom he was arrested2 and he
 would undoubtedly have been searched   
and the papers discovered1 but for the  
timely arrival of an official of the    
,committee of ,public ,safety1 who      
recognised him and ordered his          
release4#abd  ,thus the players were    
saved1 for before a new brief could be  
prepared1 came 8that happiest and most  
genial of revolutions1 the ,revolution  
of the #ith ,thermidor10 which brought  
the ,terror to a close and freedom to so
 many hundreds of prisoners4  ,three    
weeks later1 the members of the         
,comdie-,franaise reappeared at their   
theatre in the ,faubourg                
,saint-,germain1 now called the ,thtre  
de l'galit4 ,la ,mtromanie and ,les     
,fausses ,confidences composed the      
programme1 and the players1             
notwithstanding the reactionary views   
they were known to hold1 had a great    

reception from an immense audience1     
though1 remarked ,louise ,contat        
sarcastically1 nothing like so large a  
one as there would have been to see them
 guillotined4  ,the players1 however1   
did not remain many months in their old 
home4 ,the ,faubourg ,saint-,germain1 so
 long the centre of rank and wealth1 was
 being abandoned in favour of more      
central spots1 while1 as a result of the
 existing free trade in theatrical      
matters1 there were now several         
playhouses within a narrow radius of the
 ,palais-,royal1 whose advantage of     
situation rendered them formidable      
competitors4 ,in ,january #agie1        
accordingly1 the members of the         
,comdie-,franaise1 not1 as may be       
supposed1 without many regrets1 migrated
 to the ,thtre ,feydeau1 a house which  
had been erected1 some years before1 for
 a company of ,italian farceurs1 and was
 now under the control of a speculative 
gentleman named ,sageret4  ,to be the   
paid servant of ,sageret1 who does not  

appear to have borne the best of        
reputations1 seemed to ,mlle4 ,raucourt 
a kind of degradation--the arts and     
humanity1 she declared1 cried out       
against the subjection under which they 
had been led to place themselves2 and1  
in the following ,december1 that lady   
withdrew from the company1 followed by  
,larive1 ,mlle4 ,joly1 ,saint-,prix1 and
 several others1 and took possession of 
a theatre in the ,rue de ,louvois1      
intending apparently to make it the     
central point of a reunion of the entire
 company4  ,the flower of the           
,comdie-,franaise was now divided       
between three playhouses3 the ,thtre de 
la ,rpublique1 the ,thtre ,feydeau1 and 
the ,thtre de ,louvois4 ,of these the   
latter1 which was inaugurated on ,nivse 
#e1 ,year v4 7,december #be1 #agif71    
with ,iphignie and a little play by     
,laya1 entitled ,les ,deux ,surs1 was   
for a time the most successful2 ,mlle4  
,raucourt securing a great personal     
triumph in another masculine part--that 

of the hero in ,legouv's ,laurence4     
,laurence1 it may be explained1 was the 
young gentleman who became enamoured of 
,ninon de ,lenclos without knowing that 
he was her son4  ,the ,directory1       
however1 like the despotism which it had
 succeeded1 kept a jealous eye on the   
theatres1 and was in the habit of       
closing them1 temporarily or altogether1
 upon the slightest provocation2 and an 
incident which took place during the    
performance of ,les ,trois ,frres rivaux
 ruined all the hopes of ,mlle4         
,raucourt4 ,one of the characters1      
addressing his valet-de-chambre1 by name
 ,merlin1 exclaims3  8,monsieur ,merlin1
 you are a scoundrel6 ,monsieur ,merlin1
 you will end by being hanged60  ,now   
,merlin de ,douai1 the ,minister of     
,justice1 was just then in very bad     
odour with the public2 and the audience 
applied the speech to him and cheered   
vociferously for several minutes4  ,a   
few days later 7,september #i1 #agig71  
at the moment when the curtain was about

 to rise on a performance of the        
,barbier de ,seville1 an order arrived  
forbidding all further representations  
at the ,thtre de ,louvois4  ,mlle4      
,raucourt made every effort to obtain a 
revocation of the order1 but to no      
purpose4 ,however1 she was not long     
without a theatre1 as1 at the beginning 
of the following year1 she contrived to 
secure possession of the former seat of 
the ,comdie-,franaise1 in the ,faubourg 
,saint-,germain1 henceforth to be known 
as the ,odon1 which she opened with a   
performance of ,phdre4 ,shortly         
afterwards1 the ,thtre de la ,rpublique 
shared the fate of the ,thtre de        
,louvois1 the political opinions of     
,talma and his associates being too     
advanced to please the ,government4 ,the
 enterprising ,sageret thereupon induced
 the homeless players to join forces    
with their former colleagues at the     
,thtre ,feydeau1 and took over the      
management of the ,odon from ,mlle4     
,raucourt1 his intention being that the 

actors under his command should appear  
at either theatre in turn4 ,but ,sageret
 became bankrupt and disappeared2 the   
,odon was completely destroyed by a     
fire1 the cause of which was never      
discovered1 and ,paris found itself     
without a temple of the legitimate      
drama4  ,this unfortunate condition of  
affairs1 however1 lasted but a short    
while4 ,franois de ,neufchteau1 the     
author of the ,pamla which had proved so
 fatal1 was now ,minister of the        
,interior and honestly desirous of doing
 everything in his power to promote the 
interests of the drama4 ,through his    
influence1 in ,may #agii1 a wise measure
 of the ,consular ,government reunited  
in a single society the scattered       
members of the old ,comdie-,franaise1   
and placed at its disposal the salle of 
the ,palais-,royal 7formerly the ,thtre 
de la ,rpublique71 which it has not     
ceased to occupy to this day4         99
       99       99       99       99    
,mlle4 ,raucourt1 to her honour be it   

said1 never made any secret of her      
monarchical sympathies4 ,during the     
,directory1 she was a bright and shining
 light of what was known as 8,le petit  
,coblentz10 an association of ,royalists
 which held its meetings at a house in  
the ,boulevard des ,italiens and strove1
 by force of jests1 sarcasms1 and       
epigrams1 to upset the ,republic4 ,she  
wore on her spencer eighteen buttons1 8a
 delicate allusion to ,louis ,,xviii41  
the legitimate sovereign40 ,and when she
 fanned herself1 it was with one of     
those famous weeping-willow fans1 the   
folds of which formed the face of ,marie
 ,antoinette4  ,nevertheless1 ,mlle4    
,raucourt had1 personally1 but little   
cause to complain of the ,directory4    
,her antagonism to the ,government did  
not extend to its agents1 through the   
good offices of some of whom she        
contrived to make a considerable        
fortune1 by judicious speculation in    
assignats1 army contracts1 and          
confiscated estates4 ,she now discharged

 her debts1 and bought 8a palace0 in the
 ,rue ,royale1 with a spacious garden   
attached1 where she gave sumptuous ftes1
 to which all fashionable ,paris was    
invited4 ,nothing so delightful as her  
boudoir1 we are assured1 had ever been  
seen before2 the fittings were of green 
and gold1 and the chimney-piece of blue 
marble4  ,after the establishment of the
 ,empire1 ,napoleon1 who was a great    
admirer of ,mlle4 ,raucourt's acting1   
accorded her a handsome pension and     
engaged her to organise a troupe of     
,french players1 to travel through      
,italy and give performances in the     
principal towns1 with the idea of       
extending ,french influence in that     
country4 ,in ,italy1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt   
remained several years1 paying1 however1
 occasional visits to ,paris1 when she  
appeared at the ,comdie-,franaise1      
generally in the parts of mothers or    
queens1 and always with great success4  
,madame ,vige ,lebrun tells us that she 
remained to the last a great tragdienne1

 but that1 with advancing years1 her    
voice became so harsh that1 when not    
looking at her1 people might have       
imagined themselves listening to a      
man4#abe  ,mlle4 ,raucourt retired from 
the stage in #ahad1 her farewell        
appearance at the ,comdie-,franaise     
being as ,catherine de ,medicis1 in the 
tats de ,blois of ,raynouard4 ,on       
,january #ae of the following year1 she 
died1 after a short illness1 8thanking  
,god that she had been permitted to     
salute the return of her legitimate     
,king40  ,the funeral1 which took place 
two days later1 was the occasion of a   
painful scandal4 ,from the earliest days
 of the ,restoration1 the clergy1       
relying on the support of the new       
,government1 had shown themselves as    
intolerant towards the actor as had     
those of the old rgime4 ,mlle4          
,raucourt's house was in the ,rue du    
,helder1 that is to say1 in the parish  
of ,saint-,roch1 and it was in that     
church that the service should have been

 held4 ,the cur1 however1 flatly refused
 to celebrate it4 8,actors10 said he1   
8are excommunicated1 and the time has   
come to revert to the rigorous execution
 of the canons of the ,church40 ,it was 
in vain that he was reminded of the     
never-failing charity of the deceased   
woman towards the poor of his parish1   
and the generous gift which he himself  
had received each year for the needs of 
his church4 ,he remained deaf to all    
representations and entrenched himself  
behind the orders of the ,archbishop of 
,paris4  ,to obtain justice1 the members
 of the ,comdie-,franaise addressed a   
petition to the ,king1 but the morning  
of the interment came without bringing  
an answer from his ,majesty4 ,in the    
meanwhile1 the news of the refusal of   
the cur of ,saint-,roch to accord       
ecclesiastical burial to the remains of 
the great actress had become common     
knowledge and had aroused widespread    
indignation4 ,an enormous crowd1        
numbering fully #ae1jjj persons1        

assembled in the ,rue du ,helder and the
 adjoining streets1 among which might be
 observed several actors of the ,comdie 
in the uniform of the ,national ,guards4
 ,at the moment when the cortge left the
 house1 the police gave the order to    
proceed directly to the cemetery2 but   
the crowd interfered and compelled the  
hearse to drive towards ,saint-,roch4   
,on entering the ,rue de la ,michodire1 
a police-officer rushed to the horses'  
heads1 to turn them in the direction of 
the boulevard1 but was roughly pushed   
aside2 and the procession1 growing in   
size every moment1 pursued its way      
towards ,saint-,roch4  ,when the church 
was reached1 the principal door was     
found closed1 a circumstance which threw
 the mob into a frenzy of anger4 ,some  
proposed to break down the door1 others 
to carry the corpse to the ,tuileries or
 the archbishop's palace2 while cries of
 8,le cur  la lanterne60 were raised1   
and if that intolerant ecclesiastic had 
had the temerity to show himself1 it is 

to be feared that he would have been    
very roughly handled4  ,the actors in   
the procession1 alarmed at all this     
uproar1 the blame for which1 they       
feared1 would be laid upon them1 took   
advantage of a moment when the more     
violent section of the crowd was        
occupied in endeavouring to force the   
great door of the church1 to make the   
cortge resume its progress towards      
,pre-,lachaise4 ,the mob1 however1 gave 
chase1 overtook the hearse at the top of
 the ,rue ,traversire1 and brought it   
back in triumph to ,saint-,roch4  ,in   
the meanwhile1 a deputation had started 
for the ,tuileries2 ,louis ,,xviii4     
consented to admit it to his presence1  
and ,huet1 an actor of the              
,opra-,comique1 harangued the monarch   
with so much eloquence1 that1 some days 
later1 he received an intimation that a 
course of foreign travel might not be   
without benefit to his health4 ,however1
 his representations had the desired    
effect2 for the ,king promised to       

interfere without delay1 sent orders to 
the cur to receive the body1 and1 for   
greater security1 despatched his own    
almoner to read the service4  ,the      
orders of the ,king arrived only just in
 time to prevent a serious affray       
between the infuriated mob and the      
troops who had been summoned to quell   
the disturbance4 ,the great door was    
then opened1 and the coffin1 borne on   
the shoulders of the crowd1 was carried 
to the foot of the altar1 where the     
people themselves lighted the candles4  
,the almoner of the ,court arrived1     
accompanied by two choristers1 and      
performed the service1 at the conclusion
 of which an immense concourse of people
 followed the cortge as far as          
,pre-,lachaise4#abf     ,,iv  ,,madame  
,,dugazon   ,when1 at the close of the  
year #aggd1 ,justine ,favart retired    
from the stage of the                   
,comdie-,italienne1 to die alas6 a few  
months later1 she left behind her1 in   
the person of a young girl of nineteen1 

a worthy successor1 whose budding       
talents she had been one of the first to
 recognise and encourage4  ,louise      
,rosalie ,lefvre1 known to fame as      
,madame ,dugazon1 was born1 at ,berlin1 
on ,june #ah1 #agee1 of ,french parents4
 ,her father1 ,franois ,joseph ,lefvre1 
was a dancing-master1 formerly of the   
,comdie-,italienne1 and when1 in #agfg1 
the little ,louise1 who had been from a 
very early age destined for the stage1  
made her first appearance on the boards 
of that theatre1 it was as a danseuse in
 a pas de deux introduced into the      
,nouvelle cole des femmes1 a comedy in  
three acts and in prose1 by ,moissy4    
,it was not1 however1 as a danseuse that
 ,louise ,lefvre was to attain her      
immense reputation4 ,ere long her grace1
 refinement1 and command of facial      
expression attracted the attention of   
the composer ,grtry1 who after some     
conversation with her1 promised her a   
part in his next opera4 ,he was as good 
as his word1 and when1 in #agfi1 he     

produced his ,lucile1 it was for the    
little ,lefvre that he composed the     
pretty air3      8,on dit qu' quinze    
ans40  ,the grace1 charm1 and navet with
 which she rendered it decided her      
future4 ,pleased at finding his         
previsions confirmed1 the composer      
advised her to devote herself seriously 
to the study of music1 promising that he
 would bear her in mind2 and from that  
day the girl 8divided her time between  
dancing1 which was her duty1 and the    
study of music1 which was her           
passion40#abg  ,she was fortunate in her
 teachers1 particularly in ,madame      
,favart1 who1 with a magnanimity far    
from common on the stage1 did all in her
 power to aid and encourage the young   
aspirant4 ,the lessons were not thrown  
away1 nor was the pupil wanting in      
gratitude2 for even in her old age1 when
 she had retired from the theatre1      
,madame ,dugazon could not mention the  
name of ,justine ,favart without tears  
in her eyes4  ,at length1 on ,june #ai1 

#aggd1 ,mlle4 ,lefvre was promoted to a 
definite part1 that of ,pauline1 in     
,sylvain1 words by ,marmontel1 music by 
,grtry4 ,her success was instantaneous1 
unprecedented4 ,at a single bound1 she  
attained the highest rank1 an elevation 
from which she never afterwards         
descended4 ,never in the history of the 
,comdie-,italienne had such talent been 
exhibited by so young an actress1 and   
never had talent been so keenly         
appreciated by its patrons4 ,it sufficed
 for her to undertake the principal part
 in any new work to ensure for it a     
favourable1 if not a triumphant1        
reception4 ,les vnements imprvus1       
l',amant jaloux1 ,les ,amours d't1 and  
many other pieces owed the vogue which  
they enjoyed entirely to her masterly   
impersonations4  ,four days after her   
appearance in ,sylvain1 ,mlle4 ,lefvre  
was received  l'essai1 with a salary of 
#ahjj livres1 which1 in the following   
,april1 was increased to #bdjj livres4  
,but promotion was slow in those days1  

even for the most brilliant talents1 and
 it was not until ,april #g1 #aggf1 that
 she became a socitaire4#abh  ,but long 
before this--almost1 indeed1 from the   
evening on which she had first played   
,pauline--the public had taken her to   
its heart4 ,people seemed never tired of
 lauding 8her sympathetic voice1 her    
exquisite sensibility1 her gaiety1 which
 was so contagious1 her acting1 which   
was so tender and impassioned40 ,some   
enthusiasts even went so far as to      
declare that such remarkable talent must
 be the product of some divine          
inspiration4  ,mlle4 ,lefvre was not    
strictly beautiful1 but 8adorably       
pretty10 dainty1 and refined4 ,she had  
delicate features1 a mobile face1 8and  
an expressive mouth1 sometimes mocking1 
sometimes pouting40 ,but her greatest   
charm seems to have been her splendid   
eyes1 fringed with long lashes1 which1  
in turn1 8shone with mischief and       
gaiety1 or closed in order to allow the 
soft tears to flow40 ,her figure1 we are

 told1 8without being tall1 was         
well-proportioned1 and all her movements
 were characterised by a peculiar       
charm40  ,naturally1 she was speedily   
surrounded by a throng of adorers4 ,no  
actress of the time was so sought after1
 courted1 adulated4 8,jupiters of all   
conditions solicited the honour of      
descending at her feet in a shower of   
gold40 ,the most brilliant propositions 
were made to her3 furnished htels1      
gorgeous equipages1 ravishing toilettes1
 parures of diamonds1 together with the 
hearts1 if not the hands1 of the noblest
 in the land1 were at her disposal4 ,she
 repulsed them all2 she had decided to  
marry--to marry in her own profession4  
,and her choice fell upon ,dugazon1 of  
the ,comdie-,franaise4  ,a singular     
character was this ,dugazon4 ,born at   
,marseilles1 in #agdi1 he made his first
 appearance on the ,paris stage in      
#agga1 and at once succeeded in         
ingratiating himself with his audience4 
,handsome and well made1 he united to a 

profound knowledge of his art and a     
wealth of humour1 a physiognomy of      
extraordinary flexibility1 which he     
could so change at any moment that it   
seemed as if he had put on a mask4 8,by 
the play or the contraction of certain  
muscles of his face1 he possessed the   
faculty of disfiguring himself instantly
 and so completely as to become         
unrecognisable40 ,there can be no       
question that he was a great comedian1  
though his style was in the spirit of   
farce rather than of comedy1 and by the 
side of ,prville1 who1 with all his     
vivacity1 never condescended to what was
 low or trivial1 he must have appeared a
 mere caricaturist4 ,but in broad comedy
 he was unsurpassed1 and in the farces  
of ,scarron and ,le ,grand1 as ,scapin  
in the ,fourberies1 ,monsieur ,jourdain 
in the ,bourgeois ,gentilhomme1         
,mascarille in l'tourdi1 and ,sganerelle
 in ,don ,juan1 no actor of the time    
could even approach him4  ,but if the   
actor was excellent1 the man was        

altogether insupportable4 ,in the caf or
 the tavern1 a quarrelsome braggart1 as 
ready with his sword as with his tongue4
 ,in the salon--for1 in his character of
 privileged buffoon1 he was admitted    
into the highest circles--a rude jester1
 who respected neither age nor sex1 and 
who took the most outrageous liberties  
with every one who did not make him keep
 his distance4 ,many are the stories    
told of his eccentricities1 one at least
 of which will bear repetition here4    
,one day the actor received a summons to
 ,versailles1 from ,louis ,,xvi4        
himself4 ,wondering much what his       
sovereign could require of him1 he      
repaired thither1 and1 on his arrival1  
was ushered into the ,king's cabinet1   
where he found his ,majesty alone4 ,the 
,king bade him be seated1 and then      
informed him that he required his       
assistance in a matter closely          
concerning the dignity of the ,royal    
,family4 ,he was1 said he1 extremely    
displeased at her ,majesty continuing to

 attend the balls at the ,opera1 in the 
face of his oft-expressed disapproval of
 these gatherings4 ,he had therefore    
bethought him of a means of curing her  
of this deplorable weakness for mixed   
society4 ,dugazon must attend the next  
ball1 in disguise1 treat the august lady
 as if she were nothing but a common    
bourgeoise1 and so shock and disgust her
 that she would never care to attend    
another4  ,dugazon obeyed with alacrity2
 the commission entrusted to him was one
 after his own heart4 ,at the next ball 
he appeared disguised as a fishwife1 a  
veritable virago of the ,halles1 foul of
 tongue1 unkempt and dirty1 and1 taking 
the ,queen aside1 behaved to her--it was
 the ,king's express command1 be it     
remembered--with such outrageous        
coarseness and familiarity that the     
spectators were absolutely horrified4   
,next morning1 the ,king slyly inquired 
how her ,majesty had enjoyed herself the
 previous evening4  8,never10 answered  
,marie ,antoinette1 laughing heartily1  

8never was ,i so much diverted as       
yesterday60         99       99       99
       99       99  ,the marriage       
between ,louise ,lefvre and ,dugazon was
 celebrated at ,saint-,eustache on      
,august #bj1 #aggf4 ,it was not a happy 
one4 ,the husband was bad-tempered1     
exacting1 and jealous2 the wife         
pleasure-loving1 coquettish and         
self-willed4 ,before the honeymoon was  
well over1 they were quarrelling like   
cat and dog4 ,before a year had passed1 
their domestic differences were the talk
 of ,paris4 ,madame's marriage vows     
weighed very lightly upon her1 and she  
made but small attempt to disguise her  
amours2 ,monsieur went about1           
complaining to every one whom he could  
persuade to listen to him of his wife's 
conduct1 and boasting of the terrible   
retribution he intended for her lovers4 
,in #aggh1 there was a grave scandal4 ,a
 certain ,m4 de ,cazes1 a young matre   
des requtes1 fell madly in love with    
,madame ,dugazon1 who condescended to   

reciprocate his passion4 ,in order to   
conceal their intrigue and1 at the same 
time1 facilitate their interviews1 ,m4  
de ,cazes presented the ,dugazons to his
 father1 a wealthy farmer-general1 who  
invited them to his house1 where actor  
and magistrate often performed scenes   
from popular comedies for the           
entertainment of the company4 ,their    
most diverting performance1 however1    
took place in private1 a fact to be     
regretted1 since it must have been worth
 going a very long way to see4  ,dugazon
 had for some time suspected the motive 
of his introduction to this family and  
the very cordial reception which had    
been accorded him4 ,but the guilty pair 
had observed so much discretion that he 
had not a particle of evidence to       
justify his interference and was1       
therefore1 at a loss how to proceed4    
,jealousy1 however1 prompted him to a   
bold move4 ,one morning1 ,m4 de ,cazes  
was in his cabinet1 dreaming of his     
inamorata1 when ,dugazon entered        

unannounced1 and1 locking the door      
behind him1 drew a pistol from his      
pocket1 held it to the young man's head1
 informed him that he knew everything1  
and that he would blow out his brains on
 the instant1 if he did not immediately 
deliver up his wife's portrait and      
letters4  ,illustration3 ,,madame       
,,dugazon  ,from an engraving by        
,,monsaldi after the painting by ,,jean 
,,baptiste ,,isabey  ,the unfortunate   
gallant believed that ,madame ,dugazon  
had made a confession to her husband or 
that in some way he had been betrayed1  
and1 in fear and trembling1 handed over 
both portrait and letters to his        
assailant1 who retired1 enchanted with  
the success of his expedition4  ,no     
sooner1 however1 had the actor and his  
pistol departed1 than ,m4 de ,cazes's   
alarm gave way to indignation1 and he   
followed in pursuit1 shouting3 8,thief6 
,assassin6 ,stop the villain60 ,and the 
servants1 roused by his cries1 came     
running to the spot4  ,dugazon1 who was 

leisurely descending the stairs1 turned 
round1 and1 in no way disconcerted1     
coolly replied3 8,perfect1 ,monsieur2   
admirably played6 ,the scene is         
excellent6 ,the servants would be quite 
deceived by it1 were they not accustomed
 to our farces40 ,then1 without         
quickening his pace1 he passed through  
the astonished lackeys--who1 uncertain  
whether it was a comedy or not1 did not 
dare to lay hands on him--gained the    
door1 made the discomfited magistrate a 
profound cong1 and swaggered off4  ,some
 days later1 ,m4 de ,gazes happened to  
be on the stage of the                  
,comdie-,italienne1 at the conclusion of
 the performance1 and was there espied  
by ,dugazon1 who could not resist the   
temptation to read his wife's admirer a 
second lesson4 ,accordingly1 he waited  
until the crowd had dispersed and he was
 unobserved1 and then1 stealing up      
behind the matre des requtes1 dealt him 
four or five sharp cuts across the      
shoulders with a cane4  ,the luckless   

young man turned round1 furious with    
rage and pain1 and1 perceiving his      
8rival10 poured forth a torrent of abuse
 and threats4  ,the actor1 quite        
unmoved1 begged him to explain himself  
and inquired1 with a bland smile1 if he 
were rehearsing a tirade from some play4
  ,the infuriated magistrate rejoined by
 calling ,dugazon 8an assassin10 and    
asserting that he had just dealt him    
several blows with a cane4  ,the latter 
assumed an air of injured innocence1    
assured ,m4 de ,cazes that he must be   
labouring under some extraordinary      
delusion1 and inquired how he could     
possibly imagine that a poor player like
 himself should have been guilty of so  
shocking an outrage4  ,as there were no 
witnesses to the assault1 and ,m4 de    
,cazes had no mind to give the actor1   
who was an expert swordsman1 the        
satisfaction of running him through the 
body1 the affair went no further4       
,dugazon1 however1 did not fail to boast
 everywhere he went of the thrashing he 

had inflicted on madame's lover2 conduct
 which1 the ,mmoires secrets tell us1   
8revolted honourable men40  ,if ,dugazon
 had taken upon himself to detect and   
punish all his wife's infidelities1 it  
is to be feared that he would have had  
but little time to devote to his        
professional duties4 8,the singing-bird 
had taken flight and returned but seldom
 to the conjugal nest40 ,however1 for a 
time1 he did his best1 and1 in the      
course of the following year1 had an    
affray at the house of ,sall1 the       
director of the winter ,vauxhall1 with  
the ,marquis de ,langeac1 who had       
succeeded ,m4 de ,cazes in the actress's
 affections4  ,dugazon had written an   
angry letter to his wife1 reminding the 
lady of her numerous escapades and      
bitterly reproaching her with having    
accepted the homage of ,m4 de ,langeac1 
to whom he alluded in terms of the most 
unmitigated contempt4 ,this letter      
,madame ,dugazon promptly handed to the 
marquis1 who1 talking the matter over   

with his friend ,sall1 announced his    
intention of subjecting the actor to 8a 
hundred blows with his cane10 on the    
very next occasion on which they should 
chance to meet4 ,scarcely were the words
 out of his mouth1 when the object of   
his resentment1 who had been an unseen  
auditor of all that he had said1 stood  
before him1 and1 with a profound bow1   
intimated that he was entirely at       
,monsieur le ,marquis's service4  ,the  
marquis replied with a blow from his    
fist2 the actor returned the compliment 
with interest1 and an ,homeric combat   
was in progress1 when the bystanders    
interfered and separated the parties4   
,this adventure had no more consequences
 than the other4 ,dugazon1 who1 to do   
him justice1 was no coward1 would have  
been only too ready to continue the     
battle in the manner prescribed by the  
etiquette of that day4 ,but ,m4 de      
,langeac1 a notorious poltroon--he had1 
some time before1 taken1 without any    
attempt at retaliation1 a severe        

thrashing from ,gurin1 the ,prince de   
,conti's surgeon--sheltered himself     
behind his rank and declined to cross   
swords with an actor4  ,his affray with 
the ,marquis de ,langeac appears to have
 been the last occasion on which        
,dugazon attempted to avenge his honour4
 ,he resigned himself to the situation2 
and when1 soon afterwards1 the          
8singing-bird0 flew away altogether and 
established herself in a gilded cage    
prepared for her by a rich financier of 
the name of ,boudreau1 received the news
 with fashionable complacency4 ,from    
that time1 husband and wife never lived 
together again1 and1 when the           
,revolution came1 both hastened to avail
 themselves of the law permitting       
divorce4  ,madame ,dugazon had barely   
remained long enough in the gilded cage 
to take stock of all the marvels of art 
and decoration which the amorous        
financier had provided for her benefit1 
when she fell in love with a foreign    
count1 whose name the chroniclers of    

scandal1 with a discretion very uncommon
 with them1 forbear to mention1 and left
 poor ,m4 ,boudreau to meditate upon the
 inconstancy of woman4 ,this last affair
 would appear to have been a serious    
one1 on the lady's part1 at any rate2   
but it was of very brief duration1 as   
the count was suddenly recalled to his  
own country1 and she saw him no more4   
,consolation1 however1 was not long in  
forthcoming4 ,her lover's departure     
happened to synchronise with the arrival
 from ,bordeaux of a handsome youth of  
eighteen1 8with the most interesting    
face conceivable1 and the most          
surprising1 the most wonderful voice    
possible to imagine40 ,without knowing a
 single note of music1 he could imitate 
the voice of every singer of the ,opera 
and the sound of every instrument in the
 orchestra1 so perfectly as to deceive  
even the most experienced ear4 ,by      
himself1 it was said1 he could imitate  
an entire opera4 ,this prodigy1 ,garat  
by name1 aroused a perfect furore in    

fashionable1 as well as in musical      
circles1 and after ,marie ,antoinette   
had sent a coach and six to fetch him to
 ,versailles1 the enthusiasm of the     
ladies was raised to the highest pitch2 
they literally fought for him4 ,madame  
,dugazon bore away the prize1 and is    
believed to have given the youthful     
singer lessons in his art as well as in 
love4 ,but she could not long retain    
possession of 8this brilliant butterfly1
 who had only to open his wings to      
alight upon the most beautiful flowers10
 and1 for the first time in her life1   
was fated to taste something of the     
mortification which she had so often    
occasioned4  ,from these discreditable  
gallantries1 it is a relief to turn to  
,madame ,dugazon's professional career1 
which1 happily1 seems to have been no   
more affected by the irregularities of  
her private life than those of ,mlle4   
,clairon and ,madeleine ,guimard4 ,the  
enthusiasm with which even the most     
fastidious of her contemporaries acclaim

 her talent is truly remarkable4 8,i    
have often10 writes ,bouilly1 8admired  
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 at the ,opera1 
in lyric tragedy1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt in   
the masterpieces of our ,french stage1  
and the brilliant ,mlle4 ,contat in     
comedy2 but not one of these celebrated 
women united1 in my opinion1 that       
variety of perfections1 that            
incomprehensible medley of pathos and   
gaiety1 of nobleness and simplicity1 of 
finesse and naturalness1 which made     
,madame ,dugazon admired in the         
different rles wherein1 in turn1 she    
showed herself princess and peasant1    
soubrette and tender mother1 ingnue and 
coquette1 wealthy woman and poor one4   
,she seized with an admirable fidelity  
upon all the shades of ,nature1 all the 
movements of the human heart1 all the   
inspirations of the most eager          
imagination4444 ,one was1 in turn1      
moved1 ravished1 transported2 from tears
 the most abundant one passed to        
laughter the most irrepressible1 from   

terror to gaiety the most natural and   
the most infectious2 one passed1 in a   
word1 through all the windings of the   
human heart2 one experienced all the    
sensations which leave a perfect        
remembrance4 ,and this was the work of  
one woman1 whose admirable intelligence 
did not cease to be the interpreter of  
,nature1 whose talent1 flexible and     
always natural1 was cited by authors and
 friends of the art as the most perfect 
model possessed by our lyric stage40#abi
  ,and ,madame ,vige ,lebrun says3      
8,and now ,i come to her whose dramatic 
career ,i have followed from beginning  
to end1 to the most perfect actress ever
 possessed by the ,opra-,comique1 to    
,madame ,dugazon4 ,hers was a natural   
talent1 which owed nothing apparently to
 study4 ,noble1 nave1 graceful1 piquant1
 she had twenty faces1 and always suited
 her accent to the person she           
represented at the time4 ,her voice was 
somewhat weak1 but she adapted it       
equally well to tears1 laughter1 and    

every situation40#acj  ,that ,madame    
,dugazon was far greater as an actress  
than as a vocalist there can1 we think1 
be no question4 ,the father of ,french  
opra-comique1 ,grtry1 gives it as his   
opinion that she was not a singer at    
all1 but 8an actress who spoke song with
 the truest and most passionate         
expression40 ,and ,boeldieu1 the author 
of ,la ,dame ,blanche1 says much the    
same4 8,what an astonishing woman60 he  
exclaimed1 after the first performance  
of ,le ,calife de ,bagdad4 8,they say   
that she does not understand music2 yet 
,i never heard any one sing with such   
taste and expression1 such nature and   
fidelity40#aca  ,madame ,dugazon's voice
 indeed1 though limited in range1 was   
pure and flexible and of an enchanting  
tone1 and1 as was the case with ,garat1 
her natural endowments far outweighed   
the disadvantages of a deficient musical
 education4  ,to recall all the         
successes of this charming actress1 it  
would be necessary1 as ,m4 ,campardon   

very truly remarks1 to cite practically 
the whole rpertoire of the              
,comdie-,italienne1 and we will1        
therefore1 confine ourselves to those of
 her 8creations0 upon which contemporary
 writers have left us the fullest       
information4  ,an opera called ,blaise  
et ,babet1 libretto by ,monvel1 music by
 ,desaides1 produced on ,june #cj1      
#aghc1 marks the commencement of the    
most brilliant period of her career4    
,this little work provided ,madame      
,dugazon with a magnificent triumph4    
8,what fine and delicate shades10 writes
 ,grimm1 8does the voice of ,madame     
,dugazon impart1 in this rle of ,babet1 
to the most simple expressions6 ,there  
is not one of her inflections1 there is 
not a movement in her acting1 which does
 not add to the movement of the scene1  
and does not vary it with as much truth 
as grace40#acb ,and the critic of the   
,mercure writes3 8,it is difficult to   
describe all the shades of talent that  
,madame ,dugazon has developed in the   

rle of ,babet4 ,natural1 comical1 nave1 
intelligent1 sensible1 she has not      
allowed one of the traits which make up 
the character of the person whom she    
represents to escape40  ,the third      
performance of ,blaise et ,babet was    
graced by the presence of the ,queen1   
who was so enchanted with the part      
played by ,madame ,dugazon that she     
forthwith resolved to act it herself1   
and soon afterwards the piece was       
presented at the royal theatre at       
,trianon1 with ,marie ,antoinette as    
,babet4 ,madame ,dugazon and ,fleury    
were summoned to ,court to preside over 
the rehearsals and aid the ,queen with  
their counsels4 ,nor were their pains   
thrown away1 for1 if we are to believe  
the ,fleury ,mmoires1 her ,majesty's    
rendering of ,babet almost equalled that
 of the actress herself3  8,she was a   
thousand times to be applauded1 when she
 was vexed1 crushed her flowers1 threw  
them into the basket1 and exclaimed1    
with the most charming toss of her head3

 #8,tu m'as fait endver444 endve444     
endve6'  8,it was such a delightful     
medley of pouting and sentiment1 of     
tears and vexation1 of anger and love1  
that ,i saw proud courtiers moved by it1
 and1 courtiers though they were1 forget
 to applaud1 because they were weeping40
  ,the comedy entitled ,alexis et       
,justine1 by the same authors1 produced 
on ,january #ag1 #aghe1 was for ,madame 
,dugazon1 who played the part of        
,justine1 the occasion of another       
triumph1 which ,grimm records in these  
terms3  8,madame ,dugazon has just      
developed a new kind of talent in the   
rle of ,justine4 ,it was difficult to   
unite to this degree the most lively and
 the most passionate sensibility with a 
navet the most sweet and the most       
attractive4 ,this charming actress has  
been truly eloquent in the scene of the 
second act with ,m4 de ,longpr4 ,our    
best tragdiennes could not render with  
more energy and with variations more    
just and more profound all the sentiment

 of this part1 one of the most pathetic 
that has ever been seen on the          
stage40#acc  ,in ,november of the same  
year1 was produced ,la ,dot1 a comedy in
 three acts by ,desfontaines1 music by  
,dalayrac1 in which ,madame ,dugazon    
gave so charming a rendering of the part
 of the heroine ,colette1 that a poet1  
who elected to remain anonymous1 but    
who1 ,m4 ,campardon thinks1 was1 in all 
probability1 the author of the piece    
himself1 thanked her in the following   
verses for the pleasure she had given   
him3      8,dis moi donc par quelle     
magie1      ,ne changeant au plus que de
 nom1      ,tu fais1  la voix de        
,thalie1      ,changer de maintien et de
 ton8      ,babet m'avoit sembl         
parfaite1      ,je l'admirerois a chaque
 trait1      ,et depuis que j'ai vu     
,colette1      ,je songe un peu moins   
,babet4      ,plus naturelle et plus    
sublime1      ,par un mot1 un geste1 un 
soupir1      ,tout  la fois ,colette    
exprime      ,le sentiment et le        

plaisir4      ,partout c'est la vrit    
pure1      ,que ,colette prends sur le  
fait1      ,et pour dot la simple nature
      ,lui fit prsent de son            
secret40#acd  ,madame ,dugazon now found
 herself at the apogee of her talent1   
and it appeared hardly possible that she
 could soar any higher1 when1 in ,may   
#aghf1 her creation of the part of      
,nina1 in ,nina1 ou la ,folle par amour1
 a drama in one act1 by ,marsollier de  
,vivetires1 music by ,dalayrac1         
exhibited her in a new light and excited
 among the ,parisians an enthusiasm     
almost unprecedented4  ,the genesis of  
this piece is interesting4 ,it was      
suggested to ,marsollier by a touching  
anecdote of a young girl who had lived  
in the neighbourhood of ,sedan4 ,on her 
wedding morning1 the maiden had preceded
 her lover to the church where the      
ceremony was to be performed4 ,on       
nearing it1 she was met by a friend1 who
 informed her that the young man had    
been seized with a sudden attack of     

illness and was dead4 ,the grief of the 
unhappy girl was such that she lost her 
reason4 ,thenceforth1 until her own     
death1 ten years later1 she walked daily
 more than two leagues to the spot where
 she had arranged to meet her lover1    
and1 on arriving there1 would sit down  
and wait for him the entire day4 ,at    
length1 when the shades of evening were 
falling1 she would rise and retrace her 
steps1 exclaiming3 8,let us go4 ,he has 
not yet arrived2 ,i will return         
to-morrow40  ,when he had completed the 
libretto1 ,marsollier sent it to        
,dalayrac1 who1 quick to recognise the  
splendid possibilities it offered for   
musical effect1 gladly promised his     
co-operation4 ,the score was soon       
written1 but1 for some little time1 the 
authors hesitated to submit it to the   
,comdie-,italienne1 fearing that their  
attempt to depict madness on the stage  
was too hazardous1 and might expose them
 to the risk of a disastrous failure4   
,while they were still in doubt1 ,mlle4 

,guimard offered them the use of her    
private theatre1 in the                 
,chausse-d',antin1 for an experimental  
performance4 ,they gratefully accepted1 
and it was on the erotic stage of the   
,temple of ,terpsichore1 8on those      
boards whereon the coryphes of the      
fricasse had so many times bounded10    
that ,madame ,dugazon created the part  
of ,nina1 before the usual mixed        
audience of noblemen1 grandes dames1 and
 courtesans4 ,the result was a          
prodigious1 an astonishing success1 and1
 on ,may #ae1 #aghf1 the curtain of the 
,comdie-,italienne rose on ,nina1 ou la 
,folle par amour4  ,the creation of     
,nina dominates ,madame ,dugazon's whole
 career and eclipses all her earlier    
triumphs4 ,never within the memory of   
man1 says ,m4 ,campardon1 had there been
 a like success4 ,the actress threw into
 the part her whole soul1 and it was    
very often remarked that on the days on 
which she had been playing ,nina1 she   
retained throughout the remainder of the

 evening the haggard eyes and singular  
gestures of the unhappy mad woman whom  
she had just been impersonating4 8,she  
played the part10 writes ,bouilly1 8with
 a perfection impossible to describe2   
one must have seen and heard her to form
 a correct idea of that penetrating     
voice1 of that frenzy1 heartrending and 
yet full of charm1 of that energy of    
expression which thrilled every         
heart40#ace ,grimm pronounces her in    
this piece superior to herself and to   
all the actresses that are the most     
applauded at the other theatres4        
8,never10 says he1 8was there displayed 
a sensibility more exquisite and more   
profound4 ,never did any one know how to
 assume more happily the most diverse   
tones4 ,never did any one vary them with
 more correctness4 ,it is the           
sensibility of her acting that decided  
essentially the success of the work1 for
 the tears which she has caused to flow 
do not prevent one from perceiving that 
it leaves much to desire40#acf  ,but    

whatever the shortcomings of ,nina may  
have been1 the public seemed resolved to
 ignore them1 and the enthusiasm with   
which the work and its 8inspired        
interpreter0 were received passed all   
bounds4 8,when one beheld her1 her hair 
unbound1 her eyes staring1 a bouquet in 
her hand1 advance towards the grassy    
bank near which she awaits her          
#8bien-aim1' when the plaints of the    
poor distracted girl were translated by 
the nave and tender music of ,dalayrac1 
it seemed as if emotion had reached its 
limits4 ,one wept for ,nina1 as one wept
 for ,garat1 ,miss ,billington1 ,todi1  
,maillard1 or ,saint-,huberty40#acg     
,the tears1 the applause1 baffled all   
description4 ,six times at the          
conclusion of the play was the 8sublime 
lunatic0 recalled4 ,the public could not
 applaud enough1 and at each performance
 the enthusiasm increased2 it seemed    
inexhaustible4 ,every evening the doors 
of the theatre were besieged by an      
enormous crowd4 8,men went thither to be

 moved by the sorrows which were able to
 cause such abandon1 women to seek      
emotions and the secret of tears40 ,not 
an evening passed without some lady in  
the audience swooning with emotion4     
,madness became on a sudden the         
fashionable disease4 ,in the salons a   
host of young women found occupation in 
playing the part of ,nina1 and some of  
them appeared to have worked themselves 
into a condition bordering on lunacy4   
,the critics essayed in vain to combat  
this ridiculous infatuation4 ,they      
pronounced the subject monstrous1 the   
libretto insipid1 the music detestable1 
and loudly bewailed the decay of art    
upon the stage4 ,they might have saved  
their paper and ink4 ,the public        
continued to applaud and to weep1 and   
the receipts of the ,comdie-,italienne  
to increase4 8,it seemed10 remarks one  
of the lady's biographers1 8that each   
spectator was of the opinion of an      
enthusiast who1 on the evening of the   
first representation1 improvised the    

following verses in honour of           
,nina-,dugazon3      8#8,tous les curs  
sont mus  tes divins accords1       ,on 
ne sait qu'admirer1 ton gnie ou tes     
charmes4       ,tu pleures1 aussitt tu  
fais couler mes larmes3       ,qui donc 
resterait froid  tes brlants transports8
       ,mais la toile se baisse et la   
pice est finie1             ,aussitt    
cesse ta folie1       ,mais moi1 d'amour
 pour toi perdre la raison4'0#ach  ,the 
provinces1 in their turn1 desired to    
witness this wonderful work and to      
applaud the idolised actress2 and       
,madame ,dugazon1 accordingly1 paid a   
visit to ,lyons1 where a magnificent    
reception awaited her4 ,such was the    
enthusiasm she evoked that her admirers 
would have liked to raise a triumphal   
arch in her honour1 but1 as the city    
authorities did not quite see their way 
to gratify this desire1 they were fain  
to content themselves with composing    
verses in her praise1 which were read   
upon the stage1 crowning her with       

flowers1 and applauding until the       
rafters rang4  ,on her return to ,paris1
 ,madame ,dugazon found herself1 if it  
were possible1 more the rage than ever1 
and so completely did her popularity    
eclipse that of her rivals1 that1 on the
 evenings on which she did not appear1  
the directors of the                    
,comdie-,italienne--that nursery of     
pretty women--had the mortification to  
see the boxes empty and their theatre a 
desert4 ,their consternation1 therefore1
 may be imagined when1 towards the end  
of that year1 the lady1 without a       
moment's warning1 set out for ,london4  
,it was at first believed that she had  
been enticed away by magnificent offers 
from ,london managers1 but it           
subsequently transpired that love and   
not money had drawn her to ,england2    
that she had gone thither in the company
 of a young man with whom she had fallen
 desperately in love1 whether an        
,englishman or one of her own countrymen
 contemporary chroniclers do not tell   

us4  ,the directors were in despair and 
wrote letter upon letter1               
commanding--for she had departed without
 obtaining the necessary                
cong--requesting1 finally imploring her 
to return4 ,but the actress replied that
 she was very content where she was and 
that they might dispose of her rles4 ,in
 vain they attempted to replace her4 ,in
 vain the beautiful ,madame ,pitrot1 the
 pretty ,lescot1 and the charming       
,colombe tried their fascinations upon  
the audience4 ,the public would have    
none of them2 scarcely could they obtain
 a single plaudit4 ,and night after     
night the curtain rose upon empty       
benches4  ,at length1 ,madame ,dugazon1 
wearying of ,london or of love--or of   
both--condescended to return1 and1 with 
her1 came ,fortune once more to the     
,comdie-,italienne4 ,the empty boxes1   
the deserted parterre1 filled as if by  
magic1 the theatre once more rang with  
applause1 and the directors1 who had    
lately seen ruin staring them in the    

face1 were all smiles and good-humour as
 they complacently regarded their       
swelling coffers4  ,advancing years     
brought no decline in the popularity of 
,madame ,dugazon4 ,unlike the great     
majority of actresses1 who persist in   
clinging to the very last to the genre  
in which they first attained celebrity1 
she was quick to realise the incongruity
 of a woman whose youth was long past1  
and whose figure had begun to show a    
decided tendency to embonpoint1         
continuing to impersonate juvenile      
heroines1 and1 accordingly1 resolved to 
devote herself to the representation of 
young matrons4 ,anxious to retain the   
services of an actress who assured the  
success of every work in which she      
appeared1 the directors of the          
,comdie-,italienne readily entered into 
her views1 and provided her with the    
parts she desired4 ,her success in the  
matronly style was phenomenal1 and her  
triumph in ,camille1 ou le souterrain   
almost equalled that which she had      

obtained in ,nina4         99       99  
99       99       99  ,notwithstanding  
the laxity of her morals1 ,madame       
,dugazon1 in private life1 possessed    
many amiable qualities4 ,gay1           
light-hearted1 and witty1 though without
 a spark of malice1 she was as popular  
off the stage as upon it2 while1 if she 
were faithful neither to husband nor    
lover1 she was1 nevertheless1 a staunch 
friend1 who endeared herself to a very  
large circle of acquaintances4 ,all the 
authors and composers who worked for her
 seemed to have held her in the highest 
esteem3 ,grtry1 ,sedaine1 tienne1       
,marsollier1 ,dalayrac1 ,laujon1 and    
many others remained to the last        
sincerely attached to her4 ,always      
sympathetic and ready to oblige1 her    
advice was never sought in vain1 and    
more than one young writer was indebted 
for his first success to the hints which
 he had received from the experienced   
actress4 ,bouilly1 who cherished for her
 the most lively gratitude and          

affection1 declared that he owed        
everything to her4#aci  ,although never 
wealthy1 for not even the most talented 
actress or singer of those days could   
hope for more than a modest competence1 
while none of her numerous love-affairs1
 if we except the very brief one with   
,m4 ,boudreau1 seem to have been        
prompted by any mercenary consideration1
 she was charitable to the utmost limit 
of her means1 and was ever ready to     
relieve those in distress4 ,it was at   
her instigation that1 during the severe 
winter of #aghd1 special performances   
were organised for the benefit of the   
suffering poor and a very large sum     
realised1 which was duly handed over to 
the ,church for distribution4 ,the      
,church1 we are told1 was very grateful 
for this timely assistance4 ,but1 with  
her usual intolerance where the         
theatrical profession was concerned1 she
 decided that the curs must not be      
permitted to touch money which came     
direct from the hands of persons without

 her pale and1 therefore1 gave          
instructions that the alms should be    
purified by being made to pass through  
the exchequer of the ,lieutenant of     
,police4 ,this pretty piece of casuistry
 inspired a wit to the following        
epistle1 supposed to be addressed by    
,st4 ,augustine to ,madame ,dugazon and 
her colleagues3      8,salut  la troupe 
italique1      ,a ce comit catholique   
,dont le cur loyal s'attendrit      ,sur
 la calamit publique1      ,c'est le    
fils de sainte ,monique1      ,c'est    
,augustin qui vous crit4      ,oui1 mes 
amis1 par cette ptre1      ,j'abjure    
maint et maint chapitre      ,o j'ai    
frond votre mtier      ,comme un tant   
soit peu diabolique4             99     
99       99       99       99           
,oui1 sans tre garant de rien1      ,je 
croirais qu'un comdien      ,risque1    
s'il est homme de bien1      ,d'tre sauv
 tout comme un autre4      ,un mime1 en 
face d'un aptre1      ,c'est un         
scandale1 dira-t-on2      ,saint ,paul  

ct de ,rosire1      ,trial vis  vis de  
saint ,pierre1      ,et bienheureuse    
,dugazon1      ,aux pieds d'un diacre ou
 d'un vicaire1      ,le paradis serait  
bouffon4      ,tant pis pour qui s'en   
scandalise3      ,allez au ciel par vos 
vertus      ,et laissez clabauder       
l'glise40  ,a ,royalist to the core1    
,madame ,dugazon1 when the ,revolution  
came1 viewed with feelings of           
indignation and regret the downfall of  
the ,king and ,queen1 the latter of whom
 had treated her with marked            
kindness4#adj ,nor did she lack the     
courage of her opinions1 as an unsigned 
letter once in the possession of ,mrs4  
,elliot1 the lady who inspired the      
8,first ,gentleman in ,europe0 with so  
lively a passion1 will testify3  8,after
 the #bjth of ,june1 #agib1 those who   
wished well to the ,royal ,family urged 
the ,queen to show herself occasionally 
in public with the ,dauphin1 an         
interesting and beautiful child1 and her
 charming daughter1 ,madame ,royale4    

8,she went therefore to the             
,comdie-,italienne1 with her children1  
,madame lisabeth1 the ,king's sister1   
and ,madame de ,tourzel1 gouvernante of 
the #8children of ,france4' ,this was   
the last time that the ,queen appeared  
in public4 ,i was in my box1 exactly    
facing that of the ,queen2 and1 as she  
was much more interesting than the play1
 ,i kept my eyes fixed upon her and her 
family4  8,the piece represented was the
 vnements imprvus1 and ,madame ,dugazon 
played the soubrette4  8,her ,majesty1  
from the moment she entered the theatre1
 seemed very sad4 ,she was much affected
 by the applause of the public1 and ,i  
saw her several times wipe the tears    
from her eyes4 ,the little ,dauphin1 who
 sat the whole evening upon her knees1  
appeared anxious to know the cause of   
his unhappy mother's tears4 ,she was    
seen to caress him1 and the audience    
seemed moved by the cruel situation of  
this unhappy ,queen4  8,there is a duet 
in this opera sung by the soubrette and 

the valet1 and ,madame ,dugazon had to  
say3      8#8,j'aime mon matre          
tendrement1       ,ah6 combien j'aime ma
 matresse6'  8,as1 in singing these     
verses1 she placed her hand on her heart
 and looked at the ,queen1 every one    
perfectly understood the allusion4      
8,immediately1 a number of ,jacobins who
 were among the audience sprang upon the
 stage1 and1 if the actors had not      
concealed ,madame ,dugazon1 they would  
certainly have killed her4 ,they then   
drove the poor ,queen and her suite from
 the theatre1 and it was all that the   
guard could do to place them safe and   
sound in their carriages4  8,in the     
meanwhile1 the ,queen's party had joined
 battle with the ,jacobins2 but the     
soldiers intervened and the broil had no
 serious consequences40  ,shortly after 
this incident1 ,madame ,dugazon         
temporarily retired from the            
,comdie-,italienne1 on the plea of      
ill-health2 but really1 according to    
,madame ,lebrun1 because the public1 in 

a spirit of revenge1 had endeavoured to 
make her sing a revolutionary song upon 
the stage4#ada ,in #agie she reappeared 
and was received with all the old       
enthusiasm4 ,at the time of her return1 
she was merely a pensioner2 but1 in     
#ahja1 when the two ,opra-,comiques were
 united in a single troupe at the       
,thtre-,feydeau1 she was admitted a     
socitaire and given a seat on the       
administrative council4  ,no one was    
more rejoiced at the ,restoration than  
this most ardent ,royalist4 8,i feel10  
she observed to one of her friends1     
8that now ,i shall die more happy40 ,she
 started at once for ,saint-,ouen1 and  
was one of the first to whom ,louis     
,,xviii4 granted an audience4 ,on being 
admitted to the royal presence1 her     
emotion overcame her1 and she threw     
herself at the ,king's feet1 bathed in  
tears4  ,the monarch1 himself much      
moved1 raised her up4 8,you have not    
forgotten me10 said he1 kindly1 8and ,i 
shall always remember the pleasure you  

gave me at ,versailles4 ,i am very      
grieved that the state of your health   
has compelled you to retire from the    
stage4 ,i should be enchanted to see you
 again40  ,after her interview with     
,louis ,,xviii41 we hear little of      
,madame ,dugazon4 ,she lived a very     
retired life in the midst of a little   
circle of intimate friends4 ,all her    
affection was centred in her son        
,gustave1 a young composer1 who1 at an  
early age1 showed remarkable promise1   
which1 however1 does not seem to have   
been quite fulfilled4#adb ,such was her 
anxiety for his success that when he had
 an opera in rehearsal1 she is said to  
have invariably fallen ill and not to   
have recovered until after the first    
performance4#adc  ,she died on          
,september #ba1 #ahba1 after a long and 
painful illness1 and was buried in      
,pre-,lachaise4 ,the cortge was followed
 by a large crowd1 and ,bouilly1 her    
devoted friend of twenty years1         
pronounced a funeral oration4     ,v    

,,mademoiselle ,,contat   ,about the    
year #aggj1 a bright-eyed and lively    
little girl might frequently have been  
seen to steal behind the scenes of the  
,comdie-,franaise1 and then1 placing    
herself in some obscure corner1 gaze    
with mingled awe and admiration at the  
great players as they made their        
entrances and exits4 ,the father of     
little ,louise ,contat--for that was the
 child's name--seems to have had some   
employment at the theatre1#add and she  
had already gained some distinction in  
amateur performances4 ,at the age of    
eleven1 it was intended to send her out 
on tour with a wandering theatrical     
troupe1 but1 fortunately1 she had       
already attracted the notice of the     
,prvilles1 who adopted her1 and the     
famous actor himself undertook to train 
her for the stage4#ade 8,never10 says   
,fleury1 8did pupil prove more worthy of
 such a master4 ,the young actress did  
not master intuitively the secrets of an
 art which cannot be taught2 but the    

great comedian1 charmed with her        
precocious talent1 facilitated her      
acquirement of those elements of        
diction1 the solfggi of speech1 so      
indispensable to a career on the        
stage40#adf  ,on ,february #c1 #aggf1 at
 the age of fifteen and a half1 ,louise 
,contat appeared at the                 
,comdie-,franaise1 as ,atalide1 in      
,bajazet4 ,her face and figure pleased  
the critics1 but her talent made but    
little impression4 8,mlle4 ,contat1 has 
just made her dbut10 writes ,la ,harpe1 
8with a pretty face1 but no voice and   
little talent40 ,nor was ,grimm more    
favourable4 8,she is mediocre in        
tragedy10 writes he1 8and her gestures  
are affected2 but she has an agreeable  
face and intelligent eyes40             
,subsequently1 she played ,zare and     
,junie1 in ,britannicus1 but with hardly
 more success4 ,in truth1 she had no    
talent for tragedy1 and it was only in  
compliance with the regulations of the  
theatre that she undertook such parts4  

,when1 however1 she came to play comedy1
 particularly comedy of the light1      
vivacious kind1 there was a different   
tale to tell4 ,then the careful lessons 
she had received from ,prville1 the     
greatest comedian of his time1 bore     
fruit in several delightfully clever    
impersonations1 which drew upon her the 
favourable attention of all lovers of   
really fine acting1 and showed that     
nothing but experience was needed to    
make her a worthy successor to ,mlle4   
,dangeville4  ,but1 for some years1 the 
girl's opportunities for distinction    
were very limited1 since no sooner did  
her rare talents begin to be suspected1 
than a cabal was organised to obstruct  
her progress4 ,to begin with1 her       
jealous rivals pitted against her ,mlle4
 ,vad1 the daughter of the poet who had 
bestowed upon ,louis ,,xv4 the title of 
8le ,bien-,aim10 a young lady who had   
made her first appearance on the same   
evening as ,mlle4 ,contat herself4      
,mlle4 ,vad1 however1 had few           

pretensions to beauty1 and still fewer  
to histrionic fame1 and ,mlle4 ,contat  
showed marked superiority to her        
opponent1 even in the jeunes princesses2
 a circumstance which ,prville took     
advantage of to secure for his pupil    
admission as a regular member of the    
company4  ,nevertheless1 the cabal1 far 
from being discouraged by this rebuff1  
continued their machinations1 and       
availed themselves of their seniority to
 exclude the young actress from every   
part which might afford her a chance of 
distinction4 ,but1 though the poor girl 
frequently quitted the stage in floods  
of tears1 after the chilly reception    
which had been accorded her             
impersonation of some rle utterly       
unsuited to her talents1 in the end the 
malignity of her enemies defeated its   
own purpose4 8,it stimulated her10 says 
,fleury1 8to prove how much she had been
 wronged4 ,she exerted herself to give  
importance to the insignificant parts   
allotted to her1 and this kind of       

feeling is a never-failing spur to the  
young artiste40  ,and the time was now  
at hand when the administration of the  
,comdie-,franaise could no longer afford
 to ignore the claims of the younger    
members at the bidding of a group of    
jealous women1 several of whom might be 
regarded as lights of other days4 ,the  
,comdie-,italienne was now no longer    
,italian in anything but name2 it had   
become the rival of the national        
theatre4 ,this rivalry1 which had begun 
in a very humble spirit--the 8,italians0
 gave out that they wished merely to    
glean in the vast field wherein their   
brothers of the ,comdie-,franaise reaped
 so abundantly--gradually developed into
 one of a very serious character4 ,the  
8,italians0 issued an address1          
announcing that ,thalia1 who heretofore 
had not dared to present herself on the 
boards of their theatre1 except under   
the auspices of the goddess of harmony1 
had decided to assert her rights1       
reinforced their company by some        

excellent performers1 amongst whom was  
,madame ,verteuil1 a lady who had earned
 a high reputation in the provinces1 and
 produced some excellent comedies1 whose
 success excited the gravest            
apprehension in the green-room of the   
,comdie-,franaise4  ,to present a bold  
front to this formidable attack1 the    
administration of that theatre found    
themselves compelled to bring into the  
field all their forces and to give every
 encouragement to new talent4 ,but the  
opposition to ,mlle4 ,contat was so     
strong1 that it was not until ,july     
#aghb that she was afforded an          
opportunity of exercising her abilities 
to the full and realising the promise   
which ,prville had seen in her as a     
child4  ,so far back as the spring of   
#agge1 ,palissot had submitted to the   
,comdie-,franaise a play called ,les    
,courtisanes4 ,the actors rejected it1  
ostensibly on the ground that it was    
indelicate1 but really1 the author      
suspected1 because he was the enemy of  

their friends1 the philosophers4 ,in    
reply to the ostensible reason1 he      
applied for and obtained the approbation
 of the censor1 ,crbillon fils1 not     
perhaps the person best fitted to       
discriminate between delicacy and       
indelicacy1 since he was the author of  
some of the most licentious romances of 
the time1 one of which1 called ,le      
,sopha1 had so outraged ,madame de      
,pompadour's sense of propriety that she
 had caused the writer to be exiled from
 ,paris4 ,nevertheless1 the company held
 to their previous decision1 at the same
 time addressing to the dramatist an    
impertinent letter4 ,out of             
consideration1 for his feelings1 they   
said1 their first refusal had been based
 on the indelicacy of the piece4 ,but   
the ,courtisanes possessed faults of    
another kind4 ,it might1 however1 be    
performed1 if ,m4 ,palissot could       
contrive to invest it with3 7#a7 action2
 7#b7 interest2 7#c7 taste2 7#d7 a plot4
 ,in spite of this rebuff1 the author   

had the play printed and1 seven years   
later1 through the mediation of the     
,archbishop of ,paris1 whom he had      
succeeded in persuading that his work   
would promote the cause of morality1    
,louis ,,xvi4 gave orders that it should
 be put into rehearsal1 after suggesting
 some alterations in the dialogue4  ,the
 play was a success1 a result largely   
due to ,mlle4 ,contat's admirable       
impersonation of the heroine1 the       
courtesan ,rosalie1 for more than one of
 the situations was decidedly 8risky10  
while the fact that ,sophans1 the       
villain of the piece--and a particularly
 odious villain--was a philosopher and  
man of letters by no means commended    
itself to many of the habitus of the    
pit4#adg  8,mlle4 ,contat10 wrote       
,grimm1 8secured in the part of ,rosalie
 a success which she had never yet      
obtained4 ,the situation in the second  
act appeared to be carried a little     
further than stage decorum seems to     
permit of4 ,but the situation is        

material to the plot1 and1 thanks to the
 charming figure of the heroine1 it     
would have been difficult not to accord 
indulgence to the tableau4 ,moreover1 it
 was tolerated1 though not without some 
murmuring40  ,from the performance of   
this comedy we may date the opening of  
,louise ,contat's theatrical career4 ,in
 the following ,december1 she secured   
another triumph as the heroine of       
,dubuisson's ,vieux ,garon1 and ,grimm  
wrote3 8,mlle4 ,contat who makes every  
day fresh progress1 appeared charming in
 the part of ,sophie4 ,at ,easter #aghc1
 on the retirement of the accomplished  
and virtuous ,mlle4 d',oligny1 the      
object of the eulogy of ,frron which    
excited ,mlle4 ,clairon to so much      
indignation1#adh she succeeded to her   
emploi10 and secured daily fresh        
successes4#adi  ,but it was in the part 
of ,suzanne in ,beaumarchais's immortal 
comedy1 ,le ,mariage de ,figaro1 that   
,louise ,contat was to attain celebrity4
 ,this play had been completed in #agha2

 but to write it was one thing1 to get  
it produced was quite another4 ,louis   
,,xvi4 read the manuscript himself and1 
though his political insight was none of
 the keenest1 could not fail to         
recognise its dangerous tendencies4 ,he 
pronounced it 8detestable0 and          
8unactable10 and1 for more than two     
years1 no argument could induce him to  
permit its being performed4 ,it was in  
vain that ,beaumarchais stimulated      
public curiosity to fever heat by       
frequent readings of his play1 at his   
own house or in various fashionable     
salons4 ,it was in vain that his friends
 at ,court1 headed by the ,comte de     
,vaudreuil1 one of the most prominent   
members of the ,queen's social          
circle1#aej allowed no opportunity to   
slip of extolling the merits of the     
work4 ,the ,king remained adamant4 ,once
 indeed it seemed to the dramatist that 
the battle had all but been won4 ,thanks
 to the efforts of ,vaudreuil1 who had  
succeeded in gaining over ,marie        

,antoinette to his side1 the players    
suddenly received orders from           
,versailles to rehearse the play in     
secret for a private performance4       
,beaumarchais1 after reading his piece  
to the assembled company1 determined to 
consult ,mlle4 ,contat as to the cast1  
the result being that ,dazincourt was   
set down for ,figaro1 ,mol for          
,almaviva1 the same character which he  
had so successfully represented in the  
,barbier de ,seville1 ,mlle4 ,sainval   
for the ,countess1 and pretty ,mlle4    
,olivier for the ,page2 while ,prville1 
who1 conscious of failing memory and    
sprightliness1 had refused the part of  
the ,barber1 contented himself with the 
comparatively unimportant rle of        
,brid'oison4 ,finally1 ,mlle4 ,contat   
was entrusted with the all-important    
part of ,suzanne1 a choice which caused 
considerable astonishment1 as1 admirable
 though the young actress was as an     
amoureuse1 she had never yet attempted  
anything of this kind4 ,mlle4 ,fanier1  

the senior soubrette1 protested warmly  
against the nomination and claimed      
,suzanne for herself4 ,but              
,beaumarchais1 who had early recognised 
the high qualities of ,mlle4 ,contat and
 had every confidence in her            
versatility1 had from the first intended
 the part of the heroine for her1 and   
would listen to no remonstrance4 ,nor   
had he any reason to regret his         
decision4  ,everything being in         
readiness1 it was decided that the      
performance should be given at the      
,thtre des ,menus-,plaisirs1 where the  
,comte de ,vaudreuil's influence was    
paramount1 on ,june #ac1 #aghc4 ,the    
interest it excited was intense4 ,as the
 appointed hour drew near1 the          
approaches to the theatre were blocked  
by hundreds of coaches2 all the         
fashionable world seemed determined to  
be present4 ,the consternation1         
therefore1 may be imagined when a rumour
 began to spread that there would be no 
play that evening2 that the ,king had   

forbidden the performance4 ,at first1   
the gaily-dressed crowd was inclined to 
be incredulous4 ,but a notice posted on 
the doors of the theatre confirmed the  
rumour1 and sent them away1 complaining 
bitterly of the 8oppression0 and        
8tyranny0 of the ,king1 who at the      
eleventh hour had sent orders1 through  
his ,minister of the ,household1 the    
,baron de ,breteuil1 prohibiting the    
representation of ,le ,mariage de       
,figaro under pain of disobedience1 and1
 the next day1 caused the players to be 
summoned before the ,lieutenant of      
,police1 when the prohibition was       
repeated in a form employed by the royal
 authority only on the gravest          
occasions4  ,but ,beaumarchais was not  
the man to despair4 ,he withdrew to     
,london1 ostensibly on commercial       
business1 but really1 no doubt1 to be   
out of the way the while ,vaudreuil     
solicited and obtained the ,king's      
consent to the ,mariage de ,figaro being
 performed in the course of a fte which 

the count intended to give at his       
country-house at ,gennevilliers4 8,the  
,comte d',artois10 wrote the ,duc de    
,fronsac to ,beaumarchais from that     
place1 8is coming to hunt here about the
 #ahth 7,september71 and the ,duc de    
,polignac with his party to sup4        
,vaudreuil has consulted me as to giving
 them a play1 as we have a capital room4
 ,i told him that he could not find a   
more charming one than the ,mariage de  
,figaro4 ,the ,king has given his       
consent1 have we yours80  ,beaumarchais1
 on his return to ,paris1 duly gave his 
8consent10 but only on condition that   
the play should be re-examined4 ,the    
royal veto1 said he1 had exposed his    
work to the charge of immorality1 and   
until that stigma had been removed from 
it by a formal approbation1 on no       
consideration would he allow it to be   
played4 ,it was a masterly move1 for    
while no censor would be likely to      
forbid an entertainment sanctioned by   
the ,king1 the desired approbation1     

besides stimulating the curiosity of the
 public1 would have the effect of       
covering his ,majesty's opposition to   
the piece with ridicule4 ,one would have
 supposed that the authorities would    
have been sufficiently alert to detect  
the trap laid for them1 but they walked 
into it without hesitation1 and sent the
 manuscript to the historian            
,gaillard1#aea who reported to the      
,lieutenant of ,police as follows3      
8,allow me1 ,monsieur1 to inform you of 
my opinion with regard to the comedy    
entitled ,la ,folle ,journe1 ou le      
,mariage de ,figaro4 ,i have heard it   
read and read it myself with all the    
attention of which ,i am capable1 and ,i
 confess that ,i see no danger in       
allowing it to be performed1 when       
corrected in two places1 and when some  
mots have been suppressed1 of which a   
malicious abuse or a dangerous and      
wicked application might be made4 ,the  
piece is a very gay one2 but when the   
gaieties1 although approaching what are 

called #8gaudrioles1' are not indecent1 
they amuse without doing harm4 ,gay     
people are not dangerous1 and ,state    
troubles1 conspiracies1 assassinations1 
and all the horrors we read of in       
history of all ages show us that they   
have been conceived1 ripened1 and       
executed by reserved1 sad1 and sullen   
people4 ,the piece is besides called ,la
 ,folle ,journe1 and ,figaro1 the hero  
of that piece1 is known in the comedy of
 the ,barbier de ,seville1 of which this
 is a continuation1 as one of those     
intriguers of the lower class1 whose    
examples are not dangerous for any man  
of the world4 ,besides1 ,i think that by
 raising objections to things of little 
importance1 as if they were dangerous1 a
 value is imparted to them which they   
themselves do not possess1 and foolish  
or ill-natured people are inspired with 
a fear or suspicion of danger1 which has
 no reality40  ,then1 after having      
proposed two suppressions1 one of the   
word 8minister10 the other of a passage 

alluding to the judgment of ,solomon1   
,gaillard concludes thus3  8,this piece 
appears to be well written4 ,the        
personages speak as they ought1         
according to their station1 and ,i think
 it very likely to attract more         
spectators to the ,comdie and1          
consequently1 what it most              
requires--large receipts40#aeb          
99       99       99       99       99  
,gaillard's suggestions1 which left     
untouched practically the whole of the  
sarcasms levelled at the ,government1   
were readily agreed to by ,beaumarchais1
 who lost no opportunity of exaggerating
 their importance in the eyes of the    
world1 and succeeded in extracting from 
the ,lieutenant of ,police a promise    
that henceforward the comedy should be  
8deemed the property of his ,majesty's  
players10 i4e41 put in the way of being 
represented at the theatre4  ,the       
,mariage de ,figaro was then played in  
the large room at ,gennevilliers1       
apparently1 as a favour somewhat        

reluctantly conceded by the author1 and 
was received with enthusiastic applause 
by the distinguished company1 though1 if
 ,madame ,vige ,lebrun is to be         
believed1 every one was surprised that  
the ,comte de ,vaudreuil should have    
permitted a play which contained so many
 sarcastic allusions to the ,court to be
 performed before an audience which     
consisted almost entirely of courtiers1 
with 8our excellent prince10 the ,comte 
d',artois1 at their head4 ,according to 
the same authority1 the favourable      
reception accorded his comedy quite     
turned ,beaumarchais's head4 8,he rushed
 about like a madman1 and1 on some one  
complaining of the heat1 he would not   
allow time for the windows to be opened1
 but broke all the panes with his       
cane40#aec 8,il a doublement cass les   
vitres10 it was remarked4  ,the very day
 after the performance at               
,gennevilliers1 ,beaumarchais1 sensible 
of the advantage he had gained1 formally
 applied to the ,lieutenant of ,police  

for permission to have his play brought 
out4 ,but that official replied that the
 ,king's prohibition1 given the day of  
the performance at the ,menus-,plaisirs1
 was still in force1 and that he must   
refer the matter to his ,majesty4 ,the  
latter1 though alarmed by the ferment he
 had raised1 for all ,paris and         
,versailles were now loudly clamouring  
for the production of the ,mariage1     
could not make up his mind to allow the 
production of a piece which he          
considered both dangerous and immoral1  
and resolved to postpone the evil day so
 long as he possibly could4 ,in this    
decision1 it appeared1 he was influenced
 largely by the ,baron de ,breteuil1 who
 was exceedingly prejudiced against the 
play1 and to conciliate that nobleman   
all ,beaumarchais's efforts were        
henceforth directed4 ,the baron was     
devoted to the ,queen and the ,comte    
d',artois1 and was himself by no means  
insensible to courtly seduction2 and the
 dramatist1 aware of this1 succeeded not

 only in obtaining the influence of the 
,comte d',artois1 but even on prevailing
 on ,marie ,antoinette to say a word on 
his behalf4 ,both the ,queen and the    
prince assured the ,minister that1 in   
addition to the corrections required in 
the ,mariage de ,figaro by ,gaillard1   
the author was prepared to make still   
further alterations1 if such were       
considered necessary4 ,breteuil         
thereupon assumed a more friendly       
attitude1 but declared that before he   
could interest himself in the fate of   
the piece1 he must hear it carefully    
read1 in the presence of some literary  
men of his own selection4  8,on the day 
appointed10 says ,fleury1 8,beaumarchais
 proceeded with his manuscript to the   
baron's residence1 where he found       
assembled1 besides the master of the    
house1 ,,mm4 ,gaillard1 ,champfort1     
,rulhire1 ,madame de ,matignon1 the     
,minister's daughter1 and several other 
ladies1 her friends4 ,beaumarchais began
 by declaring that he would submit      

without reserve to all corrections and  
omissions which the ladies and gentlemen
 present might deem requisite4 ,he began
 reading1 he was stopped2 some remarks  
were made1 and a little discussion      
arose4 ,at every interruption1          
,beaumarchais yielded the point in      
dispute4 ,but when the reading was      
ended1 he went over the whole ground    
again1 defending the smallest details   
with so much address1 such forcible     
reasoning1 and such captivating         
pleasantry1 that he completely silenced 
his censors4 ,they laughed and          
applauded1 and1 at length1 all declared 
that the play was #8a most original and 
unique production4' ,instead of         
omissions1 additions were proposed4     
,every one of the party was eager to    
interpolate a word or two4 ,m4 de       
,breteuil suggested a bon mot1 which    
,beaumarchais thankfully accepted4      
#8,this will save the fourth act1' said 
he4 ,madame de ,matignon chose the      
colour for the ,page's ribbon4 ,the     

colour was approved2 it would become    
quite the rage4 #8,who would not be     
proud to wear ,madame de ,matignon's    
colours8' said ,beaumarchais4 #8,but ,m4
 de ,breteuil's bon mot would not be    
heard1 the elegant ribbon would not be  
seen1 if the second ,figaro were not    
permitted to appear on the stage4' ,that
 he must appear was eventually the      
unanimous opinion40#aed  ,the astute    
dramatist completely succeeded in       
throwing dust in the eyes of the ,baron 
de ,breteuil1 and1 though ,louis ,,xvi4 
contrived to defer his inevitable       
surrender for some months longer1 by    
declaring that the play must be         
re-examined and causing six censors to  
be appointed for that purpose1 on ,april
 #bg1 #aghd1 the bills of the           
,comdie-,franaise1 posted up in every   
quarter of ,paris1 triumphantly         
announced the production that evening of
                           8,le ,mariage
 de ,figaro                             
ou                           ,la ,folle 

,journe40  ,the description of the first
 performance of ,beaumarchais's         
masterpiece is to be found in every     
history of the period4 ,it is one of the
 best-known souvenirs of the eighteenth 
century4 ,let us1 however1 borrow the   
account given in the ,mmoires of ,mlle4 
,contat's colleague and friend1 the     
actor ,fleury3  8,many hours before the 
opening of the ticket-office ,i verily  
believe that half the population of     
,paris was at the doors4 ,here was a    
triumph for ,beaumarchais6 ,if he sighed
 for popularity1 he had gained it4      
,persons of the highest rank1 even      
,princes of the ,blood1 besieged him    
with letters imploring to be favoured   
with the author's tickets4 ,at eleven   
o'clock in the forenoon1 the ,duchesse  
de ,bourbon sent her valet to the office
 to wait until the distribution of the  
tickets1 which was to take place at four
 o'clock4 ,at two o'clock1 the ,duchesse
 d',ossun laid aside her accustomed     
dignity and hauteur and herself         

solicited the crowd to allow her to     
pass2 ,madame de ,talleyrand1 doing     
violence to her parsimonious            
disposition1 paid triple price for a    
box4 ,cordons bleus were seen elbowing  
their way through the crowd1 jostled by 
,savoyards2 the guards were dispersed1  
the doors forced open1 the iron bars    
broken down1 and an inconceivable scene 
of confusion and danger ensued4 ,one    
half of the people had been unable to   
procure tickets1 and threw their        
admission money to the doorkeepers as   
they passed1 or rather1 as they were    
carried along4 ,but1 whilst all this was
 happening outside1 the disorder which  
prevailed within the theatre was1 if    
possible1 still greater4 ,no less than  
three hundred persons who had procured  
tickets at an early period dined in the 
boxes4 ,our theatre seemed transformed  
into a tavern2 nothing was heard but the
 clattering of plates and the drawing of
 corks4 ,then1 when the audience were   
assembled1 what a brilliant picture     

presented itself6 ,the lite of the rank 
and talent of ,paris was congregated    
there4 ,what a radiant line of beauty   
was exhibited by the first tier of      
boxes40#aee  ,the success of the piece  
was immense1 incredible1 surpassing even
 the fondest hopes of the author and    
actors4 ,from the opening scene the     
comedy carried the audience along with  
it1 and each of the pointed allusions to
 ,state abuses was greeted with         
vociferous and prolonged applause1 which
 was by no means confined to the        
parterre4 ,all the principal performers 
distinguished themselves4 ,dazincourt   
played ,figaro with all his             
characteristic humour and sprightliness1
 at the same time relieving the         
character from any appearance of        
vulgarity2 ,mol was an elegant and      
dignified ,almaviva2 ,mlle4 ,sainval1   
whose efforts had hitherto been mainly  
confined to tragedy1 displayed in the   
part of the ,countess an aptitude for   
high comedy which surprised as much as  

it delighted the audience2 ,mlle4       
,olivier threw the most enchanting      
archness and espiglerie into the rle of 
the ,page2 while old ,prville rendered  
,brid'oison a masterly character4  ,but 
the gem of the whole performance was    
undoubtedly ,mlle4 ,contat's            
impersonation of ,suzanne1 wherein she  
more than justified ,beaumarchais's     
confidence in her versatility1 and      
astonished even her most devout admirers
 by the gaiety and entrain with which   
she sustained the part4 ,as soon as the 
curtain fell1 ,prville ran up to her1   
and1 embracing her1 warmly exclaimed3   
8,this is my first infidelity to ,mlle4 
,dangeville60  ,the verdict of the      
public was confirmed by the critics4    
8,mlle4 ,contat1 in the rle of          
,suzanne10 says the ,mercure1 8has      
established fresh claims to the applause
 of connoisseurs1 by a performance      
frank1 intelligent1 and humorous40 8,the
 demoiselle ,contat10 says the ,journal 
de ,paris1 8rendered ,suzanne with the  

most piquant grace40 ,and--highest      
tribute of all--that most captious of   
critics1 ,la ,harpe1 declared that she  
8rendered the part of ,suzanne to       
perfection40  ,from that evening ,louise
 ,contat stood forth as one of the      
brightest stars of the ,comdie-,franaise
 and as a truly great actress4          
99       99       99       99       99  
,at the time when she created the part  
of ,suzanne in the ,mariage de ,figaro1 
,louise ,contat was twenty-four years of
 age and in the zenith of her beauty4   
,without being tall1 her figure was     
admirably proportioned1 and 8her whole  
person breathed an air of supreme       
distinction40 ,her face1 a charming     
oval1 was illumined by a pair of        
beautiful eyes1 8by turns languishing or
 flashing with mischief40 ,an exquisite 
mouth1 perfect teeth1 and a ravishing   
smile completed the picture1 and        
enslaved all with whom she came in      
contact4  ,yet her beauty was not       
perfect4 8,she is an admirable ,venus10 

says a pamphlet of the time1 8cut by    
some great sculptor from a block of the 
purest marble4 ,only he had not time to 
finish his work1 and entrusted the hands
 and feet to one of his workmen40#aef   
,fortunately1 she knew how to conceal   
these imperfections1 and on the stage   
they passed unnoticed4  ,it is hardly   
necessary to remark that so fascinating 
and talented a young woman did not lack 
for both noble and wealthy adorers4 ,but
 ,mlle4 ,contat1 in the early stages of 
her career1 was of a romantic           
disposition1 and her first lover        
possessed neither qualification4 ,this  
much-envied individual was a certain    
,chevalier de ,lubsac1 an officer of the
 ,royal ,household1 whose handsome face 
and ready wit more than atoned1 in the  
lady's eyes1 for his empty purse and the
 brevity of his pedigree4               
,illustration3 ,,louise ,,contat  ,after
 the painting by ,,dutertre  ,soon1     
however1 the actress had cause to regret
 her choice4 ,m4 de ,lubsac not only1 on

 occasion1 drank a great deal more wine 
than was good for him1 but he was a     
confirmed and most reckless gambler1 who
 would cheerfully stake everything he   
possessed on the turn of a card4 ,one   
evening1 when on the point of starting  
for a fte1 ,mlle4 ,contat went to her   
jewel-case4 ,to her consternation1 it   
was empty2 rings1 brooches1 pendants1   
earrings1 necklaces--all had            
disappeared6 ,supposing that thieves had
 been at work1 the distracted lady gave 
orders that the police should be        
summoned1 when ,lubsac1 who was present1
 intervened and1 falling on his knees1  
confessed that he was the culprit and   
entreated her pardon4 ,yielding to a    
sudden temptation1 he had carried off   
and pledged the whole of the missing    
property1 in order to obtain the sinews 
of war4 ,but alas6 his luck had been    
execrable2 he had lost every sou4  ,the 
indignation of the actress and the      
despair of the unhappy lover may be     
imagined4  8,ah60 cried he1 wringing his

 hands1 8had ,i but a few louis1 ,i     
could speedily repair the injury ,i have
 done you40  8,how so80 inquired ,mlle4 
,contat1 who perceived a ray of hope4   
8,yes10 resumed the contrite ,lubsac1   
8,i feel that ,i am in the vein this    
evening4 ,but ,i have nothing to stake1 
nothing whatever40  ,the repentance of  
the criminal touched the actress's      
heart4 ,smiling through her tears1 she  
produced two louis--the last she had in 
the world--and handed them to the       
chevalier1 who hurried off to the       
gaming-table4 ,in less than an hour he  
returned1 transported with joy4 ,fortune
 had smiled upon him2 he brought with   
him all the jewellery he had pledged1   
and had still a few louis in his pocket4
  ,the affaire with ,m4 de ,lubsac      
lasted but a few months1 at the end of  
which ,mlle4 ,contat had had enough of  
him and his vagaries and gave him his   
cong4 ,a wealthy financier aspired to   
the vacant place in the lady's          
affections1 became an assiduous         

frequenter of the ,comdie1 and professed
 his readiness to lay his heart and his 
money-bags at her feet4 ,but the actress
 would have nothing to say to him1 and  
intimated in unmistakable terms that    
neither his heart nor his money-bags had
 any attraction for her4 ,nevertheless1 
,plutus continued to prosecute his suit1
 and one evening1 while ,mlle4 ,contat1 
was standing in the wings1 talking with 
the ,duc de ,laval1 he approached and1  
8after having reminded her that he had  
already adored her for a long while1    
inquired if his turn to be loved had not
 arrived40 ,the actress indignant at    
such presumption1 angrily retorted that 
8if he were ten times richer than he    
was1 she would not recognise his right  
to behave with such impertinence02 and1 
with that1 turned her back upon him4    
,it must not be supposed1 however1 that 
,mlle4 ,contat was indifferent to       
riches1 when the person who possessed   
them had other claims to her regard2    
and1 some months after the above        

episode1 we find her squandering right  
merrily the patrimony of the ,marquis de
 ,maupeou4  ,the ,marquis de ,maupeou   
was very rich and very much in love2    
never could actress have desired a more 
generous admirer4 ,he furnished a house 
for her1 loaded her with presents1 and  
decked her with magnificent diamonds4   
,moreover1 he was as submissive as a    
slave1 and obeyed without a murmur her  
slightest caprice4 ,but ,mlle4 ,contat  
must have been even more difficult to   
please than the generality of her sex1  
since even this paragon of lovers did   
not long satisfy her4 ,perhaps his very 
devotion and readiness to submit to her 
will constituted a fault in her eyes4   
,any way1 she dismissed him1 and1 though
 the lovelorn marquis 8became so        
distracted through grief1 that he       
proposed to ,mlle4 ,contat to marry her 
and take her away from ,france10 she    
declined the offer4  ,for the lady had  
higher views4 ,she had just made a      
conquest of the second gentleman in the 

land after the ,king1 ,madame ,lebrun's 
8excellent prince10 the ,comte          
d',artois1 to wit4 ,what woman could    
resist a ,prince of the ,blood8         
,certainly not an actress of the        
,comdie-,franaise4 ,to have done so     
would have been to render herself guilty
 of lse-majest4  ,mlle4 ,contat was a   
proud woman indeed4 ,nevertheless1 there
 were days when she regretted the time  
when the bottomless purse of the        
,marquis de ,maupeou had been at her    
disposal4 ,for the liberality of her    
royal lover was very far from being in  
accordance with what one might have     
expected from so great a personage4 ,if 
his revenues were large1 he told her1   
his expenses were enormous--it is       
probable that ,mlle4 ,contat only       
possessed a fraction of the august      
heart--and often he was hard put for    
even a handful of louis4  ,the actress  
received these excuses in good part2    
but1 being privately of opinion that it 
was the will and not the means which the

 prince lacked1 had recourse to a little
 ruse1 in order to stimulate his        
generosity4  ,on a piece of stamped     
paper she forged a judgment-summons1    
requiring her to pay a sum of #aj1jjj   
livres1 and left it1 as if by accident1 
on her chimney-piece4 ,soon afterwards1 
his ,royal ,highness1 happening to call 
upon his inamorata1 caught sight of the 
paper and wished to read it4 ,mlle4     
,contat begged him not to do so1 and    
pretended to snatch it from him2 but1 at
 length1 with much apparent reluctance1 
permitted him to satisfy his curiosity4 
,the prince read the document1 said that
 the actress was very wrong not to have 
taken him into her confidence in regard 
to her embarrassments1 and1 having      
promised to take the debt upon himself1 
carried the summons away with him4 ,next
 day1 he sent her a letter1 which she   
eagerly opened1 only to find1 instead of
 the expected #aj1jjj livres1 another   
legal document1 which provided that the 
warrant which she had been at such pains

 to fabricate should not be put in force
 for twelve months4  ,great was the     
lady's disgust at the failure of her    
little scheme4 ,for a moment1 she was   
almost resolved to forsake the          
parsimonious prince for a less          
distinguished but more open-handed      
adorer4 ,however1 her indignation did   
not last very long1 as the following    
morning the ,comte d',artois1 who had   
only intended to indulge in a little    
joke at his mistress's expense1 sent    
her1 by way of compensation for her     
disappointment1 a magnificent present4  
,it was easy for a ,prince of the ,blood
 to be generous1 in those days1 without 
untieing his purse-strings4 ,thus the   
count obtained for his charming mistress
 an authorisation to play the prohibited
 game of biribi at her house1 a         
privilege which the actress ceded to the
 keeper of a tennis-court for the sum of
 one hundred louis a month4 ,this       
agreeable addition to her income1       
however1 was not of long duration1      

since1 at the end of a few months1 the  
,parliament of ,paris made one of its   
periodical onslaughts upon              
gambling-houses1 and that of ,mlle4     
,contat was closed by orders of the     
,lieutenant of ,police4  ,misfortunes   
seldom come singly4 ,soon after the     
closing of the gambling-house1 ,mlle4   
,contat presented the ,comte d',artois  
with a pledge of her gratitude and      
affection in the shape of a little      
daughter4 ,but1 by this time1 the       
relations between the actress and the   
prince had become somewhat strained4    
,perhaps1 the latter had grown tired of 
the lady's extravagance and caprices2   
perhaps he had his doubts as to whether 
he was the sole tenant of her heart1 or 
possibly he was troubled by             
retrospective scruples4 ,however that   
may be1 he forgot his promises and      
declined to recognise the child1 about  
whom we shall have something to say     
hereafter4  ,after this1 it is hardly   
surprising to learn that ,mlle4         

,contat's connection with her august    
admirer came to a close1 ,m4            
,desentelles1 the ,intendant des        
,menus-,plaisirs1 becoming the official 
successor of the prince4 ,we say        
official successor1 as it was rumoured  
in the foyer of the ,comdie-,franaise   
that the actor ,fleury was by no means  
indifferent to the charms of his fair   
colleague1 and that he did not sigh in  
vain4  ,mlle4 ,contat's rupture with the
 ,comte d',artois plunged the actress   
into a sea of financial troubles4       
,during their connection1 she had1 of   
course1 maintained an establishment     
befitting the mistress of the ,king's   
brother1 and had contracted debts on a  
proportionate scale4 ,so long as there  
seemed a reasonable prospect of the     
prince taking these liabilities on      
himself1 her creditors had been         
complacent enough4 ,but1 the moment they
 learned that the liaison was at an end1
 they became clamorous for payment and  
threatened executions and other         

unpleasant methods of recovering their  
due4 ,m4 ,desentelles and ,fleury did   
their best to pacify them1 but that was 
little enough2 and1 in her despair1     
,mlle4 ,contat was compelled to         
humiliate herself so far as to apply for
 assistance to her former adorers3 to   
the ,marquis de ,maupeou1 whom she had  
discarded1 to the ,comte d',artois1 who 
had discarded her4 ,the marquis and the 
prince responded nobly to the appeal1   
the latter sending her no less than     
three thousand louis2 and the most      
troublesome claims were satisfied4  ,the
 favour of ,m4 ,desentelles lasted but a
 short while1 and1 after his dismissal1 
,mlle4 ,contat seems to have had enough 
of gallantry1 or1 at least1 of official 
lovers4 ,fleury1 however1 remained      
always her faithful and devoted friend1 
and speaks of her in his ,mmoires as a  
8good and excellent sister40 ,he had    
done much to encourage her in the days  
when jealous intrigues had relegated her
 to the background1 and1 in return1 he  

was indebted to her for the part which  
made his reputation as an actor4 ,with  
the piece which provided him with this  
opportunity ,mlle4 ,contat had become   
acquainted in rather a romantic way4    
,one afternoon1 in the winter of        
#aghh-aghi1 the actress was driving in a
 whisky1 a kind of vehicle then much    
affected by ladies of fashion4          
,unfortunately for the safety of        
pedestrians1 she held the reins with    
considerably more grace than skill1 and 
about the middle of the ,pont-,neuf     
narrowly escaped knocking down a        
middle-aged gentleman1 who was crossing 
the road4 8,monsieur10 she exclaimed1   
pulling up sharply1 8pray what do you   
mean by running against my horse in that
 fashion80 8,madame10 was the reply1 8,i
 really think that the horse ran against
 me40 8,impossible1 ,monsieur4 ,my horse
 is quite under control4 ,besides1 ,i   
called out #8gare64' ,you never looked  
up40 8,madame10 said the gentleman1 with
 a profound cong1 8you have more reason 

to cry #8gare' now that ,i do look up40 
,convinced1 from his courtly manners and
 distinguished air1 that the stranger   
must be a personage of high rank1 ,mlle4
 ,contat made several attempts to       
ascertain his identity1 but without     
success1 and had well-nigh forgotten the
 adventure1 when one night1 at the      
theatre1 about a month later1 a note was
 brought to her4 ,it was to the effect  
that the gentleman who had had the      
privilege of a few moments' conversation
 with her on the ,pont-,neuf wished to  
know whether1 as a great favour1 the    
8modern ,thalia0 would devote a leisure 
hour to a rehearsal1 at the             
,comdie-,italienne1 of a two-act piece  
in which he was greatly interested4     
8,henri0 was the signature4  ,mlle4     
,contat at once repaired to the theatre 
mentioned2 but found that the author of 
the only play in preparation there was a
 comparatively young man1 a certain     
,baron ,ernest von ,manteufel1 a        
relative of the last ,grand ,duke of    

,courland4 8,ma foi60 exclaimed she1 to 
the composer ,dezde1 who presented him  
to her1 8,i must explain my error in    
coming hither40 ,and the letter was     
produced4 ,the baron1 on reading it1    
seemed much moved4 8,henri10 he cried1  
8ever noble1 generous1 and true60 8,and 
to me unknown10 remarked the actress1   
smiling4 8,unknown1 ,mademoiselle8 ,why 
all the world knows him60 8,nay1        
,monsieur1 there is at least one person 
in the world who is not in the secret1  
and that person is myself40 8,can you   
possibly be unaware1 ,mademoiselle1 that
 he is ,prince ,henry of ,prussia       
brother of ,frederick the ,great40 8,i  
breathe again10 said ,mademoiselle      
,contat4 8,brother of a king and a hero 
into the bargain6 ,i pardon him for the 
sake of his coup de thtre40 8,and for   
the sake of his recommendation10 the    
author continued1 8,i hope you will     
befriend me40  ,he then explained that  
he was in a serious difficulty4 ,the    
success of his first act depended upon  

the impersonation of a tavern-hostess4  
,this part he had1 of course1 intended  
for ,madame ,dugazon2 but that lady had 
declined it1 on the ground that it was  
unworthy of her talents2 and the actress
 who was now studying it was plainly    
unequal to the task4 ,would ,mlle4      
,contat use her good offices to induce  
,madame ,dugazon to reconsider her      
decision4  ,mlle4 ,contat declared such 
a negotiation impossible2 to take a part
 from an actress in possession of it1   
and force it upon one who had rejected  
it would be a breach of the etiquette of
 her profession4 ,but she sat out the   
rehearsal1 and saw at once that the     
piece1 which was a comdie               
ariettes--music by ,dezde--written round
 a pleasing little incident in the life 
of ,frederick the ,great1 which had very
 probably been related to the author by 
,prince ,henry of ,prussia1 might prove 
an immense success at the               
,comdie-,franaise1 and1 moreover1       
provide her friend ,fleury with one of  

those 8creations0 which1 when they      
succeed1 establish the reputation of an 
actor4  ,she accordingly talked the     
matter over with the author and ,dezde1 
the result being that the piece1 which  
was entitled ,auguste et ,thodore1 ou   
les ,deux ,pages--it is known to fame by
 its sub-title--was transferred from the
 8,italians0 to the ,comdie-,franaise1  
where it was produced on ,march #f1     
#aghi1 ,fleury playing the principal    
part1 with ,mlle4 ,contat as the hostess
 of the tavern4  ,the anticipations of  
the actress were fully verified4 ,les   
,deux ,pages was received with the most 
unbounded enthusiasm2 ,fleury made of   
the warrior king a masterpiece which    
placed him in the very front rank of his
 profession2#aeg while she herself1 we  
are assured1 was 8irresistible1 her     
beauty and frank gaiety carrying all    
before them40  ,but we are anticipating4
 ,between the ,mariage de ,figaro and   
the production of ,les ,deux ,pages four
 years had elapsed--years in which      

,louise ,contat had confirmed the great 
reputation which her creation of        
,suzanne had secured for her by a series
 of masterly impersonations4 ,in high   
comedy1 indeed1 she was supreme and     
without a rival4 8,in her hands the fan 
became a sceptre4 ,no one comprehended  
,molire better2 no one knew how to      
interpret more naturally the spirit of  
,marivaux4 ,she was reproached with a   
certain amount of affectation2 but she  
knew how to combine the haughty         
disposition of ,climne with the         
intelligent vivacity of ,dorine4        
,seductive voice1 eloquent eye1 charming
 smile1 infinite tact1 amiable dignity1 
perfect knowledge of                    
situations--everything in her combined  
to enchant an audience4 ,none of the    
characteristics which distinguished the 
society of the old rgime had escaped    
her1 and #8from head to foot she was    
grande dame4'0#aeh  ,her triumphs were  
not confined to the capital4 ,she made  
provincial tours--tours which were one  

long series of ovations1 in which crowns
 of laurels were showered upon her1 and 
thousands of complimentary verses       
composed in her honour4 ,once1 when     
playing with ,mol1 at ,marseilles1 the  
following madrigal was addressed to     
them3          8,hier un enfant         
d',hlicon     ,d'un secret important m'a
 donn connaissance4         ,ami1 les   
neuf surs d',apollon     ,n'ont pas     
toujours t si chastes que l'on pense2   
,thalie 7ah6 qui l'et cru71 sans bruit  
et sans clat1          deux enfants     
donna naissance1         ,l'un est ,mol1
 l'autre est ,contat40  ,like nearly all
 the members of her profession1 ,mlle4  
,contat was exceedingly charitable1 and 
this fact no doubt contributed not a    
little to the immense popularity which  
she enjoyed with the playgoing public4  
,at ,lyons1 on one occasion1 she gave a 
performance for the benefit of the poor 
of the city1 which realised between     
three and four thousand livres4 ,at     
,toulouse1 where the ten performances   

originally arranged for had failed to   
satisfy the enthusiasm of the public1   
she gave an eleventh1 and distributed   
the proceeds amidst the poor of ,barges1
 whither she was proceeding to take the 
waters4 ,once1 when visiting an asylum  
for persons who had been born blind1 to 
converse with the inmates and inscribe  
her name on the list of benefactors1 she
 was the recipient of a pretty          
compliment from a blind poet1 who       
improvised a quatrain1 in which he      
gallantly informed her that she should  
not so much pity those who had lost     
their eyes1 as those who had been made  
wretched by the lustre of her own3      
8,digne soutien de l'amiable ,thalie1   
,sur notre sort pourquoi vous attendrir1
     ,s'il est quelques mortels qui     
maudissent la vie1     ,ce sont que vos 
yeux ont rduits  souffrir4440  ,by right
 of her beauty1 her talent1 and her     
successes1 ,mlle4 ,contat believed      
herself invested with the right of      
imposing her will upon her comrades and 

dramatic authors4 ,with the latter she  
was frequently at variance4 ,during the 
rehearsals of ,alexandre ,duval's       
,edouard en cosse1 she demanded some    
alteration in one of the scenes4 ,the   
author refused1 declaring that the      
alteration in question would upset all  
his combinations1 and1 on the actress   
insisting on his compliance with her    
views1 appealed to the other players1   
who1 however1 maintained a discreet     
silence1 having no mind to contradict   
their imperious comrade4 ,beside herself
 with passion1 the latter threw her part
 at the author's head1 8swearing by all 
her gods that nothing should induce her 
to act in any piece of his40 ,duval1    
thereupon1 took his manuscript from the 
hands of the prompters1 and stalked out 
of the theatre1 coldly observing that   
unless the piece was to be played as he 
had written it1 it should not be played 
at all4 ,a reconciliation between       
actress and author was subsequently     
effected1 and the play produced1 but1   

some time later1 ,duval offended the    
lady beyond all hope of forgiveness1 by 
daring to offer to ,madame ,talma a part
 which she had marked for her own4#aei  
,mlle4 ,contat's jealousy1 indeed1      
caused her to be anything but beloved by
 her fair comrades at the               
,comdie-,franaise4 ,like ,madame        
,saint-,huberty at the ,opera1 she could
 not endure a rival on the stage4 ,she  
absolutely refused to be doubled1 and1  
even when illness prevented her         
appearing1 it was only with the greatest
 difficulty that she could be persuaded 
to allow any one to replace her4        
,moreover1 she not infrequently abused  
her position as queen of the theatre1   
and her endeavours to push the fortunes 
of her sister1 milie ,contat1 to whom   
she was always deeply attached1 at the  
expense of more deserving young         
actresses1 was a fruitful source of     
dissension4 milie1 who had made her     
dbut1 in the autumn of #aghd1 as        
,fanchette1 in the ,mariage de ,figaro1 

was very far from the 8deplorable       
actress0 which ,gaboriau declares her to
 have been#afj1 and in her rendering of 
the soubrettes of ,molire acquired some 
little distinction4 ,at the same time1  
she had no pretensions to be the equal  
of ,mlle4 ,vanhove1 who had made her    
first appearance at the same time2 and  
,mlle4 ,contat's efforts to secure      
precedence for her sister were strongly 
resented not only in the theatre but    
outside it1 and drew upon her many      
violent reproaches in both prose and    
verse4 ,marie ,antoinette herself       
intervened on behalf of ,mlle4 ,vanhove1
 whom she had taken under her           
protection1 and secured for her a part  
which ,louise ,contat had intended for  
her beloved milie4 ,when the            
all-powerful actress learnt that her    
wishes had been subordinated to those of
 royalty1 she exclaimed3 8,this ,queen  
has a great deal of influence60         
,nevertheless1 ,mlle4 ,contat was       
sincerely attached to the ,royal        

,family1 and to ,marie ,antoinette in   
particular4 ,one day1 the ,queen1 who   
intended to be present at a             
representation of the ,gouvernante1 sent
 her word that she should like to see   
her play the principal rle4 ,the part   
was suited neither to the age nor the   
talent of the lively actress1 and was1  
besides1 a long and difficult one4 ,she 
might1 therefore1 have fairly begged to 
be excused1 but1 eager to please the    
,queen1 she at once began to study it4  
,in less than two days1 she had mastered
 the five hundred verses of which it    
consisted1 and obtained a great success4
 ,writing to one of her friends soon    
afterwards1 she observed1 in allusion to
 this tour de force3 8,i was ignorant   
where the seat of memory lay2 ,i know   
now that it is in the heart40 ,this     
letter1 found in #agic among the papers 
of a suspected person1 was made one of  
the charges against ,mlle4 ,contat1     
when1 in ,september of that year1 she   
was arrested1 with nearly all the       

members of the ,comdie-,franaise1 but1  
thanks to the courage of ,labussire1 she
 escaped the guillotine#afa4  ,on her   
release from ,sainte-,plagie1 ,mlle4    
,contat returned to the                 
,comdie-,franaise1 now called the ,thtre
 de l'galit1 from which1 in ,june #agie1
 she migrated1 with her colleagues1 to  
the ,thtre-,feydeau4 ,after the         
bankruptcy of ,sageret and the dispersal
 of the company he had formed1 she      
accepted an engagement at the ,bordeaux 
theatre1 whither ,fleury accompanied    
her4 ,here she not only acted1 but      
frequently took part in opra-comique1   
and1 having an agreeable and            
well-trained voice1 greatly delighted   
her audiences4 ,the enthusiasm of the   
,bordelais1 both inside and outside the 
theatre1 reached such a pitch as to     
become positively dangerous for its     
object4 ,crowds gathered at the stage   
door to witness her departure at the end
 of a performance4 ,they surrounded her1
 and followed her with such transports  

of delight that1 at once flattered and  
alarmed1 she would press close to       
,fleury's side and say1 with an air of  
comic gravity3 8,my friend1 these people
 enchant me4 ,had we not better call the
 guard80  ,on the reconstitution of the 
,comdie-,franaise1 in ,may #agii1 ,mlle4
 ,contat resumed her place in the       
company1 and speedily regained all her  
old popularity4 ,under the ,directory   
and ,consulate1 indeed1 she was more    
than ever adored by the public and      
particularly by the youth of the        
capital1 8who1 in their anxiety to      
applaud her1 forgot to pay their        
tailors' bills40  ,in these later years1
 ,mlle4 ,contat1 having become too      
8majestic0 for the ,elmires and         
,climnes1 had been compelled to abandon 
the emploi in which she was still       
without a rival1 to play young matrons4 
,if she had been admirable in her former
 rpertoire1 in her new rles she is said 
to have been absolutely inimitable1 and1
 as ,madame de ,volmar1 in the ,mariage 

secret1 ,julie1 in the ,dissipateur1 and
 ,madame ,evrard1 in the ,vieux         
,clibataire1 to have reached the very   
perfection of her art4         99       
99       99       99       99  ,the     
irregularities of ,mlle4 ,contat's      
youth1 and the fact that she had a      
daughter and two sons--the paternity of 
at least one of whom seems to have been 
very much a matter of opinion--to remind
 the world of her lapses from the path  
of rectitude1 did not deprive her of the
 friendship and esteem of many whose    
friendship and esteem were worth        
possessing4 ,that this should have been 
the case was due to two reasons3 first1 
to the fact that she had always been    
careful to observe some degree of       
decorum in her gallantries and to cause 
herself to be regarded rather as the    
victim of an excessive sensibility--a   
kind of ,adrienne ,lecouvreur1 in       
fact--than as a lady of easy virtue2    
and1 secondly1 to the very high social  
qualities which she undoubtedly         

possessed--qualities in which she was   
surpassed by few of her contemporaries4 
,in truth1 ,louise ,contat was a species
 of grande dame1 whose salon partook of 
the appearance of the salons of former  
times2 one of those delightful          
rendezvous where the exquisite courtesy 
and tact of the hostess never failed to 
place every member of the company1 from 
the highest to the lowest1 immediately  
at his ease4 ,to see the actress in the 
midst of her guests must have been a    
useful object-lesson for any lady who   
aspired to social popularity4 8,with    
what art she knew how to talk to some   
the language of the ,court of ,marie    
,antoinette1 to the generals of their   
victories1 to the orators1 to the       
financiers1 of their ambitions or their 
affairs2 to salute a marquis of         
thirty-six quarterings with a sweeping  
courtesy1 to carve an epigram1 to       
improvise a quatrain1 to analyse a      
play6444 ,so many qualities attracted1  
conquered1 and retained the most        

rebellious40#afb  ,mlle4 ,contat's early
 education had been somewhat neglected1 
but she had contrived to atone for its  
deficiencies by reading and             
conversation1 and by 8that precious     
faculty of assimilation1 of transforming
 in the crucible of an original nature  
the knowledge and the talent of others  
into her own40 ,her conversation was    
always charming and witty1 though her   
wit was untinged by malice--8the irony  
of ,voltaire tempered by feminine       
sweetness40 ,on occasion1 however1 she  
could be very severe upon those who     
blasphemed her idol--good taste4 ,one   
day1 a hunchbacked duke1 a well-meaning1
 but somewhat maladroit person1 was     
ill-advised enough to remind her of the 
days1 now alas6 long past1 when she had 
possessed the most exquisite figure in  
,paris4 ,mlle4 ,contat1 though furious  
at the pleasantry1 dissembled her       
indignation1 but bided her time2 and    
when1 the conversation happening to turn
 upon hunchbacked people1 the duke      

observed that ,nature1 by way of        
compensation1 almost invariably endowed 
those so afflicted with intelligence of 
an unusually high order1 exclaimed3     
8,ah6 ,monsieur le ,duc1 vous n'tes que 
contrefait60  ,yet she was quite        
incapable of bearing malice1 and more   
than once gave proof of rare            
magnanimity4 ,placed under surveillance 
in her country-house at ,ivry during the
 ,terror1 she saved the life of one of  
her persecutors1 who1 proscribed in his 
turn1 threw himself upon her compassion4
 ,for some days1 she concealed him in   
her room1 bringing him his food with her
 own hands4 ,then1 learning that        
search-parties were scouring the        
neighbourhood1 and that it was no longer
 safe for him to remain1 she took the   
gardener's wife into her confidence1    
dressed herself in the woman's clothes1 
disguised her guest as the gardener's   
boy1 and drove him in a cart laden with 
vegetables and milk to ,choisy-le-,roi1 
whence he was able to make his escape to

 ,villeneuve-,saint-,george and the     
,forest of ,senart4  8,men of letters   
and actresses10 remarks ,m4 du ,bled1   
8have always possessed an attraction for
 one another2 interest1 end1 character1 
all create between them affinities which
 result in gallantry1 in friendship1 and
 in love2 the former invent1 the latter 
execute2 glory1 gain1 success1 and      
failure are their common lot2 common    
also the place of triumph1 the judge who
 awards the palm and the hisses40#afc   
,mlle4 ,contat had many friends in the  
,republic of ,letters1 and her salon was
 one of the most brilliant literary     
resorts in ,paris4 ,thither came ,vige1 
author of the successful comedies1 ,les 
,aveux difficiles1 ,la ,fausse          
,coquette1 and ,l',entrevue2            
,desfaucherets1 the improviser of       
proverbs1 whose play ,le ,mariage secret
 was ascribed by the sycophantic        
courtiers of the ,restoration to ,louis 
,,xviii41 just as they ascribed to him  
,arnault's ,marius  ,miturnes and       

,lemierre's pretty quatrain for a fan3  
8,dans les temps de chaleurs extrmes    
,heureux d'amuser vos loisirs1      ,je 
saurai prs de vous amener les ,zphirs1  
,les ,amours y viendront d'eux-mmes40   
--,maisonneuve1 the author of ,roxelane 
et ,mustapha2 ,arnault1 whose once      
applauded tragedies have long since been
 forgotten1 but whose ,souvenirs are    
still read with pleasure1 one of the    
intimate friends of ,bonaparte during   
the ,directory and a confidant of the   
coup d'tat of the #ahth ,brumaire2 and1 
finally1 ,lemercier1 one of the most    
original figures of his                 
time--,lemercier1 with his              
half-paralysed body and brilliant       
wit#afd and feverish energy1 perpetually
 indulging in the wildest pranks and    
attempting with equal ardour every      
branch of literature3 poems1 plays1     
fiction1 and philosophy2 a courageous   
and honest man1 too1 who declined to bow
 the knee to ,napoleon and saw1 in      
consequence1 his works--his chief source

 of income--spitefully interdicted by   
the ,imperial censors1 and the doors of 
the ,academy closed against him4  ,under
 the ,empire1 the reputation of ,mlle4  
,contat rose1 if possible1 still higher4
 ,napoleon greatly admired her acting1  
and she frequently played the leading   
parts in the theatrical troupe which    
followed his victorious armies and gave 
performances in the towns which he had  
conquered4  ,on ,january #bf1 #ahji1    
,mlle4 ,contat married ,paul ,marie     
,claude de ,forges ,parny1 a retired    
captain of cavalry1 brother--and not    
nephew1 as ,gaboriau and several writers
 state--of the poet1 ,evarest ,dsir     
,parny4  ,a few weeks later1 yielding to
 the solicitations of her friends1 she  
decided to retire from the stage1 after 
a career of thirty-four years4 ,it is   
believed that the attacks made upon her 
by the critic ,geoffroy were not        
altogether unconnected with this        
determination4 ,her last appearance was 
on ,march #f1 #ahji1 as the             

tavern-hostess in ,les ,deux ,pages1 on 
which occasion the whole of the takings 
were devoted to her benefit4 ,the bill  
that evening was a triple one4 ,first1  
,ducis's adaptation of ,othello#afe was 
presented1 with ,talma as the ,moor4    
,then came ,les ,deux ,pages2 and the   
entertainment concluded with a grand    
ballet composed by ,gardel1 for which   
all the leading performers of the ,opera
 gave their services4 ,the ,emperor and 
,empress assisted at the representation1
 which1 says the ,journal de ,paris1 was
 8one of the most brilliant that had    
taken place at the ,thtre-,franais for  
thirty years40 8,the prices10 continues 
the same journal1 8were more than       
tripled1 but1 to judge by the eagerness 
with which the ticket-offices were      
besieged1 one may believe that1 even if 
they had been quintupled1 it would not  
have prevented the theatre from being   
filled4 ,mlle4 ,contat was several times
 called before the curtain2 and all the 
spectators were unanimous in demanding  

her reappearance after the performance1 
which did not conclude until a very late
 hour40#aff  ,after her marriage1 ,mlle4
 ,contat sold her country-house at      
,ivry1 where she had for many years past
 spent a good deal of her time1 and took
 up her residence permanently in ,paris1
 where her house became the resort of   
some of the most agreeable society in   
the capital1 for1 as we have seen1 she  
was no less brilliant in private life   
than on the stage4 ,unhappily1 she did  
not live long to enjoy her well-earned  
leisure4 ,she was already suffering from
 that terrible disease1 cancer1 and she 
soon learned--by an accident--that her  
doom was sealed4 8,she had been for some
 time suffering from violent pain in her
 breast10 says ,fleury4 8,her medical   
attendant1 alarmed by her increasing    
illness1 recommended her to consult the 
celebrated ,dubois1#afg which she       
accordingly did4 ,after some            
conversation with her1 ,dubois said3    
#8,madame1 ,i will prescribe a course of

 treatment for you1 which you must      
scrupulously follow4 ,call on me again  
in about three days' time1 and1 in the  
meanwhile1 ,i will see your doctor4' ,on
 the appointed day1 ,contat repeated her
 visit to ,dubois4 ,he received her in  
his private cabinet and1 after a little 
conversation1 he left the room1 saying  
he should be with her again in a few    
moments4 ,casting her eyes on the       
doctor's writing-table1 near which she  
was seated1 ,contat saw her own name    
written on a slip of paper4 ,it was     
merely a medical prescription and1 after
 glancing at it1 she laid it down again4
 ,but beside it lay a sheet of paper    
concealed1 on which ,contat also saw her
 name written4 ,unfortunately1 she took 
it up and read it4 ,it was a letter     
which ,dubois had been writing to her   
doctor4 ,the first few lines over which 
she cast her eye declared that the      
patient was doomed1 and that it would be
 useless to subject her to a painful    
operation1 which could not possibly save

 her4 ,contat fainted4 ,dubois1 on his  
return1 perceived that she had perused  
the fatal paper4 ,he bitterly reproached
 himself with having caused1 though     
innocently1 a state of mental           
despondency calculated to hurry the     
patient to the grave more speedily even 
than the disease itself1 certain as was 
its fatal termination4 ,the kind-hearted
 man paid her the most assiduous        
attention and sought to cheer her by a  
faint ray of hope4 ,but in vain2 the    
blow had been struck4  8,contat1        
however1 behaved with no want of        
fortitude4 ,at the first shock1 she was 
naturally staggered4 ,she afterwards    
became almost indifferent to her        
situation4 ,her mind was cheerful1 and  
she retained her grace and good-humour  
to the last4 ,when in the midst of her  
family and friends1 she successfully    
concealed her pain and anxiety4 ,in this
 manner1 she lived two years from the   
time she so strangely gained the        
knowledge of her real condition2 and it 

was only within a fortnight before her  
death that she began to complain4 ,thus 
died 7,march #i1 #ahac7 one of the most 
brilliant actresses of which the ,french
 stage has ever been able to boast40    
99       99       99       99       99  
,amalrie ,contat1 ,mlle4 ,contat's      
daughter1 presumably by the ,comte      
d',artois1 adopted her mother's         
profession and made her dbut1 in #ahje1 
as ,dorine in ,tartuffe1 and the        
soubrette1 in ,le ,cercle1 with immense 
success4 ,unfortunately1 the great hopes
 then formed of her were very far from  
being fulfilled2 and when1 three years  
later1 she retired from the stage1 in   
order to make a rich marriage1 she      
ranked as an actress of only moderate   
ability4     ,,vi  ,,madame             
,,saint-,,huberty   ,on a certain       
afternoon1 early in ,september #aggg1 a 
rehearsal of ,gluck's ,armide was about 
to begin at the ,opera4 ,the stage was  
crowded with the artistes of both sexes1
 their friends and their admirers1 for1 

as we have said elsewhere1 in those days
 it was the fashion to attend the       
rehearsals of any new opera or play     
which happened to be arousing unusual   
interest1 and the fame of the little    
,german composer was at its height4  ,it
 was a brilliant assembly2 youth1       
beauty1 talent1 rank1 and wealth were   
all represented there4 ,the women       
especially were in full force1 the      
queens of song and the stars of the     
dance3 ,duranceray1 ,beaumesnil1 ,sophie
 ,arnould1 ,rosalie ,levasseur1         
,laguerre1 ,heinel1 ,guimard1 ,peslin1  
,allard1 ,thodore1 and a bevy of minor  
divinities1 the demoiselles of the      
ballet and the ladies of the chorus1    
many of whose names1 though unknown to  
dramatic fame1 were already writ large  
in the annals of gallantry3 the two     
,lilys1 the blonde and the brunette2    
,lolotte1 who had the finest horses in  
,paris2 ,droma1 whose extravagance had  
so completely ruined a rich merchant of 
the ,rue ,saint-,honor that nothing was 

left for the unfortunate man but to hang
 himself1 and ,rosette1 for whose       
favours two abbs had recently fought4   
,a brilliant assembly and a             
bravely-dressed one too2 for even the   
figurante drawing her eight hundred or a
 thousand livres a year seemed to find  
no difficulty in patronising the        
establishments of ,m4 ,pagelle1 of ,les 
,traits ,galants1 or ,m4 ,bertin1 of the
 ,grand ,mogol4 ,there was1 however1 an 
exception4 ,in a remote corner sat a    
young woman alone1 whose pale1 drawn    
face bore the marks of cruel struggles  
and long suffering1 and whose simple1   
black gown1 patched in more than one    
place1 afforded a striking contrast to  
the gorgeous toilettes around her4 ,no  
one spoke to her1 no one heeded her2 the
 gay throng was too much occupied with  
its own affairs to have a thought to    
bestow on so insignificant a person1    
until a movement on her part happened to
 arrest the attention of a              
gorgeously-attired damsel1 who1 with a  

mocking smile1 exclaimed3 8,ah1 tiens6  
voil ,madame ,la ,ressource40#afh  ,at  
these words1 ,gluck1 who was talking    
with the conductor of the orchestra1    
abruptly terminated his conversation1   
and1 turning round1 exclaimed1 in a     
voice which could be heard by all3 8,you
 have well named her ,madame ,la        
,ressource1 for one day she will be the 
resource of the ,opera60  ,this speech  
would appear to have been nothing more  
than a jest on the part of the composer2
 since never could he have even         
suspected1 at that time1 how fully his  
prediction was to be verified2 never    
could he have foreseen the astonishing  
triumphs which awaited this humble      
coryphe1 still confined to the rles of  
confidante and secondary divinity4 ,for 
the young woman1 8thus derided by vice1 
thus defended by genius10 was none other
 than ,anne ,antoinette ,ccile ,clavel1 
known to fame as ,madame                
,saint-,huberty6  ,the life of          
,antoinette ,clavel had been a          

peculiarly sad one2 one long course of  
privation1 misfortunes1 disappointments1
 and disillusions4 ,born at ,strasburg1 
on ,december #ae1 #agef1 she was now in 
her twenty-first year4 ,her father1 a   
musician1 formerly a member of a ,french
 troupe in the service of the ,elector  
,palatine1 and1 at the time of          
,antoinette's birth1 attached to the    
,strasburg theatre1 had commenced his   
little daughter's musical education     
before she was well out of the nursery4 
,the child1 like ,sophie ,arnould1 early
 gave promise of exceptional talent4 ,at
 the age of twelve1 she sang to her own 
harpsichord accompaniment1 8with so much
 taste and sweetness that she excited   
the admiration of all who heard her40   
,the fame of her precocious talent      
quickly spread abroad1 and the managers 
of several foreign and provincial       
theatres offered her engagements4 ,but  
her father and mother1 8cherishing in   
her the germ of those virtues with which
 they had inspired her1 had no mind to  

deliver her youth into distant towns1 to
 the danger of seduction by those       
amiable and opulent men who delight in  
the criminal victories they achieve over
 innocence10 refused to allow her to    
appear1 except at the ,strasburg        
theatre1 where 8they were able to direct
 at its outset a career so slippery for 
a young and inexperienced girl40  ,here 
she had the good fortune to attract the 
attention of the leader of the          
orchestra1 ,lemoine1 a ,french composer 
who was later to achieve success in     
,paris4 ,lemoine1 a kind-hearted and    
excellent man1 gave the girl lessons and
 allotted her a part in a little piece  
of his own1 ,le ,bouquet de ,colinette4 
,never was there a more grateful pupil4 
,in after years1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty
 made the most heroic efforts to assure 
the success of the somewhat mediocre    
works of her first professor1 of whose  
kindness to her when she was a child she
 could never speak without tears in her 
eyes4  8,i used to go to his house in   

the morning10 she related to one of her 
friends4 8,as it was cold and he was not
 well off1 he remained in bed until the 
morning rehearsal1 in order to save     
wood4 ,when ,i arrived to take my       
lesson1 ,i used to find him rolled up in
 his blankets1 with a great woollen     
night-cap on his head1 which reached to 
his eyes4 #8,ah6 there you are1 little  
one1' he would say to me1 and would     
throw me one of the blankets1 in which  
,i wrapped myself as well as ,i could4  
,then ,i used to sing1 beating time with
 my feet with all my strength1 in order 
to keep them warm4  8,in the evening1 ,i
 accompanied my father to the theatre4  
,often ,i was a figurante1 and ,lemoine1
 who knew that we made but poor cheer at
 home1 always contrived to give me some 
tit-bits1 off which ,i might make a good
 supper4  8,my father was indebted to   
him for several pupils1 who paid him    
fairly well4 ,finally1 he presented us  
to ,count ,branicki1 an immensely       
wealthy nobleman1 at whose house plays  

were frequently performed40#afi         
,antoinette ,clavel had been engaged two
 or three years at the ,strasburg       
theatre when there arrived in the city a
 man who described himself as           
director-general of the                 
8,menus-,plaisirs0 of the ,king of      
,prussia1 and stated that the object of 
his visit was to seek for fresh talent  
for the ,french troupe at ,berlin4 ,in  
his presumed official capacity1 he had  
no difficulty in procuring admission to 
the coulisses of the theatre1 where he  
soon became on terms of friendly        
intimacy with the actors and actresses1 
and with ,antoinette in particular4     
,claude ,croisilles de ,saint-,huberty1 
for by that high-sounding name was the  
gentleman known1 was still young1 but   
had seen much of the world1 of good     
appearance1 and a fluent talker1 whose  
honeyed words were well calculated to   
excite the imagination of inexperienced 
women1 for whom he had all the          
attraction of the successful adventurer4

  ,he made such magnificent promises to 
,antoinette1 and held out to her the    
hope of such a brilliant career1 that1  
one fine day1 in the spring of #agge1   
the young girl resolved to leave her    
parents secretly and follow ,m4         
,croisilles de ,saint-,huberty to       
,berlin4 ,here disillusion awaited her4 
,the pretended director of the          
8,menus-,plaisirs0 of the ,king of      
,prussia proved to be merely the        
stage-manager of the ,french troupe1 who
 could only very partially carry out the
 conditions of the engagement which had 
induced ,mlle4 ,clavel to quit the      
paternal roof4  ,whether ,antoinette was
 ,saint-,huberty's mistress1 or only1 as
 she herself asserted1 an ambitious     
young artiste decoyed away by the       
promise of an advantageous engagement is
 uncertain4 ,but1 however that may be1  
,saint-,huberty was exceedingly anxious 
to become her husband2 nor is his motive
 difficult to understand4 ,so far from  
having any right to the aristocratic    

patronymic he bore1 he was the son of a 
merchant at ,metz1 named simply         
,croisilles1 and had left home in order 
to gratify a passion for the stage4 ,a  
needy and unscrupulous adventurer1 he   
foresaw for the young singer a          
successful1 and possibly a brilliant1   
career1 upon the emoluments of which he 
might levy toll2 while if1 by chance1   
her success was not in accordance with  
his expectations1 he would always be    
able to obtain the annulment of a       
marriage contracted in a foreign country
 and without the consent of the parents 
of either party4 ,and so from morning   
until night he importuned ,antoinette to
 marry him1 expatiating upon the vast   
possessions of the house of             
,saint-,huberty--possessions well-nigh  
as boundless as his love for her--which1
 he declared1 would one day be his1 the 
brilliant future he could assure his    
wife1 and so forth4 ,nor did he plead in
 vain4 ,at the end of four or five      
months1 the poor girl1 alone in a       

foreign city1 friendless1 and almost    
penniless1 had the weakness to consent2 
and the marriage was celebrated on      
,september #aj1 #agge1 in the parish of 
,st4 ,hedgwig1 the so-called            
,saint-,huberty being described as      
8native of ,france1 stage-manager of the
 ,french troupe of his ,majesty the     
,king of ,prussia10 and ,antoinette as  
8,jungfrau ,maria ,antonia1 native of   
,strasburg1 actress40#agj  ,the young   
bride was very speedily enlightened as  
to her husband's real character and the 
motives which had led him to make her   
his wife4 8,the third night of our      
marriage10 she says1 in a memoir which  
she subsequently drew up for an         
annulment of the union1 8was marked by  
the grossest language on the part of the
 sieur ,croisilles1 accompanied by a    
pair of sound boxes on the ear1 because 
the counterpane was more on my side than
 his40 ,and1 a few weeks later1         
,saint-,huberty secretly quitted        
,berlin1 carrying off everything of     

value that his wife possessed4  ,from   
,berlin1 whence the too-pressing        
attentions of his creditors had been the
 cause of his abrupt departure1 ,m4     
,saint-,huberty made his way to ,warsaw1
 from which city he presently wrote to  
his wife1 informing her that he had just
 formed an operatic company1 whose first
 performance had been warmly applauded  
at the ,polish ,court1 and that her     
assistance alone was wanting to make it 
worthy to perform before the sovereigns 
of the ,north4  ,the rascal's pen must  
have been as persuasive as his tongue1  
since ,antoinette at once decided to    
rejoin her husband4 ,she arrived at     
,warsaw1 only to find that the company  
which was supposed to have already      
achieved such great things had1 as a    
matter of fact1 never given anything but
 rehearsals4 ,finally1 however1 it gave 
its first performance in public and1    
thanks to the efforts of the young      
singer1 appears to have made a very     
favourable impression4  ,intoxicated    

with his success1 ,saint-,huberty       
determined to extend the scope of his   
operations and establish his troupe on a
 permanent basis4 ,with this end in     
view1 he started for ,hamburg1 8in      
search of suitable recruits10 after     
which he had the imprudence to visit    
,berlin4 ,it was to venture into the    
lion's den4 ,scarcely had he set foot in
 the town1 than he was recognised1      
arrested1 and thrown into prison1 where 
his creditors announced their intention 
of keeping him until he should have paid
 the uttermost pfenning4  ,the troupe   
which he had left at ,warsaw1 deprived  
of its director and its salaries1 for we
 may presume that ,m4 ,saint-,huberty   
had taken most of its available cash    
with him1 found itself in a parlous     
condition4 ,in the meantime1 however1   
,antoinette had scored a great personal 
triumph in the opera of ,zmire et ,azor1
 when the reception she met with must   
have exceeded her fondest anticipations4
 ,warsaw1 in those days1 was essentially

 a city of pleasure2 and its upper      
classes prided themselves on following  
the manners and modes of ,paris4 ,the   
,opera was especially high in favour1   
and1 as the public was not very         
discriminating and lavishly generous to 
those who earned its approbation1       
artistes of very mediocre talent1 who in
 ,paris would have been accounted       
fortunate to be received in nothing     
worse than silence1 found themselves    
lauded to the skies and loaded with     
gifts4 ,the enthusiasm evoked by ,madame
 ,saint-,huberty's singing found vent in
 numerous valuable presents being made  
to the artiste1 who was thus enabled to 
realise a sum of #ab1jjj livres1        
wherewith she proceeded to release her  
worthless husband from his ,prussian    
dungeon4 ,that gentleman1 accordingly1  
returned to ,warsaw2 but his creditors  
in the ,polish capital1 encouraged by   
the success which had attended the      
proceedings of their fellow victims in  
,berlin1 assumed so threatening an      

attitude that1 after a brief period of  
repose1 he judged it expedient to resume
 his travels1 and1 one fine night1      
suddenly disappeared4  ,according to his
 custom1 ,m4 ,saint-,huberty did not    
depart with empty hands4 ,this time he  
had carried off not only all his wife's 
ready money1 but even the contents of   
her wardrobe1 including the costumes    
which she wore upon the stage1 leaving  
her without resources and almost without
 clothes4 ,happily1 a wealthy and       
generous ,polish lady1 the ,princess    
,lubomirska1 took compassion upon the   
unfortunate actress1 refurnished her    
wardrobe1 and gave her shelter for three
 months in her own palace4  ,soon1      
however1 difficulties arose with her    
husband's numerous creditors1 who       
endeavoured to fix upon her the         
responsibility for the debts which the  
fugitive impresario had contracted2 and1
 in order to free herself from all      
responsibility in connection with his   
liabilities1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty was

 obliged to obtain from the authorities 
at ,warsaw a formal separation1 in      
regard to property4 ,and here is the    
declaration which she made on this      
occasion1 bearing date ,march #ag1      
#aggg3  8,before the notaries and public
 officers of the ancient town of        
,warsaw1 appearing in person1 the noble 
dame ,antoinette de ,clavel1 wife of the
 nobleman ,philippe de ,saint-,huberty1 
assisted for the present deed by the    
counsel of the nobleman ,georges ,godin1
 present and called by her to this      
effect3 ,the said ,antoinette de        
,clavel1 being of sound mind and body1  
of her own full accord has freely and   
expressly declared and does declare by  
the present act3 that having learned    
that the nobleman ,philippe de          
,saint-,huberty1 her husband1 had       
quitted ,warsaw1 on account of the great
 number of debts by which he was        
overwhelmed1 and being ignorant even of 
the place to which he had retired1 and  
unwilling to be bound in any manner by  

the debts of her husband1 which he had  
contracted without any participation on 
her part1 she separates herself from all
 the goods and property generally of her
 said husband1 excepting1 nevertheless1 
the goods which she has acquired and    
brought with her2 and the said dame de  
,clavel declares1 moreover1 by a formal 
declaration1 that she makes no claim    
whatever to the said property1 and      
approving entirely of the present       
separation from the goods of her        
husband1 she has signed the present deed
 with her own hand4--,antoinette de     
,clavel1 by marriage ,saint-,huberty1   
,j4 ,godin1 as witness40#aga  ,in the   
meanwhile1 the 8nobleman0 referred to in
 the aforegoing document had settled in 
,vienna1 from which city he wrote to his
 wife1 to inform her that he had        
arranged to open an opera-house1 which  
he was confident would be the means of  
assuring him an ample fortune1 and to   
urge her to join him without delay4 ,as 
may be supposed1 after her sad          

experiences1 the poor lady was inclined 
to regard these assurances with some    
suspicion2 and1 on the advice of the    
,princess ,lubomirska1 she1 for some    
time1 declined to leave ,warsaw4 ,but   
,saint-,huberty pleaded so eloquently in
 the letters which he continued to send 
her that ultimately she relented1 and1  
in spite of the remonstrances of her    
kind-hearted patroness1 took the road to
 ,vienna4  ,here she quickly found that 
the opera-house and the brilliant       
prospects had no existence1 save in the 
imagination of ,m4 ,saint-,huberty1 who 
was reduced to such straits as to be    
actually in want of bread1 and had only 
sent for his wife in order to save      
himself from starvation4 ,happily1      
almost so soon as she arrived1          
circumstances compelled the impresario  
to quit ,vienna in the same manner as he
 had quitted ,berlin and ,warsaw4  ,the 
young singer now found herself without  
an engagement1 and free to go wherever  
she might choose4 ,like almost every    

operatic artiste1 her thoughts had often
 turned towards the ,acadmie ,royale de 
,musique1 where ,gluck was now supreme1 
and she1 accordingly1 solicited an ordre
 de dbut4 ,this was easily obtained1 the
 ,opera being just at that time sorely  
in need of fresh talent to fittingly    
interpret the master's works1 and1 in   
,april #aggg1 she set out for ,paris4   
,arrived in the ,french capital1 she    
lost no time in obtaining an            
introduction to the great composer1 who1
 quick to recognise ability wherever he 
found it1 promised to give her lessons  
himself1#agb and recommended her for a  
part in his forthcoming opera4  ,on     
,september #bc1 #aggg1 ,madame          
,saint-,huberty made her dbut in the    
small part of ,mlisse1 in ,armide1 and  
the ,mercure de ,france referred to her 
performance in the following terms3     
8,she has an agreeable voice4 ,she sings
 and acts with much delicacy of         
expression4 ,she appears to be an       
excellent musician1 and needs only a    

little stage experience in order to     
acquire greater development for her     
voice and greater ease for her acting40 
,in spite of this encouraging           
notice1#agc the newcomer appears to have
 attracted but little attention1 in the 
midst of an event of such importance as 
a new work by ,gluck4 ,who1 after all1  
was this modest dbutante1 beside such   
stars as ,legros1 ,larrive1 ,glin1      
,rosalie ,levasseur1 and ,mlle4         
,duranceray8  ,on first arriving in     
,paris1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty had     
lodged in the ,rue ,sainte-,croix de la 
,bretonnerie1 at the house of a dame    
,sorel1 after which we find her residing
 successively at the ,htel de ,genve1   
the ,htel de ,bayonne1 and the ,htel des
 ,treize-,provinces4#agd ,at all these  
places she lived alone1 for1 though her 
worthless husband had followed her to   
,paris1 she very prudently refused to   
receive him back1 until she was assured 
that he had mended his ways4 ,as1       
however1 he had no means of livelihood1 

and she could not allow him to starve1  
she obtained for him1 through the good  
offices of ,gluck1 the post of          
wardrobe-keeper at the ,opera1 which1 as
 one of her biographers very sensibly   
remarks1 was scarcely a proper          
appointment for a gentleman with a      
weakness for carrying off other people's
 garments and raising money upon them4  
,m4 ,saint-,huberty was1 as a matter of 
fact1 very speedily discharged1 upon    
which he revenged himself by hawking    
about the streets and 8reading aloud in 
the cafs and even in certain private    
houses to which he was admitted10 a     
libellous pamphlet against the          
authorities of the ,opera1 composed by a
 confederate named ,dod de ,jousserand4 
,in order to keep himself in funds1 he  
paid frequent visits to his unhappy     
wife1 from whom he did not hesitate1    
when argument failed1 to extort money by
 threats and even blows2 while1 when she
 had nothing to give him1 he would seize
 upon any saleable article which        

happened to catch his eye1 and carry it 
off4 ,one day1 while ,madame            
,saint-,huberty was at the theatre1 he  
swooped down and made a clear sweep of  
all the portable property of the        
luckless singer1 who was compelled to   
lay a complaint against him before the  
commissary of police of her quarter4    
,here is the text of this document3     
8,in the year seventeen hundred and     
seventy-eight1 ,friday1 the thirty-first
 of ,july1 at nine o'clock of the       
evening1 in the htel1 and before us     
,joseph ,chesnon fils1 advocate to the  
,parliament1 counsellor of the ,king1   
commissary to the ,chlelet of ,paris1   
appeared demoiselle ,anne ,antoinette   
,clavel1 called ,saint-,huberty1 ,king's
 pensioner at the ,opera1 who informed  
us that the sieur de ,saint-,huberty1   
who claims to be married to her1 in     
virtue of a pretended act of celebration
 in ,berlin1 has abused the confidence  
of the complainant for nearly three     
years1 in order to install himself in   

her abode and to remain there in spite  
of her2 to make himself master there1   
and even to maltreat her4 ,he1          
nevertheless1 several times left the    
house1 but always carried away with him 
jewels and other property of the        
complainant1 which he pledged and sold4 
,he would again force his way in1 but   
with empty hands1 and the complainant   
was unable to do anything against such  
persecution1 being without her          
papers4#age ,finally1 this same day1    
while she was at the ,opera1 the sieur  
,saint-,huberty has again taken         
advantage of her confidence and her     
absence to carry off the goods1 papers1 
and music of the complainant1 including 
even music which belongs to the ,opera4 
8,she finds herself in the greatest     
embarrassment1 and the sieur            
,saint-,huberty is cunning enough to ask
 her1 by a letter1 dated ,wednesday1 the
 twenty-ninth of this month1 for papers 
and goods which he has already taken the
 precaution to carry off4 ,for which    

reasons1 and in order that she may enjoy
 peace at home1 of which the sieur      
,saint-,huberty has for a long time     
deprived her1 and to force the said     
,saint-,huberty to restore to her her   
property1 papers1 and music1 and1 in    
particular1 that which belongs to the   
,opera1 she has come to lodge the       
present plaint against the sieur        
,saint-,huberty1 requiring from us the  
act which we have given her and signing 
the minute in our presence40#agf  ,on an
 order from the ,lieutenant of ,police1 
a portion of the stolen property was    
subsequently restored2 but if ,madame   
,saint-,huberty flattered herself that  
she was safe from further depredations1 
she was speedily undeceived4 ,on ,august
 #aj1 she removed to a little apartment 
in the ,rue de l',arbre ,sec1 in the    
house of ,gourdan1 one of the ,king's   
valets-de-chambre1 for which she paid a 
rental of #dij livres and had furnished 
herself4 ,three weeks later1 at seven   
o'clock in the morning1 she was sleeping

 peacefully1 dreaming perhaps of the    
time not far distant when all the       
musical world would be at her feet1 when
 she was abruptly awakened by the       
entrance of four men1 amongst whom she  
at once recognised the scoundrelly      
,saint-,huberty4 ,that worthy1 pointing 
to a person attired in the black garb of
 a commissary of police1 to indicate    
that he had legal authority for what he 
was about to do1 cried3 8,the pockets1  
,messieurs2 search her pockets40 ,the   
hapless woman was then dragged from her 
bed1 and1 while the man in black held   
her in his arms1 her husband showered   
blows upon her1 after which he took a   
pair of scissors and cut the ribands of 
the pockets of her night-dress1         
inflicting several severe scratches in  
the process4 ,next1 having possessed    
himself of her keys1 he opened all the  
drawers and cupboards in the apartment1 
and proceeded to ransack them1 at the   
same time addressing to his wife the    
most shocking language4 ,finally1 a     

fifth person1 also clad in black1       
entered1 who announced himself as the   
procurator of the husband1 but1 like his
 fellows1 only laughed at the poor      
actress's distress1 and declined to     
answer when she demanded to see his     
authority4 ,when her husband and his    
confederates had taken their departure1 
,madame ,saint-,huberty found that she  
had been robbed of a packet of          
twenty-two letters1 8which1 at first    
sight1 appeared to be love-letters10 and
 a pair of diamond shoe-buckles of the  
value of six louis4  ,this outrage was1 
of course1 made the subject of a        
complaint by its victim1 of which the   
aforegoing account is a summary4 ,but1  
as ,saint-,huberty had really had legal 
authority for his proceedings1 having   
had the audacity to declare to the      
police that his wife had 8secretly      
quitted their common abode and carried  
away with her numerous effects belonging
 to him10 no steps could be taken       
against him4 ,when1 however1 ,madame    

,saint-,huberty threatened to retire    
from the ,opera1 8unless her personal   
safety were guaranteed10 she received an
 assurance that she need no longer fear 
the visits and assaults of her husband4 
,but1 if the unhappy woman had contrived
 to secure herself against personal     
molestation1 she was not yet free from  
trouble of another kind4 ,some weeks    
before the adventure which we have just 
related1 she had succeeded in obtaining 
from ,saint-,huberty1 in return1 we may 
be sure1 for some pecuniary             
consideration1 a formal renunciation of 
all claim to her professional earnings1 
whether derived from the ,opera or from 
engagements at private concerts or other
 entertainments4 ,by the law1 however1  
she still remained answerable for his   
debts1 and the cunning scoundrel now    
determined to obtain the money he       
required through the claims of          
fictitious creditors4 ,on the demand of 
a certain demoiselle ,gurin1 who        
declared herself to be a creditor for   

the sum of #dhi francs against the sieur
 ,saint-,huberty and his wife1 a formal 
objection was lodged to the payment of  
the dame ,saint-,huberty's salary2 and1 
on ,october #b1 #aggh1 the ,chtelet     
declared this opposition good and valid1
 and made an order for the directors and
 treasurers of the ,opera to deliver    
over to the sieur ,saint-,huberty all   
sums due to his wife1 until the debt    
should be liquidated4  ,poor ,madame    
,saint-,huberty was in despair4 ,it was 
in vain that she protested that she knew
 nothing of the demoiselle ,gurin1 and  
had never been called upon by her1      
previous to the legal proceedings1 to   
pay any debt4 ,the officials of the     
,opera assured her that they were       
powerless in the matter4 ,deeply as they
 sympathised with her1 they could pay   
her nothing1 until she had obtained a   
recession of the order of the court4    
,this she1 accordingly1 endeavoured to  
procure4 ,but the machinery of the law  
worked even more slowly in those days   

than at the present time1 and it was not
 until ,march #ai1 #aggi1 that the      
appeal came on for hearing before the   
,parliament of ,paris4 ,then1 at last1  
,fortune declared itself on her side2   
for the judges1 carried away apparently 
by the eloquence of the plaintiff's     
advocate1 ,matre ,mascassies1 who1 in a 
speech of several hours' duration1      
traced the history of the stage from its
 origin to the middle of the eighteenth 
century1 with special reference to the  
influence of the fall of ,constantinople
 on the 8,mysteries10 and the relative  
merits of the operas of ,lulli and      
,rameau1 reversed the decision of the   
,chtelet1 ordered the authorities of the
 ,opera to hand over to the singer her  
arrears of salary1 and condemned        
,saint-,huberty and his confederates to 
pay all the costs of the proceedings4   
,madame ,saint-,huberty followed up this
 victory by another and more important  
one4 ,six months later1 she instituted  
proceedings for a formal dissolution of 

her marriage on the following grounds3  
7#a7 ,omission of the publication of the
 banns in the parish of the father and  
mother of the bride4  7#b7 ,absence of  
the cur of the bride's parish4  7#c7    
,the fact that the marriage had been    
performed without the consent of the    
bride's parents4  7#d7 ,rape and        
seduction1 which1 without the employment
 of force1 but merely 8par mauvaises    
voyes et mauvaises artifices10 were held
 to be sufficient to invalidate a       
marriage4  ,the action was supported by 
,saint-,huberty's father1 the ,metz     
merchant1 an honest man1 who appears to 
have been genuinely distressed by the   
misery which his son had brought upon   
this unfortunate girl2 and1 the husband 
himself having been induced to leave the
 matter to 8the wisdom of the court10 on
 ,january #cj1 #agha1 the marriage was  
finally annulled4#agg         99        
99       99       99       99           
,meanwhile1 undeterred by her domestic  
troubles--troubles which might well have

 ruined the career of a less resolute   
and less courageous woman--,madame      
,saint-,huberty had been steadily       
working her way into the very front rank
 of her profession4 ,without friends1   
without a protector1 but proud in her   
distress and sustained by an            
all-devouring ambition1 she lived alone 
in her humble lodging1 which she never  
left1 save to go to the theatre for     
rehearsals and performances4 8,from     
morning till night she worked1 studied1 
practised unceasingly4 ,in time1 her    
voice became more supple and perfectly  
under her control4 ,she taught herself  
to move her long1 thin arms with grace2 
she accustomed her countenance to       
reflect her passionate sensibility1 to  
render her lively impressions4 ,finally1
 she got rid of her deplorable ,alsatian
 accent40#agh  ,recognition1 however1   
was slow to come4 ,in #aggh1 the        
,mercure only mentions her as singing in
 unimportant parts in three or four     
operas1 although she appears to have    

greatly pleased the musical critic of   
that journal by her rendering of an     
,italian arietta of ,gluck1 at a        
8concert spirituel0 in ,december4       
,during the whole of the following year1
 when the theatre was under the         
direction of ,devismes1 there is no     
reference to her whatever1 except in a  
letter of ,devismes's successor1        
,dauvergne1 in which he speaks of the   
young singer as weeping with despair1   
because she had not been allotted a     
part2 and she seems1 about this time1 to
 have had serious thoughts of leaving   
the ,opera altogether4#agi ,however1 her
 perseverance was not wasted1 for1      
towards the end of that year1 she was   
received as a permanent member of the   
company1 though less1 it is believed1 on
 account of her talent1 than her        
willingness to do whatever was required 
of her4 ,this was a great step gained1  
and1 at length1 in ,november #aghj1 she 
reaped the reward of all her labours and
 self-denial by being entrusted with the

 part of ,anglique in the ,roland       
7,orlando7 of ,piccini4  ,no one seems  
to have expected this opera to succeed4 
,the composer himself believed its      
failure inevitable4 ,the evening of the 
first representation1 when he was about 
to start for the theatre1 his family    
refused to accompany him1 and1 aware of 
his extremely sensitive nature used     
every persuasion to induce him to remain
 at home4 ,his wife1 his children1 his  
friends were in tears4 8,one would have 
imagined that he was on his way to the  
scaffold40  ,piccini endeavoured to     
reassure them4 8,my children10 said he1 
8we are not in the midst of barbarians1 
but of the politest people in the world4
 ,if they do not approve of me as a     
musician1 they will at least respect me 
as a man and a foreigner40 ,and he tore 
himself away4  ,a delightful surprise   
awaited him4 ,roland1 so far from being 
a failure1 was an unqualified triumph1  
and1 at the conclusion of the           
performance1 ,piccini was escorted home 

by an enthusiastic crowd of admirers4   
,this happy result was undoubtedly due1 
in the first instance1 to ,madame       
,saint-,huberty's admirable rendering of
 the part of ,anglique4 8,where is      
,saint-,huberty8 where is she80 cried   
the grateful composer1 as the curtain   
fell to the accompaniment of round upon 
round of applause4 8,i wish to see her1 
to embrace her1 to thank her1 to tell   
her that ,i owe to her my success60     
,the critic of the ,mercure expresses   
himself as follows on the acting and    
singing of ,madame ,saint-,huberty in   
this her first important part3  8,having
 spoken of ,roland1 we shall seize this 
opportunity to say something of ,madame 
,saint-,huberty1 whose progress1 every  
day more marked1 merits a special       
mention4 ,we have seen her with pleasure
 in the rle of ,anglique1 in which she  
has1 in many respects1 acquitted herself
 very well4 ,we invite her only to be   
careful of her articulation2 she        
neglects it so far as to cause us to    

lose part of what she says4 ,the fault  
is common to foreign singers or to those
 trained abroad40  ,and the critic      
concludes by recommending her to be less
 prodigal of her gestures and not to    
raise her arms higher than was          
necessary4#ahj  ,a month later1 the     
singer gained another success1 as ,lise1
 in ,le ,seigneur bienfaisant1 an       
indifferent work by ,rochon de          
,chabannes and ,floquet1 when she       
rendered with such fiery energy the     
despair of the heroine that she fell ill
 from excess of emotion and was absent  
from the theatre for several weeks4  ,on
 her return1 fresh triumphs awaited her4
 ,after successfully impersonating gl1  
in the ,thse of ,quinault1 which had    
been set to music by ,gossec1 she       
replaced ,rosalie ,levasseur in the     
name-part in ,gluck's ,iphignie en      
,tauride 7,march #aj1 #aghb71aha in     
which1 the ,mercure declares that 8she  
acquitted herself very well and deserved
 the praise which she received40 ,next1 

she created the rle of ,laurette1 in    
l',inconnue perscute1 8with as much     
taste as intelligence10 and made an     
heroic1 though unsuccessful1 attempt to 
secure a favourable reception for the   
lectre of her old master ,lemoine1 the  
one-time conductor of the ,strasburg    
orchestra4  ,not content with doing her 
utmost on the stage on her old friend's 
behalf1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty employed
 the influence she was beginning to     
possess in the coulisses to compel the  
administration of the ,opera to prolong 
the run of this very indifferent work1  
notwithstanding the unfavourable verdict
 of the public and the disastrous       
results such a course was likely to have
 upon the receipts4 ,the administration 
resolved not to yield to such a         
preposterous demand1 but1 at the same   
time1 unwilling to offend an actress who
 was becoming every day more necessary  
to them1 had recourse to stratagem4     
,they represented that they were        
perfectly willing to oblige ,madame     

,saint-,huberty by continuing the       
representations of lectre2 but1 since   
the opera was not in itself a sufficient
 attraction to secure a full house1 it  
would be advisable to wait for a few    
days1 until the ever-popular ballet of  
,ninette  la ,cour1 in which ,mlle4     
,guimard1 it will be remembered1 secured
 one of her greatest triumphs1 could be 
given with it4 ,madame ,saint-,huberty  
consented to the postponement1 and the  
administration made use of the respite  
granted them to induce the ,minister of 
the ,king's ,household1 the supreme     
authority in matters concerning the     
,opera1 8to order that the opera of     
lectre should be absolutely withdrawn   
from the theatre40#ahb  ,in those days1 
it was the fashion at the ,opera to     
frequently present entire pieces        
composed of acts extracted from various 
works4 ,these performances1 called      
8,fragments10 were very popular with the
 patrons of the theatre1 since they     
constituted but little strain upon the  

imagination1 while the variety of their 
subjects and music provided an agreeable
 change4 ,on ,september #bd1 #aghb1 four
 8fragments0 were performed at the      
,opera1 the most important of which was 
a new act by ,moline and ,edelmann1     
entitled ,ariane dans l'le de ,naxos4   
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 who played the 
part of ,ariane1 had always had a strong
 predilection in favour of historical   
accuracy in stage costume1 and1 on the  
advice of the painter ,moreau1 who held 
similar views and had designed the      
dresses for this opera1 she resolved to 
make a move in the direction of reform4 
8,we have seen1 for the first time1 on  
the stage10 says the ,journal de ,paris1
 8in the principal personage1 the       
costume rigorously observed4 ,these     
designs have been made on the advice of 
,m4 ,moreau le jeune1 favourably known  
in artistic circles by the number1 the  
variety1 and the continual beauty of his
 works40  ,levacher de ,chamois1 in his 
work on theatrical costume1 has traced a

 description of the costume worn by     
,madame ,saint-,huberty on this         
occasion3  8,one saw this actress appear
 habited in a long linen tunic1 fastened
 beneath the bosom2 the legs bare and   
fitted with the ancient buskin4 ,from   
the head descended gracefully several   
plaits of hair1 which played about her  
shoulders4 ,this costume1 a novel one   
for the spectators and both true and    
elegant1 was applauded with a kind of   
frenzy4 ,but1 in spite of the approval  
of the public1 there arrived orders     
which one called #8ministerial1'        
forbidding ,madame ,saint-,huberty to   
appear in this beautiful costume1 and at
 the second representation of the work  
she was obliged to resume the heavy and 
ridiculous accoutrements of our         
coquettes and prudes40#ahc              
,notwithstanding this mortification1 the
 actress had no reason to be            
dissatisfied with her performance of    
,ariane4 ,it was indeed1 for her1 a     
veritable triumph4 8,as for ,madame     

,saint-,huberty10 says the ,journal de  
,paris1 8we do not know which serves her
 the best1 her face1 her voice1 or her  
acting2 she knows how to give to each   
song inflections which occasion the most
 lively emotions40 ,and the musical     
critic of the ,mercure writes3 8,madame 
,saint-,huberty1 in the opera of        
,ariane1 has added yet further to the   
idea that one has always entertained of 
her intelligence and her talent4 ,she   
played in a manner always animated and  
interesting1 and sang with the greatest 
expression the music constantly loud and
 passionate of a long and difficult     
rle40  ,guingun1 in his notice on the   
life and works of ,piccini1 declares    
that ,madame ,saint-,huberty owed to the
 protection of the celebrated composer  
the fact that her name was not erased   
from the books of the ,opera after her  
brilliant rendering of the part of      
,ariane1 since she had shown on this    
occasion views too independent and a    
talent too original to suit the views of

 the authorities of that institution4   
8,the success which she had obtained in 
it excited the petty passions of the    
coulisses4 ,they were prepared to drive 
her from the ,opera1 and ,piccini alone 
sustained her4 ,he recalled to those who
 were the powers of the ,state the witty
 and sensible mot of ,gluck2 he         
predicted that they would speedily have 
need of her1 and that they would be only
 too happy to have her4 ,his selection  
of her for the interesting part of      
,sangarede and the superior manner in   
which she rendered not only the music1  
but the scenes as well1 moved the entire
 public in her favour and gave her a    
settled position on the stage of which  
she was for ten years the glory40#ahd   
,the revival of ,atys had taken place at
 the beginning of the year #aghc1 when  
,madame ,saint-,huberty played the      
heroine with an enthusiasm which gave a 
new lease of life to that fine opera4   
8,thus10 says ,m4 ,jullien1 8she found  
herself dividing her sympathies between 

the two hostile camps1 and lending1 in  
turn1 the assistance of her great talent
 to the two rival composers3 to ,gluck1 
who had given her her first opportunity 
at the ,opera1 to ,piccini1 who had     
helped her to retain her position       
there40#ahe  ,illustration3 ,,madame    
,,saint-,,huberty  ,from an engraving by
 ,,colinet after the drawing by ,,le    
,,moine  ,a little time before1 on      
,november #bg1 #aghb1 the actress had   
given proof of a talent of rare         
versatility by rendering with much      
gaiety and charm the part of ,rosette1  
in ,grtry's l',embarras des             
,richesses4#ahf ,this piece1            
notwithstanding some delightful music   
and ,madame ,saint-,huberty's successful
 impersonation of the heroine1 failed1  
mainly through the ineptitude of the    
libretto--the production of one ,lourdet
 de ,sans-,terre1 surnamed by the wits  
,lourdeau ,sans-,tte--which contained   
some of the most amazing anachronisms   
ever perpetrated by a presumably        

educated writer4 ,thus1 the inhabitants 
of ,athens1 in the time of ,pericles1   
are made to fast during ,lent1 flirt    
with opera-girls1 and pay their debts in
 louis d'or2 while1 in the ballet1      
dances are executed by ,american        
savages6 ,bad though it was1 however1   
l',embarras des ,richesses is still     
remembered1 having been rescued from    
well-merited oblivion by the following  
amusing epigram3      8,embarras        
d'intrt1      ,embarras dans les rles1  
,embarras dans ballet1      ,embarras de
 paroles1      ,des embarras en sorte   
,que tout est embarras1      ,mais venez
  la porte1      ,vous n'en trouverez   
pas40  ,on ,february #bh1 #aghc1        
,sacchini's ,renaud was produced1 with  
,rosalie ,levasseur in the part of      
,armide4 ,her rendering of the part1    
however1 was not considered             
satisfactory1 and1 at the fourth        
representation1 she was replaced by     
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 who was thus   
enabled to set the seal upon her        

reputation4 ,for where ,rosalie had been
 found wanting1 she succeeded and       
succeeded brilliantly1 and1 by her      
conversion of a threatened failure into 
a complete triumph1 saved at one stroke 
the poor musician and the honour of the 
,opera1 which1 in cancelling its        
agreement with ,sacchini--about which   
there had been some talk after the cool 
manner in which ,renaud had been at     
first received--would have lost the     
composer's two masterpieces1 ,dardanus  
and dipe  ,colone4#ahg         99       
99       99       99       99  ,madame  
,saint-,huberty was not a pretty woman4 
,she had neither the beautiful eyes nor 
the willowy grace of ,sophie ,arnould4  
,she was short and thick-set1 with long1
 thin arms1 a large mouth and a 8nez de 
soubrette02 in a word1 an 8ignoble      
figure10 as the ungallant art critic of 
the ,mmoires secrets calls her1 in his  
notice of ,madame ,vallayer ,coster's   
portrait of the actress1 as ,dido1      
exhibited at the ,salon of #aghe4  ,but 

it was quite another ,madame            
,saint-,huberty who appeared on the     
boards of the ,opera4 8,that            
metamorphosis1 that transformation on   
the stage1 which some actresses obtain  
in a fashion so marvellous1 the         
,saint-,huberty pushed beyond the bounds
 of imagination1 thanks to incredible   
labours1 thanks to victories achieved   
every day over her unpleasing person1   
thanks to acquisitions apparently       
impossible1 thanks to a remarkable      
intelligence1 thanks to a very wide     
knowledge of the theatre and all its    
effects1 thanks to a profound study of  
the characters she represented1 whose   
sentiments and emotions of the soul she 
rendered1 so to speak1 #8in a palpable  
manner1' thanks1 finally1 to what her   
talent possessed of her heart and of the
 passion which dwelt in her4 ,and she   
succeeded in effecting a well-nigh      
physical transformation2 in giving to   
her figure nobility1 elegance2 in moving
 with gestures of pride or of touching  

grace4 ,and she appeared seductive and  
desirable to the amorous eyes of the    
audience40#ahh         99       99      
99       99       99  ,the great        
services which ,madame ,saint-,huberty  
had already rendered to the ,opera1 and 
the wonderful talent which she had      
displayed in the various difficult rles 
entrusted to her1 made the              
administration keenly alive to the      
importance of definitely attaching to   
the theatre an artiste of such          
exceptional ability1 whose value to them
 was immensely enhanced by the          
approaching retirement of ,mlle4        
,laguerre and the decline of ,rosalie   
,levasseur4 ,during the year #aghb1     
,madame ,saint-,huberty had only        
received #eejj livres1 a very inadequate
 remuneration for the attraction which  
she exercised over the public2 and1     
fully aware of her own value1 she had   
been at no pains to conceal her         
dissatisfaction4 ,on ,november #bb1     
#aghb1 ,la ,fert1 the ,intendant des    

,menus1 wrote to ,amelot1 the ,minister 
of the ,king's ,household1 pointing out 
the importance of having the matter     
settled without delay4 8,she 7,madame   
,saint-,huberty7 is a very troublesome  
person10 he says2 8but we cannot        
dispense with her1 in view of the       
indifferent services and the            
unwillingness of the demoiselle         
,levasseur4 ,all that we can hope for is
 that the dame ,saint-,huberty will make
 the conditions as little onerous as    
possible1 and ,i suppose there will be  
no hesitation in according her the      
,court pension of #aejj livres destined 
at first for the demoiselle ,laguerre40 
,after some further correspondence on   
the subject1 the prima donna was invited
 to formulate her demands4 ,they were as
 follows3  7#a7 #cjjj livres ordinary   
salary4  7#b7 ,payment of firing1       
lights1 and so forth4  7#c7 ,an annual  
gratification extraordinaire of #cjjj   
livres4  7#d7 ,a pension of #aejj livres
 on the musical establishment of the    

,king4  7#e7 ,a cong of two months every
 year1 including the ,easter recess4    
,this was1 of course1 to enable her to  
8star0 in the provinces4  7#f7 ,none of 
her rles to be entrusted to any other   
actress1 save at her own request4  ,la  
,fert agreed readily enough to four of  
these proposals2 indeed1 the first two  
had already been accorded1 while1 as we 
have just seen1 he himself had          
recommended the granting of the fourth4 
,but he annotated the third3 8,to       
promise it when circumstances permit02  
and he declared the sixth 8impossible1  
as being contrary to the regulations40  
,madame ,saint-,huberty's reply was to  
temporarily retire from the ,opera1 on  
the plea of ill-health1 and to announce 
that she contemplated leaving the stage 
altogether4  ,then ,la ,fert submitted  
to ,amelot an arrangement whereby the   
sum of #hjjj livres a year was assured  
to the singer1 independently of         
allowances for firing1 lights1 and so   
forth1 and of a pension of #aejj livres 

on the musical establishment of the     
,king1 which would give her an annual   
income of #iejj livres4 ,she was also to
 be permitted to give two private       
concerts every year1 the expenses to be 
borne by the administration of the      
,opera4 ,these1 it was calculated1 would
 bring her another #cjjj livres4        
,finally1 she was to be granted the cong
 she demanded1 on condition that she    
should not take it at a time when her   
services were particularly necessary to 
the ,opera or during the visit of the   
,court to ,fontainebleau4  ,on ,february
 #bg1 #aghc1 the ,minister wrote to     
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 to inform her  
of these proposals1 as follows3         
8,rendering to your talents and your    
zeal1 ,mademoiselle1 all the justice    
that they deserve1 ,i afforded myself   
the pleasure to give an account of them 
to his ,majesty1 who1 in consequence1   
has willingly consented to authorise me 
to announce to you that he has placed   
you on his musical establishment for the

 sum of #aejj francs1 to begin from     
,january #a1 #aghb1 which gives you the 
benefit of a year in advance4 ,secondly1
 to complete by a gratification an      
annual salary of #hjjj francs at the    
,opera2 that is to say that1 supposing  
your place of first subject should only 
produce1 for example1 #gjjj francs1 then
 the ,court would give you #ajjj francs 
to make up the #hjjj francs4 ,you will  
also be accorded every year a cong of   
two months4 ,finally1 his ,majesty      
consents to your giving every year1 if  
that be agreeable to you1 two concerts  
for your own benefit4 ,his ,majesty's   
intention is that #8these particular    
favours should remain entirely secret4' 
,i am very pleased at having been able  
to contribute towards securing them for 
you4 ,you will kindly advise me promptly
 of the receipt of this letter40  ,to   
this letter ,madame ,saint-,huberty     
vouchsafed no reply2 and1 after waiting 
until the middle of ,march1 the         
,minister wrote again3  8,the ,king     

inquired this morning1 ,mademoiselle1   
what reply you had made to the letter   
which he authorised me to write to you4 
,his ,majesty was not a little surprised
 when ,i informed him that ,i had not   
yet received it4 ,he charges me to      
demand of you a positive reply as       
promptly as possible4 ,i do not doubt   
that it will be such as the ,king has   
the right to expect40  ,but this letter1
 like the first1 remained               
unacknowledged4  ,in the face of the    
obstinate silence of the actress1       
supported by public opinion1 which now  
began to declare itself in her favour1  
the ,minister's position became so      
embarrassing that ,la ,fert counselled  
him1 on the occasion of a concert given 
at his htel1 in which ,madame           
,saint-,huberty was to take part1 to    
have recourse to the following little   
stratagem4 ,he advised ,amelot to speak 
privately to the singer before the      
concert began1 and1 in the event of his 
failing to obtain a satisfactory reply1 

all the ,minister's personal friends1 by
 previous arrangement1 should demand of 
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 after she had  
concluded her song1 whether she had     
definitely decided to remain at the     
,opera1 and that ,amelot should then    
announce that he had done everything in 
his power to retain her services4 ,the  
luckless ,intendant des ,menus saw in   
this species of public explanation the  
only way of giving the lie to the report
 spread everywhere by the actress that  
she was leaving the ,opera1 because she 
found it impossible to obtain adequate  
remuneration4  ,finally1 on ,march #bj1 
#aghc1 the ,minister1 the ,intendant1   
and the administration of the ,opera    
were forced to capitulate and to submit 
to all the conditions imposed by the    
singer1 stipulating only that ,madame   
,saint-,huberty should maintain the     
strictest secrecy concerning the matter1
 lest the jealousy of her colleagues    
might lead them also to demand higher   
salaries1 and that she should engage to 

remain at the ,opera for eight          
years4#ahi  ,and at the bottom of the   
letter in which ,amelot announced their 
surrender1 the triumphant prima donna   
wrote as follows3       8,in conformity 
with the arrangements made in this      
letter1 ,i engage      myself to remain 
at the ,opera for the space of eight    
years1 to      begin from the first of  
,january1 #aghd4  87,signed7 ,,de       
,,saint-,,huberty4       ,executed this 
#bb ,march #aghc4  ,eight months after  
her victory over the authorities of the 
,acadmie ,royale de ,musique1 ,madame   
,saint-,huberty reached the apogee of   
her fame by her impersonation of ,dido1 
in ,piccini's celebrated opera of that  
name4  ,when he had accepted the        
engagement which the ,baron de          
,breteuil1 the ,french ,ambassador at   
,naples1 had offered him1 ,piccini had  
fondly imagined that he would find a    
position at once honourable and         
tranquil4 ,he came to ,paris1 and had no
 sooner arrived1 than he perceived that 

those who had summoned him thither had  
been prompted by no other motive than   
that of pitting him against the composer
 who was then revolutionising the       
,french lyric stage4 ,the poor musician 
was naturally much troubled by this     
discovery1 but all arrangements were    
concluded1 and he had no option but to  
accept the situation4  ,naturally       
amiable and modest1 ,piccini was the    
last man in the world to engage of his  
own free will in this miserable war1    
which would doubtless have speedily     
ceased1 had it not been for the conduct 
of the philosophers and men of letters1 
many of whom knew scarcely anything of  
music and cared even less1 but who1     
infected by the mania for disputation so
 prevalent in the eighteenth century1   
rushed into the contest with a violence 
as ridiculous as it was disastrous to   
the interests of ,art1 and envenomed it 
by their epigrams and                   
recriminations4#aij ,that the labours of
 ,piccini were adversely effected by the

 false position in which he found       
himself there can be little doubt1 and  
his success1 under such circumstances1  
is1 therefore1 all the more deserving of
 admiration4  ,roland and ,atys had     
succeeded1 in spite of the efforts of   
the ,gluckists1 who had combated their  
success by every means in their power2  
but ,iphignie en ,tauride failed4 ,the  
struggle was unequal3 ,piccini1 though  
capable of contending with ,gluck1 was  
unable to conquer him4 ,mortified1      
discouraged1 eager only for rest and    
tranquillity1 he resolved to compose no 
more1 but he had counted without his    
librettist and faithful ally1           
,marmontel4 ,the ,marchal de ,duras1    
,gentleman of the ,chamber in waiting   
that year1 had demanded of ,marmontel an
 entirely new opera1 to be played before
 the ,court during its annual sojourn at
 ,fontainebleau4 ,marmontel replied that
 he could promise nothing1 unless       
,piccini would consent to collaborate   
with him again1 and suggested that1 in  

order to arouse the composer from the   
state of dejection into which he had    
fallen1 the marshal should persuade the 
,queen to change the annual             
gratification which the ,italian had    
hitherto received into a perpetual      
pension4 ,and this the marshal readily  
promised to do4  8,he asked for and     
obtained it10 continues ,marmontel1 8and
 when ,piccini went with me to thank    
him3 #8,it is to the ,queen1' said he1  
#8that you must show your gratitude1 by 
composing for her this year a fine      
opera4'  8#8,i do not ask anything      
better1' said ,piccini1 as he left us1  
#8but what opera shall it be8'  8#8,we  
must compose1' said ,i1 #8the opera of  
,didon4 ,i have long been revolving the 
plan of it4 ,but ,i forewarn you that ,i
 mean to unfold my ideas at length2 that
 you will have long scenes to set to    
music1 and that in these scenes ,i shall
 require a recitative as natural as     
simple repetitions4 ,your ,italian      
cadences are monotonous2 the accents of 

our language are more favourable and    
better supported4 ,i beg you to mark it 
down in the same manner as ,i repeat    
it4'  8#8,well1' said he1 #8we shall    
see4'  8,in this manner we formed the   
design of bestowing on recitative that  
ease1 that truth of expression which was
 so favourable to the performance of the
 celebrated actress for whom the        
character of ,dido was intended4  8,the 
time was short3 ,i wrote the poem with  
great rapidity1 and1 in order to        
withdraw ,piccini from the distractions 
of ,paris1 ,i invited him to come and   
compose with me in my country-house1 for
 ,i had a very agreeable one1 where we  
lived as a family during the summer     
months4 ,on his arrival there1 he set to
 work1 and when he had completed his    
task1 ,saint-,huberty1 the actress who  
was to play the part of ,didon1 was     
invited to come and dine with us4 ,she  
sang the part1 at night1 from beginning 
to end1 and entered into the spirit of  
it so thoroughly that ,i fancied she was

 on the stage4 ,piccini was             
delighted40#aia  ,at the moment when    
,marmontel and ,piccini judged it       
advisable to put ,didon into rehearsal1 
,madame ,saint-,huberty was entitled to 
the annual cong which she had stipulated
 for and obtained some months           
previously2 and she had made            
arrangements for a tour in ,provence4   
,she took her part with her1 however1   
telling the authors that they could     
rehearse the opera without her1 as they 
could rely upon her knowing her music   
quite thoroughly before she returned1   
and probably before any one else would  
be ready4  ,the rehearsals began at     
,fontainebleau1 the part of the heroine 
being1 as a rule1 taken by a            
chorus-singer1 who1 without attempting  
to sing ,madame ,saint-,huberty's music 
from beginning to end1 read the part and
 did her best to replace the prima donna
 in the concerted pieces4 ,on two or    
three occasions1 however1 ,mlle4        
,maillard1 a young actress1 for whom the

 ,intendant ,la ,fert had a very        
pronounced tendresse1 was entrusted with
 the principal rle4  ,the real ,dido1   
meanwhile1 was making a high successful 
tour in ,provence1 where she was        
everywhere received with enthusiasm4 ,at
 ,aix1 she caught such a severe cold    
that for a time she lost her voice1 but 
had1 fortunately1 fully recovered its   
use by the time she returned to ,paris4 
8,the part of ,didon10 she wrote to one 
of her friends in ,provence1 8having    
been composed for me1 for my voice1 and 
being the only very interesting part in 
this piece1 it will be impossible to    
give it anywhere without me4 ,this looks
 like conceit on my part1 but ,i will   
explain the matter to you4 ,the part of 
,didon is all acting4 ,the recitative is
 so well composed that it is impossible 
to sing it4  8,an immense number of     
persons had attended the early          
rehearsals of ,didon1 and had come to   
the conclusion that it was one of       
,piccini's worst productions4 ,but      

,piccini consoled himself by saying3    
#8,wait till my ,didon comes6' ,at the  
first rehearsal1 which took place with  
myself in the part1 every one said3     
#8,ah6 he has recomposed the greater    
part of his opera6' ,and yet only four  
days had elapsed since the previous     
rehearsal4 ,piccini heard it and        
remarked3 #8,no1 ,messieurs1 ,i have    
altered nothing in the part4 ,but until 
now ,didon was being played without     
,didon4'0  ,from which letter it will be
 gathered that undue modesty was not one
 of ,madame ,saint-,huberty's failings4 
,the day of the first representation    
drew near4 ,the great singer resolved to
 carry out a radical change in her      
costume4 ,she held1 as ,mlle4 ,clairon  
had held1 that in order to faithfully   
represent the personages of antiquity1  
it was absolutely essential to          
investigate their manners and their     
characters1 and to ascertain exactly the
 garments which they were in the habit  
of wearing4#aib ,she regarded the       

theatre as a picture which cannot hope  
to produce illusion1 save by the        
fortunate accord of all its elements1   
and she was far from meeting with this  
accord in tragedy1 in which the verse   
transported the audience to ,rome or    
,sparta1 but in which one saw appear    
,greeks wearing brocaded robes1 with    
turbans on their heads1 and ,roman      
ladies with long trains borne by        
pages4#aic  ,this time she succeeded    
better than in ,ariane1 and went to the 
extreme of simplicity4 ,she announced   
that the costume she proposed to adopt  
was an exact copy of a design by ,moreau
 le jeune1 sent from ,rome1 where the   
artist then was4 ,the tunic was of      
linen1 the buskins laced on the bare    
foot1 the crown encircled by a veil1    
which fell down her back1 the mantle of 
purple1 the robe fastened by a girdle   
below the bosom4  ,we may imagine the   
astonishment of the committee of the    
,opera1 of ,la ,fert1 and of ,amelot1   
when ,madame ,saint-,huberty1 with      

,moreau's design in her hand1 insisted  
that a costume exactly resembling it    
should be forthwith ordered for her4    
8,she thus dared to patronise new ideas 
and to introduce to the ,opera a costume
 designed by this reformer1 whom they   
believed they had conquered40#aid ,all  
the authorities were up in arms against 
these exorbitant pretensions1 but the   
actress's genius had rendered her       
all-powerful2 her wishes could no longer
 be ignored1 and they were obliged to   
yield4 ,but every day the lady became   
more exacting in her demands1 and poor  
,la ,fert was driven to his wits' end to
 satisfy them4 8,i have just ordered    
,madame ,saint-,huberty's robe10 he     
writes to ,amelot2 8but it is terrible60
 ,and again3 8,i have endeavoured to    
satisfy ,madame ,saint-,huberty's       
caprices in making her decide to content
 herself with some changes in her robe  
for the part of ,didon60 ,unhappy       
,intendant6 ,the actress was now indeed 
taking an ample revenge for the rebuff  

she had sustained in ,ariane4         99
       99       99       99       99    
,didon was at length presented on       
,october #af1 #aghc4 ,it was a dazzling 
triumph for both composer and actress4  
,never had such enthusiasm been         
witnessed at the ,court4 ,louis ,,xvi41 
though1 as a rule1 he did not care for  
opera1 was delighted and declared that  
8this opera had given him as much       
pleasure as a fine tragedy40 ,to mark   
his satisfaction1 he at once decided    
that a pension of #aejj livres should be
 bestowed on the principal actress1 and 
sent the ,marchal de ,duras to          
compliment her and inform her of the    
pleasure she had afforded him4  8,this10
 writes one who was present1 8was the   
finest scene of the evening4 ,when the  
,marchal de ,duras arrived behind the   
scenes1 followed by a crowd of courtiers
 in gala dress1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty 
had not yet had time to change her      
costume4 ,she was standing up1 the crown
 on her head1 draped in the purple      

mantle of the ,queen of ,carthage4      
,marmontel and ,piccini1 intoxicated    
with joy1 had thrown themselves at her  
feet and were kissing her hands4 ,one   
would have called them two criminals1   
whose lives she had just spared4 ,they  
only rose when ,m4 de ,duras approached 
to repeat what the ,king had said4 ,the 
actress listened to the marshal1 and her
 countenance1 still animated by         
inspiration1 became illumined with the  
joy of this new triumph4 ,the blush of  
pride rose to her forehead4 ,she had so 
much grandeur1 nobility1 and majesty in 
her bearing1 with these men at her feet1
 that better even than when upon the    
stage she conveyed the idea of the      
,queen of ,carthage4 ,all the great     
nobles present had the appearance of    
being only her courtiers40  ,mtra       
describes this scene in the ironical    
tone characteristic of him4 ,he         
represents ,piccini precipitating       
himself at the feet of the singer1 and  
amorously squeezing her hand4 ,he shows 

us ,marmontel1 although more slow to    
bend the knee1 employing vows and the   
most tender expressions to assure her   
that she arouses in his heart the most  
novel and the most lively emotions4 ,and
 he concludes3 8,what a pleasing        
contrast to picture to oneself in this  
scene ,saint-,huberty1 still clothed in 
the purple of ,didon1 receiving with    
dignity the incense of great noblemen   
and men of letters1 and to behold her1  
as a voluptuary of the time found her1  
two days later1 in ,paris1 playing a    
game of piquet with her page1 at the end
 of a table covered with a coarse and   
dirty dishcloth60  ,in ,paris1 the opera
 and the singer obtained an even greater
 triumph than at ,fontainebleau4 ,the   
evening of the first representation     
7,december #a1 #aghc7 was 8an evening of
 transports and delirium40 ,the public  
could not find means to express its     
admiration4 ,at the conclusion of the   
impressive song1      8,ah6 que je fus  
bien inspire10  the audience rose in a  

body and interrupted the performance    
with frenzied applause4 ,at the touching
 air1      8,ah6 prends piti de ma      
faiblesse10  there was not1 we are      
assured1 a dry eye in the whole house4  
8,what more glorious triumph10 writes   
one of the actress's biographers1 8could
 this poor artiste in her days of toil  
and misery have ever dreamed of60#aie   
,among the critics1 not a dissentient   
voice was heard2 all joined in a chorus 
of praise of ,didon and the great lyric 
tragdienne4 8,madame ,saint-,huberty10  
wrote the ,mmoires secrets1 8played the 
part with the highest talent4 ,she      
excelled even herself1 and showed       
herself not less a great actress than an
 accomplished singer40 8,it is the voice
 of ,todi2 it is the acting of          
,clairon60 cries ,grimm4 8,it is a model
 which has not been seen on the stage   
for a long time1 and will not soon be   
seen again40  ,and ,guingun1 in his     
valuable study of the life and works of 
,piccini1 writes3 8,the talent of this  

sublime actress has its origin in her   
extreme sensibility4 ,an air might be   
better sung1 but it would be impossible 
to give to any air1 to any recitative1 a
 truer1 more passionate expression4 ,no 
action could be more dramatic than hers1
 no silence more eloquent4 ,one still   
recalls her terrible dumb-show1 her     
tragic immobility2 and the awful        
expression of her countenance during the
 long ritornello of the chorus of the   
priests1 towards the end of the third   
act1 and while the chorus is being sung4
  8,at the performance she did no more  
than replace herself in the position in 
which she had naturally found herself at
 the first general rehearsal4 ,some one 
spoke to her of the impression she had  
seemed to feel1 and which she           
communicated to the whole audience4     
8#8,i really experienced it1' she       
answered4 #8,after the tenth bar1 ,i    
felt as if ,i were dead4'#aif  8,this   
reply10 remarks ,gaboriau1 8reveals the 
whole secret of the great lyric         

tragdienne's talent4 ,an actress of     
genius1 she knew how to keep her head1  
but she surrendered her whole heart1 her
 whole soul4 ,she really suffered the   
grief which she expressed in so         
heartrending a manner2 she really felt  
as if she were dying4 ,and to such a    
point was this true that1 after each    
performance1 she was so ill and         
exhausted that she needed several hours 
to recover herself40#aig  ,it has been  
said that ,madame ,saint-,huberty was an
 infinitely better actress than she was 
a singer4 ,this1 however1 was certainly 
not the case4 ,castil-,blaze declares   
her to have been the first vocalist     
worthy of the name who appeared at the  
,french ,opera2 while one of her        
biographers points out that ,piccini    
would never have composed for her so    
difficult an air as that beginning3     
8,ah6 que je fus bien inspire10 had he  
not known her to possess a cultivated   
voice1 full of charm and expression4    
,but the best proof that she really     

could lay claim to exceptional vocal as 
well as dramatic talent1 and was not    
merely 8an actress who spoke song0--to  
borrow ,grtry's definition of ,madame   
,dugazon--is the success which attended 
her appearance at the 8,concerts        
,spirituels10 where she took her place  
beside ,mara and ,todi1 and acquitted   
herself so well that some critics went  
so far as to speak of her as a          
formidable rival to these eminent       
singers4  ,the success of ,didon        
continued unabated4 ,at each            
performance1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty    
8seemed to add something to the purity  
of tone1 to the truth of expression1 to 
the profundity of sensibility which she 
had displayed on the first evening40#aih
 ,at each performance a fresh ovation   
awaited her4 ,on ,january #ad1 #aghd1 at
 the twelfth representation of the      
,opera1 she was the recipient of an     
honour which up to that time was        
absolutely without precedent in ,france4
  8,at the end of the second act10      

writes ,grimm1 8which terminated with   
the pathetic trio between ne1 ,didon1   
and her sister1 a crown of laurel1 badly
 aimed1 fell into the orchestra4 ,the   
person at whose feet it fell placed it  
on the edge of the stage4 ,the public1  
with loud cries1 demanded that it should
 be placed on ,didon's head1 which was  
done1 by the demoiselle ,gavaudan1 to   
the accompaniment of unanimous and      
prolonged applause4 ,the actress1       
surprised and almost overwhelmed with   
confusion1 experienced a shock so great 
that it was1 for the moment1 feared that
 she would be unable to finish her      
part4444 ,this crown of laurel was tied 
with a white ribbon on which was        
embroidered these words3 ,didon et      
,saint-,huberty sont immortelles40#aii  
,apropos of this coronation1 ,la ,fert  
wrote to ,amelot3  8,another trouble1   
,monseigneur4 ,i do not know whether you
 have been informed that on ,friday     
evening last a crown1 bearing the       
inscription3 #8 la immortelle           

,saint-,huberty1' was thrown upon the   
stage4 ,the actress who was playing with
 her picked it up and placed it on      
,madame ,saint-,huberty's head4 ,this   
episode1 apparently the result of an    
arrangement concerted with the          
demoiselle ,saint-,huberty1 cannot be   
ignored2 for those who in this manner   
give crowns 7an incident hitherto       
without example in the theatre in       
connection with an actor7 might equally 
accustom themselves to throw baked      
apples and oranges1 as happens in       
,england1 at an actor who does not meet 
with their approbation4 ,the confusion  
would then be beyond remedy60  ,the     
,intendant then goes on to say that the 
honour paid her had not rendered ,madame
 ,saint-,huberty more accommodating1    
since she had refused to play on the    
following ,tuesday1 and1 as the receipts
 for that evening would inevitably show 
a great decrease1 if ,didon were not    
performed1 he suggests that the prima   
donna should be replaced by ,mlle4      

,maillard1 whom1 as we have mentioned   
elsewhere1 ,m4 de la ,fert honoured with
 his favours4 ,the old ,intendant must  
have been very much in love or          
exceedingly deaf1 for he actually goes  
so far as to assure ,amelot that ,mlle4 
,maillard's voice is one which may well 
excite the envy of ,madame              
,saint-,huberty4  ,mlle4 ,maillard      
secured the appearance she coveted1     
though ,madame ,saint-,huberty protested
 vigorously against her being allowed to
 play the part1 on the ground that it   
was an infringement of the last clause  
of the agreement of the previous ,march1
 which provided that no other actress   
should be allowed to play any part which
 she had created1 save at her own       
suggestion4 ,but the young lady must    
have regretted her misplaced ambition1  
for the public1 learning of its idol's  
feeling in the matter1 accorded her     
anything but a flattering reception4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,the acclamations of ,court and capital 

did not content ,madame ,saint-,huberty2
 she desired the applause of the whole  
of ,france1 and she received it4 ,the   
enthusiasm of the provinces indeed      
reached the point of absurdity2 a royal 
progress could hardly have been more    
splendid4  ,at ,marseilles1 the first   
city of importance which she visited1   
and where she gave no less than         
twenty-three representations1 it was    
resolved to organise a magnificent fte  
in her honour4 ,cannon thundered        
salutes1 the vessels in the harbour were
 decorated with flags1 and1 in the      
evening1 the entire city was            
illuminated4 ,an eight-oared gondola1   
lined throughout with satin and         
furnished with velvet cushions1 had been
 prepared for the occasion1 in which the
 prima donna embarked1 arrayed in a     
,greek costume of the most extravagant  
richness1 the gift of the ladies of     
,marseilles4 ,the gondola was then rowed
 out to sea1 escorted by more than one  
hundred vessels of various kinds1       

including several barges filled with    
musicians4 ,aquatic sports were held1   
the victors in which had the felicity of
 being crowned by the heroine of the    
day4  ,on her return to land1 the cannon
 again fired salutes2 the whole         
population had flocked to the quays4    
,the diva was conducted1 through an     
avenue of illuminated pavilions1 to a   
pleasure-house1 where she rested for a  
while in a salon of verdure lighted by  
coloured lanterns4 ,then she entered a  
tent1 in which a temporary theatre had  
been constructed1 where an allegorical  
play was performed in her honour1 and   
,apollo crowned her with laurel as the  
8tenth0 ,muse4 ,a ball followed1 during 
which ,madame ,saint-,huberty occupied a
 seat on a das between ,melpomene and   
,thalia4 ,finally1 a splendid supper1 to
 which sixty of the principal           
inhabitants of ,marseilles sat down1 was
 served in a room protected by a wooden 
grill1 to guard the idol against the    
too-pressing attentions of her          

worshippers4 ,at dessert1 ,madame       
,saint-,huberty sang several couplets in
 the ,provenal patois1 the people       
joining in the chorus4 ,the enthusiasm  
of the city on this memorable night was 
indescribable1 and spread far into the  
country4  ,when1 at length1 the prima   
donna contrived to tear herself away    
from her admirers at ,marseilles1 an    
extra horse had to be harnessed to her  
post-chaise1 to draw the trophies of her
 twenty-three performances1 which       
included more than a hundred crowns4    
,at ,toulouse1 if the ftes were less    
splendid1 there was no diminution in the
 enthusiasm of the public4 ,in the third
 act of ,didon1 the performance was     
suddenly stopped1 while twelve young    
girls1 dressed in white1 advanced       
towards ,madame ,saint-,huberty4 ,they  
carried a basket of flowers surmounted  
by a crown1 which their leader begged   
the singer to accept1 as 8the tribute of
 a grateful country40  ,at              
,strasburg--her birthplace and the town 

where she had made her first appearance 
on the stage--which she visited in the  
summer of #aghg1 the ovations continued4
 ,there1 amongst a thousand other       
compliments in verse1 of various degrees
 of merit1 she received the following   
gallant madrigal3      8,romains qui    
vous vantez d'une illustre origine1     
,voyez d'o dpendait votre empire        
naissant3        ,didon n'eut pas de    
charme assez puissant      ,pour arrter 
la fuite o son amant s'obstine2         
,mais si l'autre ,didon1 ornement de ces
 lieux1        ,et t reine de ,carthage1
      ,il et1 pour la servir1 abandonn  
ses dieux1      ,et votre beau pays     
serait encore sauvage40  ,these verses  
have been ascribed by ,edmond de        
,concourt1 ,gaboriau1 and several other 
writers to no less a personage than     
,napoleon ,bonaparte1 then a young      
officer of artillery4 ,but they are in  
error1 for ,m4 ,adolphe ,jullien1 who   
has carefully investigated the matter1  
points out that ,napoleon passed the    

whole of the year #aghg not at          
,strasburg1 but in ,corsica4         99 
99       99       99       99  ,space   
forbids us to give more than a very     
brief account of the remaining triumphs 
of this truly great artiste1 who1 no    
matter how unfavourable the verdict of  
the public and the critics might be in  
regard to some of the works in which she
 appeared1 was always herself assured of
 applause and commendation4 ,in the     
title-part of the ,chimne of ,sacchini1 
as ,dlie1 in the ,tibulle et ,dlie of   
,fuzelier and ,mlle4 de ,beaumesnil1 as 
,hypermnestre1 in that superb opera of  
the ,danades1 which made the name of    
,salieri worthy to rank with those of   
,gluck1 ,piccini1 and ,sacchini1 she    
astonished and delighted the musical    
world scarcely less than she had in     
,piccini's masterpiece4 ,and such was   
her passionate love of her art and her  
amazing capacity for hard work that all 
these four most difficult and most      
varied rles--,didon1 ,chimne1 ,dlie1 and

 ,hypermnestre1 of which three at least 
are among the most beautiful figures to 
which the lyric art has lent life--were 
studied1 mastered1 and represented      
within the space of some seven months3  
from ,october #af1 #aghc to ,april #bf1 
#aghd4bjj  ,two years after the great   
success of their ,didon1 ,marmontel and 
,piccini reappeared on the stage of the 
,opera with ,pnlope4 ,unfortunately1 the
 vogue which the preceding work had     
obtained had aroused too many           
expectations in regard to this new      
essay--author and composer1 so to speak1
 were the victims of their own          
excellence--and though ,pnlope was1 in  
its way1 a fine opera1 it was received  
in comparative silence4 ,all the        
critics1 however1 were agreed that      
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 in the part of 
the virtuous wife of ,ulysses1 was      
superb1 and that she had seldom been    
heard to more advantage than in the two 
airs3 8,je le vois1 cette ombre         
errante10 and 8,il est affreux1 il est  

horrible10 and in the scene where       
,telemachus comes to announce the return
 of her husband4  ,it was ,madame       
,saint-,huberty again who1 in ,may1     
#aghf1 rescued from complete disaster   
the ,thmistocle of ,philidor1 which1    
after a tolerably good reception by the 
,court1 had been greeted1 at first1 by  
the town with marked disfavour2 and it  
was not one of her least successes to   
have invested with life the inanimate   
figure of the heroine1 ,mandane4  ,in   
,november of the same year1 the singer  
was able to discharge the debt of       
gratitude which she owed to her first   
master1 ,lemoine4 ,lemoine1 it will be  
remembered had1 some years before1      
produced an lectre1 which had failed1 in
 spite of the heroic efforts of his     
former pupil4 ,now1 however1 he had     
composed a far more important work on   
the subject of ,phdra1 from which he    
expected great things2 and ,madame      
,saint-,huberty exerted all her         
influence to secure it precedence over  

the dipe of ,sacchini1 who was also     
impatiently awaiting his turn4          
,unhappily1 she succeeded4 ,sacchini had
 the ,queen's promise that his work     
should be the first to be performed     
before the ,court1 at ,fontainebleau2   
but one day ,marie ,antoinette          
approached him1 and said1 with tears in 
her eyes3 8,m4 ,sacchini2 it is said    
that ,i show too much favour to         
foreigners4 ,i have been so earnestly   
solicited to allow the ,phdre of ,m4    
,lemoine to be performed1 in place of   
your dipe1 that ,i could not refuse4    
,you see my position2 forgive me40  ,the
 poor ,italian was so bitterly          
disappointed at the indefinite          
postponement of the work1 upon which he 
had based so many hopes1 that he fell   
ill that same evening and died1 three   
months later1 without having been able  
to assist at the production of the      
masterpiece which was to render his name
 immortal4#bja  ,lemoine's ,phdre1 the  
precedence for which had been so dearly 

purchased1 was coldly received by the   
,court1 and still more coldly by the    
town2 and it was in vain that ,madame   
,saint-,huberty called to her aid all   
her genius to save the work of her old  
master4 ,at the third performance the   
theatre was almost empty4 ,ultimately1  
however1 it proved a success1 thanks to 
the ingenious intervention of a friend  
of the composer4  ,this friend was      
,quidor1 the police-inspector who had   
been charged with the pursuit of the    
dancer ,nivelon4#bjb ,quidor had under  
his professional supervision a great    
number of ladies of easy virtue1 whom he
 invited1 8in a manner which did not    
permit of any refusal10 to attend and to
 make their friends attend the          
performances of ,phdre4 ,the theatre1   
deserted at the third representation1   
was crammed to suffocation at the fifth2
 dazzling toilettes appeared in all the 
boxes1 while the applause was positively
 deafening2 for the ingenious inspector 
had filled the pit and galleries with   

police in plain clothes1 with orders not
 to spare their hands or voices4  ,this 
strategy was attended with complete     
success4 ,the performers recovered their
 spirits1 which had been naturally much 
damped by having to sing to empty boxes1
 and rendered full justice to what was  
really an admirable work2 at the tenth  
representation the true public began to 
arrive1 found the music charming1 and   
joined heartily in the applause4#bjc    
99       99       99       99       99  
,the character of ,madame               
,saint-,huberty was far less agreeable  
than her talent4 ,dauvergne1 the        
director of the ,opera1 declared that   
she was the most abandoned woman in his 
theatre--which was to say a good        
deal--and1 in a letter to ,amelot1 cited
 by ,edmond de ,goncourt1 in his        
monograph on the actress1 charges her   
with the most revolting vices--the same 
of which ,sophie ,arnould and ,mlle4    
,raucourt had formerly been accused4    
,moreover1 she was insolent and         

exacting1 and wearied the administration
 with her caprices and pretensions4     
8,she is a great musician10 writes ,la  
,fert1 in #aghd1 to ,amelot1 8abounding 
in talent and essential to the ,academy4
 ,if ,nature had not lavished upon her  
all the necessary qualifications1 ,art  
would have created a prodigy in her     
favour4 ,this artiste is too well aware 
that she is necessary to the ,opera1 in 
default of persons who can replace her  
with advantage4 ,she is full of         
pretensions2 she has intelligence1 but a
 bad disposition4 ,she must be humoured1
 but not spoilt1 otherwise she will make
 herself1 so to speak1 the sovereign    
arbitrix of the ,opera40#bjd  ,during a 
visit to ,lyons1 in #aghe1 where she was
 received with the same enthusiasm as   
elsewhere in the provinces1 ,madame     
,saint-,huberty conceived a violent     
fancy for the local tenor1 one          
,saint-,aubin by name1 who took the part
 of ne in ,didon1 and did not rest      
content with making love to him on the  

stage4 ,when her cong expired1 nothing  
would satisfy her but that the          
fascinating tenor should follow her to  
,paris1 and no sooner had she returned  
to the capital than she persuaded the   
administration to engage him for the    
,opera1 and an ordre de dbut was        
accordingly despatched to ,lyons3  8,de 
,par ,le ,roi3  8,the sieur             
,saint-,aubin1 tenor of the ,lyons      
theatre1 is directed to come immediately
 to ,paris1 to make his dbut on the     
stage of the ,opera4  8,executed at     
,paris1 etc40  ,in vain did the         
management of the ,lyons theatre        
represent that the services of the sieur
 ,saint-,aubin could not possibly be    
dispensed with2 that there was no one to
 replace him2 that he had anticipated   
his salary to the extent of #cdcc       
livres1 #d sols42 that the theatre1     
already in a bad way financially1 would 
be completely ruined by his departure1  
and so forth4 ,the authorities in       
,paris1 spurred on by the amorous prima 

donna1 were inexorable1 and the sieur   
,saint-,aubin had to obey4 ,he made his 
dbut on ,december #i1 #aghe1 as ,atys1  
in ,piccini's opera of that name1 and   
was pronounced by the critics a         
tolerably good singer1 but far too stout
 for a lover--at least on the stage4    
,after a year of love duets with ,madame
 ,saint-,huberty1 the passion of the    
stout tenor began to cool4 ,the husband 
awoke in him2 he remembered that he had 
left at ,lyons a young and charming wife
 and two pretty children1 and manifested
 a strong inclination to rejoin them4   
,fearful of losing her lover altogether1
 the prima donna resigned herself to    
sharing him with another1 and a second  
imperious summons1 in the ,king's name1 
brought to ,paris the young wife and the
 two children4 ,and that is how ,madame 
,saint-,aubin1 afterwards a great       
attraction at the ,opra-,comique1 was   
introduced to the ,paris stage4  ,the   
arrogance and caprices of ,madame       
,saint-,huberty increased every year2   

the letters of ,dauvergne to ,la ,fert  
and ,amelot teem with complaints in     
regard to her conduct4 ,on ,may #bb1    
#aghe1 the lady had promised the        
director to sing the following evening  
in ,armide1 and that opera had duly been
 announced4 ,but1 at eleven o'clock the 
next morning1 a message came that       
,madame ,saint-,huberty was not fit to  
sing1 that she had temporarily lost her 
voice2 but that she was about to try a  
remedy which she had never yet known to 
fail1 and would let him know definitely 
at two o'clock whether she would appear 
or not4 ,an hour later1 a friend of the 
singer called upon ,dauvergne to inform 
him that the remedy had not yet had the 
desired effect1 but that1 if at four    
o'clock the lost voice had returned1 its
 owner would 8make an effort40 ,finally1
 almost at the last moment1 ,madame     
,saint-,huberty sent a servant to       
announce that it was absolutely         
impossible for her to appear that       
evening2 and an actress1 who was only   

very imperfectly acquainted with the    
part--for1 since no one was allowed to  
replace the imperious prima donna1 save 
with her own consent1 it was worth no   
one's while to understudy her--was      
compelled to sing the difficult rle of  
,armide1 and to be soundly hissed for   
her pains4  ,a few days later1 ,madame  
,saint-,huberty started for her annual  
tour in the provinces4 ,on the eve of   
her departure1 there was a terrible     
scene1 in the green-room1 between the   
actress and ,dauvergne1 because the     
latter had very properly declined to    
allow the lady to carry away with her   
ten costumes1 the property of the       
theatre1 the removal of which would have
 rendered it impossible to play any of  
the operas for which they had been      
designed until ,madame ,saint-,huberty  
returned or fresh ones had been made4   
,the arrogance and insolence of the     
prima donna seem to have reached a      
climax in the year #aghg4 ,on ,january  
#ac1 at a general meeting of the        

company1 called for the purpose of      
examining the accounts1 ,madame         
,saint-,huberty rising from her seat1   
8not like a reasonable woman1 but like a
 ,fury10 denounced ,vion1 the conductor 
of the orchestra1 who had apparently    
declined to allow her to take liberties 
with the time1 as incapable of holding  
the bton1 and demanded his immediate    
dismissal1 vowing that if he appeared   
again in the orchestra1 she would1 no   
matter what might be the result1 refuse 
to sing her part4  ,at the end of the   
following ,march1 some days before the  
annual closing of the theatre1 and      
without troubling to ask permission1 the
 actress started off for ,alsace1 with  
the view of singing at the ,strasburg   
theatre4 ,she was1 however1 speedily    
followed by a courier1 with a letter for
 the director at ,strasburg1 forbidding 
him to allow her to appear1 and orders  
for the lady to return immediately to   
,paris4  ,she obeyed1 burning with      
indignation and resolved no longer to   

submit to such humiliations1 and wrote  
to the long-suffering ,dauvergne the    
following letter3  8,the trouble1 the   
disgust and the vexation occasioned me  
by the reprimands and threats which your
 continual complaints bring upon me from
 the ,minister 7,amelot71 far from      
increasing my courage1 affect my health 
and strength1 and will end by bringing  
about what is so ardently desired3 the  
renunciation of my engagement1 which it 
is wished to annul1 and my definite     
retirement from the theatre2 for it is  
impossible for me to support any longer 
such vexations4 ,you know1 ,monsieur1   
that ,i am not ignorant how much you    
hate me1 and that ,i expect to feel all 
the effects of your hatred40  ,however1 
in spite of this letter1 ,madame        
,saint-,huberty did not actually retire 
from the ,opera until more than three   
years later4  ,not only did ,madame     
,saint-,huberty treat the wishes of the 
authorities of the ,opera with contempt1
 but she encouraged others to follow her

 example4 ,in ,september #aghf1 a       
certain ,mlle4 ,gavaudan1 one of her    
particular friends1 relying on her      
support1 refused to sing in a now       
forgotten opera called ,le ,toison      
d',or1 presumably because she considered
 the rle of ,calliope1 for which she had
 been cast1 unworthy of her talents4    
,thereupon1 ,dauvergne1 according to the
 custom in such cases1 obtained a lettre
 de cachet1 in virtue of which the      
recalcitrant actress was carried off to 
the prison of ,la ,force1 where she     
would appear to have been treated as a  
first-class misdemeanant4 ,madame       
,saint-,huberty was furious at the      
punishment meted out to her protge2     
threatened the director that she would  
employ all the influence at her command 
to have him driven ignominiously from   
his post1 and demanded that ,mlle4      
,gavaudan should be permitted to leave  
the prison1 in order that she might dine
 with her and sing her part in          
,sacchini's none1 before the general    

rehearsal4 ,this request was granted2   
but the pleasure of the two friends was 
somewhat marred by the fact that a      
police-agent was deputed to accompany   
the young lady to the prima donna's     
house and escort her back to prison     
afterwards4 ,madame ,saint-,huberty then
 wrote an impertinent letter to ,la     
,fert1 insisting on the immediate and   
unconditional release of her friend2 but
 failed to obtain any satisfaction in   
that quarter2 and1 shortly afterwards1  
,mlle4 ,gavaudan1 having been threatened
 with a period of solitary confinement1 
if she continued contumacious1 decided  
to capitulate1 and sang the despised    
part of ,calliope very charmingly1      
notwithstanding the fact that she was in
 a state of semi-intoxication at the    
time4  ,a prolific source of dispute    
between ,madame ,saint-,huberty and the 
administration of the ,opera1 and one in
 which the singer is certainly entitled 
to every sympathy1 was her determination
 to wear the costumes appropriate to the

 parts she played4 ,the chief objection 
on the part of the authorities to       
gratify her wishes in this respect was  
on the score of expense1 for never was  
theatre conducted with such sordid1 such
 cheeseparing1 economy as the ,paris    
,opera4 ,in #aghd1 a special general    
meeting of the committee was considered 
necessary to examine the design of a    
costume which ,madame ,saint-,huberty   
desired for the part of ,armide1 and to 
decide whether she should be permitted  
to have it4 8,the committee10 says the  
report on the subject addressed to      
,amelot1 8considering that this part1 in
 which ,madame ,saint-,huberty has not  
yet been seen1 might give to the work   
the charm of novelty and procure for the
 ,opera advantageous receipts during    
several representations1 believes that  
they ought to give to ,madame           
,saint-,huberty the satisfaction she    
deserves1 the more so since she has no  
objection to sharing the part with      
,mlle4 ,levasseur1 it having been       

arranged that1 in case she should be    
indisposed1 the dress should be worn by 
the actresses who replace her40  ,in the
 margin of this report1 the ,minister   
writes as follows3 8,good for this time 
only1 and without the establishment of a
 precedent4 ,all the members1 without   
distinction1 must wear the costumes     
provided for them by the administration1
 so long as they are in a fit state to  
be worn40#bje  ,but the authorities were
 seldom so complacent4 ,two years later1
 there was a sharp difference of opinion
 in regard to the necessity of certain  
costumes which ,madame ,saint-,huberty  
had demanded for the operas of ,pnlope  
and ,alceste2 and ,la ,fert wrote to the
 singer the following letter3  8,it is  
not ,m4 de la ,laistic1 ,madame1 who    
decides what dresses are to be made for 
the performances before the ,court1 but 
the persons appointed by the ,king to   
supervise the costumes and the expenses4
 ,i cannot disguise from you that at    
,fontainebleau there was much           

displeasure about the dress which you   
exacted1 and which1 almost on your sole 
authority1 you had caused to be made for
 the part of ,pnlope1 which appeared in 
no way suitable either to the position  
of that princess1 so long afflicted1 or 
to the magnificence of the period1      
fabulous though it was4 ,you must have  
noticed that it was not thought becoming
 for you to wear it in ,paris4444       
,to-day1 you demand a simpler dress for 
,alceste4444 ,finally1 ,i am going to   
send your letter to ,m4 ,bocquet1#bjf   
that he may consult with ,m4 ,dauvergne 
and cause what is necessary to be done4 
,you must be convinced of our desire to 
satisfy you in all reasonable things1   
and to be agreeable to you4 ,but1 at the
 same time1 you ought to understand that
 you are obliged to conform1 like all   
your comrades1 and those who played the 
first parts before you1 to the          
regulations and to the costumes selected
 for them4 ,for1 if each one desired to 
dress according to individual taste1 the

 result would be inextricable confusion1
 and an expenditure both useless and    
ruinous for the ,king and the           
,opera44440#bjg  ,then1 in ,september   
#aghh1 we find ,dauvergne writing to ,la
 ,fert that fresh complications had     
arisen1 because ,madame ,saint-,huberty 
had demanded two new dresses for the    
part of ,chimne1 in ,sacchini's opera of
 that name1 and one for each of her four
 attendants4 ,he finds comfort1 however1
 in the reflection1 that1 in the event  
of the lady refusing to sing1 owing to  
her request not being acceded to1 he has
 provided himself with no less than four
 substitutes4  ,about the same time1    
there was a good deal of friction       
between ,madame ,saint-,huberty and the 
administration on the subject of a      
chignon1 which the prima donna had taken
 upon herself to order1 without         
apparently consulting the committee4    
,the bill for this chignon1 the design  
for which had been submitted to a number
 of experts1 was pronounced by the      

committee 8horribly dear10 and they     
unanimously decided that in future none 
must be ordered1 unless the sketch and  
the estimate had first been approved by 
themselves4         99       99       99
       99       99  ,the amours of the  
great actresses1 danseuses1 and singers 
of the eighteenth century occupy almost 
as much space in the memoirs and        
correspondence of the time as their     
professional triumphs4 ,with a          
regularity and a wealth of detail which 
would be beyond all praise1 if applied  
to some more worthy subject1 the        
,bachaumonts and ,mtras recount day by  
day the private history of these        
courtesan-artistes1 register the births 
and deaths of their fleeting            
attachments1 and give us without        
interruption the long succession of     
noble and wealthy admirers who succumbed
 to their charms4 ,but the career of    
,madame ,saint-,huberty seems to have   
provided the chroniclers of contemporary
 scandal with singularly little which   

they deem worthy to be transmitted to   
posterity4 ,possibly1 as one of the     
biographers suggests1 this is to be     
accounted for by the humble social      
position occupied by those whom she     
honoured with her favours2 for the ,vol 
plus haut credits the queen of the      
,opera with tender relations with       
several third-rate financiers and       
obscure concert-singers1 to whom1 of    
course1 must be added the tenor         
,saint-,aubin4 ,however1 that may be1   
the only lover of any social distinction
 that we hear of is the ,marquis de     
,louvois1#bjh until1 during the last    
years of her career at the ,opera1 the  
singer developed a sincere and lasting  
attachment for the ,comte de ,launai    
d',antraigues4  ,louis de ,launai       
d',antraigues--a very handsome man1     
according to ,madame ,vige ,lebrun--was 
born about #agee1 at                    
,ville-,neuve-de-,berg1 in ,le          
,vivarais4 ,he claimed descent from the 
celebrated d',antraigues1 the           

companion-in-arms of ,henri ,,iv41 to   
whom that monarch wrote1 in #aehh3      
8444,i hope that you are by this time   
recovered of the wound that you received
 at ,coutras1 fighting so valiantly by  
my side2 and1 if it be as ,i hope1 do   
not fail 7for by ,god's aid1 in a little
 while1 we shall have fighting to do1   
and1 consequently1 great need of your   
services7 to start immediately to rejoin
 us40 ,later1 when the count was sitting
 in the ,states-,general1 as the        
representative of ,le ,vivarais1 this   
claim1 which would have entitled him to 
certain privileges1 was contested2 but  
he was indisputably of good family1 and 
his mother was a ,saint-,priest1 sister 
to the ,minister of that name4 ,he      
appears to have begun life in the army  
in the ,regiment du ,vivarais1 which1   
however1 he soon quitted1 according to  
one account1 because he had declined to 
fight a duel4 ,afterwards1 he spent     
several years in foreign travel1 and on 
his return to ,france1 divided his time 

between his country-seat and ,paris1    
where he frequented the society of      
philosophers and men of science1 among  
whom were ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau and  
the ,montgolfiers4  ,an ardent          
politician and possessed of considerable
 literary gifts1 he1 in #aghh1 made his 
dbut as a publicist by a ,mmoire sur les
 tats gnraux1 leurs droits et la manire 
de les convoquer1 which showed a marked 
predilection for republican government1 
and created no small sensation4         
,however1 his opinions underwent a      
sudden and startling transformation soon
 after he had taken his seat in the     
,states-,general1 and thenceforth he    
combated with warmth the very doctrines 
of which he had once been the ardent    
advocate4 ,so complete a volte-face     
naturally excited the ridicule and      
contempt of his former political        
friends1 and ,mirabeau1 in a published  
letter addressed to him1 compared him to
 a weather-cock2 but that he was        
animated by sincere conviction there can

 be no question4  ,at what period began 
the connection between the count and the
 singer1 which was to end in so tragic a
 manner1 is uncertain4 ,but1 according  
to a letter written by d',antraigues to 
his wife1 after their secret marriage in
 #agij1 their first relations went back 
to #aghc4 ,however that may be1         
d',antraigues did not immediately become
 the lady's lover1 for his early        
letters1 several of which were in the   
possession of ,edmond de ,goncourt1 at  
the time when he wrote his monograph on 
the actress1 reveal him as still in the 
character of a soupirant1 and a very    
humble one at that4 8,i beg you10 one of
 these epistles concludes1 8to continue 
your kindness towards me1 and to be well
 assured of the esteem and attachment   
with which you have inspired me40       
,gradually1 however1 the esteem and     
attachment develop into a warmer        
feeling1 and we find him imploring her  
not to forget 8a man who loves her heart
 and her virtues10 though two hundred   

leagues separate them4 ,one of these    
later letters1 written in answer to some
 complaints of ,madame ,saint-,huberty  
in regard to the envious and jealous    
persons by whom she was surrounded1 is  
of interest1 since it shows that at the 
height of her fame the great singer     
still led a simple life1 and that1 even 
if she were the abandoned woman that    
,dauvergne declared her to be1 she did  
not stoop to venal amours3  8,i have    
heard them 7her enemies71 it is true1   
seek to turn you into ridicule1 accuse  
you of loving to save money1 jeer at    
your simplicity1 and laugh at you for   
driving about ,paris in a hackney-coach4
 ,but ,i have also seen honest and      
excellent men love and admire you on    
account of this very simplicity4 ,do you
 think that one can see1 without        
sympathy1 without enthusiasm1 an amiable
 and celebrated woman leave her house in
 a hackney-coach1 when it would be easy 
for her to be drawn in the gilded       
chariot of vice and infamy8 ,it is      

beautiful1 it is noble1 to exhibit      
honesty and virtue in the haunt of      
baseness1 greed1 and the most abject    
passions4 ,it is sweet to see talent in 
all its brilliancy associated with the  
virtues of a noble soul4 ,it is         
delightful1 for those who can appreciate
 it1 to be able to yield to the most    
true enthusiasm4 ,it is glorious for the
 woman who inspires it not to excite in 
the heart of her admirers that regret   
which is occasioned by the sight of a   
sublime talent exercised by a man or    
woman who personally1 is                
contemptible40#bji  ,madame             
,saint-,huberty1 on her side1 was far   
from insensible to the count's devotion4
 ,writing from ,bordeaux1 in ,september 
#aghd1 she informed him that she keeps  
his bust in her room1 and that all the  
crowns she receives in the theatre from 
her enthusiastic admirers she places on 
his head4 ,and1 at length1 three years  
later1 comes a very tender and charming 
letter1 which shows us that the thin    

dividing line between friendship and    
love has already been passed3           
8,endeavour to make ,cabanis love me a  
little1 in order that he may cure       
me4#baj ,i fear to die1 since thou hast 
told me that thou dost believe that thou
 canst love me always4 ,i believe thee1 
so far as it is in me to believe that   
which does not depend on ourselves4 ,see
 what it is to love people for          
themselves or their virtues4 ,for       
myself1 ,i am well assured that ,i shall
 love thee always1 whatever may happen1 
because before ,i loved thee1 ,i desired
 for thee all thy good qualities4444 ,my
 beloved1 when ,i think that nothing    
stands in the way of our happiness1 my  
heart thrills with pleasure2 but this   
thought does not render the present     
moment very agreeable4 ,i am working to 
become independent1 and ,i am killing   
myself4  8,if ,i have lost1 by the      
constant labours and fatigues which ,i  
have undergone1 the freshness of youth1 
in which coarse-grained men find        

pleasure1 ,i hope that1 in forming my   
heart on that of the one ,i love1 it    
will take the place of all that another 
than thyself might desire4 ,i love thee 
with passion1 and it is not blind2 thou 
canst not change thy nature1 and that is
 all that interests me in thee40        
99       99       99       99       99  
,madame ,saint-,huberty's assertion that
 she was 8killing herself0 was merely a 
figure of speech2 but1 at the same time1
 there was no disputing the fact that   
the immense amount of work she          
voluntarily imposed on herself during   
her provincial tours had told heavily   
upon her1 and was gradually destroying  
the freshness of her voice1 so that she 
now never sang more than twice a week1  
and had been compelled to abandon       
several of her most famous rles1 which  
she dared no longer attempt4            
8,yesterday10 writes ,dauvergne to ,la  
,fert1 8the demoiselle ,saint-,huberty  
appeared to the public to have lost much
 of her voice4 ,i predicted to you that 

this woman would not last another two   
years4 ,i am persuaded that1 if she     
makes another provincial tour1 she will 
finish herself altogether40             
,nevertheless1 she still retained her   
hold on the affections of the public1   
and1 on the evenings on which she was   
announced to sing1 all ,paris flocked to
 the ,boulevard ,saint-,martin4  ,it was
 well for the administration of the     
,opera that1 in the splendid houses     
which ,madame ,saint-,huberty never     
failed to draw they were able to find   
some compensation for the lady's        
insolence and insubordination which1 in 
these later years1 passed all bounds4   
,at the beginning of ,october #aghi1    
she1 as usual at the eleventh hour1     
declined to sing the part of ,chimne1 in
 ,sacchini's opera of that name1 on the 
ground of feeling too fatigued4 ,the    
authorities1 aware that this was merely 
an excuse1 insisted on her appearing1   
when she replied that she would 8make an
 effort10 on condition that an employ of

 the theatre1 named ,parisis1 who had   
recently been discharged for drunkenness
 and insolence1 should be at once       
reinstated4 ,this1 however1 was too much
 even for the long-suffering ,dauvergne 
to submit to2 and the threat of mulcting
 her in a month's salary saved the      
situation4  ,at the weekly meetings of  
the company1 at which it was customary  
to settle the rpertoire for the ensuing 
week1 and where the administrative      
correspondence was read1 ,madame        
,saint-,huberty never failed to create  
some unpleasantness or other4 ,now1 she 
would encourage some unruly actress or  
danseuse to resist the authority of the 
director2 now1 she would punctuate the  
reading of the comminatory letters of   
,la ,fert with bursts of derisive       
laughter 7no wonder that the old        
,intendant alludes to her1 in writing to
 ,dauvergne as 8une impudente coquine072
 anon1 she would object to the          
arrangements for the week4 ,how was it  
possible1 she would inquire1 for her to 

sing ,alceste on ,friday1 after singing 
,didon on ,tuesday8 ,did they wish to   
kill her8 ,dauvergne would innocently   
suggest that another actress should sing
 ,didon1 and that ,madame               
,saint-,huberty should rest1 that her   
voice might be fresh for ,alceste4      
,what6 ,allow another actress to sing   
,didon6--her own rle6--her own creation6
 ,no one but herself should sing it1 so 
long as she remained a member of the    
company4  ,finally1 the unfortunate     
administration1 for the sake of peace   
and tranquillity1 agreed that the lady  
should not be required to sing more than
 once a week1 that is to say on         
,fridays1 the fashionable night at the  
,opera4  ,in ,march #agij1 the ,comte   
d',antraigues openly accused of         
apostacy1 denounced by the revolutionary
 ,press to public vengeance1 and the    
recipient1 every day1 of violent        
anonymous letters threatening           
assassination1 deemed it prudent to quit
 ,france4 ,on ,april #c1 ,madame        

,saint-,huberty obtained a passport to  
,geneva and1 accompanied by her femme de
 chambre and two men-servants1 set out  
for ,switzerland1 where she joined the  
count in the environs of ,lausanne4     
,the two lovers remained for nearly     
three months at ,lausanne1 and then     
removed to a chteau1 near ,mindrisio1   
belonging to the ,count ,turconi1 and   
here1 on ,december #bi1 they were       
secretly married in the neighbouring    
church of ,saint-,eusbe4  ,for grave    
reasons known to himself1 the ,bishop of
 ,como1 in whose diocese the marriage   
took place1 had granted to the          
officiating priest permission to perform
 the ceremony without inquiries or      
proofs1 at whatever date1 hour1 or place
 the parties might select4  ,the day    
after the marriage1 the count addressed 
to his wife the following letter3  8,i  
may die1 my dear wife1 and cannot acquit
 myself too soon of the most sacred of  
duties4  8,it is possible that there may
 be wanting to our union some of the    

formalities1 which1 according to the law
 of ,france1 are required for the       
legalisation of marriages1 and imperious
 circumstances may prevent me from      
fulfilling them for some time to come4  
8,if ,i happen to die before that time1 
,i wish you to render to my memory the  
honour which you owe it1 by rendering to
 yourself that which is due to you4  8,i
 declare then that1 after seven years of
 mutual confidence1 ,i have united by   
marriage to my destiny the woman who has
 had the courage to wish to share my    
misfortunes2 that1 on ,december #bi1    
#agij1 after having obtained from the   
,bishop of ,como a dispensation for the 
publication of banns1 and permission for
 us to marry at any time and place that 
might please us1 ,i married you in the  
,chteau of ,castel ,san-,pietro1 in the 
presence of two priests as witnesses4   
8,with several reasons for keeping this 
marriage secret1 ,i did not conceal from
 you the most imperative of all3 the    
grief it would cause my worthy and      

venerable mother4 ,but ,i knew her2 if  
she had only tears to give to my memory1
 she would forgive our secret union1 and
 would see only the wife of her son in  
the woman who watched over his          
destinies1 who softened their rigour1   
and who received the last sighs of his  
heart40         99       99       99    
99       99  ,towards the end of the    
following year1 the ,comtesse           
d',antraigues became enceinte4 ,the     
marriage having been kept secret1 the   
count was anxious that the birth of the 
child should not be known in the        
neighbourhood2 and it was at a little   
village on the outskirts of ,milan that1
 on ,june #bf1 #agib1 the ex-singer     
presented him with a son1 baptized two  
days later1 under the names of ,pierre  
,antoine ,emmanuel ,jules1 born of the  
illustrious ,emmanuel ,louis ,alexandre 
,henri de ,launai1 ,comte d',antraigues 
and of the dame ,antoinette ,clavel4 ,so
 soon as the countess was sufficiently  
recovered to travel1 she1 with her      

husband and infant son1 returned to     
,mindrisio4  ,from this quiet corner of 
,italian ,switzerland1 where he lived   
with the former queen of the ,opera1 the
 ,comte d',antraigues combated the men  
and things of the new ,france1 in a     
series of very able brochures1 wherein  
he constituted himself the              
speaking-trumpet of the                 
counter-,revolution4 ,but he was very   
far from being content with this warfare
 of the pen4 ,he became the devoted     
servant of the ,bourbons1 the           
intermediary between them and the       
,courts of ,st4 ,james's1 ,madrid1      
,berlin1 and ,vienna1 and rendered      
material assistance in weaving that     
network of secret intrigue1 which1 in   
spite of the successes of the ,french   
armies1 for long rendered doubtful the  
establishment of the new order of       
things4#baa  ,in discharge of these     
diplomatic missions1 he travelled       
incessantly1 accompanied everywhere by  
his wife1 who shared his fatigues and   

dangers1 and received1 in return1 his   
full confidence4 ,the count and countess
 were at ,venice1 in ,may #agie1 when   
the city was occupied by the ,french    
troops4 ,the count1 who was at the time 
specially attached to the ,russian      
legation1 left with the ,minister and   
his suite1 accompanied by his wife and  
child2 but at ,trieste the party was    
stopped by orders of ,bernadotte1 who   
commanded the ,french there1 and        
d',antraigues arrested4  ,on being told 
that he was to be sent to ,milan1 the   
count begged the ,russian ,minister to  
take charge of ,madame                  
,saint-,huberty--for by that name she   
was still known--but the ex-singer      
insisted on sharing his captivity4      
,touched by so much devotion1           
d',antraigues explained to his captors  
that the lady was his lawful wife1 and  
obtained permission for her to accompany
 him to ,milan4 8,i declared at once to 
my tyrants10 he says1 8that ,i was      
married1 that ,i had a son1 and that ,i 

desired to see him4 ,they acceded to my 
request4 ,she came1 with that dear child
 of five years old1 who threw himself   
upon me4 ,that moment1 which made her   
mine for ever1 caused me to forget my   
foes1 my persecutors1 the future and the
 present4 ,i owe that to my persecutors4
 ,to say how much ,i was indebted to my 
wife in these frightful circumstances is
 beyond my power4 ,never did there exist
 a courage more firm1 a soul more       
mistress of itself1 a character stronger
 in adversity2 never did one behold more
 self-confidence in misfortune40  ,at   
,milan1 the count was at first          
imprisoned in a convent1 where prisoners
 of war were confined1 but1 soon        
afterwards1 taken to the citadel1 and   
there placed in a dungeon1 twelve feet  
long by six broad4 ,thanks1 however1 to 
the urgent representations of his wife1 
he was1 some weeks later1 liberated on  
parole1 the understanding being that he 
was not to leave the city or even change
 his residence4 ,but1 in the early hours

 of the morning of ,august #be1 he broke
 his parole and escaped1 his flight1    
thanks to the ingenuity of his wife1 who
 gave out that he was ill in bed1 and   
went about the house preparing broth and
 other remedies1 not being discovered   
till some days later4  ,it has been     
suggested that1 for reasons of their    
own1 the ,french authorities at ,milan  
connived at the count's escape2 but it  
seems more probable that he fled through
 fear of being sent to ,paris1 where he 
would certainly have been brought to    
trial and very possibly executed4 ,such 
was undoubtedly the opinion in ,royalist
 circles1 and1 to recognise the         
countess's courage and devotion and her 
services to the 8cause10 the ,comte de  
,provence1 in his theoretical character 
of ,king of ,france1 sent her the order 
of ,saint-,michel4#bab  ,successively we
 find the adventurous couple at ,vienna1
 ,berlin1 and ,dresden1 in which        
last-named city they seemed to have     
passed the greater part of the year     

#ahjd1 the whole of the year #ahje1 and 
the first months of the year #ahjf1 the 
count1 who had been nominated a         
,counsellor of ,state by the ,emperor   
,alexander of ,russia1 corresponding    
with ,sweden1 through ,alopeus1 the     
,swedish ,minister in ,london1 and      
working generally to bring about a      
,european coalition against ,napoleon4  
,in ,september #ahjf1 driven from       
,dresden by ,napoleon's victories1 and  
unable to find an asylum on the         
,continent1 they quitted ,germany and   
established themselves in ,england4     
,here they resided in a pretty cottage  
at ,barnes1 and lived in good style on  
the various pensions which they had     
received4 ,the count lost no time in    
entering into negotiations with the     
,english ,government1 to whom he is said
 to have communicated the articles1 real
 or imaginary1 of the ,treaty of        
,tilsit1 though how he contrived to     
obtain particulars of a treaty drawn up 
with so much privacy is somewhat        

difficult to understand4  ,however1 that
 may be1 it is certain that             
d',antraigues was employed by the       
,foreign ,office in certain delicate    
negotiations and that he received a     
pension in return for his services2 and 
it was this which1 according to a legend
 which still finds acceptance with some 
,french writers1 brought about the      
tragic end of both himself and his wife1
 on the morning of ,july #bb1 #ahab4    
,the story went that ,fouch1 desirous of
 discovering what was going on between  
d',antraigues and the ,english          
,government1 despatched two trusted     
agents to ,london1 with orders at all   
costs to intercept the correspondence4  
,the agents succeeded in bribing the    
count's ,piedmontese servant ,lorenzo1  
to tamper with the letters which passed 
between his master and the ,foreign     
,office2 and that this man1 finding that
 his treachery was certain to be        
discovered1 through a visit which the   
count was on the point of making to     

,canning1 in a moment of frenzied       
despair1 assassinated both his master   
and mistress1 and then took his own     
life4 ,from the evidence given at the   
inquest1 however1 it would appear that  
,lorenzo committed the crime1 in a fit  
of frenzy1 due simply to his having     
received notice to leave the count's    
service4  ,the ,times of ,july #bc1     
#ahab1 contained the following account  
of the tragedy3  8,the ,count and       
,countess d',antraigues1 ,french        
noblesse1 and distantly related to the  
unfortunate family of the ,bourbons1    
resided on ,barnes ,terrace1 on the     
banks of the ,thames4 ,they lived in a  
style which1 though far from what they  
had formerly moved in1 yet was rather   
bordering on high life than the         
contrary4 ,they kept a carriage1        
coachman1 footman1 and a servant out of 
livery4 ,the latter was an ,italian or  
,piedmontese1 named ,lawrence1 and it is
 of this wretch that we have to relate  
the following particulars4 ,the ,count  

and ,countess1 intending to visit       
,london as yesterday1 ordered the       
carriage to be at the door by eight in  
the morning1 which it accordingly was2  
and1 soon after that hour1 they were in 
the act of leaving the house to get into
 it1 the ,countess being at the door1   
the ,count coming downstairs1 when the  
report of a pistol was heard in the     
passage1 which1 it has since appeared1  
took no effect1 nor was it then         
ascertained by whom it was fired4       
,lawrence was at the time in the        
passage1 and1 on the smoke subsiding1   
was seen to rush past the ,count and    
proceed with great speed upstairs4 ,he  
almost immediately returned1 with a dirk
 in his hand1 and plunged it up to the  
hilt into the ,count's left shoulder2 he
 continued his course and made for the  
street door1 where stood the ,countess1 
whom he instantly despatched by plunging
 the same dirk into her left breast4    
,this last act had scarcely been        
completed when the ,count appeared also 

at the door1 bleeding1 and following the
 assassin1 who made for the house and   
ran upstairs4 ,the ,count1 though       
extremely weak and faint1 continued to  
follow him2 but so great was the terror 
occasioned that no one else had the same
 resolution4 ,the assassin and the      
,count had not been upstairs more than a
 minute when the report of another      
pistol was heard1 which satisfied those 
below that ,lawrence had finally put an 
end to the existence of his master4 ,the
 alarm was now given1 and the cry of    
#8,murder1 murder6' resounded from every
 mouth4 ,the ,countess was still lying  
at the front door1 by which the turnpike
 road runs1 and at length men of        
sufficient resolution were found to     
venture upstairs1 and1 horrible to      
relate1 they found the ,count lying     
across his own bed1 groaning heavily and
 nearly dead1 and the bloodthirsty      
villain lying by his side a corpse4 ,he 
had put a period to his own existence by
 placing a pistol that he found in the  

room in his mouth and discharging its   
contents through his head4 ,the ,count  
only survived about twenty-five minutes 
after the fatal blow1 and died without  
being able to utter a single word4      
8,the ,countess had by this time been   
brought into the house2 the wound was   
directly on her left breast1 extremely  
large1 and she died without uttering a  
single word4 ,the servants of the house 
were all collected last night2 but no   
cause for so horrid an act was at that  
time known2 all was but conjecture4     
8,the following circumstance1 in so     
extraordinary a case1 may be1 however   
worth while relating4 ,the ,count it    
appears1 always kept a brace of pistols 
loaded in his bedroom1 and a small dirk4
 ,about a month ago the ,countess and   
the servants heard the report of a      
pistol upstairs1 and were1 in           
consequence1 greatly alarmed2 when one  
of the latter1 a female1 went upstairs  
and looked into her mistress's room1 it 
was full of smoke and she screamed out4 

,on its clearing away1 she saw ,lawrence
 standing1 who told her nothing was the 
matter3 he had only fired one of his    
master's pistols4 ,it afterwards        
appeared that he had fired into the     
wainscot2 it was loaded with ball1 and  
the ball from the pistol is yet to be   
seen4  8,the ,count and ,countess were  
about sixty years of age4 ,the latter   
was highly accomplished1 a great        
proficient in music1 and greatly admired
 for her singing in fashionable parties4
 ,there is no reason whatever to believe
 that ,lawrence was insane4 ,only about 
ten minutes previous to his committing  
this deed of blood1 he went over to an  
adjoining public-house and took a glass 
of gin4 ,he had lived only three months 
in the family1 and1 report says1 was to 
be discharged in a few days4  8,the     
,count and ,countess had resided in     
,barnes for four or five years1 and have
 left an only son1 who1 we understand1  
is at present in this country1 studying 
the law4  8,besides his house on ,barnes

 ,terrace1 ,count d',antraigues had a   
town establishment1 ,no4 #g ,queen ,anne
 ,street1 ,w4 ,he was fifty-six1 and the
 ,countess fifty-three years of age4    
,the ,count had eminently distinguished 
himself in the troubles which have      
convulsed ,europe for the past          
twenty-two years4 ,in #aghi1 he was     
actively engaged in favour of the       
,resolution1 but during the tyranny of  
,robespierre he emigrated to ,germany1  
and was employed in the service of      
,russia4 ,at ,venice1 in #agig1 he was  
arrested by ,bernadotte1 who pretended  
to have discovered in his portfolio all 
the particulars of the plot upon which  
the #ahth ,fructidor was founded4 ,the  
,count made his escape from ,milan1     
where he was confined1 and was          
afterwards employed in the diplomatic   
mission of ,russia at the ,court of     
,dresden4 ,in #ahjf he was sent to      
,england1 with credentials from the     
,emperor of ,russia1 who had granted him
 a pension1 and placed great dependence 

upon his services4 ,he received here    
letters of denization1 and was often    
employed by the ,government4 ,the       
,countess was the once celebrated       
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 an actress at  
the ,thtre-,franais4#bac ,she had       
amassed a very large fortune by her     
professional talents40#bad  ,and the    
same impression of the ,times contained 
this other account3  8,the ,count       
d',antraigues1 a very eminent political 
character1 formerly a deputy of the     
nobility of ,vivarais to the            
,states-,general1 author of many        
eloquent tracts1 who had married the    
celebrated singer and actress of the    
,royal ,academy of ,music at ,paris1    
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 was murdered   
yesterday morning at seven o'clock1     
along with his lady1 in their summer    
residence on ,barnes ,terrace1 by one of
 their servants named ,lorenzo1 a       
,piedmontese1 aged twenty-five years1   
who had been only a few months in their 
service1 and whom they had no reason to 

suspect of such a diabolical design4    
8,both the ,count and ,countess         
d',antraigues were preparing to come to 
town1 as they usually did every         
,wednesday4 ,the ,count had an          
appointment 7as we understand7 with his 
particular friend ,mr4 ,canning1 to meet
 him at ten o'clock1 and had actually   
taken his papers in his hat and         
proceeded down the staircase from his   
bedroom1 his lady1 who went before1     
being at the door waiting1 and calling  
for the servant to open the carriage4   
,lorenzo at that moment took from the   
bed of his master a pistol and a most   
superb ,turkish poignard1 which the     
,count d',antraigues had brought with   
him from ,constantinople4 ,he discharged
 the pistol at his master1 at six paces 
distance1 on the staircase1 and missed  
him1 the ball passing between the ,count
 and ,countess4  8,the murderer1 seeing 
that the ball had not taken effect1 took
 to the poignard1 and stabbed his master
 in the shoulder4 ,though the blow was  

mortal1 the ,count had still strength to
 walk to his room4 ,the servant then ran
 to the ,countess1 who was shrieking1   
and plunged1 in the most audacious      
manner1 the poignard into her breast4   
,she fell1 and died instantly1 without  
any groans1 saying only1 #8,lorenzo6    
,lorenzo6'  8,it appears that the ,count
 died1 as soon as he re-entered his     
room1 from an effusion of blood in his  
chest4 ,the murderer1 bewildered and    
frantic after his ferocious deed1 came  
to the room where his master was lying1 
and1 seizing on another of the four     
pistols which the ,count kept constantly
 for his protection at his bedside1 with
 the poignard1 under the presentiment   
that one day or other his life would be 
attempted1 discharged the contents into 
his mouth1 and shattered his head in the
 most fearful manner4 ,he died on the   
spot1 and fell dead by the side of his  
master4#bae  8,the alarm was given by   
the coachman1 who was standing at the   
door1 and the other servants4 ,two      

professional men came instantly1 but no 
assistance could prevail4 ,the house was
 besmeared with blood1 and presented a  
most shocking spectacle1 the three      
bodies being extended in such a small   
space4 ,the coachman drove to town to   
fetch the doctor and the lawyer who was 
generally employed by the ,count1 and to
 convey the melancholy tidings to the   
house of the deceased in ,queen ,anne   
,street1 ,w41 where a great crowd of    
people were collected during the whole  
of the day4 ,dr4 ,chavernac of ,gerrard 
,street1 the surgeon1 and ,mr4 ,trickey1
 the solicitor1 both the intimate       
friends of the deceased1 went post-haste
 to ,barnes ,terrace4 ,the papers1      
jewels1 and other effects of the ,count 
and ,countess were put under seal in    
their presence1 and in that of a        
magistrate and several respectable      
neighbours4 ,a coroner's inquest is to  
take place this day at ,barnes on the   
three bodies4  8,no cause is yet known  
for the atrocious act which has deprived

 of life two persons1 who1 by their     
talents1 knowledge1 amiable manners1 and
 powerful connections1 ranked very high 
in society4 ,the ,count was a man of    
colossal stature and imposing           
countenance1 only fifty-eight years of  
age1 and his lady fifty-two4  8,mr4     
,vansittart1 the ,chancellor of the     
,exchequer1 the particular friend of the
 ,count1 was informed of the lamentable 
event early yesterday1 and ,lord        
,sidmouth commissioned ,mr4 ,brooks of  
the ,alien ,office to take1 conjointly  
with the ,count ,la ,chtre1 ,commissary 
of his ,majesty ,louis ,,xviii41 the    
proper measures to secure the papers and
 property of the deceased1 who had been 
formerly ,commissary of his ,most       
,christian ,majesty in ,italy1 and till 
his death an agent and correspondent of 
the ,emperor of ,russia40       ,,report
 ,,of ,,the ,,inquest4       7,from the 
,times1 ,july #bd1 #ahab47       8,an   
inquest was held yesterday at the       
#8,white ,hart1' ,barnes ,terrace1      

before ,charles ,jemmett1 ,esq41        
,coroner for the ,county1 after a view  
of the bodies of the ,count and         
,countess d',antraigues1 and of         
,lawrence1 who murdered them4           
8,susannah ,black1 the first witness1   
deposed that1 on ,july #bbnd      inst41
 she was ordered by the ,countess1 about
 eight o'clock in the      morning1 to  
take some books1 c41 to the carriage    
door2 that she      followed the        
,countess to the door1 and saw ,lawrence
 near the      carriage with his face to
 the door1 and ordered him to open the  
carriage door for his mistress1 instead 
of which he walked into the      house1 
and as he passed her mistress a pistol  
was fired1 but she      did not know who
 discharged it4 ,she saw the ,count on  
the stairs1      and ,lawrence going up 
the stairs4 ,did not see anything in his
      hand4 ,she afterwards saw         
,lawrence coming downstairs with a      
pistol      in his right hand1 and his  
left hand behind him1 but could not see 

whether he had anything in it or not2   
that she ran into the garden            
alarmed2 and that1 on her return into   
the house by the hall1 she      went to 
the front door and saw her mistress     
lying on the ground1 in      the        
footpath of the street1 near the        
carriage4 ,she called for               
assistance1 and another servant and the 
coachman1 ,david ,hebditch1      came to
 her1 and they took the ,countess into  
the house4 ,there was a      great deal 
of blood about her1 and she was alive1  
though      speechless4 ,mr4 ,ball1 a   
surgeon1 was sent for1 who attended     
immediately4 ,but her mistress died in a
 few minutes after the same4            
,witness stated that one day1 about     
three weeks ago1 when the ,count        
was absent1 she was with the ,countess  
in her bedroom1 when they      heard a  
loud report1 and she ran downstairs1    
thinking it was a rap      at the door4 
,but finding no one there1 she called   
#8,lawrence1' but      no one answered4 

,she then returned upstairs4 ,the       
,countess met her      at the door of   
the bedroom1 and said it was the report 
of a pistol4      ,witness ran upstairs 
to the ,count's room1 and on coming to  
the      door1 she saw some smoke issue 
from it1 and saw ,lawrence in the       
room4 ,she asked him what he was doing  
and he answered1 #8,nothing4'      ,she 
then went to her mistress1 and told her 
,lawrence had fired off      a pistol4  
,the ,countess went upstairs1 and       
witness followed her1 and      heard her
 talk to ,lawrence very coolly1 but     
could not tell what she      said1 as   
she spoke ,french or ,italian2 but the  
,countess told her      afterwards that 
he said he had been handling the pistol 
and it went      off4 ,when ,lawrence   
came to the kitchen1 she asked him how  
he dared      to meddle with his        
master's pistols in his absence1 and he 
answered it went off by chance as he was
 handling it4 ,she never      knew of   
any quarrel or anger between the ,count 

and ,lawrence4 ,said      ,lawrence was 
a sober man1 but latterly had been more 
passionate      than before4 ,yesterday 
morning1 the wind having blown the      
parlour      door to with a great noise1
 the ,count spoke rather sharply to     
,lawrence1 thinking he banged it1 and   
would wake his mistress4      ,lawrence 
had lived in the family about three     
months4 ,believed the      dagger       
produced to be her master's1 having many
 times seen it      hanging in his room4
       8,elizabeth ,ashton1 another     
servant of the ,count and ,countess1    
deposed that when the ,countess came    
first downstairs1 she was      standing 
at the street door to wait on her       
mistress4 ,the carriage      was at the 
door4 ,her mistress passed her and went 
towards the      carriage--the ,count   
was coming downstairs4 ,witness heard   
the report      of a pistol1 was stunned
 by it1 said she was a dead woman1      
turned      round and said1 #8,lawrence6
 ,lawrence6' ,when1 looking up1 she saw 

,lawrence coming downstairs1 with a     
pistol in one hand1 and a dagger      in
 the other4 ,she screamed out1 and ran  
into the street1 crying      #8,murder  
murder6' went over to the public-house  
to give the alarm      and1 on her      
return1 found her mistress lying on the 
footpath of the      street near the    
carriage1 and1 being so affected that   
she found she      could not give any   
assistance1 she went away4       8,david
 ,hebditch1 coachman to the ,count and  
,countess1 deposed that      he received
 orders from ,lawrence to have the      
carriage ready      yesterday morning1  
,july #bb1 at five minutes before eight2
 that he      was at the door with the  
carriage before the clock struck eight2 
that1 as soon as he arrived there1      
,lawrence came to the coach1      opened
 the door1 and put into the carriage a  
tin can filled with      oil2 that he   
then went into the house1 and soon      
afterwards      returned2 that when the 
,countess came down and was proceeding  

to      the carriage1 ,lawrence went    
into the house1 and soon after he       
passed his mistress1 the report of a    
pistol was heard2 that the              
,countess asked him1 the coachman1 what 
was the matter1 and he      answered it 
was from the inside of the house1 that  
in a few minutes      afterwards1 as he 
was sitting on his box before the door1 
he saw      ,lawrence come downstairs1  
and1 with a sharp instrument he held in 
his hand1 which the witness believed to 
be a dagger1 strike it into      the    
shoulder of the ,count--he saw the      
dagger under his shoulder2      that    
,lawrence then passed the ,count and    
proceeded towards the      street-door2 
that he1 the coachman got off the box as
 quickly as he      could1 and1 as he   
was going towards his master1 the       
,countess passed      him1 going towards
 the carriage1 and1 on turning round1 to
 follow      her1 he saw her staggering1
 and she fell1 exclaiming3 #8,it was    
,lawrence6 it was ,lawrence6' ,he saw   

blood about her1 and some on the        
ground1 but could not tell exactly what 
part it came from4 ,did not      see    
,lawrence afterwards1 but in about three
 minutes more heard      report of      
another pistol1 which appeared to come  
from upstairs4      ,soon after the     
,count came to the door1 and blood ran  
out of his      sleeve4 ,left him there1
 and went to assist the ,countess into  
the      house4 ,on surgeon coming and  
desiring her to be stripped1 went out   
of the room to look after his master1   
and found him sitting on the      bed in
 his own room1 in a reclining posture1  
with his feet on      floor4 ,was then  
alive1 but speechless4 ,at the same     
time1 saw      ,lawrence1 with his face 
lying on the floor1 apparently dead1    
with      some blood near his mouth4    
,mr4 ,king1 a surgeon1 then came and    
desired the ,count might be stripped4   
,witness assisted to do so1 and         
held him while they got a sponge and    
some water1 and washed the      wound4  

,after that he went away and drove      
carriage to town4 ,believed             
,lawrence was sober4 ,he spoke very     
correct to him1 the coachman1      when 
he gave him his order1 and did not      
appear at all mentally      deranged4   
8,william ,hitchin1 master of the       
#8,sun' public-house1 at ,barnes1       
deposed that yesterday morning1 about   
eight o'clock1 coming along      the    
street1 he saw ,lawrence put a tin can  
into the ,count's      carriage1 and    
return into the house4 ,when he got     
opposite the door1      he heard the    
report of a pistol4 ,turned immediately 
round1 and saw      the ,count and      
,countess just within the door4 ,the    
,countess said      something to the    
coachman1 who answered1 #8,it is        
indoors1 my lady4'      ,the ,count and 
lady returned into the house4 ,he then  
heard some      persons screaming1 and  
was going to get some weapon1 but       
coachman      begged him not to go1 and 
he did not4 ,the coachman and he were   

going into the house1 when the ,countess
 came out of the house1      passed them
 and fell down4 ,thought she had only   
fainted1 and1 while      standing by    
her1 saw the ,count come out of the     
house1 with blood      streaming from   
his shoulder4 ,the ,count instantly     
returned into the      house1 and       
immediately afterwards witness heard the
 report of a      pistol in one of the  
upper rooms2 this report occurred before
 the      ,count could possibly get to  
his own room4 ,some people came up1 and 
he accompanied them into the house4 ,the
 first thing he saw on the      floor of
 the passage was a dagger1 bloody and   
with some silk on it1      as if it came
 from a shawl2 on desiring a person to  
go upstairs      with him1 he refused   
without having a weapon1 on which       
witness      gave him the dagger1 and   
himself took a poker4 ,the coachman     
followed1 and the witness desired him to
 go first into the room1      which he  
did4 ,on entering the room1 he saw the  

,count sitting on a      bed1 alive1 but
 speechless1 and ,lawrence lying on the 
floor dead1      with a brass           
double-barrelled pistol close to him4   
8,matthew ,ball1 ,surgeon1 of ,barnes1  
deposed that1 about a quarter      past 
eight o'clock in the morning1 a woman   
came to his house1 and      desired him 
to come immediately to ,count           
d',antraigues1 for the      ,count and  
,countess were both murdered2           
immediately went1 and when      he came 
into the house1 saw the ,countess lying 
on the floor of the      parlour1 and a 
great deal of blood both on the floor   
and on her      clothes4 ,then examined 
and found a large lacerated wound on her
      right breast1 made by a sharp     
instrument1 which had passed through    
the third and fourth ribs to the cavity 
of the chest1 from which a      great   
effusion of blood had proceeded4 ,as    
soon as he found the      wound was     
mortal1 and that she could not live many
 minutes1 witness      went up to the   

,count1 to assist ,mr4 ,king1 a surgeon1
 who had      previously gone up to     
dress his wound1 and found the ,count   
had      received a wound on the        
shoulder from a sharp instrument1 which 
had      penetrated four inches4 ,he was
 motionless and speechless1 and died    
in about a quarter of an hour after his 
7,mr4 ,b47 seeing him4 ,saw      two    
small leaden bullets in the string-board
 of the stairs1 which      appeared to  
have been shot from a pistol4 ,when he  
entered the      ,count's room1 saw     
,lawrence lying on the floor on his     
belly1 with a      quantity of blood    
under his face2 on examination1 found a 
loaded      pistol had been discharged  
into his mouth1 the contents of which   
had very much lacerated and torn his    
mouth1 and from which wound he      had 
instantly died1 the bullet being still  
lodged in the vertebra      of the neck4
       8,the ,coroner then told the jury
 that1 as they had not only heard       
what the witnesses had sworn1 but also  

the depositions read over to      them1 
it was unnecessary for him to go into a 
recapitulation      thereon4 ,he should1
 therefore1 leave them to determine     
whether1      from the evidence they had
 heard1 they believed1 first that       
,lawrence had murdered the ,count and   
,countess2 and1 secondly1      whether  
he had committed suicide1 being in his  
senses4       8,in about five minutes1  
the jury returned a verdict that        
,lawrence      had murdered the ,count  
and ,countess1 and had afterwards       
committed      suicide1 being in his    
senses40  8,thus perished10 says ,m4    
,adolphe ,jullien1 8the greatest lyric  
tragdienne whom ,france has possessed4  
,but she did not wholly die3 the        
recollection of her remains graven in   
the mind of her admirers1 and she left  
behind her a luminous trace of her      
passage across the stage of the ,opera4 
,her generous influence continued to    
make itself felt throughout long years2 
her triumphs excited many ambitions1    

inflamed many resolutions4 ,she remained
 an object of admiration and emulation  
for all the artistes1 for those who had 
seen her1 as for those who1 in later    
times1 knew her only by renown4 ,she    
united1 in fact1 in the highest degree1 
two qualities usually disconnected3 the 
rarest talent of the singer and the     
greatest art of the tragdienne4 ,she was
 in every sense of the word an artiste  
of genius40#baf     ,,index   ,a  ,adle 
de ,ponthieu1 incident during a         
representation of1 #fi  ,aiguillon1 ,duc
 d'1 his galanterie with ,mlle4         
,raucourt1 #aei  ,alceste1 ,gluck's1    
#fi-ge1 #gh  ,alembert1 d'1 #d1 #gi1    
#if1 #aei  ,alexis et ,justine1 ,madame 
,dugazon's appearance in1 #baj  ,allard1
 ,mlle1 7danseuse71 #aje1 #bfe          
,alleaume 7notary71 ,sophie ,arnould's  
letters to him1 #hj-hb  ,alopeus        
7,swedish ,minister in ,london71 #ccj   
,amelot 7,minister of the ,king's       
,household71 #bib1 #bid1  #cjj1 #cje1   
#cab1 #cac1 #cae1 #cbb  ,amis des ,lois1

 les1 scene during the performance of1  
#ahc  ,amours des ,dieux1 les1 ,sophie  
,arnould's appearance in1 #ae           
,antraigues1 ,comte d'1 his ancestry1   
#cbj2   his early life1 #cba2   his     
political writings1 #cba2   changes his 
politics1 #cba2   his relations with    
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 #cbb2   his    
letter to her1 #cbb2   takes refuge in  
,switzerland1 #cbf2   joined by ,madame 
,saint-,huberty1 #cbf2   marries her    
secretly1 #cbg2   an active agent of the
 counter-revolution1 #cbh and note2     
arrested at ,trieste1 #cbh2   escapes   
from ,milan1 #cbi2   establishes himself
 with his wife in ,england1 #ccj2       
employed by the ,foreign ,office1 #ccj2 
assassinated1 with his wife1 by their   
,piedmontese servant1 ,lorenzo1         
#cca-ccg2   inquest upon1 #ccg-cdc      
,antraigues1 ,comtesse3 d'1 see         
,saint-,huberty1 ,madame  ,ariane dans  
l'le de ,naxos1 ,madame                 
,saint-,huberty's appearance  in1 #bhf1 
#bhg1 #bii1 #cjj  ,armide1 ,gluck's1    

#ajg1 #bff1 #bge1 #cac1 #cag  ,arnaud1  
,abb1 #df  ,arnault1 #beg  ,arnould     
7daughter of ,sophie ,arnould71         
,alexandrine ,sophie1 birth1 #dc2       
marries ,andr de ,murville1 #hb1 #hc2   
her character1 #hc and note2            
ill-treated by her husband1 #hc1 #hd2   
wishes to join the ,opera1 #hd2         
divorces her husband and marries again1 
#hi  ,arnould1 ,jean 7father of ,sophie 
,arnould71 a worthy man1 #d2   declines 
to force his daughter to marry ,m4 de   
,malzieux1 #ac2   in financial straits1 
#ba2   takes the ,htel de ,lisieux1 #ba2
   deceived by the ,comte de            
,lauraguais1 #ba-bc2   reconciled to his
 daughter after her elopement1 #bd      
,arnould1 ,madame 7mother of ,sophie    
,arnould71 affects literary society1 #d2
   takes her daughter to visit ,madame  
de ,pompadour1 #i2   dreads ,sophie     
joining the ,opera1 #aa2   favours the  
suit of the ,chevalier de ,malzieux1    
#ac2   sends ,sophie to take lessons    
from ,mlles4 ,fel and ,clairon1 #ah2   a

 vigilant guardian1 #bj1 #ba2   deceived
 by the ,comte de ,lauraguais1 #ba-bc2  
in despair at her daughter's elopement1 
#bc2   reconciled to her dishonour1 #bd 
,arnould1 ,sophie1 birth and parentage1 
#c and note1 #d2   education1 #d2       
taken by the ,princesse de ,conti to    
live with her1 #e2   sings in the choir 
of the ,ursulines of ,saint-,denis1 #e2 
receives a letter from ,voltaire1 #e1   
#f2   sings at the ,abbey of ,panthmont1
 #g2   visits ,marie ,leczinska1 #h1 #i2
   and ,madame de ,pompadour1 #i-aa2    
appointed a singer of the ,queen's      
,chamber1 #aa2   ordered to join the    
,opera1 #aa2   receives an offer of     
marriage from the ,chevalier de         
,malzieux1 #ab-ad2   her dbut at the    
,opera1 #ab-ad2   her success in ,la    
,provenale1 #ae2   in ne et ,lavinie1   
#ae1 #af2   and in ,les ,ftes de        
,paphos1 #af1 #ag2   her voice1 #ag1    
#ah2   her acting1 #ah2   her personal  
appearance1 #ai and note1 #bj2          
surrounded by soupirants1 #bj1 #ba2     

her elopement with the ,comte de        
,lauraguais1 #ba-bd2   her liaison with 
him1 #bh1 #bi2   the idol of the public1
 #cj2   her wit1 #cj-cd2   leaves       
,lauraguais1 #ce-cg2   8comes to an     
arrangement0 with the financier ,bertin1
 #cg1 #ch2   bestowing her favours      
freely1 #ch2   discards ,bertin and     
returns to ,lauraguais1 #ci2   stormy   
character of their relations1 #dj2      
procures ,lauraguais's release from     
prison1 #dc2   has a daughter by him1   
#dc2   supplanted in his affections by  
,mlle4 ,heinel1 #de2   receiving great  
attention from the ,prince de ,conti1   
#de and note2   leading an unedifying   
life1 #df2   accepts the 8protection0 of
 the ,prince d',hnin1 #df1 #dg2   her   
projected htel in the ,chausse-d',antin1
 #dg2   falls in love with the architect
 ,belanger1 #dg1 #dh2   insults the     
,lieutenant of ,police1 #di2   behaves  
with 8unexampled audacity0 towards      
,madame du ,barry1 #di and note2   her  
caprices a source of much tribulation to

 the     administration of the ,opera1  
#di-eb2   her triumphs as a singer1 #ec1
 #ed2   insufferably bored by the       
,prince d',hnin1 #ed1 #ee2   wishes to  
retire from the ,opera1 #ef2   her vocal
 powers and popularity declining1 #ef1  
#eg2   chosen by ,gluck for the         
name-part in ,iphignie en ,aulide1 #eg2 
claims the right to take liberties with 
the time when singing1 #ei-fa2   her    
success in ,iphignie en ,aulide1 #fe2   
quarrel between ,gluck and the ,prince  
d',hnin at her house1 #ff2   her        
performance in ,orphe1 #fh2   shocks the
 audience during a performance of ,adle 
de ,ponthieu1 #fi2   passed over by     
,gluck in favour of ,rosalie ,levasseur1
 #gj-gb2   believed to have joined a    
cabal to ensure the failure of ,alceste1
 #gb1 #gc2   her letter to the ,nouveau 
,spectateur1 #gc1 #gd2   the object of  
hostile demonstration at the ,opera1    
#ge1 #gf2   interference of ,marie      
,antoinette in her favour1 #ge1 #gf2    
refuses to bow to the storm1 #gg2       

insulted in the garden of the           
,palais-,royal1 #gg1 #gh2   retires from
 the stage1 #gh2   her house a          
rendezvous for men of letters1 #gh2     
,voltaire's visit to her1 #gi2   failure
 of ,mesmer to cure her dog1 #gi1 #hj2  
her letters to the notary ,alleaume1    
#ha1 #hb2   marriage of her daughter    
,alexandrine1 #hb1 #hc2   goes to live  
at ,clichy-la-,garenne1 #hc2   her life 
there1 #hd1 #he2   in financial         
difficulties1 #he2   declines to        
prosecute a burglar1 #he1 #hf2   attack 
of ,champcenetz upon her in ,la         
,chronique scandaleuse1 #hf1 #hg2       
removes from ,clichy to ,luzarches1 #hg2
   her description of her new home1 #hg2
   receives a domiciliary visit from the
 local revolutionary     committee1 #hg1
 #hh and note2   her bon mot on   the   
occasion of her daughter's second       
marriage1 #hi2   becoming poorer and    
poorer1 #hi1 #ij2   befriended by       
,belanger1 #ij2   her letter to him1    
#ij1 #ia2   returns to ,paris1 #ia2     

her letter to ,lauraguais1 #ib1 #ic2    
her generosity the cause of her poverty1
 #ic2   her letter to ,lucien           
,bonaparte1 #id1 #ie2   in a pitiable   
condition1 #ie2   ,belanger's letter to 
,lucien ,bonaparte on her behalf1 #if1  
#ig2   her death1 #ig2   her kindness to
 ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #agj1 #aga2          
deserted by the ,prince d',hnin for that
 actress1 #agg  ,artois1 ,comte d'1     
casts a 8benevolent glance0 on ,sophie  
,arnould1 #fi2   credited with a desire 
to participate in the favours of ,mlle4 
,raucourt1 #agg2   witnesses the        
performance of the ,mariage de ,figaro1 
at ,gennevilliers1 #bce2   become the   
amant en titre of ,mlle4 ,contat1 #bdc2 
indulges in a practical joke at her     
expense1 #bdd2   obtains for her an     
authorisation to play biribi at her     
house1 #bdd2   refuses to recognise his 
daughter by her1 #bde2   sends her three
 thousand louis to pay her debts1 #bdf  
,ashton1 ,elizabeth1 her evidence at the
 inquest upon     the ,comte and        

,comtesse d',antraigues1 #cci  ,atys1   
,piccini's1 #bhh1 #cac   ,b             
,bachaumont1 #cai2   7cited7 #di note1  
#eb1 #ec1 #aaa  ,bajazet1 ,mlle4        
,contat's appearance in1 #bbf  ,balbatri
 7musician71 #f  ,ball1 ,matthew        
7surgeon71 his evidence at the inquest  
on the ,comte and ,comtesse             
d',antraigues1 #cdb1 #cdc  ,barbier de  
,seville1 ,beaumarchais's1 #ahh1 #bca   
,beaumarchais1 a visitor at ,sophie     
,arnould's house1 #gi2   his manuvres to
 stimulate public interest in his       
,mariage de ,figaro1 #bcj2   enables the
 ,comte de ,vaudreuil to win a wager1   
#bcj note2   chooses ,mlle4 ,contat for 
the part of ,suzanne1 #bca2             
performance of his ,mariage de ,figaro  
at ,thtre     des ,menus-,plaisirs      
forbidden by ,louis ,,xvi42   his       
diplomacy1 #bcc2   his play performed at
 ,gennevilliers1 #bce2   reads it to an 
audience selected by the ,baron de      
,breteuil1 #bcf1 #bcg2   production of  
the ,mariage de ,figaro at              

,comdie-,franaise1 #bcg-bdj             
,beaumesnil1 ,mlle1 7singer71 #cc1 #eb  
,beaumesnil1 ,christophe de 7,archbishop
 of ,paris7 objects to the opening of   
,mlle4 ,guimard's private theatre in the
 ,chausse-d',antin1 #aba2   persuades   
,louis ,,xvi4 to forbid a fte at her    
htel1 #aba1 #abb  ,beauvau1 ,princesse  
de1 #aeb note1 #aeg  ,blanger           
7architect71 designs an htel     for    
,sophie ,arnould in the                 
,chausse-d',antin1 #dg2   becomes her   
amant de cur1 #dh2   his practical joke 
at the expense of the actor ,florence1  
#dh2   wishful to marry ,sophie1 #dh2   
narrowly escapes the guillotine1 #hi2   
marries ,mlle4 ,dervieux of the ,opera1 
#hi2   his kindness to ,sophie ,arnould 
during her last years1 #ij2   her       
letters to him1 #ij1 #ia2   his letter  
to ,lucien ,bonaparte on her behalf1    
#if1 #ig  ,bernis1 ,abb 7afterwards     
,cardinal7 de1 #d  ,bernard1 ,marie     
,anne 7mother of ,mlle4 ,guimard71 #aja1
 #ajb1 #ajd1 #aje4  ,bertin             

7farmer-general7 8comes to an           
arrangement0 with ,sophie ,arnould1 #cg2
   presents her to his friends1 #ch2    
his generosity powerless to gain her    
affection1 #ch2   discarded by ,sophie1 
#ci2   indemnified by the ,comte de     
,lauraguais1 #ci2   furnishes a handsome
 apartment for ,mlle4 ,guimard1 #aje2   
supplanted in her affections by ,m4 de  
,boutourlin1 #ajh  ,berton 7director of 
the ,opera71 #ec note  ,bivre1 ,marquis 
de1 first amant en titre     of ,mlle4  
,raucourt1 #aei and note1 #afj          
,billington1 ,miss 7singer71 #bac       
,black1 ,susannah1 her evidence at the  
inquest     on the ,comte and ,comtesse 
d',antraigues1 #ccg-cci  ,blaise et     
,babet1 ,madame ,dugazon's performance  
in1 #bji1 #baj2   played at ,trianon by 
,marie ,antoinette and her friends1     
#bji1 #baj  ,boeldieu 7cited71 #bjh     
,bompas1 commits a burglary at ,sophie  
,arnould's house at ,clichy1 #he2       
pardoned by her1 #hf  ,bonaparte1       
,lucien1 ,sophie ,arnould's letter to   

him1 #id1 #ie2   promises her a benefit 
performance at the ,opera1 #ie2         
,belanger's letter to him on her behalf1
 #if1 #ig  ,boucher 7painter71 #aj      
,boudreau 7financier71 lover of ,madame 
,dugazon1 #bje1 #bjf  ,boufflers1       
,chevalier de1 #ec note  ,bouillon1 ,duc
 de1 #cb1 #cbj note  ,bouilly1 #bag1    
#bba1 7cited7 #bjg1 #bab  ,bourbon1 ,duc
 de1 his offer to ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #aef
  ,boutin 7financier71 lends money to   
,sophie ,arnould1 #he  ,boutourilin1 ,m4
 de1 lover of ,mlle4 ,guimard1 #ajh     
,boynes 7,minister of ,marine71 ,sophie 
,arnould's bon mot at his expense1 #cd  
,brancas1 ,constant de 7son of ,sophie  
,arnould and ,comte de ,lauraguais71 #ia
  ,brizard 7actor71 trains ,mlle4       
,raucourt for the stage1 #adg and note2 
his speech on the evening of her dbut at
 the ,comdie-,franaise1 #adh2   attacked
 by the enemies of the actress1 #agf    
,breteuil1 ,baron de1 opposed to the    
production     of ,beaumarchais's       
,mariage de ,figaro1 #bce2   his        

opposition overcome by ,beaumarchais's  
tact1 #bce1 #bcf2   engages ,piccini to 
come to ,paris1 #bie  ,burney1 ,dr4     
7cited71 #dd note   ,c  ,cabanis        
7physician71 #cbc  ,camille1 ou le      
souterrain1 ,madame ,dugazon's success  
in1 #baf  ,campan1 ,madame 7cited71 #afh
  ,campardon1 mile 7cited71 #aja1 #aji1 
#abd1 #bjh1 #baj1 #bab  ,canning1       
,george1 #cca  ,caprices de ,galathe1   
les1 ,mlle4 ,guimard's triumph in1 #abd 
,castil-,blaze 7cited71 #c note1 #ia1   
#cjd  ,castor et ,pollux1 ,rameau's1    
#cc1 #ea1 #eb  ,cazes1 ,m4 de1 lover of 
,madame ,dugazon2   compelled by        
,dugazon to surrender his wife's letters
 and portrait1 #bjb1 #bjc2   caned by   
,dugazon at the ,comdie-,italienne1     
#bjc1 #bjd  ,champcenetz1 his attack on 
,sophie ,arnould in ,la ,chronique      
scandaleuse1 #hf  ,champfort1 #bcf      
,chasse 7singer71 #f  ,chartres1 ,duc   
de1 #fd1 #abj  ,chartres1 ,duchesse de1 
#fd  ,chesterfield1 ,earl of1 #fg       
,chevalier1 ,mlle4 7singer71 #f         

,chimne1 ,sacchini's1 #cjh  ,choiseul1  
,duc de1 ,sophie ,arnould's bon mot     
about him1 #cd2   releases ,lauraguais  
from prison on her petition1 #db        
,choiseul-,praslin1 ,duc de1 #cd        
,clairon1 ,mlle41 gives ,sophie ,arnould
 lessons in acting1 #ah2   her pension  
compared with that of ,sophie ,arnould1 
#gh   trains ,mlle4 ,raucourt for the   
stage1 #adg and note  ,clytemnestre1    
,comte de ,lauraguais's1 #ce note       
,clophile1 ,mlle41 #afj  ,colasse       
7composer71 #ae note  ,coll1 #aab1 #abj1
 7cited7 #ag1 #bd1 #bf note  ,collette1 
,mlle41 #ajh  ,contat1 ,amalrie         
7daughter of ,louise ,contat and the    
,comte d',artois71 #bde1 #bfa  ,contat1 
milie1 #beb  ,contat1 ,louise1 her      
parentage1 #bbe and note2   adopted and 
trained for the stage by the ,prvilles1 
#bbe2   her dbut at the                 
,comdie-,franaise1 #bbf2   her success  
in comedy1 #bbf2   cabal formed against 
her at the theatre1 #bbf1 #bbg2   her   
success as ,rosalie in ,les             

,courtisanes1 #bbh1 #bbi2   and as      
,sophie in ,le vieux garon1 #bbi1 #bcj2 
chosen by ,beaumarchais for the part of 
,suzanne in his ,mariage de ,figaro1    
#bca2   her triumph in this part1 #bci1 
#bdj2   her personal appearance1 #bdj2  
her liaison with the ,chevalier de      
,lubsac1 #bdj-bdb2   rejects the        
advances of a wealthy financier1 #bdb2  
squandering the patrimony of the        
,marquis de ,maupeou1 #bdb1 #bdc2       
discards him in favour of the ,comte    
d',artois1 #bdc2   her ruse to stimulate
 the latter's generosity1 #bdc1 #bdd2   
authorised to play biribi at her house1 
#bdd2   has a daughter1 #bde2           
abandoned by the ,comte d',artois1 #bde2
   her relations with ,desentelles and  
the actor ,fleury1 #bde2   in financial 
difficulties1 #bde1 #bdf2   adventure   
with ,prince ,henry of ,prussia1        
#bdf-bdh2   her success in ,les ,deux   
,pages1 #bdh1 #bdi2   inimitable in high
 comedy1 #bdi1 #bej2   her triumphs in  
the provinces1 #bej2   verses addressed 

to her by a blind admirer1 #bea2   her  
imperious character1 #bea2   her quarrel
 with ,alexandre ,duval1 #bea2   unable 
to endure a rival on the stage1 #bea1   
#beb2   her efforts on behalf of her    
sister milie ,contat1 #bhb2   her       
attachment to ,marie ,antoinette1 #beb1 
#bec2   escapes the guillotine1 #bhc2   
enthusiasm aroused by her at ,bordeaux1 
#bec1 #bed2   her popularity in society1
 #bed1 #bee2   her qualities as an      
hostess1 #bee2   her wit1 #bee1 #bef2   
her magnanimity1 #bef2   her attraction 
for men of letters1 #bef-beh2           
,napoleon an admirer of her acting1     
#beh2   her marriage1 #beh2   her last  
appearance1 #beh1 #bei2   her illness   
and death1 #bei-bfa2   her daughter     
,amalrie ,contat1 #bfa  ,conti1 ,prince 
de1 pays assiduous attentions to ,sophie
 ,arnould1 #dc2   invites her to his box
 at the ,opera1 #de2   8wishes her to be
 entirely his own10 #de note2   gives   
her a pension1 #hj note  ,conti1        
,princesse de1 takes ,sophie ,arnould to

 live with her1 #e2   suggests that she 
shall sing at the ,abbey of ,panthmont  
in ,holy ,week1 #g2   embarrassed by    
,madame de ,pompadour's desire to see   
,sophie1 #i2   endeavours to conceal    
,sophie in a convent1 #aa1 #ab2         
encourages the suit of the ,chevalier de
 ,malzieux1 #ab1 #ac  ,cour du ,roi     
,ptaud1 la1 ,comte de ,lauraguais1 #be1 
#bf and note  ,courtisanes1 les1        
anecdote about its     rejection by the 
,comdie-,franaise1 #bbh1 #bbi2   ,mlle4 
,contat's performance in1 #bbi          
,crbillon fils1 #df   ,d  ,dalayrac     
7composer71 #baj1 #baa1 #bab1 #bac1 #bag
  ,danades1 ,salieri's1 #cjh1 #cji      
,dangeville1 ,mlle41 #bbf1 #bci         
,dardanus1 ,sophie ,arnould's           
performance in1 #db1 #ej1 #ea           
,dauberval 7dancer71 one of the lovers  
of ,mlle4 ,guimard1 #aac note           
,dauvergne 7director of the ,opera71    
#abf1 #abg1 #caa1 #cac1 #cae1 #cah1     
#cbb1 #cbd1 #cbe  ,david1 ,jaques ,louis
 7painter71 ,mlle4 ,guimard's kindness  

to him1 #aah1 #aai  ,dervieux1 ,mlle41  
#ij1 #aaf1 #aba  ,desentelles           
7,intendant of the ,menus-,plaisirs71   
#bde  ,des ,essarts 7actor71 #ahc       
,desfaucherets1 #beg  ,despraux1 ,jean  
tienne1 his parody of ,ernelinde        
performed     at ,mlle4 ,guimard's htel 
in the ,chausse-d',antin1 #abb2   and   
before the ,court at ,choisy1 #abb2     
receives a pension from ,louis ,,xvi41  
#abb2   marries ,mlle4 ,guimard1 #acf1  
#acg2   his career1 #acf note2   loses  
his pensions at the ,revolution1 #ach2  
becomes stage-manager at the ,opera1    
#ach2   resigns his post1 #ach2   his   
,passe-,temps1 #aci2   celebrates his   
wife's charms in verse1 #aci2           
appointed inspector of the ,opera and   
the theatre of the ,tuileries1 #aci2    
dances with his wife1 #adj              
,desnoiresterres1 ,gustave 7cited71 #eh1
 #ga  ,devin du ,village1 ,sophie       
,arnould's performance in1 #ed note     
,devismes 7director of the ,opera71 #bhb
  ,devonshire1 ,elizabeth ,cavendish1   

,duchess of1     her friendship for     
,mlle4 ,guimard1 #ace  ,deux ,pages1    
les1 #bdf-bdi  ,dezde 7composer71 #bdg1 
#bdh  ,diderot1 #d1 7cited7 #bg1 #bh1   
#ce1 #cf  ,didon1 ,le ,franc de         
,pompignan's1 #adh1 #adi1 #aea1 #aeb1   
#aga1 #agb  ,didon1 ,piccini's1         
#bif-cjf1 #cjg1 #cjh1 #cji1 #cab        
,douglas1 ,mr4 ,r4 ,b4 7cited71 #ad1    
#ed1 #ff1 #hh1 #ig  ,dod de ,jousserand1
 libels the administration of the       
,opera1 #bgf  ,dorat 7poet71 #df1 #abd1 
#abe  ,drais1 ,claude 7goldsmith71      
marries the daughter     of ,mlle4      
,guimard and ,la ,borde1 #aji1 #aaj  ,du
 ,barry1 ,madame1 8unexampled audacity0 
of     ,sophie ,arnould towards1 #di and
 note2   does not attend the first      
performance of ,iphignie en ,aulide1    
#fd2   compared with ,mlle4 ,guimard1   
#aad2   sends two kisses to ,voltaire1  
#aba2   presents ,mlle4 ,raucourt with a
 robe de thtre1 #aeb  ,dubois1 ,antoine 
7surgeon71 #bfj  ,ducis1 his adaptations
 of ,shakespeare1 #beh and note         

,duclos1 #gi  ,du ,hausset 7femme de    
chambre to ,madame de ,pompadour71 #i   
,dumesnil1 ,mlle41 #aej1 #afa  ,duplant1
 ,mlle41 #gc note  ,duranceray1 ,mlle41 
#bff1 #bgg  ,duras1 ,duc de1 his quarrel
 with ,mlle4 ,sainval the elder1 #afi1  
#agj2   causes those who hiss ,mlle4    
,raucourt to be arrested1 #agc2         
satirised in ,la ,vision du prophte     
,daniel1 #agf  ,duth1 ,mlle41 #aba      
,duval1 ,alexandre1 his quarrel with    
,mlle4 ,contat1 #bea  ,dugazon1 ,gustave
 7son of ,madame ,dugazon71 #bb1 #aba   
and note  ,dugazon1 ,louis 7actor71     
marries ,louise ,lefvre1 #aii2   his    
singular character1 #bjj2   insults     
,marie ,antoinette at an ,opera-ball1   
#bja2   quarrels with his wife1 #bjb2   
forces ,m4 de ,cazes to surrender his   
wife's letters1 #bjb1 #bjc2   canes him 
at the ,comdie-,italienne1 #bjc1 #bjd2  
his affray with the ,marquis de         
,langeac1 #bje2   resigns himself to his
 wife's infidelity1 #bje2   his conduct 
during the ,revolution1 #bai note2   his

 death1 #bai note  ,dugazon1 ,madame1   
birth and parentage1 #aig2   makes her  
dbut at the ,comdie-,italienne1 #aig2   
attracts the attention of ,grtry1 #aig2 
receives lessons from ,justine ,favart1 
#aih2   her gratitude to her1 #aih2     
her success in ,sylvain1 #aih2   other  
successes1 #aih2   idolised by the      
public1 #aii2   surrounded by adorers1  
#aii2   marries ,dugazon1 of the        
,comdie-,franaise1 #aii2   quarrels with
 her husband1 #bja1 #bjb2   her liaison 
with ,m4 de ,cazes1 #bjb-bjd2   with the
 ,marquis de ,langeac1 #bjd1 #bje2      
with the financier ,boudreau1 #bje2     
and with ,garat1 #bjf2   her talent1    
#bjg2   greater as an actress than a    
singer1 #bjh2   her success in ,blaise  
et ,babet1 #bji2   in ,alexis et        
,justine1 #baj2   and in ,le ,dot1 #baj1
 #baa2   her brilliant triumph in ,nina1
 ou la ,folle par amour1 #baa-bad2      
receives a magnificent reception at     
,lyons1 #bad1 #bae2   goes to ,england1 
#bae1 #baf2   returns to the            

,comdie-,italienne1 #baf2   abandons    
juvenile heroines for young matrons1    
#baf2   her amiable qualities1 #baf1    
#bag2   her generosity1 #bag1 #bah2   a 
,royalist to the core1 #bah1 #bai2      
incident during a performance of        
,les vnements imprvus1 in #agib1 #bai1  
#bbj2   retires temporarily from the    
,comdie-,italienne1 #bbj2   returns to  
the stage1 #bbj2   her joy at the       
,restoration1 #bbj2   her audience of   
,louis ,,xviii4 at ,saint-,ouen1 #bba2  
her affection for her son ,gustave1     
#bba2   her death1 #bba   ,e  ,edwards1 
,mr4 ,sutherland 7cited71 #cg note1 #ade
  lectre1 ,lemoine's1 #bhe  ,elliot1    
,mrs41 #bai  ,embarrass des richesses1  
l'1 ,madame     ,saint-,huberty's       
success in1 #bhh and note2   its        
ridiculous libretto1 #bhh1 #bhi  ne et  
,lavinie1 ,sophie ,arnould's appearance 
in1 #ae1 #af  ,espion ,anglais1 l'1     
7cited7 #bj  ,euthyme et ,lyris1 ,sophie
 ,arnould's appearance in1 #ge  tioles1 
,alexandrine d'1 #aj   ,f  ,fausse      

,lord1 le1 incident during a performance
 of1 #cjb note  ,favart1 ,charles ,simon
 7cited71 #cg note  ,favart1 ,justine1  
gives lessons to ,madame ,dugazon1 #aij 
,fleury1 not indifferent to the charms  
of ,mlle4 ,contat1 #bde2   attempts to  
pacify her creditors1 #bde2   always her
 faithful and devoted friend1 #bdf2     
his masterly impersonation of ,frederick
 the     ,great in ,les ,deux ,pages1   
#bdi and note2   arrested and imprisoned
 in the ,madelonettes1 #ahd2   saved by 
,labussire1 #ahd-ahf2   plays with      
,mlle4 ,contat at ,bordeaux1 #bed2      
7cited71 #acd1 #aeh1 #ahb1 #ahd1 #bbe1  
#bbg1 #bcf1 #bcg1 #bch1 #bdi note1      
#bei-bfa  ,fontenelle1 #d1 #ae and note 
,forbes1 ,lord1 #be  ,fouch1 #ccg       
,fouquier-,tinville1 #ahd1 #ahe         
,fragonard 7painter7 plays a practical  
joke on ,mlle4 ,guimard1 #aai  ,francur 
7musician71 #ei1 #ach  ,frederick the   
,great1 #agi1 #bdh1 #bdi  ,frron1 #ad1  
#bcj  ,fronsac1 ,duc de1 #ba1 #bcb   ,g 
,gaboriau mile1 7cited7 #aad1 #adh1     

#aih1 #bcb1 #bhb1 #bhh1 #cjc1 #cjh      
,gaillard1 ,gabriel ,henri1 his report  
to the     ,government on               
,beaumarchais's ,mariage de ,figaro1    
#bcc1 #bcd  ,garrick1 ,david1 anecdote  
of1 #bcj note  ,gauthier-,villars1 ,m41 
#hj  ,gavaudan1 ,mlle4 7singer71 #caf   
,geoffrin1 ,madame1 #aaa  ,geoffroy     
7critic71 his criticisms of ,mlle4      
,contat's acting1 #beh  ,gluck1 invited 
to ,paris by ,marie ,antoinette1 #eg2   
chooses ,sophie ,arnould for the        
name-part in ,iphignie en ,aulide1 #eg2 
difficulties with which he has to       
contend1 #eg-fb2   his quaint behaviour 
at rehearsals1 #fb1 #fc2   refuses to   
consent to a postponement of ,iphignie1 
#fc2   success of his opera1 #ff2       
adapts ,orfeo for the ,paris stage1 #ff2
   his quarrel with the ,prince d',hnin 
at ,sophie ,arnould's house1 #ff-fh2    
production of his ,orphe1 #fh2   failure
 of his ,cythre assige1 #fh1 #fi2       
gives lessons in singing to ,rosalie    
,levasseur1 #gj2   chooses her for the  

part of ,alceste in preference to       
,sophie ,arnould1 #ga1 #gb2   is 8the   
musician of the soul10 #gc2   attacked  
in ,le ,nouveau ,spectateur1 #ge2       
disgraceful treatment of ,sophie        
,arnould by his supporters1 #ge1 #gf2   
his tribute to ,sophie ,arnould's       
talent1 #if2   his prediction concerning
 ,madame ,saint-,huberty1 #bff2   gives 
her lessons1 #bgd1 #bge and note2       
obtains a post for her husband1 #bgf2   
his contest with ,piccini1 #bie1 #bif   
,goncourt1 ,edmond and ,jules de1       
7cited7 #ah1 #fj  ,grtry 7composer71    
#aig1 #aih1 #bhh2   7cited7 #ei1 #fj1   
#bjh  ,greuze 7painter71 his portrait of
 ,sophie ,arnould1 #ai  ,guadagni       
7singer71 #ff  ,grimm 7cited71 #dc1 #dd1
 #fe1 #fh1 #aad1 #abc1 #adh1 #adi1 #aeb 
and note1 #aed1     #afa1 #afc1 #afd1   
#agc1 #ahj1 #bji1 #baj1 #bac1 #bbi1 #cjb
 and note1 #cjd  ,gumne1 ,prince de1    
#acj1 #aca  ,guichard1 lampoons ,sophie 
,arnould1 #ga1 #gb  ,guimard1 ,fabien   
7father of ,mlle4 ,guimard71 #aja1 #ajb 

,guimard1 ,marie ,madeleine1 birth and  
parentage1 #aja1 #aab2   education1     
#ajc2   joins the corps de ballet of the
 ,comdie-,franaise1 #ajc2   her liaison 
with the dancer ,lger1 #ajd1 #aje2   and
 with the financier ,bertin1 #aje2      
makes her dbut at the ,opera1 #aje2     
her success in ,castor et ,pollux1 #aje1
 #ajf2   growing in favour1 #ajf2   her 
dancing 8the poetry of motion10 #ajf1   
#ajg2   her personal appearance1 #ajg1  
#ajh2   her adorers1 #ajh2   her liaison
 with ,la ,borde1 #ajh1 #aji2   marriage
 of her daughter by him1 #aji1 #aaj2    
accepts the 8protection0 of the ,prince 
de ,soubise1 #aaj2   unrivalled in      
magnificence1 #aaj1 #aaa2   her         
appearance at ,longchamps1 #aaa2   her  
suppers1 #aaa2   her theatre at ,pantin1
 #aab1 #aac2   ,jarente1 ,bishop of     
,orlans1 becomes her lover1 #aac2   and 
allows her to control the feuille des   
bnfices1 #aad2   her generosity1        
#aad-aaf2   her htel in the ,chausse    
d',antin1 #aaf-aah2   befriends ,jacques

 ,louis ,david1 the painter1 #aah1 #aai2
   ,fragonard's practical joke at her   
expense1 #aai2   inauguration of her    
private theatre in the ,chausse         
d',antin1 #aai2   compelled to give ,la 
,borde his cong1 #abj1 #aba2   fte at   
her htel forbidden by ,louis ,,xvi41    
#aba1 #abb2   her triumph in ,la        
,chercheuse d'esprit1 #abc2   and in    
,ninette  la ,cour1 #abd2   other       
successes1 #abd2   ,dorat's verses to   
her1 #abd1 #abe2   the cause of much    
trouble to the administration of the    
,opera1 #abe-abh2   receives a pension1 
#abh2   has a narrow escape of her life1
 #abh2   in the fire at the             
,opera-,house in the ,haymarket1 #abi2  
has her arm broken1 #abi2   resigns the 
pension allowed her by the ,prince de   
,soubise1 #abi-aca2   disposes of her   
htel in the ,chausse-d',antin by        
lottery1 #acb1 #acc2   her visits to    
,england1 #acd1 #ace2   caricature of   
her1 #acf2   marries ,jean tienne       
,despraux1 #acf-ach2   loses her        

pensions during the ,revolution1 #ach2  
goes to live at ,montmartre1 #ach1 #aci2
   her charms celebrated by her husband 
in verse1 #aci2   her last performance1 
#ade2   her 8theatre10 #adj1 #ada2   her
 death1 #ada  ,guimard1 ,marie          
,madeleine the younger1 her birth1 #aji2
   acknowledged by her parents1 #aji2   
her marriage1 #aji1 #aaj2   her mother's
 grief at her death1 #aaj   ,h          
,hawkins1 ,mr4 ,frederick 7cited71 #ade 
note1 #beh note  ,hebditch1 ,david1 his 
evidence at the     inquest on the      
,comte and ,comtesse d',antraigues1     
#cbj-cda  ,heinel1 ,mlle4 7danseuse71   
her dbut at the ,opera1 #dc2   ,grimm's 
enthusiasm for her1 #dd2   her visit to 
,england1 #dd note2   mistress of the   
,comte de ,lauraguais1 #de  ,henriette1 
,mlle4 ,raucourt's1 #agh-aha  ,henry of 
,prussia1 ,prince1 ,mlle4 ,contat's     
adventure with him1 #bdf-bdh  ,hitchin1 
,william1 his evidence at the           
inquest on the ,comte and ,comtesse     
d',antraigues1 #cda1 #cdb  ,holbach1    

,baron d'1 #if  ,huet 7actor71 harangues
 ,louis ,,xviii4     on the day of      
,mlle4 ,raucourt's funeral1 #aib  ,hus1 
,mlle41 #ch  ,hnin1 ,prince d'1 becomes 
amant en titre to ,sophie ,arnould1 #df2
   bores her insufferably1 #ed2   a     
victim of the 8inextinguishable humour0 
of the ,comte de ,lauraguais1 #ed1 #ee2 
his quarrel with ,gluck at ,sophie      
,arnould's house1 #ff-fg2   compelled to
 apologise to the composer1 #fg1 #fh2   
threatens the directors of the ,opera   
with corporal punishment1 #gb2          
guillotined1 #hi2   one of ,mlle4       
,raucourt's warmest partisans1 #aga2    
deserts ,sophie ,arnould for her1 #agg1 
#agh2   assists her to outwit her       
creditors1 #agh2   bitterly attacked in 
,la ,vision du prophte ,daniel1 #agf    
,i  ,iphignie en ,aulide1 ,gluck's1 #eg1
 #eh1 #fb-ff1 #fh1 #fi1 #gc and note1   
#gf1 #if  ,iphignie en ,tauride1        
,piccini's1 #cb1 #bhd and note1 #bif    
,j  ,jal1 ,auguste 7cited71 #ade1 #bbf  
,jarente1 ,bishop of ,orlans1 his       

liaison with ,mlle4 ,guimard1 #cc1 #aac1
 #aad  ,jliotte 7singer71 #f  ,joly1    
,mlle41 #ahg  ,joly de ,fleury          
7advocate-general71     his dispute with
 the ,comte de ,lauraguais1 #dj1 #da    
,journal de ,paris1 le 7cited71 #aga1   
#bei1 #bhf  ,jullien1 ,m4 ,adolphe      
7cited71 #cjh1 #cji note1 #cdc   ,l  ,la
 ,borde1 ,jean ,benjamin de1 makes      
alterations in the music of ,amadis de  
,gaule1 #ec note2   lover of ,mlle4     
,guimard1 #aji2   his character1 #aji2  
his ,penses et ,maximes1 #aji note2     
his daughter by her1 #aji2   supplanted 
as titular protector by the ,prince de  
,soubise1 #aaj2   but remains her amant 
de cur1 #aaj2   given his cong1 #abj1   
#aba2   goes to visit ,voltaire1 #aba   
,labussire1 ,charles de1 destroys the   
accusatory documents relating     to the
 imprisoned actors of the               
,comdie-,franaise1 #ahd-ahf  ,la ,fert  
7,intendant of the ,menus ,plaisirs71   
#abg1 #acb1 #bia1 #bib1 #cjj1 #cje1     
#cjf1 #cab1 #cac1 #cbd1 #cbe  ,laguerre1

 ,mlle41 her liaison with the ,duc de   
,bouillon1 #cb and #cbj2   ,sophie      
,arnould's bons mots about her1 #cb  ,la
 ,harpe 7cited71 #gf note1 #afc1 #afh1  
#agc1 #agd1 #ahj  ,lalande 7composer71  
#g  ,langeac1 ,marquis de1 lover of     
,madame ,dugazon1 #bjd2   his affray    
with her husband1 #bjd1 #bje  ,larive   
7actor71 #ahg  ,larrive 7singer71 #fa1  
#gj1 #bge  ,la ,tour 7painter71 his     
portrait of ,sophie ,arnould1 #ai  ,lau1
 ,comtesse de1 #acc  ,lauraguais1 ,comte
 de1 takes up his residence1     under  
an assumed character1 at the ,arnoulds' 
htel1 #ba1 #bb2   elopes with ,sophie   
,arnould1 #bc2   his letter to her      
parents1 #bd2   his eccentric character1
 #bd1 #be2   anecdotes about him1       
#be-bg2   his liaison with ,sophie      
,arnould1 #bh1 #bi2   discarded by her1 
#ce1 #cf2   her letter to him1 #cf1 #cg2
   resumption of their relations1 #ci1  
#dj2   his ,mmoire sur l'inoculation1   
#dj1 #da2   imprisoned at ,metz1 #da1   
#db2   his release procured by ,sophie  

,arnould1 #db2   separated from his     
wife1 #db1 #dc2   indulging in          
8passades10 #dc2   purchases the favours
 of ,mlle4 ,heinel1 #de2   8a charming  
instance of his inextinguishable        
humour10 #eb-ed2   in exile1 #hi2       
,sophie ,arnould's letter to him1 in    
#agig1 #ib1 #ic2   befriends her in her 
poverty and old age1 #ic  ,la ,vauguyon1
 ,duc de1 ,sophie ,arnould's bon mot    
about him1 #cc1 #cd  ,la ,vrillire1 ,duc
 de1 #cg1 #fb  ,lebrun3 see ,vige       
,lebrun  ,le ,doux 7architect71 #aai    
,legouv1 ,ernest1 #ahg2 7cited7 #beg    
note  ,legros 7singer71 #fa1 #fc1 #fh1  
#ga1 #gd1 #bge  ,le ,maure1 ,mlle1      
7singer71 #ag and note  ,lemercier1 #beg
 and note  ,lemierre1 #beg  ,lemoine    
7composer71 his kindness to ,madame     
,saint-,huberty when a child1 #bfg1     
#bfh2   her efforts on behalf of his    
lectre1 #bhe2   his ,phdre given        
precedence over ,sacchini's dipe1 #caj2 
ruse by which its success is secured1   
#caa  ,levacher de ,charnois1 7cited7   

#bhf  ,levasseur1 ,rosalie1 a bitter    
rival of ,sophie ,arnould1 #eg2         
infatuation of ,mercy-,argenteau for    
her1 #fi1 #gj2   receives lessons from  
,gluck1 #gj2   persuades him to entrust 
her with the part     of ,alceste in    
preference to ,sophie ,arnould1 #gj1    
#ga2   causes a disgraceful lampoon to  
be circulated about ,sophie1 #ga1 #gb2  
attacked in ,le ,nouveau ,spectateur1   
#gd2   not satisfactory as ,armide in   
,sacchini's ,renaud1 #bhi2   her talent 
on the wane1 #bia2   doubles ,madame    
,saint-,huberty as ,armide1 #cag        
,ligne1 ,prince de1 a visitor at ,sophie
 ,arnould's house1 #gi2   secures the   
release of ,mlle4 ,raucourt from ,for   
l'vque1 #aff  ,louis ,,xiv41 his        
gastronomic feats1 #cj1 #ca and note    
,louis ,,xv41 satirised by the ,comte de
 ,lauraguais     in ,la ,cour du ,roi   
,ptaud1 #be1 #bf and note2   fears      
,sophie ,arnould's wit1 #ca2   regards  
,lauraguais as a public nuisance1 #da2  
admires ,sophie ,arnould's singing in   

,dardanus1 #db2   compliments and       
rewards ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #aea2         
reported to have enjoyed that lady's    
favours1 #aei  ,louis ,,xvi41 attends   
the first performance of ,iphignie en   
,aulide1 #fd2   forbids a fte at ,mlle4 
,guimard's htel1 #abb2   amused by      
,despraux's parody of ,ernelinde1 #abb2 
8led by the nose0 by ,marie ,antoinette1
 #afh2   orders ,dugazon to insult the  
,queen at an ,opera-ball1 #bja2         
pronounces the ,mariage de ,figaro      
8detestable0 and 8unactable10 #bcj2     
forbids its performance at the ,thtre   
des ,menus-,plaisirs1 #bcb2   causes six
 censors to be appointed to examine it1 
#bcg2   delighted with ,piccini's       
,didon1 #cjj  ,louis ,,xviii41 gives    
audience to ,madame ,dugazon at         
,saint-,ouen1 #bah  ,lourdet de         
,sans-,terre1 extraordinary anachronisms
 committed by him     in the libretto of
 l',embarras des richesses1 #bhh1 #bhi  
,lubomirska1 ,princess1 befriends       
,madame ,saint-,huberty at ,warsaw1     

#bgb1 #bgd  ,lubsac1 ,chevalier de1     
first lover of ,mlle4 ,contat1 #bdj2    
anecdote about him1 #bda1 #bdb  ,lulli  
7composer71 #ae   ,m  ,maillard1 ,mlle41
 #cje1 #caf  ,maisonneuve1 #beg         
,malzieux1 ,chevalier de1 a suitor for  
,sophie ,arnould's hand1 #ab2   his     
pretensions encouraged by the ,princess 
de ,conti1 #ac2   offers to settle all  
his property on ,sophie1 #ac2   takes to
 his bed on learning of her elopement   
with ,lauraguais1 #bc  ,marat1 #hh and  
note1 #ahc  ,marais 7inspector of       
police71 #aja1 #ajc  ,marie ,antoinette1
 ,queen of ,france1 invites ,gluck to   
,paris1 #eg2   supports him against the 
rebellious artistes of the ,opera1 #fc2 
in great alarm for his success1 #fd2    
attends the first performance of        
,iphignie en ,aulide1 #fd and note2     
commands the ,prince d',hnin to         
apologise to the composer1 #fg2         
intervenes on behalf of ,sophie         
,arnould1 #ge1 #gg2   ,mlle4 ,raucourt  
presented to her1 #aea2   espouses the  

cause of this actress against her       
enemies1 #aga2   plays in ,blaise et    
,babet at ,trianon1 #bji2   incident    
during her last appearance at the play1 
#bai2   supports ,mlle4 ,vanhove against
 the ,contats1 #beb2   ,mlle4 ,contat's 
attachment to her1 #beb1 #bec2   gives  
,lemoine's ,phdre precedence over the   
dipe of ,sacchini1 #caj  ,marie         
,leczinska1 ,queen of ,france1 ,sophie  
,arnould's visit to her1 #h1 #i2   makes
 ,sophie one of the singers of her      
chamber1 #aa  ,marivaux1 #bdi           
,marmontel1 a visitor at ,sophie        
,arnould's house1 #gi2   writes the     
libretto of ,sylvain1 #aih2   secures a 
pension for ,piccini1 #bih2   writes the
 libretto of ,piccini's ,didon1 #big2   
,madame ,saint-,huberty sings her part  
at his country-house1 #big2   kneels at 
her feet after the first performance of 
,didon1 #cja2   writes the libretto of  
,pnlope1 #cji  ,maupeou1 ,marquis de1   
lover of ,mlle4 ,contat1 #bdb1 #bdc1    
#bdf  ,marsollier 7dramatist71 #bab1    

#bag  ,mmoires secrets1 les1 7cited7    
#de1 #ed1 #fd1     #ge1 #aad note1 #aba1
 #adi1 #afc1 #afg1 #agh1 #ahj1 #aha1    
#bfj1 #bij1 #cjb  ,mercier 7cited71 #ei 
,mercure de ,france1 le 7cited71 #ad1   
#ae1 #af1 #ec1 #ed note1 #fe1     #fh1  
#aje1 #ajf1 #abc1 #adi1 #afc1 #bbi note1
 #bge1 #bhd1 #bhh note                  
,mercy-,argenteau1 ,comte de 7,austrian 
,ambassador     in ,paris71 his         
infatuation for ,rosalie ,levasseur1    
#fi1 #gj2   persuades ,gluck to give her
 lessons in singing1 #gj2   and the part
 of ,alceste in preference to ,sophie   
,arnould1 #ga  ,merlin de ,douai1 #ahh  
,mesmer fails to cure ,sophie ,arnould's
 dog1 #gi1 #hj  ,mtra1 #cai2   7cited7  
#fe1 #cja1 #cbj  ,mirabeau1 #cba        
,miromesnil1 ,m4 de1 his wager with the 
,comte de ,vaudreuil1 #bcj note  ,mol   
7actor71 #ahc  ,molire1 #ahb1 #bdi      
,moreau le jeune 7painter71 #bhf1 #bii1 
#cjj  ,mouret 7composer71 #ad   ,n      
,napoleon ,i41 ,emperor1 sends ,mlle4   
,raucourt     to ,italy with a troupe of

 ,french players1 #aij2   an admirer of 
,mlle4 ,contat's acting1 #beh2   attends
 her benefit performance1 #bei2   verses
 incorrectly ascribed to him1 #cjh      
,neufchteau1 ,franois de1 gives ,sophie 
,arnould a pension1 #ib2   resigns his  
post as ,minister of the ,interior1 #ic2
   the production of his ,pamla causes  
the     arrest of the players of the    
,comdie-,franaise1 #ahc2   persuades the
 ,consular ,government to reorganise the
 ,comdie-,franaise1 #ahi  ,nina1 ou la  
,folle par amour1 ,madame ,dugazon's    
success in1 #baa-bad1 #baf  ,ninette  la
 ,cour1 #abd1 #bhe  ,nivelon 7dancer71  
#abh note1 #caa  ,noverre 7cited71 #ajh 
,o  dipe1 ,sacchini's1 #caj  ,orphe et  
,eurydice1 ,gluck's1 #ff1 #fh   ,p      
,pallisot1 his ,courtisanes1 #bbh1 #bbi 
,parny1 ,paul de ,forges1 marries ,mlle4
 ,contat1 #beh  ,pnlope1 ,piccini's1    
,madame ,saint-,huberty's success in1   
#cji  ,pergolese1 his ,serva ,padrona   
performed in ,paris1 #eh  ,perregaux    
7banker71 becomes the owner     of      

,mlle4 ,guimard's htel in the ,chausse  
d',antin1 #acc2   her letters to him    
from ,london1 #acd1 #ace  ,phdre1       
,lemoine's1 secured1 by ,madame         
,saint-,huberty1 precedence over        
,sacchini's dipe1 #caj2   ruse by which 
its success is assured1 #caa  ,phdre1   
,racine's1 ,mlle4 ,raucourt's hostile   
reception in1 #agb-agd  ,piccini1       
production of his ,roland1 #bhc1 #bhd2  
his gratitude to ,madame                
,saint-,huberty1 #bhd2   saves her from 
being expelled from the ,opera1 #bhg2   
his contest with ,gluck1 #bie1 #bif2    
receives a pension1 #bif2   agrees to   
compose his ,didon1 #bif1 #big2   its   
brilliant success1 #cjj-cje2   failure  
of his ,pnlope1 #cji  ,pompadour1       
,madame de1 ,sophie ,arnould's visit to 
her1 #i-aa  ,portail1 ,madame1 her      
conversation with ,sophie ,arnould1 #bh1
 #bi  ,prville1 superior to ,dugazon as 
a comedian1 #bjj2   adopts ,louise      
,contat and trains her for the stage1   
#bbe2   secures her admission as a      

regular member of the ,comdie-,franaise1
 #bbg2   anecdote about him and         
,garrick1 #bcj note2   plays ,brid'oison
 in ,mariage de ,figaro1 #bci           
,provenale1 la1 ,sophie ,arnould's      
success in1 #ae  ,pygmalion1 ,mlle4     
,raucourt's success in1 #afc   ,q       
,quidor 7inspector of police7 pursues   
the dancer ,nivelon to ,belgium1 #abh   
note2   ingenious ruse by which he      
secures the success of ,lemoine's       
,phdre1 #caa   ,r  ,rameau 7composer71  
#ea  ,raucourt1 ,franois 7father of     
,mlle4 ,raucourt71     his unsuccessful 
dbut at the ,comdie-,franaise1 #adf2    
goes with his daughter to ,spain1 #adf2 
accompanies her to ,paris1 #adg2   a    
jealous guardian of her honour1 #aed2   
utters terrible threats against         
,voltaire1 #aeg  ,raucourt1 ,mlle41     
birth and parentage1 #ade note1 #adf2   
goes to ,spain with a ,french troupe1   
#adf2   plays at ,rouen1 #adf2   comes  
to ,paris with her father1 #adg2        
studies under ,brizard and ,mlle4       

,clairon1 #adg and note2   astonishing  
success of her dbut in     ,le ,franc de
 ,pompignan's ,didon1 #adh1 #adi2   her 
talent greatly overrated1 #aej2         
becomes the idol of the town1 #aej1     
#aea2   plays before the ,court at      
,versailles1 #aea2   presented by       
,madame du ,barry with a robe de thtre1 
#aea2   frantic enthusiasm evoked by her
 acting1 #aeb2   a cabal formed against 
her at the ,comdie-,franaise1 #aeb1     
#aec2   her popularity enhanced by her  
reputation for virtue1 #aed-aef2   her  
reputation attacked by ,voltaire1       
#aef-aeh2   his verses to her1 #aeh2    
her galanterie with the ,duc            
d',aiguillon1 #aei2   becomes the       
acknowledged mistress of the ,marquis de
 ,bivre1 #aei2   leads a life of luxury 
and extravagance1 #afj2   her liaison   
with the ,marquis de ,villette1 #afj2   
8astonishes ,court and town by her      
irregularities10 #afa2   loses her      
popularity1 #afa2   hissed when playing 
,hermione in ,andromaque1 #afb2         

accused of shameful vices1 #afb and     
note1 #afc2   her success as the ,statue
 in ,pygmalion1 #afc2   intrigues       
against her at the theatre1 #afc2       
swoons after meeting with a hostile     
reception in ,britannicus1 #afd2        
persecuted by her creditors1 #afd2      
flies from ,paris and goes into hiding1 
#afd2   expelled from the               
,comdie-,franaise1 #afe2   her          
adventures with ,madame ,souck1 #afe1   
#aff2   arrested1 #aff2   released      
through the intervention of the ,prince 
de ,ligne1 #aff1 #afg2   leaves ,france1
 #afg2   recalled to ,paris1 #agj2      
befriended by ,sophie ,arnould1 #agj1   
#aga2   reappears at the                
,comdie-,franaise in ,didon1 #aga1 #agb2
   meets with a violently hostile       
reception1 #agb2   disgracefully treated
 on her appearance in ,phdre1 #agb1     
#agc2   declines to bow to the storm1   
#agd2   her letter to the ,journal de   
,paris1 #age2   attacked in ,la ,vision 
du prophte ,daniel1 #agf1 #agg2         

commits 8an act of frightful            
ingratitude10 #agg2   still in financial
 difficulties1 #agh2   her play         
,henriette produced at the              
,comdie-,franaise1 #agh-aha2   her      
success in a masculine part in ,le      
,jaloux1 #aha2   regaining her          
popularity1 #aha1 #ahb2   sympathises   
with the ,royal ,family in the          
,revolution1 #ahc2   arrested and       
imprisoned in ,saint-,plagie1 #ahc2     
saved from the guillotine by ,labussire1
 #ahd-ahf2   takes the ,thtre de        
,louvois1 #ahg2   her success in        
,legouv's ,laurence1 #ahg2   her theatre
 closed by the ,directory1 #ahh2   takes
 the ,odon1 #ahh2   makes no secret of  
her monarchical sympathies1 #ahi2       
growing rich1 #ahi1 #aij2   her 8palace0
 in the ,rue ,royale1 #aij2   takes a   
,french troupe to ,italy1 #aij2   her   
last appearance1 #aij2   her death1     
#aij2   scandalous scenes at her        
funeral1 #aij-aic  ,renaud1 ,sacchini's1
 #bhi  ,richelieu1 ,marchal de1 #aef1   

#aeg  ,rochefort1 ,comte de1 enriches   
,mlle4 ,guimard's jewel-case1 #ajh      
,roland1 ,piccini's1 #bhc  ,rousseau1   
,jean ,jacques1 #afc1 #cba   ,s         
,sageret 7theatrical manager7 induces   
the members of     the ,comdie-,franaise
 to migrate to the ,thtre-,feydeau1     
#ahg2   brings the expelled members of  
the     ,thtre de la ,rpublique to the  
same theatre1 #ahh2   takes over the    
,odon from ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #ahh2      
goes bankrupt and disappears1 #ahi      
,sacchini1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty's    
success in his ,renaud1 #bhi2   and in  
his ,chimne1 #cjh2   ,lemoine's ,phdre  
given precedence over his dipe  ,colone1
 #caj2   his death1 #caj  ,saint-,aubin 
7singer71 object of a    violent fancy  
on the part of ,madame ,saint-,huberty1 
#cab1 #cac  ,saint-,aubin1 ,madame1 #cac
  ,saint-,huberty1 ,claude ,croisilles  
de1 visits ,strasburg1 #bfh2   persuades
 ,antoinette ,clavel to accompany him to
 ,berlin1 #bfi2   and to marry him1     
#bfi1 #bgj2   ill-treats and deserts    

her1 #bgj2   persuades her to rejoin him
 at ,warsaw1 #bga2   arrested at ,berlin
 and thrown into prison1 #bga2   his    
release procured by his wife1 #bgb2     
decamps from ,warsaw with all her       
belongings1 #bgb2   persuades her to    
rejoin him in ,vienna1 #bgd2   deserts  
her for the third time1 #bgd2           
appointed wardrobe-keeper at the ,paris 
,opera1 #bgf2   persecutes and robs his 
wife1 #bgf2   her complaint to the      
,chtelet against him1 #bgg2   his       
outrageous treatment of her1 #bgh1 #bgi2
   lays claim to her professional       
earnings through fictitious creditors1  
#bgi1 #bhj2   his marriage with her     
dissolved1 #bha  ,saint-,huberty1       
,madame1 ,gluck's prediction concerning 
her1 #bfe1 #bff2   her birth and        
parentage1 #bfg2   her early years at   
,strasburg1 #bfg2   ,lemoine's kindness 
to her1 #bfg1 #bfh2   meets             
,saint-,huberty1 #bfh1 #bfi2            
accompanies him to ,berlin1 #bfi2       
marries him1 #bgj2   ill-treated and    

deserted by him1 #bgj2   rejoins him at 
,warsaw1 #bga2   her success in ,zmor et
 ,azor1 #bga2   procures her husband's  
release from prison1 #bgb2   deserted   
and robbed by him1 #bgb2   befriended by
 the ,princess ,lubomirska1 #bgb2       
obtains a separation from her husband in
 respect of property1 #bgc2   rejoins   
him in ,vienna1 #bgd2   deserted by him 
for the third time1 #bgd2   obtains an  
ordre de dbut at the ,paris ,opera1     
#bge2   receives lessons from ,gluck1   
#bgd1 #bge and note2   makes her dbut1  
#bge2   persecuted and robbed by her    
husband1 #bgf2   lodges a complaint     
against him before the ,chtelet1 #bgg1  
#bgh2   shamefully ill-treated by him1  
#bgh1 #bgi2   her professional earnings 
claimed by him through fictitious       
creditors1 #bhj2   obtains judgment in  
her favour1 #bhj2   and a dissolution of
 her marriage1 #bha2   steadily making  
her way to the front1 #bha1 #bhb2       
becomes a permanent member of the       
,opera1 #bhc2   her triumph as ,anglique

 in ,piccini's ,roland1 #bhc1 #bhd2     
further successes1 #bhd2   her efforts  
on behalf of ,lemoine's lectre1 #bhe2   
endeavours to promote the reform of     
theatrical costumes1 #bhf2   her success
 in ,ariane dans l'le de ,naxos1 #bhg2  
saved by ,piccini from being expelled   
from the ,opera1 #bhg2   her success in 
,grtry's l',embarras des richesses1     
#bhh1 #bhi2   and in ,sacchini's        
,renaud1 #bhi2   her personal           
appearance1 #bhi1 #bij2   8effects a    
well-nigh physical transformation on the
 stage10 #bij2   her dispute with the   
authorities     of the ,opera over her  
salary and privileges1 #bij-bid2   all  
her demands conceded1 #bid2   sings her 
part in ,piccini's ,didon at            
,marmontel's country-house1 #big2   goes
 on a provincial tour1 #big2   modesty  
not one of her failings1 #bih2   insists
 on a radical change in costume1 #bii1  
#cjj2   her brilliant triumph in ,didon1
 #cjj-cjf2   extraordinary enthusiasm   
aroused by her in the provinces1 #cjf2  

her receptions at ,marseilles1          
,toulouse1 and ,strasburg1 #cjf-cjh2    
fresh successes in ,paris1 #cjh1 #cji2  
obtains precedence for ,lemoine's ,phdre
     over the dipe of ,sacchini1 #caj1  
#caa2   her character less agreeable    
than her talent1 #caa1 #cab2   her      
passion for the tenor ,saint-,aubin1    
#cab1 #cac2   her arrogance and         
capriciousness1 #cac-cae2   goes to     
,strasburg without permission1 #cae2    
encourages the younger members of the   
,opera in insubordination1 #cag-cai2    
her disputes with the administration    
over her costumes1 #cag-cai2   her      
private life comparatively free from    
scandal1 #cai1 #cbj2   her relations    
with the ,comte d',antraigues1 #cbj-cbc2
   her charming letter to him1 #cbc1    
#cbd2   her health undermined by her    
exertions1 #cbd1 #cbe2   leaves ,paris  
and joins the ,comte d',antraigues in   
,switzerland1 #cbf2   secretly married  
to him1 #cbf1 #cbg2   bears him a son1  
#cbg2   acknowledged as his wife by the 

count1 #cbh2   assists him to escape    
from ,milan1 #cbi2   receives the ,order
 of ,saint-,michel from the ,comte de   
,provence1 #cbi1 #ccj2   and a pension  
from the ,emperor of ,austria1 #ccj     
note2   accompanies her husband to      
,england1 #ccj2   assassinated with him 
by their servant ,lorenzo1 #cca-cdc2    
8the greatest lyric tragdienne whom     
,france has ever possessed10 #cdc       
,sainval1 ,mlle4 the elder1 intrigues   
against ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #aec2   her   
quarrel with ,madame ,vestris1 #afg1    
#afh2   insults the ,duc de ,duras1     
#afh1 #afi2   expelled from the         
,comdie-,franaise and exiled1 #afi2     
indignation which her punishment        
arouses1 #afi2   received in the        
provinces with frantic enthusiasm1 #afi2
   believed to be responsible for the   
hostile     demonstrations against      
,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #agd2   her bon mot   
about ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #aha  ,sainval1 
,mlle4 the younger1 takes the place     
of ,mlle4 ,raucourt at the              

,comdie-,franaise1 #afe2   adversely    
criticised1 #afe note2   scene during   
her impersonation of ,amnade in         
,tancrde1 #afi  ,sedaine1 #bag          
,salieri1 his ,danades1 #cji  ,sully1   
,duc de1 ,sophie ,arnould's bon mot     
about him and ,choiseul1 #cd  ,soubise1 
,prince de1 amant en titre of ,mlle4    
,guimard1 #aaj2   his predilection for  
the ladies of the ,opera1 #aaj2   his   
liberality1 #aaj2   gives ,mlle4        
,guimard a ,new ,year's gift of #fjjj   
livres1 #aad2   compels her to give ,la 
,borde his cong1 #abj1 #aba2   replaces 
her by ,mlle4 ,zacharie1 #abi1 #acj2    
the pensions which he allows her and    
other     danseuses resigned by them1   
#acj1 #aca   ,t  ,talma sympathises with
 the ,revolution1 #ahb2   withdraws from
 the ,comdie-,franaise and     founds   
the ,thtre de la ,rpublique1 #ahb2      
joins the ,thtre-,feydeau on the closing
 of his own theatre1 #ahh  ,talma1      
,madame1 #bea  ,tancrde1 incident during
 a performance of1 #afi  ,taravel       

7painter71 #aag  ,terrai1 ,abb1 ,sophie 
,arnould's bon mot about him1 #cd   ,v  
,vallayer ,coster1 ,madame1 her portrait
 of ,madame ,saint-,huberty1 #bij       
,vandreuil1 ,comte de 7dancer71 his     
wager with ,m4 de ,miromesnil1 #bcj     
note2   his efforts on behalf of the    
,mariage de ,figaro1 #bcj1 #bca1 #bcb   
,vestris1 ,auguste 7dancer71 #abf       
,vestris ,gaetano 7dancer71 #fa1 #fb    
,vestris1 ,madame1 disobliges ,mlle4    
,clairon1 #adg note2   organises a cabal
 against ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 #aec2   her  
quarrel with ,mlle4 ,sainval the elder1 
#afg-agj2   urges the reinstatement of  
,mlle4 ,raucourt at the                 
,comdie-,franaise1 #agj2   attacked in  
,la ,vision du prophte ,daniel1 #agf    
,vision du prophte ,daniel1 la1 satire  
on     ,mlle4 ,raucourt and her friends1
 #agf1 #agg  ,vige ,lebrun1 ,madame     
7cited71 #bjh1 #bbj1 #bce  ,voisenon1   
,abb de1 #da  ,voltaire1 a friend of    
,madame ,arnould1 #d2   his letter to   
,sophie ,arnould1 #e1 #f2   visited by  

,lauraguais at ,ferney1 #ce2   his      
pretended admiration of ,lauraguais's   
,clytemnestre1 #ce note2   visits       
,sophie ,arnould1 #gi2   ,madame du     
,barry's message to him1 #aba2          
besmirches the spotless reputation of   
,mlle4 ,raucourt's #aef-aeh2   pours the
 balm of his flattery upon the wound he 
has inflicted1 #aeh   ,w  ,wallace      
,collection1 the1 #ai  ,walpole1 ,horace
 7cited71 #dd note1 #aag note   ,x      
,ximens1 ,marquis de1 #aeg   ,z         
,zacharie1 ,mlle4 7danseuse71 replaces  
,mlle4 ,guimard in the affections of the
 ,prince de ,soubise1 #abi1 #acj        
,printed by ,,ballantyne  ,,co4         
,,limited                               
,tavistock ,street1 ,london         99  
99       99       99       99  ,,piquant
 ,,memoirs ,,of #ah,,th ,,century       
,,france  ,,queens ,,of ,,the ,,french  
,,stage  ,,by ,h4 ,,noel ,,williams     
,illustrated by ,portraits1 etc4 #ajs4  
#f;d4 net 7post free #aas47  8,mr4      
,williams knows how to spread a full    

table for the cultured and romantic     
appetite4 ,one has only to recall his   
#8,madame de ,montespan' and #8,madame  
,pompadour' to be sure that #8,queens of
 the ,french ,stage' will be full of    
good things4 ,he infuses a vivid and    
brilliant interest into names and       
careers which1 to the majority of us1   
are vague outlines of shadowy           
association4 ,as illustrations to the   
social history of ,france1 they perform 
an invaluable and delightful service1   
and they have just the rare and         
susceptible touch which gives work of   
this kind its crowning finish and       
charm40  ,pall ,mall ,gazette4  ,,harper
  ,,brothers  #de ,,albemarle ,,st41    
,,london1 ,w4  ,,madame ,,de ,,montespan
  ,,by ,h4 ,,noel ,,williams  ,bound in 
buckram and gold1 with #af fine         
,photogravures4 ,demy #dto4  ,price     
#bes4 net4 ,edition limited to #ejj     
copies4  ,the first complete life of the
 celebrated favourite of ,louis ,,xiv4  
ever offered to ,english readers4       

8,a full and complete history of a most 
remarkable career4 ,there can      be no
 doubt that the closing episode will    
attract the most      attention and     
arouse the greatest interest4 ,mr4      
,williams's volume      is a thing of   
beauty1 and the photogravures add to its
 value and      interest40  ,glasgow    
,herald4       8,mr4 ,williams's ,french
 researches are unequalled for their    
scientific completeness4444 ,he has made
 good use of a great deal of            
valuable material1 and his own          
enthusiastic interest for his work      
attracts and holds the reader's         
attention40--,spectator4  ,,madame ,,de 
,,pompadour  ,,by ,h4 ,,noel ,,williams 
,uniform with the above4  ,original     
price #bes4 net4 ,this work is now out  
of print4  ,,harper  ,,brothers  #de    
,,albemarle ,,st41 ,,london1 ,w4        
,,madame ,,du ,,barry  ,,by ,h4 ,,noel  
,,williams  ,bound in buckram and gold1 
with #af fine ,photogravures4 ,demy     
#dto4  ,price #bes4 net4 ,edition       

limited to #ejj copies4  ,this is the   
first illustrated life of the celebrated
 mistress of ,louis ,,xv4 which has ever
 been offered to ,english readers4      
8,this is the third of the large and    
handsome books which ,mr4 ,noel         
,williams has devoted to the memory of  
famous #8reines de la main      gauche' 
in ,france1 and it is by no means the   
least curious and      interesting1 for 
it illustrates specially1 and in some   
unexpected      ways1 the state of      
,french society immediately before the  
great      ,revolution4444 ,will be     
found most interesting by many          
readers40--,spectator4       8,mr4 ,h4  
,noel ,williams has made the ,court of  
#ahth ,century ,france his      monopoly
 as surely as ,julia ,cartwright has    
made the ,princesses of      the ,house 
of ,este hers4 ,when ,louis ,,xv4 is    
mentioned one thinks at      once of    
,mr4 ,noel ,williams and his sumptuous  
books40--,mr4 ,,douglas      ,,sladen in
 the ,queen4  ,,madame ,,recamier  ,,and

 ,,her ,,friends  ,,by ,h4 ,,noel       
,,williams  ,original price1 #cjs4 net4 
,this work is now out of print4         
,,harper  ,,brothers  #de ,,albemarle   
,,st41 ,,london1 ,w4  ,,the ,,hand ,,of 
,,leonore  ,a ,,romance  ,,by ,h4 ,,noel
 ,,williams  ,price #fs4  ,an historical
 romance in which ,madame de ,pompadour 
plays a prominent part4       8,a most  
enthralling romance2 we would rather    
compare it with the      works of ,dumas
 himself than with those of his recent  
imitators40--,morning ,post4       8,the
 novel is a charming one 444 there are  
passages so charming      that ,i could 
take up pages with quotations had ,i the
 space40--,the      ,queen4       8,mr4 
,williams is evidently quite at home in 
his period1 and has      produced an    
excellent book which is a happy         
combination of history      and         
romance40--,pall ,mall ,gazette4        
8,mr4 ,williams has used his materials  
in a particularly exciting      manner  
444 a stirring tale of adventure being  

the      result40--,birmingham ,daily   
,post4       8,it has force and         
vivacity1 the characters are alive and  
attractive1 while an atmosphere of      
chivalry and romance hangs over         
all40--,daily ,news4       8,a romance  
of the times of the ,seven ,years ,war1 
which is invested      with singular    
vigour1 charm1 and distinction4 ,mr4    
,williams turns      his material to the
 best account1 matching forcible fact   
with      fanciful fiction in a manner  
which compels the reader's attention    
whilst it stimulates his                
imagination40--,liverpool ,mercury4     
8,the tale makes capital                
reading40--,scotsman4       8,mr4       
,williams never allows the interest to  
flag for a single      instant40--,the  
,king4  ,,harper  ,,brothers  #de       
,,albemarle ,,st41 ,,london1 ,w4  tb    
,typographical errors corrected by the  
etext transcriber3  protector at        
protector as pg #bi  ,duc de            
,choiseul-,praslin as ,minister of      

,marine1 in #afgj ,duc de               
,choiseul-,praslin as ,minister of      
,marine1 in #agfj pg #cd  ,princesse de 
,beauveau ,princesse de ,beauvau pg #aeg
  ,marie ,antoniette ,marie ,antoinette 
pg #afh  which brough the ,terror which 
brought the ,terror pg #ahf             
,notwishstanding the laxity             
,notwithstanding the laxity pg #baf     
that a ,bouvelard that a ,boulevard pg  
#bcj1 n4  occurred on the ,bouvelards   
occurred on the ,boulevards pg #bcj1 n4 
,moniseur ,monsieur pg #bdf  ,hereux    
,heureux pg #beg  ,castil-,blaize       
,castil-,blaze pg #cjd  serait encor    
sauvage serait encore sauvage pg #cjh   
,bouvelard ,saint-,martin ,boulevard    
,saint-,martin pg #cbd  had pentrated   
four inches had penetrated four inches  
pg #cdb  overcome by ,beaumerchais's    
overcome by ,beaumarchais's pg #cdh  has
 a narrow escape of his life1 #abh2 has 
a narrow escape of her life1 #abh2 pg   
#ceb         99       99       99       
99       99  ,,footnotes3   #a ,at the  

time when they wrote their monograph on 
the singer1  ,sophie's ,mmoires were in 
possession of the ,goncourts2 it is     
uncertain where they now are4   #b ,here
 is her acte de naissance1 which also   
disposes of  ,castil-,blaze's assertion 
that her real name was ,anne ,madeleine1
  and that she had adopted that of      
,sophie 8as being more sweet and        
harmonious40   8,the year one thousand  
seven hundred and forty1 #adth of       
,february1  ,magdeleine ,sophie1        
daughter of ,jean ,arnould1 here        
present1 and of ,rose  ,marguerite      
,laurent1 his wife1 born yesterday1 ,rue
 ,saint-,louis in this  parish1 has been
 baptized4   8,godfather3 ,louis ,le    
,vasseur1 manager of the ,king's farms1 
,rue  ,coq-,hron1 parish                
,saint-,eustache2 godmother3 ,magdeleine
 ,chevalier1  spinster1 ,rue du ,mail1  
of the above-mentioned parish40   #c    
,when the ,opera-house was burned down  
in ,april #agfc1 a lady of the  ,court  
asked ,mlle4 ,arnould if she could give 

her any particulars about  ,,cette      
terrible incendie4 8,all that ,i can    
tell you1 ,madame10  replied ,sophie1   
8is that incendie is a masculine noun40 
#d ,e4 and ,j4 de ,goncourt1 ,sophie    
,arnould1 p4 #aj4   #e ,e4 and ,j4 de   
,goncourt1 ,sophie ,arnould1 p4 #bc4    
#f ,the song1 it may be mentioned1 began
 with the words1 8,charmant  amour10 a  
not inappropriate omen1 remarks the     
lady's latest  biographer1 ,mr4         
,douglas1 for one who was to become     
notorious for her  gallantries4   #g    
,the opera1 or rather its libretto1 was 
an old one1 having been  first produced 
so far back as #afij1 with music by     
,colasse1 a pupil of  ,lulli4           
,fontenelle1 who lived to be nearly a   
hundred1 was still alive  when          
,dauvergne informed him of his intention
 to write fresh music for  the opera4   
8,monsieur10 he replied1 8you do me too 
much honour4 ,it is  now well-nigh sixty
 years since that opera was first       
performed2 it was  a failure1 but ,i    

never heard that that was the fault of  
the composer40   #h ,the music was by   
one composer1 ,mondonville1 the         
choirmaster of  the royal chapel at     
,versailles1 but the three acts1 which1 
as was not  infrequently the case at    
this period1 had little or no connection
  with one another1 were by as many     
different pens2 the first1 entitled     
,vnus et ,adonis1 being by ,collet2 the 
second1 called ,bacchus et  rigone1 by  
,la ,brure2 while the third1 the title  
of which is not  given1 was believed to 
be the work of the ,abb de ,voisenon4   
#i ,catherine ,nicole ,le ,maure        
7#agjd-aghc74 ,she made her dbut in     
#agbd1 in l',europe galante1 and at once
 took high rank as a singer4  ,to an    
admirable voice she joined unusual      
talent as an actress1  although she had 
received hardly any dramatic training4  
,in #agdc she  was imprisoned in ,for   
l'vque1 for having refused to sing when 
ordered to do so1 and1 out of pique1    
quitted the stage1 though she  consented

 to reappear for a few evenings during  
the festivities in  honour of the       
,dauphin's first marriage in #agde4     
#aj ,journal et ,mmoires1 ii4 #adg4     
#aa ,e4 and ,j4 de ,goncourt1 ,sophie   
,arnould1 p4 #cc4   #ab 8,as for my     
figure1 truth compels me to admit that  
,i am not tall1  though ,i am slender   
and well-proportioned4 ,i have a        
graceful frame1  and my movements are   
easy4 ,i have a well-formed leg and a   
pretty foot2  hands and arms like a     
model2 eyes well-set1 and a frank1      
attractive1  and intellectual face40    
#ac ,jeze1 ,l'tat ou le tableau de      
,paris1 #agfj1 cited by ,e4 and ,j4  de 
,goncourt4   #ad ,the ,comdie-,franaise 
owed to him an improvement1 the         
importance  of which can hardly be      
over-estimated4 ,he it was who first    
proposed  the abolition of the custom of
 allowing the gens  la mode to occupy   
seats upon the stage itself1 a custom   
which not only interfered with  the     
movements of the actors1 but was utterly

 destructive of all scenic  illusion4   
,the reconstruction of the auditorium   
which this change  rendered necessary   
occupied nearly two months1 and cost    
#dj1jjj livres1  towards which the count
 himself subscribed #ab1jjj livres4     
#ae ,lauraguais1 who affected           
,anglomania among his other             
eccentricities1 may be said to have     
introduced horse-racing into  ,france4  
,the first race was run on ,february    
#bh1 #agff1 on the ,plaine  de ,sablons1
 at ,neuilly4 ,it was a match between   
,lauraguais and  ,lord ,forbes1 the     
former riding his own horse1 and was    
witnessed  by an immense crowd1 which   
had the mortification of seeing the     
,french champion vanquished4 ,the       
contest led to a great deal of          
unpleasantness1 for1 a few days later1  
the count's horse died1 and  the        
surgeons whom the disconsolate owner    
called in to dissect it  declared that  
the animal had been poisoned4 ,the      
,english visitors were1  of course1     

suspected1 and so great was the outcry  
against them that  another match1 which 
had been arranged between the ,prince of
 ,nassau  and ,mr4 ,forth1 was forbidden
 by the ,king4   #af ,coll1 ,journal et 
,mmoires1 iii4 #dg et seq4 ,coll        
declares  that there was a scene in this
 play worthy of ,molire himself4 ,king  
,ptaud appears dressed as a cook1 with a
 white cap on his head and a  knife by  
his side4 ,he has just made some pts1   
which he hands round  to his obsequious 
courtiers1 who pronounce them divine1   
delicious1  inimitable1 and so forth4   
,one grey-haired old gentleman however  
refrains from joining in the general    
chorus of admiration1 and when  the     
,king1 piqued by his indifference1      
inquires the reason1 replies3  8,pardon 
me1 ,sire2 the pts are indeed excellent4
 ,but1 if your  ,majesty will permit me 
to speak without flattery1 ,i would     
venture to  observe that the            
woodcock-pie which you made the day     
before yesterday  appeared to me        

infinitely superior to them40 ,thereupon
 the ,king's brow  clears1 and1 clapping
 the astute old man on the shoulder1 he 
exclaims3  8,that is right2 ,i always   
like people to tell me the truth40      
,louis ,,xv41  as every one knows1 was  
very fond of preparing dishes with his  
own  royal hands1 and decidedly vain of 
his culinary skill1 and no one with  any
 acquaintance with the ,court could     
possibly have missed the point  of the  
satire4   #ag ,diderot1 ,mmoires et     
,correspondance1 ii4 #fb4   #ah ,mmoires
 et ,correspondance1 ii4 #db4   #ai     
,campardon1 ,acadmie ,royale de ,musique
 au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3  ,article1       
8,arnould40   #bj ,here1 according to   
that princess1 was one of le ,grand     
,monarque's feats in gastronomy3 8,four 
platefuls of different soups1  a whole  
pheasant1 a partridge1 a plateful of    
salad1 mutton hashed  with garlic1 two  
good-sized slices of ham1 and afterwards
 fruit and  sweetmeats40   #ba ,some    
writers declare that1 in his passions1  

he would destroy  everything breakable  
within his reach2 others1 that he went  
so far as  to strike and even1          
occasionally1 to bite the unfortunate   
,sophie4   #bb ,he had previously       
written a ,clytemnestre1 which ,diderot1
 having  had the privilege of hearing   
the author read it1 tells us contained  
some very fine verses1 the work1        
however1 not of the count1 but  of a    
8ghost0 in his employ1 named ,clinchant4
 ,this play ,lauraguais  endeavoured to 
prevail upon the ,comdie-,franaise to   
produce4 ,the  actors found themselves  
in a somewhat embarrassing position1 as 
the  count had just subscribed the      
#ab1jjj livres already mentioned towards
  the alterations in the theatre        
necessitated by the removal of the      
seats on the stage1 and1 from motives of
 gratitude1 they did not like  to       
refuse4 ,on the other hand1 the tragedy 
was so utterly opposed to  all the      
canons of dramatic art that to produce  
it would be to court  not only failure  

but ridicule4 ,eventually1 however1 they
 persuaded  him to withdraw his offer4  
,notwithstanding its rejection by the   
,comdie-,franaise1 ,lauraguais thought  
so highly of his ,clytemnestre  that he 
caused it to be printed1 and sent a copy
 to ,voltaire1 who  wrote back that his 
own ,oreste was but 8une plate machine0 
in  comparison with ,m4 le ,comte's     
superb masterpiece4 ,the noble author1  
says ,diderot1 took the poet quite      
seriously1 and his delight and pride    
knew no bounds4   #bc ,diderot1         
,correspondance et ,mmoires1 ii4 #fi4   
,diderot1 who had a  high opinion of    
,sophie and was also a friend of        
,lauraguais1 was much  distressed by her
 conduct4 ,under date ,october #g1      
#agfa1 he writes to  ,mlle4 ,voland3    
8,this affair displeases me more than ,i
 can tell you4  ,this girl had two      
children by him 7,lauraguais72 he was   
the man of her  choice2 there had been  
no constraint1 no self-interest1 none of
 those  things which go to make ordinary

 engagements4 ,if ever there was a      
sacrament1 this was one2 so much the    
more so1 since it is not in the  nature 
of a man to espouse only one woman4 ,she
 forgets that she is  married4 ,she     
forgets that she is a mother4 ,it is not
 only a lover2 it  is the father of her 
children whom she is leaving4 ,mlle4    
,arnould is  something more in my eyes  
than a little baggage40   #bd ,favart1  
,mmoires et ,correspondance1 i4 #aie4   
,several writers  refuse to accept this 
letter as genuine1 believing that       
,favart  invented it4 ,it must be       
admitted1 however1 that its dry humour  
is very  characteristic of ,sophie4     
#be ,mr4 ,sutherland ,edwards1 in his   
8,idols of the ,french ,stage0 7vol4  i4
 p4 #aha71 falls into a singular error4 
,he states that1 on his return  to      
,paris1 ,lauraguais found that ,sophie  
8had placed herself under the           
protection of ,m4 de ,saint-,florentin1 
for whom1 however1 she had no           
affection40 ,sophie did certainly place 

herself under the protection  of        
,saint-,florentin2 but it was not his   
private but his official  protection1 as
 ,minister for ,paris and ,chief of the 
,police2 a not  altogether unnecessary  
precaution1 since ,lauraguais had       
threatened to  poison her4   #bf        
,mmoires secrets de la ,rpublique des   
,lettres4   #bg ,grimm1 ,correspondance 
littraire1 iii4 #big4   #bh ,arnoldiana4
 ,according to another account1         
,choiseul came to  ,sophie's            
dressing-room1 on the conclusion of the 
performance1 to  compliment her and     
assure her of the great pleasure she had
 afforded  the ,king4 8,ah well60 she   
replied1 8tell his ,majesty that1 if he 
is  satisfied with ,iphise1 he should   
restore to her ,dardanus60   #bi        
,correspondance littraire1 v4 #dca4     
#cj ,correspondance littraire1 vi4 #ade4
 ,mlle4 ,heinel seems also  to have made
 a very favourable impression upon      
,horace ,walpole1 who  mentions her     
several times in his letters1 and always

 in terms of  admiration4 ,after seeing 
her for the first time1 on the occasion 
of  his visit to ,paris1 in #agga1 he   
writes to the ,earl of ,strafford3      
8,there is a finer dancer than ,mlle4   
,guimard1 whom ,m4 ,hobart is to        
transplant to ,london2 a ,mademoiselle  
,heinel1 or ,ingle1 a ,fleming4 ,she  is
 tall1 perfectly made1 very handsome1   
and has a set of attitudes  copied from 
the classics4 ,she moves as gracefully  
slow as ,pygmalion's  statue when it was
 coming to life1 and moves her leg round
 as  imperceptibly as if she was dancing
 in the ,zodiac4 ,but she is not        
,virgo40 ,the lady came to ,london that 
same winter1 and danced for some  months
 at ,covent ,garden1 where she created  
as much enthusiasm as in  ,paris4 ,on   
,april #ba1 #aggb1 ,walpole writes      
again3 8,i am just going to  the ,opera 
to hear ,milice sing4 ,i do not believe 
he will draw such  audiences as ,mlle4  
,heinel has done4 ,the town has an idle 
notion  that she made so much impression

 upon a very high heart1 that it is     
thought prudent to keep it out of her   
way4 ,she is the most graceful  figure  
in the world1 with charming eyes1       
beautiful mouth1 and lovely             
countenance2 yet ,i do not think we     
shall see a ,dame du ,barri on this     
side the ,channel40   ,the staid ,dr4   
,burney was another of ,mlle4 ,heinel's 
admirers1 and  informs us that1 besides 
the six hundred pounds salary she       
received  from the management of ,covent
 ,garden1 she was 8complimented with a  
regallo of six hundred more from the    
,macaroni ,club40   #ca ,this prince is 
said to have had sixty acknowledged     
mistresses1  besides occasional and     
8imperceptible0 ones4   #cb ,in her     
,mmoires1 ,sophie writes3 8,the prince  
had1 for a moment1  the idea of devoting
 himself to me4 ,but he wished me to be 
entirely  his own1 without any          
distraction or reserve4 ,i never had any
 taste for  exaggerated grandeurs1 and  
am of the opinion of that philosopher   

who  said that happiness is only to be  
found in moderation40   #cc ,e4 and ,j4 
de ,concourt1 ,sophie ,arnould1 p4 #gj4 
,according to the  ,chronique           
scandaleuse1 ,sophie had a daughter by  
the ,prince de ,cond1  who afterwards   
married the ,comte de ,r9999994   #cd   
,he was the architect of ,bagatelle1 in 
the ,bois de ,boulogne1  which he built 
for the ,comte d',artois1 and designed  
the gardens of  the ,chteau de ,merville
 7,seine-et-,oise7 and of ,belil1 in    
,belgium1  the seat of the ,prince de   
,ligne4 ,extant specimens of his work   
are the  htel built for ,mlle4 ,contat1 
at the corner of the ,rue de ,berri1 in 
the ,champs-,elyses1 and the dome of the
 old ,halle aux ,bls1 now the  ,bourse  
du ,commerce4   #ce ,one which accused  
her of practising the shameful vices of 
antiquity4 ,see ,e4 and ,j4 de          
,goncourt's ,sophie ,arnould1 p4 #hf et 
seq4   #cf ,madame du ,barry was1       
however1 amply avenged4 ,sophie's       
comrades  of the theatre1 scarcely one  

of whom but had suffered from her       
sarcastic tongue1 were not slow to avail
 themselves of so excellent  an         
opportunity of paying their tormentor   
back in her own coin1 and1  for some    
time afterwards1 never failed to let    
fall the odious word  8,hpital0 whenever
 ,mlle4 ,arnould happened to be within  
earshot2 a  proceeding which1           
,bachaumont tells us1 8no doubt greatly 
humiliated  that superb queen of opera40
   #cg ,mmoires secrets1 vi4 #acf4   #ch
 ,eighteenth-century composers appear to
 have been continually  tinkering with  
this unfortunate opera1 one of the most 
popular of  the famous ,lulli-,quinault 
series4 ,when it was revived in ,january
  #agei1 ,la ,borde1 ,louis ,,xv4's     
musical valet-de-chambre1 made various  
alterations in the music1 8which        
disgusted equally the partisans of  the 
old and the new schools40 ,in ,november 
#agga1 ,berton1 one of the  directors of
 the ,opera1 substituted some very      
inferior melodies of his  own1 which1 if

 possible1 were even less to the taste  
of the audience1  and1 eight years      
later1 ,johann ,christian ,bach1 the    
eleventh son of  the celebrated master1 
tried his hand at the score1 likewise   
without  success4   #ci ,this was one of
 the most successful of ,sophie's       
8creations40  ,the piece1 the libretto  
of which had been adapted by ,sedaine   
from a  conte of the ,chevalier de      
,boufflers1 published in #agfa1 was     
played  twenty-six times in succession1 
an unusually long run in those days4    
#dj ,the ,mercure is lavish in its      
praise of ,sophie's rendering of        
,colin1 the boy's part1 in ,jean        
,jacques ,rousseau's ,devin du ,village1
  in which she appeared in ,december    
#agfg4 ,but ,mr4 ,douglas thinks that   
her performance was less successful than
 that rather partial organ  declared it 
to be4 ,at all events1 he says1 she did 
not repeat the  experiment1 and was     
always extremely sarcastic if any of her
 fellow  actresses undertook masculine  

parts4 ,mlle4 ,allard1 whose innumerable
  galanteries had astonished1 and almost
 shocked1 even the nymphs of  the       
,opera1 one day happened to remark1     
after playing such a part1 that  she    
believed that half the audience really  
thought she was a boy4 8,but  the other 
half knew you were not1 ma chre10       
observed ,sophie4   #da ,mr4 ,ernest    
,newman1 8,gluck and the ,opera10 p4    
#acc4   #db ,gluck et ,piccini1 p4 #hi4 
#dc ,rousseau1 ,la ,nouvelle ,hlose4    
#dd ,e4 and ,j4 de ,goncourt1 ,sophie   
,arnould1 p4 #aai4   #de                
,desnoiresterres1 ,gluck et ,piccini1 p4
 #ic4   #df ,mr4 ,ernest ,newman1       
8,gluck and the ,opera10 p4 #aci4   #dg 
,the ,mmoires secrets attribute much of 
the applause to 8the  desire of the     
public to please ,madame la ,dauphine1  
who did not cease  to clap her hands1   
and thus compelled the ,comtesse de     
,provence1 the  princes1 and all the    
boxes to do likewise40   #dh ,mmoires   
secrets1 vii4 #ahe4   #di ,grimm1       

,correspondance littraire1 viii4 #cbb4  
#ej ,mtra1 ,correspondance secrte1 i4   
#fd4   #ea ,mmoires secrets1 viii4 #cba4
   #eb ,campardon1 ,l',acadmie royale de
 ,musique au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3         
,article1 8,levasseur40   #ec ,gluck et 
,piccini1 p4 #acb4   #ed ,by the rules  
of the ,opera1 ,sophie1 as senior       
8actrice chantante  seule0 could have   
insisted1 had she been so minded1 on    
taking the  part of ,alceste4 ,in #aggd1
 ,mlle4 ,duplant1 who then occupied that
  position1 claimed the title-part in   
,iphignie1 and considerable  difficulty 
was experienced in persuading her to    
forego her claim1 and  be content with  
,clytemnestra4   #ee ,in ,october of    
that year1 two successive issues of this
 worthy's  organ were confiscated by the
 police1 on account of the scandalous   
attacks upon certain members of the     
theatrical profession which they        
contained4   #ef ,mmoires secrets1 ix4  
#bcj4   #eg ,la ,harpe relates that in  
the scene where ,iphigenia says to      

,achilles 8,vous brlez que je sois      
partie10 the pit applied the words  to  
the actress and burst into ironical     
applause4   #eh ,see p4 #agj infra4     
#ei ,in addition to her pensions1 she   
had #bjjj livres a year from  a         
settlement made upon her by ,lauraguais1
 and owned a house at                   
,port--l',anglais1 which she sold1 some 
months after her retirement  from the   
stage1 for #bj1jjj livres4 ,from a      
letter to ,alleaume1 written  apparently
 during the winter of #agge-aggf1 we    
learn that she was then  in receipt of  
allowances from at least two more of her
 noble lovers2  #dbej livres from the   
,prince de ,conti1 and #cbej from the   
,prince de  ,cond2 but how long these   
payments were continued it is impossible
 to  say4   #fj ,the antiquary ,millin1 
who annotated a copy of ,arnoldiana     
which  afterwards came into the         
,goncourts' possession1 asserts that she
 had  had tender relations with the     
,comte d',artois and 8my lord0 ,stuart4 

#fa ,mr4 ,r4 ,b4 ,douglas1 8,sophie     
,arnould3 actress and wit10 p4 #bji4    
#fb ,cited by the ,goncourts1 ,sophie   
,arnould1 p4 #acb4   #fc ,la ,chronique 
scandaleuse1 ,no4 #bi1 cited by ,e4 and 
,j4 de  ,goncourt1 ,sophie ,arnould1 p4 
#adi4   #fd ,according to another       
account1 to which the ,goncourts and    
,mr4  ,r4 ,b4 ,douglas both give        
credence1 it was a bust of ,sophie      
herself1  by ,houdon1 representing her  
as ,iphigenia2 and the agents of the    
revolutionary committee 8mistook a      
sky-blue band on which was painted  a   
quarter-moon and two stars for the scarf
 of ,marat40 ,but is not this  making   
rather a severe call upon our credulity8
   #fe ,according to ,castil-,blaze1    
during the ,reign of ,terror1           
,lauraguais  disguised himself as a     
coachman and drove a fiacre4   #ff ,the 
official ,republican name for the       
,opera4   #fg ,cited by ,e4 and ,j4 de  
,goncourt1 ,sophie ,arnould1 p4 #cjb4   
#fh ,campardon1 ,acadmie royale de      

,musique au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3          
,article1 8,guimard40   #fi ,ibid4   #gj
 ,arnoldiana4   #ga ,edmond de          
,goncourt1 ,la ,guimard1 p4 #ah4   #gb  
,castil-,blaze1 ,histoire de l',acadmie 
de ,musique1 i4 #bfg4   #gc ,cited by   
,edmond de ,goncourt1 ,la ,guimard1 p4  
#cjd note4   #gd ,the ,archbishop of    
,sens4   #ge ,he was the author of      
,penses et ,maximes1 published some     
years  after his death1 a work in the   
style of ,la ,rochefoucauld1 which      
reveals him as a keen observer of life  
and particularly of woman4 ,here  are   
some of his reflections3   8,vouloir    
qu'on soit amoureux avec raison1 c'est  
vouloir qu'on soit fou  avec raison40   
8,une femme qui sait mal est moins      
supportable qu'une femme qui ne sait    
rien40   8,le plaisir est comme une     
fleur1 dont l'odeur est dlicate1 et     
qu'il  faut sentir lgrement1 si on veut 
toujours lui trouver le mme  parfum40   
8,la plupart des femmes ressemblent  des
 nigmes qui cessent de  plaire1 ds      

qu'elles sont devines4   8,qui aime est 
bien plus heureux que d'tre aim4   8,on 
combat l'amour par la fuite et la colre 
par le silence40   #gf ,mmoires secrets1
 iii4 #chc4   #gg ,the titles of some of
 the pieces represented speak for       
themselves3 ,junon et ,ganymde1 comdie  
rotique2 ,la ,vierge de  ,babylone1     
comdie rotique2 ,csar et les deux       
,vestales1 pice  rotique en un acte2    
,hlose et ,abailard1 comdie rotique en  
un  acte2 ,ninon et ,lachatre1 scne     
rotique2 ,minette et ,finette1 ou  les  
preuves d'amour1 and so forth4   #gh ,it
 was composed by ,armand1 concierge of  
the ,htel des ,comdiens1  and author of 
several dramas1 at the instance of ,la  
,borde1 who had  recommended him to make
 it as salacious as possible4   #gi     
,mlle4 ,guimard had1 in point of fact1 a
 third lover already1 in  the person of 
the dancer ,dauberval2 but he was a     
negligible quantity1  so far as         
contributions to the lady's revenues    
were concerned4 ,a  satirical print of  

the time entitled ,concert  trois1 shows
 us the  ballerina holding a roll of    
music in her hand and about to sing1    
her chief protector1 the ,prince de     
,soubise1 playing the violin1 the       
sous-entreteneur1 ,la ,borde1 beating   
time with the conductor's bton1  and    
,dauberval playing the cornet4   #hj    
,the ,mmoires secrets attribute another 
source to the #fjjj  livres3 8,this     
actress1 very celebrated by her talents1
 having had  a rendezvous in an isolated
 faubourg with a man whose robe exacted 
the most profound mystery1 had occasion 
to witness the misery1  grief1 and      
despair of the people of this           
neighbourhood1 on account  of the       
excessive cold4 ,her heart was moved    
with compassion at such a  sight1 and of
 the #bjjj cus1 the fruit of her        
iniquity1 she herself  distributed a    
part and carried the balance to the cur 
of ,saint-,roch1  for the same purpose40
   #ha ,edmond de ,goncourt1 ,la        
,guimard1 p4 #hi4   #hb ,walpole1       

writing to ,sir ,horace ,mann1 on       
,september #i1 #agga1 says  of the ,htel
 ,guimard3 8,the salle--manger is to    
have des serres  chaudes 7sic7 round it1
 with windows opening into the room2    
that it  may have orange-flowers and    
odours all the winter40   #hc ,mtra1    
,correspondance secrte1 vol4 viii4      
,edmond de ,goncourt1  ,la ,guimard1 p4 
#ij4   #hd ,see note1 p4 #aji1 supra4   
#he ,campardon1 ,l',acadmie royale de   
,musique au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3  ,article
 8,guimard40   #hf ,edmond de ,goncourt1
 ,la ,guimard1 p4 #bbf4   #hg ,previous 
to this arrangement being arrived at1   
the ,chevalier de  ,saint-,george1 the  
,creole1 famous as a fencer and         
musician1 offered1  with the assistance 
of a society of capitalists1 to         
undertake the  direction of the ,opera4 
,but ,mlle4 ,guimard1 ,sophie ,arnould1 
and certain  other nymphs1 jealous of   
the honour of their profession1         
addressed a  petition to the ,queen1    
representing that their honour would not

 allow  them to submit to the direction 
of a mulatto4   #hh ,campardon1         
,l',acadmie royale de ,musique au       
,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3  ,article1           
8,dauvergne40   #hi ,the dancer         
,nivelon1 who escaped across the        
,belgian frontier1  with the intention  
of making his way to ,england1 was hotly
 pursued  by a police-agent named       
,quidor1 with orders to arrest him and  
bring  him back to ,paris4 ,while1      
however1 ,quidor was endeavouring to    
obtain  an extradition warrant from the 
authorities at ,brussels1 the dancer    
contrived to reach ,ostende and escaped 
across the ,channel4   #ij ,mmoires de  
,fleury1 ii4 #aai4   #ia ,edmond de     
,goncourt1 ,la ,guimard1 p4 #bed4   #ib 
,he was the son of a musician of the    
,opera1 and was born on  ,august #ca1   
#agdf4 ,he became a dancer at the       
theatre in #agfd1 where he  quickly     
distinguished himself by his skill in   
8la danse haute10 his  performances in  
the ballets introduced into ,les ,amours

 de ,ragonde  7#aggc71 ,iphignie en     
,aulide 7#aggd71 ,philmon et ,baucis    
7#aggd71 and  ,la ,chercheuse d'esprit  
7#aggh71 being particularly admired4 ,in
 #agha1  owing to an injury to one of   
his feet1 he retired from the active    
exercise of his profession1 and was     
appointed matre des ballets4  ,in the   
following year1 he received from the    
,king a pension of #aejj  livres1 for   
his services as a dancer in ballets     
represented before the  ,court4 ,a      
facile and graceful poet1 ,despraux was 
the author of several  parodies of      
operas3 ,christophe et ,pierre ,luc1    
parody of ,castor et  ,pollux2 ,momi1   
parody of ,iphignie2 ,syncope1 reine de 
,mic-,mac1  parody of ,pnlope1 and      
,berlingue1 parody of ,ernelinde1 which 
so  pleased ,louis ,,xvi4 when played   
before the ,court1 at ,choisy1 in #aggg1
  that he granted the author a          
pension4--,campardon1 ,acadmie royale de
  ,musique au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle1 i4     
#adf4   #ic ,the marriage contract      

states that the property of the bride   
consisted of 7#a7 an annuity of #ab1jjj 
livres2 7#b7 a pension of #bfjj  livres 
on the ,king's ,privy ,purse2 7#c7 a    
pension of #fjjj livres on  the ,royal  
,treasury2 7#d7 a pension of #cjjj      
livres on the treasury of  the ,opera2  
7#e7 a sum of #aaj1jjj livres1 partly in
 cash and partly in  furniture1         
jewellery1 linen1 and wearing apparel4  
#id ,in a manuscript collection of his  
chansons preserved in the  ,bibliothque 
de l',opra1 he describes himself in the 
following terms3      8,il faut que je  
vous dsigne      ,de ma taille la       
grandeur3      ,cinq pieds1 trois       
pouces1 neuf lignes1      ,voil juste ma
 hauteur4      ,large front1 bouche     
moyenne1      ,menton pointu1 le nez    
long1      ,les yeux gris1 figure       
pleine1      ,sourcils bruns1 cheveux   
blonds40    #ie ,edmond de ,goncourt1   
,la ,guimard1 p4 #bgf4   #if ,a4 ,f4    
,didot1 ,souvenirs de ,jean tienne      
,despraux1 p4 #cd4   #ig ,edmond de     

,goncourt1 ,la ,guimard1 p4 #cja4   #ih 
,among the writers who have fallen into 
this error may  be mentioned3           
,lemazurier 7,galerie historique des    
acteurs du  ,thtre-,franais71 ,m4 de    
,manne 7,galerie historique de la troupe
  de ,voltaire and ,biographie gnrale3  
,article1 8,raucourt071 mile  ,gaboriau 
7,les ,comdiennes adores71 ,mr4         
,sutherland ,edwards 78,idols  of the   
,french ,stage071 and ,mr4 ,frederick   
,hawkins 78,the ,french ,stage in  the  
,eighteenth ,century074   #ii ,mlle4    
,clairon subsequently wrote to ,larive3 
8,mlle4 ,raucourt has  made her dbut    
with the greatest success4 ,all ,paris  
dotes on her1  and1 although ,brizard   
may be her only recognised master1      
people name1  at each verse which they  
hear her utter1 the person of whom she  
has  taken lessons4 ,she is only sixteen
 and a half2 she is beautiful as an     
angel1 sensible1 noble4 ,she will be1 ,i
 hope1 a charming subject1 and  ,i dare 
believe that ,madame ,vestris will gnaw 

her fingers1 more than  once1 at having 
disobliged me4444 ,this woman is the    
first person whom  ,i have really hated4
 ,mlle4 ,raucourt is worthy of all the  
pains that ,i  am taking to form her1   
but ,i confess that ,i find it very     
sweet1 while  serving her1 to avenge    
myself for all the ingratitude and      
insolence of  the other40 ,cited by     
,edmond de ,goncourt1 ,mademoiselle     
,clairon1 p4  #bhe4   #ajj ,brizard     
played the part of fidus ,achates in    
,didon4   #aja ,correspondance          
littraire1 ,supplementary volume1 p4    
#ceb4   #ajb ,mercure de ,france1       
,january #aggc4   #ajc ,mmoires secrets1
 vi4 #bhh4   #ajd ,gaboriau1 ,les       
,comdiennes adores1 p4 #gc4 ,manne1     
,galerie  historique de la troupe de    
,voltaire4   #aje ,grimm writes3 8,the  
,princesse de ,beauvau1 the ,princesse  
de  ,gumne1 and the ,duchesse de la     
,vallire have also made her presents  of
 superb dresses4 ,the greater part of   
those which the ladies of  the ,court   

had had made for the ,dauphin's marriage
 will go to enrich  the theatrical      
wardrobe of ,mlle4 ,raucourt1 which will
 soon be of  considerable size40   #ajf 
,the name is frequently written         
,saint-,val4   #ajg ,mmoires secrets1   
vi4 p4 #big4   #ajh ,correspondance     
littraire1 ,supplementary volume1 p4    
#cef4   #aji ,mmoires secrets4   #aaj   
,he was the author of a highly          
successful comedy1 called ,le           
,sducteur1 produced at the              
,comdie-,franaise1 ,november #h1 #aghc4 
#aaa ,for further information concerning
 this unpleasant subject1 into  which we
 naturally do not care to enter1 see    
,edmond de ,goncourt's  ,maison d'un    
artiste1 ii4 #fj1 and the same writer's 
,sophie ,arnould1  p4 #hf4 ,a similar   
charge was brought against ,sophie      
,arnould1 though1  apparently1 with less
 reason4   #aab ,correspondance         
littraire1 ii4 #bhb4   #aac ,the        
expelled actress may have derived some  
little consolation  from perusing the   

following criticism of her successor in 
the  ,nouvelles  la main3 8,july        
#i4--,mlle4 ,sainval the younger made   
her  first appearance yesterday1 in     
,zare1 on her return to the ,comdie4    
,she is ugly1 and particularly hideous  
when she weeps1 ungraceful1             
flat-breasted1 and has a doleful and    
monotonous voice40   #aad ,campardon1   
,les ,comdiens du ,roi de la ,troupe    
franaise1 p4 #bea4   #aae ,ibid4 p4     
#bee4   #aaf ,la ,harpe1 ,correspondance
 littraire1 ii4 #dae4   #aag ,hawkins1  
8,the ,french ,stage in the ,eighteenth 
,century10 ii4 #bej  et seq4   #aah ,la 
,harpe1 ,correspondance littraire1 iii4 
#c et seq4   #aai ,mmoires secrets1 xiv4
 #bad et seq4   #abj ,mmoires secrets1  
xix4 #ajc4   #aba ,la ,harpe1           
,correspondance littraire1 iii4 #cbg4   
,la ,harpe states  that a rumour was    
current that ,mlle4 ,raucourt had only  
lent her  name to the play1 and that it 
was really the work of either ,durosoy  
or ,monvel4 ,this rumour1 however1 is   

indignantly repudiated by the  ,mmoires 
secrets1 which declare it to be nothing 
but a malicious  invention of the lady's
 enemies4   #abb ,mercure de ,france1   
,march #aghb4   #abc ,hawkins1 8,the    
,french ,stage in the ,eighteenth       
,century10 #cci4   #abd ,mmoires de     
,fleury1 v4 #bbh1 et seq4   #abe        
,souvenirs1 i4 #hb4   #abf ,m4 ,gaston  
,maugras1 ,les ,comdiens hors la loi1 p4
 #dfj et seq4   #abg ,gaboriau1 ,les    
,comdiennes adores1 p4 #aea4   #abh     
,campardon1 ,les ,comdiens du ,roi de la
 ,troupe italienne3  ,article1          
8,dugazon40   #abi ,mes ,rcapitulations1
 i4 #abd4   #acj ,souvenirs1 i4 #id4    
#aca ,thurner1 ,les ,reines de ,chant1  
p4 #ff4   #acb ,correspondance          
littraire1 xi4 #dag4   #acc             
,correspondance littraire1 xii4 #bfa4   
,at the conclusion of  the piece on the 
first evening1 ,madame ,dugazon was     
called before the  curtain1 8an honour10
 say the ,mmoires secrets1 8which had   
never yet  been accorded to any actress 

at this theatre or any other40   #acd   
,campardon1 ,les ,comdiens du ,roi de la
 ,troupe italienne3  ,article1          
8,dugazon40   #ace ,mes ,rcapitulations1
 i4 #abe4   #acf ,correspondance        
littraire1 xiii4 #acb4   #acg ,thurner1 
,les ,reines du ,chant1 p4 #fe4   #ach  
,gaboriau1 ,les ,comdiennes adores1 p4  
#afc4   #aci ,gaboriau1 ,les ,comdiennes
 adores1 p4 #afe4   #adj ,madame        
,dugazon's feelings were probably       
intensified by the fact  that her       
husband had espoused the popular side   
with enthusiasm1 and  had been appointed
 aide-de-camp to the notorious          
,santerre4 ,after the  #ith ,thermidor1 
the actor was1 for some time1 the object
 of hostile  demonstrations whenever he 
appeared on the stage4 ,but he          
courageously  refused to bow before the 
storm1 and1 little by little1 the public
  forgave him4 ,in #ahjg he retired from
 the stage1 and1 two years later1  died1
 8a raving madman10 on an estate which  
he had bought near ,orlans4   #ada      

,souvenirs4   #adb ,he composed three   
operas3 ,marguerite de ,waldemar        
7#ahab71 la  ,noce cossaise 7#ahad71 and
 le ,chevalier d'industrie 7#ahah72 and 
two  ballets3 les ,fiances de ,caserte  
and ,alfred le ,grand4 ,but none of     
these pieces seem to have been at all   
favourably received4 ,he died in  #ahbf1
 five years after his mother4   #adc    
,gaboriau1 ,les ,comdiennes adores1 p4  
#agj4   #add ,in ,louise ,contat's acte 
de naissance1 which bears date  ,june   
#af1 #agfj1 her father1 ,jean ,franois  
,contat1 describes himself  as 8soldat  
de la marchausse et marchand de bas     
privilgi   ,paris40--,jal1 ,dictionnaire
 de ,biographie et d',histoire1 article 
8,contat40   #ade ,hawkins1 8,the       
,french ,stage in the ,eighteenth       
,century10 ii4 #bji4   #adf ,mmoires de 
,fleury1 ii4 #bag4   #adg ,the critic of
 the ,mercure wrote3 8,what respect can 
they 7men  of letters7 hope to inspire1 
when they themselves become the first to
  denounce their own secret vices1 and1 

to sum up all in one word1 when  their  
mind seems to make a jest of            
calumniating their heart80   #adh ,for  
an account of this affair1 see the      
author's 8,queens of the  ,french       
,stage10 p4 #cbd et seq4   #adi ,la     
,harpe1 ,correspondance littraire1 iv4  
#ea4   #aej ,the friendship between     
,beaumarchais and the ,comte de         
,vaudreuil  had its origin in the       
following incident4 ,the latter had had 
a  dispute1 at one of the ,court        
theatres1 with a ,m4 de ,miromesnil1 a  
distinguished amateur actor1 as to the  
manner in which drunkenness  should be  
depicted on the stage4 ,some of the     
company jestingly  ascribed the count's 
remarks to personal experience4 8,nay10 
answered  ,vaudreuil1 8they are not my  
own4 ,i borrow the lesson from the great
  ,garrick1 who gave it on the          
,boulevards to ,prville1 who acted upon 
it before a few working men1 and caused 
them to take the mimicry for  reality40 
,miromesnil disputed the authenticity of

 the anecdote1 and1  on being assured   
that it was true1 offered to lay a heavy
 wager that a  ,boulevard was not the   
place4 ,beaumarchais happened to be     
standing by4  8,take the wager10 he     
whispered to the count2 8it is yours40  
,vaudreuil  did so4 ,beaumarchais left  
the theatre1 and shortly afterwards     
returned  with a letter1 in which       
,garrick himself stated that the        
incident  occurred on the ,boulevards4  
,from that moment1 the count evinced a  
warm  interest in the dramatist's       
fortunes4--,hawkins1 8,the ,french      
,stage in  the ,eighteenth ,century10   
ii4 #bia4   #aea ,gabriel ,henri        
,gaillard 7#agbf-ahjf74 ,his chief works
 were3  ,l',histoire de ,franois ,ier1  
dit le ,grand ,roi et le ,pre des       
,lettres 7#agff-agfi72 ,l',histoire de  
la ,rivalit de la ,france et  de        
l',angleterre 7#agga-aggg71 which       
procured him admission to the  ,academy2
 and ,l',histoire de la ,rivalit de la  
,france et de l',espagne  7#ahjj74      

#aeb ,lomnie1 ,beaumarchais et son      
temps1 iv4   #aec ,souvenirs1 i4 #ajj4  
#aed ,mmoires de ,fleury1 ii4 #dac4     
#aee ,mmoires de ,fleury1 ii4 #dae et   
seq4   #aef ,cited by ,gaboriau1 ,les   
,comdiennes adores1 p4 #ahj4   #aeg ,and
 well he deserved his triumph1 for      
surely never had actor  been at more    
pains to secure a perfect resemblance to
 the character  he was to impersonate6  
8,in the first place10 he tells us1 in  
his  ,mmoires1 8,i sought to imbue      
myself with the idea that my apartments 
were in ,potsdam1 instead of in ,paris2 
and ,i resolved to retire to  rest1 to  
take my meals1 to move1 and speak1      
during two whole months1  in the full   
persuasion that ,i was ,frederick the   
,great4 ,the better to  identify myself 
with the character1 ,i used every       
morning to dress  myself in the military
 coat1 hat1 boots1 c41 ,i had ordered   
for the  part4 ,thus equipped1 ,i would 
seat myself before my looking-glass1 at 
one side of which hung ,ramberg's       

picture of the ,king4 ,then1 with the   
help of hair pencils and a palette      
spread with black1 white1 red1  blue1   
and yellow1 ,i endeavoured to paint my  
face to the resemblance of  the         
picture40   #aeh ,gaboriau1 ,les        
,comdiennes adores1 p4 #aia4   #aei ,m4 
,victor du ,bled1 ,les ,comdiens franais
 pendant la  ,rvolution1 ,revue des     
,deux ,mondes1 vol4 cxxiv4   #afj ,les  
,comdiennes adores1 p4 #aid4   #afa ,see
 pp4 #ahb et seq41 supra4   #afb ,m4    
,victor du ,bled1 ,les ,comdiens franais
 pendant la  ,rvolution1 ,revue des     
,deux ,mondes1 vol4 cxxiv4   #afc ,m4   
,victor du ,bled1 ,les ,comdiens franais
 pendant la  ,rvolution1 ,revue des     
,deux ,mondes1 vol4 cxxiv4   #afd ,many 
amusing anecdotes are told of           
,lemercier's wit4 ,here is  one1 which  
,ernest ,legouv relates in his ,soixante
 ans de souvenirs3  8,one evening1 he   
7,lemercier7 was seated on a low stool  
in the gangway  of the first gallery of 
the ,thtre-,franais4 ,enter a young     

officer1  making a great deal of noise1 
slamming the door violently behind him1 
and taking his stand right in front of  
,m4 ,lemercier4 #8,monsieur1'  says the 
poet1 very gently1 #8you prevent my     
seeing anything4' ,the  officer turns   
round and1 staring from his towering    
height at the  little1                  
inoffensive-looking civilian1 humbly    
seated on his low stool1  resumes his   
former position4 #8,monsieur1' repeats  
,m4 ,lemercier1 more  emphatically1 #8,i
 have told you that you prevent me from 
seeing the  stage1 and ,i command you to
 get out of the way4' #8,you command6'  
retorts his interlocutor1 in a tone of  
contempt2 #8do you know to whom  you are
 speaking8 ,you are speaking to a man   
who brought back the  standards from the
 army of ,italy6' #8,that is very       
possible1 ,monsieur1  seeing that it was
 an ass which carried ,christ6' ,as a   
matter of  course1 there was a duel1 and
 the officer had his arm broken by a    
bullet40   #afe ,ducis's adaptation--or 

distortion--of ,othello1 first produced 
on ,november #bf1 #aggb1 differed       
materially from the original play4      
8,iago's villainy10 says ,mr4 ,hawkins1 
in his 8,french ,stage in the           
,eighteenth ,century10 8was thought too 
deep and patent1 especially  for a      
,parisian audience4 ,pesare1 as the     
ancient is called here1 is  accordingly 
transformed into something like an      
ordinary confidant1  to all appearance  
full of sincere bonhomie1 and with his  
devilish  purpose hidden until he has   
been seen for the last time4 ,ducis1 it 
has  been well remarked1 was extremely  
afraid of arousing too much emotion     
among his auditors4 ,another essential  
difference lay in ,cassio being  really 
in love with ,desdemona 7re-named       
,hdelmone740 ,changes of minor          
importance were the substitution of a   
letter for the handkerchief1 and  a     
poniard for the pillow4 ,ducis also     
adapted--or distorted--,hamlet1  ,romeo 
and ,juliet1 ,macbeth1 and ,lear4   #aff

 ,journal de ,paris1 ,march #g1 #ahji4  
#afg ,antoine ,dubois 7#agef-ahcg71 the 
leading obstetric surgeon of the  time4 
,he assisted at the accouchement of the 
,empress ,marie ,louise1  and was made a
 baron of the ,empire4 ,his son1 ,paul  
,dubois1 was also  a celebrated         
accoucheur1 and the author of several   
able works on  obstetrics4   #afh ,a    
character in the ,joueur of ,regnard4   
#afi ,gaboriau1 ,les ,comdiennes adores1
 p4 #bjg4   #agj ,edmond de ,goncourt1  
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 d'aprs sa      
correspondance et ses papiers de        
famille1 p4 #ab4   #aga ,cited by       
,edmond de ,goncourt1 ,madame           
,saint-,huberty1 d'aprs sa              
correspondance et ses papiers de        
famille1 p4 #ad4   #agb ,if one is to   
believe a little brochure of the time1  
bearing the  title of ,chronique        
scandaleuse des thtres1 ou ,aventures   
des plus  clbres actrices1 chanteuses1  
danseuses1 et figurantes1 the lessons   
given by ,gluck to ,madame              

,saint-,huberty were not entirely       
gratuitous4  8,in one of those moments  
of incontinency to which the greatest   
men  often yield1 the celebrated ,gluck 
recognised in her talents which had  not
 even been suspected and which attached 
him to her4 ,he resolved  to make of her
 an actress4 ,in like manner1 the famous
 ,champmesl was  formed by the care and 
counsels of ,racine4 ,however1 one ought
 not to  compare the ,german ,orpheus to
 the ,french ,euripides4 ,gluck sought  
less  to teach the sentiments of which  
he taught her the expression1 than  to  
inspire her with the fire of his genius1
 and1 as he had always  preserved the   
rusticity of his ,german manners1 he did
 not often fail  to commit himself to it
 in his lessons44440   #agc ,all the    
critics were not so kind as the scribe  
of the ,mercure1  and one went so far as
 to declare that the dbutante was 8very 
ugly1  very bad10 and that 8she could   
not possibly long retain her position   
on the lyric stage40   #agd ,edmond de  

,goncourt1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty1 p4  
#bj4   #age ,it is not clear what papers
 are referred to1 but1 in all           
probability1 they were those relating to
 the separation of her goods  from those
 of her husband which she had obtained  
at ,warsaw1 in ,march  #aggg4   #agf    
,cited by ,campardon1 ,l',acadmie royale
 de ,musique au ,x,v,i,i,ie  sicle3     
,article1 8,saint-,huberty40   #agg     
,edmond de ,goncourt1 ,madame           
,saint-,huberty1 p4 #db4   #agh mile    
,gaboriau1 ,les ,comdiennes adores1 p4  
#baj4   #agi ,edmond de ,goncourt1      
,madame ,saint-,huberty1 p4 #de4   #ahj 
,this multiplicity and exaggeration of  
gestures appears to have  been ,madame  
,saint-,huberty's principal fault in the
 early part of her  career4 ,on another 
occasion1 she was reproached with her   
resemblance  to a woman 8persecuted by  
internal convulsions40   #aha ,rosalie  
,levasseur had sung charmingly on the   
opening night2 but  on the second1 she  
was so intoxicated as to be almost      

incapable of  struggling through the    
part4 ,at the conclusion of the         
performance she  was arrested and       
conveyed to ,for l'vque4   #ahb ,adolphe
 ,jullien1 ,l',opra secret au           
,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3 ,madame              
,saint-,huberty4   #ahc ,recherches sur 
les costumes et sur les thtres de toutes
 les  nations1 i4 #ce4   #ahd ,gingun1  
,notice sur la vie et les ouvrages de   
,nicolas ,piccini4   #ahe ,l',opra      
secret au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3 ,madame    
,saint-,huberty4   #ahf 8,madame        
,saint-,huberty played the part of      
,rosette with an  intelligence1 a       
sensibility1 and a fervour of           
expression1 which proves  the extent and
 the variety of her talent1 equally well
 calculated  to render every rle and to 
sing all kinds of music40--,mercure de  
,france1 ,december #aghb4   #ahg        
,adolphe ,jullien1 ,l',opra secret au   
,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3 ,madame              
,saint-,huberty4   #ahh ,edmond de      
,goncourt1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty1 p4  

#e4   #ahi ,edmond de ,goncourt1 ,madame
 ,saint-,huberty1 p4 #ge et seq4        
,adolphe ,jullien1 ,l',opra secret au   
,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3 ,madame              
,saint-,huberty4   #aij ,adolphe        
,jullien1 ,l',opra secret au ,x,v,i,i,ie
 sicle3 ,madame  ,saint-,huberty4   #aia
 ,mmoires de ,marmontel 7edit4 #ahjd71  
iii4 #bbd et seq4   #aib ,see the       
author's 8,queens of the ,french ,stage0
 7,london3 ,harpers'2  ,new ,york3      
,scribners'4 #aije71 p4 #cad et seq4    
#aic ,the train of an ordinary actress  
was held by a page dressed in  black and
 white1 but actresses representing      
queens were entitled to  two trains and 
two pages1 who followed them everywhere 
they went4  8,nothing is more           
diverting10 writes a critic of the time1
 8than the  perpetual movement of these 
little rascals1 who have to run after   
the  actress when she is rushing up and 
down the stage in moments of great      
distress4 ,their activity throws them   
into a state of perspiration1  whilst   

their embarrassment and blunders        
invariably excite laughter4  ,thus a    
farce is always going on1 which         
agreeably diverts the spectator  in sad 
or touching situations40   #aid ,adolphe
 ,jullien1 ,l',opra secret au           
,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3 ,madame              
,saint-,huberty4   #aie ,on ,december   
#f1 which was an off-day at the ,opera1 
,madame  ,saint-,huberty attended a     
performance of the ,fausse ,lord1 music 
by  ,piccini1 words by ,piccini fils1 at
 the ,comdie-,italienne4 ,at the        
conclusion of the piece1 when she was   
leaving her box1 the whole  audience    
rose1 and burst into a tumult of        
applause1 shouting3 8,vive  la reine de 
,carthage60 ,if1 remarks ,grimm1 the    
public had been aware  that1 on that    
very day1 by the exercise of rare       
delicacy and tact1 the  artiste had     
succeeded in reconciling ,piccini and   
,sacchini1 who had  long been at        
variance1 their enthusiasm would have   
been1 if it were  possible1 even        

greater4   #aif ,notice sur la vie et   
les ouvrages de ,nicolas ,piccini4      
#aig ,les ,comdiennes adores1 p4 #bag4  
#aih ,grimm1 ,correspondance littraire1 
xii4 #aj4   #aii ,grimm1 ,correspondance
 littraire1 xii4 #aj4   #bjj ,adolphe   
,jullien1 ,l',opra secret au ,x,v,i,i,ie
 sicle3 ,madame  ,saint-,huberty4 ,m4   
,jullien says 8in less than five        
months40 ,he forgets  that ,didon1      
although not seen at the ,opera until   
,december #a #aghc1  had been performed 
at ,fontainebleau in the previous       
,october4   #bja ,adolphe ,jullien1     
,l',opra secret au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3   
,madame  ,saint-,huberty4   #bjb ,see p4
 #abh note1 supra4   #bjc ,mmoires      
secrets1 ,december #bj1 #aghf4   #bjd   
,cited by ,campardon1 ,acadmie royal de 
,musique au ,x,v,i,i,ie  sicle3         
,article1 8,saint-,huberty40   #bje     
,cited by ,edmond de ,goncourt1 ,madame 
,saint-,huberty1 p4 #aij4   #bjf ,the   
superintendent of the wardrobe of the   
,opera4   #bjg ,cited by ,edmond de     

,goncourt1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty1 p4  
#aga4   #bjh ,it is true that ,mtra     
writes1 under date ,march #bd1 #aghc1 as
  follows3 8,mlle4 ,laguerre had been   
for a long time the mistress of the     
,duc de ,bouillon4 ,madame              
,saint-,huberti has replaced her in the 
heart of  this prince and in her rights 
on his fortune4 ,he has just purchased  
her favours1 so many times cheaply      
disposed of1 by a contract of one       
hundred thousand cus40 ,but ,edmond de  
,goncourt is inclined to think  that    
,mtra is here drawing upon his very     
vivid imagination with more  than his   
usual freedom4   #bji ,cited by ,edmond 
de ,goncourt1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty1  
p4 #ahf4   #baj ,cabanis was the ,comte 
d',antraigues's physician in ,paris4    
,shortly  before this letter was        
written1 ,madame ,saint-,huberty had    
placed  herself under his care and      
presumably he was still prescribing for 
her4   #baa ,all sorts of legends have  
gathered round the ,comte d',antraigues1

  who is depicted as a kind of ,royalist
 ,marat1 ready to demand1 on the  return
 of the ,bourbons1 8his four hundred    
thousand heads40 ,one story  is to the  
effect that1 when in ,venice1 he had    
been heard to boast that  he had caused 
several agents of the ,french ,republic 
to be poisoned4   #bab ,this was not the
 only reward of her services which the  
ex-singer  received4 ,in #ahjd1 the     
,emperor of ,austria accorded her a     
pension of  #ajjj ducats1 8in memory of 
the services rendered by her to her late
  ,majesty ,marie ,antoinette of        
,france1 as superintendent of the music 
of that august princess40 ,as for the   
,comte d',antraigues1 he was1 for  some 
years1 in receipt of a handsome pension 
from the various ,european  ,courts1    
and1 in ,may #ahjj1 received from the   
king of the ,two ,sicilies  the royal   
order of ,constantine1 together with a  
pension4   #bac ,madame ,saint-,huberty 
had1 of course1 never appeared at the   
,thtre-,franais4 ,such is fame6   #bad  

,as a matter of fact1 her savings only  
amounted to some #hj1jjj  francs1 the   
whole of which had been lost during the 
,revolution4   #bae ,the ,times of ,july
 #bh1 #ahab1 states that it had been    
ascertained that ,lorenzo was an        
intimate friend of ,sellis1 who1 after  
attempting to assassinate the ,duke of  
,cumberland1 committed suicide4   #baf  
,l',opra secret au ,x,v,i,i,ie sicle3   
,madame ,saint-,huberty4