,,the ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,harlequinade ,illustration ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,harlequinade ,,by ,,maurice ,,sand ,,volume ,,one ,,london3 ,,martin ,,secker ,,number ,,five ,,john ,,street ,,adelphi ,first ,published #aiae ,,contents ,,page ,,introduction #i ,i4 ,,harlequin #eg ,,ii4 ,,polichinelle #ajc ,,iii4 ,,the ,,captain #acg ,,iv4 ,,columbine #aei ,v4 ,,pierrot #ahc ,,vi4 ,,lelio #bce ,,vii4 ,,ruzzante #bgi ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,harlequin ,frontispiece ,,facing ,,page ,,harlequin #fd ,,polichinelle #aab ,,the ,,captain #add ,,columbine #agf ,,pierrot #aib ,,lelio #bdj ,,ruzzante #bhh ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,harlequinade ,,introduction ,the first mime1 or rather the first comic actor1 was he who leapt upon a bench or table to delight the assembly by his singing1 his dancing or his relation of an amusing story4 ,improvisation prompted all such early attempts4 ,some of these primitive comedians assemble in ,icaria under the direction of ,susarion1 who gives a form and a sequence to their buffooneries1 and they set out to trail their booths and chariots through the cities of ,greece 7#hjj ,b4,c474 ,they represent a slave with shaven head1 a drunkard rubicund of face1 brutalised by libations1 an obese glutton1 who tumbles incessantly4 ,soon comic poets1 such as ,magnes1 ,achus and ,timocreon1 conceive for them performances mingled with comic dances 7termed cordaces7 and pantomimes4 ,thespis1 born in ,icaria1 sets up a theatre1 assigns rles to his mimes1 dresses them grotesquely1 parades them in chariots1 their faces smeared with dregs or soot1 and sets about presenting little dramas and comedies mingled with music4 ,he detaches from the chorus an individual1 assigns to him a rle and thus creates the corypheus4 schylus the ,athenian 7#cic ,b4,c47 adds a second one4 ,thenceforward no comic or tragic performances are given without music4 ,in ,athens and in ,sparta charlatans set up their trestles in public places1 and by means of their displays attract a crowd1 to whom they then proceed to sell their unguents 7#djj ,b4,c474 ,here we behold among others a thieving rogue1 or a foreign doctor who speaks a ridiculous dialect4 ,whilst ,aristophanes is performing his comedies in the great theatre1 the streets of ,athens are encumbered by diviners1 sorcerers1 fortune-tellers1 jugglers1 equilibrists1 rope dancers and prestidigitators1 amongst whom are cited ,theodorus and ,euryclides4 ,in the theatre we behold equilibrist performances1 such as the leap on that earliest of spring-boards1 the air-inflated goatskin4 ,from these performances were derived the rope dancers1 called by the ,greeks schnobates and acrobates1 and later1 by the ,latins1 funambuli4 ,among the ,greek actors we find several classes1 the ethologues1 famous in ,magna ,grcia and in ,alexandria1 who display the lowest and most corrupt of manners2 the biologues1 who portray and parody the personages of their day2 the cinedologues1 also called simodes and lysiodes1 from ,susim of ,magnesia and ,lysis1 the authors of their pieces1 who perform and utter obscenities2 the hilarodes1 dressed in white1 shod with sandals and wearing golden crowns on their heads1 who act and sing to the accompaniment of string instruments2 and the phallophores1 a name fully justified by a part of their costume1 as is to be seen in all the monuments that have survived4 ,at ,sicyonia1 where the phallic choirs and the scenes called episodes are more ancient than in ,athens1 the actors preserve this name of phallophores4 ,later this ,sicyonian phallophore1 his countenance blackened with soot or concealed under a papyrus mask1 is transformed into a planipes in ,rome and becomes in the sixteenth century the ,bergamese ,harlequin4 ,all these actors performing on the orchestra very close to the spectators found it unnecessary to increase their height by the aid of the buskin with elevated heels4 ,they played without masks1 their countenances merely smeared in various colours according to the types which they represented4 ,women1 too1 performed on the orchestra1 singing1 miming and moving in the pieces that did duty as interludes1 much after the fashion of our modern actresses4 ,these female mimes passed from the ,doric countries into ,sicily and ,magna ,grcia1 and finally found their way to ,rome4 ,the ,etruscans were1 in the art of the theatre as in many other things1 the preceptors of the ,romans4 ,having long been in communication with the ,greeks they possessed stone theatres such as that at ,tusculum1 long before the ,romans had so much as wooden booths4 ,in the year #ddb the youth of ,rome studied ,oscan literature1 according to ,titus ,livy1 much as in his own time it devoted itself to the study of ,greek letters4 ,between ,naples and ,capua1 ,atella 7to-day ,aversa7 was one of the first ancient cities to possess a theatre1 and above all a particular style of comedy2 thus she gave the name of ,atellan to the first comedies performed in ,rome1 comedies which derived largely from the satirical and buffoon pieces of the ,greeks4 ,these comedies1 interlarded with dancing1 singing and pantomime1 in which the actors improvised upon a scenario1 or agreed subject1 were full of pleasantries and quips1 and they very quickly eclipsed the ,satur1 the indigenous and national comedies of ,rome4 ,the ,roman youth appropriated this style of piece and the right to perform it4 ,the actors of the ,atellan alone enjoyed exemptions and liberties without limit4 ,later these pieces became licentious and obscene1 and the name of ,atellan was given to all those which were written in a ribald style4 ,they were also called exodi from the custom of playing them after other pieces or at the end of the spectacle4 ,they were performed on the orchestra under the proscenium1 hence the name of comdi planipedi1 because the actors dispensed with buskins4 ,they dispensed also with those enormous masks termed person4 ,the tabernari comedies1 the subjects for which were drawn from the lower orders and from tavern life1 were sometimes played in the same manner as the planipedi2 this was also the case with the togat1 in which the actors appeared arrayed in the toga4 ,the other styles of comedy were designated variously as follows3--mixed comedies1 partly developed in speech1 partly in mimetic action1 such as ,the ,eunuch of ,terence2 ,motori comedies1 in which all was action1 such as ,the ,amphitryon of ,plautus2 ,palliat comedies1 in which the subject1 the characters and the costumes were ,greek2 ,prtextat comedies1 in which the subject and the characters were drawn from the nobility2 ,latin or comic-lachrymose comedies invented by ,rhinthonus1 a buffoon of ,tarentum2 ,statari comedies1 which contained a great deal of dialogue and little pantomime1 such as the ,asinaria of ,plautus and the ,hecyra of ,terence4 ,in the performance of some pieces theatrical declamation was shared between two actors1 one of whom spoke whilst the other gesticulated4 ,the ,abb du ,bos in his critical reflections upon poetry and painting offers the following explanation of this1 based upon the writings of ,titus ,livy3-- 8,livius ,andronicus1 a celebrated poet who lived in ,rome some five hundred and fourteen years after its foundation and some sixty years after the opening there of theatres1 himself performed in one of his pieces4 ,it was then the custom for dramatic poets to show themselves upon the stage1 there to take part in their own works4 ,the people1 who took the liberty still taken to-day in ,france and ,italy to demand the repetition of passages with which they were pleased1 by dint of crying bis caused the poor ,andronicus to recite so long that he grew hoarse4 ,out of all condition to continue to declaim1 he induced his audience to consent that a slave placed in front of the instrumental performer should recite the phrases1 and1 whilst the slave recited1 ,andronicus went through the same gestures which he had made when reciting himself4 ,it was observed then that his action was very much more animated because he employed all his energies in gesticulation1 whilst another was entrusted with the labour of enunciation2 hence1 according to ,titus ,livy1 was born the custom of dividing the declamation between two actors1 and of reciting1 as it were1 to the rhythm of the gestures of the comedian40 8,of all the ,roman spectacles10 says ,m4 ,charles ,magnin1 8none was more appreciated than pantomime2 it became even peculiar to this people to whom the masterpieces of the ,greek tragedies were foreign40 ,they required shows1 but shows contrived for the eyes4 ,this term pantomime1 signifying imitator of all things1 suggests that these actors had the art of rendering all manner of subjects by gesture alone4 ,lucian says that sometimes the subject of the piece performed by the pantomime was sung1 and that at other times he performed1 in silence1 expressing the verses by his mute action4 8,this spectacle10 says ,m4 ,charles ,magnin1 8which admitted no words1 was better suited than any other to the suspicious politics of the emperors2 and it possessed moreover the inappreciable advantage of supplying a sort of language intelligible and common to all those nations so diverse in their idioms and customs that composed the ,roman empire40 ,and further on he says3 8,observe in what terms ,nonnus of ,panopolis1 a poet of the time of ,theodosius1 speaks of the pantomime in ,book ,,viii4 of his ,dionysiaca3 #8there are gestures that have a language1 hands that have a mouth1 fingers that have a voice4' 8,although the use of the mask permitted the ,roman mimes to perform either male or female rles1 nevertheless1 female mimes were already in existence in the fourth century4 ,the incredible licence of this epoch rendered the presence of women necessary to the enjoyment of the crowd4 ,they appeared with uncovered heads1 and often--incredible statement6--entirely nude4 ,they swam thus before the spectators in a sort of vat or basin placed upon the large orchestra4 8,the number of the ,roman mimes in the fourth century is hardly credible4 ,ammianus ,marcellinus reports1 as a thing shameful to the ,romans1 that in the reign of ,constantius1 when the fear of famine compelled the authorities to expel from ,rome all strangers practising the liberal arts1 six thousand mimes were suffered to remain there undisturbed40 ,already1 before the ,christian era1 the funambuli or rope dancers were a source of sensation in ,rome4 ,the ,romans preferred their spectacles to all others4 ,terence himself experienced this2 and he laments that during the performance of one of his pieces the appearance of a new funambulus so attracted the notice of the spectators that they could give no thought or attention to anyone else4 ,ita populus1 studio spectaculi cupidus in funambulo animam occupaverat4 ,the celebrated perfection of the ancient mimes amazes us when we consider the masks they wore1 which must have deprived them of all power of expression and even of the natural character of their countenances1 unless this superimposed face was contrived with such art and scenic experience as to render it effective at a given distance4 ,these masks1 however1 were less deformed than those of other actors1 since at least they were not equipped with those enormous mouths whose aim was to increase the volume of the voice--a measure necessary in the vast theatres of antiquity4 ,it may be well to enter into some details of the uses of the ancient mask1 with which the mask worn by the actors of the ,italian comedy is undoubtedly connected4 ,we know already that the chief advantage of those ancient scenic masks was to enable men to appear in female rles4 ,this mask was a kind of great helmet covering the entire head of the actor and representing1 in addition to the features of the countenance1 the hair1 the ears and even the ornaments which women might employ in their headdresses4 ,this mask was called persona2 it is thus that ,phdrus1 ,horace and other authors have named it in their works4 ,it appears that the earliest were contrived of bark2 later they were made of leather1 lined with cloth2 but as their shapes were liable to distortion it became the custom to make them all of a light wood1 and it was conceived1 moreover1 that they should be constructed in a manner calculated to increase the volume of the actor's voice2 this was accomplished either by lining them with plates of bronze or other sonorous material1 or else by fitting to the interior of the mouth a sort of trumpet which was to have the effect of a megaphone4 ,hence is it that a large number of these masks have mouths of a size and an extent that render them hideous at close quarters2 but it should be considered that this deformity was no doubt diminished when they were seen from a distance1 the spectator then being able to perceive no more than a very strongly marked expression4 ,aulus-,gellius1 who wrote under the ,emperor ,adrian1 gives us the following account of the effect of these masks in increasing the voice3-- 8,the entire head and face of the actor being enclosed within the mask1 so that the voice could issue by only one restricted opening1 it follows that the voice thus confined must be greatly increased in volume and distinctness4 ,this is why the ,latins have given the name of persona to these masks1 because they cause the voices of those who wear them to resound and reverberate40 ,it was natural to provide different sorts of masks according to the employment for which they were destined4 ,consequently they were divided into comic1 tragic and satiric masks4 ,these last in particular were horribly overcast1 and no doubt very much larger than the others1 because1 being intended to represent fauns1 satyrs or cyclops1 which poetical imagination depicted as superhuman beings1 the actors entrusted with these rles had to appear as men very much above the natural4 ,consequently they never failed to increase their stature in proportion to the size of their masks4 ,only the masks designed for feminine rles or those worn by dancers were1 far from being deformed1 of pleasing and regular features4 ,they were called1 according to ,lucian1 mute or orchestric masks4 ,we also know that among the ,greeks1 where the aim of comedy1 more free than amongst the ,romans1 was to depict living citizens1 the actors wore masks displaying the features of those persons whom they portrayed4 ,it is thus that ,aristophanes in his comedy of the ,clouds gave one of his actors a mask which so perfectly resembled ,socrates that the spectators thought to behold the man himself upon the stage4 ,the ,romans corrected this abuse1 and it seems that in the comedies of ,terence the masks of the actors expressed the age1 the condition1 the manners and the nature of the character1 but without ever offering to the spectators any features with which they were acquainted4 ,the name of histrion1 which is derived from the ,etruscan hister1 came from ,etruria to ,rome together with scenic performances2 it became the designation of all actors4 ,these were for the most part slaves or freedmen who did not enjoy the privilege of ,roman citizenship4 ,moreover1 any citizen who should have been so ill advised as to appear upon the stage to perform or declaim would thereby have forfeited his civic rights4 ,for the rest1 only the law was rigorous with histrions2 custom dealt with them tolerantly4 ,we know that an actor could become rich1 and free if he were a slave1 when by his genius and his talents he attained celebrity4 ,quintus ,roscius1 a famous ,roman actor1 born #abi ,b4,c41 earned from five to six hundred thousand sesterces1 and the actor ,esopus1 his contemporary1 left to his son1 on his death-bed1 a fortune of twenty million sesterces#a acquired entirely in the theatre4 ,sorix and ,metrobius were his contemporaries1 and shared with him the friendship and favour of ,sylla4 ,the city of ,tarentum1 in ,magna ,grcia1 was famous for its actors1 who came to ,rome after the conquest of their city4 ,cleon performed his mimetics to the sound of the flute2 he was the most celebrated actor in all ,italy and played without mask1 like ,nymphodorus1 his rival4 ,istomachus1 who1 at first a charlatan1 followed later in the ways of ,cleon1 began by performing his farces in the public squares2 afterwards1 when he had acquired a certain celebrity1 he set up a theatre for his shows4 ,esopus1 according to ,quintilian1 was considered one of the greatest tragedians of ,rome1 whilst ,roscius excelled as a comic actor2 he was the friend of ,cicero1 and as esteemed for his talents as for his probity4 ,he had brought that art of gesture which the ,latins called saltatio to such a point of perfection that ,cicero often challenged him as to which of them would render the same thought with the greater eloquence1 the one by gesture1 or the other by word4 ,pylades and ,bathyllus1 in the first century1 were both famous as pantomime actors1 and the former assembled a troupe which enjoyed a wide celebrity4 ,lentulus1 mime and mimographer1 lived also in the first century under ,domitian and ,trajan4 ,in the third century1 ,genes or ,genest of ,rome1 a comedian1 was martyred4 ,in addition to the actors subsidised by the ,state there were itinerant mountebanks1 mimes and buffoons--the etymology of which1 buffo1 is derived from the action of inflating the cheeks so that the smacks which the actor is to receive must make more noise1 and induce to greater laughter4 ,all these mountebanks overran ,italy1 and performed their pieces1 which were in the nature of ,atellan1 and written--like those intended for the great theatres--in verse1 which was often sung to accompaniments on the flute4 ,the ,romans1 like the ,greeks1 had also their nevrospastes or marionette performers1 for we see the actors of the ,atellan borrowing religious pomps1 such as the ,manducus1 from the ancient marionettes4 8,thus was established in ,rome10 says ,m4 ,charles ,magnin1 8a sort of interchange between the characters of the ,atellan and those of the theatre of marionettes1 just as much more recently in ,france the masks of the ,italian comedy mingled1 and1 as it were1 duplicated themselves with the actors of the troop of ,polichinelle2 so that it is not easy to know whether in certain rles marionettes preceded living actors or living actors preceded marionettes40 ,the marionettes1 or 1 as ,aristotle calls them1 were brought from ,egypt into ,greece4 ,it is necessary to sketch the history of this theatre1 for it is essential to that of certain types of the ,italian comedy4 ,herodotus relates that the origin of puppets on wires is of the greatest antiquity2 but he claims to have seen the women of ,egypt bearing in procession1 in the religious festivals of ,osiris1 whom he calls ,bacchus1 images which sometimes were veritable statues1 certain parts of whose bodies were moved by cords4 ,the ,greeks appropriated this mechanism1 but they did not confine the uses of it to religious ceremonies2 they employed these automata in the theatre4 ,similarly in the religious ceremony1 which in ,rome preceded the games in the circus and the triumphs1 wooden statues were carried which were equipped with hidden strings4 ,amongst them were the ,african ghouls1 known as ,lami1 and the sharp-toothed ,manducus1 the eater of children1 a monster with a human head 7undoubtedly the primitive type of ,mchecrote and ,croquemitaine71 which opened1 says ,rabelais1 in ,pantagruel1 8large and horrific mandibles1 armed with teeth1 above and below1 which by means of the device of the little hidden cord1 were made terrifically to clash the one against the other40 ,the identical custom of promenading monsters and colossal figures is to be found again in the ,middle ,ages1 with the difference1 however1 that instead of being paraded in the triumphs of emperors they are now seen in the anniversaries of the holy bishops1 canonised for delivering the country of awesome monsters1 or just simply for having curbed idolatry2 even in the processions of our own day we may behold monsters1 whose jaws are armed with horrible teeth1 or a giant ,goliath and a ,saint ,christopher moving arms and legs4 ,this name of marionnette is derived from ,maria1 ,mariola1 a diminutive which the young girls in the ,middle ,ages gave to the little figures of the ,virgin exhibited in churches and by the wayside4 ,our fathers have drawn therefrom various derivatives1 marote1 mariotte1 mariole1 mariette1 marion1 and lastly marionnette4 ,all these infantile names1 given at first to young girls1 were appropriated afterwards by mountebanks for their wooden puppets1 which they called marmozets and mariottes1 as they are still called in ,languedoc4 ,in #aeej1 in ,italy1 they were called bagatelli and magatelli2 but when ,,burattino1 one of the masks of the ,italian comedy1 came to be personified among the marionettes1 he bestowed his name upon them1 and they came generally to be known as burattini1 from the end of the sixteenth century onwards4 ,the names of burattini and fantoccini are given to those whose limbs are articulated and moved by wires1 whilst bamboccie applies to those that are worked by a string stretched horizontally from a stick on the one side1 to the performer's knee on the other2 these are still in use among the little savoyards who 8make la ,catarina dance40 ,puppi and pupazzi describe those whose hands and heads only are of wood4 ,the body is merely a cloth pocket1 into which the hand is introduced2 the thumb and the middle finger work the arms1 the index moves the head1 being thrust into the hollow neck4 ,these marionettes1 simple in their structure1 go a long way back4 ,it was by means of them--easy of transport and maintenance as they are1 and as is also their theatre1 a mere booth of a primitive simplicity revealing no more than the upper half of their bodies--that the traditions of farce and satire were preserved throughout the ,middle ,ages4 ,in ,spain the marionettes bear the name of titeres but they are more commonly called bonifrates because in their masque performances they always represent hermits and saintly characters4 8,the crowd10 says ,m4 ,charles ,magnin1 8has ever shown itself greedy of scenic amusements1 and when it has not been possible to obtain comedians1 the people themselves have been their own comedians and buffoons4 ,well might the ,church condescend to the mimetic inclinations of the multitude and strongly endeavour to satisfy the bizarre fancies of the crowd by serious1 and sometimes comic1 representations2 well might she give to the laity a rle in the sacred ceremonies4 ,but there remained ever outside the ,church a surplus of unsatisfied mimetic passion which demanded1 notwithstanding all inhibitions1 the maintenance of comedians and dancers in the public places40 ,in the fourth and fifth centuries the little familiar dramas1 similar in manner to the later ,italian subjects1 were greatly in vogue in the ,greek and ,roman theatres4 ,women took part in them4 ,as for the subjects of the pieces1 they were always1 say the ,fathers of the ,church1 intrigues of gallantry and the misadventures of guardians or betrayed husbands4 8,philosophers and doctors are always ridiculed in them4 ,we behold more or less the same subjects and the same characters as those which passed later into the ,italian comedy40 ,cassiodorus1 writing in #efj1 says that the performances of mimes and pantomimes are still flourishing in his day4 ,the ,fathers of the ,church sought to extinguish the last traces of paganism by forbidding comedies and all histrionic performances1 upon the ground that they were impious and sacrilegious4 ,but the taste and the passion for the theatre being inherent in the ,italian1 the new religion could not succeed in abolishing this art4 ,the ,church ,victorious--leaving out of consideration the spirit of the early ,christians1 which contented itself with the ,catacombs of ,saint ,agnes for only temple--felt the need of monuments and luxurious churches and of pomps calculated to strike the imagination4 ,thus we can see certain dramas and religious representations intermingling with the mise-en-scne of ,catholicism ,triumphant4 ,it is in the very ,church itself that dramatic art finds refuge4 ,the theatres had ceased to be places of pleasure and entertainment4 ,the majority had been converted into citadels and fortresses to resist the constant invasions of the ,huns1 the ,vandals1 the ,goths1 the ,lombards and the ,normans4 ,although the people of ,italy had no leisure in which to occupy themselves with farces and show-plays when the avalanche of the ,northern people descended upon their cities and overran the countryside now desolated by famine1 no sooner was a moment of respite conceded to this poor land than the taste for comedy and spectacles was born again of its own ashes4 ,saint ,thomas ,aquinas1 who lived in #abbd1 speaks of the comedy of his day as of a spectacle which had existed for many centuries before him4 ,he calls comedy histrionatus ars and comedians histriones4 ,when the feudal and barbarous nobility was compelled1 under a pious pretext1 to bear arms in the ,east to stem the incessant wave of ,saracen invasion which threatened ,christendom1 the whole of ,europe traversed the civilisation of the empire of the ,east1 and it was upon their return from the ,crusades that the pilgrims1 their imagination fired by the marvels of ,byzantium1 performed the remarkable adventures of the knights-errant1 miracles of saints and religious legends1 first in ,italy1 and later in ,france4 ,these were the sources of our theatre4 ,in ,italy the histrionic art began to assume two distinct manners3 the sacred and religious mystery plays1 and the comedies1 which continued to be what they had been in the hands of the ancient ,latin mimes--that is to say1 burlesque farces1 improvisations mingled with tumbling1 dances and scraps of ancient pieces which the ,italian dancers have preserved1 often unconsciously1 down to our own days4 8,it is to the ,italians10 says ,voltaire1 in his ,questions sur l',encyclopdie1 8that we owe the vicious style of drama called mystery plays4 ,they began in the thirteenth century and perhaps earlier1 by farces drawn from the ,old and ,new ,testaments3 an unworthy abuse which soon passed into ,spain and ,france6 ,it was a vicious imitation of the attempts which ,saint ,gregory of ,nazianza had made to oppose a ,christian theatre to the pagan theatre of ,sophocles and ,euripides4 ,saint ,gregory of ,nazianza infused some eloquence and some dignity into his pieces2 the ,italians and their imitators introduced into theirs nothing but buffooneries40 ,with the fourteenth century ,italy enters upon a new era1 upon the epoch of reflorescence1 the renaissance of arts and letters which was not experienced in ,france until a century later2 nevertheless1 in the beginning of the fourteenth century ,italian influence inspired ,luco1 the ,provenal poet1 to compose a satirical piece against the ,duke of ,anjou1 ,king of ,naples4 ,towards the middle of the same century1 ,parasolz1 another ,provenal poet1 composed a series of five pieces1 or rather a piece in five chapters1 against ,jeanne ,i41 ,queen of ,naples2 therein her life1 her adventures1 her crimes1 were dragged into the light of day under the titles of ,l',andreasse1 ,la ,tarenta1 ,la ,mahorquina1 ,l',allemande1 ,la ,johanella4 ,this satire was performed at ,avignon1 before the anti-pope ,clement ,,vii4 7,robert of ,geneva71 who was so pleased with the work that he appointed ,parasolz ,canon of ,sisteron4 ,the ,italian language1 having been purified by ,dante1 ,petrarca1 ,boccaccio1 and ,ariosto1 the fifteenth century was in ,italy an epoch of taste1 of art and of letters4 ,whilst in ,france the theatre was the monopoly of the religious confraternities1 jealous of their privileges1 in ,italy it was always open to the productions of wit and of genius4 ,two distinct styles existed there3 the noble tragedies and comedies written1 memorised and recited1 such as ,il ,pastor ,fido of ,guarini1 ,la ,calandra of the ,cardinal of ,bibbiena1 ,la ,mandragora of ,macchiavelli1 ,i ,simili of ,giorgio ,trissino1 ,l',aminta of ,tasso1 etc41 etc42 and the free theatre of the improvisers given over to singing1 dancing1 raillery and facetiousness4 ,whilst in ,france one might take delight only in mystery plays1 into which had been introduced1 it is true1 many profane and gross pleasantries1 or in the plumed mountebanks1 who swallowed swords and canes1 walked on their hands or with blindfolded eyes1 to the sound of tambourines1 and performed what is still known to-day as la danse des ufs1 in ,italy the theatre was rediscovered1 honoured and cultivated4 ,whilst the ,zingari1 ,bohemians or ,gypsies1 that errant race of ,hindu soudras1 overran ,europe1 and sometimes took the risk of displaying their pupazzi or magatelli--which caused them in certain countries to be taken for sorcerers and got them condemned by sentence to be hanged and burnt--troupes of comedians and of buffoons1 such as ,martino d',amelia and ,gian ,manente1 went about ,italy performing plays written by ,poliziano1 ,macchiavelli1 ,ariosto1 the ,cardinal of ,bibbiena1 ,nicol ,secchi1 ,tasso1 ,fedini1 ,guarini1 and others1 dramas1 tragedies and pieces in which tragedy1 comedy and satire were mingled1 called tragisatirocomedie1 improvisations upon given subjects1 termed commedie dell' arte1 and lastly1 commedie sostenute4 ,in speaking of the ,italian comedies ,montaigne says3 8,i have often conceived a fancy to write comedies such as those of the ,italians who are so felicitous in that art4 ,they find in everything something to excite their laughter2 they are in no need to tickle themselves40 ,throughout the sixteenth century1 down to the seventeenth1 two distinct theatres were therefore in existence3 one occupied by comedians who played impromptu 7commedia dell' arte7 with ,harlequin and other masked actors2 the other occupied by the academicians1 or academic actors1 who performed written and regular pieces 7the commedia sostenuta7 which sometimes passed into the theatre of the buffo-comedians4 ,it was ,angelo ,beolco1 surnamed ,,ruzzante1 who was the first to open a career to the ,italian dialects4 ,in #aebh he presented his first prose comedy1 in which each character spoke a different dialect4 ,this entertainment became extremely popular4 ,every locality desired to have its own type represented in it4 ,hence its infinity of characters and of names1 which may be summed up into a few principal types3 ,harlequin1 ,pulcinella1 the ,captain1 ,scaramouche1 ,brighella1 ,pantaloon and the ,doctor4 ,pulcinella had never ceased to exist from the days of the ,atellan1 in which he went by the name of ,maccus1 the mimus albus4 ,casnar1 ,pappus1 the flouted and ridiculous old man1 became ,pantaloon1 and later ,cassandro4 ,the two ,zanni1 ,harlequin and ,brighella1 are the sanniones of the ancient theatre2 the first is a lackey or loutish peasant1 stupid and gluttonous2 the second is an astute and wily slave1 avenging himself upon his masters by robbing them4 ,the ancient tradition has been preserved down to our own days in the garments of the characters of the ,italian comedy4 ,first the mask1 which has been but little modified2 for the principal types1 such as ,pulcinella1 ,harlequin1 ,brighella1 ,pantaloon1 ,coviello1 ,tartaglia1 still wear the mask which1 in itself1 lends them an ancient character and1 except in the case of old men1 a nightcap which conceals the hair and so perpetuates the tradition of the shaven heads of the ancient mimes4 ,the tradition of that other part of the costume worn by the ,greek phallophores was preserved by comedy mimes and buffoons down to the time of ,louis ,,xiii4 ,it suffices to cast a glance at such illustrations as ,callot's ,les ,petits ,danseurs1 as ,cerimonia1 ,smaraolo1 ,scaramuccia1 ,captain ,spezza-,monti and others1 to realise this4 ,most of the characters also wore the mantle 7il tabaro71 and all the lackeys1 like the slaves of the ,atellan1 appeared in short garments4 ,the toga and the long robes were permitted only to the nobles and the old men4 ,the club of ,pulcinella and the bat of ,harlequin are probably no more than modifications of the curved staff of the peasants of the ,greek theatre1 the attribute of the ,muse of ,comedy4 ,other essential analogies are to be considered4 ,first1 ,la ,cantatrice included in all ,italian troupes1 who1 in the manner of the ancient chorus1 came to sing and to explain the scenes4 ,then the modern planipes1 the ,bolognese ,narcisino1 who still comes1 by way of interlude1 to chat with the public and scoff at the manners of the day2 finally and chiefly the method of performing impromptu1 the actors having memorised no rles and playing after merely having read an outline of the subject nailed up in the wings4 ,these resemblances and many others would prove that the ,commedia dell' ,arte is no more than the continuation of the theatre of ,atella with its improvisations and its free and often licentious scenes1 mingled with songs and pantomime4 ,we have said that every province desired to be represented4 ,thus ,bergamo provided ,harlequin and ,brighella2 ,milan supplied ,beltrame and ,scapino1 who are merely varieties of ,brighella and ,meneghino2 ,venice contributed ,pantaloon and his lackey ,zacometo2 ,naples gave us ,pulcinella1 ,scaramouche1 ,tartaglia1 el ,capitan 7who became metamorphosed under his ,spanish designation7 and the ,biscegliese4 ,from ,rome came ,meo-,patacca1 ,marco-,pepe and ,cassandrino1 this last a more modern type1 a sort of monsignore2 ,florence supplied ,stenterello2 ,bologna1 the ,doctor and ,narcisino2 ,turin1 ,gianduja2 ,calabria1 ,coviello and ,giangurgolo2 ,sicily1 the ,baron1 ,peppe-,nappa1 etc41 etc4 ,harlequin1 ,brighella1 the ,doctor and ,pantaloon may be called the four fundamental modern masks4 ,salvator ,rosa indicated seven--namely1 these four1 and ,pulcinella1 ,tartaglia and ,coviello4 ,why are these set apart to-day8 ,perhaps they are so old that they have fallen into disfavour4 ,where are the ,menego1 the ,truffa1 the ,zaccagnino1 ,cavicchio1 ,bagatino1 ,ciurlo ,guazeto and many others8 ,but then-- 8where are the snows of yesteryear80 ,when ,flaminio ,scala travelled through ,italy with his troupe1 towards the middle of the sixteenth century1 a few years after ,beolco 7,ruzzante71 he found the personages of the ,commedia already established1 and the greater part of them baptized4 ,nothing remained for him but to bring them into action4 ,since the advent of the ,christian era women had disappeared from the theatre2 with the ,renaissance they re-entered it again4 ,flaminio ,scala's company played in ,italy from the second half of the sixteenth down to the beginning of the seventeenth century2 chiefly they performed commedie dell' arte upon subjects very succinctly sketched4 ,scala did no more than continue the performances of fables and farces which had been played long before his day4 ,he has left us some fifty subjects1 printed in #afaa4 ,among the personages in these are ,arlecchino1 ,pedrolino 7,pierrot71 ,burattino1 ,fritellino1 ,capitan ,spavento1 ,mezzetino1 ,pantalone1 il ,dottore1 ,cavicchio1 and ,flaminio ,scala himself under the name of ,flavio4 ,thus in the middle of the sixteenth century we find a considerable number of our ,italian masks named and performing4 8,this same ,flaminio ,scala10 says ,riccoboni 7in his ,history of the ,italian ,theatre1 written in #agbc71 8caused his plays to be printed2 they contain no dialogue1 but merely expound the subject in simple scenarii which are not as concise as those which we use and attach to the walls behind the wings of our theatres1 nor yet so prolix that one may derive from them the least hint of the dialogue3 they explain merely what the actor is to do and the action in question1 and no more40 ,evaristo ,gherardi1 on the subject of performances upon scenarii and the improvisation of the actors in the ,commedia dell' ,arte1 writes as follows3-- 8444 ,the ,italian comedians learn nothing by heart1 and to perform a comedy it suffices them to have glanced over the subject for a moment before entering the stage4 ,therefore the chief merit of their pieces is inseparable from the action2 the success of their comedies depends absolutely upon the actors1 who render them more or less amusingly according to the measure of their personal wit and as a result of the advantages of the situation in which they are placed when playing4 ,it is this necessity of spontaneous performance which renders it so difficult to replace a good ,italian comedian4 ,there is no one who may not learn by heart and declaim on the stage what he has learnt2 but it is a very different affair in the case of the ,italian comedian4 ,he who speaks of a good ,italian comedian1 speaks of a man of solid qualities1 of one who performs from imagination rather than from memory2 who in the course of performing invents all that he utters2 who knows how to support his fellow-actor on the stage2 in short1 one who so perfectly weds his actions and his words to those of his fellow-actors that he enters at once into the play and action demanded by the others to such an extent as to make it all appear to have been preconcerted40 ,further1 on this same subject1 here are the sentiments of ,riccoboni3 8,one may not deny that it has graces peculiar to itself such as the written comedy may never boast4 ,impromptu affords opportunity for such variety of performance that although you may return again and again to see the same scenario performed1 you will always witness a different piece4 ,the actor who performs impromptu performs in a more lively and natural manner than he who discharges a rle which he has learned by heart4 ,the actor feels more deeply and consequently gives a better delivery to words proceeding from himself than it were possible to give to those borrowed from another by the aid of memory2 but these advantages of the impromptu comedy are purchased at the price of great drawbacks2 it is necessary that the actors shall be ingenious2 it is essential that they shall be more or less of equal talent1 because the weakness of impromptu lies in the fact that the best of actors depends absolutely upon those who are his partners in the dialogue2 should he find himself playing with one who does not know how to seize with precision the moment of retort or who interrupts him imprudently1 his subject languishes or the vivacity of his wit is stifled4 ,face1 voice1 sentiment even1 may not suffice the actor who performs impromptu2 he will not excel unless his imagination is lively and fertile and he is gifted with a great facility of expression1 unless he possesses all the niceties of language and unless he has acquired all such special knowledge as may be necessary to enable him to deal effectively with the different situations in which he is placed by his rle40 ,the opinion of the witty and very artistic ,prsident de ,brosses 7#agdj7 may be added to the foregoing4 8,this method of performing impromptu which renders the style very weak1 renders the action on the other hand very lively and very true4 ,the ,italians are natural comedians3 even among men of the world you will find in their conversation a fire which does not exist with us1 lively though we are accounted4 ,the gesture and the voice inflexion are always wedded to the subject in their theatre2 the actors come and go1 they speak and move as in their own homes4 ,this action is natural in a very different sense and wears an air of truth very different from that which is seen when four or five ,french actors1 arranged in line1 like a bas-relief1 on the foreground of the stage1 recite their dialogue each speaking in his turn40 ,enough has been said to show that the ,italian comedy is directly descended from the performances of the ancient ,latin mimes2 and the genre called commedia dell' arte in particular is none other than that of the ,atellan4 ,it is the only theatre in ,europe which has preserved the traditions of antiquity4 ,the theatre in ,france did not begin to take form until the ,italian influence came to soften and to abolish the rudeness of the marvellous and grotesque ,french mystery plays4 ,it is often wondered how it could have been possible to play such scenes as that in which two actors1 finding themselves on the stage1 seek each other and speak without seeing each other2 or sometimes five or six characters perform at the same time1 forming nevertheless two or three groups1 who again do not see one another4 ,these scenes1 which are constantly to be found in the plays of ,plautus and ,ruzzante1 are to be explained by the shape and construction of the theatres of antiquity and of the ,renaissance1 of which a very beautiful specimen1 the work of ,palladio1 is still to be seen at ,vicenza4 ,the auditorium is constructed in the shape of a semicircle supplied with steps4 ,it is surrounded by a colonnade1 the intervals between the pillars forming the boxes1 and by stairs leading to a gallery which crowns the whole4 ,the stage consists of two parts1 the proscenium1 a semicircular platform which reaches to the foot of the steps1 and behind this the stage proper1 bearing the scenery4 ,but the scenery was hung very differently from that in our modern theatres4 ,the stage was divided into three arcades1 and under each arcade one saw1 upon a sloping ground1 a real street with wooden houses2 these streets1 proceeding from the back of the stage1 come to debouch upon the proscenium1 which is deemed an open square4 ,the actors may therefore perform and circulate through all the streets1 conceal themselves1 spy upon one another1 listen1 or very naturally surprise secrets and mysteries in such a manner as is often impossible in our modern theatres4 ,a further great advantage was that the actors performing1 whether on the proscenium or the stage1 might be equally well heard in any part of the auditorium owing to its circular construction and to the fact that the stage was not raised as is the case with us4 ,this theatre1 called the ,olympic1 built by ,palladio at the beginning of the sixteenth century1 is an architectural gem4 ,on the occasion of the ftes with which the city of ,lyons received ,henry ,,ii4 and ,catherine de ,medicis in #aedh1 the ,florentine merchants established in that city brought at their own expense a troupe of ,italian comedians to perform the ,cardinal of ,bibbiena's ,la ,calandra before the ,king and ,queen of ,france4 ,but the ,italian comedy theatre was not seen in ,paris until #aegj1 when it was established there by one ,ganasse or ,juan ,ganassa4 ,here both tragedy and comedy were performed1 and 8,the charge of admission was up to five or six sous for each person40 ,ganassa's troupe1 authorised by letters patent from the king1 does not appear to have made a long sojourn in ,france4 ,ganassa had been in ,spain in the early years of the reign of ,philip ,,ii4 managing a company of ,italian comedians1 who performed farces in the ,italian language4 ,in this company were included ,harlequin1 ,pantaloon1 the ,doctor1 ,pagliaccio1 ,burattino1 and ,tabarino whose homonym enjoyed later on so great a vogue in the ,place ,dauphine in ,paris4 ,the performances of these personages and their costumes achieved a great success in ,spain1 where they made a protracted sojourn before going to ,france4 ,porbus shows in one of his pictures a ball or divertissement at the ,court of ,charles ,,ix4 in #aegb4 ,in this the king and all his courtiers are to be seen in the costumes of various ,italian buffoons4 ,the ,duke of ,guise 7le ,balafr7 appears as ,scaramouche1 the ,duke of ,anjou 7,henry ,,iii47 as ,harlequin1 the ,cardinal of ,lorraine as ,pantaloon1 ,catherine of ,medicis as ,columbine1 and ,his ,very ,christian ,majesty is seen cutting capers under the mask of ,brighella4 ,singular prelude to the horrible tragedy of the #bdth ,august of the same year6 ,in #aega the ,italian troupe1 known under the name of ,i ,comici ,confidenti--that is to say1 the confident comedians 7confident1 it was understood1 of the indulgence of the public7--journeyed through the provinces of ,france4 ,the performances of this company consisted in impromptu comedies1 pastorals and written comedies and tragedies4 ,the famous ,celia1 whose real name was ,maria ,malloni1 was one of the members of this troupe1 as was also ,bernardino ,lombardi1 actor and poet1 and ,fabrizio di ,fornaris1 known by the name of ,captain ,crocodile--,capitan ,cocodrillo4 ,at about the same time a second troupe1 under the name of ,i ,comici ,gelosi 7that is to say1 zealous1 anxious to please the public71 came also to ,france to perform the same style of pieces4 ,this troupe also included some excellent actors1 such as ,orazio ,nobili1 of ,padua1 ,adriani ,valerini1 of ,verona1 known under the name of ,aurelio1 and the beautiful ,lidia1 of ,bagnacavallo4 ,in #aegd the two rival companies amalgamated into a single troupe1 which took the name of ,i ,comici ,uniti 7the united comedians72 but the ,masters of la ,passion caused the theatre to be closed4 ,at the end of #aegf the two united troupes separated once more1 and again resumed their respective titles of ,i ,confidenti and ,i ,gelosi4 ,it was then that ,flaminio ,scala placed himself at the head of the ,gelosi1 and travelled through ,france and ,italy alternately1 always encouraged by the greatest success4 ,this troupe was in ,venice when ,henry ,,iii4 summoned it to ,blois1 whence he commanded it to ,paris4 ,the arrival of these artists1 in #aegg1 is announced by ,l',etoile in the following terms3-- 8,in this month the ,italian comedians called li gelosi1 whom the king had sent for from ,venice1 and whose ransom he had paid1 they having been captured by ,huguenots1 began the performance of their comedies in the ,salle des ,etats at ,blois2 and the king permitted them to charge a half testoon to all who should come to see them play40 8,on ,sunday the #aith of ,may1 the ,italian comedians1 surnamed li gelosi1 began the performance of their comedies at the ,htel de ,bourbon1 in ,paris2 they charged the members of their audience a fee of four sous per head1 and such were the crowds they attracted that the four best preachers of ,paris had not amongst them all as many present at their sermons when they discoursed40 8,on ,saturday1 the #bgth ,july1 the ,italian comedians1 li gelosi1 after having presented at ,court letters patent accorded them by the king1 permitting them to perform their comedies notwithstanding the prohibition of the ,court1 were dismissed under plea of objection with prohibition ever to obtain and to present such letters to the ,court subject to a penalty of ten thousand livres1 to be paid into the poor-box4 ,notwithstanding this inhibition1 in the early part of the following ,september they renewed the performance of their comedies at the ,htel de ,bourbon1 as before1 by the king's express command2 the corruption of these times being such that comedians1 buffoons1 harlots and mignons enjoy the fullest credit with the king40 ,but this company did not long remain in ,paris4 8,long sojourns0 7says ,m4 ,charles ,magnin7 8were not the custom of these itinerant troupes1 and moreover the magistrates1 being little in favour of the establishment of new theatres1 sustained with rigour the monopoly of the ancient confraternity of la ,passion1 which was then being infringed by professional comedians at the ,htel de ,bourgogne40 ,the ,gelosi troupe returned therefore to ,florence in #aegh2 and it was there that ,flaminio ,scala brought together the most famous ,italian company of the sixteenth century4 ,this company visited ,france on several occasions4 ,it had for its device a two-faced ,janus with this legend1 punning upon the word gelosi3 8,virt1 fama ed onor ne' ser gelosi40 ,the principal actors engaged by ,flaminio ,scala1 who himself played lovers under the name of ,flavio1 were3 a young actress named ,prudenza1 born at ,verona1 who played second lady1 and who had already formed part of the company in #aegg at ,blois and in ,paris2 ,giulio ,pasquati1 of ,padua1 who played ,pantaloon and il ,magnifico2 ,gabriello1 of ,bologna1 creator of the character of ,franca-,trippa2 ,simone1 of ,bologna1 the first to bear the name of ,harlequino2 ,girolamo ,salimbeni1 of ,florence1 under the name of ,zanobio 7an elderly citizen of ,piombino72 ,signora ,silvia ,roncagli1 of ,bergamo1 who filled soubrette parts under the name of ,franceschina2 ,lodovico1 of ,bologna1 who played ,doctor ,graziano2 ,francesco ,andreini1 of ,pistoia1 who performed upon 8all musical instruments and spoke six or seven languages02 ,francesco ,bartoli1 an able comedian2 and ,isabella1 who married ,francesco ,andreini 7,captain ,spavento74 ,from #aehd to #aehe the troupe called the ,confidenti was in ,france4 ,fabrizio di ,fornaris gave a pastoral play and then a comedy 7,angelica71 which was first performed impromptu in ,italian at the house of the ,duke of ,joyeuse4 ,the author himself played the rle of ,captain ,crocodile1 who spoke only ,spanish4 ,this new troupe established itself at the ,htel de ,cluny1 but it was driven out by the ,confraternity of la ,passion4 ,in #aehh there was a fresh attempt by the ,italians to establish themselves in ,paris4 ,on the subject ,m4 ,charles ,magnin says3 8,one may read in a remonstrance addressed to the king on the occasion of the opening of the ,seconds ,etats1 at ,blois1 amongst many other plaints1 #8that the performances of the ,italian strangers are a great evil which it is wrong to tolerate4' ,further1 a warrant of the #ajth of ,august of this year renews the inhibition to all comedians1 whether ,italian or ,french1 to give any performance anywhere but at the ,htel de ,bourgogne4 ,evil times rather than this inhibition compelled the ,italian actors to return beyond the ,alps4 ,during this sad epoch1 indeed1 there was no room in ,france for the blithe frolics of ,harlequin1 ,pantaloon1 the ,bolognese ,doctor1 ,franca-,trippa1 ,franceschina1 and ,captain ,spavento4 ,the ,sixteen and their adherents were giving very different spectacles to ,france40 ,in #afjj ,henry ,,iv41 after the peace of ,savoy1 at the time of his marriage with ,mary of ,medicis1 introduced from ,italy a new troupe which1 according to some authors1 was none other than that of the ,gelosi1 under the direction of ,flaminio ,scala4 ,they were lodged in the ,rue de la ,poterie at the ,htel d',argent1 and were salaried by the king4 ,they came to an arrangement with the comedians at the ,htel de ,bourgogne1 and played alternately with them in the theatre of the ,rue ,mauconseil4 ,the beautiful and famous ,isabella ,andreini was the queen of this troupe1 and her death in #afjd was the signal for its disbandment4 ,flaminio ,scala retired1 worn out by twenty-eight years of work1 and occupied himself thereafter with the publication of scenarii4 ,in the beginning of the seventeenth century ,italy possessed several companies of comedians3 the ,comici ,uniti1 a troupe formed in #aehc by ,adriano ,valerini of deserters from the camp of the ,gelosi2 the ,confidenti1 who were slowly disappearing2 the ,gelosi1 whom we have seen disbanded after the death of ,isabella1 and a new troupe1 inheritor of the glory of the ,gelosi1 which was known and applauded for forty-seven years throughout ,europe under the name of the ,comici ,fedeli 7the faithful comedians74 ,giovanni ,battista ,andreini1 the son of ,isabella1 assumed in #afje the direction of this company1 which1 several times renewed1 did not disband until #afeb4 ,its principal actors were3 ,gian-,paolo ,fabri1 who had already performed under the name of ,flaminio in the troupe of the ,uniti2 ,nicol ,barbieri1 known by the name of ,beltrame1 who became in #afbe joint director of the troupe with ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini2 ,virginia ,ramponi1 married to ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini in #afja1 and known by the name of ,florinda2 ,girolamo ,gavarini of ,ferrara1 known by the name of ,captain ,rhinoceros 7,capitan ,rinoceronte72 ,margarita ,luciani1 his wife2 ,lidia1 an actress of great merit1 who married ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini in #afce1 after the death of ,virginia ,ramponi2 and ,eularia ,coris4 ,in #afac1 ,mary of ,medicis summoned to ,paris the troupe of the ,fedeli1 under the direction of ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini1 who had just dedicated his religious piece ,l',adamo to the queen4 ,he remained there until #afah1 presenting the old repertory of the ,gelosi and playing now at ,court and now in the theatre of the ,htel de ,bourgogne by arrangement with the ,french comedians4 ,in #afba ,andreini was again called to ,paris and he remained there1 according to ,m4 ,ch4 ,magnin1 8until the end of carnival of #afbc1 having1 during these two years1 performed to great applause and published five or six pieces of his own in ,paris4 ,after a short journey beyond the ,alps1 he comes yet again to spend the year #afbd and the beginning of #afbe in ,paris40 ,the performances given by his various troupes consisted of comedies1 both improvised and memorised1 tragedies1 and plays of the comic opera and pastoral variety4 ,the dialects of ,venice1 ,naples1 ,bergamo or ,genoa1 besides ,french1 ,german and ,castilian1 were sometimes employed1 in certain pieces of his1 such as ,la ,ferinda4 ,it is fairly certain that the ,french public cannot have understood them to any great extent1 and the author himself would have to compensate them on the morrow of such performances by giving them such works as ,la ,centaura 7dedicated to ,mary of ,medicis74 ,this equestrian piece presented an entire family of centaurs1 father1 mother1 son and daughter4 ,in the first act they prance in a comedy1 in the second they graze happily in a pastoral and in the third they gallop and rear in a tragedy4 ,numerous and picturesquely bizarre adventures pivot about the father1 the son and the mother centaurs1 in the course of their combat to recover the crown of the island of ,cyprus4 ,despairing of success in their design1 they resolutely kill themselves4 ,this accomplished1 the offer of that crown so ardently desired is made to them4 ,the little female centaur1 an orphan1 sees herself compelled to ascend the throne1 which she does at the gallop4 ,the influence of these ,italian comedies1 farces and buffooneries1 the picturesqueness of the costumes1 the impromptu of this class of play1 soon begat in ,france comedians and buffoons who sometimes even surpassed their models4 ,whilst borrowing the mask1 the mantle and the liveries of the ,italians1 the ,french comedians very quickly created in the theatre of the ,htel de ,bourgogne--fallen into discredit on account of the tiresome pieces presented there--characters1 half-,french1 half-,italian1 full of originality1 wit and mirth1 such as ,gros-,guillaume1 ,turlupin1 ,gaultier-,garguille1 ,guillot-,gorju and ,jodelet1 whilst from #afah to #afbe ,tabarin performed in the ,place ,dauphine1 in company with ,mondor1 his farces in ,italian1 in ,spanish or in ,french according to the types presented4 ,this was a field in which ,molire had the ability to glean as well as in that of the ,italian comedy4 ,in #afci ,louis ,,xiii4 summoned from ,italy a troupe of players1 half singers1 half improvisers1 which remained but a little while in ,france4 ,it included the celebrated ,tiberio ,fiurelli1 who went by the name of ,scaramouche4 ,these short visits were several times repeated1 as we gather from the works of ,andreini and ,beltrame4 ,they tell us that these troupes of ,italian comedians were not settled in ,paris4 ,they were sent for and the expenses of their journeys were defrayed2 they remained in ,paris or attached to the ,court for as long as they afforded entertainment1 and1 after some years1 they were given a sum sufficient to meet the expenses of their return journey4 ,a company summoned to ,paris in #afde by ,cardinal ,mazarin played at the ,petit-,bourbon ,theatre4 ,it was made up of ,pantaloon1 ,harlequin1 ,mezzetin1 ,trivelino1 ,isabelle1 ,columbine1 the ,doctor1 ,scaramouche1 ,aurelia1 ,gabriella ,locatelli1 ,giulia ,gabrielli1 and ,margarita ,bartolazzi4 ,here is the title of a piece performed in this theatre3 8,explanation of the scenery and action of the piece entitled ,la ,folle ,suppose 7,la ,finta ,pazza71 the work of the celebrated ,giulio ,strozzi1 most illustrious ,italian poet1 to be performed by the grand royal troupe of ,italian comedians1 entertained by his ,majesty at the ,petit-,bourbon1 by command of the ,queen ,mother of the ,very ,christian ,king ,louis ,,xiv4 printed in ,paris1 ,november #afde4 8,flore will be played by the graceful and pretty ,louise ,gabrielle ,locatelli1 named ,lucile1 who by her vivacity will prove herself a true light of harmony4444 8,thtis will be played by the signora ,giulia ,gabrielli1 named ,diane1 who will marvellously portray her choler and her love4 8,the prologue of this piece will be spoken by the very excellent ,marguerite ,bartolazzi1 whose voice is so ravishing that it is impossible worthily to praise it40 ,further on we read on the subject of another scene3 8,note3 ,this scene will be entirely without music1 but so admirably performed that the harmonies dispensed with will not be missed4 8,the first act of the piece concludes with a ballet by four bears and four apes1 performing a very amusing dance to the sound of little drums4 8,and ostriches will appear and in the course of lowering their necks to drink at a fountain will perform a dance40 ,here is the argument of the eighth and last scene of the third act3 8,nicomedes recognises ,pyrrhus for his grandson1 and meanwhile there arrives an ,indian1 who1 having made his bow to the king1 announces that among the merchandise aboard his ship which the tempest has driven into port1 there are five parrots1 of which he makes offer1 causing them to be brought on in a cage4 8,at the same time four ,indians go through a ,moorish dance2 finally the parrots take flight from the hands of their owners and leave these in despair at the loss2 after which the piece concludes and all take ship for the war in ,troy40 ,in #afec a new troupe appeared1 in which again we find some actors who had already visited ,france several times1 such as ,tiberio ,fiurelli 7,scaramouche71 ,locatelli 7,trivelino71 and ,brigida ,bianchi 7,aurelia74 ,this troupe was the first to settle definitely in ,paris4 ,the ,petit-,bourbon ,theatre was assigned to them1 as well as to the troupe of ,spanish comedians who1 from #afej to #afgb1 played concurrently with the ,italians4 ,the following is an announcement by ,loret1 who published his letters in verse every ,saturday3-- ,the ,historic ,muse of ,loret1 for the #ajth ,august #afec ,une troupe de gens comiques4 8,venus des climats italiques4 ,dimanche dernier1 tout de bon4 ,firent dans le ,petit-,bourbon4 ,l'ouverture de leur thtre ,par un sujet assez foltre4 ,o l'archiplaisant ,trivelin1 ,qui n'a pas le nez aquilin4 ,fit et dit tout plein de folies ,qui semblrent assez jolies4 ,au rapport de certains tmoins4 ,scaramouche n'en fit pas moins4 ,mais pour enchanter les oreilles1 ,pmer1 pleurer1 faire merveilles1 ,mademoiselle ,batrix ,emporta ce jour-l le prix40 ,n4 ,turi 7of ,modena7 played the parts of ,pantaloon2 ,angelo-,agostino-,constantino ,lolli 7of ,bologna7 the parts of ,doctor ,baloardo2 ,marco ,romagnesi1 under the name of ,orazio1 the parts of first lover2 ,turi the son1 under the name of ,virginio1 those of second lover2 ,beatrice ,adami1 under the name of ,diamantina1 the parts of soubrette2 ,jean ,doucet appeared in the character of a zany2 ,tiberio ,fiurelli in that of ,scaramouche2 ,brigida ,bianchi played the parts of leading lady or amoureuse under the name of ,aurelia1 and ,domenico ,locatelli was seen as ,trivelino4 ,the performances were held between two and five o'clock in the afternoon1 the choice of hour being governed by consideration of the mud and thieves encumbering the badly lighted streets of ,paris after dark4 ,this troupe left the ,petit-,bourbon in #affj and found accommodation1 by order of the king1 together with ,molire's company1 at the theatre of the ,palais-,royal4 ,performances were given on alternate days and the company1 reinforced by several other actors and actresses from ,italy1 was made up as follows3-- ,,valerio1 ,,ottavio1 ,andrea ,zanotti4 ,,eularia1 ,orsola ,corteze1 wife of ,domenico4 ,,diamantina1 ,patricia ,adami1 wife of ,angelo ,lolli4 ,,harlequin1 ,giuseppe-,domenico ,biancolelli1 called ,domenico4 ,,cinthio1 ,marco-,antonio ,romagnesi4 ,,scaramouche1 ,tiberio ,fiurelli4 ,,flautino1 ,giovanni ,gherardi 7#afge74 ,,mezzetino1 ,angelo ,constantini 7#afhb74 ,,columbine1 ,catarina ,biancolelli1 daughter of ,domenico4 ,,pierrot1 ,giuseppe ,giaratone 7#afhd74 ,,pasquariello1 ,giuseppe ,tortoretti 7#afhe74 ,,aurelio1 ,bartolomeo ,ranieri 7#afhe74 ,,marinetta1 ,angelica ,toscano1 wife of ,tortoretti4 ,,pulcinella1 ,michel-,angelo da ,fracassano 7#afhe74 ,,gradelino1 ,constantino ,constantini 7#afhg74 ,,ottavio1 ,giovanni-,battista ,constantini 7#afhg74 ,,harlequin1 ,evaristo ,gherardi4 ,,leandro1 ,charles-,virgile ,romagnesi de ,belmont4 ,,spinetta1 ,,brighella and the ,,captain1 whose real names are not known4 ,,la ,,cantatrice1 ,elisabeth ,danneret1 called ,babet4 ,in #afig the troupe was expelled from ,paris1 and the theatre closed as the result of a comedy 7,la ,fausse ,prude7 in which ,constantini1 who filled the rle of ,harlequin1 permitted himself satirical allusions to ,madame de ,maintenon4 ,under the designation of ,thtres de la ,foire were comprised1 down to the end of the eighteenth century1 the performance halls established on the sites of the markets of ,saint-,germain and ,saint-,laurent1 which had begun their existence with rope dancers1 trained dogs1 etc4 ,it was then that the actors of the forain theatres appropriated the ,italian repertory1 establishing themselves upon that suspension of privileges and upon the exemptions granted to the traders of the fairs of ,saint-,germain and ,saint-,laurent4 ,but the actors of the ,comdie-,franaise1 anxious to secure the maintenance of their rights1 obtained from ,m4 de la ,reynie1 the ,lieutenant of ,police1 a sentence including 8prohibition to all excepting the ,french comedians to perform in comedy or farce in the city of ,paris under pain of fine40 ,the forain#b players appealed against this sentence1 and continued their performances pending judgment4 ,there was renewed opposition from the ,french comedians4 ,m4 de la ,reynie again forbade the forain players to perform 8any spectacle in which there is dialogue40 ,obedient to this mandate they declared that they would perform no more dialogues1 and two or three days later they announced3 ,scaramouche and the ,scrupulous ,pedant1 a comedy in three acts entirely in monologues4 ,when a comedian had spoken his part he withdrew to the wings1 and he who was to deliver the answer came to take his place to disappear again in his turn and make room for the first one4 ,in this fashion seven actors took part in this comedy4 ,derided by the public1 and exasperated by the forain players1 the actors of the ,comdie-,franaise and the magistrates1 accompanied by several squads of the watch1 by forty archers1 two parliamentary ushers and two constables1 invaded the forain theatres on the #bjth ,february #agji1 destroying the booths1 the benches and the scenery1 after which they withdrew extremely proud of having made an end of these recalcitrant folk4 ,but the forain players did not account themselves beaten4 ,no sooner had the archers departed than1 with the aid of the public1 they restored the damage in a few hours1 and on the morrow they billed a play and performed it as if nothing had happened4 ,but on the next day the ushers and archers reappeared1 and this time they did not confine themselves to breaking up and pulling down2 they delivered everything to the fire1 and for several days twelve archers were on guard over these ruins of farce with no other occupation but that of burning and annihilating4 ,the forain actors were therefore compelled to submit2 but they again found means to re-establish themselves1 for some years later they were to be heard singing the following verses of ,panard in their theatres3-- 8,les lois ne sont qu'une barrire vaine ,que les hommes franchissent tous2 ,car1 par-dessus1 les grands passent sans peine1 ,les petits1 par-dessous40 ,the directors of the ,opra soon came to understand that no successful opposition could be made to the development of these little theatres1 and they sold the right to sing to the theatre of the fair of ,saint-,laurent since the ,thtre-,franais denied it the right to speak4 ,that theatre thereupon assumed the title of the ,opra-,comique4 ,amid the enterprises of the forain theatres were the performances of ,bertrand1 ,alard1 the widow ,maurice and ,decelles1 associated and primarily the sole proprietors of the shows given at the fairs4 ,later on they admitted ,dolet and ,laplace to share this right with them4 ,then came ,ottavio and ,domenico1 to be succeeded by ,saint-,edme and ,madame ,baron who1 in rivalry with the ,chevalier ,pellegrin1 came to replace ,francisque and ,lalauze1 and finally by ,ponteau1 who obtained the privilege of the ,opra-,comique from the ,royal ,academy of ,music in #agbh1 and kept it until #agdb4 ,a large number of more or less celebrated ,french authors worked for the forain theatre1 such as ,lesage1 ,fuzelier1 d',orneval1 ,panard1 ,favart1 ,diderot1 ,piron1 ,vad1 ,carolet1 ,sedaine1 ,dorville1 ,laffichard1 ,gallet1 ,fagan1 ,dallainval1 ,boissy1 ,taconet4 8,who would believe10 asks ,grimm1 in #aggb1 8that the opera and the two comedy troupes1 the ,french and the ,italian1 should be perpetually united to persecute by virtue of their privilege1 the theatre of the fairs8 ,from the moment that a manager conceives a good idea to attract the public1 and from the moment that he attempts something which is tinted by success1 that successful thing is forbidden4 ,in the hope of hindering the better classes from patronising these performances1 the managers have been forbidden to charge more than twenty-four sous for the best seats1 so as to compel decent people to be mingled and confounded with the populace4 ,preach tolerance and flatter yourselves to see it reign in a country in which ,henry ,,iv4 and ,polichinelle were persecuted with equal fury60 ,the theatre of the fairs introduced actors and actresses of recognised merit to the public1 and the public have applauded these--the comical and singular performances of ,domenico1 the son of ,harlequin1 the navet of ,belloni as ,pierrot1 the voice and the slyness of ,mademoiselle de ,lisle in soubrette rles1 the amusing gibberish of ,desgranges as ,scaramouche1 the grimaces of ,paghetti in the rles of ,pantaloon and ,cassandre1 and the modest air of ,mademoiselle ,molin as leading lady4 ,harlequinades and pantomimes were also played from #agei to #agga at the ,ambigu-,comique1 which was situated then on the ,boulevard du ,temple1 whilst at the ,thtre ,gaudon1 in #agfi1 were to be seen performances by ,polichinelle1 ,harlequin1 ,isabella and other ,italian characters4 ,the four halls of the fair of ,saint-,germain were open from the #crd of ,february to ,palm ,sunday4 ,those of the fair of ,saint-,laurent were open from the #ast ,july to the #cjth ,september1 as was also that of the fair of ,saint-,ovide1 which was made up chiefly of mountebanks and marionette shows4 ,some of the ,italian types preserved their original form1 and were played in costumes adopted long since and remaining invariable4 ,others1 however1 underwent changes of name1 of character and of costume4 ,pierrot became ,gilles1 ,pantaloon came to be called ,cassandre1 ,leandro became a ridiculous lover1 a coxcomb1 a poltroon1 a sort of ,captain2 ,jeannot1 which in the ,italian companies had been no more than a very sketchy character1 became a complete and important rle1 and attracted all ,paris4 ,nor yet had the forain actors hesitated to borrow types from the ,thtre-,franais2 thus ,crispin1 ,harpagon1 ,sganarelle1 and ,gros-,ren came to be mingled with the ,italian types1 a further happy amalgamation which endured until the closing of the fairs of ,saint-,laurent and ,saint-,germain1 fallen into desuetude and out of fashion1 in #aghi4 ,the last of the ,italian troupes seen in ,france was that which the regent1 ,philippe of ,orlans1 summoned in #agaf1 under the direction of ,louis ,riccoboni 7named ,lelio72 it was housed at the old ,htel de ,bourgogne in ,rue ,mauconseil1 and was composed as follows3-- ,,lelio1 ,luigi ,riccoboni4 ,,mario1 ,giuseppe ,baletti4 ,,harlequin1 ,vicentini1 called ,thomassin4 ,,pantaloon1 ,alborghetti4 ,,the ,,doctor1 ,matterazzi4 ,,scapino1 ,bissoni4 ,,scaramouche1 ,giacopo ,rauzzini4 ,,flaminia1 ,elena ,baletti4 ,,silvia1 ,gianetta ,benozzi4 ,,violetta1 ,margarita ,rusca4 ,,columbine1 ,teresa ,biancolelli 7#agci74 ,,lelio1 ,giovanni-,antonio ,romagnesi 7#agbe7 and ,francesco ,riccoboni 7#agbf74 ,,harlequin1 ,carlo ,bertinazzi 7#agda74 ,,lelio1 ,antonio-,luigi ,baletti 7#agda74 ,,coraline1 ,anna ,veronese 7#agdd74 ,,camille1 ,antonia ,veronese 7#agdd72 ,elisabetta ,constantini2 ,mademoiselle ,belmont and ,mademoiselle ,dehesse 7#agcj72 ,marie ,laboras de ,mzires 7#agcd72 ,madame ,riccoboni 7#agfb72 ,madame ,favart 7#agdi72 ,madame ,bognioli 7#ageh74 ,,ang,,lique1 ,mademoiselle ,foulquier1 named ,catinon 7#agec72 ,mesdames ,vesian1 ,bacelli1 ,zamarini1 ,billoni4 ,the company of #agaf was called the ,new ,comdie-,italienne1 or the ,regent's ,company1 to distinguish it from that of #afec1 which it was agreed to name the ,old ,comdie-,italienne4 ,the several ,italian troupes that played in ,france1 down to that of #agaf inclusive1 presented plays of various kinds4 ,they gave a medley of scenes that had been committed to memory1 of others that were entirely improvised1 of scenes that were played throughout in dumb show1 and of dances and singing1 all with scenery and such mise-en-scne as was then possible4 ,fireworks were never absent from the opening of a season1 the ,italians being anxious to preserve their ancient pyrotechnic reputation4 ,that which in ,italy was called opera 7a work7 was nothing more than this intermingling of various genres1 of which an instance is afforded by ,le ,gelose ,politiche e ,amorose1 of ,pietro ,angelo ,zaguri1 performed in the house of ,giovanni ,battista ,sanuto1 in ,venice1 in #afig4 ,the prologue of this opera took place in an entirely imaginary country1 inhabited by ,eolus1 to whom the ,tiber1 accompanied by ,nymphs1 came to pay a visit2 it was at once a ballet1 a drama1 and a tragedy1 mingled with couplets and dances4 ,the troupe of #afec was chiefly concerned with the performance of pieces without much production1 in which music played but a very minor part4 ,the actors were very soon compelled to abandon their improvisations in ,italian1 as the spectators could not grasp the point of their pleasantries4 ,it was thanks to this compromise that they were able to maintain themselves in ,france2 for we see that the troupe summoned in #afci by ,richelieu--who was a great lover of ,italian music and the ,italian language--after having performed1 danced and sung ,l',ercolano ,amante1 was compelled to depart for lack of audiences4 ,that of #afde1 summoned by ,mazarin1 which performed among other pieces ,la ,finta ,pazza and ,la ,rosaura1 would not have enjoyed very much more success but for the spectacular operas 7such as ,orpheus7 which roused enthusiasm4 ,in this there were twelve changes of scenery and these represented3 a city besieged and defended2 a temple surrounded by trees2 the banqueting hall on the occasion of the nuptials of ,orpheus2 a palace interior2 the temple of ,venus2 a forest2 the palace of the ,sun2 a horrible desert2 ,hades2 the ,elysian ,fields2 a wood on the edge of the sea2 ,olympus and the heavens4 ,the expense of production1 the properties and the scenery1 designed and painted by ,giacomo ,torelli1 amounted to five hundred and fifty thousand livres4 ,the pieces played in ,france by the ,italians consisted of bare scenarii1 upon which the dialogue was improvised1 but into which the actors would also interpolate scenes written for them and learned by heart4 ,regnard1 ,palaprat1 ,delorme1 de ,montchenay1 ,lenoble1 ,mongin1 ,fatouville1 ,dufresny1 de ,bois-,france1 etc41 supplied this theatre with scenarii1 some of the scenes of which were written in full and others left entirely to the impromptu wit of the actor4 ,thanks to ,gherardi1 who has collected a number of these scenarii 7designated la franoise71 we are able to judge what ,french wit could accomplish crippled by a sort of half-and-half language1 whose ,french and ,italian components were alike incorrect1 offering1 consequently1 a piquant babble1 which combined perhaps better than would have been possible to any other form of speech the fantastic gaiety of both nations4 ,even in the parodies of the dramas and tragedies of the epoch in which the verse and the rhymes forbade improvisation1 the ,italian actor would cut into the middle of an act to introduce an entirely irrelevant scene of lazzi and of pantomime4 ,nevertheless1 towards the middle of the eighteenth century1 and probably in consequence of the lack of good actors1 singing came little by little entirely to displace dialogue4 ,the ,comdie-,italienne was no more than a theatre presenting comic operas or written pieces from the pens of ,marivaux1 d',alainval1 ,laffichard1 ,legrand1 ,boissy1 ,delisle1 ,favart1 ,sedaine1 ,desportes1 ,lanoue1 ,fuselier1 ,anseaume1 ,vad1 etc4 ,french actors were not slow to invade a theatre in which no one any longer spoke ,italian4 ,in #agfb the ,comdie-,italienne was amalgamated with the theatre of the ,opra ,comique 7the old fair of ,saint-,laurent71 and the troupe was made up as follows3-- ,dehesse1 ,a ,lackey2 ,ciaverelli1 ,scapin2 ,carlino ,bertinazzi1 ,harlequin2 ,baletti and ,lejeune1 ,lovers2 ,champville1 ,a ,ridiculous ,lover2 ,zanucci1 ,lelio2 ,colalto1 ,pantaloon2 ,caillot1 ,colus2 ,laruette1 ,cassandre2 ,clairval1 ,leading ,lady2 ,madame ,favart1 ,soubrette2 and ,mesdames ,rivire1 ,desglands1 ,bognioli1 ,laruette1 ,brard1 ,beaupr1 ,carlin and ,mandeville4 ,in #aggi the administration dismissed the ,italian players and thereafter comic operas only were performed4 8,the ,comdie-,italienne having obtained permission not to perform any more ,italian pieces1 has replaced these by others of its old repertory which it had entirely abandoned after its amalgamation with the ,opra ,comique4 ,therefore all our ultramontane actors have been dismissed with the exception of ,carlino ,bertinazzi and his double1 who continue to perform their rles of ,harlequin in the ,french pieces0 7,grimm1 ,april #aggi74 ,in #aghj the theatre of the ,comdie-,italienne assumed the name of ,thtre des ,italiens notwithstanding that there was no longer a single ,italian actor connected with it4 ,in #aghc1 when the hall in the ,rue ,mauconseil began to show signs of falling into ruin1 a theatre was built on the side of the ,htel de ,choiseul1 on the ,boulevard des ,italiens1 and the ,thtre des ,italiens assumed the name of the ,thtre-,favart4 ,necessary repairs compelled the company to abandon it and to transfer themselves to the theatre of the ,rue ,feydeau1 which was destined for a company coming from ,italy4 ,this company arrived in #aghi under the protection of ,monsieur1 the king's brother4 ,after this rapid sketch of the history of the ,italian comic style and of its types1 let us say with the learned ,m4 ,charles ,magnin1 whose researches are so precious1 that 8the popular and plebeian drama along the open roads and in unroofed spaces has never failed to lighten the sadness of the serfs and the brief leisures of the rustics2 it is an indestructible theatre which lives again in our own day in the open-air performances of ,deburau1 a theatre which links together the ancient and the modern stages4 ,erudition may discover for these joculatores1 for these delusores1 and for these goliardi of our own times and of the ,middle ,ages the most honourable ancestry in ,greek1 ,latin1 ,oscan1 ,etruscan1 ,sicilian and ,asiatic antiquity1 from sop the wise ,phrygian hunchback down to ,maccus1 the jovial and disguised ,calabrian1 the hero of the ,atellan farces1 who has since become in the streets of ,naples1 by the simple translation of his name1 the very sprightly ,master ,pulcinella40 ,pierrot1 ,harlequin1 ,pantaloon and ,columbine are the only ,italian types of pantomime surviving to-day1 and each has been thoroughly transfigured4 ,in ,italy they are to be found only in the lesser theatres or among the marionettes4 ,a propos of the witty pantomime of ,m4 ,chaumpfleury that was performed at the ,funambules1 ,m4 ,thophile ,gautier writes as follows3-- 8,pantomime is the true comdie humaine1 and although it does not employ two thousand characters like that of ,m4 de ,balzac1 it is no less complete4 ,with four or five types1 it suffices for everything4 ,cassandre i4e4 ,pantaloon represents the family2 ,landre1 the stupid and wealthy fop1 favoured by parents2 ,columbine1 the ideal2 ,batrix1 the dream pursued1 the flower of youth and of beauty2 ,harlequin1 with the face of an ape and the sting of a serpent1 with his black mask1 his many-coloured lozenges1 his shower of spangles1 represents love1 wit1 mobility1 audacity1 all the showy and vicious qualities2 ,pierrot1 pallid1 slender1 dressed in sad colours1 always hungry and always beaten is the ancient slave1 the modern proletarian1 the pariah1 the passive and disinherited being1 who1 glum and sly1 witnesses the orgies and the follies of his masters40 ,none must expect to find here a history of the ,italian theatre2 we shall make no mention of the mystery play1 which1 in ,italy and in ,europe1 was essentially religious throughout the ,middle ,ages1 nor of the academic and classic drama and comedy1 which1 from the fifteenth century onwards1 amused the courts of the ,italian princes4 ,nor yet shall we occupy ourselves with the serious dramas and comedies1 in verse or in music1 performed in ,italy in later times1 and largely derived from the modern ,french theatre4 ,our researches are concerned only with that which sets forth the real character of ,italy2 with that art sui generis which is only to be found there1 the impromptu comedy begotten of the ,atellan1 the masks full of originality1 the buffoons full of wit and spontaneity1 as much at their ease in the public square as in the ,court of ,versailles2 it is in short of these ,commedianti dell' ,arte1 and of their successors along the same road1 that we are going to attempt to disclose the history and to trace the types with the aid of our drawings1 given to the light--as was said of old1 in speaking of engravings--by our friend ,alexandre ,manceau4 ,i ,,harlequin 8,sirs1 ,i was born in ,bergamo1 but so long ago that ,i remember nothing of it4 ,i was called in those days---- ,ah1 but wait6444 ,i can no longer remember my name1 by ,bacchus6 ,forgive me if ,i appeal to ,bacchus1 but he is the only god whom ,i ever take to witness4 8,sirs1 ,i was well acquainted of old with one ,maccus1 whose temper was not always amiable1 and it also happened that ,i had more wit than that coarse brute4 ,later ,i was lackey to a doctor who in reality was but an apothecary1 and so miserly that for clothes he gave me no more than such old rags of his own as could no longer be employed to repair less seedy ones4 ,i endured a noble poverty1 and for long4 ,you are looking at my hat6 ,it is almost new4 ,it was given to me by ,henry ,,iii4 ,he did not care about hats2 he gave me one that proved too small for his monkish head4 ,this rabbit's tail is the emblem of his courage and of mine2 not the courage of the lamb1 but the courage of the hare1 to run quickly and long4 8,i was very nave1 not to say stupid1 my masters2 but with age1 experience and wit came to my assistance1 and to-day ,i have all that ,i need and some to spare4 ,i said to myself at first1 when ,i left my old apothecary1 that ,i should be well advised to imitate my brother ,brighella--that is to say1 to find myself a situation where one may eat well4 ,therefore ,i chose hostelries4 ,but1 alas6 if shoemakers are the worst shod1 eating-house lackeys are the worst nourished4 ,i abandoned that profession and became a soldier2 a poor condition1 believe me2 later ,i turned comedian1 tumbler1 dancer1 merry-andrew and mountebank at one and the same time4 ,but1 perceiving that my rags did not make a good impression at ,court1 ,i bought new cloth of all colours1 red1 yellow1 blue1 to replace the tattered pieces of my little garment1 the like of which is not to be seen at present within a thousand leagues4 ,on ,sundays and holidays ,i put on my satin clothes2 but they wear out too quickly and are too dear4 ,and the fact is--must ,i confess it sirs8--,i never have a halfpenny4 ,that1 however1 does not prevent me from being gay1 or from being pleasing to beauty2 upon waiting-maids1 now1 ,i exert a peculiar attraction4 ,i understand perfectly how to contrive certain delicate love affairs into which fathers1 husbands and guardians have no business to be thrusting their noses4 ,i am1 for the moment1 a lackey of condition to some young people1 whose purse is not always quite as empty as their brains4 ,in short1 whilst waiting to transact my own affairs ,i transact those of others1 and ,i will say with my old friend ,polichinelle3 #8,i am as good as many another6' 8,i contrive so well that ,i now go to ,court2 ,i am the ,marquis of ,sbruffadeli2 ,i overlook the waiting-maids2 ,i court their mistresses1 and ,i aspire to the hand of ,isabella4444 8,but what is that8 ,who strikes me8 ,ah me6 ,where shall ,i hide myself8 ,i cry you mercy1 my master6 ,i will restore you your garments4 ,do not beat me to death2 let me die of old age6 ,i resume my rags1 my bat and my mask2 ,i return to ,columbine1 and ,i shall avenge myself upon ,pierrot40 ,the ,greeks represented and put upon the stage all the inhabitants of the earth then known to them1 and the members of all classes of society3 ,greek citizens1 merchants of ,tyre1 ,persian wizards and sorcerers1 foreign doctors1 ,egyptian priests1 ,chaldean astronomers1 ,macedonian soldiers1 ,scythian barbers2 pedants1 parasites1 matrons1 young girls1 courtesans of ,lesbos or of ,athens1 peasants and ,asiatic or ,african slaves4 ,among these last we find an actor dressed now in the skin of a goat1 now in the skin of a tiger1 variegated in colour1 which clung tightly to his body1 armed with only a wooden staff1 his head shaved1 and covered by a white hat1 his face by a brown mask2 he was called by the vulgar the young satyr4 ,could this be the first ,harlequin8 ,in an article on ,harlequin1 ,marmontel writes1 in #aggf3 8,this is at one and the same time the most bizarre and the most amusing character in the theatre4 ,a ,bergamese negro is an absurdity4 ,it is probable that an ,african negro was the first model of the character40 ,the ,sycionians1 with whom the mimes were as ancient as with the ,athenians1 preserved the name of phallophores for their public phallic singers4 ,these ,sycionian phallophores wore no mask1 they besmeared their countenances with soot1 fuligine faciem obductam1 or covered their faces with papyrus bark--that is to say1 with a paper mask--to represent foreign slaves4 ,they advanced rhythmically1 from the side or back of the theatre1 and their first words were always3 8,bacchus6 ,bacchus6 ,bacchus6 ,it is to thee1 ,bacchus1 that we consecrate these airs4 ,we shall adorn their simple rhythm by varied songs which were not made for virgins4 ,we do not repeat old songs2 the hymn which we address to thee has never yet been sung40 ,in ,rome these same phallophores take the name of planipes4 ,this name comes to them from the fact that having no need for the high tragic buskin to increase their size--since they performed quite close to the public on the thymele in the orchestra itself--they played1 as it were1 flat-footed4 ,these actors performed only little pieces and improvisations of the ,atellane farces4 8,quid enim si choragium thymelicum possiderem8 num ex eo argumentare etiam uti me consuesse trageodi syrmate1 histrionis crocata1 mimi centunculo10 says ,apuleius in his apology4 ,mimi centunculo indicates the garb of ,harlequin1 composed as it is of an infinity of pieces of various colours4 ,his black mask is described by fuligine faciem obductam1 and his shaven head1 according to ,vossius1 by ,sanniones mimum agebant rasis capitibus 7the buffoons performed in their pantomimes with shaven heads74 ,harlequin and ,brighella are called in ,italy zanni1 zani or sanni1 from the ,latin sannio1 a buffoon1 a mocker2 sannium1 sanna1 mockery1 raillery1 grimace4 8,i have sought10 says ,riccoboni 7in his ,history of the ,italian ,theatre71 8the origin of this name of zanni1 and ,i think that it is a change in the first letter that has given rise to doubt4 ,we see that our predecessors very often used ,z in the place of ,s4 ,all the most approved ,italian authors have said zambuco for sambuco1 zampogna for sampogna1 zanna for sanna4 8#8,quid enim potest tam ridiculum quam sannio esse8 qui ore1 vultu1 imitandis motibus1 voce1 denique corpore ridetur ipso8' 7,cicero1 ,de ,oratore1 lib4 ii47 8#8,planipes graece dicitur mimus1 ideo autem latine planipes quod actores planis pedibus1 id est1 nudi proscenium introirent' 7,diomed4 lib4 iii47 8,is not the footgear of ,harlequin indicated there8 ,his foot is simply enveloped in a piece of leather without a heel4 ,from top to toe1 then1 the dress of ,harlequin is precisely that of the ,latin mime4 ,i have found a book which1 whilst not being as ancient as ,i might have desired1 yet contains enough to show the difference between the costume in those days and the present one4 8444 ,in the time of ,henry ,,iv4 a troupe of ,italian comedians came to ,paris4 ,the ,harlequin of this troupe sought to induce the king to present him with a gold chain and a medal4 ,he conceived the notion of writing a book1 of printing it1 and addressing it to the king4 ,on the front page there is a figure of ,harlequin of the height of some three inches40 ,the costume of this ,harlequin which ,riccoboni has engraved consists of a jacket open in front1 and laced with shabby ribbons1 and skin-tight trousers1 covered with pieces of cloth of various colours1 placed haphazard4 ,the jacket is similarly patched4 ,he wears a stiff black beard1 a black half mask1 a slashed cap1 in the fashion of the time of ,franois ,i4 and no linen2 he is equipped with a girdle1 a pouch and a wooden sword2 his feet are shod in very small slippers1 covered at the ankle by the trouser1 which acts as a gaiter4 ,as for the mask with which ,harlequin appeared in ,france1 and which he wears still to-day1 it is said that it was ,michel-,angelo who restored it him1 copying it from the mask of an ancient satyr4 ,his costume in the seventeenth century1 like his character1 underwent a metamorphosis2 we still find him arrayed in the same pieces of cloth of different colours1 but henceforward they are symmetrically placed4 ,from the time of ,domenico1 who was the transformer of this type1 the costume has changed but very little4 ,the jacket has grown1 little by little1 whilst the trousers have shrunk1 returning to their primitive form4 ,lozenges of different colours have lengthened2 but the mask1 the chin-piece1 the black head1 the rabbit tail--emblem of poltroonery--the bat and the girdle1 have remained such as they always were4 ,that rabbit's tail which adorns the head of ,harlequin is a further tradition of antiquity4 ,it was the custom to attach the tail of a fox or the ears of a hare to those upon whom it was sought to draw ridicule4 ,an innovation lies in the spangles which render the modern ,harlequin a sort of streaming fish in gold and silver scales4 ,in the first ,italian troupes of the sixteenth century--nomad troupes which derived as much from the ,bohemians and the mountebanks as from the comedians--we find ,trivelino1 ,mestolino1 ,zaccagnino1 ,truffaldino1 ,guazeto and ,bagatino1 who are of the same type under various names1 and often under the same costume4 ,it was not until ,henry ,,iii4 that a zany of this type appeared in ,paris4 ,it has been pretended that as this zany was without doubt protected by the first president of ,parliament1 ,achille de ,harlay1 his comrades came to call him ,harlequino1 meaning thereby the little protg of ,harlay4 ,this name remained to him and to his successors in the type4 ,but its etymology is victoriously refuted in an interesting passage of the learned commentators of ,rabelais1 ,johanneau and ,esmangard3 8,donat informs us that the procurers 7lenones7 in the ancient comedies were dressed in variegated costumes1 no doubt after the manner of ,mercury their patron1 which persuades us that that character in comedy which we call ,harlequin1 is none other than ,mercury1 this being the reason why he is given a variegated costume1 made up of pieces of different colours4 ,harlequin is a diminutive of harle1 or herle1 the name of an aquatic bird1 and not a derivative of that of ,m4 de ,harlay or of ,hercules4 ,in ,italy he is called ,harlequino2 in the anti-chopin he is called ,harlequinus1 and in a letter of ,raulin in #aeba ,herlequinus40 8,harlequin's performance down to the seventeenth century0 7says ,riccoboni7 8consisted of just a series of extravagant capers1 of violent movements and of outrageous blackguardisms4 ,he was at once insolent1 mocking1 clownish and1 above all1 obscene4 ,i think that with all this he mingled an agility of body which made him appear to be always in the air1 and ,i might add with assurance that he was an acrobat40 ,our modern ,harlequin is1 above all1 a dancer and a tumbler1 in which he is in affinity with the most ancient type4 ,in the background of some of his drawings ,callot shows us several ,harlequins who are leaping and dancing and turning backward somersaults4 ,so that in ,callot's day ,harlequin was still a dancer4 ,nevertheless1 from #aefj onwards1 we see ,harlequin1 the native of ,bergamo1 shedding some of the stupidity that had characterised him until then4 ,he still remains a glutton1 and he is always a poltroon1 but he is no longer that type of farm servant from the neighbourhood of ,bergamo1 seeking everywhere for the donkey upon which he was mounted4 8,his character10 says ,marmontel1 8presents a mixture of ignorance1 navet1 stupidity and grace4 ,he is like a mere sketch of a man1 a great child visited by flashes of reason and intelligence1 in all of whose capers and awkwardnesses there is something sharp and interesting4 ,the model ,harlequin is all suppleness and agility1 with the grace of a young cat1 yet equipped with a superficial coarseness that renders his performances more amusing2 the rle is that of a lackey1 patient1 faithful1 credulous1 gluttonous1 always in love1 always in difficulties either on his master's account or on his own1 afflicting himself and consoling himself again with the readiness of a child1 one whose sorrows are as amusing as his joys4 ,such a part demands a great deal of naturalness and of wit1 and a great deal of physical grace and suppleness40 ,at the time that the zany ,arlecchino was a fool1 ,brighella1 the other ,bergamese1 was sly and astute4 ,harlequin and ,brighella are both from the town of ,bergamo4 ,this town is built like an amphitheatre on the hills between the ,brembo and the ,serio in their courses from the ,valtelline hills4 ,it is said that the inhabitants of the upper and lower town are entirely different in character4 ,those of the upper town1 personified in the character of ,brighella1 are lively1 witty and active2 those of the lower town are idle1 ignorant and almost entirely stupid1 like ,harlequin4 ,i crave the pardon of the inhabitants of the lower town for this statement1 made upon the assumption that1 like ,harlequin himself1 they also have become1 since the sixteenth century1 as lively and as witty as their compatriots of the upper town4 ,it is said in the north of ,italy that ,harlequin the imbecile had over his left eye a wart which covered the half of his cheek1 and that it was for this reason that he assumed the mask1 which he has retained ever since4 ,illustration ,towards the close of the sixteenth century ,harlequin1 whilst adhering to his leaping movements1 and his cat-like manner1 becomes less simple1 as we have said1 and from time to time even goes so far as to permit himself a certain wisdom4 ,it was in this manner that in #aegh the character was played in ,italy by ,simone of ,bologna4 ,but it was in the seventeenth century that the rle of ,harlequin was completely transformed by ,domenico ,biancolelli1 a man of merit1 well informed1 and the friend of literary men1 who bestowed his own wit upon the character4 ,thus ,harlequin became witty1 astute1 an utterer of quips and something of a philosopher4 ,even in the ,italian troupes the actors who played the part under the names of ,zaccagnino and of ,truffaldino modelled their performances upon those of ,domenico4 ii ,giuseppe-,domenico ,biancolelli was born in ,bologna in #afdj4 ,his father and mother were comedians in a company established in that city1 and from his earliest infancy ,biancolelli played with them in comedy1 and made such rapid progress that at the age at which men are usually considering a career he was already counted amongst the good actors of ,italy4 ,in #afei ,cardinal ,mazarin1 desiring to increase his ,italian company1 sent for several actors1 including ,biancolelli1 who was then performing at ,vienna in the troupe of ,tabarini4 ,this ,tabarini had already been in ,france during the reign of ,louis ,,xiii4 and the minority of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,in response to the cardinal's summons1 then1 young ,biancolelli went to ,france in the following year1 together with ,eularia1 ,diamantina and ,ottavio4 ,at the time an actor named ,locatelli was playing the rles of ,trivelino1 a sort of ,harlequin1 in the company which ,biancolelli went to recruit4 ,this1 however1 did not hinder ,biancolelli from playing ,harlequin1 as second comic1 alongside of ,trivelino1 until the death of the latter in #afga4 ,from that moment the stage was dominated by ,domenico1 as he was generally known4 ,he acquired the reputation of being the greatest actor of his century1 and rendered popular the name of ,arlecchino4 ,he died at forty-eight of pneumonia contracted whilst dancing before ,louis ,,xiv4 8,the ,sieur ,beauchamp1 dancing master to ,louis ,,xiv4 and composer of his ballet1 had performed before his ,majesty a very singular and greatly applauded dance in a divertissement which the ,italian comedians had attached to one of their pieces4 ,domenico1 who danced very well1 gave forthwith an extremely comical imitation of ,beauchamp's dance4 ,the king manifested so much delight in these parodying capers that ,domenico persisted in them for as long as it was physically possible to him4 ,he was so overheated that1 being unable to change his linen upon leaving the stage 7because he had to return to it immediately in his own rle71 he caught a severe chill which ended in pneumonia4 ,he lay ill for only eight days1 when1 after having renounced the theatre1 he died on ,monday the #bnd of ,august1 #afhh1 at six o'clock in the evening1 and was buried at ,saint-,eustache1 behind the choir1 opposite to the chapel of the ,virgin4 ,he dwelt in the ,rue ,montmartre near the old ,htel ,chart40 ,the loss of ,domenico was a shattering thunderbolt upon the ,italian comedy4 ,his comrades closed the theatre for a month1 and when they reopened it they put up the following announcement3-- 8,we have long marked our sorrow by our silence1 and we should prolong it further if the apprehension of displeasing you did not influence us more profoundly than our legitimate pain4 ,we shall reopen our theatre on ,wednesday next1 the #ast of ,september #afhh4 ,in the impossibility of repairing the loss we have sustained1 we offer you of the best that our application and our care is able to supply4 ,bear us a little indulgence1 and be assured that we shall omit nothing that will contribute to your pleasure40 ,domenico had married in ,paris1 in #affb1 ,orsola ,corteze1 who played under the name of ,eularia4 ,she bore him twelve children1 five of whom survived him4 ,they were3 ,franoise ,biancolelli1 born in #affd1 who played the rles of ,isabella2 ,catherine ,biancolelli1 born in #affe1 who played the rles of ,columbine2 ,louis ,biancolelli1 knight of ,saint-,louis1 captain of the royal regiment of marines1 military engineer1 and director of the forts of ,provence1 who died at ,toulon in #agbi2 he was a godson of ,louis ,,xiv41 and the author of several pieces played at the ,comdie-,italienne1 and included in ,gherardi's collection2 ,philippe ,biancolelli de ,bois-,morand1 born in #afgb1 king's councillor1 elder councillor to ,saint-,domingue1 and marine commissioner2 ,pierre-,franois ,biancolelli1 born in #afha1 who1 under the name of ,dominique1 played ,trivelino parts at the ,comdie-,italienne1 and in forain theatres1 and who died in #agcd4 ,anecdotes abound concerning the famous ,domenico4 ,it is related of him that being present one night at a royal supper he fixed his eyes upon a certain dish of partridges4 ,louis ,,xiv41 observing this glance of his1 said to a lackey3 8,let this dish be given to ,domenico40 8,and the partridges also80 inquired ,domenico4 8,and the partridges also10 replied the king1 appreciating this readiness of wit4 ,the dish was of gold4 ,louis ,,xiv4 returning one day from a hunting expedition went incognito to attend the performance of an ,italian piece that was being given at ,versailles4 8,that is a bad piece10 he said to ,domenico1 as he was leaving4 8,whisper it10 replied ,arlecchino1 8because if the king were to hear you he would dismiss me together with my troupe40 ,domenico was of short stature and comely face1 but some ten years before his death he had become rather too stout for the part of ,harlequin4 ,at the foot of his portrait painted by ,ferdinand1 and engraved by ,hubert1 the following quatrain is to be read3-- 8,bologne est ma patrie et ,paris mon sjour1 ,j'y rgne avec clat sur la scne comique2 ,arlequin sous le masque y cache ,dominique1 ,qui rforme en riant et le peuple et la cour40 ,after ,domenico's death a book was published by ,florentin ,delaulne bearing the following title3--,arlequiniana1 or the ,quips and ,pleasant and ,amusing ,stories culled from the ,conversations of ,harlequin1 #afid4 ,the work begins thus3 8,on ,saturday last1 the #cjth of the month1 as ,i was leaving my room on the stroke of midnight1 ,harlequin appeared before me4 ,he was wearing his little hat1 his mask and the coat in which he performed4 ,at first ,i was surprised to see him2 but ,i was at once reassured1 being persuaded that ,i had nothing to fear from a man for whom my affections had survived his death4 8#8,do not be apprehensive1' he said to me2 #8,i am charmed to see you4' 8,thereupon ,i ran to embrace him4 8#8,no1 not that1' he said1 #8my body is now no more than abstract matter1 ill calculated to receive such marks of your friendship4 ,what folly induced you to publish things uttered between us when ,i was alive8 ,do you think to gladden the world with my stories8 ,was ,i so well known that my name should not yet be forgotten8' etc40 ,the author answers him that his name is immortal1 that his person is beloved and esteemed throughout ,europe2 that in the rles which he undertook he never played other than with justice and honesty4 8,when you portrayed the knaveries of the practitioners1 the distortions of women1 the trickiness of bankrupts1 or the impertinences of the bourgeois1 do you think to have done them any harm80 ,the conversation continues thus between the author and the deceased ,domenico throughout the volume4 ,into this conversation are brought amusing stories1 scandalous anecdotes of the time1 quips1 faceti1 moralisings1 philosophic dissertations1 etc4 ,it is a pot-pourri on the subject of ,domenico4 ,in one of the comedies played by ,domenico ,harlequin seeks to sell his house4 ,having found a buyer1 he protests that as he does not wish him to buy a pig in a poke he will show him a sample of the goods1 and he produces from under his jacket a large piece of plaster4 ,in another scene ,harlequin appears as a beggar4 ,ottavio questions him upon various matters2 amongst other things he asks him how many fathers he possesses4 8,i have only one10 replies ,harlequin4 8,but how does it happen that you have only one father80 demands ,ottavio1 losing patience4 8,what would you80 is the answer4 8,i am but a poor man1 and ,i have no means of affording more40 ,elsewhere ,pasquariello seeks to lead ,harlequin to a tavern2 but in this piece ,harlequin is of sober habits1 and replies3 8,the glass is ,pandora's box2 out of it come all the evils40 ,let us cite a few further traits of the character drawn by ,domenico in the various ,harlequins performed by him4 ,mezzetin promises ,harlequin that he shall wed ,columbine if he will second him in a fresh piece of knavery4 ,whilst ,mezzetin is considering his project1 ,harlequin counts the buttons of his doublet1 and at each button says3 8,i shall have ,columbine1 ,i shall not have her2 ,i shall have her1 ,i shall not have her2 ,i shall have her1 ,i shall not have her2 ,i shall have her1 ,i shall not have her2 ,i shall have her1 ,i shall not have her2 7he bursts into tears7 ,i shall not have her60 ,,mezzetin4 ,what ails you8 ,why are you crying8 ,,harlequin 7weeping74 ,i shall not have ,columbine6 hi6 hi6 hi6 ,,mezzetin4 ,who has said so8 ,,harlequin 7indicating his buttons74 ,buttonomancy6 ,in ,l',homme ,bonnes ,fortunes1 ,harlequin1 disguised as a marquis1 is the recipient of many presents from women whom he has contrived to please4 ,he has already received and donned two dressing-gowns1 when a third one is brought to him on behalf of a widow who comes to judge for herself of the effect produced by her present4 ,there is a knock at the door4 ,it is she4 ,harlequin has no more than time to slip this third gown over the other two1 whereby he is given the appearance of an elephant4 ,the widow enters1 notwithstanding that admission has been refused her4 ,,harlequin 7angrily74 ,morbleu1 madam6 ,did ,i not bid them tell you that ,i was not visible to-day8 ,,the ,,widow4 ,to find you1 sir1 it is necessary to come upon you as you leave your bed2 throughout the remainder of the day you are unapproachable4 ,,harlequin4 ,it is true that ,i have not an hour to myself4 ,i am so exhausted by these adventures which the vulgar call bonnes fortunes that my superfluity would be enough for twenty idlers of the ,court4 ,,the ,,widow4 ,but1 sir1 ,i find you very fat4 ,what is the matter with you8 ,,harlequin4 ,nothing1 merely that ,i overate last night at supper4 ,,the ,,widow4 ,there must be some other reason2 are you perhaps dropsical8 ,,harlequin4 ,indeed no6 ,,the ,,widow4 ,let us see4 7,she pulls off his dressing-gowns1 one after the other47 ,,harlequin 7defending himself74 ,fie1 madam6 ,what are you about8 ,this isn't decent6 ,,the ,,widow4 ,one1 two1 three dressing-gowns6 ,that is to say1 three mistresses6 ,ah6 ,traitor6 ,it is thus1 then1 that you betray me6 ,and you say that you love none but me6 ,,harlequin 7attempting to seek refuge in the wardrobe74 ,madam1 ,i can bear no more6 ,,the ,,widow4 ,now ,i know the worth of your oaths4 ,,harlequin4 ,madam1 ,i must go4444 ,if ,i don't---- ,,the ,,widow4 ,rascal6 ,,harlequin4 ,madam1 ,i can no longer answer for the discretion of---- ,,the ,,widow4 ,are you shameless8 ,i will have no more to do with you4 ,return me the dressing-gown4 7,she attempts to drag her dressing-gown from him2 they fight1 ,,harlequin knocks off her headdress1 she loses one of her petticoats1 and departs47 ,on the subject of the etymology of the name of ,harlequin1 it is explained thus by ,domenico3 ,,cinthio 7to his lackey1 ,,harlequin74 ,by the way1 since you have been in my employ it has never occurred to me to inquire your name8 ,,harlequin4 ,i am called ,arlecchino ,sbrufadelli4 7,at the name of ,sbrufadelli ,,cinthio bursts into laughter47 ,,harlequin4 ,do not presume to mock me4 ,all my ancestors were people of consequence4 ,sbroufadel1 the first of the name1 was a pork butcher1 but so superior in his profession that ,nero would eat no sausages but those which he made4 ,of ,sbroufadel was born ,fregocola1 a great captain2 he married ,mademoiselle ,castagna1 who was of so lively a temperament that she gave birth to me two days after the wedding4 ,my father was delighted1 but his joy was cut short by certain pettifoggeries on the part of the police4 ,whenever my father met an honest man on the highway he never failed to take off his hat1 and if it happened to be night1 he would take off his cloak as well4 ,the police sought to curb this excess of civility and ordered his arrest4 ,my father did not wait for it4 ,he took me in my swaddling clothes1 and1 having thrust me into a cauldron1 and the rest of his movables into a basket1 he left the city1 driving before him the donkey that bore his house and his heir4 ,he frequently struck the beast to cries of 8,ar6 ,ar60 which in the asinine language means 8,get on6 get on60 ,whilst proceeding thus1 he perceived that a man was following him4 ,this man1 observing that my father was considering him attentively1 hid himself1 crouching 7se messe chin7 behind a bush4 ,my father1 who took him for the officer sent to arrest him1 conceiving that he assumed this position the better to surprise him1 beat his donkey more severely than ever1 crying ,ar6 le chin1 that is to say3 ,get on1 he is crouching4 ,so that1 as ,i was still without a name1 my father1 remembering the fright which he had received1 and the words ,ar6 le chin1 ,ar6 le chin1 which he had repeated so often1 called me ,arlechino4 ,in another ,italian scene we see ,pasquariello giving advice to ,harlequin1 who is in difficulties on the subject of finding a good profession4 ,,pasquariello4 ,set up as a doctor4 ,if fortune smiles on you you'll soon be rich4 ,consider how much the doctor has earned since he has been in fashion to treat gout4 ,he has amassed more than two hundred thousand francs1 and he knows no more about the gout than you do4 ,,harlequin4 ,then of necessity he must know very little1 for ,i know nothing4 ,,pasquariello4 ,that should not hinder you from being a clever doctor4 ,,harlequin4 ,parbleu1 you mock me6 ,i can neither read nor write4 ,,pasquariello4 ,no matter1 ,i say4 ,it is not knowledge that makes the successful doctor1 it is impudence and wordiness4 ,,harlequin4 ,but how1 then1 do they manage with their patients8 ,,pasquariello4 ,i will tell you4 ,you begin by having a mule and promenading through ,paris on it4 ,first comes a man who says3 8,sir doctor1 ,i beg of you to come and see my parent who is ill40 8,willingly1 sir40 ,the man goes ahead and the doctor follows on his mule4 7,here ,,pasquariello imitates the man who walks2 he turns round and says to ,,harlequin who follows him trotting73 ,what are you playing at8 ,,harlequin4 ,i am playing the mule4 ,,pasquariello4 ,you arrive at the house of the sick man4 ,your guide knocks1 the door is opened1 the doctor alights from his mule and together they ascend the staircase4 ,,harlequin4 ,and the mule8 ,does the mule also ascend the staircase8 ,,pasquariello4 ,no1 no1 the mule remains at the door1 it is the man and the doctor who ascend the staircase4 ,behold them now in the patient's antechamber4 ,the man says to the doctor1 8,follow me1 sir1 ,i am going to see if my parent sleeps40 7,here ,,pasquariello walks on tiptoe1 stretches out his arms1 and pretends to draw aside the curtains of a bed47 ,,harlequin4 ,why do you step so softly8 ,,pasquariello4 ,on account of the sick man4 ,we are now in his chamber1 beside the bed4 8,sir1 the patient is not asleep1 you may approach40 ,immediately the doctor takes the arm-chair by the bedside1 and says to the patient3 8,show me your tongue40 7,,pasquariello puts out an enormous tongue and1 imitating the patient1 says37 8,oh1 sir1 ,i am very ill60 ,,harlequin 7considering ,,pasquariello',s tongue74 ,eh6 what an ugly illness6 ,,pasquariello4 ,that tongue is very dry and very heated4 ,,harlequin4 ,it must be put on ice4 ,,pasquariello4 ,let us feel the pulse4 7,he pretends to feel the pulse of the sick man47 ,now here is a pulse that goes devilishly quick6 ,let us feel the stomach4 ,now here is a stomach that is very hard4 ,,harlequin4 ,perhaps he has swallowed iron4 ,,pasquariello4 ,let me have paper1 pen and ink4 7,he pretends to write47 ,recipe3 this evening a lavement1 to-morrow morning a blood-letting1 and to-morrow evening a medicine4 7,all this is mimed by ,,pasquariello as if he were administering a lavement1 or a blood-letting1 or swallowing a medicine47 ,then you take your leave of the patient1 and you depart saying1 8,sir1 to-morrow ,i shall come at the same hour1 and ,i hope in a short time to restore you completely to health40 ,then the man who has introduced you reconducts you again1 and slips a golden half-louis into your hand2 you mount your mule once more and depart4 ,,harlequin4 ,but how may ,i be able to guess whether he has the fever or not8 ,,pasquariello4 ,i will show you4 ,when the pulse is equal1 that is to say when it goes tac1 tac1 tac1 there is no fever1 but when it is intermittent1 and when it goes quickly1 ti1 ta1 ta2 ti1 ta1 ta2 ti1 ta1 ta1 there is fever4 ,,harlequin4 ,now that is quite simple3 tac1 tac1 tac1 no fever2 ti1 ta1 ta2 ti1 ta1 ta2 ti1 ta1 ta1 fever4 ,,pasquariello4 ,there you are1 as learned as the doctors2 let us go4 ,,harlequin4 ,ti1 ta1 ta2 ti1 ta1 ta2 ,i am all for ti1 ta1 ta4 ,harlequin1 having become a doctor1 prescribes as follows for the ,captain1 who has asked him for a remedy for toothache4 8,take10 says ,harlequin1 8some pepper1 garlick and vinegar1 and rub your back with them2 that will make you forget your pain40 ,as the ,captain is about to depart1 ,harlequin calls him back4 8,sir1 sir10 says he1 8,i was forgetting the best2 take an apple1 cut it into four equal parts1 put one of these in your mouth1 and then thrust your head into an oven until the apple is baked1 and ,i will answer for it that your toothache will be entirely cured40 ,in the very curious pictures possessed by the ,thtre-,franais1 bearing the inscription in gold letters3 8,farceurs franois et italiens1 depuis soixante ans10 we find ,domenico in his costume of ,harlequin together with several other ,italian types--,brighella1 ,scaramouche1 the ,doctor1 ,pantaloon1 ,mezzetin1 ,matamoros--mingling with the ,french types3 ,turlupin1 ,gros-,guillaume1 ,gaultier-,garguille1 ,guillot-,gorju1 ,jodelet1 ,gros-,ren and ,molire4 iii ,in #afhi ,evaristo ,gherardi took up and continued the performances of the rles of ,harlequin4 ,he was the son of ,giovanni ,gherardi1 born at ,prato1 in ,tuscany4 ,he made his first appearance in the revival of ,divorce1 in the rle of ,harlequin created by ,domenico in the preceding year4 ,here is what he himself has to say of it3 8,this comedy had not succeeded in the hands of ,m4 ,domenico4 ,it had been struck out of the catalogue of the plays which were revived from time to time1 and the parts had been burnt4 ,nevertheless 7notwithstanding that ,i had never been on the stage in my life1 and that ,i had but left the college of ,la ,marche1 where ,i had just concluded my course of philosophy1 under the learned ,m4 ,bubl71 ,i chose it for my first appearance1 which took place on the #ast of ,october #afhi4 ,the piece was so successful in my hands that it gave pleasure to everyone1 was extraordinarily well attended1 and consequently earned a great deal of money for the company4 8,if ,i were the man to derive vanity from the theatrical talents which nature has given me1 either with face uncovered or under a mask1 in the leading serious or comic rles1 ,i should have in this the most ample grounds upon which to flatter my self-love4 ,i should say that ,i did more in my beginnings and in my first years than the most illustrious actors have been able to do after twenty years of experience1 and in the full prime of their lives4 ,but ,i protest that very far from having ever become elated by these rare advantages1 ,i have always considered them to be the results of my good fortune1 rather than the consequences of my merits2 and if anything has been able to flatter my soul in this connection1 it is the pleasure of seeing myself universally applauded after the inimitable ,m4 ,domenico1 who went so far in the expression of the navet--that which the ,italians call goffagine--of the character of ,harlequin1 that all those who witnessed his performances must always find some fault with the most famous ,harlequin of any later day40 ,it will be seen that ,gherardi praises himself quite navely4 ,it is true that this self-praise was not exaggerated1 that he had great talents1 and that he was attended by constant success until the theatre was closed in #afig4 ,he hoped to bring about its reopening by his protectors at ,court2 but in this he was disappointed4 ,he then produced a very interesting collection of the memorised ,french scenes1 which were frequently interpolated into the ,italian scenarii4 ,some months before the publication of this collection1 in the course of a show given at ,saint-,maur1 with ,poisson and la ,thorillire1 ,gherardi happened to fall upon his head4 ,he neglected to have his hurt properly cared for1 and on the very day on which he had been to present his book to ,monseigneur he was holding between his knees his son 7borne him by ,elizabeth ,danneret7 when he had a seizure1 and suddenly expired4 ,that was on the #cast of ,august #agjj4 8,il n'tait ni bien ni mal fait1 ,grand ni petit1 plus gras que maigre4 ,il avait le corps fort allgre1 ,le front haut1 l'il faible1 mais vif4 ,le nez trs-significatif4 ,et qui promettait des merveilles4 ,la bouche atteignait les oreilles4 ,son teint tait d'homme de feu2 ,son menton se doublait un peu2 ,son encolure1 assez petite ,le menaait de mort subite40 ,from an engraved portrait he resembles this description but little4 ,his forehead is high1 it is true1 but his eyes are very large and lively1 his nose aquiline and sensitive1 his mouth small and well formed1 and not a gash from ear to ear2 the jaw is strongly outlined4 ,in short1 it presents a very intelligent countenance1 full of finesse1 advertising a lively and caustic spirit4 ,here are some passages from the book of ,gherardi--that is to say1 from the scenes collected and performed by him3 ,,despair ,,of ,,harlequin ,,in ,l',,empereur ,,dans ,,la ,,lune ,,harlequin4 ,ah6 unfortunate that ,i am6 ,the doctor wants to marry ,columbine to a farmer1 and how can ,i live without ,columbine8 ,i shall die4 ,o ignorant doctor6 ,o inconstant ,columbine6 ,o knavish farmer6 ,o extremely miserable ,harlequin6 ,let me hasten to die4 ,it shall be written in ancient and modern history3 8,harlequin died for ,columbine40 ,i shall go to my chamber2 ,i shall attach a rope to a beam2 ,i shall get upon a chair2 ,i shall fit the rope round my neck2 ,i shall kick away the chair2 and behold me hanged6 7,mimicry of hanging47 ,it is done2 nothing can stop me2 let us hasten to the hanging crutch4444 8,to the hanging crutch8 ,fie1 sir1 you must not think of it4 ,to kill yourself for a girl6 ,it were a great folly44440 8,yes1 sir2 but for a girl to betray an honest man is a great wickedness44440 8,i agree2 but when you shall have hanged yourself shall you be any fatter80 8,no1 ,i shall be thinner2 ,i desire a slender shape6 ,what have you to say to that8 ,if you want to join me you have but to come44440 8,oh6 as for that1 no2 you are not going44440 8,oh6 but ,i am44440 8,oh6 no1 you are not44440 8,but ,i am going1 ,i tell you40 7,he draws his sword1 strikes himself and then exclaims37 8,there6 ,i am rid of that tiresome fellow4 ,now that there is no one to interfere with me ,i will go hang myself40 7,he makes as if to depart1 and then stops short47 8,ah6 but no6 ,to hang is a very ordinary death1 the sort of death one sees every day2 there is no glory in it4 ,let us seek some extraordinary death1 some heroic death1 some ,harlequinic death40 7,he considers47 8,i have it6 ,i will stop up my mouth and my nose1 so that the air may not pass through and thus ,i shall die4 ,behold1 it is done40 7,he stops his nose and mouth with both hands1 and1 after remaining thus for some time he says37 8,no2 the air still escapes2 it is not worth while4 ,alas6 what a trouble to die6 ,sirs1 if any amongst you would be so good as to die1 so as to afford me a model1 ,i should be infinitely obliged4444 ,faith1 ,i have it6 ,we read in history that there are people who have been killed by laughter4 ,i am most sensitive to tickling2 if some one were to tickle me for long they would make me die of laughter4 ,i shall go and tickle myself1 and thus ,i shall die40 7,he tickles himself1 laughs and falls down47 ,in the same piece1 a few scenes later1 he goes to visit the ,doctor1 and announces himself as ,colin1 the farmer's son who is to marry ,columbine4 ,the ,doctor is his dupe until the arrival of the carrier1 who announces that the farmer's son is ill and cannot come4 ,the ,doctor turns upon ,harlequin1 eyeing him from top to toe1 and says to him3 8,you are not ,colin60 8,forgive me1 sir10 replies ,harlequin1 8,i thought ,i was40 ,chagrined at not yet having succeeded1 he seeks a new way to obtain ,columbine4 ,he runs backwards and forwards across the stage until he is out of breath1 when he exclaims3 8,will some one of his charity inform me which is the residence of ,doctor ,grazian ,balouard80 7,he puts his hand to his mouth and imitates the sound of a trumpet74 8,pu1 pu1 pu6 ,doctor ,balouard1 a doctor at fifteen sous60 ,,the ,,doctor 7aside74 ,what is the meaning of this8 7,to ,,harlequin47 ,doctor ,grazian ,balouard8 ,he is here1 sir2 what do you want with him8 ,,harlequin4 ,oh6 sir1 you are choicely found4 ,address me your best compliments and bows4 ,i am ambassador extraordinary1 envoy from the emperor of the world of the ,moon1 and ,i am come to ask of you the hand of ,isabella in marriage4 ,,the ,,doctor4 ,address yourself to others1 my friend4 ,i am not so easily taken in4 ,an emperor in the moon6 7,aside47 ,yet such a thing might be possible2 since the moon is a world like ours1 presumably there must be some one to govern it4 7,to ,,harlequin47 ,are you really from that country1 my friend8 ,,harlequin4 ,no1 sir1 ,i am neither from that country nor from this country4 ,i am an ,italian of ,italy1 at your service1 born a native of the city of ,prato1 one of the most charming cities in all ,tuscany4 ,,the ,,doctor4 ,but how1 then1 did you contrive to ascend to the world of the moon8 ,,harlequin4 ,i will tell you4 ,we had arranged a party--three of my friends and ,i--to go and eat a goose at ,vaugirard4 ,i was deputed by the company to go and buy the goose4 ,i transported myself to the ,valley of ,misery2 ,i there made my purchase1 and ,i was wending my way thence to the rendezvous4 ,as ,i was entering the plain of ,vaugirard1 behold6 six ravenous vultures came swooping down upon my goose1 and carried it off4 ,i1 who feared to lose it1 clung firmly to its neck1 so that in a measure as the vultures carried up the goose they carried me up with it4 ,when we had got very high1 a further regiment of vultures came to the assistance of the first1 hurled themselves upon my goose1 and in an instant caused me to lose sight of the highest mountains and the highest steeples4 ,i1 obstinate always as the devil1 would not let go4 ,i hung on until the neck of my goose failed me1 and ,i tumbled into a lake4 ,some fishermen1 luckily1 had spread their net1 and ,i fell into it4 ,the fishermen drew me out of the water1 and1 supposing me to be a fish of consequence1 took me upon their shoulders1 and bore me as a present to the emperor4 ,behold me lying on the ground and the emperor coming with all his court to view me4 ,it is asked1 8,what sort of a fish is that40 ,the emperor replies1 8,i think it is an anchovy40 8,your pardon1 ,monseigneur10 says a fat gentleman1 who accounted himself witty1 8rather is it a toad40 8,anyway10 said the emperor1 8bid them fry me this fish such as it is40 ,when ,i heard that they were going to fry me1 ,i cried out3 8,but1 ,monseigneur44440 8,how10 says he1 8do fishes speak80 ,thereupon ,i assured him that ,i was not a fish1 and further ,i informed him in what manner ,i had been brought to the ,empire of the ,moon4 ,he asked me at once3 8,are you acquainted with ,doctor ,grazian ,balouard1 and his daughter ,isabella8 ,then go and ask her of him in marriage on my behalf40 ,but ,i replied1 8,i shall never be able to find my way there1 because ,i do not know which way ,i came40 8,do not let that embarrass you10 he replied1 8,i shall send you to ,paris by means of an influence that ,i am sending thither1 laden with rheumatism1 catarrhs1 pneumonias and other little trifles of that kind40 ,further he said3 8,i reserve for the doctor one of the best places in my empire40 ,,the ,,doctor4 ,is it really possible8 ,did he tell you what it was8 ,,harlequin4 ,indeed yes4 ,he says that about a fortnight ago one of the twelve signs of the ,zodiac1 the ,scorpion1 died2 and he wants to put you in its place4 ,the ,doctor believes everything1 asks a thousand questions concerning this lunar sovereign1 inquires what like are the houses1 the cities and the habits of life in the ,court of that country4 ,harlequin gives him details of the manner in which the emperor eats4 ,his food is shot at him from arbalists1 and he is given to drink from a syringe4 8,it is very curious10 says he4 8,one day an awkward arbalister missed the emperor's mouth and fired a buttered egg into his eye4 ,hence such eggs have ever since been called ufs pochs40 ,after this he induces the ,doctor to give him a purse and some jewels1 and he departs1 to return presently dressed as the ,emperor of the ,moon4 ,the ,doctor addresses several questions to him concerning his empire and his subjects4 ,,harlequin4 ,my subjects8 ,they are almost without defects1 because they are governed solely by interest and ambition4 ,,columbine4 ,that is exactly as here4 ,,harlequin4 ,everyone seeks to do the best he can for himself at the expense of his neighbour1 and the highest virtue in my empire is to be wealthy4 ,,the ,,doctor4 ,that is exactly as here4 ,,harlequin4 ,in my country there are no executioners2 instead of dispatching people in a quarter of an hour on a scaffold1 ,i hand them over to be killed by the doctors1 who do them to death as cruelly as they do their patients4 ,,columbine4 ,what1 sir6 ,do the doctors up there also kill the people8 ,that is exactly as here4 ,,isabella4 ,and in your empire1 sir1 are there any wits8 ,,harlequin4 ,my empire is the source of them4 ,for over seventy years1 now1 we have been working upon a dictionary which will not be finished in two centuries4 ,,columbine4 ,it is exactly as here4 ,and is justice properly administered in your empire8 ,,harlequin4 ,it is administered by hanging4 ,,isabella4 ,and the judges1 sir1 do they not permit themselves to be corrupted8 ,,harlequin4 ,women there1 as elsewhere1 importune them4 ,sometimes presents are made to them2 but in general they behave properly4 ,,the ,,doctor4 ,it is exactly as here4 ,sir1 in your empire1 are husbands accommodating8 ,,harlequin4 ,that fashion arrived there almost as soon as in ,france4 ,at the beginning we had a little trouble in making up our minds to it1 but at present all the world is proud of it4 ,,columbine4 ,it is exactly as here4444 ,and the women in your empire1 are they happy8 ,,harlequin4 ,it is they who handle all the money and spend it all4 ,the husbands have no concern save that of paying the taxes and repairing the houses4 ,,columbine4 ,it is exactly as here4 ,,harlequin4 ,our women never rise until the afternoon4 ,they invariably take three hours over their toilet2 then they enter a coach and repair to the comedy1 to the opera or to the promenade4 ,thence they go to sup with some chosen friend4 ,after supper they play or they attend an opera1 according to the season2 and1 towards four or five o'clock after midnight1 they return home1 so that a poor devil of a man may sometimes go for weeks without meeting his wife in the house1 and you may see him hanging about the streets on foot1 what time madam employs the coach for her pleasures4 ,,all4 ,it is exactly as here6 iv ,when a new ,italian troupe1 summoned by the ,regent1 arrived in ,paris1 in #agaf1 ,antonio ,vicentini 7styled ,thomassin7 made his first appearance in the rle of ,harlequin1 supported by the entire troupe1 on the #hth of ,may of that year1 in the theatre of the ,palais-,royal1 in ,l',inganno ,fortunato4 8,the famous ,domenico1 who had made himself so great a reputation in ,france1 had a defect in his voice to which he had so thoroughly accustomed the public that it was never afterwards conceived that a ,harlequin might be endurable who did not speak in his throat1 and affect the tones of a parrot40 ,riccoboni and ,thomassin were very uneasy as to the manner in which the public would receive a new ,harlequin1 gifted with a clear and natural voice4 ,there were several night-scenes in ,l',inganno ,fortunato4 8,one of these occurred at the commencement of the piece4 ,lelio called his lackey ,harlequin1 who at first did not answer1 and who then answered at intervals1 appearing to fall asleep again after each reply4 ,lelio went in quest of him1 and dragged him on to the stage whilst still asleep though on his feet4 ,harlequin1 awakened1 answered and1 then letting himself fall down1 would drop off to sleep again4 ,his master would awaken him once more4 ,harlequin would then go fast asleep upon his master's arm4 ,the public were put in a good humour by this scene1 and after having laughed and applauded for a quarter of an hour without the new ,harlequin's having uttered a single word1 they had not the courage to censure him upon his voice when at last they heard it40 ,vicentini was born at ,vicenza1 and had long been playing in ,italy when ,riccoboni made him offers to induce him to come to ,paris4 ,marivaux wrote several pieces for ,thomassin1 amongst which were ,la ,surprise de l',amour1 in #agbb1 and ,le ,prince ,travesti1 in #agbd4 ,it was no longer a question of improvisation1 but of memorised comedy1 and ,harlequin's business was solely to get full value out of the author's wit4 ,marivaux1 whilst preserving to this type his original colour1 causes him to appear sometimes scintillant with wit1 sometimes entirely stupid4 ,he is a mixture of ,sganarelle1 ,sancho ,pana1 ,crispino and ,figaro4 ,in the ,prince ,travesti1 ,harlequin is the lackey of the ,prince of ,lon1 who conceals his identity under the name of ,lelio4 ,he meets the ,princess of ,barcelone1 who is in love with ,lelio1 and who puts questions to him on the subject of his master4 ,,the ,,princess4 ,what do you seek1 ,harlequin8 ,is your master in the palace8 ,,harlequin4 ,madam1 ,i implore ,your ,principality to pardon the impertinence of my stupidity2 had ,i but known of your presence here ,i should not have been so foolish as to have brought my person hither4 ,,the ,,princess4 ,you have done no harm4 ,but tell me1 are you seeking your master8 ,,harlequin4 ,exactly4 ,you have guessed it1 madam4 ,since he spoke to you a while ago ,i have lost him in this plaguey house and1 saving your presence1 ,i have lost myself also4 ,if you would show me the way you would be doing me a kindness2 there are here so many chambers that ,i have been travelling for an hour without coming to the end of them4 ,par la mardi6 if you prize all this it must mean that it brings you a lot of money4 ,nevertheless1 what a jumble of furniture1 of oddities1 and of kickshaws6 ,a whole village might live a year upon the value of it all4444 ,it is so beautiful that one does not dare to look at it2 it instils fear into a poor man like me4 ,how rich you are1 you princes1 and ,i1 what is it that ,i am by comparison with this6 ,but surely it is another impertinence on my part to reason with you as with an equal4 ,your companion is laughing1 perhaps ,i have said something foolish4 ,,hortense4 ,you have said nothing foolish2 on the contrary1 you seem to me of an excellent wit4 ,,harlequin4 ,pardi6 ,i laugh always3 what would you8 ,i have nothing to lose4 ,you amuse yourselves with being rich1 you others1 and ,i--,i amuse myself with being gay2 to every one his own amusement in this world4 ,with his master ,harlequin shows himself to be no less critical and profound4 ,,lelio4 ,i am disposed to confide in you that ,i am a person of condition1 who amuse myself by travelling incognito4 ,i am young2 it is a study that will be useful to me some day4 ,,harlequin4 ,my faith1 it is a study that will teach you nothing but poverty2 it was hardly worth while to travel post for the sake of studying all this rubbish4 ,what will you make of all this knowledge of men8 ,you will learn but poor things4 ,,lelio4 ,but they will cheat me no more4 ,,harlequin4 ,that will spoil you4 ,,lelio4 ,why8 ,,harlequin4 ,you will no longer be so kindly when you are learned on that subject4 ,by dint of seeing so many scoundrels1 in truth1 you will become a scoundrel yourself4444 ,good-bye6 ,which is the way to the kitchen8 ,comical scenes follow between ,harlequin and ,frederick1 an ambitious courtier who seeks to seduce ,harlequin4 ,the latter thereupon becomes again the loutish lackey1 opposing to ,frederick's attack the ponderous and ingenious probity of the peasant4 ,,harlequin4 ,pardi6 ,you treat me like your own child4 ,there is no boggling at that4 ,wealth1 employment1 and a pretty girl2 that means a whole shipload of victuals1 money and delicacies4 ,it is clear that you love me very dearly6 ,,frederick4 ,yes2 your physiognomy pleases me2 you are a good lad6 ,,harlequin4 ,oh6 as for that1 ,i am as droll as a box2 leave it to me and we shall laugh like mad together2 but let us behold at once this wealth1 these employments and this pretty girl1 for ,i am in haste to be rich and at ease4 ,frederick has a small service to ask of him4 ,it is that of spying upon his master1 and to report to him his words and actions4 8,observe all very carefully1 and as an earnest of the recompense ultimately to be yours1 here is some money for you in advance40 ,,harlequin4 ,can't you advance me the girl also8 ,we will deduct her from the rest4 ,,frederick4 ,a service1 my child1 is never paid for until it is rendered2 that is the custom4 ,,harlequin4 ,a villainous custom6444 ,i prefer to give you my note of hand to the effect that ,i have received this girl on account4444 ,but1 when ,i come to think of it1 ,i am afraid you want me to do dirty work for you4 ,what do you want with the words of my lord ,lelio1 my master8 ,,frederick4 ,mere curiosity4 ,,harlequin4 ,hum4444 ,there is malice under all this4 ,you have a sly look4 ,i will bet you ten sous that you are a worthless fellow4444 ,get along6 you should not tempt a poor lad who has no more honour than is necessary to him1 and who is fond of girls4 ,i have all the trouble in the world to prevent myself from being a scoundrel4 ,must my honour be the ruin of me1 to deprive me of wealth1 employment and a pretty wench4 ,par la mardi6 you are very wicked to have invented this girl4 ,,frederick4 ,consider that ,i am offering you your fortune1 and that you are losing it4 ,,harlequin4 ,i am considering that your commission smells of trickery1 and luckily this trickery fortifies my poor honour which was wavering4 ,bah6 your pretty girl is no better than a drab2 your employments are concerned with some dogs' traffic4 ,that is my last word1 and ,i am going straight to find the princess and my master to relate to them my disaster and all your proposals4 ,,frederick4 ,wretch6 are you resolved then to dishonour me8 ,,harlequin4 ,good6 when one has no honour is it necessary to have reputation8 ,thomassin would execute at times highly extraordinary turns of strength and of agility4 8,he would run round the outside of the boxes of the first1 second and third tiers2 but the public1 too deeply interested in the life of this amiable actor1 compelled him to cut out a turn so dangerous which invariably had the effect of frightening the spectators far more than it amused them4 8,his natural gaiety and the graces of his clowning would in themselves have sufficed to have charmed the public1 even had not nature made him an excellent actor1 which is to be taken in the widest sense of the term as meaning that he was natural1 nave1 original and pathetic40 ,amid the laughter excited by his buffoonery he would at times suddenly surprise his audience into tears4 8,often1 after beginning by laughing at the manner in which he expressed his pain1 one ended by experiencing the emotion by which he was penetrated40 ,like ,domenico1 in the matter of pupils1 ,thomassin produced only very bad copies1 and 8one saw nothing but pitiful attempts in the rle of ,harlequin0 until the day when ,carlo ,bertinazzi came to succeed him4 ,thomassin had married ,margarita ,rusca1 who played waiting-woman parts under the name of ,violetta4 ,he died on the #aith of ,august #agci at the age of fifty-seven1 after a long illness4 ,among the many children he left and who have appeared on the ,italo-,french stage1 the best known was ,madame de ,hesse1 wife of the actor of this name4 ,on the #bast of ,november of #agci ,antonio ,constantini1 a brother of the celebrated ,angelo ,constantini1 who had created the rle of ,mezzetin in ,paris1 made his first appearance in the part of ,harlequin4 ,he played 8with great vivacity10 and held out some hope that he would repair the loss which the theatre had sustained by the death of ,thomassin2 he did not1 however1 fulfil this promise1 and he was not accepted for the rles of zany4 ,the feeble dbut of the ,alsatian1 ,thodorak--anagram of ,cadoret--in #agdj1 met with no better success4 8,it is altogether incredible what a number of ,harlequins appeared within the space of three or four years2 they seemed to rise from the ashes of ,thomassin3 but1 similar to those shadows which are formed from the exhalations of tombs1 and which the least sound dissipates1 so all these disappeared before the booings of the groundlings40 ,in #agda1 ,gioachino ,vicentini1 the youngest son of ,thomassin1 aged eighteen1 made his dbut as ,harlequin1 on the #bfth of ,august4 8,but1 as talents are not always hereditary1 he was not accepted at the ,comdie-,italienne1 and he confined himself thereafter to playing in the provinces40 ,in the same year the ,sieur ,molin also attempted the rle of ,harlequin with no better reception4 ,he also repaired to the country4 v ,at last1 on the #ajth of ,april #agda1 ,carlo ,bertinazzi1 born at ,turin1 #agac1 made his dbut1 and was received into the troupe in the month of ,august #agdb1 after having played with success the famous character of ,harlequin for more than a year1 and having surpassed the hopes which had been founded upon his talent4 ,this brilliant dbut was thus chronicled in the ,mercure3 8,on ,thursday1 the #ajth of ,april #agda1 the ,italian comedians opened their theatre with an ,italian piece in prose and in three acts1 in which the ,sieur ,carlin ,bertinazzi1 born at ,turin1 some twenty-eight years ago1 performed for the first time the rle of ,harlequin1 the principal character in the piece4 ,the ,sieur ,richard1 who had addressed the public on the closure of the theatre1 addressed it again on the opening1 and expressed himself in the following terms3--#8,gentlemen1 this day1 which renews our efforts and our homage1 was to have been marked by the novelty which we had prepared for you2 but the actor who is going to have the honour of appearing before you for the first time was too deeply interested1 and too impatient to learn his fate1 to permit us to postpone his dbut4 8,should your novelty fail10 said he1 8,i shall learn how your public hisses1 and that is something that ,i do not want to learn2 should it succeed ,i shall know how they applaud1 and ,i shall draw1 perhaps1 a sad comparison between its reception and that which may be accorded to me40 ,so as not to give this new actor any grounds for reproach1 we have conformed entirely with his wishes4 ,he knows1 gentlemen1 not only what he has to dread in appearing before you1 but also in following that excellent actor whom we have lost 7,thomassin7 in whose rle you are about to see him4 ,these just causes of apprehension would be counterbalanced in his mind if he were aware of the resources which await him in your indulgence2 but it is in vain that we have endeavoured to reassure him on this score2 he can be convinced of the truth of it only by yourselves1 and we hope1 gentlemen1 that you will be disposed to fulfil the promises which we have made to him on your behalf4 ,they are founded upon an experience so long and so happy that we are as assured of your kindliness as you must be of our zeal and profound respect4'0 ,it was in such terms that the public was flattered in those days4 ,and being thus flattered1 it received ,carlin with an indulgence of which he was very far from standing in need4 ,carlin's performance was easy1 natural and comical4 ,garrick1 seeing him in a scene in which he had just received a correction from his master1 menacing this last with one hand1 whilst rubbing his side with the other1 was so charmed by the naturalness of his miming that he exclaimed3 8,behold1 how the very back of ,carlin has a physiognomy and an expression60 ,carlin ,bertinazzi was1 like ,domenico and all great buffoons1 of a very melancholy character2 he depended upon his wit and not upon his temperament4 ,of ,domenico it is related that1 being intensely troubled with his spleen1 he went to consult ,dumoulin1 a celebrated doctor1 who prescribed for him as a remedy that he should go and see ,domenico at the ,comdie-,italienne1 because ,domenico made all the world laugh4 8,alas60 replied the poor actor1 8,i am ,domenico1 and from now onwards ,i must look upon myself as a lost man40 ,to his histrionic talents ,carlin united considerable knowledge on various subjects and all the qualities that go to make a good member of society4 ,it is related that on a lovely summer evening1 when the heat was suffocating1 and ,carlin was to perform in two plays1 ,camerani1 the manager1 came to inform him that there was but one spectator in the theatre1 and that there was no occasion to give a performance4 ,carlin laughed1 and replied that it was necessary to play none the less since there was a public 7un public74 ,the curtain rose2 ,carlin appeared1 drew his wooden sword1 took a turn round the theatre1 and after a thousand capers which provoked great bursts of laughter from a fat gentleman seated in a corner of the orchestra1 he advanced to the footlights and addressed him3 8,monsieur ,tout-,seul1 we are desolated1 my comrades and ,i1 to be compelled to play in such weather as this to one single spectator2 nevertheless1 if you demand it1 play we will40 ,the spectator entered into conversation with the actor1 informed him that he was from the country1 and that he had come to ,paris for no other purpose but that of seeing him perform1 and implored ,carlin to grant him this favour4 ,carlin resigned himself and began his performance4 ,all at once the sky became overcast1 thunder rumbled and rain came down in torrents4 ,the theatre filled itself as by enchantment1 and in less than an hour the receipts rose to nine hundred livres1 an enormous figure at this epoch4 ,at the end of the second and last piece1 ,carlin came forward again to the footlights and sought his fat gentleman1 who had been convulsed with laughter throughout the performance4 8,monsieur ,tout-seul1 are you still there80 he cried4 ,the man from the provinces rose to reply3 8,yes1 ,m4 ,carlin1 and you have made me laugh very much40 8,monsieur ,tout-seul1 ,i come to thank you for having compelled us to perform2 as a consequence our receipts are enormous4 ,thank you then once more1 ,monsieur ,tout-seul40 8,i am enchanted1 ,m4 ,carlin4 ,au revoir10 replied the fat country gentleman1 striding across his bench to depart1 whilst the audience shook with laughter4 ,when there was hesitation to announce a performance1 either on account of the heat or from any other cause1 ,carlin would say to ,camerani3 8,let us put up our bills1 none the less4 ,who knows8--perhaps ,monsieur ,tout-seul will come this evening40 ,carlin died in ,paris in #afge4 ,he was still playing within a very short time of his death4 ,his advanced age had robbed him of none of his vivacity1 mirth and suppleness4 ,the following epitaph was written in his honour3 8,de ,carlin pour peindre le sort1 ,trs peu de mots doivent suffire3 ,toute sa vie il a fait rire1 ,il a fait pleurer sa mort40 ,as author he has left us ,les ,mtamorphoses d',arlequin4 ,modern literature has made of him an historical personage4 ,a very remarkable novel of ,m4 de ,latouche attributes to him a regular correspondence with ,pope ,clement ,,xiv41 who was in fact an old schoolfellow of his4 ,,mm4 ,rochefort and ,gustave ,lemoine wrote some years ago a very pretty piece on this subject4 ,carlin1 ignorant that the new pope was that same ,lorenzo ,ganganelli1 the friend of his youth1 received a visit from him1 addressed him familiarly in the second person singular1 and performed with him a scene of which ,ganganelli held the manuscript1 laughing so heartily the while that he kept forgetting to take up his cues4 ,on the subject of the dbut of a ,harlequin at the ,thtre-,italien1 ,coll1 in his ,journal ,historique1 speaks as follows of the masters of the burlesque art3-- 8,on ,monday1 the #bast inst4 7,june #agea71 ,i went to the ,comdie to see a new ,harlequin who has been playing there for several days4 ,he is a very nimble rascal1 a mountebank1 a sort of rope dancer1 a buffoon and a sound comedian2 as he is merely a bird of passage1 the ,italians would not have been so ill-advised as to have permitted him to appear upon the stage if he had been better than1 or even the equal of ,carlin1 their present ,harlequin4 ,the latter1 who for some years now has been in possession of this rle1 does not acquit himself at all badly1 although he is sometimes ponderous in his action and always stupid in his subjects1 whatever may be said to the contrary by the partisans of these paltry spectacles4 ,but we may say at least that ,thomassin1 his predecessor was quite as stupid as ,carlin1 and even perhaps more so1 although he repaired his short-comings by an unflagging energy and inimitable grace4 ,this comedian even went so far as to endow his ,harlequin with a singular attribute2 he gave him a pathetic side2 he could move his audience even to tears in certain pieces such as ,la ,double ,inconstance1 ,timon1 ,l',isle des ,esclaves1 and others2 this has always seemed to me a prodigy to perform under the mask of ,harlequin40 ,in #aggg ,bigottini took up the rles of ,harlequin4 ,grimm refers to him as follows3-- 8,a young ,harlequin of sixty odd summers1 the ,sieur ,bigottini1 has made his dbut on the stage of the ,comdie-,italienne in a piece of his own1 entitled ,arlequin ,esprit ,follet4 ,the performance of the ,sieur ,bigottini has no analogy with that of the actor he is replacing2 he has not the same grace nor the same subtlety1 nor yet the same navet2 nevertheless his metamorphoses are ingenious and varied1 and his movements1 without having the suppleness which characterised the slightest gestures of ,carlin1 are of extraordinary precision and lightness4 ,nothing could equal the swiftness with which he changes his costume and his mask2 his talent on this point approaches prodigy1 but it is a style of merit which must fail to amuse for very long4 ,it is only wit that may be infinitely varied1 it is only grace whose charm never stales40 ,at the end of the eighteenth century1 one of the most celebrated ,harlequins of ,italy was ,golinetti4 ,the character of ,harlequin1 which underwent as many variations in its type as in the orthography of the name1 which from ,harlequino became ,arlechino1 ,arlichino and1 to-day1 ,arlecchino1 has more or less passed from fashion in ,italy4 ,meneghino and ,stenterello have taken his place4 ,nevertheless he is still to be found in the marionette theatres4 ,there he is dressed in garments broken into squares of yellow1 red and green4 ,he still wears his mask and his black chin-piece to simulate a beard2 but1 perhaps to indicate his great age1 his moustachios and his eyebrows have become white4 ,in ,france the type is more or less extinct4 ,the wit which he developed in the eighteenth century has descended once more to his legs4 ,he is no more than a traditional mime1 more or less graceful4 ,his last successes were leaped and danced by ,cossard and ,derruder4 ,in ,italy the principal actors who filled the part were3 ,fremeri1 in #afbd2 ,belotti1 in #afbe2 ,girolamo ,francesco1 in #afcj2 ,astori of ,venice1 in #agbj2 ,bertoli1 in #agcj2 ,ignazio ,casanova1 of ,bologna1 in #agcd4 vi ,trivelino is1 under another name and in a different costume1 what ,harlequin was before ,domenico gave him that attribute of subtlety which his successors have always preserved4 ,instead of lozenges arranged symmetrically1 we find small triangles over the seams of his garments and suns and moons scattered here and there upon his coat and breeches4 ,he too wears the soft hat with the rabbit-tail1 but he does not carry a bat4 ,for the rest his name1 which signifies a wearer of rags1 is perhaps the real name borne by ,harlequin before the sixteenth century4 ,we have said that in #afce ,domenico ,locatelli 7,trivelin7 was performing on the stage of the ,comdie-,italienne in ,paris1 when ,domenico ,biancolelli went there to make his dbut under the name of ,arlechino4 ,they were both lackeys1 and they portrayed more or less the same character4 ,they presented a sort of duplicated rle and they were known as first and second zany1 for in many of the pieces of the ,italian troupe which went to ,paris in #agaf the rles of zanies are played under the names of ,trivelino1 ,arlechino and ,scapino indifferently4 ,in the companies that roved through ,italy in the seventeenth century the rle of ,trivelino was that of an intriguer who incessantly tormented that poor fool ,arlechino4 ,he was in league with ,fritellino and ,truffaldino to play the most damnable tricks upon the ,doctor and upon ,pantaloon2 he was1 in short1 a thorough-paced rascal1 a worthy rival of ,brighella4 ,thus1 in ,artmire1 a parody given at the ,thtre-,italien in #agbj1 we have the following scene3-- ,,trivelino4 ,the goods of ,pantaloon shall be my salary4 ,crime is to be approved when it is necessary4 ,but here comes ,harlequin2 though something of a fool1 ,i would have him join us in this plot4 7,to ,,harlequin47 ,are you brave8 ,,harlequin4 ,yes1 particularly at table4 ,,trivelino4 ,i know your talents for eating and for drinking1 and ,i know the activity of your jaws1 but ,i want other exploits from you at present4 ,i have chosen you for a daring enterprise4 ,,harlequin4 ,pantaloon is alive4444 ,,trivelino4 ,that does not worry me4 ,i have determined to murder him4 ,,harlequin4 ,fie6 that smells of the gibbet4 ,,trivelino4 ,i want you1 my dear ,harlequin1 to second me4 ,,harlequin4 ,in the art of murder ,i am still a novice4 ,do not reckon upon me4 ,,trivelino4 ,you are a coward4 ,,harlequin4 ,better words1 my friend6 ,i am prudent4444 ,but1 to assassinate ,pantaloon--no1 no4444 ,i cannot without sorrow behold the slaughter of a pig4 ,how then can ,i murder ,pantaloon8 ,domenico ,locatelli1 who performed the rles of ,trivelino at the ,petit-,bourbon ,theatre1 went to ,france in #afde4 ,he was an excellent comedian4 ,he wrote a very spectacular ,french piece entitled ,rosaure1 ,impratrice de ,constantinople1 which was performed in #afeh4 ,after a brilliant career he died in ,march of #afga4 ,pierre-,franois ,biancolelli1 born in #afha1 and known under the name of ,domenico1 which had been borne by his father1 was educated at a ,jesuit college4 ,upon leaving school he joined ,giuseppe ,tortoretti 7,pasquariello7 who was then touring the provinces4 ,he made his dbut with success as ,trivelino at ,toulouse4 ,he then went to ,montpellier1 where he married ,tortoretti's daughter1 with whom he had become enamoured in ,paris1 and for whose sake he had turned comedian4 ,he repaired immediately to ,italy with his wife1 and performed in ,venice1 ,milan1 ,parma1 ,mantua and ,genoa1 returning afterwards to ,france1 where he played in the provinces until #agaj4 ,he returned to ,paris and performed until #agag at the fairs of ,saint-,germain and ,saint-,laurent1 after which he entered the ,italian company of the ,regent4 ,this ,biancolelli was the author of more than eighty pieces for the ,italian repertory4 ,he died in ,paris in #agcd4 vii ,the first creation of ,,truffaldino took place somewhere about #aecj in the troupe of the famous ,angelo ,beolco 7,ruzzante74 ,he represents the sly and lying servant under the name of ,truffa 7the crafty74 ,this type achieved popularity in ,italy1 and towards the middle of the seventeenth century it became one of the varieties of ,harlequin1 under the diminutive of ,truffaldino4 ,in ,la ,vaccaria of ,ruzzante1 ,truffa is the servant of ,flavio1 a young lover1 and in ,la ,rhodiana by the same author1 he is the servant of ,roberto1 whom he aids in his amours4 8,you may trust me entirely0 7he assures his master71 8because1 although you see me in these peasant garments1 ,i am nevertheless of anything but low extraction4 ,i disclose myself to you alone1 assured that you will not betray my secret4 ,learn that my real name is ,gasparo1 and that ,i am the son of ,roberto ,san-,severino2 ,i was compelled to flee my country on account of a love affair with a beautiful lady whose relatives sought my life4 ,i have travelled in ,italy1 in the ,east and in the ,west1 and ,i have learnt several languages that have proved very useful to me4 ,finally1 being in ,venice1 ,i fell in love with the daughter of my mistress1 named ,lucretia1 and so that ,i might commune with her in secret1 ,i assumed the garments of a peasant4 ,do not be offended if1 whether alone with you or in company1 ,i employ a language that corresponds with my dress40 ,towards #agch the actor ,sacchi was playing in ,italy1 and particularly in ,venice1 rles similar to that of ,harlequin1 under the name of ,truffaldino1 a ,bergamese caricature4 ,goldoni and the ,abb ,chiari had boasted that they would drive the ,commedia dell' ,arte and the leather masks from the theatre4 ,sacchi1 seeing the national company disappearing1 quitted ,venice with his troupe and his friends1 ,brighella1 ,tartaglia and ,pantaloon1 to seek his fortune beyond the seas4 ,but the great earthquake at ,lisbon drove them out of ,portugal4 ,sacchi then returned to ,venice with his troupe1 and1 in #agfa1 the theatre of ,san-,samuele1 which had been closed for five years1 was put into repair and reopened with ,l',amour des ,trois ,oranges1 a fable in five acts1 by ,carlo ,gozzi4 ,the marvellous genre being supported by ,gozzi1 became a subject of enthusiasm in ,venice until #agfi1 in which year a rival troupe appropriated ,sacchi's pieces and actors1 opened the theatre of ,sant' ,angelo1 and brought about his ruin1 notwithstanding the endeavours made by ,sacchi in giving the public commedie sostenute4 8,but10 says ,m4 ,paul de ,musset1 8the decadence and the dispersion of ,sacchi's company was none the less inevitable4 ,truffaldino was growing old and infirm4 ,further to complicate matters the old fool fell in love with ,la ,ricci 7,gozzi's mistress71 and notwithstanding his seventy years1 he gave umbrage to our poet4 ,one day ,gozzi discovered ,la ,ricci in the act of cutting out some white satin to make a gown4 ,the material was a present from ,sacchi1 and the young leading lady would have desired1 with ,italian navet1 to have retained at one and the same time the lengths of satin and her virtue4 ,so much was decidedly impossible4 ,she kept the satin40 ,the character as performed by ,sacchi was that of a poltroon1 who is beaten and deceived4 ,bombastic1 very proud of his birth1 and calling all others low born1 he was nevertheless the butt of the piece4 ,sacchi was an admirable improvisor1 and the rles destined for him in the plays of ,carlo ,gozzi are not written in extenso4 8,no one10 says ,gozzi1 8may write the rle of ,truffaldino1 either in prose or in verse4 ,it suffices ,sacchi to know the intention of the author1 so as to enable him to improvise scenes superior to any which a writer might have prepared him40 ,those passages which are intended to be performed by ,truffaldino are merely indicated as follows3--8,truffaldino enters1 goes through his pleasantries10 or even more simply3 8,enter ,truffaldino10 and then 8,exit ,truffaldino40 ,in certain pieces nevertheless his rle is more fully set forth4 ,,truffaldino4 ,you ask me what ,i am and what ,i am going to do4 ,i am going to tell you2 and ,i shall sincerely relate to you the story of my life4 ,i came from the foundling hospital4 ,let me consider a moment my genealogical tree4 ,it is most probable that ,i am the son of a king1 because ,i have always experienced in my blood a great superiority4 ,in the foundling hospital they attempted to teach me to read and to write1 but my greatness of soul could never permit me to lower myself to such meannesses4 ,in consequence of a certain inherent royal ferocity1 it was my fate to break the skull of a teacher4 ,after that ,i ran away and by virtue of my heroism ,i became a mendicant4 ,taken by corsairs ,i was sold as a slave4 ,the ,turks1 perceiving in my physiognomy the indelible signs of my noble origin and admiring the majesty of my stomach1 valued me in the market at the price of fifty philippes4 ,my buyer1 having thoroughly experienced how monarchically ,i was disposed to despise all such work as was set me1 sold me again for fifty livres4 ,my third buyer harnessed me with a donkey4 ,in this situation ,i became so celebrated for my indifference to any kind of occupation other than that of eating that my latest buyer sold me for twenty-seven livres and a half4 ,at last ,i was decorated with an honourable kick and thus ,i quitted slavery with honour and glory4 ,i was as much out of place there as a fish in a meadow or a cheese in a library4 ,after all that ,i have told you1 you will readily see for yourself the nature of the employment for which ,i am fitted4 ,,ii ,,polichinelle 8,b-r-r-r-r-r4444 ,b-r-r-r-r-r4444 ,yes1 my children6 ,here ,i am6 ,i1 ,polichinelle with my big stick6 ,here ,i am6 ,the little man is still alive1 you see4 ,i come to amuse you1 as pleasantly as ,i can1 for certain quidams have told me that you are sad6 ,now1 why should you be sad8 ,is not life a pleasant thing1 an idle jest1 a veritable farce1 in which all the world is the theatre and where there is plenty to excite your laughter1 if you will but take the trouble to look8 ,it is getting on for four thousand years1 my children1 that ,i have been parading my humps about the surface of the globe1 among men who are no whit less ferocious and savage than tigers and crocodiles2 and it is getting on for four thousand years that ,i have been laughing1 sometimes until ,i have had a pain in my back4 ,is it not droll1 is it not very droll1 tell me1 to see upon such a little space as that which we call the world1 this ant-heap of creatures1 each of which1 taken separately1 conceives itself to be privileged by all nature8 ,ask one of these atoms if it would change its skin with its neighbour4 ,ah no1 be easy1 its own skin pleases it too well4 ,but ask it if it would change its purse with that of its neighbour4 #8,oh yes1 if his is fatter than mine1' it will answer you4 ,and each one strives1 comes1 goes1 amasses1 stirs up1 rolls1 grovels1 and gives more thought to to-morrow than to yesterday4 ,you would suppose to look at them that they must live for ever4 ,they are all mad6 ,observe me this one1 he amasses and piles up ducat upon ducat1 waiting until the hour of his death to make use of this fortune4 ,his son makes haste to scatter it all1 and goes to a deal of trouble to ruin himself in body as well as in purse2 sometimes he dies before having succeeded4 ,that is the law2 to make and to unmake4 ,behold me this fellow1 who plagues his brains to discover some means of attracting the attention of some other unfortunates who do not wish to be turned aside from the road which they follow1 which their fathers followed1 and which their children will follow4 ,he has had some sort of a notion to disturb his neighbours2 they seize him1 shut him up1 or have him burnt or drowned4 ,is it not droll8 ,ah6 you would have laughed to have seen thousands of human carcasses hanging from the trees by the roadside after ,i know not what jest had gone through the minds of some lunatics4 ,i never laughed so much as some fifteen centuries ago4 ,there were whole roastings of people whose tort it was to be weaker than those who were the stronger at that time4 ,it was very amusing to see them rent and devoured by wild animals4 ,you're going to call me a dull fellow1 a fool1 and to tell me that ,i have not understood what ,i have seen4 ,pish6 my children6 it is best to laugh at things1 for the children of these disembowelled wretches avenged themselves later on4 8,but droller still1 the drollest thing of all1 is woman4 ,ah6 now there we have a strange animal6 ,oh1 the vanity1 the malice of these little beings1 for whom ,i am still capable of committing follies6 ,by ,pluto or by ,satan6 7they are both one1 and ,i don't think much of either1 for after all they are but human inventions7 it is good to watch men and women desiring each other1 deceiving each other1 hating each other4 ,the two sexes have declared war1 and yet neither can live without the other4 ,ask a man what he thinks of women4 ,he will reply3 #8,they are vain and untruthful4' ,ask a woman what she thinks of men4 ,she will say3 #8,they are egotistical and perfidious6' ,come1 come6 there is truth on both sides1 because with gold either may be bought4 ,be rich and you shall be honoured1 loved and flattered2 you shall be beautiful1 even young if you please2 you shall find love1 consideration and honours4 ,be poor and you shall not be worth a string of onions6 8,i can see from here one or two who do not share my opinion4 ,they may please themselves2 they are still young4 ,if1 like me1 they had seen whole cities disappear under volcanic ashes1 if their shoes had been scorched by the hot lava of ,vesuvius1 if they had seen the sanguinary people of the south hurl themselves upon the ferocious people of the north1 and vice versa2 if they had spoken the truth in three words1 as ,i did1 to the mighty ones of the earth2 if they had told the proudest nations of the world that they were no better than savages and brutes1 they would think differently1 and they would consider the matter carefully before contradicting me4 8,is my conscience wide and easy8 ,of course it is6 that which belongs to others belongs to me2 and ,i have only to stoop so as to fill my hat with the gold and the wealth of my neighbours4 ,you find that wrong8 ,it is my point of view2 ,i have such a contempt for men that ,i am little concerned with what they may think or say of me4 8,but do not dare to call me a thief6 ,it is not the word that wounds me1 it is the intention4 ,take care6 ,i have never been insulted with impunity1 and ,i am never more to be feared than when ,i am in a good humour4 ,you do not deserve that ,i should waste my merry words upon you1 because that which should make you laugh seems1 instead1 to annoy you4 ,what6 would you weep because everything goes wrong8 ,look at me6 ,i have suffered as much as any man1 but ,i cover my hump and my heart with a cuirass4 ,i am laughter incarnate1 laughter triumphant4 ,so much the worse for those rows of paper capuchins which are to be overthrown by the first breath that blows4 ,i am of wood and iron1 and as old as the world60 ,polichinelle is right to say that his heart is as dry as his cudgel3 he is an egotist in the fullest acceptance of the term4 ,under a good-humoured exterior he is a ferocious being3 he works evil for the pleasure of it4 ,caring no more for the life of a man than for that of a flea1 he delights in quarrels1 making a point of seeking them1 and takes great pleasure in bloodshed4 ,far from being a boaster he does not always speak of his evil actions1 and whenever you hear his laughter crackling1 you may be sure that he has killed his man4 ,he fears neither ,god nor devil1 for he has beheld too many civilisations and religions come and go under his hooked and warty nose4 ,after his cudgel--his staff of credit1 as he calls it1 because it is the money with which he pays his debts--his chief predilections are women and the bottle4 ,it is very true1 as he says himself1 that for women money is necessary1 and he has no money4 ,although he pretends that he has only to stoop to take what he needs from the coffers of his friends1 his friends are not quite so simple2 they hide themselves and their riches on his approach4 ,without money it is necessary to be persuasive towards the fair sex1 and1 notwithstanding his humps and his unattractive figure1 he is so caustic1 so cajoling1 so enterprising and so insolent1 that he is not without his successes4 8,i have no illusions on the score of my physical appearance10 he declares1 8and ,i shall not disclose to you my secret1 because ,i do not know it2 on the other hand1 can you explain women to me8 ,he who pleases them does so because he pleases them2 there are no other reasons4 ,woman is a bizarre and mysterious being3 she is the only good thing in this world1 after wine and hard knocks40 ,he loves all women alike because there is not one who may boast that she held him long4 ii ,it would be somewhere about the year #edj of ,rome1 that the ,romans introduced the style of improvised pieces known as ,atellan1 with ,maccus1 ,bucco1 ,pappus1 and ,casnar as the principal types1 speaking ,oscan1 ,greek and ,latin4 ,their subjects were nearly always rustic1 setting forth the manners of the peasants of the ,campagna1 and the oddities of the inhabitants of the little cities4 ,it is ,pappus prteritus1 or1 as it were1 ,pantaloon dismissed2 ,maccus the soldier2 ,maccus1 the testamentary legatee1 the doctor1 the painter1 the baker2 ,pappus agricola1 etc4 ,the ,atellan possessed two distinct buffoons1 two sanniones3 ,maccus1 who was lively1 witty1 insolent and a little ferocious2 and ,bucco1 who was a self-satisfied flatterer1 boaster1 thief and coward4 ,in the modern ,,pulcinella these two characters are combined2 he is a mixture of bravery and cowardice1 of stupid vanity and witty insolence4 ,it is pretended that these opposite traits of character were similarly attributed to ,maccus1 the ,oscan peasant1 who in his day was as well known and loved as is ,pulcinella now4 8,maccus1 the ,oscan character10 says ,m4 ,ferdinand ,fouque1 8has a character compounded of stupidity1 impertinence1 and disorder1 as his name indicates1 because in ,greek1 signifies to play the buffoon1 to drivel1 to be mad4 ,maccus of the ,atellan corresponds sometimes to ,harlequin1 but more often to ,polichinelle4 ,the image in metal preserved in the museum of the ,marquis ,capponi is a ,maccus4 ,he wears a sort of cloak1 which descends to his knees1 and he is shod in sandals4 ,his head is shaved1 his nose is large and hooked4 ,another ,maccus is to be seen upon a cornelian3 he is dressed in purple1 his feet are naked1 his head shaven1 his pendulous nose covers his mouth and chin1 giving him a stupid expression2 his face is phlegmatic1 and his arms1 crossed upon his breast1 are entwined into his coat4 ,he represents a philosophic ,maccus akin to the ,pulcinella of the comedy entitled ,pulcinella the ,pretended ,doctor 7,pulcinella ,finto ,dottore74 8,bucco is of ,oscan origin4 ,in name and countenance he resembles the parasites of comedy4 ,his character is compounded of loftinesses and meannesses1 of oddities and of follies4 ,he can be pleasant at need1 impertinent according to the circumstances2 subtle1 officious1 insinuating1 clownish1 garrulous1 indolent1 greedy and familiar3 he has all the vices which go with the manners of a corrupt nation2 also he possesses the secret of pleasing the great and rendering himself necessary to them3 he studies their tastes1 adapts himself to their fancies1 ministers to their passions and countenances their libertine undertakings4 ,bucco had monstrous cheeks and an enormous mouth40 ,pulcinella1 then1 descends in a direct line from ,maccus4 ,but how has the name of ,pulcinella come to substitute that of ,maccus8 ,the point has been practically cleared up by now4 ,we know that ,maccus had a crooked nose1 long legs1 a slightly arched back1 a prominent stomach1 and that1 after the fashion of all the ancient mimes1 he excited mirth quite as much by his gestures and his cries as by such witticisms as he uttered4 ,the special attribute of ,maccus was to imitate the cries of birds and the cackle of hens1 by means of a sort of bird-call which became the sgherlo or pivetta4 ,this instrument cannot have been of his invention2 no doubt he borrowed it from those schnobates1 or ,greek marionette performers1 who had invented their sgherlo to imitate the voices of actors passing through the speaking trumpet of the mask and acquiring thus a metallic ring4 ,maccus came therefore to be nicknamed1 in consequence of these avian cries of his1 and perhaps also because of his beak-like nose and his eccentric gait1 ,pullus gallinaceus1 and hence1 by contraction1 ,pulcinella4 ,a little bronze figure suggesting ,maccus1 now in the ,capponi ,museum1 was unearthed in ,rome in #agbg4 ,of this the ,abb of ,saint-,non remarks in his ,voyage de ,naples1 in #aghb3 8,but what may perhaps seem remarkable is to find here a ,polichinelle who1 in the essential features1 is absolutely similar to our own1 with the humps behind and in front40 ,he supplies a drawing of this little image1 of which he further says3 8,this bizarre figure is copied from an ancient bronze found in ,rome in #agbg4 ,the original is preserved in the ,capponi ,museum1 together with the history of this character1 of whom it is impossible to deny that the titles and the genealogy are of the greatest antiquity3 8,vetus histrio personatus in ,esquiliis repertus an4 #agbg ad magnitudinem ri archetypi expressus1 cui oculi et in utroque oris angulo ,sann seu globuli argenti sunt4 ,gibbus in pectore et in dorso1 inque pedibus socci4 ,hujus generis moriones et ludiones1 verbis gestique ad risum movendum compositi1 locum habuerunt in jocularibus fabulis ,atellanis1 ab ,atella ,oscorum opido1 inter ,capuam et ,neapolim1 ubi primum agi cperunt denominat4 ,unde homines absurdo habitu oris et reliqui corporis cachinnos a natura excitantes1 etiamnum prodeunt2 huic nostro persimiles et vulgo ,pullicinell dicuntur1 a ,pulliceno fortasse3 qua voce ,lampridius in ,severo ,alexandro1 ,pullum gallinaceum appellat4 ,pullicinell autem speciatim excellunt adunco1 prominentique naso1 rostrum pullorum et pipionum imitante40 ,louis ,riccoboni gives at the end of his ,histoire du ,thtre ,italien a reproduction of this same little image4 ,it is to be observed that in each corner of the mouth there is a little ball which can only belong to a sort of sgherlo or bird-call4 8,in the course of writing my ,history of the ,italian ,theatre10 he says1 speaking of the ,mimus ,centunculus1 8,i had entered into conjectures on the score of the character of the ,neapolitan ,polichinelle1 and ,i had supposed him a ,mimus ,albus1 giving him a derivation as ancient as that of ,harlequin2 but as ,i failed to find proofs that should in any way support my opinion ,i suppressed that chapter when the book was on the point of going to press4 ,if at that time ,i had been acquainted with the monument of which ,i speak 7the little bronze image7 ,i should have worked on ,diomedes and ,apuleius1 to arrive at the conclusions which have been reached by ,italian scholars4 ,no further proof is needed to assure me that ,i was not mistaken when ,i believed ,polichinelle to be a direct descendant of the ,mimus ,albus of the ,atellane comedies40 ,in an article upon the ,italian comedy written by ,george ,sand in #aheb1 is the following statement3-- 8,the most ancient of all the types is the ,neapolitan ,polichinelle4 ,he descends in direct line from ,maccus of the ,campagna1 or1 rather1 he is the same character4 ,the ancient ,maccus did not appear in regular comedy but in that very ancient kind of satirical drama called ,atellan1 from the name of the city of ,atella1 which had given it birth4 ,a bronze statue1 discovered in ,rome in #agbg1 can leave no doubt on the score of the identity of ,maccus and ,polichinelle4 ,the ,polichinelle of the ,atellan is equipped like his descendants with two enormous humps1 a nose hooked like the beak of a bird of prey1 and heavy shoes1 tied about the ankle1 which are not unlike our modern sabots4 ,his air is mocking1 sceptical and evil2 two little silver balls placed at the corners of his lips increase the size of his mouth and lend his countenance something false and base1 an expression entirely foreign to that of the modern ,polichinelle4 ,this difference between the externals of the two personages seems to me to indicate a profounder difference between the characters4 ,the ancient type must have been somewhat baser and more hateful than the modern ,polichinelle2 provoking laughter chiefly by his deformities1 ,i imagine that ,i can see from afar a sort of ,thersites1 popular in the struggle with the oppression of slavery and ugliness4 ,polichinelle personifies the accomplished revolt2 he is hideous but he is terrible1 severe and vengeful2 neither god nor devil can make him tremble when he wields his great cudgel4 ,by means of this weapon1 which he freely lays about the shoulders of his master and the heads of public officers1 he exercises a sort of summary and individual justice which avenges the weak side and the iniquities of official justice4 ,i am confirmed in this opinion by the fact that in the ,neapolitan farces two ,polichinelles are to be found3 one is base and doltish1 the veritable son of ,maccus3 the other is daring1 thieving1 quarrelsome1 ,bohemian and of a more modern creation40 ,when the pagan theatres were destroyed1 and the tragedies and the comedies suppressed with them1 we know that the ,atellan continued to be performed in the public places4 ,polichinelle took part in them as well as ,harlequin who also was beloved by the ,romans4 ,throughout the entire ,middle ,ages1 an epoch in which the theatres saw none but mystery plays1 ,polichinelle was never seen4 ,he had disappeared4 ,it is only in the sixteenth century1 upon the renascence of the theatres1 that a comedian named ,silvio ,fiorello wrested this character from oblivion and introduced ,pulcinella into the ,neapolitan shows4 ,fiorello was the leader of a troupe of comedians4 ,he himself played under the name of ,captain ,matamoros1 and entrusted the rle of ,pulliciniello 7as it was then called7 to ,andrea ,calcese1 a sometime tailor1 surnamed ,ciuccio1 who imitated to perfection the accent and the ways of the peasants of ,acerra1 near ,naples4 ,illustration ,the costume of ,pulcinella has varied but little since the days of this ,andrea ,calcese4 ,pulliciniello--it is thus that he is still called in the beginning of the seventeenth century--wears a sort of ample white blouse1 gripped about his waist by a leather belt which carries a wooden sabre and a purse4 ,his trousers are wide and pleated2 his shoes are of leather4 ,he wears no collar and a rag of white material with green embroidery serves him as a tabaro2 he wears a black half-mask with long moustachios2 his head is covered by a white skull-cap and an enormous grey hat whose brim is looped up on either side into the shape of an enormous cap such as was still worn under ,louis ,,xi4 ,it was thus that he was presented by ,argieri1 born in ,rome1 and known in ,paris as ,polichinel romain4 ,at the foot of a picture of him is to be read3 8,burlesque mask1 speaking the language of the ,neapolitan peasants and dressed in white linen feigning stupidity40 ,in the middle of the seventeenth century at the ,comdie-,italienne in ,paris ,pulcinella suddenly effected a change in his costume4 ,barbanois1 the ,pulcinella of ,mazarin's troupe1 imitated ,jupilles1 the ,french ,polichinel of #afdj4 ,he assumed doublet and breeches of red and yellow1 laced with green1 but he continued to wear the hat and mantle of the ,italian tradition4 ,in #afig ,michael ,angelo da ,fracassano exaggerated the two humps of the costume1 assuming a grey felt hat adorned by two cock's feathers1 and thus rendering his appearance absolutely similar to that of the ,polichinel of the fairs4 ,it is in this guise that he has been represented by ,watteau4 ,in the beginning of the eighteenth century we find ,pulcinella succumbing in ,italy to the ,french influence2 under the name of ,pulcinello1 ,coleson1 who enjoyed a great vogue in the forain theatres of ,florence1 ,venice1 ,milan and ,paris1 represents him with a stomach which entirely fills his ample coat buttoned from top to bottom4 ,he wears the black half-mask with a protuberant nose1 surmounted by a great wart1 the collar and the high-crowned1 wide-brimmed great hat2 his trousers are wide and rather short4 ,he is still dressed in white linen and wields a heavy cudgel4 ,this character1 called in ,bologna ,purricinella1 seems to me to be ,roman rather than ,neapolitan1 for the costume of the ,neapolitan type has been but little modified since his creation4 ,according to ,riccoboni this fat and heavy personage was the second ,neapolitan ,pulcinella1 the stupid type4 8,the ,neapolitan comedies0 7he says71 8instead of a ,scapin and a ,harlequin1 have two ,polichinelles1 one cunning and the other stupid4 ,it is the common opinion of the country that these two opposite characters were drawn from the city of ,beneventum1 the capital of the ,samnites of the ,latins4 ,it is said that this city1 the half of which is on the top of a hill1 the other half at the foot1 produces men of entirely different characters40 ,beneventum is built like ,bergamo1 where1 as we have seen1 the same tradition existed1 the stupid ,harlequin representing the inhabitants of the lower town1 and the witty ,brighella those of the higher4 ,pulcinello1 then1 is to be accepted as the type of the stupid and the coarse1 a direct descendant of ,maccus2 whilst the ,neapolitan ,pulcinella1 witty and astute1 may be considered the sensual descendant of ,bucco4 ,this latter type became ,european4 ,in ,france he was known as ,polichinelle2 in ,england as ,punch1 an abbreviation of ,punchinello1 and ,jack ,pudding2 in ,germany as ,hanswurst 7,jack ,sausage7 and ,pulzinella2 in ,holland as ,toneelgek2 in ,spain as ,don ,christoval ,pulichinela2 even in the ,east1 ,karagheus is none other than ,polichinelle4 ,pulcinella is1 turn by turn1 and according to the piece1 master1 servant1 magistrate1 poet or dancer1 but never an acrobat2 in essentials the character is always the same4 ,in what concerns him the piece adapts itself to his rle4 ,sometimes1 but rarely--and then only in the marionette theatres--one has seen him married to a ,pulcinellina1 and thus equipped with wife and children4 8,thirty years ago10 says a wit1 in the middle of the nineteenth century1 8there was not a single individual in ,naples who had not in himself something of ,pulcinella4 ,a deal of that has been lost to-day1 but sufficient still remain40 ,in ,naples1 ,pulcinella took up his domicile in the theatre of ,san ,carlino4 8,it is there10 says ,m4 ,fred4 ,mercey1 8that night and day he is the hero of marvellous and comical adventures4 ,indeed1 although the ,polichinelle of ,san ,carlino is not of wood1 he never rests1 and whenever some new piece has been announced for morning and evening performance1 most choice in all its scenes1 full of bizarre happenings1 with ,pulcinella1 ,pulcinella must be under arms and on view living or dead40 ,do you wish to form an idea of these pieces1 most choice in all their scenes1 full of bizarre happenings1 pieces which owe their success entirely to ,pulcinella8 ,let us analyse one or two1 selecting preferably from those which best reveal the ,neapolitan character4 ,pulcinella1 ,brigand-,chief ,the scene is laid in ,calabria4 ,pulcinella1 whose business affairs have been going badly1 devotes himself to a fresh line of industry2 he exploits the highways4 ,pulcinella has all the attributes that go to make an excellent brigand-chief4 ,he is without scruples and without mercy1 and he professes a most sovereign contempt for human life4 ,the new chief has designs upon the wife of a miller of the neighbourhood of ,nicastro1 who1 in addition to her personal attractions1 has1 if public rumour is to be believed1 a great sack of ducats in her cupboard4 ,pulcinella leaves his band in a neighbouring wood and1 accompanied by a single follower1 he goes to visit the miller's wife4 ,so as not to arouse her suspicions1 he conceals his follower behind a bush1 and presents himself alone upon her threshold4 ,the day is ,sunday1 and the brigand has chosen it because he knows that the miller will be at ,mass in the neighbouring township and that he will have left his wife alone with her child at the mill4 ,pulcinella represents himself as a miller's boy out of work4 ,he is well received4 ,suddenly1 seizing a moment in which the child has gone apart1 he draws a knife and threatens to cut the woman's throat unless she gives him at once all the money she possesses4 8,my money is up there10 she says1 8in my cupboard4 ,come with me and ,i will give it to you40 ,pulcinella follows her4 ,whilst he is rummaging in the cupboard1 the woman slips quickly out of the room1 shuts the door and turns the key4 ,the windows are equipped with iron bars2 the door is a half-foot thick4 ,pulcinella is taken in a gin like a starling4 ,the miller's wife loses no time2 she calls her child3 8,run to ,nicastro10 she bids him1 8and fetch your father and the carabineers2 run quickly1 tell him that there is a brigand in the house40 ,the child sets out1 but ,pulcinella's companion1 hearing the cries of his chief1 bars the lad's passage and seizes him4 ,the miller's wife1 however1 does not lose courage4 ,she bolts the doors and barricades the windows4 ,her situation is most critical4 ,she hears ,pulcinella who1 by means of a hammer1 is beginning to demolish the ceiling over her head1 and she sees her child threatened with death by the other brigand unless she opens4 ,eventually this brigand pinions the child1 casts him into a corner1 and sets about seeking some door or opening by which he may enter the house to deliver his chief4 ,presently the idea occurs to him to slip down the wheel of the mill and through the opening left by the axle of the sails2 but at the same moment the miller's wife conceives the notion of setting this wheel in movement4 ,the brigand is already half through the space between the wall and the axle when the miller's wife draws back the bolt which holds the wheel2 this begins to move1 and before it has turned twice the brigand is crushed as if by a pestle in a mortar4 ,meanwhile ,pulcinella has completed his hole in the ceiling and is about to drop through into the chamber below when the miller arrives with a detachment of carabineers4 ,pulcinella does not lose courage4 ,as these ascend the staircase leading to the chamber in which he is locked1 he jumps down through the hole in the ceiling1 escapes by another staircase1 and climbs on to the roof of the house4 ,the remainder of the piece is merely a sort of burlesque divertissement1 in which we see the miller's wife1 the soldiers and the peasants pursuing ,pulcinella1 who displays his address and performs all sorts of tours de force4 ,we see him1 for instance1 taking the place of the vane1 and turning this way and that in the wind2 but in the instant in which the carabineers are aiming at this extremely unmetallic vane1 he leaps to the roof1 and from the roof to the gardens1 and thrusts himself into a corner1 where he pretends to be a pillar4 ,a soldier climbs upon this pillar to look through a window2 the pillar comes to life and takes to its heels2 then ,pulcinella slips under a winnowing basket1 and attempts to reach the wood1 crawling like a tortoise4 ,in the end he is taken and conducted to ,nicastro to be hanged4 ,the history of his hanging is well known4 ,pulcinella permits himself calmly to be led to the scaffold1 but when the rope is ready he plays all sorts of tricks upon the hangman2 he feigns stupidity and pretends not to be able to find the noose4 8,you fool60 cries the impatient hangman4 8,look6 ,it is thus that the noose is adjusted40 ,and he slips his own head through it4 ,pulcinella seizes this favourable moment1 takes hold of the rope1 and strangles the hangman1 crying to him3 8,how now8 ,am ,i still a fool80 ,in ,le ,ruine di ,pompeia1 ,pulcinella1 who is in love with the daughter of one of the custodians of the place1 has attached himself to a group of foreign visitors1 whom he amuses with his sallies1 and at whose expense he regales himself1 stealing the best bits of their dinner1 and for ever juggling away the coin which they place in the custodian's hand4 ,the visitors end by seeing through his game1 are displeased with it1 and seek to seize him by the collar4 ,pulcinella grows angry2 he raises his voice indignantly to protest that anyone should suspect an honourable man such as he1 a person of his importance4 ,he pretends to be1 by turns1 an ,english lord and a ,french officer4 ,soon1 however1 being convicted of imposture1 and closely pressed1 he plies his cudgel1 takes to flight through the ruins1 and suddenly disappears at the very moment in which his pursuers believe they have captured him4 ,he is found at last in one of the newly discovered caves1 lying amid a litter of empty amphor in company with the custodian's daughter4 ,everything is arranged1 and the piece concludes with a marriage which appears to be extremely necessary4 ,the characters taking part in these pieces of an entirely national type are1 in addition to ,pulcinella and ,scaramouche1 the peasant1 the ,roman woman and the soldier4 ,polliciniella1 as he is called in the ,neapolitan dialect1 wears a sort of short and very ample blouse1 with or without girdle1 the sleeves of which are gathered at the wrist as are the trousers at the ankle2 his white shoes are strongly soled4 ,he wears no collar2 his black half-mask is beardless1 and his hat is a rimless grey or white felt in the shape of a sugar-cone4 ,on certain occasions when it is necessary for him to dress up a little1 he changes his felt hat for another of white cambric like his coat1 as high and as singular in shape1 but adorned with rose-coloured ribbons4 ,his black half-mask has a large aquiline nose1 embellished by a wart1 and its cheeks are profoundly wrinkled to announce that ,polliciniella was not born yesterday4 ,the spirit of this ,polliciniella differs greatly from that of the ,french ,polichinelle and the ,english ,punch4 ,he is a buffoon1 a mocker and a jester1 but not wicked4 ,he represents the type of the ,neapolitan bourgeois in its natural grossness but instinct with that biting spirit of which the ,abb ,galiani is a refined type4 ,he is slow in his movements 7all famous ,pulcinelle are very sparing of gesture71 his air is foolish1 but his wit is ready money1 particularly in the asides which he always addresses directly to the public4 ,although to be seen in various theatres in ,naples1 ,pulcinella's special stage was that of the ,san ,carlino1 whither he would attract twice daily an audience drawn from all ranks of society4 ,the ,san ,carlino had a famous troupe1 chiefly composed of masks of unalterable national types4 ,here1 from the beginning of the nineteenth century onwards1 several actors created great reputations1 such as ,celesi ,balli and ,tomaso ,fabioni in #ahjj1 ,lucio ,bebio in #ahjc1 ,camerano in #ahje1 etc4 ,one famous ,pulcinella was applauded there throughout five and twenty years4 ,after having been one of the most brilliant cavalry captains of ,king ,murat1 after having accompanied him upon several great and victorious campaigns1 after having been decorated by the ,emperor ,napoleon1 when the ,bourbons returned to ,naples1 he donned--either out of necessity or caprice--the coat of ,pulcinella1 and in this amassed a very handsome fortune4 ,he was the idol not only of all ,neapolitans but of all who understood the dialect4 ,restrained in his movements1 cold1 sluggish1 full of awkwardness1 speaking as little as possible1 but seeing to it that the few words he uttered bore the imprint of the liveliest and most biting wit1 he contrived1 notwithstanding the mask which covered the half of his countenance1 a miraculously expressive physiognomy4 ,one of the buffooneries which he repeated frequently1 especially during carnival 7because in this season ,polliciniella is forbidden to wear either mask or costume7 was to eat mountains of macaroni1 of which the character is traditionally very fond1 out of an enormous cantaro4 ,you might see him drawing forth these long macaroni and causing them to descend into his mouth from the full height of his arm1 to the peals of laughter of his audience4 ,speaking of ,pulcinella1 ,m4 ,charles ,magnin says3 8,the ,pulcinella of ,naples1 a tall fellow1 as straight as anyone else1 noisy1 alert1 sensual1 with his great hooked nose and black half-mask1 his pyramidal grey bonnet1 his white camisole1 his wide white pantaloons1 gathered and girt about his waist by a rope from which hangs a little bell1 may well bring to mind the ,mimus ,albus1 and the still more remote ,maccus2 but1 with the exception of his beak-like nose and his bird-like name1 he has no connection with1 nor does he resemble1 our ,french ,polichinelle4 ,for one trait of resemblance that is perceptible ten contrasting ones may be pointed out40 iii 8,polichinelle10 says ,m4 ,charles ,magnin1 8such as we have made or adapted him1 represents in the highest degree ,gallic humour and physiognomy4 ,i might even say that under the compulsory obligation of a loyal caricature1 ,polichinelle permits us to perceive the popular type1 ,i dare not say of ,henry ,,iv41 but at least of the ,gascon officer1 imitating his gait in the guard-rooms of the castle of ,saint-,germain or of the old ,louvre4 ,as for the hump1 ,guillaume ,bouchet reminds us that from time immemorial it has been the appendage of the jester s farces of ,france4 ,in the thirteenth century ,adam de la ,halle was called the hunchback of ,arras1 not because he was a hunchback1 but on account of his mocking spirit3 8,on m'appelle bochu1 mais je ne le suis mie40 ,as for the second hump1 it brings to mind the bright and bulging cuirass of the soldier1 and the pigeon breasts so much the fashion in that time which imitate the curve of the cuirass4 ,even the hat of ,polichinelle 7,i do not refer to his modern tricorne1 but to the felt with turned-up rim which he wore in the seventeenth century7 was the headdress of the cavaliers of the time1 the hat la ,henri ,,iv4 ,lastly there is even in certain characteristic features1 even in the jovial1 daring1 amorous humour of a good soldier1 something that reminds me of the qualities and short-comings of the ,barnais4 ,in short1 notwithstanding his ,neapolitan name1 ,polichinelle seems to me to be a type entirely ,french1 and one of the most spontaneous and vivacious creations of ,gallic fantasy40 ,it was in #afcj1 they say1 that ,polichinelle passed from the trestles to the marionette theatre4 ,but in any case it is quite certain that in #afdi ,polichinelle had his theatre on the left bank of the ,seine1 at the house of one ,brioch or ,briocci4 8,i am ,polichinelle ,who stand as sentinel ,before the ,gate of ,nesle40 8,a tradition which still survives10 says ,m4 ,charles ,magnin1 the learned historiographer of ,polichinelle1 8and which the true children of ,paris1 of ,chartres and of ,orlans transmit from one to another1 has preserved for us the air and the couplets of the famous song of ,polichinelle3 8#8,je suis le fameux ,mignolet1 ,gnral des ,espagnolets4 ,quand je marche1 la terre tremble3 ,c'est moi qui conduis le soleil1 ,et je ne crois pas qu'en ce monde ,on puisse trouver mon pareil4 8#8,les murailles de mon palais ,sont bties des os des ,anglais2 ,toutes mes salles sont dalles ,de ttes de sergents d'armes ,que dans les combats j'ai tus4 8#8,je veux1 avant qu'il soit minuit1 ,a moi tout seul prendre ,paris4 ,par-dessus les tours ,notre-,dame1 ,la ,seine je ferai passer2 ,des langues des filles1 des femmes1 ,saint-,omer je ferai paver4444' 8,this song places ,polichinelle as belonging to the reign of ,henry ,,iv4 and the epoch of our long quarrels with ,spain40 ,the real home of ,polichinelle was in the fairs of ,saint-,germain and ,saint-,laurent1 at ,bertrand and at ,francisque1 where for over a century he jested1 making a mock of all people and all things2 but many of his wickednesses were forgiven him on account of his shape and his wooden person4 ,in #agba1 when the ,thtre-,franais caused the theatres of the fairs to be closed1 ,polichinelle laughed and mocked more thoroughly than ever4 ,in the following year ,polichinelle covered again with his cudgel a vengeance which ,lesage1 ,fuzelier and d',orneval set themselves to extract from the united theatres of the ,opra1 the ,comdie-,franaise and ,comdie-,italienne4 ,they came to an understanding with ,laplace1 who managed a marionette theatre1 and they gave him three unpublished comic operas which attracted all ,paris1 and emptied the royal theatres4 ,polichinelle sang and mocked still more loudly4 ,our three associates had hung out a sign upon which was a life-sized ,polichinelle with this legend3 8,i am worth many another0 7,j'en valons bien d'autres74 ,the number of actors who have played ,polichinelle is incredible4 ,among the pieces which had most success we may mention3 ,polichinelle ,grand ,turc2 ,polichinelle ,colin-,maillard2 ,la ,noce de ,polichinelle et ,l',accouchement de sa ,femme2 ,les ,amours de ,polichinelle2 ,polichinelle ,magicien2 ,polichinelle la ,guinguette de ,vaugirard2 ,polichinelle ,maon2 ,polichinelle ,don ,quichette2 ,polichinelle ,gros-,jean1 etc4 ,in #agic the ,vieux ,cordelier exclaims3 8,this egotistical multitude is made blindly to follow the impulse of the stronger4444 ,alongside of the blade of the guillotine1 under which crowned heads are falling and in the same place and at the same time1 ,polichinelle also is being guillotined1 thus earning the attention of the avid mob40 ,but1 after the #ajth of ,thermidor1 ,polichinelle took his revenge upon the executioner and upon the devil himself4 ,he began again to beat and hang the pair of them as before and from the same rope4 ,in #ahai1 ,arnault1 speaking of the rle of ,polichinelle played at the ,opra by ,ely and at the ,porte ,saint-,martin by ,mazurier1 wrote3 8,he is an important character2 he is the man of the day4 ,during his quarter of an hour no one will dispute with him his public favour unless it is himself2 for ,polichinelle is double1 as was ,amphitryon in other days1 and like that hero he combats also against himself1 to the great satisfaction of the public4 ,when one thinks of all the qualities that a perfect ,polichinelle must unite in himself1 it is difficult too greatly to congratulate the century which produced in duplicate such a model4 ,in the matter of deformity ,polichinelle should be what ,apollo is in the matter of perfection4 ,humped1 in front and behind1 perched upon legs like a heron's1 equipped with the arms of an ape1 he must move with that nerveless stiffness1 with that suppleness without springs which characterises the steps of a body deprived of the principle of movement1 whose limbs1 set in action by a cord1 are attached to the trunk not by articulations but by rags4 ,the aim of the actor in this rle is to imitate the machine with the greatest fidelity which1 in another rle1 this machine would employ to imitate the man4 ,it is in this that the ,polichinelle of the ,porte ,saint-,martin 7,mazurier7 is marvellously successful4 ,there is nothing human about him2 from the nature of his movements and his tumbles one cannot believe him to be flesh and bones2 he seems of cotton-wool and cardboard4 ,his countenance is truly wooden1 and such is the illusion that he creates that children take him for a grown-up marionette1 and perhaps they are right40 ,speaking of ,ely1 at the ,opra1 he says3 8,what is there more clever than his gestures and his attitudes1 whether when leaning against one of the wings he seems suspended from it rather than supported by it1 or when collapsing upon himself he appears to have been abandoned by the hand which sustained him1 or the nail from which he hung8 ,it is truly sublime4 ,polichinelle has been accorded the honours of lithography4 ,one may inscribe according to one's predilection for one or the other of these virtuosi the name either of ,mazurier or of ,ely40 ,towards the middle of the nineteenth century ,m4 ,champfleury presented several very original pantomimes at the theatre of the ,funambules4 ,he sought to restore to light the character of ,polichinelle1 and in his scenarii he gave him something more to do than perpetually to break himself4 ,he sought to rejuvenate the personage2 but the ancient tradition was already lost1 and ,vauthier1 who was an admirably wooden ,polichinelle1 could render only that with which he was acquainted--namely1 the traditions of ,mazurier and ,ely4 8,o ,polichinelle10 exclaims ,m4 ,charles ,nodier1 8original and capricious fetish of children6 grotesque ,achilles of the people6 modest and powerful ,roscius of the highways6 inappreciable philosopher of the unfortunate ages which did not know ,shakespeare6 8,o ,polichinelle1 animated simulacrum of natural man given over to his nave and ingenuous instincts6 eternal type of truth of which the indolent centuries were slow to seize the deformed but witty and agreeable outline6 ,o ,polichinelle1 whose original theme so often enchanted the leisures of ,bayle and revived more than once the indolence of ,la ,fontaine6 8,o ,polichinelle1 inexhaustible orator1 imperturbable philosopher1 intrepid and vigorous logician1 mighty practical moralist1 infallible theologist1 able and unerring politician6 8,o ,polichinelle1 thou whose wooden head contains essentially in its compact and inorganic mass all the knowledge and all the common sense of the moderns60 8,should we not be well-advised to reawaken ,polichinelle80 asks ,m4 ,ch4 ,magnin4 8444 ,above all do not suggest that he is dead4 ,polichinelle never dies4 ,do you doubt it8 ,you cannot know1 then1 what ,polichinelle is4 ,he is the good sense of the people1 he is the alert sally1 he is laughter irrepressible4 ,yes1 ,polichinelle shall laugh and sing and whistle as long as there are vices1 follies and eccentricities in the world4 ,you see then that ,polichinelle is very far from being dead4 ,polichinelle is immortal40 iv ,it was in #afhh1 after the ,stuarts1 that ,polichinelle passed into ,england4 ,his ,english name of ,,punch is clearly derived from ,punchinello1 for in the early days of his installation in ,london he was called indifferently ,punchinello and ,punch4 ,there1 as in ,paris1 ,punch became the king of the marionettes4 ,this ,neapolitan1 after having been ,french1 became1 when he naturalised himself ,english1 a difficult fellow to manage1 of a mocking ferocity1 which is still to-day the basis of his character4 ,m4 ,charles ,magnin says that 8,punch1 according to the definition of ,mr ,payne1 is the ,don ,juan of the populace40 ,the most ancient text in which this able critic finds mention of the adventures of ,punch and ,judy is a ballad thought to be no older than #agij4 v ,the ,german ,polichinelle1 ,,hanswurst 7,jack ,sausage71 is1 in the matter of character and wit1 a mixture of ,pulcinella and ,harlequin1 though resembling neither in costume4 ,in the tenth century ,hanswurst's exterior resembled that of the ,neapolitan ,pulcinella of the time1 whilst1 however1 being very much fatter4 8,he is10 says ,m4 ,magnin1 8a sort of ,franca-,trippa4 ,in the last two centuries the physical and moral type of ,hanswurst has changed but little4 ,this buffoon1 according to ,lessing1 possesses two characteristic qualities4 ,he is doltish and voracious1 but of a voracity which profits him1 so that he is in very different case from ,harlequin1 whose greediness profits him nothing and who in spite of it remains always light1 svelte and nimble4 ,in ,holland1 ,hanswurst has for a long time now been no better than a clown3 he thumps the drum at the door of the booth1 and invites the crowd to enter4 ,as actor and as marionette he has been supplanted by ,hans ,pickelharing 7,jack ,pickled ,herring71 and more recently by ,jan-,klaassen4 ,this latter1 who has become the hero of the ,dutch marionette theatre1 has appropriated1 not without success1 the turbulent and jovially rascally habits of the ,english ,punch and the ,parisian ,polichinelle4 ,in ,germany ,hanswurst has had several rivals4 ,he has been compelled to give way more than once to ,harlequin1 to ,polichinelle and to ,pickelharing40 ,in the eighteenth century this character was played in the ,german improvising troupes by ,prehauser1 who made of him a sort of lackey having some points of resemblance with ,brighella4 ,but the improvisation theatre of ,vienna having been forced to give way to the classical theatre1 ,hanswurst was supplanted by ,casperle1 the joyous ,austrian peasant4 vi ,in ,rome the inhabitants of ,trastevere possessed two types which are certainly of the family of ,polichinelle--types which nevertheless have aged a little3 they are ,meo-,patacca and his faithful companion ,marco-,pepe4 ,,meo-,,patacca is a native of ,trastevere4 ,he claims descent like ,pulcinella from ,maccus1 in which very possibly he is justified4 ,like ,maccus he is witty and insolent1 and no better able to suffer contradiction1 his most persuasive argument lying in his cudgel4 ,he begins by striking1 and having felled his man to earth he then proceeds to explanations with him4 ,he has a bright and lively eye1 a tanned skin1 a profile exaggerating the ancient ,roman type4 ,he is the personification of the inhabitant of ,trastevere1 the descendant of ,nero or of ,maccus1 whose blood has been slightly mingled in the course of time4 ,he speaks the ,roman dialect1 and never utters a sentence without repeating its most energetic word1 thus3 8,i want you to do so-and-so--,i want it40 8,he swallows10 says ,m4 ,mercey in his ,thtre en ,italie1 8all the final syllables of his infinitives4 ,he says sape for sapere1 and fa for fare2 or else he replaces the last syllables of these words by the particle ne1 which he uses on all occasions2 he thus says fane for fare1 sapene for sapere1 chine for chi1 quine for qui4 ,it also pleases him to transpose his ls and rs2 thus when he speaks of his glory he does not say gloria but grolia1 etc40 ,giuseppe ,berneri has written an entire poem of twelve cantos1 in the popular dialect of ,rome1 on the subject of ,meo-,patacca1 and this poem1 printed in ,rome in #afhe1 would perhaps have fallen into oblivion if ,bartolomeo ,pinelli1 the ,roman draughtsman1 had not happened to illustrate it in #ahbc4 ,berneri's poem begins as follows3--8,i sing the glory of the bravest young ,roman plebeians1 the most redoubtable of all the chiefs of their band0 78,il capo-truppa della gente sgherra07--which is to say1 the chief of the quarrelsome1 brawling and more or less assassin troupe4 ,meo-,patacca is irritated by the audacity of 8these infamous sons of dogs of ,turks0 who dare to besiege the ,christian city of ,vienna4 ,he conceives the project of going to its deliverance1 and halting before the statue of ,mark ,antony1 8whose hand is raised in sign of triumph10 he considers it and says3 8,who knows but that one day you will see another statue standing here8 ,who knows but that a man whom ,i call ,i will not show himself worthy of the honour80 ,his companions to the number of ten1 who follow as sheep follow their leader1 admire him and already bow down before him4 ,he leads them thus through the ruins of ancient ,rome1 and fires their courage by war-like speech4 ,to drive out the ,turk all that he will need1 he says1 is a company of five hundred young ,trasteverins1 well armed with arquebuses1 pikes1 hangers and slings4 ,he would continue to talk to them1 but that the company1 weary of saying nothing1 interrupts his harangues with ,viva ,meo-,patacca6 ,viva6 rendered in tones that might disturb the ashes of the ancient ,romans of the ,campo ,vaccino4 ,amid the acclamations of the mob1 he is carried in triumph to his lodgings4 ,at the beginning of the second canto1 all these heroes are ready to set out4 ,it is the hour at which the grocers1 the fruit-sellers and other victuallers1 set up upon poles their linen sun-blinds before their shops so as to protect them from the heat which1 to the profit of the iced-water sellers1 becomes intolerable4 ,it is noon1 and ,meo-,patacca is surrounded by a crowd of women who loudly give tongue to their despair4 ,they are the more or less legitimate wives of the heroes who are about to follow ,patacca4 ,after several speeches he comes triumphant out of this contest1 which he considers the most severe he was ever engaged in4 ,nothing now can arrest his valiant arm4 ,they are about to set out when the news arrives of the deliverance of ,vienna by ,sobieski4 ,meo-,patacca is by no means sure that he has not had something to do with the rout of the ,turks4 ,he convokes his followers and they deliver themselves to great rejoicings4 ,during this they learn that ,bude has been taken by assault by the ,christians and that the ,jews have united with the ,turks to repel the attack4 8,vengeance6 ,vengeance upon the ,jews60 ,this phrase1 flung into the middle of the mob1 is soon no less than a battle-cry and the entire army of ,patacca hurls itself upon the ghetto1 which it attacks and pillages to the greater honour and glory of ,god4 ,it is in the theatre of ,palla-,corda1 says ,m4 ,mercey1 that ,meo-,patacca1 an epic rather than a dramatic hero1 figures in a number of little dramas coups de bton4 8,but he is no longer quite the malicious fellow of other days4 ,the bravo has changed his costume1 his character and his estate4 ,instead of the fungo1 the waistcoat and the velvet breeches1 with their two lines of silver buttons1 he is in foul rags1 and occupies1 by his patched costume1 a middle place between ,brighella and ,polichinelle40 ,during his sojourn in ,rome in #agdj1 the ,prsident de ,brosses wrote3 8,all the troupes of comedians which ,i have seen in this country are at least as good as those of ,paris4 ,they include characters which we have not2 such as ,brighella1 the first ,zanni1 who takes the place of ,harlequin and wears his mask but with a different costume2 for second ,zanni they have a sort of ragged ,polichinelle1 very different from our own1 and rather resembling the ancient ,pierrot4 ,you could not feel resentment towards him if you saw him in the middle of a synagogue1 borrowing money from ,jews1 who1 after having subjected him to a damnable usury1 demand of him in addition that he shall become a ,jew4 ,it is then that he loses his temper1 and with the great cudgel1 with which he is armed1 belabours them again and again4 ,in a word1 they make one laugh4 ,they are excellent comedians playing in wretched comedies40 ,from the drawings of ,pinelli1 it is seen that the costumes of ,meo-,patacca and ,marco-,pepe are very similar4 ,the hair is gathered into a sort of cloth bag2 the neck is naked1 although they wear upon their shoulders a sort of scarf which serves for ornament and which is tied in a large rosette upon the breast4 ,a broad girdle once carried a dagger1 but weapons having been forbidden1 this is now replaced by a stout cudgel4 ,the sleeved waistcoat is buttoned at the side4 ,the breeches are open at the knee as in the time of ,berneri2 but the garters seem to us more modern as well as the shoes with their steel buckles1 which ,meo-,patacca can never have worn in the seventeenth century4 ,he wears also the wide-brimmed fungo and the mantle4 ,pinelli certainly found his types among his friends and compatriots of ,trastevere1 and ,meo-,patacca in the dress we have described has the air rather of a bravo than of a ,pulcinella in rags1 such as he was but a few years earlier4 vii ,in the poem of ,berneri1 ,,marco-,,pepe is the only one who dares to stand before the face of ,meo-,patacca4 ,he plays the rle of traitor4 ,meo-,patacca provokes him2 they fight2 but from the combat ,marco-,pepe gets nothing but dishonour4 ,in the dramas of ,palla ,corda1 ,marco-,pepe is the friend and the sympathiser of ,meo-,patacca4 ,he seeks to imitate his hero1 who walks behind him1 for ,marco-,pepe is a boaster1 a brawling1 boisterous fellow1 whom one would suppose capable of swallowing everything2 his air is very much more terrible than that of his companion2 his voice is very much louder2 but if ,meo-,patacca becomes angry1 or merely clenches his fist1 ,marco-,pepe disappears as if by enchantment4 ,meo-,patacca fears nothing2 ,marco-,pepe fears everything4 ,these types were still to be seen in ,rome in the ,emilian ,theatre 7,triato ,mijani7 in the middle of the nineteenth century4 ,tacconi1 a hunchback1 leader of the troupe1 performed one day in the dialect of the hills1 another in the dialect of ,trastevere1 the pieces of which he was always the author4 ,the dramas or heroic pieces1 such as ,hero e ,leandro1 ,francesca da ,rimini1 ,giulietta e ,romeo1 were all arranged by him and adapted to the taste of the public4 ,in ,giulietta e ,romeo1 for instance1 we find ,romeo1 dressed after the fashion of ,meo-,patacca1 wearing a plumed hat1 and trailing a great cavalry sabre1 replying as follows to ,juliette1 who has reproached him in no very choice terms with the death of her cousin-german3 8,silence1 child1 ,i will make you understand4 ,know that yesterday1 as ,i was leaving you at the foot of the staircase1 ,i lighted a cigar4 ,at the corner of the street ,i heard this foul word3 #8,you are smoking it1 you ugly carrion6' 7,te la fumi1 brutta carogna74 ,having received this insult1 ,i returned at once1 ,i drew my sabre1 and 444 but you know the rest1 etc40 viii ,the ,neapolitans have a very popular type which they name ,,il ,,guapo and ,,il ,,sitonno 7the lad74 ,he represents the popular bully4 ,he is dressed like a ,neapolitan of the lower classes1 still to be found in certain quarters of the town3 a round1 wide waistcoat1 of cinnamon-coloured cotton velvet1 a sort of cap over one ear1 light coloured breeches with a red belt round the waist2 he carries a long stick1 and struts in an insolent and provocative fashion2 he speaks of nothing but blows1 be they of knife1 stick1 stone or carbine1 and he uses an emphasis full of menacing reticences4 ,nevertheless1 although he is not entirely a coward1 his deeds correspond but little with his words and1 more often than not1 his threats and quarrels terminate1 not in the shedding of blood1 but in the shedding of wine in the nearest tavern4 ,in the ,piovana of ,angelo ,beolco 7,ruzzante71 #aecj1 an amorous young peasant bears the name of ,siton4 ,that beyond doubt is the primitive type of ,sitonno1 who again is a type of peasant1 but one who has become suburban and denaturalised4 8,i can find no difference between a lover and a young calf1 to which the herdsman1 to amuse himself1 shall have bandaged the eyes and thrust a thorn into its tail1 so that it runs hither and thither without knowing where it is or whither it is going4 ,i am the calf2 love is the herdsman1 the thorn is the sorrow which ,i have in my heart1 and the bandage over the eyes is my bewilderment4 ,i do not know whither ,i am going1 for ,i am not where ,i am4 ,i am here and my heart and soul are with ,nina40 ix ,in ,bologna the marionette theatres have yet another type which personifies the facchini1 the young men of the lower class of the town2 this ,,birrichino1 according to the annotations of the poem of ,bertoldo ,bertoldino e ,cacasenno1 is derived from a certain idle and mendicant class1 which lives by petty thefts and trickeries1 exercising in ,bologna a still uglier trade4 ,the word is probably derived from buricus of the ,latins1 or borrico 7donkey7 of the ,spaniards1 because1 like the gypsies1 they follow the trade of horse-dealers1 mule-shavers and kindred employments4 ,birrichino is mocking1 jocund and addicted to practical jokes2 he never fails to thrust out his leg at the police officer when the latter enters the stage4 ,he is an elusive1 agile and lively being1 gifted with a pair of legs which would win a coursing prize from a hare4 ,he is never a thief4 ,if he ever abstracts anything it is not that he may profit by it--it is a joke which he plays upon an enemy to discompose him1 and compel him to hunt for the missing thing1 for ,birrichino always ends by restoring it4 ,he is dressed after the fashion of the people of ,bologna4 ,it is questionable whether he may be included among the varieties of ,polichinelle4 ,,iii ,,the ,,captain 8,diga usted6 ,do you know me8 ,no8 ,you do not know me8 ,head and ,belly6 ,blood and fire6 ,i am who ,i am6 ,italy trembles at the name of ,captain ,spavento6 ,spain reverences me under the name of ,matamoros1 and ,i terrify ,france1 when ,i will1 under the name of ,fracasse--for ,i can assure you ,i am a most redoubtable man4 ,all love me and all fear me1 in peace as in war4 ,i think no more of chewing up a prince than an onion40 ,this ,captain1 with his tiger-cat moustachios1 his colossal ruff and his plumed hat1 audacious without courage and ostentatious without generosity was born1 according to some1 on the banks of the ,guadalquivir1 according to others1 on the banks of the ,garonne4 ,but he is older than he seems4 ,what should he have done on the banks of either of these rivers in times when they were still inhabited by savage tribes8 ,it was in ,athens and in ,rome under the ,csars that he first saw the light4 ,ever since those days it has been his claim to put whole armies to rout by a stroke of his sword2 with a glance he will demolish walls1 with a breath overthrow the ,alps or the ,pyrenees4 ,he drove the goddesses mad with love of him1 and betrayed ,mars himself4 ,he has changed his shape in the course of centuries1 but not his nature4 ,he is always the same boaster1 so mendacious that he imposes even upon himself4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,let it be seen to that my shield is brighter than is ordinarily the sun in fine weather1 so that when ,i use it in battle1 by opposing it to the enemies ,i shall dazzle and blind them4 ,i burn with desire to comfort this poor sword2 she complains that she is downcast at having so long been idle1 she who is consumed with impatience to hack the enemy into pieces4 ,but where then is ,artotrogus8 ,,artotrogus 7a parasite74 ,here he is3 he has the honour to attach himself to a man who is as mighty as he is happy1 a man of royal beauty and heroic valour4 ,not even the god ,mars would dare to draw a parallel between himself and you1 or to compare with yours his war-like qualities4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,do you refer to that fellow whom ,i disdained to overthrow on the field of ,gorgonidonia1 where ,bumbomachides ,clytomestoridysarchides1 the grandson of ,neptune1 was the chief commander of the forces8 ,,artotrogus4 ,i remember the occasion perfectly4 ,you refer to that general whose troops1 so remarkable for their gilded armour1 you scattered by a single breath from your lips2 you scattered them1 ,i say1 as the wind scatters leaves and thistle-down4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,by the temple of ,pollux6 that was a trifle4444 ,,artotrogus4 ,by ,pollux6 ,i remember how by a single blow of the fist you broke in two the arm of an elephant in ,india4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,how8 ,the arm8 ,,artotrogus4 ,no1 no3 ,i mean the thigh4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,and yet ,i struck it but lightly4 ,do you remember nothing else8 ,,artotrogus4 ,if ,i remember6 ,there were a hundred and fifty men in ,cilicia2 a hundred ,cryphiolathronians2 thirty ,sards and sixty ,macedonians1 of all of whom you disencumbered the earth in a single day4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,what is the sum total of all those men8 ,,artotrogus4 ,seven thousand at least4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,exactly6 ,i see that you are quick and accurate at figures4 ,as long as you compute me such a number of men killed by my hand you shall never lack for food1 and you shall always share my table4 ,,artotrogus4 ,what should ,i say of ,cappadocia had not the edge of your sword become blunt after you had sliced off the heads of five hundred men6 ,but it was no more than a remainder of infantry6 ,is it necessary that ,i should repeat to you what is on the lips of all humanity8 ,there is not1 say all mortals1 in the whole world but one ,pyrgopolinices1 who excels in valour1 in beauty1 in great actions and in heroism4 ,all women love you2 and not without reason1 faith1 since you are of a dazzling beauty2 you should have seen the number of ladies who but yesterday plucked at my cloak to question me concerning you4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,what was it that they said8 ,tell me all4 ,it will give me pleasure4 ,,artotrogus4 ,one inquired3 8,is not that perchance ,achilles80 8,no10 ,i answered2 8it is his brother40 ,another ejaculated3 8,how beautiful he is1 how shapely and how gracious6 ,happy the women who enjoy the honour of his choice4 ,assuredly it were impossible to be too envious of their lot40 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,really now1 did they say that8 ,,artotrogus4 ,two amongst them implored me to see to it that you should pass their door to-day1 as if the mere sight of you were as good as a whole procession1 or an enchanted spectacle4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,confess now that an excess of beauty may often cause chagrin and embarrassment4444 ,i think it is time that we repaired to the ,forum to pay the soldiers whom yesterday ,i enrolled4 ,for you are to know that ,king ,seleucus has begged me instantly to raise an army for him1 such high confidence does he place in my knowledge and judgment4 ,i have therefore resolved to render to-day this good office to my friend the king4 ,,artotrogus4 ,since that is so1 let us go4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,follow me1 lackeys2 and above all let it be seen that you belong to me4444 ,i may boast myself the favourite of ,venus4 ,who knows but that the goddess herself may be enamoured of me8444 ,,milphidippa 7a waiting maid74 ,my ,lord ,beautiful1 ,i greet you very humbly4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,who told you my surname8 ,may the gods love you1 my child1 and may they give you what your heart desires6444 ,i do not for a moment doubt but that the girl is in love with me herself4 ,,milphidippa4 ,all my wish is to spend my life with you1 sir4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,you aspire too high6 ,your pretensions go too far4 ,,milphidippa4 ,it is not for myself that ,i speak2 it could not please the gods that ,i should be so daring4 ,i speak for my mistress1 who is dying of love for you4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,there are many others besides her who desire the same happiness and may not attain to it4 ,but who is your mistress8 ,for ,i am pestered by such a number of women that ,i cannot remember them all4444 ,speak out1 then4 ,tell me what you want1 little love-messenger4 ,,milphidippa4 ,ah6 my famous ,achilles1 lend an ear to my prayer2 grant what ,i ask of you2 generously save a loving and a beautiful woman4 ,draw upon your heroic heart for some sentiments of softness1 of tenderness and of compassion4 ,do that1 ,o great demolisher of cities1 illustrious slayer of kings4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,by ,hercules1 this becomes tiresome and importunate4 7,to his lackey47 ,how often have ,i forbidden you to promise thus easily and commonly my services to ladies8 ,,pal,,strio 7lackey74 ,none but brave warriors are born of the woman whom he honours with his love2 and his children live at least eight hundred years4 ,,milphidippa4 ,misfortune catch thee1 fool and mocker6 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,he is not mocking you4 ,my children live a thousand years by computations made from the first century to the last4 ,,pal,,strio4 ,i was afraid to state their number lest this child should have thought that ,i was indulging in a gross and impudent falsehood4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,do you know1 child1 that ,i was born on the morrow of that memorable day on which the goddess ,ops gave birth to ,jupiter8 ,,pal,,strio4 ,that is the fact1 and if the lord my master had arrived but one day earlier1 the empire of the heavens would have been his4 ,after all his boast and brag of his exploits he is seized by the scullions of ,periplectomene1 receives from them an ignominious correction1 and departs beaten1 yet satisfied4 ,,periplecomenus 7to his lackeys74 ,bring him away2 if he won't follow you carry him4 ,bear him between heaven and earth1 or else tear him into pieces1 cut him into shreds4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,oh6 my ,lord ,periplecomenus1 ,i implore you in the name of ,hercules6 ,,periplecomenus4 ,there is no ,hercules to help you2 your prayer is useless4 ,see1 ,cario1 if your knife is sharp4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,i am lost1 ,i am dead6 ,,cario 7a scullion74 ,not yet1 you say that too soon6 7,to his master47 ,shall ,i get to work1 sir8 ,shall ,i commence the operation8 ,,periplecomenus4 ,no1 first ,i want him beaten back and front4 ,,cario4 ,i will set my hand to it with the best will4 7,he strikes47 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,mercy6 mercy1 ,i implore you6 you have beaten me enough4 ,,cario 7to his master74 ,shall ,i cut8 ,shall ,i carve8 ,shall ,i set my knife to the business8 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,my lord1 before he does so1 before he opens my belly1 have compassion to hear me4444 ,,cario4 ,it would be best to let him experience another shower of blows and then show him the door and give him his dismissal4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,may the gods bless you1 who plead so well in my favour6 ,in truth this cudgelling has entirely softened me2 ,i am metamorphosed into a lamb2 let me go1 ,i implore you4 ,,periplecomenus4 ,unbind him4 ,,pyrgopolinices4 ,i am most deeply indebted6 ,i thank you with all my heart4 7,the ,braggart ,captain4 ,,plautus47 ,the modern ,captain's utterances are very similar3 8,to-day some lackeys1 finding me alone1 belaboured me with cudgels--an affront which put me in such a passion that ,i devoured the walls of a bastion4 ,at last1 swollen with vexation1 rancour1 rage and fury1 ,i broke ,fortune on the wheel1 scourged ,hazard and burned ,misfortune40 ,you see him strutting in the sun along the flagstones of a palace1 his nose in the air1 his eye on the trail of roast meat1 his hand on his terrible rapier1 dangerous only to the eyes of those who follow him4 ,to see him bestride the ground you would suppose that the whole earth belongs to him2 that if he wished he could overthrow the buildings by a flick4 ,but he is magnanimous4 ,how many insults and canings has he not permitted to fall into oblivion8 ,it is night6 ,who goes there8 ,a rival beyond doubt4 ,the ,captain will fell him with a glance4 ,no6 ,he despises him too much2 he does not consider it worth while2 the man is but a simple mortal after all6 ,if it were ,jupiter now6 ,we should see fine things4 ,not one but two men are approaching1 and their gait is peculiar4 ,let him withdraw2 it is the more generous behaviour towards these poor fellows who might die of terror at the simple sight of him4 8,thus ,i save their lives10 adds our hero1 stretching out his long legs until they look like a pair of compasses and accelerating his walk until it almost becomes a flight4 ,but at the corner of the street a shower of cudgel blows falls suddenly upon the shoulders of this demi-god4 ,he is knocked down2 rogues and vagabonds hasten to strip him of his riches4 ,the famous coat of mail1 fashioned out of the gold rings which his many mistresses have compelled him to accept1 might have tempted these poor rascals2 but1 alas6 under his slashed doublet1 which they disdain1 not so much as a shirt do they find4 8,we are robbed60 says one of the miscreants to his companions1 and they vanish1 despising their victim4 ,hearing no further sound the ,captain opens first one eye and then the other1 raises his head1 recognises that the danger is past1 readjusts his rapier and turns his steps to other hunting grounds4 8,ce capitan fait grand clat3 ,et sa valeur est si parfaite1 ,qu'il est des derniers au combat1 ,et des premiers la retraite40 8,the ,captain10 says ,m4 ,frdric ,mercey1 8antedates the ,spanish dominion2 we consider him the contemporary of all those formidable leaders of ,italian bands who distinguished themselves at ,anghiari and in those famous encounters in which a horse1 by turning its head or its tail1 might suffice to bring about the loss or gain of a battle4 ,it is ,macchiavelli who assures us of this4 8,under the new masters 7i4e4 the ,spaniards7 the ,captain is transformed into ,matamoros2 he jabbers in ,castilian1 assumes the stateliness of ,spain1 and corrects as far as possible his poltroonery4 ,not a day passes now on which he does not slay a ,moor1 confound a necromancer or seduce a princess4 ,his lackey's garments are made from the material of the turbans of the infidels whom he has decapitated4 8,to-day1 after having undergone a further transformation1 he still loves to entertain us with his prowess4 ,one day1 at the siege of ,trbizonde1 he penetrated alone into the tent of the ,sultan1 and1 seizing him by the beard1 he dragged him through the camp1 whilst with his disengaged hand1 he held off his assailants and compelled the entire infidel army to keep its distance4 ,when he entered the city his cuirass bristled so with arrows that he might have been mistaken for a hedgehog4 ,the hedgehog device on his coat of arms dates from that event4444 8,his gallantry equals his valour1 and when beauty is the object of his onslaught he has such marvellous means of conquest that he never finds her unyielding4 ,he overthrows towers1 bursts through iron doors or1 like a ,greek god1 descends upon her in the form of a golden rain4 ,many of his feats of gallantry have found imitators4 ,once1 for instance1 when he galloped along the banks of the ,garigliano in the company of the princess ,gilyme d',apremont1 she1 being weary of his amorous insistence1 said in jest3 #8,the fire that consumes my knight is very ardent then8' 8#8,cruel1 can you doubt it8' 8#8,not at all1 but ,i know a means of relieving you4 ,fling yourself into the river4' 8#8,not all these waters could extinguish my flame4' 8#8,that is but a gallant figure of speech2 and ,i shall not believe it until ,i see you issuing from those waves still consumed by the same love4' 8#8,is that so1 beautiful princess8' he cries1 whereupon the intrepid lover drives spurs into the flanks of his charger and leaps into the middle of the river4 8,he ran great risk of drowning1 and it was only by abandoning his horse that he was able to regain the shore with the water streaming from him1 but still devoured by the same fire4 ,the princess kept her word and rewarded so noble a devotion4 8,like the ,captains his ancestors1 ,matamoros was magnificent in words1 but his purse was always empty and under his beautiful richly damascened cuirass he wore but a frayed and tattered leather jerkin40 ,illustration ,the tradition of the theatre informs us that this rle of ,matamoros made the fortune of ,l',illusion ,comique4#c ,the ,captain's formidable boasts and his piteous discomfiture had a comic interest which can scarcely be fully appreciated by us4 ,boastfulness reigned then in court and town1 and even in the ,academy2 it may almost be said that it had passed into ,french manners4 ,in witness to this may be cited the illustrious ,scudry1 who held his pen in one hand and his sword in the other whilst challenging ,corneille to single combat1 so as to prove to him that ,le ,cid was a detestable tragedy2 or again that admirable eccentric named ,cyrano de ,bergerac4 ,cyrano at least was of no false courage2 but if his valour produced high deeds1 in what an extraordinary mass of fanfaronading gasconnades were they not served up4 ,corneille1 to give words to his character1 needed no more than to translate into verse the prose of this great duellist4 8,it would be necessary1 ,i think1 sir1 that ,god should accomplish something as miraculous as the wish of ,caligula if he would make an end of my quarrels4 ,if the entire human race were assembled under a single head1 or when but one should remain of all living men1 there would still be one duel left for me4 ,in truth it must be that your departure having made a desert of ,paris the grass is spreading in every street1 since wherever ,i go ,i find myself always on a lawn4 ,sometimes ,i conceive that ,i am become a hedgehog2 since no one may approach me without being pricked4 ,had you not also noticed that there is at present more shadow on the horizon than at the time of your departure8 ,it is because1 since then1 my hand has so peopled hell that it regurgitates upon the earth40 ,in the encounter in hell between ,gaultier ,garguille and ,tabarin1 ,gaultier ,garguille says3 8,if you were still in the other world you would split your sides with laughter to see the proud folk of to-day who1 striding superbly hand on hip1 like pots with handles1 moustachiously disdain all whom they meet1 whilst their fulminating swords are filling all graveyards2 and1 what is still worse1 by their eyes1 glowering fiercely under a trailing plume1 they cause ,jupiter to tremble until he is on the point of abandoning to them his lightning and his eagle1 that he may have peace1 and this notwithstanding that they inspire fear in none but snails and flies and frogs40 ,no type was so successful in ,europe in the sixteenth century1 and more particularly at the beginning of the seventeenth1 as that of the ,captain1 both in improvised and in written comedy4 ,in ,italy1 ,spain1 ,france and ,england1 the number of pieces in which the ,captain1 under very different names1 played the principal rle was very considerable4 ,scarron wrote round this character a sort of tour de force in verse in one act and in one rhyme--ment--entitled ,les ,boutades du ,capitan ,matamore1 #afdf3 ,,matamore ,j'ai de l'amour infiniment ,pour un bel il qui1 puissamment1 ,me trouble imprieusement2 ,il demeure en ce logement1 ,marchons-y dlicatement4 ,hol6 sortez htivement1 ,sinon1 parbleu6 robustement ,j'craserai le btiment4 ,,ang,,lique ,h6 que frappe si rudement6 ,,matamore ,c'est un faiseur d'gorgement4 ,the first ,italian ,captains date from the fifteenth century1 and their costumes have varied according to their epochs4 ,at first they wore buff jackets1 a long sword1 a steel helmet or morion1 and they were always masked4 ,these masks were flesh-coloured1 with a prominent nose and terrific moustachios4 8,the ancient ,italian ,captain10 says ,l4 ,riccoboni1 8was succeeded by the ,spanish ,captain1 who dressed himself in the fashion of his country4 ,little by little the ,spanish ,captain overthrew the ancient ,italian ,captain4 ,at the time of the passage of ,charles ,v4 into ,italy this character was introduced into the ,french theatre4 ,its novelty earned it the suffrages of the public2 our ,italian ,captain was silenced and the ,spanish ,captain remained master of the battlefield4 ,it was his character to be boastful2 but he was destined in the end to receive a cudgelling from ,harlequin40 ,in ,italy and in ,france the ,captains bear such ,hispaniolised names as3 el ,capitano ,sangre y ,fuego1 el ,capitano ,cuerno de ,cornazan1 el ,capitano ,escobombardon della ,papirotonda1 el ,capitano ,rodomonte1 el ,capitano ,parafante4 ,the ,germans in the seventeenth century also had their ,captain1 ,horribilicribrifax1 who was but a copy of the ,milanese ,captain ,spavento1 the ,castilian ,matamoros1 and the ,french ,capitaine ,fracasse4 ,in the sixteenth century the ,capitan ,spezza-,monti1 known in ,france under the name of ,tranche-,montagne1 8closed his eyes when fighting his enemies1 so as not to see their severed limbs as he sliced them off40 ,callot1 in his ,petits ,danseurs1 shows us some of these ,italian ,captains of the sixteenth century2 among others is the ,capitan ,taglia-,cantoni1 dressed in tight garments1 wearing an enormously plumed hat1 and shod in cannon boots1 adorned with lace on the inside4 ,his ,captain ,zerbino is distinguished by a triumphant panache and a mask adorned with spectacles4 ,his ,captain ,cerimonia is represented with one leg advanced1 and his hand on his rapier1 so that1 entirely thrusting up his cloak behind1 the point of it menaces heaven4 ,he is extremely ceremonious as is indicated by his name4 ,meeting ,signora ,lavinia 7,diana ,ponti71 he seems to be bending a soft glance upon her through his mask1 and he is in the act of doffing his slashed hat4 ,the ,captains ,mala-,gamba and ,bella-,vita1 both knock-kneed1 are saluting each other with precaution and defiance4 ,they wear enormous ruffs and exaggerated garters on the outsides of their boots4 ,their sleeves and breeches are slashed after the fashion of the time of ,franois ,i4 ,the ,captains ,cardoni1 ,babeo ,esgangarato1 ,cocodrillo and ,grillo1 wear the costume of dancers4 ii ,in the ,italian troupe of the ,gelosi which went to ,france in #aegg1 the rles of ,captain were played under the name of ,,capitano ,,spavento della ,valle ,inferna 7,captain ,terror of the ,vale of ,hell71 by ,francesco ,andreini1 born at ,pistoia1 and already well known in ,italy since #aeeh4 ,he played all known musical instruments1 and spoke six languages--,italian1 ,french1 ,spanish1 ,slav1 ,greek and ,turkish4 ,he performed the parts of ,doctors and ,captains equally well1 and he created the character of the ,dottore ,siciliano and that of a magician named ,talcirone4 ,on his return to ,florence in #aegh he met in this same troupe ,isabella1 who was then sixteen years of age1 and greatly admired for her beauty1 her talents and her virtue4 ,francesco ,andreini fell in love with her and married her4 ,in the following year1 #aegi1 ,isabella1 who was still in ,florence1 gave birth to a son1 ,gian ,battista ,andreini1 known later on under the name of ,lelio1 and author of the ,teatro ,celeste and ,l',adamo4 ,andreini went again to ,france in #afjj1 with the second troupe of ,gelosi1 still under the direction of ,flaminio ,scala2 but as the troupe was returning to ,italy1 ,isabella died suddenly at ,lyons 7#afjd74 ,sorrow-stricken and inconsolable1 ,francesco ,andreini quitted the theatre with his son2 the latter1 however1 went back to it in the capacity of director in the following year4 ,andreini the elder never returned to the stage1 nor concerned himself further with his art save as an author4 ,he produced1 in #afjg1 ,le ,bravure del ,capitano ,spavento1 which was translated into ,french under the title of ,bravacheries du ,capitaine l',epouvante4 ,francesco ,andreini was a member of the ,societ degli ,spensierati of ,florence4 ,whilst a comedian in the troupe of ,flaminio ,scala he was the author of the preface of ,scala's book1 which contains some fifty scenarii4 ,his son1 ,gian ,battista ,andreini1 discharged the rles of juvenile lovers under the name of ,lelio1 as we shall see4 ,francesco ,andreini died in #afbd4 ,fabrizio de ,fornaris1 a gentleman of ,naples1 born in #aefj1 was renowned for his comic spirit and his wit under the name of ,capitan ,cocodrillo4 ,he went to ,france with the troupe of the ,confidenti in #aehd and #aehe4 ,he caused ,la ,fiammella1 a pastoral play by ,bartolomeo ,rossi1 to be performed by his comrades1 and he published it in #aehd4 ,in the following year he published a comedy of his own1 entitled ,angelica1 which had been performed impromptu1 scoring considerable success1 particularly at the house of the ,duke of ,joyeuse1 to whom it was dedicated4 ,fabrizio de ,fornaris returned to ,italy1 and died there in #afcg4 ,in #afah1 the charlatan ,mondor1 born at ,milan1 who performed his farces on the trestles of the ,place ,dauphine with his associate ,tabarin1 played the rles of ,captain in certain ,tabarinic farces1 under the name of ,rodomonte1 an anagram upon his own name4 ,as all the world knows1 it was ,ariosto who first gave to the world the terrible ,saracen ,captain ,rodomonte4 ,,rodomont4 ,cavaliers1 musketeers1 bombards1 canons1 morions1 corslets6 ,hither1 comrades6 ,i am ,captain ,rodomont1 the bravery1 the valour of all the world2 my sword has been triumphant throughout the whole universe4 ,,tabarin4 ,it is true1 by my faith2 there is none who can ply a two-legged sword better than he4 ,,rodomont4 ,what are you doing in this house1 ,tabarin8 ,what are you doing1 coward8 ,i want to speak to you4 ,hither1 coward6 ,hither1 pig6 ,i want to kill you6 ,be dead6#d ,mondor was a man of handsome presence1 who expressed himself extremely well1 and who had received a good education1 as may be judged from the lessons in science and philosophy which he delivered to his public in the form of dialogues with his lackey ,tabarin4 ,in the ,opuscules ,tabariniques is the following passage3-- 8,mondor is a kind of wit and a man of some letters1 capable if he should wish it of a more honourable vocation4 ,he is well-bred and courteous1 removing his hat very gracefully and with a gentle smile when he returns a handkerchief or a glove40 ,in the troupe of the ,fedeli1 which came to ,paris in #afba and again in #afbd under the direction of ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini1 the rles of ,captain were played by ,girolamo ,gavarini1 of ,ferrara1 known in the theatre as ,capitano ,rinoceronte 7,captain ,rhinoceros74 ,niccolo ,barbieri 7,beltrame7 relates in his ,supplica the death of this comedian on the #bnd ,october #afbd1 and says that upon his body was found 8a very coarse hair-shirt1 which occasions some surprise1 for whilst we were well aware that he was pious and devout1 we had no suspicion that he went to such lengths as this40 ,he adds that 8people should not risk inconsiderately to speak evil of comedians1 remembering that frequently there are very honourable men in their ranks and1 better still1 even saints at times1 such as ,saint ,genest1 ,saint ,ardlion1 ,saint ,sylvain and ,san ,giovanni ,buono40 ,abraham ,bosse performed the part of ,matamoros from the beginning of the seventeenth century1 armed to the teeth1 in slashed and tight-fitting garments1 and under a plumed hat of grey felt1 similar to that worn by ,spavento4 iii ,,captain ,,spezzafer wore at first the costume of a gentleman of the court of ,henry ,,iv41 a round1 plumed hat1 beard and moustachios1 a heavy ruff and doublet1 and very wide breeches1 in keeping with the mode of the period4 ,but in #affh he modified the shape of his costume2 and his manner of wearing the sword1 very high up and suspended from a wide leather belt1 gave him a certain similarity with ,crispin of the ,french comedy4 ,the colours he affected1 however1 were very different4 ,whilst ,crispin is dressed from head to foot in black velvet1 ,spezzafer is arrayed in heavy silk of a bright yellow2 his garments are cut after the fashion of those of soldiers of a few years earlier1 under ,louis ,,xiii4 ,he wears moustachios and a grey cocked hat1 surmounted by a feather4 ,spezzafer1 whose name was ,giuseppe ,bianchi1 was first seen in ,paris in #afci1 and again in #afde1 with the troupe whose director he was and whose principal actors were the following3--,barbanois 7,polichinelle71 ,bastona1 ,bonnetti1 ,caluci1 ,cialace 7,pantaloon71 ,bonami 7dancer71 ,franchi1 ,grandini1 ,micael ,lardi1 ,merli1 ,magni1 ,nardo1 ,nicoli1 ,pozzi1 ,rinaldi1 ,usili2 ,mesdames ,brigida ,bianchi1 ,orsola ,bianchi1 ,luigia ,bianchi1 ,gambelli1 ,marizini1 etc4 ,he died in ,paris in #afhj4 8,his death being a subject of conversation at ,versailles1 ,m----1 a doctor1 claimed to resemble him2 but the ,prince of ---- assured him of the contrary1 upon the grounds that the ,captain had never killed anybody4 ,this ,spezzafer was married to a woman of very equivocal conduct1 and when in the comedy of ,arlequin ,roi par ,hasard he came to solicit the governorship of a place on the frontier1 ,harlequin would answer him3 #8,how should you be able to govern it1 you1 who in twenty years have never succeeded in governing your wife8' ,no doubt this pleasantry never failed to provoke the laughter of the public1 but it must have been very bitter to him who was its butt40 ,in one of ,gherardi's plays ,captain ,spavento finds it necessary to purchase under-clothing4 ,it is what we may call a scne intime1 for it is not customary to see ,captains acting like simple mortals2 they are always tuned to a diapason far too high ever to permit them to descend to the necessities of existence4 8,it is said10 ,harlequin tells him1 8that you do not wear a shirt40 8,that was once my custom10 replies the ,captain1 8because then1 being of an extremely furious nature1 when once ,i was enraged1 the hair of my body1 which was abundant1 stood up1 piercing my shirt on every side1 and putting so many holes in it that one might have taken it for a colander4 ,but having become much more moderate since then1 ,i now wear under-clothing like any other fellow40 ,after the departure of ,harlequin ,spezzafer approaches a shop4 ,,spezzafer4 ,now here1 opportunely1 is a linen shop4 ,let me see if they keep what ,i require4 ,a ,,sempstress4 ,sir1 we have very beautiful ,dutch linen and other things4 ,,spezzafer 7taking up a shirt from the counter74 ,i shall be delighted to buy something from you4 7,aside47 ,this girl is pretty1 well made1 and her eyes are blue4 7,aloud47 ,this shirt would do very well for me1 but ,i think it is too small4 ,,the ,,sempstress4 ,too small6 you cannot think that4 ,it is three quarters and a half long4 ,,spezzafer4 ,how much do you want for it8 ,,the ,,sempstress4 ,it will cost you ten ducats1 not to overcharge you4 ,,spezzafer4 ,ten ducats6 ,,the ,,sempstress4 ,yes1 sir4 ,i make only a livre on each sou4 ,,spezzafer4 ,i will give you thirty sous4 ,,the ,,sempstress4 ,thirty sous6 ,it is easily seen you're not used to wearing shirts4 ,,spezzafer4 ,there6 ,there is a ducat1 not to haggle further4 ,do not compel me to go elsewhere4 ,,the ,,sempstress4 ,oh1 very well1 take it then1 on condition that you will do me the honour to come again4 ,this is the sign of ,la ,pucelle4 ,in the middle of the eighteenth century the costume of the ,italian ,captain resembles that of a soldier of the time4 ,he wears a three-cornered hat1 long hair tied in a queue1 and coat1 waistcoat and breeches of military cut4 ,the long sword which he carries pointing upwards gives him still a little of the air of his ancestors4 iv ,,giangurgolo--which is to say ,jack ,glutton--is the ,calabrian type of ,captain4 ,like ,matamoros he is passionately devoted to women2 but he is frightened of them2 he is always afraid of discovering a man under the petticoat4 ,nevertheless he carries the great sword of the ,captain and has adopted his soldierly gait4 ,like his primitive type he is boastful1 a monstrous liar1 timid beyond all measure1 and moreover as famished as a savage4 ,yet he will go four days without eating for fear of meeting with a rebuff1 which would make it necessary for him to become angry and perhaps to fight--in other words1 to be beaten4 ,thus he has recourse to theft to nourish himself1 because he never has a farthing4 ,he prowls about the stalls of the macaroni merchants2 lifting up his great cardboard nose1 he sniffs and nourishes himself upon the smell of the edibles4 ,if by good fortune he can put his hand upon victuals1 it is amusing to see the quantity whose disappearance he can contrive4 ,his stomach is a gulf4 ,but1 for the sake of a few pounds of macaroni1 a few dishfuls of polenta1 one or two salami1 how much shame must he not endure6 ,he is a compound of ,gargantua1 ,matamoros and ,pierrot4 ,he is1 moreover1 foolish and vain and proclaims himself a ,sicilian gentleman4 8,the earth10 he says1 8trembles under me when ,i march40 ,the members of the watch are a terror to him4 ,he has a guilty conscience1 and at their approach1 notwithstanding his titles1 his nobility and his redoubtable arms1 he could gladly squeeze into a rat-hole4 ,when he is quite certain that he is dealing only with poor inoffensive people he causes himself to be served on a grand scale1 and repays them by enraging furiously4 ,if in the moment of his fury a child to amuse itself should shout out behind him1 he will disappear so quickly and for so long that years may pass before he is seen again in the country4 ,he wears a long and pointed felt hat1 a rapier1 a scarlet doublet whose sleeves1 matching his breeches1 are of pale yellow striped with red4 ,francesco ,ficoroni 7in his ,dissertatio de larvis scenicis et figuris comicis7 gives the reproduction of an ancient mime engraved upon onyx1 which very much resembles ,giangurgolo in headdress1 long nose and ungainly posture4 v ,,il ,,vappo1 or ,smargiasso 7fanfaron71 is a ,neapolitan type1 representing the spadassin of the end of the eighteenth century4 ,he is a great brawler1 an excessive boaster1 and above all an incredible poltroon1 like the other varieties of the ,captain4 ,he wears an ample square-cut riding-coat1 a three-cornered hat of an exaggerated height1 yellow breeches and a long rapier1 whose old and rusty hilt rattles as he moves4 ,he is a clumsy1 awkward fellow1 striking terrific postures1 a ,franca-,trippa of ,callot1 dressed in a slightly more modern manner4 vi ,the ,romans also have a sort of ,captain1 ,,rogantino1 who has the same manners and the same character as their ,marco-,pepe4 ,in ,bologna the ,corporal ,rogantino is the chief officer of the watch2 he is brutal1 speaks with a bizarre accent1 vibrating his rs1 and1 when he has to effect an arrest1 if the guilty escape him he will often seize an innocent man2 should anyone attempt to hinder him1 he wants to strike and incarcerate everybody4 ,his scenes conclude in a general mle from which ,rogantino issues invariably in a pitiable condition4 8,they have beaten me10 he says1 8but ,i told them what ,i thought of them40 ,this character is preserved in ,rome to this day1 together with ,pulcinella and ,cassandrino1 as one of the heroes of the marionette booth4 ,,iv ,,columbine ,in the ,mostellaria of ,plautus1 ,philematium1 a musician1 has for waiting-woman a certain ,scapha1 who converses with her in terms very similar to those in which ,diamantine converses with ,aurelia1 or ,columbine with ,isabella4 ,in the following scene we are permitted to be present at the toilet of a woman of antiquity4 ,,philematium4 ,see1 ,i beg you1 ,scaphe1 whether this gown suits me4 ,for it is my aim to please ,philolaches1 who is at once my lover and my master4 ,,scapha4 ,why do you not seek to acquire provoking ways1 since in yourself you are entirely lovely8 ,lovers do not care for a woman's gowns1 but for what they contain4 ,,philematium4 ,and now what do you say8 ,,scapha4 ,concerning what8 ,,philematium4 ,look at me closely and you will agree that this gown improves my beauty4 ,,scapha4 ,the force of your beauty is greater and carries more influence than your raiment4 ,all that you put on borrows grace and value from yourself4 ,,philematium4 ,i do not want you to flatter me4 ,,scapha4 ,if ,i dared1 my dear mistress1 ,i should say that you are very foolish1 since you prefer to be wrongly criticised rather than to be justly praised4 ,strange taste6 ,as for myself--by ,pollux6 ,i would rather receive praise which ,i do not deserve than reproaches for faults of which ,i am aware4 ,,philematium4 ,i detest people who seek to please me by falsehood4 ,if you find me wanting in anything1 have the goodness to correct me4 ,,scapha4 ,i certainly think that you act grossly against your interests when you give yourself entirely to ,philolaches4 ,you count upon none but him2 you are so submissive1 complaisant and obedient to this young man that all other lovers count for nothing with you2 it does not become a courtesan to have but one intrigue2 she should leave that to ladies of high degree4 ,,philematium4 ,since my dear lover has delivered me from shameful bondage ,i do no more than my duty in showing him a hundred times more tenderness than when ,i flattered him to obtain what he has done for me4 ,,scapha4 ,in that case consider him as a husband in conscience and in honour as well as in tenderness and1 upon that footing1 allow your hair to grow like that of a married woman4#e ,,philematium4 ,see whether my headdress is well arranged4 ,give me my white4 ,,scapha4 ,what for8 ,,philematium4 ,to rub it into my cheeks to beautify me4 ,,scapha4 ,it is like whitening ivory with soot4 ,,philematium4 ,give me also my rouge 7purpurismum74 ,,scapha4 ,with these colours you are about to spoil the most beautiful work of nature4 ,confine yourself to the bright tints of your youth4 ,you require no white-lead nor rouge of ,melos nor any other sort of plaster4 ,,philematium4 ,do you not think that ,i should do well to rub myself with scent1 and to perfume myself8 ,,scapha4 ,beware of doing it6 ,a woman smells best when she smells of nothing1 for what can be thought of those women who perfume themselves1 and proclaim themselves by their scents8 ,they are treated as toothless hags1 who seek to disguise themselves under paint and perfume4 ,,philematium4 ,consider well my long robe and my jewels4 ,do you find me well adorned8 ,does everything suit me8 ,,scapha4 ,it is not for me to judge2 it is ,philolache's taste alone that is to be consulted on that subject4 ,purple is convenient for dissembling age1 and as for gold1 it suits no woman4 ii ,from the flattering1 cynical and corrupted slave was born in the ,italian theatre the servetta or fantesca1 a confidential waiting-maid1 known later in ,france as the soubrette1 a character confounded with that of sophisticated and malicious village girls4 ,as early as #aebh we find women playing this rle in the lively and noteworthy comedies of ,angelo ,beolco 7,ruzzante7 performed at the theatre of ,padua4 ,she is called ,betta and ,bettia 7for ,elisabetta71 ,gnua 7for ,genoveffa71 ,gitta 7for ,gianetta71 ,nina1 ,besa1 etc4 ,usually these are peasant women1 who betray their husbands or their lovers for very little1 8a piece of bread or a ribbon10 or even1 very often1 merely out of a spirit of mischief4 ,thus ,bettia is enclosed with her lover ,tonin1 a man-at-arms1 and speaks from the window to ,ruzzante1 her husband1 who bids her open the door and return home with him1 in which case he will forgive her fault4 8,i care nothing about your forgiveness2 ,i do not need it4 ,at home it is ,i who have to labour and ,i am sick of it4 ,whilst you are glued to a chair and never do anything ,i must set my hands to everything4 ,go and seek another servant to clean your pots and pans1 and to do your house-work4 ,do you think that ,i1 who am as fresh and lively as a fish1 shall submit to having no society but yours8 ,i am here1 and here ,i remain4 ,i am sorry about your honour2 but you have brought this upon yourself40 ,in #aecj we find waiting-women in the troupe of the ,intronati under the names of ,columbina1 ,oliva1 ,fiametta1 ,pasquella1 ,nespola and ,spinetta4 ,but the most famous actress in this line was ,silvia ,roncagli1 born at ,bergamo1 who1 under the name of ,franceschina1 went to ,france in the troupe of the ,gelosi in #aegh4 ,she returned to ,italy with that company and played in ,florence the rles of waiting-woman to ,isabella 7,isabella ,andreini74 ,she spoke ,french perfectly1 and at times permitted herself entirely ,french improvisations4 ,the soubrette in the troupe of the ,fedeli1 which went to ,paris with ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini1 still bore the name of ,franceschina4 ,the wife of ,tabarin1 who improvised on the trestles of the ,place ,dauphine1 assumed also the same nom de guerre4 ,l',etoile claims that she was ,italian2 he is certainly confusing her with ,silvia ,roncagli4 ,her real name was ,anne ,begot1 and her reputation was much better than was supposed1 for the stupid people of ,paris took the farces and the follies which she uttered literally as being expressions of herself4 iii ,patricia ,adami1 born at ,rome in #afce1 was known under the name of ,,diamantina4 ,she played first in ,italy and later in ,france4 ,in #afjj1 after the decease of her husband1 ,adami1 a comedian who died young1 she made her first appearance in ,paris1 and her versatile talents caused the public very quickly to forget the actress who had preceded her in #afec1 summoned to ,france by ,cardinal ,mazarin4 ,of the latter no more than her theatre-name of ,beatrix is known1 and this from the quatrain of ,foret3 8,mais pour enchanter les oreilles1 ,pmer1 pleurer1 faire merveilles1 ,mademoiselle ,batrix ,emporta1 ce jour-l1 le prix40 ,patricia ,adami was of slight stature and rather brown of skin1 but extremely pretty1 and of a great vivacity on the stage4 ,agostino ,lolli1 who played the parts of ,doctor1 fell in love with her and they were married4 ,she continued her successes and persevered in her employment until a younger star rose to eclipse her--that is to say1 until the dbut of ,caterina ,biancolelli 7,columbine74 ,in #afhc1 ,diamantina1 having grown old1 withdrew altogether from the theatre4 iv ,the type of soubrette remains always the same4 ,from the days of ,plautus to those of ,gherardi1 and from those of ,gherardi down to our own1 it has undergone but little variation2 but the soubrette became personified in the character of ,,columbine by ,teresa1 ,caterina and the second ,teresa ,biancolelli--grandmother1 granddaughter and great-granddaughter4 ,the most remarkable of the three by her versatile talent and her numerous creation is ,caterina ,biancolelli1 daughter of the famous ,domenico1 and wife of ,pierre ,lenoir de la ,thorillire1 a pupil of ,molire's and a distinguished actor in his company4 ,she is sometimes soubrette1 sometimes mistress1 advocate1 dancer1 singer and swaggering gallant4 ,it is said of her that she filled with equal ease all rles1 and that she spoke fluently several languages1 dialects and jargons4 ,she appears to have been a very well-educated woman of real talent4 8,she was small and brunette1 but of a very comely countenance4 ,she had more than beauty2 she had physiognomy1 a fine air1 easy gesture and a sweet and pleasant voice40 ,born in #affe of ,giuseppe-,domenico ,biancolelli and ,ursula ,corteze 7known in the theatre under the name of ,eularia71 she took the surname of ,columbina1 a surname which had been in vogue in the theatre since #aefj2 her paternal grandmother had already borne it and had been painted in walking costume1 holding a basket containing two doves 7colombes7 in allusion to this her stage name4 ,this portrait was preserved in the house inhabited by ,domenico in the village of ,bivre1 near ,paris4 ,caterina made her dbut on the #aath ,october #ahfc1 in ,arlequino ,proto4 ,she came on and in ,italian addressed her father who was playing ,harlequin3 8,i was told that your lordship desired to speak with me4 ,but what a droll figure is your lordship's6 ,you have the air of a turkey-cock40 8,how8 ,of a turkey-cock80 replied ,harlequin2 8,i am the chief comedian of a troupe of turkey-cocks--,i mean of a troupe of comedians4 ,but ,i sent for you because ,i know that you have great talent for comedy1 and ,i am going to give you a rle in ,the ,burning of ,troy3 ,i will represent the horse1 you shall represent the fire10 etc4 ,columbine rejects the piece1 which1 she says1 would end in smoke and hurt the eyes of the spectators4 ,choice is made of ,the ,loves of ,titus and ,berenice4 ,columbine announces that she is going to imberenice herself 7imberenicciarmi71 and ,harlequin goes off to titusine himself 7intitusinarmi74 ,she scored a great success1 and from the moment of her dbut she gave a free rein to her wit and audacity in improvisation4 ,as soubrette to ,isabella she remonstrates with her mistress1 who is desolated at the prospect of marrying a man whom she does not love4 8,you will live0 7she tells her7 8as live the majority of wives in ,paris4 ,in the first four or five years you will be prodigal1 and then when you shall have consumed the greater part of your husband's fortune in moveables1 gowns1 equipages and jewels1 you will part company with him2 your marriage-portion will be returned to you1 and you will live thereafter as a great lady4 ,how simple you are6 ,do you think rich men are married to be loved80 ,elsewhere she deals in home truths with her master3 8,quite frankly1 sir1 if you do not take care1 you will1 for all your millions1 become the laughing-stock of ,paris4 ,it is well known that there is no man1 be he great or little1 who has not sometimes something in his head2 but it is a shame to see you without occupation1 lamenting your life and haggling from morning to night about the merest necessities of the house6 ,alas6 for the days of your extravagance1 when nothing was talked of but your ostentation and good humour4 ,whenever you returned from town you would always chat with me for a moment1 your hand under my chin4 ,it was ,columbine here1 ,columbine there2 now a ribbon1 now a ring1 now a fan4 ,in short one had1 now and again1 some little mark of your remembrance4 ,now you come home a hundred times without once saying3 #8,god keep you4' ,you never cease from grumbling1 you become as ugly as yellow lard1 as cantankerous as a devil4 ,of your fifty lackeys you have dismissed fifteen2 there remain only three coaches here1 and ,i think--,god forgive me6--that you retrench your wife's expenditure in dress40 ,on the subject of coquetry1 ,columbine thus admonishes ,isabella3 8,things must never be allowed to go to extremes4 ,but ,i assure you that a little pinch of coquetry scattered through the manners of a woman1 renders her a hundred times more lovable and desirable4 ,i but repeat the words of my mother1 who was a marvellously well-informed woman on this subject4 ,i have heard her say a hundred times that it is with coquetry as with vinegar3 when too much is put into the sauce it becomes sharp and detestable2 when it contains too little it is so faint as not to be tasted2 but when you achieve that mediocrity which arouses appetite1 it will induce you to eat your very fingers4 ,it is the same with woman4 ,when she is coquettish at the expense of her honour1 fie1 fie6 that is not worth a devil4 ,when she is not coquettish at all1 that is still worse2 her virtue seems confounded with her temperament1 and you would suppose her merely a lethargic beauty4 ,but when a beautiful woman has just so much sparkle as is required to please1 faith1 if ,i were a man1 that should tell with me40 ,in ,le ,banqueroutier to prove to ,isabella that her heart is more tender than she cares to confess1 this is what she imagines3 ,,columbine4 ,bring me a mantle1 a scarf1 a wig and a hat belonging to mademoiselle's brother4 ,i will beguile our leisure by counterfeiting one of these sighing lovers4 ,,isabella4 ,but what shall ,i call you8 ,,columbine4 ,you shall call me 8,chevalier40 ,and be on your guard1 for1 faith1 ,i shall press you closely4 ,you laugh8 ,had ,god but made a man of me ,i should have been a dangerous rogue4 7,she goes out1 to return dressed as a man47 ,faith6 mademoiselle1 it is not without trouble that one penetrates to your apartments4 ,if your brutal porter but wore laced breeches he would be taken for a ,swiss4 ,do you know that ,i have spent literally two hours at your door1 and that this rascal would not have consented to open if it had not occurred to me to tell him that ,i am a relative of yours8 ,count me a rascal if ,i do not speak the truth4 ,by the way1 have ,i told you that ,i love you8 ,,isabella4 ,that statement has not yet reached me4 ,,columbine4 ,we men of feeling are sometimes so inattentive that it is necessary to guess our meaning4 ,i find you most touchingly blossoming4 ,,isabella4 ,fie6 ,chevalier1 you must not look at me4 ,i am not personable to-day4 ,these last two nights ,i have been so ill that ,i have not closed an eye4 ,you will understand that one may not be beautiful after such a defeat to one's health4 ,,columbine4 ,you have1 perdition catch me1 more health than ,i have need of4 ,my only fear is lest your illness should be of the heart4 ,lovable as you are it is not possible that you should not bear some passion in your soul4 ,should it be so1 conceal it from me1 for ,i would sooner that five hundred devils should seize me than---- ,,isabella4 ,how1 ,chevalier6 ,are you jealous8 ,,columbine4 ,as the devil6 ,my beautiful1 will you compel me to sigh for ever8 ,when will you sup with me1 chez ,lamy8 ,,isabella4 ,chevalier6 ,you are wanting in respect4 ,a lady of my quality in a tavern6 ,little by little ,columbine becomes impassioned and plays so well her rle of a lover that ,isabella sighs3 8,alas1 ,columbine6 what a pity that you are not a boy60 ,columbine is frank1 and calls all things by their proper name4 ,but if at times her mistress does not listen to her she pretends that she desires to quit her service knowing full well that this will never be permitted4 ,,columbine4 ,if you were to give me three times my present wages1 ,i would not remain another quarter of an hour in your service4 ,you may think that ,i am ruled by money4 ,i love my reputation1 mademoiselle1 and that is all that matters4 ,,isabella4 ,i do not think1 ,columbine1 that your reputation has run any risks with me4 ,,columbine4 ,all that is very well1 but ,i am going to leave you4 ,,isabella4 ,how6 without telling me the reason8 ,,columbine4 ,i leave you because my heart is in the right place1 and ,i am dying of shame to see how little progress you have made in six months4 ,from morning to night ,i wear myself out body and soul to teach you that beauty unadorned makes no dupes1 and that a marriageable girl must adapt herself to all sorts of rles if she is to succeed4 ,instead of profiting by my lessons you remain tranquilly confident of your charms and you leave the care of your fortune to your star4 ,a fine way that to go about getting a husband6 ,,isabella4 ,you are wrong to scold me1 ,columbine4 ,since you have been with me ,i have been no more than the echo of your remonstrances1 and in company ,i never speak save on the lines which you have indicated to me4 ,,columbine4 ,you go about it in a fine way6 ,virtue of my life6 ,when marriage is the aim1 more artifice is necessary4 ,i have told you a hundred times to assume a severe and haughty air with those who seek you in marriage4 ,man is an animal that desires to be mastered4 ,he attaches himself only to those who repulse him4 ,from the moment that you seem gentle and complaisant any fatuous suitor may suppose your heart to be garrotted by his charms4 ,but when you treat him with indifference1 you will see him supple1 arduous1 attentive1 sparing no pains or expense to succeed in pleasing you4 ,,isabella4 ,it seems1 then1 that ,i am still a novice1 for ,i had thought that sincerity sustained by honesty must most surely win affection4 ,,columbine4 ,whence are you with your honesty8 ,go on singing that tune and you'll die an old maid4 ,get it into your head1 mademoiselle1 that with the man of to-day it is necessary to be astute1 alert1 and roguish even1 if necessary4 ,the great thing is to become a wife2 the rest is in the hands of ,god4 ,in ,l',homme ,bonnes ,fortunes1 ,columbine is the younger sister of ,isabella4 ,she is but fifteen years of age1 and desires already to be married4 ,columbine dressed as a little girl1 and ,isabella ,,isabella4 ,you are really very foolish to stuff your head with silly notions of love and marriage4 ,is such conduct becoming in a younger sister8 ,were it not better that you should renounce the world8 ,,columbine4 ,all that is very easy to say1 my sister1 but you wouldn't speak as you speak if you felt as ,i feel4 ,,isabella4 ,and what do you feel1 pray8 ,and what do ,i feel who am your elder8 ,do you hear me complaining of the tiresomeness of the spinster state8 ,you're an amusing urchin6 ,,columbine4 ,an amusing urchin8 ,i am not as much an urchin as ,i seem3 and ,i should have become a wife long since if my father had permitted it1 for ,i have been told that one may be married at the age of twelve4 ,,isabella4 ,but do you so much as know what a husband is1 that you talk like this8 ,,columbine4 ,should ,i want one if ,i didn't know8 ,,isabella4 ,hey6 ,and where have you learned all these fine things8 ,,columbine4 ,one doesn't need to learn them4 ,marriage must be a very agreeable state1 since the mere thought of it brings so much pleasure4 ,,isabella4 ,you are very much out in your reckoning if you think marriage is agreeable4 ,a fine thing to have a husband who is always grumbling6 ,a fine thing to have the care of servants6 ,a fine thing to suffer the inconvenience of pregnancy6 ,that alone were sufficient to make me renounce marriage for ever4 ,you are not fit for marriage4 ,it is not a child's game4 ,,columbine4 ,and ,i tell you that ,i am as fit for marriage as you are4 ,and although ,i may be wrong1 if ,i were married at once ,i am sure ,i should not die of it4 ,,isabella4 ,really6 ,i think ,i am very patient to listen to all these expressions of your petty humour6 ,there is no one so bereft of sense as to desire to take charge of you4 ,,columbine4 ,eh6 la1 la1 it is not such a heavy charge1 and everybody is not afraid of it4 ,less than a week ago1 in a shop at the ,palais1 a gentleman of condition told me how much he liked me1 and how glad he would be to marry me4 ,,isabella4 ,and what did you answer him8 ,,columbine4 ,i told him that ,i was still very young for that1 but that next year---- ,,isabella4 ,you will be older and more foolish4 ,can't you see that he was mocking you1 and that you are becoming ridiculous8 ,you ought to die of shame4 ,,pierrot 7entering74 ,how now1 mesdemoiselles6 ,what a noise you are making4 ,you seem to be flattering one another after the fashion of cat and dog4 ,,columbine4 ,pierrot1 it is my sister who is angry4 ,she would have no husbands but for herself4 ,,pierrot4 ,the glutton6 ,,columbine4 ,my poor ,pierrot4 ,you who are so beautiful1 tell me3 is it necessary that ,i should be a spinster all my life8 ,,pierrot4 ,impossible6 ,look now1 girls should be married when they are young2 youth is game that won't keep4 ,,isabella4 ,but then1 is it just that ,i should resign my rights to a younger sister8 ,,pierrot 7to ,columbine74 ,it is true that so far you are but an embryo1 and ,i have seen larger ones in bottles4 ,,columbine4 ,i admit1 ,pierrot1 that ,i am still small1 but---- ,,isabella4 ,silence6 ,there is no enduring your impertinences4 ,i will leave you4 ,after the exit of ,isabella1 ,columbine entrusts ,pierrot with the delivery of a letter to the gentleman whom she met at the ,palais4 8,since ,i know how to write10 she says1 8why should ,i not write80 8,quite so10 replies ,pierrot1 and he departs with the love-letter1 exclaiming3 8,a fine thing nature6 ,it thinks of marriage whilst in the shell60 ,some scenes later ,pierrot brings the reply from this gentleman of condition whom ,columbine already loves1 and who is none other than ,harlequin4 ,,columbine4 ,well1 my poor ,pierrot1 did you bear my letter to this viscount8 ,,pierrot4 ,i did1 and he sends you a little note in return4 ,,columbine 7snatching the letter from him74 ,give it me quickly4 ,,pierrot4 ,peste6 ,how sharp-set you are upon the quarry4 ,,columbine 7reading74 8,love is like an itch2 there is no concealing it4 ,wherefore may the plague catch me if ,i do not come and see you to-day4--,,viscount ,,of ,,bergamotte40 ,,pierrot4 ,now there is a man who writes tenderly4 ,,columbine4 ,he loves me1 for he says so1 and ,i hope that we shall soon be married4 ,it is always ,harlequin who is1 will be1 or has been the lover or the husband of ,columbine4 ,but ,harlequin is not set upon being faithful4 ,he courts other women1 and goes even so far as to introduce one into the conjugal domicile1 pretending himself a bachelor4 ,but his duplicity is discovered1 and ,columbine comes to an understanding with ,anglique1 her rival1 and they both avenge themselves by cudgelling the too-perfidious ,harlequin4 ,sometimes ,harlequin has abandoned her in ,venice1 to go to seek his fortune in ,paris under the dress and style of the ,marquis ,sbruffadelli4 ,columbine pursues him with her vengeance1 and assumes all manner of disguises to frighten him1 for she has given out that she is dead1 thereby causing great joy to ,harlequin1 who is in haste to marry ,isabella4 ,columbine unites herself with ,pasquariello1 and they vie with each other as to which shall play the more tricks upon the ungrateful ,harlequin4 ,first she comes as a ,spaniard1 addressing ,harlequin in ,castilian2 he does not understand a word of it1 and interprets what she says in his own fashion4 ,after putting him in a rage1 she discloses herself1 crying3 8,perfido traditore1 m'avrai negli occhi1 se non m'hai nel cuore60 7,perfidious traitor1 you shall have me in your sight if not in your heart74 ,harlequin1 terrified1 cries for help4 ,she runs away to return as a soubrette and enter the service of her rival1 ,isabella4 ,there ,harlequin attempts to flirt with her1 and implores her to come and mend and starch the only three shirts that he possesses4 ,columbine1 pretending not to know him1 speaks to him of ,harlequin1 alluding to him as a wretch1 a villain1 who caused the death of a certain heart-broken ,columbine4 8,in truth10 says ,harlequin1 8there are great villains in the world6 ,but is she really dead80 8,alas1 it is but too true10 she replies4 ,whereupon ,harlequin makes philosophy upon love and death4 ,columbine interrupts him by revealing herself3 8,perfido traditore1 m'avrai negli occhi1 se non m'hai nel cuore60 ,this threat comes up again and again2 it is the drop of water which1 falling incessantly upon the rock1 ends by piercing it4 ,she reappears as a girl from ,gascony and speaks its dialect2 again as a ,moorish girl1 in which character she dances and pulls the beard of ,harlequin4 ,she turns up as a master of arms1 as a picture1 as a doctor2 as a woman she lodges a complaint against ,harlequin1 and returns as a lawyer to plead against him4 ,finally ,harlequin1 worn out by this unceasing persecution1 marries her4 ,caterina ,biancolelli played in ,paris until the closure of the ,comdie-,italienne in #afig1 whereupon she withdrew entirely from the theatre4 ,it was on the stage of the ,comdie-,italienne that ,columbine assumed for the first time the costume of ,arlequine in ,le ,rtour de la ,foire de ,besons1 in #afie4 ,afterwards this costume became a favourite one in the fairs4 ,the popularised character of ,columbine was traditionally dressed as ,arlequine on the trestles in the farces1 and very often in pantomime4 ,it was the same in the case of ,pierrette1 who became the familiar companion of ,pierrot1 dressed in white with powdered face4 ,the costume of ,columbine is very varied3 now a soubrette1 now a cavalier1 now a little girl1 now a lawyer1 now a doctor1 now the wife of ,harlequin1 whose mask and costume she wears4 ,in the plays of ,gherardi she wears the high comb of the period and a costume which would leave her undistinguishable from the leading lady but for the little apron1 traditional in the theatre1 and characteristic of the soubrette4 ,in more modern pantomime ,columbine is usually the daughter1 niece or ward of ,cassandre4 ,her love affairs with ,harlequin are nearly always crossed by the paternal will1 which favours ,landre1 the rich and powerful ,landre1 the beautiful ,landre1 so called in derision4 ,but she has also1 nearly always1 a good fairy1 or magic godmother1 who saves her1 and notwithstanding ,cassandre1 ,pierrot and ,landre1 she marries the ,harlequin of her dreams4 v ,in #agaf1 ,margherita ,rusca went to ,paris as a member of the ,regent's ,italian ,company4 ,wife of the famous ,harlequin ,antonio ,vicentini 7,thomassin7 she played the parts of waiting-maids under the name of ,,violette4 ,she was born at ,bologna in #afia1 and died on the #bhth ,february #agca1 in ,paris4 ,violette's character is practically the same as that of ,columbine4 ,like ,columbine she is ,harlequin's mistress1 but in point of malice she returns him as good as he gives4 ,,violette4 ,good morning1 my dear ,harlequin4 ,what sort of a night have you had8 ,,harlequin4 ,i do not know1 for ,i was asleep1 and therefore can tell you nothing about it4 ,and you8 ,,violette4 ,oh1 as for me1 ,i don't know whether ,i slept1 for ,i did but dream all night1 and when you dream you don't know what you are doing4 ,,harlequin4 ,and you dreamed of me1 no doubt8 ,,violette4 ,no1 ,i dreamed of that great baker lad who was your rival in ,rome4 ,,harlequin4 ,traitress6 ,and what did you dream touching this baker boy8 ,,violette4 ,i dreamed that ,i received a letter from him in ,lyons1 in which he promised to come instantly to ,paris4 ,,harlequin4 ,fie6 ,i don't like it at all4 ,such dreams are cornuti4 ,in the eighteenth century we find the soubrettes taking the names of ,zerbinette1 ,olivette1 ,tontine1 ,mariotte1 ,genevotte1 ,babet1 ,farinette1 ,perette1 ,finebrette1 ,fiametta1 ,giannina1 ,catte1 ,ghitta1 ,checchina1 ,smeraldina1 etc4 ,amongst the principal actresses performing these parts in the ,italian comedy in ,paris was ,hippolyte de la ,tude1 known by the name of ,clairon1 who made her dbut at the ,thtre-,italien on the #hth ,january #agcf1 in the soubrette rle in ,l',isle des ,esclaves4 ,of the dbut she speaks herself in the following terms3-- 8444 ,i was taken to the house of my benefactress1 where ,deshayes1 an actor of the ,comdie-,italienne1 gave me a hearing4 ,he was so pleased with me that he presented me to all his associates4 ,i was admitted to this theatre1 and ,i was given a part to study4 ,permission for my dbut was obtained1 and finally ,i made my appearance on the stage before ,i had reached the age of twelve4 8,the applause which ,i received reconciled my mother to the career which ,i had chosen4 ,i was given preceptors in writing1 dancing1 music and the ,italian language2 my industry1 my ardour and my memory amazed my teachers4 ,i devoured everything2 ,i retained everything4 ,but my excessive youth1 my short stature1 the lack of protection1 and the fear entertained by the famous ,thomassin lest my talent should be hurtful to his daughters1 who were not yet established1 compelled me at the end of a year to seek my fortune elsewhere4 ,i was engaged in the company of ,rouen to perform all the parts suitable to my years1 and to sing and dance4 ,i was intent upon playing comedy and nothing else mattered to me40 vi ,on the #fth ,may #agdd1 ,anna ,veronese1 having adopted the stage name of ,,coraline1 made her first appearance as a soubrette4 ,she was born in ,venice1 and was a daughter of ,carlo ,veronese 7,pantaloon74 8,both made their dbut in the same piece1 ,le ,double ,mariage d',arlequin4 ,the father was about forty-two years of age1 and the daughter hardly fourteen2 they gave the greatest possible satisfaction1 and both were equally well applauded40 ,the talents1 like the beauty of ,coraline1 increased from day to day1 and she was long without a rival in the theatre4 ,illustration ,her gifts inspired ,marmontel1 whilst ,jean-,jacques ,rousseau has the following to say of her in his ,confessions 7#agdc-agdd73-- 8,none would suspect that it is to me that lovers of the theatre in ,paris owe ,coraline and her sister ,camille4 ,yet1 nothing could be more true4 ,veronese1 their father1 was engaged1 together with his children1 for the ,italian troupe2 and1 after having received two thousand francs for the journey1 instead of setting out1 he remained coolly in ,venice1 at the theatre of ,san ,luca 7or possibly it may have been ,san ,samuele1 for proper names elude me74 ,thither ,coraline1 no more than a child at the time1 was drawing a large number of people4 ,m4 le duc de ,gesvres1 as first gentleman of the chamber1 wrote to the ambassador1 claiming the persons of father and daughter4 ,m4 de ,montaigu1 in giving me the letter1 gave me no instructions beyond saying1 #8,look at that4' 8,i repaired to ,m4 le ,blond to beg him to speak to the patrician who owned the theatre of ,san ,luca1 and whose name1 ,i think1 was ,zustiniani1 to the end that he might dismiss ,veronese1 who was engaged for the service of the ,king of ,france4 ,le ,blond performed the commission indifferently1 ,zustiniani temporised and ,veronese was not dismissed4 ,this made me angry4 ,the season was that of carnival4 ,i put on a mask and had myself borne to ,zustiniani's palace4 ,all those who observed the entrance of my gondola and the ambassador's livery were astonished4 ,venice had never seen the like4 ,i enter1 ,i am announced under the name of a masked gentleman 7una siora maschera74 ,the moment ,i was introduced1 ,i removed my mask1 and named myself4 ,the senator turned pale in his stupefaction4 #8,sir1' ,i said to him in ,venetian1 #8it is with regret that ,i importune ,your ,excellency with my visit1 but you have in your theatre of ,san ,luca a man named ,veronese1 who has been engaged for the service of the king1 and whom you have vainly been requested to surrender4 ,i come to claim him in the name of his ,majesty4' 8,my short speech took effect4 ,no sooner had ,i departed than ,zustiniani ran to give an account of his adventures to the inquisitors of ,state1 who gave him a wigging4 ,veronese was dismissed that very day4 ,i sent word to him that if he did not set out within a week ,i would have him arrested4 ,he set out40 ,in #agdi ,coll1 in that satirical and unjust journal of his which1 published after his death1 came somewhat to modify men's opinion of him1 wrote on the subject of the first performance of the ,rtour de la ,paix1 of ,boissy1 at the ,thtre-,italien3 8444 ,it must also be agreed that the actors and actresses1 not excluding ,coraline and ,camille1 are very1 very mediocre at their best1 and thence descend to the detestable4 ,yet this theatre is well frequented notwithstanding that its comedians are fatuous1 ridiculous and bad1 and that they never know a word of their parts2 ,harlequin is cold1 ,scapin has but one scene and some grimaces2 the women inspire horror with the exception of ,coraline1 who has the graces of youth and of beauty and some spirit1 but who1 notwithstanding that1 is of no intelligence1 and has the bad habit of giggling when she is on the stage4 ,sylvia is old1 and ,deshayes extremely mediocre4 ,none the less theirs is to-day the best frequented spectacle4 ,what can one say to it8 ,although the ,french comedians have fallen low1 and are impossible in tragedy1 they are at least endurable in comedy by comparison with the ,italians2 and to say this is to say much1 for they are worth very little40 ,notwithstanding the judgment of ,coll1 the vogue of ,coraline was enormous1 and we are compelled to think that she had more than youth and beauty1 since a whole series of plays was written specially for her4 ,a great number of pieces appeared one after the other1 bearing such titles as3 ,coraline ,magicienne1 ,coraline ,jardinire1 ,coraline ,protectrice de l',innocence1 ,coraline ,fe1 ,coraline ,intrigante1 ,coraline ,esprit ,follet1 ,les ,folies de ,coraline1 ,arlequin-,coraline1 ,l',heureux ,dsespoir d',arlequin et de ,coraline1 etc4 ,anna ,veronese left ,france probably in #agej1 for1 under the name of ,coralina1 she was playing in the comedies of ,carlo ,goldoni at ,venice in the years #agea and #ageb4 ,camille1 who had been for several years playing the same parts1 quitted the company and entered that of ,sacchi1 in which she shone until #agfi in the improvised fairy spectacles of ,carlo ,gozzi4 ,it will be seen that in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the type of soubrette1 daring in her language and in her actions1 is to be confused and identified with that of the waiting-woman of ,molire and his successors4 ,this type retains to-day in ,italy nothing peculiarly its own4 vii ,the frank speech and the free ways of the woman of the people were personified in ,naples in the character of ,,la ,,guaiassa1 a type speaking and acting like the matronly women of that class and country4 ,she was compounded of triviality and a certain natural wit which reminds us of the chatterings of the ancient ,citeria of the ,latin farces4 ,but the chief characteristic of ,la ,guaiassa was a real and great goodness of heart under a gross exterior2 ignoring everything that is beyond the narrow horizon of her alley 7vicolo71 and never having journeyed beyond the neighbouring street1 hers was the good sense of honesty4 ,this rle was played in the first thirty years of the nineteenth century by a celebrated woman1 who captured the hearts of the ,neapolitan public fully as much as did ,pulcinella4 ,she expressed herself admirably in the dialect of the ,neapolitan streets4 ,though handsome1 her countenance lent itself marvellously well to her rle4 ,she was a ,roman1 and off the stage spoke the purest ,italian4 ,the news of her death in the fifties carried with it a sense of loss to the entire kingdom of ,naples4 ,the unlimited licence allowed to the ,italian soubrette and to ,la ,guaiassa was never fully admitted in the ,french theatre2 not even in the days when the public taste itself was least refined and its ears least prudish4 ,molire and ,gherardi are contemporaries1 but it is easily seen how much the ,columbine of the latter exceeds in crudity the ,dorine of the former4 ,it is not only to the superiority of the talent of ,molire that we must attribute his inferior audacity2 the same public which1 in the same theatre1 on alternate days attended the performances of the ,italians and the ,french1 would never have tolerated in the ,french ,company the same freedom of speech which they permitted to the ,italians4 ,this is the more remarkable because1 by a singular but verified anomaly1 the morals of the ,italian actresses1 singers and dancers have always been superior to those of the ,french1 and their domestic conduct better4 ,the ,marquis d',argens1 in his very philosophical--as the word was understood in his day--letters1 gives the following certificate of good conduct to the ,italian actresses3-- 8,there is a greater difference between the characters of the ,italian and ,french comdiennes than there is between our opera and theirs4 ,education1 prejudice1 custom and remuneration are the four things which produce the difference existing between the morals and the habits of life of the two4 ,it has been one of our affectations to cast ignominy and infamy upon those who by their talents render our country illustrious4 ,the ,italians are very far from having any such ridiculous prejudices4 ,true lovers of art1 they are careful not to wither those who produce it4 ,senesini1 ,scalsi and ,farfalini are beloved and cherished in ,rome2 not only are they not considered unworthy of burial1 but1 when one is compelled to render them the last honours1 to the sorrow of losing them will be united all that will go to proclaim how much they were esteemed4 8,it is by these distinctions and these rewards that the ,italian comdiennes are inspired with sentiments unknown to our own2 they share in the honours of civil society2 they are encouraged by the respect in which their talent is held1 and1 since their profession includes nothing that is not brilliant1 they are careful not to render themselves contemptible by debauchery4 8,our ,french comdiennes1 on the contrary1 seem to wish to profit by the idea which we have of them2 they avail themselves of the advantage of being regarded as libertines and1 since their art exposes them to contempt1 they cease to be restrained by sentiments which would be useless4 8,it would be ridiculous to demand that ,italian actresses should conduct themselves better than other women2 it is more than sufficient that1 being more exposed than ordinary women1 they should1 nevertheless1 be as virtuous4 ,if after reading my letter you do not agree with me1 examine the ,french and ,italian troupes in ,paris1 and you will perceive living arguments to support me40 ,v ,,pierrot ,there was in the sixteenth century1 in ,bologna1 a sort of improviser1 or popular poet1 named ,giulio-,cesare ,croce who sang in the public places to the accompaniment of stringed instruments1 which caused him to be given the surname of ,della ,lira4 ,the burden of his songs was a lament on the life and adventures of a fictitious personage named ,bertoldo4 ,perceiving that the crowd listened attentively and took pleasure in his burlesque epic1 he conceived the notion to print his songs in prose and to offer them for sale4 ,the public snatched at these books with enthusiasm1 a circumstance which led to his increasing the ,life of ,bertoldo and adding that of his son ,bertoldino1 which latter enjoyed no less success than the former4 ,croce was born in #aeej in the ,bolognese village of ,persiceto4 ,at the age of seven he lost his father1 and went to live with an uncle1 a farrier at ,castel-,franco4 ,after having been admitted as a master of his trade of blacksmith1 he settled in ,bologna1 was twice married1 and became the father of fourteen children4 ,it was there that the spirit of improvisation seized him and brought him his great reputation4 ,the ,cavalieri of ,bologna paid him a pension in his old age1 and he died in #afji4 ,some years after the death of ,croce ,della ,lira1 ,camillo ,scaligero ,della ,frata composed a third volume1 containing the ,life of ,cacasenno1 the son of ,bertoldino4 ,this series enjoyed such a success in ,italy that it ran into a large number of editions1 and at the end of the seventeenth century the ,bolognese painter1 ,j4 ,m4 ,crespi1 illustrated various passages of these popular ballads2 these were engraved by ,lodovico ,mattioli1 and1 instead of issuing a new edition of the romance in prose1 several wits shared among themselves the labour of composing a poem in twenty cantos4 ,twenty-six authors1 all of them ,bolognese1 ,ferrarese or ,lombards1 co-operated in this task4 ,the result was a superb volume in quarto1 adorned with pictures and accompanied by notes1 arguments and allegories1 with ,tuscan and ,bolognese texts and a ,bolognese vocabulary4 ,this work appeared first in #agcf and then in #agdj1 published by ,lelio della ,volpe1 8,at the ,sign of the ,fox40 ,a third edition appeared in #agdg in ,venice1 printed in ,bolognese and in ,venetian4 ,such was the vogue of this little poem that it was translated into modern ,greek and enjoyed the greatest success in ,greece and in ,turkey4 ,the fame of this buffoon creation has not yet ceased2 to this day in ,italy all who can read have read ,la ,vita di ,bertoldo1 and nurses relate it to their nurslings4 ,bertoldo is better known in ,italy than ,bluebeard or ,tom ,thumb elsewhere4 ,in general the principal features1 sallies1 retorts1 witticisms or episodes of ,la ,vita di ,bertoldo are so celebrated that they have become proverbial1 like 8the peace of ,marcolfa40 ,marcolfa was ,bertoldo's wife1 a good woman1 who1 after quarrelling during the day with her husband1 made the peace with him in the evening1 and she found this peace-making so pleasant that1 so as to provide occasion for it1 she would frequently set up little disputes4 ,croce ,della ,lira's little poem begins as follows3-- 8,in the tenth century of our era1 ,king ,alboin reigned over ,lombardy and resided in ,verona4 ,this prince1 who had conquered all ,italy1 was none the less very good1 very gentle and very just4 8,at the same time there lived in a little ,veronese village a peasant named ,bertoldo1 whose countenance was ridiculous1 whose head was as big as a pumpkin1 whose hair was flat and red1 whose ears were enormous and whose little eyes were red-rimmed2 his nose was thick and flat1 and red as a beetroot2 his wide mouth was a slit from ear to ear2 he displayed two teeth like the tusks of a boar1 and his beard was coarse and dirty4 ,his figure was no better than his face2 his hands were large1 his legs massive and crooked and his skin rough4 ,but his wit was sharp and subtle1 his judgment sound1 and he was the pleasantest fellow in the village of ,bertagnana1 in which he lived4 ,his fellow-citizens preferred his moralisings and his discourses to those of their priest4 ,he adjusted their differences more satisfactorily than their lords and judges2 and1 lastly1 he made them laugh more than the charlatans and buffoons who sometimes passed through the village4 8,he was the youngest of ten brothers and had barely enough for his own subsistence1 that of his wife1 ,marcolfa1 and a child named ,bertoldino4 8,one day ,bertoldo was taken with a fancy to see the city and the court1 this from mere curiosity1 without any particular intention4 8,arrived in the market-place in ,verona1 he was in the act of looking at the king's palace1 which he took for a great church1 when he perceived two women who were fighting for a mirror4 ,an officer of the guards came to inform them that the king desired to know the subject of their difference4 ,thus ,bertoldo learned that ,alboin was a good prince1 who lent an ear to everybody4 ,he saw that the gates of the palace stood open and that the guards hindered none from entering4 ,he went in and penetrated to the audience chamber where the king was enthroned4 ,there were some other seats1 placed below and destined for the greater of his lords1 who1 nevertheless1 remained respectfully standing4 ,bertoldo sat down without ceremony4 ,some courtiers1 observing the impertinence of the peasant1 and his grotesque countenance1 admonished him that it was indecent to sit in the presence of the king4 8#8,why so8' demanded ,bertoldo4 #8,i sit down in church in the presence of ,god6' 8#8,but do you not know that the king is a personage elevated above all others8' 8#8,per ,bacco1 he is not as high as the cock on our village steeple1 which even tells us what the weather is going to do4' 8,these words are reported to the king1 who then questions ,bertoldo3 8#8,who are you8' he demands4 8#8,a man4' 8#8,when did you come into the world8' 8#8,when it pleased the good ,god to send me1 and my parents to bring me into it1 for it is a matter with which ,i was not concerned4' 8#8,what is your country8' 8#8,the world4' 8,these replies stimulated the good king's curiosity4 #8,what1' he asked1 #8is the fleetest thing in all the world8' 8#8,thought4' 8#8,which is the best wine8' 8#8,that which is drunk in your neighbour's house1 for it costs nothing4' 8,the king's fool was named ,fagotto4 ,he became extremely jealous of the friendship which the king began to show ,bertoldo and of the credit which the latter began to enjoy at court4 ,he had the audacity to pit himself against him1 thinking to surpass him in wit4 8#8,how1' quoth the fool1 #8would you set about carrying water in a sieve8' 8#8,i should wait until it was frozen4' 8#8,how would you catch a hare without running8' 8#8,i should wait until it was on the spit4' 8,fagotto set him no riddle which he could not answer on the spot4 ,in the heat of the dispute ,bertoldo desired to spit4 ,he begged permission of the king4 8#8,i grant it willingly1' said the king1 #8but choose a place in my palace where there will be nothing to spoil4' 8,bertoldo1 after having sought awhile1 spat upon ,fagotto4 8,alboin the ,debonnaire conceived a friendship for ,bertoldo1 perhaps because the latter did not conceal the truth from him1 and set about inducing him by facts to contradict the things he had said the day before4 8,bertoldo1 to afford the king a proof of the inconsequence1 the indiscretion and the inquisitiveness of the fair sex whispered in the ear of a woman of the town that the king had pronounced a decree according seven wives to every husband4 ,the revolted sex came in a crowd1 shouting1 screaming and insulting the ,king ,alboin1 to demand the revocation of his absurd decree4 ,the king had a great deal of trouble to make himself heard1 but he contrived it in the end1 and informed them that they had been misinformed4 ,on another occasion the ladies of the court claimed the exercise of political rights4 ,bertoldo gave them a box inclosing a bird1 with the prohibition to open it within the following twenty-four hours4 ,two hours later the bird had taken flight4 ,thus ,alboin proved to them that their inquisitiveness and their disobedience excluded them from affairs of state4 ,but the ,lombard monarch had a proud and haughty wife1 who determined to avenge herself upon ,bertoldo4 8,bertoldo was summoned to the presence of the queen and1 after insults and blows administered by the ladies of the court1 he was thrust into a great sack1 which was tied at the neck1 and in which he was left1 the intention being to throw him into the river that night4 ,a guard was set to watch him4 ,the unfortunate ,bertoldo ransacked his mind for a way out of the worst pass in which he had ever found himself4 8,he persuaded the guard that he was thus imprisoned for very singular reasons1 and that he would explain them if the fellow would untie the sack1 and permit him to whisper in his ear the truth of the matter4 ,the guard believed him and permitted him to put his head out of the sack4 ,bertoldo then told him that he was a great nobleman1 that it was desired to compel him to marry a lady who was rich and beautiful1 but of suspected chastity2 that he preferred to drown sooner than make such a marriage1 and that he had been imprisoned by way of compulsion2 that in the evening they would come again to seek to drive him into this marriage1 but that he would prefer to drown4 ,the guard answered him that he was a fool1 and offered to take his place and marry the damsel4 ,bertoldo got out of the sack1 tied up the guard in it and departed from the palace40 ,this farce of the sack has since been transported into many ,italian scenarii and ,french farces1 and ,molire1 in ,les ,fourberies de ,scapin has written round it a whole scene in the ,italian manner4 8,bertoldo was recaptured and taken back to the palace4 ,the queen obtained her complacent monarch's consent that her enemy should be hanged1 and the king announced this to his dear ,bertoldo1 excusing himself by the fact that he was compelled to the step so as to be agreeable to his wife4 8#8,sir1' said ,bertoldo1 #8,i understand your reasons4 ,it is necessary that the little should suffer for the caprices of the great4 ,but1 since ,i am to hang1 ,i ask a favour3 ,it is that ,i myself shall have the choice of the tree2 for after all if a man is hanged to his own taste he is in part consoled4' ,the king consented4 8,bertoldo found fault with every tree proposed to him1 and discovered none that suited him4 ,this one was too high1 that one too low4 ,the branches of this one were too weak1 the branches of that one too strong4 ,the leaves of a cypress were of too sombre a green1 and those of a lime too bright4 ,bertoldo promenaded thus his escort1 which consisted of an officer1 two soldiers and the hangman1 for several days1 and visited every wood in the country4 ,they tramped all day and stopped only to dine and sup in the villages4 ,bertoldo kept his guards in good humour1 telling them fine stories of old times1 the merriest tales in the world1 and thus causing them to forget the object of their commission4 ,when1 in the end1 they bethought them of it1 they could not reconcile with their consciences the hanging of so merry a fellow4 ,they advised him to return home1 and themselves went back to the city4 8,the queen1 persuaded that her orders had been carried out1 repented of having enforced the death of the unfortunate ,bertoldo1 and testified her repentance to the king4 ,the king1 who knew that the sly peasant was not dead1 arranged things in such a fashion that the queen was the first to demand his recall4 ,the monarch sent to fetch ,bertoldo4 ,he was slow to decide to return to court1 insisting that soup and friendship are never worth anything when warmed up1 and that an ounce of liberty is better than a hundredweight of gold4 ,he received1 however1 so many proofs of friendship on the part of the king and queen that he went2 but he bargained3 firstly that his wife ,marcolfa and his son ,bertoldino should remain in the village1 and continue to cultivate the little corner of land which they owned in ,bertagnana2 secondly that he should always retain his peasant garb1 consenting1 however1 to wear garments without patches and stockings without holes2 thirdly that he should be permitted always to eat his bread and onion1 and his cheese soup4 8,but ,bertoldo did not long enjoy the royal favour4 ,compelled to go to bed later than was his custom1 because often the king retained him until after sunset2 compelled instead of delving the earth to charge himself with serious affairs1 to reason upon them and to talk himself hoarse 7because he could not write7 his health broke down4 ,the doctors compelled him to take medicine1 a thing he had never done in his life1 and so he died4 8,king ,alboin1 in memory of the services which ,bertoldo had rendered him1 brought ,marcolfa and ,bertoldino to court4 ,he had them properly dressed and presented them with a little farm at the gates of ,verona1 adding to the gift a coffer filled with gold pieces4 8,near the farm there was a pond in which the frogs made a noise such as ,bertoldino had never heard in ,bertagnana4 ,he conceived a desire to silence them1 and looked round for something to throw at them so as to scare or kill them4 ,he came upon the coffer1 took the gold pieces1 and flung them into the pond at the aggravating beasts4 ,some few were killed1 but the others croaked more loudly than ever4 ,thus he flung away all the gold that had been given to him4 ,marcolfa1 perceiving what was done1 reproached him bitterly1 saying1 amongst other things1 that if men were to be silenced with money1 such was not the case with frogs4 8,bertoldino1 reasoning from this that animals preferred to be fed rather than paid1 took all the provisions of the house and flung them into the pond4 ,fresh remonstrances from ,marcolfa3 #8,since we have no more flour we shall be forced to eat the chickens1 and we have but few hens1 and they can only hatch a few eggs at a time4' 8#8,leave it to me1' said ,bertoldino4 #8,i am bigger than a hen1 ,i shall be able to hatch more4' ,and driving away all the hens from their eggs1 he gathered the lot into a heap1 sat upon it1 and reduced it to a horrible omelette4 8,although admonished and sermonised by the king1 who perceived that the son was as stupid as the father had been shrewd1 ,bertoldino continued to commit folly upon folly4 ,he whipped himself with nettles to drive away the flies4 ,wishing to hinder a hawk from taking little birds from a nest he tied them all together2 as a consequence the bird of prey1 which had been taking but one every now and then1 carried off the lot at once4 ,having seen at court some little pug dogs whose ears had been clipped to improve their appearance1 he cut the ears of his donkey1 and paraded it with ostentation1 that it might be admired4 ,this last deed was the cause of his being sent back to his village4 ,marcolfa followed him thither1 and they lived there very happily4 ,bertoldino married a peasant girl named ,menghina1 who bore him ,cacasenno1 the third hero of this history4 ,alboin the ,debonnaire1 curious to know whether the grandfather's wit might not have skipped a generation1 summoned ,cacasenno to court with the good ,marcolfa4 ,but the grandson was no greater success than his father4 ,he was lazy and greedy1 and all that is related of him turns upon these two faults4 ,his last feat1 and that which brings the epic to a close1 was his eating a plate of glue which he mistook for broth4 ,he died of it1 or was reduced to the point of death40 ,there is nothing surprising in the success scored by this peasant ,bertoldo1 who1 solely by his wit and his nave simple sense1 makes his fortune at the court of a great king1 soars above all the ridicule which it is sought to heap upon him1 issues cleverly and wittily from all the traps that are set for him1 and surmounts by his wit the short-comings of his education4 ,is it possible that ,cervantes was acquainted with the doings of ,bertoldo when he created that other type of nave good sense1 ,sancho ,pana8 ,bertoldo was not long in being transferred from fiction into life4 ,the types of ,bertoldo1 of his son ,bertoldino1 and even of his grandson ,cacasenno1 passed on to the trestles of ,italy towards the end of the sixteenth century4 ,in ,florence1 in ,bologna and in ,lombardy there was no troupe of actors without a ,bertoldo1 a sort of lackey1 a famous utterer of truths2 but ,bertoldino appears to have had a much more enduring vogue in the theatre4 ,this type1 entirely doltish in the original1 becomes1 according to the actors by whom it was played1 a mixture of rustic artlessness and shrewdness2 he displays a sententiousness akin to ,bertoldo's1 whilst at the same time flinging his gold to the frogs to silence them4 ,for the rest1 the adventures of our two heroes have furnished a goodly number of scenes1 and even of scenarii1 in the three hundred years during which they have been reaping success under different names1 such as ,pirolino and ,bigolo4 ,in the sixteenth century the ,comdie-,italienne performed in ,paris a comic opera entitled ,bertholde la ,ville1 drawn from an interlude entitled ,bertoldo in ,corte4 ,this was sung by the ,italian ,company at the ,opra in #agec4 ,nicol ,zeccha was playing these nave rles under the name of ,bertoldino at the end of the sixteenth century4 ,nicol ,barbieri 7,beltrame7 says1 in speaking of him1 that he was a young man of great courage1 very skilled in the use of weapons1 and a fine dancer4 ,he was skilled too in killing birds on the wing1 and so fleet a runner that he had many times brought down stags by pursuing them4 ,victor ,amde ,i41 ,duke of ,savoy1 invited him often to take part in his hunts1 and accorded to him1 in addition to this honour1 full permission to take such horses from his stables as he might desire1 and to hunt when or where he should please in the ducal preserves1 with the right to banish from them all those who enjoyed this privilege before him4 ,zeccha was still a member of the ,fedeli troupe in #afcj4 ii ,,pagliaccio first made his appearance in the troupe of ,juan ,ganassa1 and travelled through ,italy1 ,france and ,spain in #aegj4 ,the name of ,pagliaccio 7literally1 cut straw71 which has become the synonym of madcap or giddy fellow1 is no more than a corruption of ,bajaccio 7a bad jester73 it is the pejorative of baja 7mockery71 signifying an utterer of raileries1 good or bad4 ,illustration ,in one of the ,italian troupes that passed through ,florence at the end of the sixteenth century1 in #aeih1 there appeared a personage named ,gian ,farina1 his countenance white like ,pagliaccio's and dressed in very ample linen garments1 but wearing in addition the tabaro and a wooden sword4 ,we cannot ascertain the real name of this actor1 who1 under his sobriquet of ,gian ,farina1 enjoyed a certain celebrity as a comedian and was the director of an itinerant troupe4 ,like ,pagliaccio he was dressed in white1 and his face--as his name implies--was whitened with flour4 ,that it was also the custom of the ,french comedians thus to whiten their faces so as to give more character to their grimaces1 we may gather from ,montaigne3 8,these men of vile condition who seek to recommend themselves by dangerous leaps and other strange mountebank movements were compelled to whiten their faces and to indulge in savage grimaces to induce us to laugh40 ,the custom was anterior to ,montaigne1 for as early as #aejb we find ,jean ,serre1 and his son ,auguste ,serre1 parading under costumes analogous to those transmitted to us by ,callot4 ,in point of costume1 ,pagliaccio is but a variant of ,pulcinella2 his pointed hat of white wool and his garment of white linen seem to be no more than the undress of the ,neapolitan macaroni eater4 ,his character1 however1 is quite different4 ,salvator ,rosa1 who was deeply interested in the theatre and in its costumes1 has left us the following description3-- 8,pagliaccio is dressed in a coat that is extremely full and pleated1 and fastened by enormous buttons2 his hat is soft and white and capable of assuming any shape2 he wears a mask1 yet his face is covered with flour4 ,he is stupid1 giddy and awkward1 and whilst for ever urging others to the most daring measures1 he is himself the greatest poltroon on earth2 he affects agility1 merely to tumble incessantly and drag down with him his old master1 whom he has the air of endeavouring to support40 ,his flour-covered face and his white mask particularly distinguish him in point of external features from the ,neapolitan ,pulcinella4 ,in point of character he differs to a still greater degree4 ,pagliaccio1 the stupid lackey1 is no more than a trestle jester1 whose rle consists in clumsily imitating1 like the ,english clown1 the gestures and movements of the other mimes1 and in receiving constant beatings1 to the great amusement of the audience4 ,in ,italian pantomimes1 ,pagliaccio fills the place occupied by ,pierrot in ,france2 he no longer wears a mask1 his face being merely covered with flour4 ,he is the rival of ,harlequin1 and the lackey of ,pantaloon4 ,he is in love with ,columbine1 but--like the ,french ,pierrot--he is never successful in carrying her off from ,florindo1 the lover who is always dressed in the latest fashion of his time and place4 ,in these pantomimes the rles of father fall to the lot of the ,doctor or old ,tabarino4 ,in #afgj ,zaniazi1 half ,gilles1 half ,pulcinella1 performed rles which greatly resembled those of the doltish ,harlequins4 ,in #aggj ,natocelli achieved renown in ,italy as a good ,bajaccio1 whilst in ,paris in #ahjc ,martini was performing his farces with ,podesta1 ,vanini and other ,italian buffoons in the ancient gardens of ,tivoli4 ,the ,french ,paillasse is of very much more recent date4 ,it would be towards the end of the eighteenth century that this character made its appearance in the ,nicolet ,theatre 7,la ,gat7 in a sort of satire upon the debauched young nobility1 a piece based upon the ,festin de ,pierre1 and coarsely adapted to the tastes of the boulevard public4 ,paillasse took the place of ,sganarelle4 ,reduced to the utmost misery in consequence of the follies and excesses of his master1 having nothing left in which to dress himself1 ,paillasse would assume the tattered covering of an old mattress and successfully array himself in it to perform his tricks of equilibrium and juggling4 ,hence the costume1 with blue and white or red and white squares1 which from that date has been favoured by itinerant jugglers and knife throwers4 ,paillasse neither wears a mask nor powders his face with flour4 ,his ,indian camisole in squares is short1 tight to the figure1 with shoulder-of-mutton sleeves fastened at the wrists2 his breeches are wide and full1 but tight below the knee4 ,he wears the white collar and the black skull-cap4 ,brazier says1 in his ,histoire des ,petits ,thtres de ,paris1 when speaking of the ,boulevard du ,temple3 8,this famous boulevard was a ,parisian kermesse1 a perpetual fair1 an all-the-year-round market4 ,here you would find matter for laughter and amusement by day and by night2 it was the rendezvous of the best society2 a crowd of brilliant equipages were constantly stationed there4 ,cold and heat were braved for the sake of listening to a ,paillasse who1 in spite of ,deburau1 was not without merit4 ,this ,paillasse1 who was named ,pre ,rousseau1 had made himself a reputation by singing in the open air3 8#8,c'est dans la ville de ,bordeaux ,q'est z'arriv trois gros vaisseaux1 ,les matelots qui sont dedans1 ,ce sont1 ma foi6 de bons enfants4' 8,i myself have beheld the remains of this good fat ,paillasse1 and ,i have bowed respectfully before him4 8,i can affirm that never was there a ,paillasse more complete or more amusing2 it was not a case of the pale and livid countenance of ,deburau2 it was not his wise and grave performance nor his artistic poses1 nor his expressive winks4 ,here instead was a full1 red1 plethoric countenance2 it symbolised the gaiety of the populace at its fullest4 ,it was impossible not to laugh like a king's fool at the sight of his grimaces1 at the sound of his hoarse and broken voice2 he achieved in song what ,deburau achieved in pantomime1 for this ,paillasse of mine was also a great actor4 ,do not suppose that he recited like a pupil of the ,conservatoire2 he knew how to be witty and mordant in his declamation2 his physiognomy was of an astounding mobility4444 ,we would remain by the hour watching ,pre ,rousseau1 that classic ,paillasse6 ,we hardly dared to breathe1 such was our fear of missing one of his gestures1 one of his contortions60 ,the farces performed by ,rousseau in public at the close of the eighteenth century were very much what they are still to-day1 a tissue of imbecilities and gross ineptitudes4 ,,paillasse4 ,sir1 since you are so kind1 ,i beg of you to do me a service4 ,,cassandre4 ,what service8 ,,paillasse4 ,to compose me a compliment for a lady with whom ,i am madly in love4 ,,cassandre4 ,it is first necessary that ,i should know her qualities4 ,is she lovable1 beautiful8 ,,paillasse4 ,oh1 as for her beauty1 there can be but one opinion4 ,first of all1 let me tell you that she has only one eye2 but the one that remains is so engaging1 so witty1 so seductive1 that it is without equal1 and ,i really think that if it is alone it is because ,nature was incapable of producing such another4 ,,cassandre4 ,she has only one eye6 ,well1 well1 that at least is one charm4 ,,paillasse4 ,oh1 and her mouth1 sir6 ,oh6 you cannot picture it4 ,she can thrust a whole apple into it without the least trouble4 ,,cassandre4 ,another advantage2 so that1 when she wishes to tell herself a secret1 she can whisper it in her own ear4 ,,paillasse4 ,true1 sir4 ,and then her nose6 ,it is a model nose1 a curiosity2 it has something of the pear1 something of the mulberry1 and something of the beetroot4 ,,cassandre4 ,ah1 ,i see2 it is a rarity4 ,,paillasse4 ,oh1 and then her feet6 ,they are so small that ,i assure you ,i can hardly get her shoes on over my own boots4 ,,cassandre4 ,and her figure8 ,,paillasse4 ,her figure8 ,she is built like a tower2 she is quite round4 ,i beg you1 sir1 to compose me this compliment1 which ,i am burning to address her4 ,,cassandre4 ,i consent2 but first invite the present company to come inside and see the extraordinary spectacle which we are going to give this evening4 ,,paillasse 7brusquely74 ,hey1 there1 you others6 come inside6 ,,cassandre 7kicking him74 ,animal6 ,is that the way to address polite society8 ,,paillasse4 ,you are right4 ,i made a mistake4 ,hi1 there1 you others6 come inside6 7,,cassandre chases him off47 iii ,at the end of the sixteenth century the ,french enfarin or the barbouill1 as he was then called1 was ,robert ,gurin1 named ,lafleur1 but better known as ,,gros-,,guillaume4 ,he was a comedian of the ,htel de ,bourgogne1 then managed by ,valeran1 named the ,picard1 which was as much as to say1 a jester and a wit4 ,valeran's real name was ,lecomte4 8,he was10 says ,tallemant1 8a tall handsome man4 ,he was the head of the troupe and very generous towards its members1 and he himself took the money at the door40 ,gros-,guillaume was more than a jester2 he was a remarkable actor1 greatly esteemed by ,henry ,,iv4 and by ,richelieu1 and often commanded to the ,louvre to amuse the ,barnais1 who enjoyed performances which ridiculed the language and affectations of the gentlemen of his court1 particularly those of the ,marshal de ,roquelaure1 concerning whom ,tallemant des ,raux relates the following anecdote3-- 8,one day the king held him between his knees whilst witnessing a command performance by ,gros-,guillaume of the farce of the ,gentilhomme ,gascon4 ,every now and again1 to amuse his master1 the ,marshal pretended to want to get away to thrash ,gros-,guillaume1 shouting1 #8,cousis1 ne bous fchez4' ,it happened that after the king's assassination1 the comedians1 not daring to perform in ,paris in view of the general consternation there1 repaired to the provinces and made their way to ,bordeaux4 ,there the ,marshal was the king's lieutenant4 ,it was necessary for the players to obtain his sanction4 #8,i give it you1' said he1 #8on condition that you will play the farce of the ,gentilhomme ,gascon4' ,they imagined that a sound cudgelling awaited them1 and sought to excuse themselves4 ,they were1 however1 prevailed upon to perform4 ,the ,marshal went to see the farce2 but the memories it evoked of the good master he had lost occasioned him so much pain that he departed in tears almost immediately after the beginning of the play40 ,gros-,guillaume had been a baker4 ,fat beyond all measure1 he wore two girdles1 one above1 the other below1 his belly4 ,dressed in white1 he discarded the usual mask of ,pagliaccio1 but covered his face with flour1 which he would cause to fly all about him by blowing out his cheeks and by other grimaces4 ,turlupin1 ,gaultier-,garguille and he were the only real ,french buffoons4 ,with ,gaultier-,garguille and ,gros-,guillaume1 who died within a few months of each other1 the ,french farce died also4 ,gros-,guillaume wore a white linen blouse1 pantaloons with wide brightly coloured stripes1 and a red cap4 8444 ,this is my valet1 ,guillaume le ,gros10 says ,gaultier-,garguille when speaking of him1 8and he is to be known by his piebald costume in the fashion of the ,swiss of ,francis ,i41 and by his belly1 copied from a calabash40 iv ,pedrolino1 ,piero and ,pierrot are all one and the same personage4 ,under the designation of ,piero1 a lackey1 he was seen on the ,italian stage as early as #aegd in a comedy of ,cristoforo ,castelletti2 we find him filling the same character in ,i ,bernardi1 by ,giovanmaria ,cecchi1 in #aefc1 and in the plays of ,luigi ,grotto1 ,la ,altiera amongst others1 in #aehg4 ,under the name of ,pedrolino we find him playing rles of nave lackeys with ,bertolin 7,zeccha74 ,in the ,gelosi troupe1 from #aegh to #afjd inclusive1 the rles of lackey are played by ,pedrolino1 ,burattino and ,arlecchino4 ,,pedrolino is a very complex type1 presenting1 in point of character1 the greatest resemblance to the modern ,french ,pierrot2 his especial characteristic is his honesty4 ,in the fifty scenarii of ,flaminio ,scala he is almost always the preferred lover of the soubrette ,franceschina1 who1 none the less1 receives the homage of ,pantaloon without prejudice to that of ,arlecchino and ,burattino4 ,sometimes he is the husband of ,franceschina1 and then he plays the rle of a ,sganarelle2 betrayed by his wife and discovering it1 he rebukes her coquetry1 but ends by recognising that the fault is his own1 and begs her pardon1 which he obtains only after a deal of trouble4 ,lackey to the coquette ,flaminia1 he refuses to undertake the delivery of her love letters to her lover ,orazio4 ,flaminia and ,orazio abuse him and call him a rascal4 ,he becomes furiously enraged1 whereafter he weeps upon the bosom of ,harlequin1 bewailing the loss of his reputation4 ,as the lackey of ,pantaloon1 and trusted to keep watch over the wife of his master whilst the latter sleeps1 ,pedrolino also falls asleep1 or else he drinks with ,captain ,spavento and the ,doctor1 and all three1 8drunk as monkeys10 commit the wildest extravagances and end by falling to the ground1 8where they remain40 ,on the morrow1 ,pantaloon1 furious to learn that whilst he slept his wife has been abroad1 reproaches ,pedrolino1 who is still somnolent and weary from yesterday's drunkenness4 ,pedrolino1 remembering nothing1 understands nothing of his master's complaints4 ,pantaloon1 beside himself with anger1 beats him and bites him1 to wrest him from his torpor1 and ends by leaving him in tears2 but the first pangs of sorrow being over1 ,pedrolino swears vengeance4 ,he contrives so cleverly that all the characters of the piece mystify ,pantaloon1 and persuade him that his breath is very unpleasant4 ,pantaloon ends by believing it1 and submits to the extraction of four excellent teeth4 ,after that he understands that he has been fooled1 and that ,pedrolino is the author of this practical joke4 ,pedrolino simulates madness to escape the blows which threaten him4 ,he is a poltroon and a boaster4 ,bent upon avenging the wrong done him by ,harlequin1 he arrives armed to the teeth1 perceives his enemy and hurls himself upon him with drawn weapons4 ,harlequin1 armed with a door-bar1 receives him firmly4 ,then1 face to face1 they heap abuse each upon the other1 whilst depending upon those present to hinder them from coming to blows4 ,the ,captain seeks to separate them1 whereupon they strike out furiously1 with the result that it is the ,captain who receives this shower of blows4 ,elsewhere1 after having boasted that he fears nothing1 ,pedrolino perceives ,harlequin covered by a white garment1 lantern in hand2 at sight of him he interrupts his conversation and flees as fast as his legs will carry him4 ,his sorrows do not affect his appetite4 ,we behold him weeping and complaining after having received a beating4 ,he meets ,harlequin1 who brings him on behalf of the ,captain a plate of macaroni4 ,pedrolino accepts it and continues to weep uninterruptedly whilst eating like an ogre2 ,harlequin1 deeply affected1 weeps also and begins to eat with him4 ,burattino arrives and1 beholding them eating and weeping1 he too bursts into tears and puts his hand into the dish4 ,not one of them says a word4 ,the macaroni1 watered by their tears1 is soon swallowed1 whereafter ,pedrolino1 weeping1 turns to ,harlequin4 8,kiss the ,captain's hands for me10 he says1 and goes off4 ,burattino entrusts ,harlequin with a like commission on his own behalf and makes his exit on the other side1 also weeping4 ,harlequin1 bursting into fresh sobs1 goes off licking the plate4 ,pedrolino is utterly the slave of fear4 ,whilst dining under a tree with ,harlequin and the beautiful ,dorinda1 the repast is interrupted by a gigantic bear which advances upon them4 ,pedrolino leaps up2 the bear does the same2 and whilst ,harlequin1 to hold its attention1 throws at it one by one all the apples of the dinner1 which the bear very adroitly catches in its jaws1 ,pedrolino decamps2 ,harlequin follows him and the bear carries off ,dorinda1 who lends herself without protest to this abduction4 ,arrayed in a long white shirt1 wearing a straw hat and carrying a huge staff1 ,pedrolino is entrusted by his master with a love letter which he is to deliver to ,isabella2 but as a result of his habitual absent-mindedness he loses the letter2 he perceives his loss and1 in casting about him for some means of discharging his commission1 he is inspired with the happy notion of committing a theft upon a letter-carrier4 ,he purloins from the basket the first letter that comes to his hand and delivers it to ,isabella1 whence ensues an intrigue of extreme complication4 ,in another scenario1 dressed as a beggar1 with a patch over one eye1 he meets the ,captain and begs alms from him whilst regarding him fixedly with his uncovered eye4 ,the ,captain1 wearied and rendered impatient by his steadfast glance1 demands the reason of it4 8,it is10 replies ,pedrolino1 8that ,i am a physiognomist and that ,i perceive from your face that you will shortly be hanged40 ,the ,captain1 to rid himself of such disagreeable prognostications1 gives him some money4 ,another person1 for the sake of peace1 gives him bread and wine4 ,pedrolino sits down in a corner to eat and drink1 but1 finding the bread not clean and the wine not good1 he throws one and the other at the legs of him from whom he received them1 and goes off to get drunk at the hostelry4 ,he is mischievous and he plays practical jokes upon everybody4 ,he dons the clothes of ,cassandre1 his master1 and impersonates him2 he dresses up as a woman and induces the ,captain to abduct him2 he gives ,harlequin or ,burattino filth to drink2 he dresses ,pantaloon as a woman to lead him to a supposed rendezvous1 assuring him that such is the caprice of the lady who awaits him1 in her anxiety to save appearances2 at the same time he relates some fable to the ,doctor1 to lure him to the same rendezvous at which he himself is present in hiding4 ,after many amorous proposals between the two cozened old men they finally recognise each other and almost come to blows4 ,in some pieces he is an intriguer and a lackey in the service of young people4 ,but even then his real nature is preserved and he conforms to his type by his mischievousness and his buffooneries1 when1 for instance1 morion on head and sword at his side1 he imitates the roaring furies of ,captain ,spavento4 ,such is the rle of ,pedrolino in the collection of ,flaminio ,scala4 ,it will be seen therefore that it is quite wrong to attribute to the type of ,pierrot a modern and entirely ,french origin4 8,down to the middle of the seventeenth century10 says ,m4 douard ,fournier in a recent article on the subject of ,molire1 8the ,italian comedy had but one doltish character1 ,harlequin3 it was always he who was the butt of practical jokes1 it was always he who received the beatings4 ,but with the advent of ,domenico1 all this was changed4 ,as you know1 he played ,harlequin parts2 but he played them like the man of wit that he was2 well-read1 and the friend of men of letters1 he found it impossible1 even under a mask1 to accommodate himself to a character of imperturbable doltishness4 ,moreover he recognised1 as has been wisely remarked by ,lris in his ,dramatic ,dictionary1 the humour of the ,french public1 which insists upon wit in all performances4 ,therefore he infused wit into the rle of ,harlequin1 and from then onward ,harlequin was a completely metamorphosed character4 ,since ,domenico justified himself by his success1 none interfered with him4 ,thus ,comedy gained a character2 but on the other hand it also lost one1 and one very much more indispensable than this charming intruder4 ,how1 without the necessary fool1 was it possible to sustain ,comedy's repertory8 ,obviously an imbecile was essential to the repertory1 to the by-play of the characters and to the lesser pleasures of the public4 ,a fortunate chance1 the inspiration of ,molire1 gave him to the world one fine day in the person of ,pierrot4 8,it was under these circumstances that ,pierrot arrived1 it was thus1 as has been well said by des ,essarts1 that this singular character made his appearance1 #8,french-born1 in the ,italian theatre4'0 ,it was ,molire who1 first1 in his ,don ,juan1 ou le ,festin de ,pierre1 gave a peasant the name of ,pierrot4 ,he based this piece upon an ,italian scenario entitled1 ,il ,convitato di ,pietro 7,peter's ,guest71 which had already been performed in ,paris in #afei by the ,sieur de ,villiers1 a comedian of the ,htel de ,bourgogne1 and elsewhere by others4 8,molire was tempted10 says ,m4 douard ,fournier1 8by the success of the ,italian piece1 to write his ,don ,juan4 ,the success obtained by his comedy again in its turn tempted the ,italians4 ,he was inspired by them1 they were inspired by him4 ,in the early part of ,february1 #afgc1 a bare fortnight before the death of that great author1 the ,italians performed in their theatre a new plot made up of the best scenes of their old piece1 ,il ,convitato di ,pietro1 and1 particularly1 of the most amusing passages appropriated by them from the comedy of ,molire4 ,this comic medley1 made up like the dress of ,harlequin1 was entitled ,aggiunta al ,convitato di ,pietro4 8,among the characters transformed and adapted by the ,italians in this extraordinary scenic hotch-potch was ,pierrot1 with his simpleton ways1 his nave love affairs and his unaltered name4 ,little attention was paid to this new-comer1 so that1 haphazard and1 as it were1 out of charity1 the part was entrusted to a low-salaried member of the company named ,giaratone4 ,he did marvels4 ,the others had the good sense not to be jealous and thus1 in one stroke and by the one success1 the character and the comedian alike acquired rights of citizenship4 8,from this moment ,pierrot never again left the ,italian ,comedy4 ,in spite of his newness1 in spite of his ,french name1 he became as much a type as any of the others1 as ,mezzetin1 ,lelio1 ,cassandre1 or even ,harlequin himself1 whose emancipation was justified by his advent1 and who very willingly accepted him as the inheritor of his old-time stupidity and the victim of his malice of more recent date4 ,since there was nothing to show that he was a character of recent importation1 so quickly and usefully was he employed in all the pieces as a type now acquired and naturalised for all time1 ,pierrot had his successes and his actors1 who appropriated his flour-covered mask and the doltishness which became traditional4 8,amongst these was ,hamoche1 who did marvels somewhere about #agab1 and for whom ,i am inclined to think was composed the air ,au ,clair de la ,lune1 always attributed1 but without the least evidence1 to ,lulli4 8,the costume of ,pierrot was already that with which we are acquainted4 ,molire1 in his ,don ,juan1 had given him the white blouse of a ,french peasant1 such as is still worn by ,colin1 the sleepy boy in the last scenes of ,georges ,dandin4 ,upon being turned into an ,italian character ,pierrot was compelled to change this garment2 but he preserved at least the colour4 ,the garb which he then took1 and has never since abandoned1 was borrowed from the ,neapolitan ,pulcinella4 ,but in the case of ,pulcinella the tunic is shorter1 and fits the figure more closely1 whilst the pantaloons are not so wide4#f ,finally ,pierrot covered his face with flour40 ,notwithstanding these ingenious assertions it is impossible to think that ,giaratone should not have possessed the traditions of ,pedrolino1 since the character which he introduced into the ,franco-,italian theatre accords in every particular with that ,italian ancestor of his3 we discover the same poltroonery1 the same gluttony1 the same navet1 so often malicious1 the same stupidity mingled with good sense1 and the same fundamental honesty and candour4 ,as for the costume1 nothing is discoverable to inform us exactly of that which was worn by the ,pedrolino of ,flaminio ,scala4 ,it is stated in a scenario that ,pedrolino is dressed in a long shirt and wears a straw hat4 ,was his face floured like ,pagliaccio's and was he already dressed in white8 ,that is very possible4 ,caprice has determined far less than is supposed in those costumes of classic fantasy which1 however transformed1 never absolutely abandon the lines of tradition4 ,giaratone1 informed of the true character of the old ,pedrolino1 would no doubt be equally informed on the score of his make-up1 and his dress2 as for his ,gallicised appellation1 it is beyond doubt the same name1 for in the scenarii of ,gherardi the characters address him indifferently as ,pierrot or ,piero4 ,it would therefore seem that ,giaratone did no more than rejuvenate and adapt to the ,franco-,italian theatre the character of the old ,pedrolino1 taking for his performances those shades of character dominant in the greater number of the scenarii of ,scala and abandoning the intriguing qualities sometimes1 but exceptionally1 attributed to him4 ,he approached the type of ,bertoldino1 a type which1 long before his day1 had been confounded with that of ,pedrolino4 ,he floured his face after the fashion of the old ,french badins1 who themselves--like ,pagliaccio with his white mask and his flour1 ,pulcinella and ,harlequin with their black masks1 ,pantaloon and ,brighella with their brown masks1 ,coviello and the ,doctor1 each with his mask of a distinctive colour--derive from the ancient mimes with their countenances blackened1 browned1 reddened or whitened1 who are alleged to have been resurrected during the ,renaissance1 but who in all probability had never disappeared from the ,italian boards4 ,just as ,pedrolino had been the incarnation of the ,italian peasant1 so ,pierrot was that of the ,french peasant1 and he became with the ,french public the most popular type after ,polichinelle4 ,in the scenarii and theatrical pieces of ,gherardi1 ,pierrot is always a servant of the ,doctor1 of ,brocantin or of ,cinthio1 just as in ,french pieces and pantomimes he is always the servant of ,cassandre4 ,he is a fellow who always says what he thinks and who recognises no social distinctions4 ,this privilege of speaking his mind1 accorded to the finesse and astuteness of the soubrette1 is similarly granted to the simplicity and awkwardness of ,pierrot4 ,he never fails to lecture his master4 ,,pierrot4 ,sir1 sir1 ,i come to tell you once for all that ,i am very pleased with you and that ,i have always loved you better than you deserve4 ,,cassandre4 ,i am much obliged to you for the honour4 ,,pierrot4 ,put on your hat i4e4 don't stand on ceremony4 ,you have paid me my wages promptly and ,i have consumed them in your service in like fashion4 ,,cassandre4 ,that is not my fault4 ,but1 ,pierrot1 what ails you8 ,i find you entirely changed4 ,,pierrot4 ,that is not your affair4 ,i shall be changed if ,i wish and ,i shall not be changed if ,i do not wish4 ,,cassandre4 ,i beg you to pardon me for having presumed to take an interest in your concerns4 ,,pierrot4 ,what ,i want to know1 sir1 without all this preamble1 is1 what do you intend to give me by way of reward8 ,,cassandre4 ,but you confess1 yourself1 that ,i have paid you all your wages4 ,,pierrot4 ,agreed4 ,but have ,i not also told you that ,i have consumed them8 ,,cassandre4 ,that is not my fault4 ,,pierrot4 ,oh1 sir1 let us reckon up the services out of the ordinary which ,i have rendered you1 and you will see how stupid you are4 ,firstly1 ,i have not told your wife that you have a love affair in the town upon which you are spending the best part of your income4 ,i leave it to yourself to put a price upon my discreetness4 ,,cassandre4 ,it is just4 ,that deserves something4 ,,pierrot4 ,secondly1 you have been ten times drunk without my permission4 ,i am not compelled to put up with you in such disorders4 ,,cassandre4 ,that is well reasoned4 ,,pierrot4 ,thirdly1 ,i have fallen in love whilst in your service4 ,,cassandre4 ,that certainly deserves a recompense4 ,,pierrot4 ,as the total sum of the extraordinary expenditure to which ,i have been subjected in your service1 pay me ten thousand livres1 and ,i will give you a quittance in full4 ,,cassandre4 ,your accounts seem to be in order4 ,but whilst awaiting a settlement1 go as far as the post to see if there are any letters for me4 7,,pierrot goes and returns at the end of an hour4 ,his master is busy when he enters47 ,,pierrot4 ,yes1 sir4 ,,cassandre4 ,what do you want8 ,,pierrot4 ,i have come to tell you1 sir1 that ,i have seen them4 ,,cassandre4 ,seen what8 ,,pierrot4 ,your letters at the post4 ,,cassandre4 ,where are they8 ,,pierrot4 ,at the post4 ,,cassandre4 ,and have you not brought them8 ,,pierrot4 ,no4 ,you told me only to go and see if there were any4 ,i have seen them and ,i am come to tell you so4 ,,cassandre4 ,heaven give me patience with you6 ,i should be better advised to have gone myself4 ,,pierrot4 ,really1 sir1 if you have not the wit to express yourself properly1 what can you expect8 ,again ,pierrot is the valet of ,cinthio 7an old man7 in the ,cause des ,femmes2 he believes himself to be alone whilst1 as a matter of fact1 his master is finishing his supper within ear-shot close by4 ,,pierrot4 ,when ,i come to consider what a woman is1 frankly my poor wit goes all to pieces4 ,however ,i may shut the door1 our house is always full of counts and marquises4 ,a lackey brings a letter2 his master comes to demand an answer6 ,all night at a ball6 ,all day in merry-makings or at the comedy6 ,what a life for a man of my master's age6 ,ah1 you may do as you like1 but you will never be taken for anything but what you are4 ,,cinthio 7rising74 ,what do you mean1 lackey8 ,,pierrot4 ,i8 ,nothing1 sir1 ,i was not speaking4 ,,cinthio4 ,how1 rascal1 you were not speaking8 ,have you not just said that ,i shall never be taken for anything but what ,i am8 ,,pierrot4 ,yes1 sir4 ,,cinthio4 ,well1 then1 rogue1 what am ,i8 ,,pierrot4 ,since you ask me1 you are a fool to have married a she-goat of seventeen years of age who finds no house less desirable than yours1 and who is for ever trailing a mob of courtiers after her4 ,pierrot1 like his ancestor ,pedrolino1 is compounded1 it will be seen1 of common-sense and simplicity4 ,in him too there is something of the ,sancho ,pana of ,cervantes1 at once credulous and sceptical1 the eternal type of rustic outspokenness1 whom nothing astonishes2 it is a type which neither passes nor changes4 ,the original character of ,harlequin after it had been transformed by ,domenico was bound to1 and did1 go out of fashion4 ,wit is a thing relative to every epoch and to every environment2 the jests of that comedian do not now always seem witty to us2 among those which have been collected it is impossible to cite more than a certain number4 ,pierrot1 however1 might be cited in full2 for he exists1 and will always exist1 on the stage of life itself4 ,giuseppe ,giaratone1 who was a native of ,ferrara1 had been--as we have seen--but a short while in the troupe when he had the good fortune to create his character of ,pierrot on the #dth ,february #afgc4 ,he performed1 now in ,italian1 now in ,french1 until #afig--that is to say1 until the suppression of the theatre4 ,he married in ,france a lady of good family and he lived with her on a little estate which belonged to them in the neighbourhood of ,paris4 ,it was thither that he retired1 and there that he died4 ,antonio ,sticotti made his dbut in peasant parts and as ,pierrot in #agbi at the ,comdie-,italienne4 ,he retired to ,meaux1 where he occupied the position of postmaster4 ,he left several comedies which were played with success4 ,in the theatres of the fairs the most remarkable ,pierrots were ,prvot in #agjg and ,hamoche in #agab4 ,the latter left his theatre to attempt to join the company of the ,comdie-,italienne1 but he was not received there4 ,in #agbe he repaired to the fair of ,saint-,laurent1 and his introduction was couched in the following terms3 ,scaramouche came to announce him to a personification of the ,fair and sang3 8,hamoche vous prie ,de le recevoir2 ,il tempte1 il crie1 ,voulez-vous le voir80 ,the ,fair replied3 8,c'est ici son centre1 ,qu'il entre1 qu'il entre40 ,but the forain audience1 by no means flattered at being looked upon as a last resource1 hissed ,hamoche by way of teaching him a lesson4 ,this punishment so wounded the poor ,pierrot that he withdrew from the theatre and died of grief4 ,from #agae to #agba ,belloni1 remarkable for the extreme simplicity of his performance and for the navet and truth of his diction1 was another ,pierrot of distinction4 ,then came ,dujardin in #agba1 ,bron1 ,maganox1 ,dourdet1 in #agda1 and ,pietro ,sodi1 a native of ,rome1 who was a dancer and mime of very great talent1 and the author of many pantomimes1 in #agdi4 v ,the name of ,giglio is mentioned for the first time in #aeca in the ,italian troupe of the ,intronati2 but this personage1 filling the rles of servant and sometimes of lover1 is but very slightly related to the ,giglio played in ,naples in #agja by ,filipo and ,fabienti4 ,the ,french ,,gilles of the eighteenth century is a lineal descendant of ,pierrot4 ,his floured countenance assumes under the brush of ,watteau that elegance of line and that charm at once nave and comic with which we are all acquainted4 ,in #agjb ,maillot1 the forain actor1 played1 under the name of ,gilles1 rles identical with those of ,pierrot1 but1 no longer with the same simplicity and good sense with which ,giaratone had equipped this character4 ,later1 towards #aghj1 we see the actor ,carpentier 7,gilles7 appropriating the scenes and the business which had been played by ,carlin ,bertinazzi at the ,comdie-,italienne4 ,,the ,,master4 ,hola6 ,gilles6 ,hola6 ,i am always compelled to shout myself hoarse when ,i want that rascal4 ,gilles6 ,gilles6 ,,gilles 7arriving very softly and shouting very loudly into his ear74 ,here ,i am1 sir4 ,i am not deaf4 ,,the ,,master 7recoiling74 ,a plague on the rascal6 ,does he want to frighten me to death8 ,,gilles4 ,but then1 sir1 you were shouting like a stick that has lost its blind man4444 ,i was conferring with the post-man2 he has just brought me a letter1 and ,i was asking him to read it to me when you called me4 ,,the ,,master4 ,whence is this letter8 ,,gilles4 ,i don't know4 ,i barely had time to unseal it4 ,here it is1 sir4 ,,the ,,master 7reading74 8,from the country40444 ,what country8 ,,gilles4 ,limoges1 ,i suppose4 ,,the ,,master4 ,then they ought to say so4 ,,gilles4 ,oh6 but they are not so wise as that at ,limoges4 ,continue to read1 ,i beseech you4 ,,the ,,master 7reads74 8,my cousin ,gilles1 this is to advise you that my aunt your mother is dead44440 ,,gilles 7weeping74 ,my mother is dead6 ,oh1 sir1 behold me an orphan4 ,who will take care of me henceforth8 ,,the ,,master4 ,but you are big enough to take care of yourself4 ,i am delighted to see your good natural feelings for your mother4 ,but we are all mortal4444 ,let us proceed with the letter4 7,he reads47 8,she has left you fifty crowns----0 ,,gilles4 ,my mother has left me fifty crowns8 ,now that is what ,i call a good woman4 ,sir1 are you quite sure that is right8 ,,the ,,master4 ,quite sure4 ,but it seems to me that you are very soon consoled for the loss of your mother4 ,,gilles4 ,oh1 she was very old4 ,,the ,,master4 ,i understand4 7,he reads47 8,i inform you that your little sister ,catine has become a child of pleasure----0 ,,gilles4 ,my sister ,catine a child of pleasure6 7,he weeps47 ,i shall kill her6 ,i love honour a hundred times better than reputation4 ,,the ,,master4 ,there1 there1 be comforted4 ,,gilles4 ,no1 sir2 ,i refuse to be comforted4 ,,the ,,master4 ,listen4 7,he reads47 8,in four months she amassed six hundred livres40 ,,gilles 7laughing74 ,six hundred livres6 ,but that is very good4 ,my sister ,catine was of a saving disposition4 ,,the ,,master4 ,it looks like it4 7,he reads47 8,i must tell you1 cousin1 that in the course of a quarrel a fortnight ago she received a wound in the face which horribly disfigured her40 ,,gilles 7weeping74 ,oh1 my poor little ,catine1 how ,i pity you6 ,alas1 that is the fate of nearly all of her kind4 ,,the ,,master4 ,wait1 my friend4 7,he reads47 8,as the wound was dangerous1 she made her will1 and you profit by it40 ,,gilles4 ,what a good heart that girl had6 ,,the ,,master 7reading74 8,soon afterwards she died40 ,,gilles4 ,oh1 sir1 my heart is bursting4 ,,the ,,master 7reading74 8,by this will she leaves you a house furnished in the best style40 ,,gilles 7laughing74 ,a house furnished in the best style8 ,now that was really well done4 ,there's a good girl for you1 a good virtuous girl6 ,,the ,,master4 ,a virtuous girl6 7,he reads47 8,but1 my dear cousin1 a very great disaster followed4 ,the house caught fire and has been burnt1 together with all the furniture2 what was not burnt was pillaged1 and your fifty crowns were also stolen40 ,,gilles4 ,fire6 ,thieves6 ,sir1 ,i am ruined4 ,write to them quickly and bid them have recourse to all the town buckets and throw all the water available on that fire4 ,in the last years of his theatrical career1 ,carpentier1 who for twenty years had been applauded as an excellent ,gilles1 had contracted the deplorable habit of drunkenness4 ,his director1 ,barr1 had endeavoured by all means to correct him of a vice which ruined his health and harmed him in his profession2 but ,carpentier took no notice1 with the result that from year to year his memory grew more and more infirm until1 having forgotten all his old rles1 he was utterly incapable of learning new ones4 ,his director was compelled to confine him to accessory rles in which he let him do as he liked2 thus he was able to continue to allow him a salary without hurting his feelings4 ,a year passed without his ever appearing on the boards2 then one evening1 in a piece 7,les ,savants de ,naissance7 in which the whole company was engaged1 ,carpentier went to his dressing-room without saying a word to anyone and assumed the costume of a ,gascon hairdresser1 a part in which he was remarkable4 8,the comb over his ear1 holding a powder-box under his arm1 and a razor-case in his hand1 he came to the front and saluted the audience4 ,everyone present recognised him and universal laughter pealed from the spectators2 then applause broke forth not only in front1 but even in the wings4 ,thereupon poor ,carpentier began to weep1 exclaiming to his comrades1 with as much joy as modesty1 #8,my friends1 my friends1 they have recognised me4444 ,they have recognised me6'0 ,a few days later he committed suicide by throwing himself from a window4 vi ,,peppe-,,nappa is a ,sicilian personage who1 save for the colour of his dress1 is absolutely the same as ,giglio or ,gilles2 and there is no ,italian mask which in character so closely resembles the ,french ,pierrot4 ,whilst ,giglio is dressed in white flannel1 like the ,gilles of ,watteau1 ,peppe-,nappa's livery is pale blue4 ,he does not cover his face with flour1 although he is very pale2 he1 like ,gilles1 wears a white skull-cap1 a white or grey hat1 and shoes of white leather4 ,he is of a surprising agility1 continually dancing and bounding4 ,his eyes and his wan countenance are extremely remarkable and expressive4 ,he is equally lively in his gestures4 ,very swift in his movements and very supple1 he seems1 when he collapses upon himself1 to be no more than a heap of garments that can never have been filled by flesh and bones4 ,he is nearly always a servant1 sometimes1 for instance1 to the ,barone 7the ,sicilian old man71 upon whom he visits his stupidity4 ,but gluttony is ,peppe-,nappa's greatest fault2 he has a predilection for kitchens2 if he may not always eat in such places1 at least he may always inhale what to him is the most delicious of all perfumes4 ,in a comedy-ballet which is closely related to the ,scuola di ,salerno1 ,peppe-,nappa is the servant of a schoolmaster1 a sort of doctor1 who gesticulates in his chair in the course of teaching his pupils4 ,amongst these1 on the school forms1 there are some very big girls1 towards whom the ,doctor shows more indulgence than towards the others4 ,the class is at an end2 the schoolmaster wants to go out1 and requires his black robe and his tall pointed hat4 ,he rings for ,peppe-,nappa1 who1 after a long delay1 comes in yawning4 ,he approaches his master to learn his orders1 but falls asleep on his feet1 leaning up against him4 ,the latter withdraws and ,peppe-,nappa falls down without waking4 ,the furious pedant lifts him up by the skin of his back and1 by kicks and blows1 contrives to arouse him from his slumber2 thereafter he sends him for his robe4 ,peppe-,nappa goes off and returns dragging the robe behind him2 he then helps his master to assume it4 ,upon his master complaining that the garment is covered with dust1 ,peppe-,nappa goes to fetch a bucket of water and a broom1 and1 before the pedant is aware of his intentions1 he washes him down from head to foot as he would wash a wall4 ,this done1 the good servant1 worn out by so much labour1 seats himself apart and fans himself with his hat4 ,the furious schoolmaster seizes his ferrule to correct the servant1 who adroitly evades the blows1 causing them to fall upon the hands of the schoolmaster himself4 ,peppe-,nappa has a singular way of giving his master his hat4 ,he brings a ladder and leans it against his master's shoulders to enable him to put the hat on his head4 ,after the departure of the schoolmaster1 the class is given over to gaiety4 ,the little boys fight1 the little girls cry1 and the older girls run to the doors to admit their young lovers1 who come to dance with them4 ,but ,peppe-,nappa1 who has been to accompany his master to the end of the street1 re-enters wearing the professor's long black robe1 with his head buried in the enormous hat4 ,there is great terror among the youngsters1 but they are quick to perceive their mistake1 and they are about to fall upon ,peppe-,nappa when he threatens to call the master2 then two of the more astute ones bring him some macaroni and some eggs to conciliate him4 ,whilst he is devouring these1 and contracting an indigestion1 the whole class disappears1 the pedant re-enters and discovers ,peppe-,nappa torpid from excess of food4 ,hereupon follow remonstrances and discourses upon frugality1 seasoned with blows4 ,the poor servant attempts1 by way of showing his repentance of his past conduct1 to assist his master to rediscover his pupils4 ,the piece ends in the marriage of all the schoolgirls with their lovers4 ,peppe-,nappa is the only one who can find no wife4 vii ,the ,thtre des ,funambules1 founded in #ahaf by ,bertrand1 presented spectacles of performing dogs1 farces1 rope dancers and sometimes pantomimes4 ,the principal mime was ,flix ,charigny1 who1 under the name of ,,pierrot1 filled the part of ,gilles4 ,towards #ahcj the ,funambules having been transformed into a pantomime and vaudeville theatre1 there arose in the person of ,deburau a man of genius in his own line1 who for fifteen years was able to attract all the lovers of the old ,french and ,italian farces4 ,in the hands of ,deburau1 pantomime was then all that remained of the old ,italian comedy4 ,the character of ,pierrot1 however1 underwent a complete change4 ,deburau transformed it as ,domenico had transformed ,harlequin4 ,by his incomparable talent1 which lent itself to all the shades of the mimetic art1 he made ,pierrot now good1 and generous out of carelessness1 now a thief1 false and sometimes miserly1 now cowardly1 now daring1 and almost always poor2 laziness and gluttony remained his incorrigible faults4 ,deburau transformed not only the character1 but the externals of this personage4 ,his costume was based1 first of all1 upon that of ,charigny1 whom he replaced in #ahbe4 ,the short woollen tunic1 with its great buttons and its narrow sleeves1 that overhung the hands1 soon became an ample calico blouse with wide long sleeves like those of the ,italian ,pagliaccio4 ,he suppressed the collar1 which cast an upward shadow from the footlights on to his face1 and interfered with the play of his countenance1 and instead of the white skull-cap and the pointed hat of his predecessor1 he emphasised the pallor of his face by framing it in a cap of black velvet4 ,to-day ,pagliaccio would rather be considered the proper name for this type2 but since he was generally recognised for ,pierrot1 that name is to be preserved him4 8,with him ,deburau10 says ,m4 ,thophile ,gautier1 8the rle of ,pierrot was enlarged and widened2 it ended by occupying the entire piece1 and1 be it said with all the respect due to the memory of the most perfect actor that ever lived1 by entirely departing from its origin and being denaturalised4 ,pierrot1 under the flour and the tunic of that illustrious actor1 assumed the airs of a master and an aplomb unsuited to the character2 he no longer received kicks1 he gave them2 ,harlequin now scarcely dared to touch his shoulders with his bat2 ,cassandre would think twice before boxing his ears4 ,he would kiss ,columbine and pass an arm about her waist like a seducer of comic opera2 he caused the entire action of the piece to revolve about himself1 and he attained such a degree of insolence and audacity that he would even beat his own good genius4 ,the strong personality of the great actor overbore the type40 8,et du ,pierrot blafard brisant le masque troit1 ,le front de ,deburau perait en maint endroit40 ,m4 ,jules ,janin has published a biography of ,deburau entitled1 8,,deburau1 ,histoire du ,thtre ,quatre-,sous1 pour faire suite l'histoire du ,thtre-,franais1 #ahcc40 8,being unable to develop enthusiasm for the ,thtre-,franais10 he says1 8we will become enthusiastic where we can2 for instance1 in the boulevard theatres4 ,it is in one of these ignored theatres1 in the meanest and the most infected1 by the light of four wretched candles and in a mephitic atmosphere1 situated alongside of a menagerie which bellows whilst the actors are singing1 that we have discovered1 admired and applauded with all our strength the great comedian1 who is also the great clown1 ,deburau4 8,the greatest comedian of our age1 ,jean-,baptiste ,deburau1 was born on the #cast ,july #agif4 ,how he comes to be ,deburau ,i cannot tell you4 ,the fact is1 that he has revolutionised his art4 ,he has in truth created an entirely new race of clowns when it was supposed that all the possible varieties had been exhausted4 ,he has replaced petulance by calm1 enthusiasm by good sense4 ,in him we no longer see the ,paillasse agitated hither and thither1 without reason and without aim2 we behold instead a stoic who allows himself mechanically to follow all the impressions of the moment1 an actor without passion1 without words and almost without countenance2 one who says everything1 expresses everything1 mocks everything2 capable of playing1 without uttering a word1 all the comedies of ,molire2 one who is informed of all the follies of his day1 and who reproduces them to the life2 an inimitable genius who goes and comes1 who looks1 who opens his mouth1 who closes his eyes1 who causes laughter and tears1 who is enchanting6 8,his fate to-day is as brilliant as it was erstwhile sad4 ,m4 ,nicolas-,michel ,bertrand1 the ,director of the ,funambules1 has given his ,gilles an engagement worthy of him4 ,after many useless labours and many fruitless researches in the archives of the kingdom of ,comedy1 we have had the good fortune to discover the following important document bearing upon the history of this art3-- 8,,spectacle ,,des ,,funambules 8,agreement 8,between the undersigned1 ,m4 ,nicolas-,michel ,bertrand1 of the ,boulevard du ,temple1 ,no4 #ah1 ,paris1 ,director of the ,funambules ,theatre1 of the one part1 8,and ,m4 ,jean-,baptiste ,deburau1 of the ,faubourg du ,temple1 ,no4 #bh1 ,paris1 artist-mime1 of the other part3 8,it is agreed between us as follows3 8,first1 ,i1 ,bertrand1 engage by these presents ,m4 ,deburau1 to perform in the troupe the parts of ,pierrot1 and generally all the rles which may be assigned to him by me or my manager4 8,second1 ,i1 ,jean-,baptiste ,deburau1 engage myself to perform all rles1 to dance and take part in the ballets1 divertissements1 pantomimes and all other pieces1 together with the company wherever sent for ftes1 private or public1 without exacting any extras beyond the expenses of transit4 8,i consent to conform to the rules established or to be established for the performances1 and to content myself with such lighting1 heating and costumes as may be supplied me by the administration4 8,in case of illness the ,director reserves himself the right to suspend the salary of the artist until the day of his reappearance4 8,the artist is under obligation to supply1 according to his costumes1 his own linen1 stockings1 foot-wear1 gloves and grease-paints4 ,the administration will supply the costumes and properties1 etc41 etc4 8,subject to the above clause being faithfully executed1 ,m4 ,bertrand undertakes to pay ,m4 ,deburau the sum of #ce francs weekly throughout the present engagement4 ,the present engagement is for three years4 ,it will begin on ,easter ,monday of #ahbh1 and conclude on ,palm ,sunday1 #ahca4 8,the parties hereunto desire mutually that this agreement shall have the same force and value as if drawn before a notary1 and the first to infringe it shall pay to the other damages in the fixed sum of #ajjj francs4 8,given in duplicate and in good faith1 etc41 #ajth ,dec4 #ahbf4 87,signed7 ,,bertrand4 8,,deburau4 8,additional clause4 8,m4 ,deburau undertakes moreover the care of the properties of any piece performed--that is to say1 he will look after them and distribute them every evening1 and lock them up after the performance1 etc4 8,in consideration of this further clause ,m4 ,bertrand undertakes to pay ,m4 ,deburau #aj francs weekly in addition to his salary1 and this is accepted by the latter4 87,signed7 ,,bertrand4 8,,deburau40 ,the spectacular pantomime-harlequinades in which ,deburau was extraordinary for his spirit1 his gestures1 and his facial play1 in which he abandoned himself to all manner of fantasies1 were3 ,le ,buf ,enrag1 ,ma ,mre ,l',oie1 ,la ,mauvaise ,tte1 ,le ,billet de ,mille ,francs4 ,les preuves1 a great pantomime-harlequinade in thirteen scenes1 in the ,english manner1 by ,deburau and ,m4 ,charles1 was cast in the following manner3--,harlequin1 ,cossard2 ,pierrot1 ,deburau2 ,pandolphe1 ,laplace2 ,landre1 ,orphe2 ,isabella1 ,mademoiselle ,ismnie2 ,la ,fe1 ,madame ,lefvre4 ,isabella is the daughter of old ,pandolphe4 ,she is in love with ,harlequin1 who is protected by a fairy4 ,landre wishes to marry ,isabella1 who runs away with her lover4 ,pandolphe1 followed by his servant ,pierrot and by ,landre1 the possessor of a talisman1 pursues them4 ,pierrot is in a public place4 ,instead of following his master1 he is sniffing round a pastrycook's shop and at last decides to enter it2 within he discovers his mistake2 the shop is a milliner's4 ,having no use for the bonnets that are offered him1 he goes out again in quest of the pastrycook1 whose shop is on the other side of the square4 ,but the shops perform a fantastic chass-croise1 and ,pierrot discovers himself once more at the milliner's4 ,this being several times repeated1 ,pierrot is worn out and ends by being amused4 ,he loses his head and performs incoherences4 ,he upsets the shoemaker's stall and then assumes such absurd and ridiculous poses before the customers of a vintner that they depart scandalised4 ,after several pleasantries1 some of them of a distinctly coarse order1 he draws down punishment upon his head4 ,his dupes unite against him and1 being ten to one1 they valiantly pursue ,pierrot4 ,pandolphe and the beautiful ,landre come to his aid and a battle royal is fought with broom-sticks4 ,in the next scene ,pierrot1 to throw his enemies off the scent1 conceals himself under the garments of a mountebank4 ,he arrives in the midst of a village fte1 and there1 assisted by ,pandolphe1 who plays the fiddle1 and ,landre1 who plays the trombone1 he beats a big drum as if his aim were to burst it4 ,the village folk begin to dance1 but presently become angry1 for no apparent reason4 ,pierrot and his acolytes have little chance against them1 and they escape before the blows that threaten4 ,next1 ,pierrot's head is cut off in a tavern4 ,it is glued on again4 ,the doctor1 who is none other than ,harlequin1 demands his fee1 but ,pierrot pretends that his head is not properly re-attached1 and receives a shower of blows from the false doctor4 ,in the following scene he is disguised as a woman1 no doubt with a view to escaping from the ill intentions of ,harlequin4 ,he is about to do his washing when1 after the fashion of pantomimic fantasy1 an ,englishman with red whiskers and an impossible collar comes to order ,pierrot to wash some soiled linen4 ,pierrot finds the task disgusting1 refuses it1 and ends by throwing the ,englishman into the tub1 whereupon he runs away4 ,he is again in a tavern1 and1 after an adventure with a thief1 he finds himself in need of a bath4 ,he seeks the baths1 but in that country there are no baths except for women4 ,he assumes a bonnet and a petticoat1 and enters one of those establishments1 wherein he is badly received1 for under a stroke of the fairy's wand the baths are changed into a roasting-house and ,pierrot finds himself roasting on a grille4 ,delivered from this1 and having no longer any garments1 he enlists and becomes a soldier that he may be clothed4 ,he quarrels with the corporal and fights a duel with pistols4 ,pierrot loads his own weapon with nothing but a candle1 but he plants this candle full in the face of his adversary4 ,this remarkable feat of arms causes him to be appointed drum-major on the spot4 ,he immediately holds a review of the drummers1 the oldest of whom is not four years of age4 ,the piece ends by an apotheosis in which we behold the rout of ,landre1 who has lost his talisman4 ,harlequin and ,isabella are united by a cupid with cardboard wings1 arrayed in a garland of roses1 and a sky-blue tunic3 he extends his protecting arms over the two lovers and promises them a life of eternal happiness4 8,it has been pretended10 says ,m4 ,champfleury1 8that ,deburau died as the result of a fall at the ,funambules4 ,deburau died of asthma1 which had been undermining his health for five years4 8,his medical advisers had prescribed for him a long period of rest2 but he thought only of his public4 ,for five years he was afflicted by a cough that tore his lungs4 ,but the moment he appeared on the stage the affliction would leave him2 he would become once more for a quarter of an hour young1 happy and healthy4 ,the terrible disease1 however1 awaited him in the wings1 and would lay its claws on the breast of the mime every time he made his exit4 8,the cough became so tyrannical that ,deburau was compelled to rest4 ,one day he felt better4 ,the bills announced his reappearance4 ,at most1 he had been absent for three weeks1 but as a consequence there was a long impatient queue that would have filled five theatres4 8,be it noted that the performance was ,les ,noces de ,pierrot1 a farce which had been played six hundred times at the theatre of the ,funambules4 ,the shouts and roars of the spectators during the first half of the evening may be imagined4 ,outside1 those who had been unable to enter shouted still more loudly4 ,after the three vaudevilles the usual three knocks were heard4 8,the curtain rose slowly4 ,deburau appeared in his white costume1 a posy in his button-hole1 a pretty girl on his arm4 ,it is impossible to conceive an idea of the enthusiasm in the theatre2 it was frenetic4 ,in the gods four hundred faces were alight with joy2 eight hundred eyes devoured the mime2 four hundred mouths roared #8,bravo6' ,the heights of delirium were reached4 ,those who had been unable to enter shouted outside the door4 8,deburau quite simply placed his hand on his heart below his bridegroom's posy4 ,a tear ploughed through the flour on his countenance4 8,a real tear is so rare in the theatre6 8,a little while afterwards a slight incident proved the solemnity of this performance4 ,at the introduction of the pantomime the peasants--boys and girls--are grouped upon the stage4 ,apart1 the bailie1 who is a traitor1 plots his infamies4 ,the orchestra plays the refrain of the dance4 8,ordinarily ,deburau would now execute one of those eccentric dances the secret of which died with him2 it was a mixture of the steps of the ,directoire and of the more audacious steps of the cancan4 ,more than ordinarily affected1 his heart too full of joy1 ,deburau did not dance4 8#8,the chahut6' cried a rough voice4 8#8,no1 no6' replied the whole theatre4 8,the most vulgar of publics has its moments of exquisite delicacy4 ,it had understood the emotion of the great comedian4 8,towards midnight there was a great gathering at the stage door4 ,deburau came forth4 ,he had preserved1 no doubt through a presentiment1 his white bridegroom's posy4 ,it was the posy of his nuptials with ,death4 8,a thousand voices shouted3 #8,vive ,deburau6' ,but ,death1 that cruel ghoul1 was in haste to embrace her pale bridegroom4 8,he died a few days later 7#ahdf740 ,a little while before this last performance of which ,m4 ,champfleury writes1 an incident took place in a performance of the preuves which showed the public's affection for ,deburau2 it was the occasion of the fall to which his death has been wrongly attributed4 ,at the end of the tenth scene ,deburau was to disappear through a trap-door1 and this was not working properly4 ,he stamped impatiently with his foot upon the trap1 and it was precisely at this moment that it gave way4 ,his body had lost its poise and1 as he went through1 his head was thrown back and struck the stage4 ,the scene being changed1 the manager came forward to announce that ,m4 ,deburau was wounded4 ,the audience was about to withdraw1 after having expressed its sympathy with the mime1 when ,deburau himself appeared and wished to continue4 8,enough6 enough60 was cried on every side by the idolatrous public1 but by a gesture ,pierrot made them understand that he was too deeply touched not to continue1 and the theatre shook with the applause and the bravos of the spectators4 ,george ,sand1 who was in one of the stage boxes1 having perceived him in the wings holding his head in an attitude of pain1 went on the morrow to inquire his condition4 ,he wrote her his thanks for the inquiry and at the same time for an article in praise of him which she had published in the ,constitutionnel3 8,,madame1--,permit me to address you my double thanks for the interest you are kind enough to take in a little accident which has had no serious consequences for me1 and for the kindly article published in the ,constitutionnel1 in which1 concerning yourself benevolently for my future1 you extol my poor talent with a warmth and a spirit that are really irresistible4 8,i hardly know in what terms to express my gratitude4 ,my pen is like my voice on the stage1 but my heart is like my countenance1 and ,i pray you to accept its sincere expression4 8,i have the honour to be your servant1 8,,deburau4 8,p4,s4--,it was my intention to go to thank you in person1 but rehearsals have prevented this4 ,be good enough1 ,i beg you1 to excuse me4 8,,paris1 #i ,feb4 #ahdf40 8,deburau was charming in all his ways4 ,he would never be tempted to the least drop of champagne1 out of fear1 he said1 for his nerves1 and because he required the completest self-possession for his performances4 ,i have never seen an artist who was more serious1 more conscientious1 more religious in his art4 ,he loved it passionately1 and spoke of it as of a grave thing1 whilst always speaking of himself with the extremest modesty4 ,he studied incessantly and was never weary1 notwithstanding continued and even excessive playing4 ,he did not trouble to think whether the admirable subtleties of his play of countenance and his originality of composition were appreciated by artists4 ,he worked to satisfy himself and to realise his fancy4 ,this fancy1 which appeared to be so spontaneous1 was studied beforehand1 with extraordinary care0 7,george ,sand3 ,histoire de ,ma ,vie74 ,deburau's son took up his father's career in #ahdg4 ,he was perhaps the handsomest and most elegant ,pierrot that was ever seen4 ,by his suppleness1 his grace and charming fantasy1 he rightly acquired an enormous vogue4 ,paul ,legrand1 born at ,saintes in #ahbj1 played at first in the ,thtre des ,funambules1 comic parts in vaudeville and the rles of ,landre in pantomime4 ,it was only in #ahde that he undertook the rles of ,pierrot4 ,a pupil of ,deburau1 he succeeded him in this character in #ahdg4 ,he sustained in that theatre and afterwards with honour in the ,folies-,nouvelles his double rivalry with the memory of ,deburau and the deserved success of ,deburau's son4 ,he was less elegant in shape than the latter1 but none the less pleasing to the eye by his attitudes4 ,he was full of resources1 gifted with a handsome countenance1 and a very characteristic expression1 full of comical and bizarre notions and inventions1 and--and this in particular distinguishes his talent--he had a peculiar power of producing pathetic and dramatic effects4 ,like the celebrated ,thomassin1 he drew laughter and tears at one and the same time2 so that he may be reckoned as a mime of the very first order4 ,the first creations of ,paul ,legrand at the ,funambules were3 ,l'uf ,rouge et l'uf ,blanc1 ,pierrot ,valet de la ,mort1 ,pierrot ,pendu1 by ,m4 ,champfleury2 ,pierrot ,recompens1 ,pierrot ,marquis1 etc4 ,summoned to ,london in ,december #ahdg by ,madame ,cleste1 who was managing the ,adelphi ,theatre1 he remained for a year in ,england4 ,but the ,english1 accustomed to the much more exaggerated performances of their clowns1 could make nothing of the subtle and witty expressions of the ,french ,pierrot4 ,legrand returned to the ,funambules in #ahdi1 to find himself replaced there by ,deburau's son4 ,but all ,pierrots are brothers4 ,they played concurrently together3 ,les ,deux ,pierrots1 ,des ,trois ,pierrots1 with ,dimier1 called ,calpestri2 ,les ,deux ,blancs1 etc4 ,in #ahec1 a new pantomime theatre having been opened 7,les ,folies-,nouvelles71 ,legrand was engaged there1 and from that day1 being the master of his actions and able to give a free rein to his fancy1 he invested the type of ,pierrot with an originality and a unique colour of his own4 viii ,the ,english ,pierrot1 or rather the ,english ,,clown1 is a bizarre and fantastic creation not based upon any ,french type4 ,the ,florentine ,stenterello alone may be compared with him by his singular methods4 ,and what an extraordinary fancy has presided over the dressing of this personage1 who seems to have been born among the savages of ,america6 ,he is arrayed in a tight-fitting tunic1 white1 red1 yellow1 green1 in stripes1 in squares or in circles2 his face is pasted with flour1 set off with stripes1 with moustachios1 with impossible eyebrows2 his cheeks are raddled with a brutal carmine2 his forehead is carried up to the summit of the occiput and surmounted by a wig of a blazing red1 from the height of which a little stiff queue lifts itself towards heaven4 ,his manners are no less singular than his costume4 ,he is not mute1 like our ,pierrot2 on the contrary1 he holds forth in an extremely buffoon manner and is in addition a very able acrobat4 ,kemp and ,boxwell1 circus clowns1 were the types of this personage4 ,it was impossible to see ,boxwell without admiring his strength and his adroitness1 and without laughing at his versatility and bizarre effects4 ,to define the ,english clown1 ,m4 ,champfleury cites the following passage borrowed from ,baudelaire3-- 8,the ,english ,pierrot is by no means the personage pale as the moon1 mysterious as silence1 supple and mute as the serpent1 lean and long as a pole1 to which we were accustomed by ,deburau4 ,the ,english ,pierrot enters like a tempest1 falls like a bale1 and shakes the house when he laughs4 ,this laughter resembles a joyful thunderstorm4 ,he is a short thick fellow1 who has increased his bulk by a costume loaded with ribbons which fill upon his person the same office as the feathers on a bird1 or the hair upon a ,persian cat4 ,over the flour on his countenance he has plastered crudely1 without gradation or transition1 two enormous discs of pure scarlet4 ,his mouth is increased by a simulated prolongation of the lips carried out in two carmine strokes1 so that when he laughs this mouth of his seems to open from ear to ear4 ,as for the character1 at bottom it is the same as that which we know3 egotistical heedlessness and neutrality2 hence the accomplishment of all rapacious and gluttonous fancies1 to the detriment now of ,harlequin1 now of ,cassandre1 and of ,landre4 ,but with this difference1 that where ,deburau thrust in the point of his finger that he might afterwards lick it1 the clown thrusts in both hands and both feet1 and this may express all that he does2 his is the vertigo of hyperbole4 ,this ,pierrot passes by a woman who is washing her doorstep2 after having emptied her pockets he seeks to cram into his own the sponge1 the broom1 the soap and even the very water itself40 ,this exaggerated personage of the ,english pantomime is a direct descendant of the clownish peasants of the theatre of ,shakespeare4 ,no dramatic author ever understood his public as did he4 ,he knew not only how to captivate the attention of ,queen ,elizabeth and her court by presenting such heroes as no longer existed in his day1 but he knew also how to amuse and satisfy his coarse groundlings1 who drank and smoked throughout the performance4 ,he knew how to put into the mouth of his clowns exactly what each nave spectator would have said under similar circumstances4 ,he knew1 in short1 how to adapt to the ,english stage the eternal type of ,bertoldo4 ,at the beginning of the eighteenth century a dancer1 acrobat and mime named ,grimaldi made his appearance on the stage of the ,comdie-,italienne in ,paris4 ,dancing one day before the ,turkish ambassador1 he gave such a leap in honour of his ,excellency that he struck his head against the crystal lustre suspended above it4 ,one of the girandoles1 detached by the blow1 struck the ambassador of the ,sublime ,porte on the nose and narrowly missed putting out one of his eyes4 ,the ,turk in a passion laid a complaint before his ministry1 demanding no doubt the bastinado as a punishment for the clumsy dancer4 ,but the minister condemned ,grimaldi merely to make a public apology to the inviolable representative of the ,grand ,turk4 ,grimaldi had a son1 ,giuseppe ,grimaldi1 who had a long career in the fairs of ,italy and ,france1 dancing and singing in pantomime4 ,in #agee he went to ,england to play in the ballet pantomimes at the ,theatre ,royal1 ,haymarket4 ,the critics of the time found only one fault with this ,italian buffoon1 who became an ,english clown1 that of being too comical4 ,he died in #aghh4 ,one of his sons1 ,joe ,grimaldi1 enjoyed great celebrity in ,england at the beginning of the nineteenth century as a mime at ,drury ,lane4 ,charles ,dickens did not disdain to edit and publish his ,memoirs4 ,,vi ,,lelio ,in our theatres to-day the part of the lover may be the great leading rle1 or it may fall to the lot of the juvenile lead1 or even to that of the comedian4 ,but in the old ,italian comedy the lover was just the lover2 as it happened1 however1 that he almost invariably found himself in a comic situation he was nearly always what to-day we should call the comic lover4 ,the endowments required were a fine figure1 a handsome face1 an agreeable voice1 and the elegant manners of a gentleman of the great world4 ,the portraits which have survived show us handsome men dressed in the latest mode of their day4 ,but the lover1 playing sometimes in two different styles of piece1 was a serious comedian4 ,ordinarily this part was undertaken by the chief of the troupe1 like ,flaminio ,scala1 who1 under the name of ,flavio1 was an illustrious comedian4 ii ,,flavio was a name that had already served to qualify lovers on the ,italian stage before ,flaminio ,scala4 ,the young ,flavio of ,ruzzante in ,la ,vaccaria 7#aecc7 is thus described by his rival1 the rich ,polidoro3 8,because he is beautiful1 gallant1 fecund in sonnets1 because he knows music and takes his manners from the court1 ,flavio imagines that he will be able to hold the love of ,fiorinetta6 ,but what will he do when he perceives that money conquers everything8 ,he will curse the contrariness of ,fate and the mercilessness of ,heaven40 ,polidoro represents the rich1 discourteous and overbearing lover4 ,but the beautiful1 the elegant gentleman of this epoch1 he who1 without money1 pleases women1 who is the mirror of fashion and the flower of wit1 is not without being ridiculous upon occasion1 and we suspect ,ruzzante of having designedly shown him under an effeminate aspect in his comedy ,anconitana4 ,two young gallants of the epoch1 sons of a good ,sicilian family1 are reduced by romantic vicissitudes to the necessity of earning their living1 and all that they are capable of doing is to seek service with some noble lady4 ,one of them does so in the capacity of a poet1 promising to praise her eternally in prose and in verse3 8,i shall study how to sing the praises of her charms in choice rhymes1 and ,i shall laud1 ,i shall extol adoringly1 now her enchanting eyes1 now her blond tresses1 now her lovely neck1 now her white hand1 now her soft glance1 her words1 her gestures1 her grace1 her virtues1 her garments1 her movements2 and that in various manners1 in chapters1 in epistles1 in epilogues1 in eclogues1 in songs1 in impromptus1 in sonnets1 in madrigals1 in stanzas1 in odes1 and in ballads40 ,the other brother1 contemning the frivolity of such employment1 offers himself in the capacity of a valet and perfumer3 8,the ladies to whom ,i shall give my services need not fear those pomades and unguents which are plastered on to the lips of their husbands when they kiss them4 ,i know how to distil perfumes from plants and trees which not only beautify the face and neck1 but further steep the flesh in sweet odours2 ,i can distil waters to render tresses curly and golden1 waters to smooth the brow1 waters to darken the eyebrows1 waters to tint the cheeks1 waters to render the lips rosy1 the teeth dazzling1 the neck white1 the hands soft4 ,their virtues1 employed on the different parts of the body1 will last three days and three nights1 and they will not be succeeded1 as is the case with vulgar unguents1 by that pallor mottled with various colours which disfigures the countenance on the morrow4 ,i have scents of musk1 of ambergris1 of lavender1 of styrax1 with which ,i mingle the juices of certain other herbs or flowers1 producing essences so sweet that ,i consider these aromas capable of preserving body and soul4 ,waters of jasmine1 of orange flowers1 of citron1 ,i repute of no account because ,i shall distil essences from unknown plants which will be infinitely preferred to all those that are considered most admirable and most precious to-day40 ,in #aegf ,flaminio ,scala 7,flavio71 comico acceso 7impassioned comic1 or lover71 being then in the prime of youth and the fulness of his talent1 placed himself at the head of the ,gelosi troupe and1 for twenty-eight years1 was able to command the applause of ,italy and ,france4 ,this troupe1 reconstituted in ,venice in #aegf1 went to ,blois in #aegg to perform before ,king ,henry ,,iii42 later the company was seen at the ,htel de ,bourbon1 which at the time was no more than a chapel with a gallery where a theatre was set up upon occasion for the court ftes4 ,the ordinary headquarters of the ,gelosi company were in ,florence4 ,thence it went out to tour the principal cities of ,italy and of ,france4 ,from #aegf to #afjd the actors playing the rles of lover in this remarkable troupe were3 ,flavio 7,flaminio ,scala71 ,oratio 7,orazio ,nobili1 born at ,padua71 ,cinthio 7,cintio ,fidenzi71 ,fabrizio1 and ,aurelio 7,adriano ,valerini1 a ,veronese gentleman1 doctor of law and a fairly good ,latin poet74 ,valerini left the ,gelosi troupe in #aegi to undertake the direction of the ,comici uniti4 ,at the head of this troupe he was received in #aehc by ,cardinal ,carlo ,borromeo in ,milan4 ,the leading ladies 7or amoureuses7 in the ,gelosi during that period were3 ,isabella 7,isabella ,andreini71 ,flaminia1 ,ardelia1 ,lidia 7second wife of ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini7 and ,laura4 ,the soubrettes were ,franceschina 7,silvia ,roncagli71 ,vittoria 7,antonella ,bajardi71 ,ricciolina 7,maria ,antonazzoni71 ,olivetta1 ,ortensia1 and ,nespola4 ,the old women were played under the name of ,pasquella4 ,the lackeys were ,pedrolino1 ,arlecchino1 ,burattino1 ,grillo1 ,mezzetino1 ,cavicchio 7a peasant71 ,ciccialboncio 7a peasant71 ,bigolo1 ,memmei1 ,piombino4 ,the old men were ,doctor ,graziano1 ,pantalone1 ,zanobio1 ,cassandro1 ,cornelio1 ,tosano1 ,adorne1 ,claudio and ,cataldo4 ,captain ,spavento was played by ,francesco ,andreini and ,sireno was one of the first parts played by ,domenico ,bruni 7,fulvio71 who joined the company in #aeid4 ,bruni1 who was the son of an old comedian1 was then fourteen years of age2 he was starved and almost naked when given shelter by ,scala and engaged to improvise odd parts until he should reach an age that would permit him to play lovers4 ,a few years later he passed into the service of the ,princess of ,piedmont4 ,the two most remarkable appearances made in ,france by ,flaminio ,scala and his company seem to be those of #aehh and #afjj1 when he was accompanied by the famous ,isabella ,andreini1 her husband and her son4 ,after the death of ,isabella1 ,flaminio ,scala1 weary of the theatre1 gave up the direction of the troupe1 which was disbanded4 ,he occupied himself then with the publication of his dramatic works1 which amount to over fifty1 and further he assisted his friend ,francesco ,andreini to publish the manuscripts which ,isabella had left4 ,flaminio ,scala's collection is entitled3 8,theatre of performable fables1 or of comic1 rustic and tragic recreation2 divided into #ej days4 ,all composed by ,flaminio ,scala1 named ,flavio1 comedian to the ,most ,serene ,lord ,duke of ,mantua4 ,in ,venice #afaa40g ,in the scenarii of this collection the scenes are given in great detail but absolutely without dialogue4 ,nevertheless no one before ,scala had ever taken the same degree of pains4 ,until then1 nothing had ever been prearranged beyond mere fragments of detached scenes1 business that might be termed classic1 traditions of the ,atellan1 interposed more or less suitably into the scenarii for free improvisations4 ,flaminio ,scala was the first to produce scenarii displaying lucidity and continuity of theme2 they deserve indeed to be recognised as his own work4 ,he performed them all over ,italy as well as the comedies of ,groto1 of ,lasca1 of ,cecchi1 and of ,beolco1 and even some tragedies and some opera-ballets4 ,this method of playing in the two styles1 the impromptu and the academic1 was continued until the eighteenth century by the companies that travelled in ,italy1 ,france and ,germany4 ,flaminio ,scala's collection is prefaced by an interesting speech 8to courteous readers0 written by ,francesco ,andreini 7known as ,capitan ,spavento71 in which there is proof that ,flaminio ,scala was the first serious author and editor of scenarii properly so called4 8,the man who is born into this world must1 in his youth1 apply himself to ways of merit that he may live honourably1 content himself and please others2 for an ignorant man is vicious and evil to himself and noxious to his neighbour4 ,thus he who would arrive at any sort of perfection must make choice of one of the seven liberal arts and practise it4 ,i shall not speak of ,lysippus and ,roscius1 of ,socrates1 of ,titus1 of ,varro1 nor of many others who1 from coarse and ignorant that they were1 rendered themselves great and immortal by means of knowledge and of virtue4444 ,i will confine myself to saying that the ,signor ,flaminio ,scala1 known as ,flavio in the theatre1 conforming to these maxims of conduct1 devoted himself from his youth to the noble exercises of comedy 7a thing not degrading to his noble birth7 and in this practice he made such progress that he deserved to be placed in the front rank of good comedians4444 ,that is why the ,signor ,flavio1 after long years consecrated to playing in comedy1 wishes to bequeath to the world not his beautiful words1 not his magnificent conceits1 but his comedies1 which in all seasons and in all places have brought him the greatest honour4 ,the ,signor ,flavio might have elaborated his works 7his talent being ample for such a task7 and written them word for word1 as authors are in the habit of doing4 ,but as to-day too many comedies are seen printed with different versions1 thereby undermining all good rules1 he desired1 by this his new invention1 to publish only the scenarii of his comedies1 leaving to the actors' wit the care of supplying suitable dialogue40 ,illustration ,francesco ,andreini adds that1 to facilitate the performance and the production of his pieces1 ,scala has supplied an argument for each1 has named and described the characters1 and has prepared the list of costumes and properties necessary under the designation of robbe per la commedia4 ,this list is curious as revealing a somewhat complicated mise en scne3 thus3 8,one head resembling that of a prince of ,morocco2 one fine valise of leather2 one cudgel for beating2 one plate of figs and several lanterns2 four lighted white candles2 two ,hungarian vests2 one live cat and one live cock2 two fires with smoke2 several shirts in which to dress up ,harlequin as a woman2 four hunting dogs and a grotesque hunting-dress for ,harlequin2 one casket of jewels1 one chemise and one dagger for ,isabella2 two boxes of bonbons2 one packet of candles and one piece of cheese2 two identical rings2 a large cheval-glass and a good deal of coin2 six lanterns2 two coats and two false beards with which to dress up two notaries2 a composition to imitate blood from a wound2 a basket with a packet of letters inside2 one miniature of a woman2 one beard similar to that of ,pantaloon2 one travelling suit--i4e4 one felt hat1 boots and spurs2 one shirt1 soiled and wet1 for the ,captain2 one practicable moon2 two rockets2 one large tree1 in which one may sit2 four fine costumes for nymphs2 several painted trees2 two live babies2 one beautiful ship2 one earthquake2 etc41 etc40 ,it may throw a useful light upon a theatrical epoch of which but little is known to translate as a specimen one of the scenarii or days 7giornate7 of ,flaminio ,scala1 not as a work of any value to-day1 but as a proof of the relative ability already attained by the authors and the comedians of the ,commedia dell' ,arte4 ,,third ,,day 8,,the ,,wiles ,,of ,,isabella0 ,argument ,a pretty widow of quality persuades her own brother to conduct her lover to her upon the pretext that she wishes to marry him to a young girl whom he has betrayed and abandoned4 ,the brother1 discovering the ruse1 and knowing the lover to be worthy of his sister1 consents to their marriage4 ,characters in the ,comedy ,,pantalone1 a ,venetian4 ,,pedrolino1 his lackey4 ,,flavio1 the lover of ,,flaminia4 ,,orazio1 the brother of ,,isabella4 ,,isabella1 a widow1 sister to ,,orazio1 in love with ,,captain ,,spavento4 ,,arlecchino1 servant to ,,orazio and ,,isabella4 ,,captain ,,spavento1 ,,isabella',s lover4 ,,flaminia1 sister to ,,spavento1 in love with ,,flavio4 ,,burattino1 an innkeeper4 ,,franceschina1 his wife4 ,two rogues1 friends of ,,pedrolino4 ,two thieves1 acting on their own account4 ,properties for the ,comedy ,a good deal of coin2 costumes for three beggars2 a sign for an inn2 a pair of shoes2 a knife to cut2 a basket with edible victuals2 a lantern2 a kitchen spit2 a long stick4 ,scene3 ,perugia ,,act ,i ,,captain ,,spavento1 ,,flavio and later ,,flaminia ,spavento relates to his friend ,flavio that he is in love with ,isabella1 a widow of quality and ,orazio's sister4 ,knowing him to be a friend of ,orazio's1 he begs him to speak to the latter and to endeavour to obtain for him the hand of his sister ,isabella4 ,flavio promises to do his best and in his turn discovers to the ,captain that he too is in love and that he has just written a love letter4 ,flaminia shows herself at her window1 calls her brother the ,captain and bids him come inside1 telling him that letters have just arrived for him2 thereupon she withdraws4 ,flavio1 having observed that she had a book in her hand1 asks the ,captain what it is that his sister studies so assiduously4 ,the ,captain replies that from morning till night she does nothing but read romances of chivalry and histories of love4 ,flavio begs the ,captain to correct the letter1 which he has written1 before despatching it to his beloved4 ,the ,captain takes it1 saying that he will give it for correction to his sister ,flaminia1 who is better educated than himself4 ,he goes indoors after reminding ,flavio of his promise to speak of him to ,orazio4 ,flavio rejoices at the good fortune which thus places his letter in the hands of his adored ,flaminia4 7,he goes off47 ,,pantaloon and ,,pedrolino ,pantaloon confesses to his lackey that he is in love with ,isabella and asks his advice as to how to go about making her his wife4 8,the way would be to marry her10 replies ,pedrolino4 ,pantaloon then relates how1 after having betrayed his waiting-woman ,franceschina1 he married her to ,burattino the innkeeper with a dowry of #ejj livres and that further he has promised to present her with #ajjj ducats on the birthday of her first boy4 ,pedrolino highly praises such a work of charity and extols the generosity of his master4 ,knowing him so munificent1 he will gladly assist him in his endeavours to obtain ,isabella in marriage4 ,whereupon they go off4 ,,franceschina1 ,,burattino1 and then ,,isabella and the ,,captain ,they enter chatting of their little household affairs1 of their position1 which is none too brilliant1 but which would be greatly improved if ,franceschina were to give birth to a boy1 since ,pantaloon has promised to pay her #ajjj ducats on that day4 ,burattino tells his wife that this depends upon herself4 ,franceschina replies that the fault is his1 etc4 ,they mutually reproach each other and end by quarrelling4 ,the noise they make brings ,isabella to her window4 ,she rebukes ,franceschina for quarrelling thus with her husband4 ,but ,burattino answers her insolently1 bidding her to mind her own business4 ,the ,captain1 entering at this moment1 takes up the defence of his adored ,isabella and threatens to strike ,burattino4 ,isabella implores mercy for ,burattino and sends him away together with ,franceschina after giving them money so that they shall cease quarrelling4 ,the ,,captain1 ,,isabella1 then ,,harlequin and ,,flavio ,the ,captain1 after extravagantly saluting ,isabella1 craves news of her brother and of ,flavio4 ,isabella replies that she has not seen them and receives the homage of the ,captain1 who is extremely gallant1 and utters a thousand honeyed phrases4 ,but the amorous interview is interrupted by ,harlequin1 the servant of the house1 who becomes angry with ,isabella and compels her to go with him1 threatening to divulge everything to her brother ,orazio1 who cannot tolerate the ,captain4 ,the ,captain in a rage threatens ,harlequin1 who strikes him4 ,flavio separates them1 dismissing ,harlequin1 who goes off hurling frightful threats at the ,captain4 ,the ,captain in a furious rage runs after him4 ,,flavio1 then ,,flaminia1 ,,harlequin1 the ,,captain and ,,orazio ,monologue of ,flavio on his love for ,flaminia4 ,she appears at her window4 ,after the customary greetings ,flavio asks her if she has received a love letter of which her brother took charge1 to the end that she might correct it4 ,flaminia replies that she has received the letter and that she has not failed to perceive that it is addressed to herself4 ,flavio confesses the truth and declares his passion1 but they are interrupted by the ,captain and ,harlequin1 the latter armed with a cudgel4 ,they make a deal of noise shouting and fighting4 ,orazio is between them seeking to separate them4 ,flavio runs to his assistance2 and1 pushing1 shouting and insulting one another1 they all go off4 ,,burattino and then two thieves ,burattino1 having gone to buy provisions for the inn1 with the money received from ,isabella1 returns with a basketful of victuals4 ,but he wishes first to eat four mouthfuls before going home4 ,he sits down in mid-stage and begins to eat2 two thieves arrive and greet him very politely1 seating themselves without ceremony one on each side of him4 ,one of them opens the conversation by stating that he is from ,cucagna1 a country where the people eat well and copiously4 ,during this time his companion consumes part of ,burattino's provisions4 ,having finished1 he begins to talk1 and1 attracting the attention of ,burattino1 who listens to him with gaping mouth1 he delivers himself of a speech in three parts upon indelicacy1 and the rigorous punishment awaiting thieves4 ,whilst he is talking the first orator from ,cucagna devours the remainder of the basket's contents4 ,thereafter they take their leave with extreme politeness1 and depart4 ,burattino1 recovering from the bewilderment caused him by their flow of speech1 disposes himself to resume his eating2 discovering1 however1 nothing but emptiness1 he enters his inn weeping4 ,this closes the first ,act4 ,,act ,,ii ,,flavio1 ,,orazio1 ,,harlequin1 and then the ,,captain ,flavio begs ,orazio to put aside all rancour and out of friendship for him to make his peace with the ,captain1 who is much more friendly disposed than he supposes4 ,orazio consents4 ,the ,captain arrives4 ,at sight of him ,harlequin runs away1 enters the house and from the window desires to be reassured that his enemy's choler has abated4 ,flavio presently reassures him and then1 having restored peace between ,orazio and the ,captain1 they all depart rejoicing in this sound friendship4 ,,pantaloon1 ,,pedrolino1 then ,,isabella and ,,flaminia ,pantaloon1 who has witnessed the departure of the young people1 thinks that the moment may be favourable to speak to ,isabella4 ,he coughs1 scratches the door1 and performs other antics to draw attention to his presence4 ,isabella shows herself at her window and out of coquetry announces that she is going for a walk4 ,at the same time she signs to ,flaminia1 who is at the window of her house opposite1 to join her in the street4 ,isabella and ,flaminia enter the stage and allow ,pantaloon and his servant to chat with them4 ,isabella1 pretending to find his eloquence irresistible1 confesses herself in love with ,pantaloon1 and ,flaminia does the like by ,pedrolino4 ,but ,isabella requires a proof of affection1 and begs ,pantaloon to come and serenade her that same evening4 ,pantaloon promises three serenades1 whereafter each lady re-enters her own house1 and ,pantaloon1 with ,pedrolino1 both intoxicated with joy1 leap and dance like a pair of fools4 ,this brings out ,franceschina and ,burattino1 who deride their singular capers4 ,pantaloon goes off4 ,,burattino1 ,,franceschina1 ,,pedrolino ,burattino and his wife continue to jest with ,pedrolino4 ,the latter ends by being angry and threatens vengeance4 ,as the innkeeper's laughter is only increased by this1 ,pedrolino threatens to make him a cornuto4 ,burattino laughs at the threat1 but ,franceschina fetches a broom and falls upon ,pedrolino1 who runs away4 ,thereafter the couple re-enter1 rejoicing in his discomfiture4 ,,flavio and ,,isabella ,flavio enters1 complaining of his uncertainty on the score of whether ,flaminia loves him or not1 and seeking a pretext for addressing her again4 ,the letter which he has written and which is in her hands is a means4 ,isabella1 from her window1 has heard the entire monologue1 and1 to amuse herself1 asks him if he has met ,orazio and the ,captain1 who are seeking him to invite him to their nuptials1 as ,orazio is going to marry ,flaminia and the ,captain is going to marry herself4 ,this said1 she withdraws1 laughing in her sleeve4 ,flavio is overcome by this unexpected news4 ,burattino1 seeing him preoccupied1 accosts him and asks him if1 by chance1 he knows of any means for the getting of male children4 ,flavio turns and1 without uttering a word1 goes off4 ,burattino1 distressed at not having received an answer1 re-enters his inn4 ,,pantaloon1 ,,pedrolino1 three musicians1 ,,isabella and ,,flaminia ,pantaloon and ,pedrolino station their musicians under the windows of ,isabella and ,flaminia1 commanding them to play and dance4 ,the ladies show themselves and graciously thank the performers of the serenades for their attention4 ,pedrolino and ,pantaloon withdraw joyously with the instrumentalists4 ,isabella1 remaining at her window after their departure1 begs ,flaminia1 who is also at her window1 to honour by her presence the marriage which she is about to contract with ,flavio1 who has long been her lover4 ,the affair1 she says1 has been arranged and concluded by her brother the ,captain4 ,flaminia1 wounded to the heart1 declines the invitation and withdraws in tears4 ,isabella1 after this fresh trick1 and after having wounded the hearts of ,flavio and ,flaminia1 but knowing full well how to heal them1 withdraws well pleased4 ,,pantaloon1 ,,pedrolino1 ,,burattino ,pantaloon shows ,pedrolino a pair of new shoes which he has bought for twelve baiocchi 7sixpence74 ,pedrolino1 after having examined them1 declares them to be old shoes1 and that it is shameful for a man like ,pantaloon to buy such things4 ,burattino1 who is on his way to consult a doctor1 asks ,pantaloon if he will sell him the shoes for the twelve baiocchi he has paid for them4 ,pantaloon is quite willing4 8,but on one condition10 says ,burattino1 8that is that each of you shall stake a halfpenny with me1 and that the first to repent shall lose his halfpenny40 ,this is agreed4 ,burattino takes a knife and begins to cut through the sole of one shoe1 saying1 8,he who retracts will lose his halfpenny40 ,having cut up one shoe1 he takes the other one and begins to perform upon it the same operation4 ,thereupon he asks them1 8,which of you two retracts80 and as each replies that he will not retract1 ,burattino says1 8,if neither of you retracts then ,i will retract40 ,whereupon1 throwing down the two shoes1 he continues on his way4 ,pantaloon and ,pedrolino look at each other and perceive that ,burattino has fooled them4 ,they go off indignantly1 and this ends the second ,act4 ,,act ,,iii ,,isabella1 ,,harlequin1 and then ,,orazio ,isabella tells ,harlequin that she is going to talk with her brother ,orazio1 and should he question ,harlequin1 ,harlequin is to bear out whatever she may say4 ,orazio arrives4 ,isabella then relates to him that ,flavio has just arrived at her house1 bringing with him a young girl from ,naples1 betrayed and abandoned by the ,captain1 notwithstanding that he had sworn to marry her4 ,this young lady has trusted the loyalty of ,flavio1 knowing him to be a friend of the ,captain's2 but ,flavio1 desiring her to obtain reparation1 has promised so to contrive that the ,captain shall keep his word4 ,to achieve this end he has thought of a trick3 it is1 of course with ,orazio's permission1 to tell the ,captain that ,isabella is in love with him1 and that he should come to visit her at her house2 there1 however1 he will find instead the young girl whom he has abandoned1 and thus he shall repair the wrong by marrying her4 ,orazio consents and inquires1 where is this young lady4 8,she is in my house10 says ,isabella4 ,harlequin1 being questioned1 answers in the same way4 ,this decides ,orazio to go in quest of the ,captain1 so as to send him immediately4 ,isabella goes in1 followed by ,harlequin1 who can make nothing of the tales of his mistress and the answers delivered4 ,,flavio1 ,,flaminia1 then ,,pantaloon ,flavio1 in despair from what ,isabella has told him1 comes to seek explanations from ,flaminia4 ,he knocks at her door and ,flaminia appears4 ,she is very angry with him4 ,she weeps and complains that he has deceived her1 but tells him that he may marry ,isabella1 and that she would be the last to throw any obstacles in his way4 ,flavio on the other hand overwhelms her with stern reproaches on the subject of ,orazio1 whom she wishes to marry4 8,i have never dreamt of it10 exclaims ,flaminia4 ,in the middle of their dispute ,pantaloon enters4 ,he seeks to console her and reproaches ,flavio for the beautiful tears which he is causing her to shed4 ,he proposes a way out of the difficulty4 ,it is that ,flaminia should accept him for her husband and he will renounce ,isabella1 8whose conquest he had undertaken40 ,flaminia1 in her vexation1 tells ,flavio that she will marry ,pantaloon1 old and ill though he may be1 a statement which is but very little flattering to the latter4 ,flavio goes off angrily4 ,pantaloon1 left alone with his future wife1 attempts to caress her4 ,he is rudely repulsed4 ,burattino goes mockingly to her aid1 and ,pantaloon1 not knowing upon whom to vent his anger1 insults ,burattino and goes off4 ,,burattino1 ,,pedrolino1 then two rogues and ,,franceschina ,burattino watches ,pantaloon off1 deriding his stupidity1 when ,pedrolino1 disguised as a mendicant1 with a long false beard1 and a patch over one eye1 enters begging4 ,burattino bids him go to the devil1 and seek work4 ,pedrolino replies that it is through having worked too hard that he has been driven out of his own country4 ,at this moment a rogue1 a friend of ,pedrolino1 arrives disguised as a merchant1 pretends to perceive him for the first time1 salutes him1 thanks him and gives him money to recompense him for the great service rendered him in procuring him an heir4 ,the false merchant announces himself delighted at having found him1 and departs4 ,burattino1 having overheard this conversation1 is anxious to understand the subject of it more clearly1 when a second rogue1 also in agreement with ,pedrolino like the first1 comes to announce to him that his secret1 whence it results that none but boys are born1 has once more been perfectly successful4 ,thereupon he also departs4 ,burattino then detains ,pedrolino1 who pretends to wish to go4 ,he summons his wife1 and behold the two of them questioning this mysterious operator4 ,pedrolino cannot reveal his secret1 but tells them that they are free to experience the excellence of his occult knowledge4 ,husband and wife having consulted together1 they draw ,pedrolino by cajoleries into the inn4 ,the ,,captain1 ,,orazio1 ,,isabella ,orazio having taken the ,captain into his confidence on the subject of ,isabella's love for him1 the latter is enchanted and consents gladly to the marriage4 ,isabella1 summoned by her brother1 and having manifested her joy in marrying the ,captain1 conducts him upon ,orazio's permission into the house4 ,she returns to tell her brother that she has had the ,captain taken to her own chamber1 where he will find the young ,neapolitan girl whom he so little expects4 ,orazio laughs heartily at the farce played upon the ,captain1 and goes in quest of ,flavio1 to advise him of the good success of this affair4 ,isabella1 who wishes to kill two birds with one stone1 calls ,flaminia4 ,,isabella and ,,flaminia4 7,night7 ,flaminia expresses her surprise at finding ,isabella in the street at such an hour4 8,the reason is a very simple one10 replies ,isabella4 8,my poor brother ,orazio is there in the house weeping and lamenting because you will not have him for your husband4 ,be generous1 come and console him40 ,flaminia1 still angry with ,flavio1 resolves to go4 ,they enter ,isabella's house4 ,,flavio1 then ,,harlequin and ,,isabella ,flavio1 at the height of his anger against ,flaminia1 wishes to marry ,isabella out of spite2 he hopes that ,orazio will readily consent to their union4 ,harlequin1 sent by ,isabella1 comes to beg ,flavio to wait a moment for his mistress1 who desires to speak to him4 ,isabella arrives1 dismisses her servant and makes false confidences to ,flavio4 ,she tells him that she is to marry the ,captain against her will1 and that she would very much prefer ,flavio if he would consent4 ,she is a widow and may marry again as she pleases1 whilst ,flavio is free1 since ,flaminia is marrying another4 ,flavio1 persuaded1 consents to wed her4 ,they enter the house arm in arm4 ,,pantaloon1 ,,burattino ,pantaloon1 lantern in hand1 is seeking his house when ,burattino comes on to tell him that he had better prepare the hundred ducats promised to ,franceschina1 because she is undoubtedly going to give birth to a boy forthwith4 ,pantaloon1 very happily1 goes to seek the money4 ,burattino re-enters his inn4 ,,orazio1 then ,,harlequin and the ,,captain ,orazio1 becoming impatient at not finding ,flavio1 makes shift to enter his house1 and knocks loudly at the door1 which he finds closed4 ,harlequin appears1 carrying an enormous lantern and bids ,orazio make less noise1 or he will disturb the young married people4 8,ah10 he cries1 8your sister ,isabella is a clever woman1 to have known how to get herself a husband and to marry ,flaminia at the same time40 ,the ,captain1 also lighting himself with a lantern1 comes to grasp ,orazio's hand and to thank him for having given him his sister to wife4 ,orazio understands nothing of all this4 ,,flavio1 ,,flaminia1 ,,isabella and the preceding ones ,flavio and ,flaminia enter hand in hand1 having made the peace1 and they congratulate ,isabella upon having so adroitly carried through this intrigue4 ,orazio inquires where is the young ,neapolitan lady4 ,isabella confesses that the young ,neapolitan lady and herself are the same person1 and announces that the story which she invented was no more than a ruse to induce her brother himself to give her to the ,captain1 whom she loves4 ,orazio1 having conquered his astonishment1 finds the ,captain of a rank equal to his own and announces his consent4 ,a great noise is heard in the inn4 ,,pedrolino1 ,,burattino1 ,,franceschina1 and the preceding ones ,pedrolino runs on1 chased by ,burattino1 who is armed with the kitchen spit and seeks his life4 ,the others separate them and demand to know the reason of this quarrel4 ,pedrolino explains that1 ,burattino having mocked him1 he1 to avenge himself1 had sworn to make a cuckold of him4 8,that1 then10 cries ,burattino1 8was your fine secret60 ,pedrolino adds that he did not wish to execute it lest it should injure his reputation4 ,but ,franceschina replies that he lies1 and that it was she who repulsed and beat him4 ,peace being restored1 the ,captain marries ,isabella1 ,flavio marries ,flaminia1 and thus the comedy comes to an end4 ,it will be seen from this long yet succinct scenario1 this skeleton or ossatura1 as it was then called1 that the comedy which was but in its beginnings in ,france was already an accomplished thing in ,italy2 that it was as soundly invented and developed as those which ,french authors began to indite some fifty years later4 ,with the exception of the jests of the shoes of ,pantaloon and the supper of ,burattino1 which have no connection with the action and which would seem to be two of those traditional scenes interposed perforce into all performances to satisfy a certain portion of the public1 the scenario of ,the ,wiles of ,isabella1 like all those of the same collection1 is very ably put together and leaves nothing to be desired from the point of view of proportion and logical development4 ,when compared with the contemporary works of such ,frenchmen as ,jean de la ,taille it will readily be seen that the ,italians were very much the masters4 ,it is true that the pupils profited fully from the lesson1 and that in the seventeenth century they were able to indulge in reprisals4 ,but to ,italy must be given the credit due to her of precocity in the arts4 ,it is to be remembered that whilst she culled through the ages the fruits of her ancient civilisation1 ,france strode towards the future1 her hands empty of those riches which the past had bequeathed to ,italy4 ,that which was made for ,france by her great masters was as the labour of bees2 the flowers did not bloom on ,french soil2 the flight of these ingenious and mighty spirits crossed the ,alps and the ,pyrenees1 to gather the precious nectars and return with the honey4 ,france is rightly proud of them1 but it is necessary to be just4 ,before ,molire1 before ,corneille1 before ,calderon and ,lope de ,vega1 and forty years before the birth of ,shakespeare1 ,angelo ,beolco 7termed ,ruzzante7 had--as we shall see--created the modern theatre4 iii ,giovanni-,battista ,andreini1 the son of ,francesco ,andreini and the famous ,isabella1 was born in ,florence in #aegi4 ,he seems to have been the first actor to bear the name of ,,lelio in the theatre4 ,in the ,gelosi troupe he replaced ,domenico ,bruni 7,fulvio7 in the capacity of lover4 ,after the death of ,isabella ,andreini in #afjd1 the ,gelosi troupe was disbanded4 ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini undertook in #afje the management of the ,fedeli troupe1 which was recruited by more than one of the old ,gelosi4 ,in #afja ,g4 ,b4 ,andreini had married in ,milan ,virginia ,ramponi1 a young and beautiful ,milanese1 known by the name of ,florinda4 ,after her death ,andreini married in second nuptials the celebrated actress ,lidia4 ,in #afac ,andreini wrote a blank verse piece in five acts dedicated to ,marie de ,mdicis1 which was performed in that same year in ,milan4 ,this piece1 of a religious character 7rappresentazione sacra71 is entitled1 ,adamo4 ,the characters in it are ,adam and ,eve1 the ,eternal ,father1 the ,archangel ,michael1 ,satan1 ,lucifer1 the elementary ,infernal ,spirits1 the ,seven ,deadly ,sins1 the ,seraphim1 the ,angels1 ,death1 ,hunger1 the ,flesh and the ,serpent4 ,in short1 it is a mystery play of the fifteenth century4 ,the ,milanese edition of #afac is extremely curious1 with its engravings by ,procaccini interposed in every scene4 ,its dedication to the ,queen of ,france stirred in her the curiosity to know the author and the company4 ,he went therefore to ,paris in #afac1 and remained there1 playing several of his pieces1 until #afah4 ,he was installed at the ,htel de ,bourgogne from #afba until #afbe4 ,he lost his father in that year and bade farewell to ,france in a work half theatrical1 half mystic1 entitled ,teatro ,celeste4 8,teatro ,celeste1 in which we see ,divine ,mercy calling several penitent and martyred comedians to the ranks of the blessed in ,paradise1 in which those who practise the profession of the theatre are poetically exhorted to follow their art without offending virtue1 and not only to leave upon earth an honoured name1 but further not to close against themselves by vice the path which leads to ,paradise4 ,dedicated to my most illustrious and most reverend lord and very respected patron the ,cardinal de ,richelieu4 ,by ,gio4 ,batt4 ,andreini of ,florence1 known in the theatre as ,lelio40 ,in this work ,andreini sings the praises of pious comedians4 ,he puts forward his claims in favour of his profession4 ,one of his sonnets is in praise of ,st ,ardlion1 a pagan actor1 a martyr like ,st ,genest4 ,another is in honour of ,giovanni ,buono of ,mantua1 who1 retiring to a cloister1 lived in penitence and was considered a saint3 8he who so long excited laughter is transformed into a fount of tears40 ,again1 it is the beatification of ,brother ,john the sinner1 the ancient comedian of ,adria1 who1 in his conventual cell1 8affords the angels the spectacle of his mortifications and his piety40 ,further on we have the praise of comedians who lead virtuous lives in the practice of their art4 ,a whole sonnet is consecrated to the memory of his mother1 ,isabella ,andreini4 ,he compares human life such as it is in the world's theatre to a mad theatrical performance4 ,the poet exhorts actors of disordered life to re-enter the path of good conduct4 ,then1 in his last sonnets1 he bids farewell to the theatre and to the world and aspires to do penance4 8,deceiving stage1 ,i go6 ,never again shall ,i tread thy boards1 tricked out and proud4 ,i abandon all that vain lustre even as ,i withdraw from the lovely land of ,france40 ,andreini departed1 in fact1 with his troupe 7the ,fedeli72 but he remained nevertheless their ,director until #afeb1 when at last he retired at the age of seventy-three1 8honoured by the favour of princes1 appointed master of the hunt of the ,duke of ,mantua and a member of the society of the ,spensierati40 ,he wrote so great a number of pieces1 pastoral plays1 comedies and scenarii1 that no biography has yet been able to include a complete list4 ,in the year #afbb he published in ,paris ,la ,sultana1 ,l',amor ,nello ,specchio1 ,la ,ferinda1 ,li ,due ,leli ,simili1 and ,la ,centaura4 ,his pieces are redolent of the taste of the epoch2 they are full of obscenities4 ,riccoboni says of him3 8,giov4 ,battista ,andreini was a man of wit and of letters1 and ,i am sure that had he lived fifty years earlier he would have followed the path trodden by others and would have left us some good comedies2 but after all he was both author and comedian1 and he could not write anything of a fashion other than that of the wits of his epoch and other than his interest urged him40 iv ,marco ,romagnesi1 an actor of talent1 known under the name of ,orazio--also written ,horatio--went to ,france somewhere about #afde together with his wife ,brighida ,bianchi 7,aurelia74 ,loret gives an account of the performances which took place at ,vincennes in #afei1 in which 8the husband of ,aurelia did marvels40 ,,orazio in dress and manners is a gentleman of the period4 ,he wears a moustache and the royale of #afdc--;a cut of beard invented by ,king ,louis ,,xiii41 who 8was one day taken with the fancy to have the beards of all his officers cut in such a fashion as to leave them merely a little tuft on their chins40 ,a lampoon was written on the subject3 8,hlas1 ma pauvre barbe1 ,qu'est-ce qui t'a faite ainsi8 ,c'est le grand roi ,louis1 ,treizime de ce nom1 ,qui toute a barb sa maison40 8,however ridiculous that may be1 all the world appeared presently with a beard la royale10 and the long love-lock1 termed at first moustache1 and later cadenette1 in commemoration of ,m4 ,cadenet de ,luynes1 who wore the most beautiful love-lock that was ever seen1 tied in a coloured ribbon4 ,this fashion1 which had already been in vogue for some years1 was still considered in good taste1 as well as the great felt hat decked with white plumes4 ,orazio's costume consists of a pale green doublet1 a colour in the very best of taste2 breeches of white satin1 laced with silver and decked with ribbons tied into a knot in the place of the old garters1 which had now passed out of fashion2 silk stockings1 and shoes with large pale green rosettes4 ,a white baldric embroidered in silver carried his long rapier2 he leaned upon a cane1 and was curled1 pomaded and perfumed4 ,there you have ,orazio marching to the assault of the heart of ,aurelia or ,isabella1 and1 like the lover conceived by ,saint ,amant in his enumeration of the reformations which he considers to be a lover's due1 he no longer smokes4 ,notwithstanding this extreme care of his person1 and under this effeminate exterior1 ,orazio is a cavalier as dangerous to his rivals as to the ladies who have caught his eye4 ,like ,don ,juan1 fathers1 tutors1 husbands1 brothers and servants cannot turn him aside from his enterprises4 ,he has always a sword-thrust ready for his rivals1 a cuff for his lackeys1 and flattery that is honeyed1 persuasive1 and fraught with a dash of raillery1 for his mistresses4 ,he is a gentleman of the dernier bien mis1 as the phrase ran then2 one who knows of life nothing but its luxuries3 dress1 horses1 duels and women4 ,he quits the arms of ,aurelia to run and throw himself at the feet of ,isabella1 and if on the way he meets the soubrettes ,beatrix or ,diamantine1 he forget his latest passion to dally with them1 and to betray even his valet4 ,as prodigal of his life as of his purse1 he is brave to the point of temerity1 and his rivals all give way before him4 ,the type of ,orazio is something more than a lover2 he is a hero of gallantry whose device is3 8,fais ce que veux1 advienne que pourra40 ,romagnesi played these parts down to the time of his death in #affj4 ,in #afec1 ,turi1 born at ,modena1 a son of the actor who played the parts of ,pantaloon1 was to be seen in the rles of second lover under the name of ,virginio4 ,after the death of his father he left the theatre at the age of forty and withdrew to ,modena1 where he took the habit of the order of barefoot ,carmelites4 ,a few days after having pronounced his vows he died1 and he was interred in the convent 7#afgj74 ,in #affj1 the ,italian company being definitely established in ,paris1 the cardinal summoned from ,italy a leading lover 7primo innamorato7 to make good the loss which the company had just sustained in the person of ,marco ,romagnesi4 ,an actor whose stage name was ,valerio came to take up this position and occupied it until #affg4 ,andrea ,zanotti of ,bologna1 known in the theatre under the name of ,ottavio1 made his dbut in ,paris on the ,italian stage in second-lover parts1 which he played from #affj until #affg1 when he was promoted to leading lover4 ,towards #afhd ,zanotti retired from the theatre and returned to ,italy with his family4 ,he was an excellent comedian4 ,he was surnamed 8the old ,ottavio10 to distinguish him from ,giovanni ,battista ,constantini1 who played in #affh also under the name of ,ottavio4 v ,after the departure of ,ottavio1 ,marco ,antonio ,romagnesi took up the leading parts1 and played them until #afid under the name of ,,cinthio1 which was already in existence4 ,a lover whose real name we have been unable to ascertain had already borne it in ,rome in #aeej4 ,it is under the pompous name of ,cinthio del ,sole that ,marco ,antonio ,romagnesi1 born at ,rome1 made his first appearance in ,paris in #affg4 ,he was the son of ,marco ,romagnesi and ,brighida ,bianchi4 ,he succeeded ,valerio1 whose family name is unknown4 ,we behold him1 in the collected plays of ,gherardi1 dressed after the fashion of a young man of quality at the end of the seventeenth century1 with the huge ,louis ,,xiv4 wig1 the pointed lace collar1 waistcoat and coat of a long cut1 a sash round his middle1 a round hat slightly cocked1 the crown encircled by feathers4 ,this is the classic costume of the young men of ,molire1 of ,landre1 ,ottavio and all lovers4 ,in ,colombine ,avocat1 ,cinthio1 passing in front of ,harlequin1 who1 pretending to be a marquis1 is richly but grotesquely dressed1 surveys him from head to foot and then takes him by the sleeve to ask him1 8,is that the fashion80 ,,harlequin4 ,yes1 sir1 the fashion4 ,what has it to do with you8 ,,cinthio 7coldly74 ,are you not called the ,marquis ,sbrufadelli8 ,,harlequin4 ,yes1 sir1 the ,marquis ,sbrufadelli is my name4 ,what have you to say about it8 ,,cinthio4 ,and you are to marry ,isabella1 the ,doctor's daughter8 ,,harlequin4 ,certainly1 and none shall hinder me4 ,i am a gentleman of quality1 and a man of heart1 by heaven6 ,,cinthio 7deriding him74 ,ha1 ha1 ha6 the lovely fellow6 ,,harlequin 7thrusting down his hat with one hand1 and placing the other upon the hilt of his sword74 ,what8 ,to a man such as ,i8 ,by death6 ,by---- ,,cinthio 7drily74 ,what are you going to do with that sword8 ,,harlequin 7suddenly softening74 ,i want to sell it1 sir4 ,you don't happen to want to buy it1 do you8 ,upon the death in #afid of ,angelo ,lolli1 who played doctors1 fathers and tutors1 ,romagnesi took his place and played such parts until #afig1 under the names of ,cinthio1 old ,oronte1 ,persillet1 ,grognard1 the ,bailie of ,bezons1 the ,doctor1 etc4 ,he remained in ,paris until the suppression of the ,thtre-,italien1 and died there in #agjf4 ,he had married in ,italy in #afec ,giulia della ,chiesa1 who never played in comedy1 and who died in ,london in #afge on the occasion of a journey thither made by the ,italian troupe4 8,cinthio was a man of wit who wrote both in prose and in verse4 ,in #afgc he printed in ,italy a volume of heroic1 amorous1 sacred and moral poems which were highly esteemed by the most famous ,italian poets4 ,he was a sound philosopher1 very learned in letters1 affable in conversation1 polished in manners and very honest in his sentiments4 ,his family was noble and distinguished40 ,he wrote a large number of scenarii for the theatre4 ,under the name of ,aurelio1 ,bartolomeo ,ranieri1 a ,piedmontese1 had succeeded ,zanotti 7,ottavio7 in the parts of second lover4 ,his dbut in ,paris took place in #afhe4 ,he was just a mediocre actor1 8but he was unable to control his tongue and his political opinions1 wherefore the court1 informed of his malevolent reflections1 commanded him to return to ,italy40 ,he departed in #afhi and went to resume his interrupted studies of divinity4 ,he took ,holy ,orders and ,riccoboni speaks of having several times beheld him in the discharge of his sacred office4 vi ,on the #bnd ,november #afhh1 ,giovanni-,battista ,constantini1 a younger brother of ,angelo ,constantini 7,mezzetin71 who had left his native place1 ,verona1 made his first appearance in ,paris under the name of ,,ottavio4 8,on the #bnd ,november #afhh the ,italian comedians performed for the first time a comedy entirely in ,italian entitled ,la ,fola d' ,ottavio4 ,the title-rle1 which is that of a lover1 was filled by a young man who is a son of ,gradelin and a brother of ,mezzetin4 ,he was applauded by the entire assembly4 ,he performed on seven different kinds of instruments--namely1 the flute1 the theorbo1 the harp1 the psaltery1 the cymbal1 the guitar1 the hautbois1 and to these he added on the morrow the organ4 ,he sings agreeably and dances very well4 ,he is of a very good shape0 7,note of ,m4 de ,tralage74 ,ottavio succeeded ,aurelio in the parts of second lover4 ,in #afid he assumed the leading rles1 when ,cinthio abandoned them for those of doctors and fathers4 ,in #afig1 after the expulsion of the ,italian comedians by order of ,louis ,,xiv41 ,constantini returned to ,verona1 and rendered important services to the ,french generals during the war of #agja4 ,the ,imperialists avenged themselves by pillaging his property4 8,the ,chevalier de ,lislire1 sent by the ,king into ,italy to reconnoitre the positions1 encampments and movements of the enemy1 attests that the ,sieur ,constantini ,ottavio1 a gentleman of ,verona1 has given essential proofs of his zeal and of his attachment to ,france2 he undertook several journeys by order of the generals1 and he was so useful that he was the first to bring them news of the advance of the enemy in ,italy4 ,this he did at his own expense1 refusing the emoluments which the generals offered him2 the enemy1 learning this1 and being informed of his zeal for ,france1 have wrecked his property in the neighbourhood of ,verona4 ,he has asked me to give him this certificate1 and as ,i was frequently charged with communicating to him in the orders of the generals1 ,i am unable to refuse my testimony of the zeal and attachment of the said ,sieur ,constantini to the interests of ,france1 and of the disinterested manner in which he has afforded proof of this4 8,given at the camp of ,saint-,pierre de ,linage1 the #abth ,june #agja4 87,signed7 ,,lisli,,re40 ,ottavio returned to ,paris in #agjh completely ruined1 and in recompense for the services which he had rendered to the army before ,verona he received from the ,king1 through the interest of the ,marshal de ,tess1 the post of inspector of all the barriers of ,paris4 ,this important office enabled him to set up a sort of ,italian theatre at the fairs of ,saint-,germain and ,saint-,laurent in #agab4 ,but1 as he was an extravagant man and of but little method1 he did bad business4 ,later on1 when the ,italian troupe was summoned to ,france by the ,regent ,orlans in #agaf1 he went to offer his services to his compatriots1 who accepted them with pleasure4 ,but whether through disorder1 or the incapacity of the people he employed to set up the machinery and carry out the repairs at the ,palais-,royal1 his comrades dispensed with him at the end of a month4 ,he died at ,la ,rochelle in #agca4 8,he was a man of wit and of talent but1 like his father ,gradelin and his brother ,mezzetin1 the unbridled love of women and of the table left him in indifferent circumstances throughout his life and in misery at the end of it40 ,giovanni-,battista ,constantini married in ,italy a very beautiful woman named ,teresa ,corona ,sabolini1 who played under the name of ,diana4 ,but she never accompanied her husband on his journeys into ,france4 ,in #afid ,carlo-,virgilio ,romagnesi1 the grandson of ,aurelia and ,orazio1 made his dbut at the ,comdie-,italienne under the name of ,landre4 ,gifted with a handsome countenance and an innate talent for the dramatic art1 he played all the lovers' parts until #afig4 ,when the ,comdie-,italienne was closed he joined the troupe of ,tortoretti1 and toured with him through ,france4 ,he fell in love with ,elisabetta1 the daughter of ,giovanni-,battista ,constantini1 who was also touring the country1 went with him to ,lorraine and then returned to ,paris in #agjg1 where he married the lady4 ,he died in #agca4 vii 8,luigi ,riccoboni1 who played under the name of ,lelio1 was born at ,modena in #afgd4 ,he was the son of a celebrated comedian1 ,antonio ,riccoboni1 and1 following in his father's profession1 he was seen1 always with success1 in the rles of leading lover1 under the name of ,federigo4 ,he joined the company of ,signora ,diana1 the wife of ,giovanni-,battista ,constantini1 known in the old troupe under the name of ,ottavia ,diana4 ,she induced him to abandon the name of ,federigo for that of ,lelio1 which he always bore thereafter both in ,italy and in ,france4 ,riccoboni had married in first nuptials the sister of ,francesco ,materazzi1 who played the parts of ,doctor in the troupe of the ,regent d',orlans4 ,this first wife was named ,gabriella ,gardelini1 and played soubrettes2 but she abandoned this line for that of second lady4 ,she died young and without leaving any children to ,riccoboni1 who later married ,elena ,baletti 7,flaminia740 ,luigi ,riccoboni had been entrusted with the formation of the ,italian troupe which went to ,france in #agaf under the title of ,comdiens ordinaires de ,s4 ,a4 ,s4 monseigneur le duc d',orlans1 rgent de ,france4 ,he was then twenty-two years of age4 ,he retired in #agbi1 together with his wife ,flaminia and his son ,francesco ,riccoboni2 but ,flaminia and her son returned to the theatre a little while afterwards4 ,lelio played with a great deal of spirit2 8,no one ever expressed overwhelming passion with so much verisimilitude40 ,to his gifts as an excellent actor he added those of a distinguished author4 ,he wrote some thirty pieces and1 moreover1 a history of the ,italian theatre1 an ,italian poem on the subject of declamation1 and observations on comedy and on the genius of ,molire4 ,upon retiring from the stage he repaired to the court of the ,duke of ,parma1 who gave him the management of the theatres of his duchy and of his house4 ,after the death of this prince1 ,lelio returned to ,france1 where he died in #agec at the age of seventy-nine4 8,in the year #afij1 at the age of thirteen0 7he writes in his ,history of the ,italian ,theatre71 8,i began to frequent the theatre4 ,almost all the comedians of those days were ignorant fellows2 lovers' parts were played by the sons of comedians1 men of no education1 or else by young people who embraced the profession out of principles of libertinism40 ,riccoboni speaks1 in this history1 of an actor who1 like himself1 sought to uplift the bonne comdie--that is to say1 the classical comedy written in verse and learnt by heart4 8,as in all professions10 he says1 8there is often to be found in this one a man of wit and of taste who detaches himself from the others2 during the last days in which the comedians were still at liberty to go to perform in ,rome during carnival1 a young man of that great city was attracted to comedy1 and followed the troupe4 ,he had the good fortune to fall into the hands of ,francesco ,calderoni 7,silvio7 and ,agata ,calderoni 7,flaminia71 his wife1 the grandmother of my own1 who1 having preserved a remnant of this art 7classical comedy71 opened a good door for him and showed him the good path4 8,this young man1 in his quest of distinction1 passed through all the degrees of comedy and1 by his application and study1 succeeded in becoming the head of a troupe1 and the greatest actor of his day4 ,he of whom ,i speak is named ,pietro ,cotta1 surnamed ,lelio2 he has always been accounted a man of great probity1 the avowed enemy of all equivocal thought and of all that licence which1 at the end of the last century1 was so very much in evidence in our disordered theatres40 ,in fact1 ,cotta's aim was to uplift comedy in every sense4 ,it was in ,venice that he produced1 for the first time1 ,l',aristodemo del ,dottore1 and he took care to inform his public 8that there was no ,harlequin in the piece1 but that the subject was very moving40 ,this new species of spectacle attracted only a small number of admirers4 ,rodogune1 ,iphignie en ,aulide did not amuse the great public4 ,some other directors sought to imitate this new classical school1 but without success4 ,the public demanded ,harlequin1 ,brighella1 and ,pantaloon1 cudgel-blows and broad buffooneries4 ,pietro ,cotta retired in disgust4 ,riccoboni went to ,france imbued with this mania for tragedy1 but in ,france there was no need of ,italian comedians to provoke tears2 laughter was wanted4 ,therefore ,riccoboni1 having missed his aim in ,france1 withdrew to ,parma1 where he gave performances of tragedies and ,french classic comedies translated into ,italian2 in these ,pantaloon and the ,doctor became truly noble fathers1 and the lackeys1 ,harlequin and ,scapino1 similarly lost their original characteristics4 ,riccoboni1 it is plain1 was consumed by the singular desire to destroy the ,italian comedy1 this ,commedia dell' ,arte to which he owed his best successes1 and of which he speaks in his book like a competent and intelligent man4 ,perhaps his sombre physiognomy1 8which aided him to depict terrible and extravagant passions10 suggested to him the idea of throwing himself into the serious and tragic style4 ,nevertheless he had enjoyed a real vogue in his real line4 8,the success of ,l',italien ,mari ,paris and the liveliness of the dialogue in the scenes between ,lelio and ,flaminia caused many to doubt that they were really being played impromptu4 ,the enemies of the ,italian company and ,french comedians added weight to these suspicions4 ,this question was continually discussed in ,paris1 especially at the ,caf ,gradot1 where literary people then assembled40 ,the two volumes of ,riccoboni1 entitled1 a little presumptuously1 ,histoire du ,thtre ,italien1 form a work which it is useful to consult on the subject of the ,italian theatre1 although it is very incomplete1 and written indifferently1 yet agreeably1 by an ,italian who employs a ,french entirely his own1 but who is wanting neither in wit nor good sense4 ,he appreciates with exactness and subtlety the art of the theatre1 although in the application of his theories he is very often wanting in taste1 a circumstance which goes to prove that criticism is very much easier than practice4 ,luigi ,riccoboni took with him into ,france as second lover1 in #agaf1 ,giuseppe ,baletti1 surnamed ,mario1 who1 in #agbj1 married ,giovanna-,rosa ,benozzi1 very well known under the name of ,silvia4 ,giuseppe ,baletti1 who was born in ,munich1 died in #agfb4 ,on the #acth ,april #agbe1 ,giovanni-,antonio ,romagnesi1 the son of ,gaetano ,romagnesi and grandson of ,marco-,antonio ,romagnesi 7,cinthio71 made his first appearance at the ,comdie-,italienne in the rle of ,lelio1 was well received1 and continued to appear in lover rles under this name4 ,he was born at ,namur in #afij4 ,his mother1 ,anne ,richard1 after the death of ,cinthio1 married again1 in ,brussels1 a man named ,duret4 ,this man ill-treated his stepson1 who had already made his dbut in his mother's company with considerable success4 ,he was then fifteen years of age4 ,incensed by the harshness of his mother1 and in despair under the ill-treatment of ,duret1 he resolved to leave them and to become a soldier4 ,he enlisted with a captain who treated him no better than his parents had done1 notwithstanding that the youth1 to make a friend of him1 had presented him with his watch1 the most precious of his possessions4 ,in the end ,romagnesi1 unable longer to endure his ill-treatment1 deserted and joined the troops of the ,duke of ,savoy1 where he enlisted with another captain whose brutality was even worse than that of the first4 ,falling thus from ,scylla into ,charybdis1 he wrote to ,quinault1 who was then in ,strasburg1 and informed him of his sorry plight4 ,quinault replied1 inviting him to go to ,basle1 where he would find the means to reach ,strasburg4 ,romagnesi deserted for a second time1 and1 travelling from convent to convent1 he managed to keep alive and to reach the gates of ,basle without a halfpenny1 and in rags4 ,but1 at the gates of ,basle1 he discovered that no one approaching from the side of ,savoy was admitted until he had undergone a searching interrogatory4 ,what was he to do8 ,a hundred paces from the town he perceived a herd of pigs driven by a child of ten4 ,he advanced upon the boy and1 taking possession of his whip1 ordered him in a voice of thunder to wait an hour before re-entering ,basle4 ,he then set out1 driving before him four or five of the largest pigs4 8,you will find them again10 he said1 8at the entrance to the faubourgs of the city40 ,thus1 driving his pigs before him1 he entered without hindrance in the wake of his herd1 which he left at the place indicated to the boy4 ,he ran to the post1 but failed to find there any letter from ,quinault4 ,the carrier would arrive only upon the morrow4 ,this delay was hard upon a man who had not eaten that day1 who did not know a soul in the city1 and who had not a farthing in his pocket4 ,he went to an inn1 demanding supper and a bed1 but his shabby appearance inspired no confidence in the hostess2 she demanded payment in advance4 ,romagnesi then confessed that he was without money1 but assured her that he would receive a remittance on the morrow1 and be able to repay her4 ,the fulfilment of such a promise seemed doubtful2 it was in vain that he employed all his eloquence2 it was wasted labour4 ,he was on the point of being dismissed when a neighbouring baker1 touched by the speech which he had overheard1 undertook to pay his bill for him1 should he fail to do so himself4 ,on the morrow the baker went to the post with ,romagnesi4 ,they found a letter from ,quinault in which he announced his arrival that evening4 ,in effect1 he arrived1 and it would be difficult to express the joy of ,romagnesi1 8which he expressed whilst tenderly embracing ,quinault and weeping for gratitude40 ,quinault kept the baker to supper when he learnt the service which the man had rendered to his protg4 ,on the morrow1 having equipped his new friend more suitably1 ,quinault set out with him for ,strasburg4 ,as ,romagnesi's desertion was occasioning ,quinault some uneasiness1 he thought it prudent to inform the ,commandant of the place and the ,intendant of the city4 ,he related to them in detail the adventures of young ,romagnesi in the most favourable possible light4 ,protection was accorded him1 with the assurance that ,quinault could cause his actor to make his dbut whenever he thought fit4 ,at the end of a fortnight ,romagnesi made his first appearance1 and scored a great success4 ,his uneasiness ceased entirely1 thanks to an amnesty which was published and to a formal dismissal from his captain1 who had received the order to issue it4 ,after two years in ,strasburg ,romagnesi quitted ,quinault's company to enter ,ottavio's performing in ,paris at the fairs of ,saint-,germain and ,saint-,laurent which had become known as the ,opra-,comique4 ,he undertook there1 and always with success1 the rles of lover4 ,it was there1 in #agaf1 that he began to write pieces for the forain theatres4 ,ottavio1 having done bad business1 gave up his theatre4 ,romagnesi then went to tour the provinces until #agah1 when he returned to ,paris and appeared at the ,thtre-,franais2 but he was not received there4 ,he went to ,bordeaux1 ,brussels1 ,cambrai2 whence he returned to ,paris again in #agbe1 and appeared at the ,comdie-,italienne in ,les ,surprises de l',amour4 ,he was accorded a good reception in this theatre1 8of which he long sustained the glory as much by his talent for declamation as by the success of the pieces which he performed there10 which amount to some sixty-two4 8,romagnesi was tall and well made2 his voice was a little muffled1 and he appeared to labour when he had to recite any rather lengthy couplet4 ,he was a good actor in all lines1 but excelled particularly in drunken rles and in impersonating ,swiss and ,germans40 ,he died suddenly at ,fontainebleau in the arms of ,mademoiselle de ,belmont1 on the #aath ,may #agdb4 ,the cur of ,fontainebleau having refused him burial1 his body was interred in ,paris in the church of ,saint-,sauveur4 ,francesco ,riccoboni1 the son of ,luigi ,riccoboni and of ,flaminia1 was born in #agjg at ,mantua4 ,he took up the parts played by his father under the same name of ,lelio4 ,his first appearance took place on the #ajth ,january #agbf1 and in #agbi he left the theatre together with his father4 ,he re-entered it with his mother in #agca1 and there played and danced with success until #agcf4 ,he then went to tour the provinces1 returned to the ,comdie-,italienne in the following year1 and left the theatre for good in #agej4 ,he was the author of several ,italian pieces1 and died in #aggb4 ,he occupied himself also with alchemy4 ,he married ,marie-,jeanne ,laboras de ,mzires1 who was at once an actress and the author of many esteemed romances4 ,antonio-,luigi ,baletti1 the son of ,mario and ,silvia1 was1 on the #ast ,february #agda1 received at the ,thtre-,italien under the name of ,lelio to declaim and dance4 ,on the occasion of his dbut his mother ,silvia addressed a speech to the public in which she craved their indulgence for a child who1 notwithstanding maternal representations1 had insisted upon facing the dangers of a first appearance4 ,he was well received1 together with ,carlo ,bertinazzi4 ,on the #bcrd ,february #afgj1 the comedians gave a benefit performance in his favour of the ,serva ,padrona1 to compensate him as far as possible for an accident which he had suffered in the theatre4 ,in the last act of ,camille ,magicienne1 ,pantaloon leads on some soldiers to force an entrance into a tower in which ,camille has imprisoned ,lelio and ,flaminia2 it was customary to discharge several shots against this tower4 ,one of the soldiers who was to take part in the assault had1 whilst waiting1 placed his gun beside that belonging to the sentry of the theatre1 who had quitted his post4 ,the scene being reached sooner than was expected1 the soldier was called2 inadvertently he took the weapon of the sentinel1 which was loaded1 and put a bullet through the thigh of ,baletti 7,lelio74 ,the performance was suspended1 but the incident had no serious result4 ,in #agei ,zanucci undertook the rles of ,lelio or ,mario in the forain theatres4 ,other principal lovers were3 ,dulaudet 7#agad71 ,deshayes 7#agah71 ,raguenet 7#agej71 ,joly 7#agcg71 ,brou 7#agdj74 viii ,the earliest type of ,,leandro is a fresh and rosy lover1 fluttering ribbons and lace4 ,he is the accepted suitor of the beautiful ,lavinia1 of ,isabella or of the nave ,beatrice4 ,thus he was at the time of his creation in #aeef in the ,italian companies4 ,corneille1 ,molire1 ,destouches present him in their pieces under a seductive exterior4 ,his aspect is the same at the ,thtre-,italien down to the end of the seventeenth century1 and we have already said that ,carlo ,romagnesi1 renowned for his beauty1 had made his dbut at the ,comdie-,italienne in #afid4 ,this rle1 after the death of ,carlo ,romagnesi1 was suddenly transformed1 both in ,italy and in the forain theatres2 it came then to be that of a ridiculous personage entitled ,leandro il bello1 and this surname of 8the beautiful ,leandro10 which was well deserved by ,carlo ,romagnesi1 was no more than a derision when applied to the ,leandro who was thereafter to be found in pantomime4 ,the transformation was not infelicitous4 ,leandro has the privilege of making us laugh4 ,to see this personage strutting the theatre like a cock1 his head lost in his ruff1 his sword pointing upwards behind him and threatening the eyes of his neighbours or becoming entangled in the legs of his lackey1 it would seem that we have not here a lover1 but a sort of ,matamoros4 ,and as a matter of fact1 this beautiful ,leandro is always the son of some captain1 a great slayer of ,saracens2 he too is in love with ,isabella or ,columbine2 he deigns to condescend even to this soubrette when she is the daughter or ward of ,cassandre2 but notwithstanding his beautiful curls1 his lace ruffles1 his doublet1 peaked like that of ,polichinelle or of ,matamoros1 the sword of his ancestors1 his titles1 and the parchments which he always bears upon him1 he never succeeds in receiving anything but kicks aimed at his stomach1 but1 thanks to the promptitude of his evolutions1 always delivered at another address4 ,he is a ,spaniard1 a hidalgo of the old rock4 ,he is no doubt rich1 to judge by the silver embroideries upon his pink or yellow garments1 and the simple ,cassandre never fails to be imposed upon by his exterior4 ,when he speaks1 he bleats horribly4 ,he holds himself as stiffly as a pine-tree 7it is supposed that he wears corsets72 he boasts to her whom he desires to marry of his bonnes fortunes1 for which he has never failed to pay dearly2 he submits to beatings from ,harlequin1 and flees at the approach of any danger4 ,he is totally ignorant of everything1 with the sole exception of the art of heraldry4 ,awkward and very susceptible1 he never suffers anyone to pass in front of him2 he frequently carries his hand to his rapier1 but no one can remember ever to have seen its blade4 ,sometimes he is dressed like a marquis of ,louis ,,xv41 but he possesses all the virtues of the hidalgo1 whether under his hempen wig or under his short red hair4 ,in ,cassandre aux ,indes1 a farce of the boulevard theatres 7#agef71 ,leandro is in love with ,isabella4 ,cassandre on his departure for the ,indies had confided his daughter to the guardianship of ,harlequin2 the latter permits himself to be bribed by ,leandro1 who desires to penetrate to the presence of ,isabella4 ,after having ransacked the pockets of the lover1 the lackey finds there3 8,a book to learn to read2 a paper snuff-box2 a book of puerile civility2 a solar quadrant and a chain2 a patch-box in white metal2 a currycomb2 a leather glove40 ,all this is not worth very much1 so that ,harlequin demands that he shall write him a note for ten crowns in exchange for which ,leandro may have speech of ,isabella4 ,leandro1 who is unable to write1 makes a cross upon a piece of paper4 ,the conventional jests on the subject being exhausted1 ,harlequin goes in search of ,isabella4 ,,leandro4 ,i am going to pay her a little impromptu compliment carefully prepared4 7,,isabella enters followed by ,,harlequin4 ,,leandro1 without removing his hat1 addresses her the following compliment47 ,lady1 the admiration of your beauty has filled my heart with love of your fine eyes2 and should you feel a reciprocity for your very humble servant1 there is no happier man upon earth than ,i should be in all the world4 ,,isabella4 ,sir1 it would be impossible to find a compliment more gallantly expressed1 and ,i tell you frankly that you would suit me very well as a follower1 were it not for a detail which is but a bagatelle1 namely1 that ,i am distressed to see that you are suffering from scurvy4 ,,leandro 7his hat still on his head74 ,lady1 ,i assure you that is no longer the case4 ,i was cured at the age of sixteen4 ,a scurvy gentleman would be an impossible thing6 ,,isabella4 ,sir1 ,i have the honour to tell you that ,i perceive from my window that you are making eyes at me4 ,it might be fitting that ,i should be moved to love you1 but ,i have noted something which stifles my tenderness2 in short1 if you are not suffering from scurvy1 you are clearly suffering from ringworm4 ,,leandro 7still without taking off his hat74 ,if a man were to offer me that insult1 ,i should cut his face in two2 but since it is you1 lady1 the respect which ,i must bear to my affections compels me to respect you4 ,,isabella 7dropping a curtsy to ,,leandro74 ,farewell1 sir4 ,i found you an ass1 ,i leave you an ass4 ,,harlequin 7laughing and mimicking ,,isabella74 ,i found you an ass1 ,i leave you an ass4 7,exeunt47 ,,leandro 7alone74 ,what does it mean8 ,i don't understand4 ,oh1 heavens1 ,i did not take off my hat6 ,behold me lost for all time6 ,is it possible that ,i1 who would take off my hat to a dog1 should not have taken if off to my charming mistress8 ,she will desire no further commerce with me4 ,i am in a fury1 which causes me the greatest sorrow4 ,there is nothing left for me but to go and drown myself2 if only ,i had poison at hand1 ,i believe that ,i should pass my sword through my body6 ,polidoro1 the ridiculous lover of the fifteenth century1 in a comedy of ,beolco 7,ruzzante71 is the true modern ,leandro1 ugly1 ungracious1 unhealthy1 but rich and confident of the power of his ducats4 8,in short10 he says1 8money is the true means of obtaining everything4 ,i have taken my precautions to monopolise the favours of my beautiful lady1 because ,i am not one of those who consent to be alone in the expense and accompanied in the pleasure40 ,to him enters the little servant of ,celega1 the entremetteuse4 ,,polidoro4 ,go ahead1 ,forbino1 and tell thy mistress that ,i am coming4 ,make haste6 ,,forbino4 ,i go1 but at least give me something for the good news which ,i brought you on the subject of your rival ,flavio4 ,,polidoro4 ,i shall give but too much to thy mistress4 ,,forbino4 ,devil take her4 ,i want you to give me something for myself also4 ,,polidoro4 ,be off quickly1 rascal4 ,hast learnt to be insolent6 ,,forbino4 ,a plague on you6 ,i would give a ducat1 if ,i had it1 that ,flavio should get the better of you1 that he should find the money that he lacks1 and that you should be left in the street to sing the todolina6 ,,polidoro4 ,gallows-bird6 ,if ,i come at thee6 ,,forbino4 ,give me something4 ,,polidoro4 ,cuffs will ,i give thee4 ,,forbino4 ,none but a fool could wish ill to ,flavio4 ,he is worth a good deal more than you1 who in all your life have never given me a coin4 ,,polidoro4 ,wait6 ,i will give thee one that is worth ten4 ,,forbino4 ,only a fool would wait4 ,my compliments to you4 ,in the following century the name of ,polidoro is bestowed upon old men1 as in ,gli ,affliti ,consolati1 by ,alfonso ,romei of ,ferrara1 in #afjd4 ,in a burlesque fairy play 7,les ,pilules du ,diable71 which took ,paris by storm1 ,leandro was called ,sotinez4 ,laurent the elder1 a remarkable mime who had played ,harlequins in many little theatres1 gave this personage a costume1 gestures and a physiognomy entirely noteworthy1 and in the true colour of the ,italian farce4 ,,vii ,,ruzzante ,there is no such thing as useless labour4 ,however arid or trivial a subject may seem1 from the moment that you embark upon a study of it1 your researches will always lead you to some serious discovery that will compensate you for your trouble4 ,our thanks are due to thee1 brave and good ,ruzzante1 thou mighty dead whom we have found lying in the dust of oblivion2 thou whose work1 rare in ,italy and unknown elsewhere1 has permitted us at last to look upon the ,commedia dell' ,arte as a ,muse of the same blood and the same nobility as those of ,shakespeare and ,molire4 ,of the life of ,shakespeare very little is known2 nothing is known of that of ,angelo ,beolco1 surnamed ,ruzzante1 born at ,padua in #aeeb4 ,was he an actor by profession1 or was he no more than an amateur in the pursuit of his avocation8 ,the only information of any consequence in existence is that afforded by a page of ,bernardino ,scardeon in his work1 ,de antiquitate urbis ,patavii1 #aefj3 8,angelo ,beolco1 known under the name of ,ruzzante1 was in ,padua what ,plautus was in ,rome as an author and ,roscius as an actor4 ,he has even surpassed them1 for there is no comedy of antiquity1 prtext1 togat1 mixt1 or atellan1 that can sustain comparison with the comedies of ,ruzzante1 which were played throughout ,italy1 afforded so much pleasure and attracted such crowds of men and women4 ,as for himself1 he was so superior to other actors that whenever he was on the stage the public neither saw nor heard anyone but him40 ,it might be added by us that ,ruzzante surpassed ,plautus in the composition of comedies1 and as for his having been superior to ,roscius as an actor1#h we are compelled to admit it1 judging from the incomparable naturalness of his compositions and his language4 ,ruzzante's was a brilliant epoch4 ,it was in the hour of the awakening of comedy in ,italy that he too awakened in all the strength and freedom of his eminently original genius4 ,very inferior to him on the score of individuality and novelty are his illustrious predecessors3 ,ariosto1 who at the age of twenty 7in #adid7 had already produced at the court of the ,duke of ,ferrara his comedy entitled ,i ,suppositi2 ,niccolo ,macchiavelli1 author of ,la ,mandragora 7#aejd7 and ,la ,clizia 7#aejh71 which latter ,leo ,x4 commanded to be performed before him in ,rome by the sempiterni or the intronati1 the academic actors of ,florence and ,siena2 and ,bernardo ,dovizi1 ,cardinal of ,bibbiena1 author of ,la ,calandra1 written in #adij4 ,these did not create a new style2 they revived a dead one4 ,they walked in the ways of the masters of antiquity1 and whilst they may have overtaken them they did not surpass them4 ,ruzzante1 far more daring and creative1 completed and embellished all the subjects to which he set his hand4 ,he created a comedy of realities in the midst of the pastoral idylls of the ,venetians by which he was surrounded4 ,ruzzante would certainly have been the ,molire of ,italy if1 instead of spending his days in improvisation1 he had employed them in writing2 for it is only in the last years of his life1 which was all too brief 7he died at the age of forty71 that he co-ordinated and wrote the greater part of his subjects as well as his charming discourses to the ,cardinals ,cornaro and ,pisani1 etc4 ,it was his custom to reside during the summer at ,codevigo1 the ,venetian villa of ,aloysio ,cornelio1 a munificent and liberal gentleman who was his ,mcenas1 and who cherished ,ruzzante and his troupe4 ,in return this troupe gave many performances at ,cornelio's house4 ,according to ,scardeon1 the city of ,padua was about to honour ,ruzzante when he died1 on the #agth ,march #aedb4 ,his friends and numerous admirers raised him1 in #aefj1 a tomb in the church of ,san-,daniele in ,padua1 near the ,prato della ,valle1 with the following epitaph in remembrance of him and 8in earnest of affection1 esteem and admiration03-- ,v4 ,s4 ,,angelo ,,beolco ,ruzanti ,patavino1 nulli in scribendis1 agendisque comdiis ingenio1 facundia1 aut arte secundo1 jocis et sermonibus agrest4 applausu omnium facetiss41 qui non sine amicorum mrore e vita discessit anno ,domini ,,mdlii die xvii martii1 tatis vero xl4 ,jo4 ,baptista ,rota ,patavin4 tant prstanti admirator pignus hoc sempiternum in testimonium fam ac nominis ,p4 ,c4 anno a mundo redempto ,,mdlx4 ,ultimately1 however1 this inscription having been found too profane--we do not know by whom--it was removed4 ,bernardino ,scardeon tells us that ,ruzzante was of a joyous and amiable character1 invariably pleasant and affable4 ,his face1 to judge from the portrait of him which survives1 denotes a fine wit1 gifts of observation and satire1 and a firm and melancholy character4 ,almost all the characters of his comedies bore surnames which afterwards became generic names1 and so remained in the theatre4 8,in the performance of his comedies1 his stage companions were young people of the nobility of ,padua1 such as ,marco ,aurelio ,alvarotto1 called ,menato2 ,girolamo ,zanetti1 called ,vezzo2 ,castegnola1 called ,bilora2 and some others who were able to imitate the language of the peasantry40 ,it is even possible that ,aloysio ,cornelio himself1 ,ruzzante's splendid protector1 took part in their performances1 and may have been1 by antithesis1 the character of the miserly ,pantaloon1 who1 under the name of ,cornelio1 fills so large a number of rles in ,ruzzante's pieces4 ,benedetto ,varchi1 the famous author of ,the ,history of ,florence1 speaking of the various kinds of comedy1 writes on the subject of the ancient plays3 8,if one may judge from experience and give faith to conjectures1 ,i think that our zanni are more comical than were their mimes1 and that the comedies of ,ruzzante of ,padua1 treating of rustic subjects1 surpass those which the ancients called atellan40 8,our best writers0 7says ,riccoboni7 8have been loud in praise of ,ruzzante4 ,his comedies1 superior to the ,latin atellan in comicality1 admit all the dialects of the corrupted languages of ,lombardy4 ,it was he who settled for the theatre the character and the language of ,scapin1 ,harlequin1 ,pantaloon and the ,doctor40 ,in truth ,ruzzante was the first to open the doors of comedy to popular dialects4 ,all his characters speak different languages1 from ,paduan1 ,bergamese1 ,bolognese1 ,venetian and ,tuscan to ,latin1 ,italianised ,spanish and modern ,greek4 ,but it is the dialects of ,padua1 ,venice and ,bergamo that are chiefly employed by him4 ,his early efforts were in the academic manner1 and he sought to rival by the purity of his style ,bembo1 ,speroni and the other authors of his epoch4 ,notwithstanding that he had quite as much talent as his colleagues he was dissatisfied with his success4 ,perceiving too that he remained far below the level at which he aimed1 he devoted himself to the study of rustic dialects1 and of the customs1 manners and characters of the peasantry4 ,so admirably had he acquired their language and their ways1 so exactly did he seize all their navet1 originality and humour1 that he deceived the very rustics1 who1 when they saw him disguised1 assumed him to be one of themselves4 ,beolco manifested a quite peculiar predilection for them1 and criticised for their profit the manners of the great1 the learned and the luxurious4 8,would you not be a hundred times more worthy0 7he asks in one of his prologues71 8if you were to content yourselves as we do in our country homes with eating good bread and good solid cheese1 and drinking an honest red wine1 rather than consume sauces and all sorts of dishes which swell your stomachs8 ,you would be fresh and rosy as apples instead of withered as you are4 ,i dare swear that if one of your gentlemen came to grips with one of our women he would be worsted8 ,why8 ,because our women are not nourished upon sweetmeats but upon natural food1 and because1 living as they do in the open air1 their limbs are stronger and their thews more vigorous40 ,ruzzante never misses an occasion to exalt the uses of rustic language4 ,in a letter written in ,paduan1 addressed to the ,most ,reverend ,cardinal ,cornaro ,vecchio1 he says3 8,i do not see why1 since ,i take my peasant characters and present them on the stage1 ,i should expect them to use ,tuscan 7in lenguazo fiorentinesco7 rather than ,egyptian4 ,at present the world is all awry1 and everyone seeks to lift his head higher than is possible to him4 ,no longer is anything done according to nature2 every man permits himself to be dazzled by the pretensions of his neighbour instead of remaining in a state of simplicity4 ,it is also sought to change our language rather than to allow us to speak in the language which is proper to us4 ,instead of keeping to his own straight road1 everyone runs to that which dazzles him1 and that1 as ,i say1 is bad4 ,shall ,i do the same1 ,i who am a ,paduan of ,italy 7che a son ,pavn1 della ,italia78 ,shall ,i go and convert myself into a ,tuscan or a ,frenchman8 ,no1 by the blood of the scorpion6 ,no1 ,i shall not4 ,it is my desire to remain and to walk in the way of truth and of naturalness4 8,let no one amongst you be surprised to hear me speak a language that is not ,florentine2 ,i will not exchange my language for any other4 ,i think that ,i may just as sincerely desire your health1 fortune and happiness in my coarse ,paduan as another might do in a finer and lighter tongue40 ,beolco played a number of parts in his own pieces1 and came forward always to announce the argument4 ,arrayed usually in an allegorical or fantastic costume1 he would deliver his little address to the public3 8,let us amuse ourselves a little4 ,is there anyone amongst you who knows who ,i am8 ,you have the air of wishing to reply that ,i am ,mercury1 or a reciter of arguments of comedies4 ,no1 you will never guess it6 ,i won't leave you in doubt any longer4 ,i am an elfin spirit4 ,do you know why ,i show myself1 why ,i permit you to see me8 ,do you know whence ,i come8 ,from the other world2 and ,i will tell you why4 ,one of those who is there1 called ,actius by some and ,plautus by others1 has sent me to tell you that since a comedy is to be played this evening you are not to blame me if it is not in ,latin and in verse and in beautiful language1 because if to-day he were among the living he would not write comedies in any other style than that of this which you are about to witness4 ,he begs you not to judge by this one those which he left written2 for he swears to you by ,hercules and ,apollo that they were recited in other days1 in terms very different from those which you see printed now1 for the good reason that many things which look well upon paper look ill upon the stage40 ,it seems to us that the whole raison d'tre of comedy improvised in free dialect is to be found in these few words4 ,everywhere1 whether from personal instinct1 whether from contagion from the pastoral mode1 ,ruzzante presents apologias of the rustic life4 ,nevertheless it must not be assumed that he was a writer of bergeries like ,florian2 he is a realist in his pictures of the miseries and passions of the precarious and savage life of the peasants of his day4 ,the brutal passion which induces him1 in ,la ,fiorina1 to carry off by force a young girl1 gagging her by the aid of a friend1 is probably an instance copied from nature in those days of war and rape and violence4 ,but if he dares to present such dramas upon the stage with an almost ferocious recklessness1 he also makes heard the voice of indignation or of pity4 8,by the blood of the ill of the cripple60 7exclaims old ,teodosia--we cannot undertake to explain this bizarre malediction71 8we see strange things to-day4 ,ill living is the fashion1 and ,i think that before long we shall know no safety in our huts4 ,consider what a surprise awaits this poor father and this unfortunate mother6 ,i am overwhelmed by the desire to weep40 ,in a letter which he addressed under his stage name to ,cardinal ,francesco ,cornaro1 he thanks ,rome for having sent to the city of ,padua this noble prelate who revives his failing hopes4 ,these letters1 written in the old ,paduan dialect1 are his masterpieces4 ,they are the inditings of a nave peasant who has the right to say anything4 ,therefore they are gay1 because to ensure their being read it was necessary that they should excite laughter4 ,but this laughter is fraught with tears4 ,they are not the letters of a historian paying his court1 they are those of a brave and generous man who loves his country and speaks the truth4 ,here are a few brief fragments--very brief lest we should be charged with too great a digression from our subject3 8,rome1 our grandmother1 who gave you your hat1 ,o good cardinal1 did not give it you to shield you from the sun1 and to save your complexion1 but so that it may shelter us all2 and under your purple cloak it is your duty to gather us all to your heart as a hen gathers her chickens4 ,restore to us our trust and our peace4 ,consider what this country has become4 ,no longer are young men and maidens to be heard singing on the highways and in the fields4 ,the very birds sing no longer1 and ,i believe--may the plague choke me6--that the voice of the nightingale is no longer as beautiful as of yore4 ,no longer do we see games and merry-makings4 ,such is the misery that has fallen upon our land that one may truly say3 blessed are the dead who are beyond the touch of war1 of ruin and of pestilence6 ,we are worse off than in the days of the great slayings1 days in which men saw incredible happenings1 days in which fathers butchered their sons4 ,to-day the times are so ill that husband and wife will go each a separate way to seek a livelihood4 ,and love too has departed hence4 ,seek to find me a lover6 ,there is no longer anyone who will take a wife4 ,wives must be nourished and how may that be done when there is nothing in the house8 ,so that1 instead of sighs of love one hears naught but groans of hunger4 ,charity goes knocking from door to door1 and none will give her shelter under his roof4 ,we no longer dare so much as to weep when following the bier of a beloved dead1 lest we should drench too many handkerchiefs40 7,then1 adopting a tone of pleasantry1 he proceeds37 8,be our friend1 for ,i am well disposed to be yours4 ,you may invite me as often as you will to dine with you2 ,i can refuse you nothing1 not even good advice40 ,it is necessary to remember that ,ruzzante lived in the early days of the sixteenth century1 amid the wars of ,francis ,i4 and ,charles ,v41 who were disputing for the possession of ,italy1 when the terrible invasion of the ,german army was descending upon ,rome1 leaving behind it a country devastated and in ashes4 ,the holy city was taken by assault1 sacked and given over to two months of pillaging by the ,lutherans4 ,florence was ravaged by the plague2 and ,ruzzante's own country1 ,padua1 was desolated by famine4 ,and so1 in his comedies1 he pours furious curses upon ,spaniards and ,germans4 8,may the plague consume them all10 he cries1 8wars and soldiers1 soldiers and wars6 ,but we must laugh nevertheless1 my friends1 we must render ourselves numb to our sufferings60 ,it is also noteworthy that in the midst of the liveliest buffooneries ,ruzzante will often confront us suddenly with a terrible situation1 a flash of real passion1 a profound reflection or a cry from the heart4 ,the serious side of his spirit reveals itself in the most concise1 but also the most energetic manner1 and in the truest and most touching terms2 unfortunately these are often untranslatable because the dialects are inseparable from the characters4 ,he was a thousand times right in his contention that had he given these another language they would have been no more than conventional types4 ,illustration ,chiefly to concern us here1 however1 is the buffoon side of ,ruzzante1 for it is through this that he belongs to the ,commedia dell' ,arte4 ,his gaiety is very often bitter1 tragic and hideous1 some of his pieces bear no title2 they are printed simply under the designation of dialogues4 ,,bilora4 ,who could have foretold that love would so rudely have thrust me out of my own house1 to throw me amid people whom ,i do not know8 ,it is said that love will not or cannot do anything4 ,but ,i see instead that it does what it likes4 ,as for me1 it is love which has compelled me to come to seek my hidden wife4 ,had it been otherwise ,i should not have tramped all yesterday1 all last night and all this morning through woods and fields4 ,i am so tired that ,i can scarcely stand4 ,a lover is drawn by his love more irresistibly than by three pairs of oxen4 ,there are those who say that love lodges with young people and drives them mad4 ,for my part ,i see that it can also haunt old men1 for had it not pierced the heart of that old gossip--may a scorpion eat him6--he would not have brought my wife into this town4 ,could not that old usurer have taken pleasure in his ducats without seeking it in my wife8 ,by the blood of the scorpion6 it was an ill turn to have served me6 ,but ,i shall so contrive that in some way ,i shall wrest her from him4 ,ah1 but who knows whether ,i shall so much as get a glimpse of her8 ,i should have done well to have gone to his house4444 ,i am dying of hunger and ,i have neither bread nor money with which to buy it4 ,if ,i but knew at least where she is living1 that is to say where he has lodged her1 ,i should so move her that at least she would give me bread4 7,he is about to withdraw when he meets an old acquaintance4 ,this is ,pittaro1 an old peasant whom he qualifies as barba1 as who would say bearded47 ,,pittaro4 ,eh1 cagasangue6 ,is it ,bilora8 ,what are you seeking here8 ,,bilora4 ,i am come about the affair of ,messer ,andro--help me to pronounce his name--,androtene or ,ardochene1 that old foreign gentleman who carried off my wife4 ,,pittaro4 ,you were wrong to come4 ,what do you expect of your wife1 who seems to have forgotten you8 ,it will hardly suffice just to go and ask for her to ensure her returning with you4 ,she is leading a pleasant life with him1 without care or trouble2 she eats and drinks as much as she pleases and she is well served1 for there is a lackey to wait upon them both4 ,he relates that old ,andronico is madly in love with ,bilora's wife and that she appears to manifest some attachment for him4 ,he advises ,bilora to depart1 assuring him that there is nothing to be done1 but ,bilora does not heed the advice4 8,would it not be better that she should return home with me8 ,if ,i were to meet the old man ,i might strike him4 ,i want so much to see my ,dina6 ,is she alone at the house80 ,pittaro repeats that no course is open to him but to depart4 ,that he must not be seen thereabouts4 ,but ,bilora consigns him to the devil2 he is so tormented with love1 fear and rage1 that he cannot resist his desire to behold his wife4 ,he knocks at the door of the house2 ,dina appears at the window4 ,,dina4 ,who knocks8 ,who is there8 ,is it you1 poor man8 ,depart in peace4 ,,bilora4 ,yes1 ,i am very poor1 but that is no reason why ,i should depart4 ,i am your friend2 approach1 ,dina4 ,it is ,i4 ,,dina4 ,and who are you8 ,what friend8 ,the master is not at home4 ,begone6 ,,bilora4 ,ah1 ,dina1 come here a moment1 it is ,i4 ,is it possible that you don't recognise me8 ,,dina4 ,i tell you to be gone1 and that ,i don't know you1 that the master is absent4 ,he went out upon business and ,i have no wish to gossip4 ,,bilora4 ,oh1 my dear ,dina6 ,do come here6 ,i wish to speak to you sincerely4 ,it is ,i1 ,dina4 ,do you not see that ,i am ,bilora1 your husband8 ,,dina4 ,alack6 ,is it indeed you8 ,what do you seek here8 ,speak6 ,,bilora4 ,what are you saying8 ,come down here that ,i may see you4 ,,dina4 ,i am coming4 ,,bilora4 ,yes1 come with me1 and ,i shall hold you good and true as you were before4 ,,dina 7below74 ,good evening6 ,i am here since you insist4 ,how are you8 ,are you well8 ,,bilora4 ,i--,i am well4 ,and you8 ,how well you look6 ,,dina4 ,heaven be thanked6 ,nevertheless1 to tell you the truth ,i feel none too well4 ,this old man wearies me4 ,,bilora4 ,youth and age never can agree4 ,you and ,i would be better suited to each other4 ,,dina4 ,and then1 he is always ailing4 ,he coughs at night and keeps me from sleeping4 ,at every hour he comes to seek and weary me1 to take me in his arms and kiss me4 ,,bilora4 ,well then1 tell me1 would you not sooner return home1 or do you wish to remain here with this old man8 ,speak6 ,,dina4 ,i should be glad enough to come1 but he does not wish it4 ,neither does he wish that you should come here4 ,if you but knew the care he takes of me1 how he caresses me6 ,by the fever6 he loves me dearly and ,i am very well with him4 ,,bilora4 ,but what does it matter what he wishes if you wish it8 ,oh1 ,i understand4 ,you don't wish it either1 and you are telling me lies1 eh8 ,,dina4 ,how shall ,i answer you8 ,i should like to come1 and yet ,i should not like to come 7vorre e si no vorre74 ,,bilora4 ,heaven is not propitious to me to-night4 ,will it be long before the old man returns8 ,,dina4 ,he should return almost at once1 but ,i should not like him to find me with anyone4 ,come1 my dear4 ,you will return in secret and we will come to an understanding4 ,,bilora4 ,yes1 we will come to an understanding by means of kicks6 ,take care1 by the blood6 ,if ,i begin ,i shall be worse than a soldier6 ,after further threats from ,bilora1 ,dina tells him that she will advise him when the old man returns home1 so that ,bilora may demand of him her return1 whether he wishes it or not4 ,dina will do what her husband wishes4 ,after that ,bilora asks her for a piece of bread1 saying that he is dying of hunger because he has not eaten since he left home4 ,but ,dina1 saying that she can abstract nothing from the house1 gives him money to go to an inn1 where he may eat and drink at his ease4 ,she re-enters the house1 and ,bilora goes off1 after some reflections upon hunger and love1 and after cursing the old man and considering the coins which ,dina has given him1 whose effigies supply him with witticisms that it would be difficult to translate4 ,messer ,andronico then enters1 discoursing alone upon women1 and upon love at a ripe age4 ,he knocks at the door1 saying3 8,open1 my pretty1 my beauty40 ,the door opens1 and he is about to embrace her when he discovers that it is his lackey1 ,tonin1 who has received his honeyed praises1 and whom he now denounces for a brute and a donkey4 ,thereupon both go within4 ,bilora and ,pittaro re-enter4 ,pittaro asks him whether he has fared well1 if the wine was good1 and so forth4 ,bilora1 after replying that he is 8full10 begs him to be the mediator between himself and ,messer ,andronico1 whom he continues to call ,ardoche3 8,you will tell him that ,dina has a husband1 and that he must let her go1 whether he desires it or not1 because she desires it4 ,and that ,i will kill him if he refuses--that ,i am a soldier1 and a bravo1 which will intimidate him4 ,if he surrenders her all will be well2 if not1 let him look to himself40 ,bilora goes off1 and ,pittaro1 after having knocked at the door1 and undergone the usual interrogations from ,dina1 is permitted to speak to ,messer ,andronico4 ,,pittaro4 ,good evening1 ,messer and ,excellency4 ,,andronico4 ,what brings thee1 ,pittaro8 ,,pittaro4 ,i want ten words with you in confidence4 ,come this way1 sir4 ,,andronico4 ,what is there1 then1 so interesting8 ,,pittaro4 ,you shall learn4 ,you know without my telling you that you carried off ,dina1 the wife of that poor lad ,bilora4 ,he has lost his head over the affair4 ,i beseech you1 ,excellency1 in your own interest1 to let her depart with her husband4 ,for reflect1 my very dear sir1 that it was highly imprudent in you to have carried off the wife of another4 ,and further let me tell you as a friend that she is far from old1 whilst you are too advanced in years to have so young a woman4 ,forgive me1 ,messer1 the frankness of my speech4 ,,andronico4 ,do you want the truth8 ,i shall do nothing of what you ask because ,i cannot give her up4 ,do you understand8 ,i am resolved to spend my life with her4 ,what the devil6 ,do you think ,i should let that girl return to the country to suffer with that great coward ,bilora1 who gives her more cudgellings than bread8 ,no1 no6 ,i want her for myself4 ,i will not throw nutmeg to swine4 ,do you suppose that ,i should have carried her off as ,i did to let her go again so easily8 ,i1 who have worn a cuirass and carried a shield all summer1 like a ,rodomont8 ,i1 who have gone armed day and night1 who have suffered so much fatigue to save her trouble8 ,bid ,bilora seek elsewhere what he requires4 ,,pittaro4 ,but what is he to do8 ,do you want him to go mad8 ,,andronico4 ,and what of me8 ,do you want me to die of despair8 ,let him go mad1 how can ,i help it8 ,you are tiresome4 ,you begin to anger me4 ,go to the devil6 ,and not another word on this subject6 ,,pittaro4 ,do not become heated1 sir4 ,let us be wise4 ,let us call ,dina1 let us question her1 and let us see what she will say4 ,if she wants to go1 let her go2 if she does not1 keep her and do as you please4 ,what do you say8 ,,andronico4 ,no doubt you are right4 ,but do not suppose that she will be of the same way of thinking4 ,she has just told me that she will never leave me for any other man in the world4 ,i cannot believe that she could so quickly change her mind4 ,still ,i will do as you ask1 and thus you shall learn the truth4 7,he calls47 ,dina1 my pretty6 listen6 come here6 ,,dina4 ,did you call me1 my master8 ,,andronico4 ,listen1 my pretty3 this good man is seeking you on behalf of your husband1 and we have agreed that if you want to leave me ,i shall let you go1 that if you want to remain you shall remain4 ,you know that you are happy with me1 and that ,i shall never let you want for anything4 ,do as you will and as you please1 ,i say no more4 ,,dina4 ,to go with my husband8 ,i don't want to6 ,to be beaten8 ,my faith1 no6 ,i would to heaven that ,i had never known him1 that greatest of all the cowards that eat bread6 ,i say it once for all1 ,i don't wish to return to him4 ,,andronico4 ,well1 well1 well6 ,are you satisfied8 ,when ,i told you this you would not believe me4 ,,pittaro4 ,but listen1 girl6 ,she herself told ,bilora1 not half-an-hour ago1 that she wanted to return to him1 but that you did not wish it4 ,,dina4 ,i8 ,i never said anything of the sort4 ,to whom did ,i say it8 ,as the good wife says1 ,i leave that lie to him who invented it4 ,,andronico4 ,go in1 my dear1 and do not trouble yourself further4 7,to ,,pittaro47 ,what do you say now8 ,what further can you ask8 ,,pittaro4 ,i1 sir8 ,nothing further4 ,i want what she wants4 ,but let me tell you that ,bilora is a man to be feared2 he bears you no good will1 and you would do well to return his wife to him4 ,,andronico4 ,what do you mean by that8 ,explain at once4 ,do you threaten me8 ,do not anger me4 ,i am quite cool1 and ,i tell you frankly that you are a fool4 ,begone at once4 ,once for all ,i will not surrender ,dina4 ,do you understand8 ,i am going home4 ,see to it that ,i do not find you here when next ,i go forth4 ,let that suffice4 ,pittaro promises to depart and never to be seen again4 ,after ,andronico has gone in1 ,bilora enters4 ,probably he has heard everything for he reproaches his gossip with not having succeeded4 ,thereupon ,pittaro1 becoming impatient1 and angered already by ,andronico1 tells him that he is tiresome2 but he tells him this in the energetic words which in those days were still permitted in the theatre4 ,whereupon he seeks to lead ,bilora away with him1 but since ,bilora refuses1 he bids him go to the devil1 and departs4 ,,bilora 7alone74 ,no1 ,i shall not go4 ,my affairs are all upside down2 it is enough to make a schoolboy die of laughter1 and ,i don't know what to do4 ,this old man has ruined my life4 ,it would be better that he were dead and buried4 ,let him but come forth and ,i shall tell him what ,i think of him1 and so manhandle him as to knock the life out of him4 ,yes1 but he will scream in fear if ,i do that6 ,better perhaps to do as the ,spanish soldiers do2 that will not leave him time to say eight words4 ,let me draw my knife from its scabbard4 ,let us see if the blade is bright4 ,by the scorpion1 it is none too bright1 so perhaps he won't fear it4 ,accursed old man1 may you but come quickly1 ,i shall flay you alive4 ,i shall take his clothes and ,i shall sell them1 together with my cloak1 to buy a horse so as to travel far4 ,i shall turn soldier and live in camps1 for henceforth ,i shall hold my house in horror4 ,whoever likes can have it4 ,ah6 would he but come forth4 ,chut6 ,here he is6 ,may the plague burst the old fool4 ,the moment is choice1 provided that no one comes4 ,here he is6 ,ah6 now he shall not escape me4 ,,andronico 7in the doorway speaking to the servant74 ,what animal is that1 wandering round the house at this time8 ,some drunkard8 ,do not come1 ,zane1 remain indoors4 ,i am going to take the air to calm myself2 keep ,dina company and then come and seek me in the fourth hour of night with a lantern4 ,,zane4 ,i shall come as soon as possible4 ,do not be uneasy4 ,,andronico4 ,zane1 shut the door4 ,i shall go this way4 ,,bilora4 ,may death eat thee1 thou worn-out old man6 ,take that6 and that6 7,he strikes him47 ,,andronico4 ,oh1 my sweet son6 ,oh1 my lad6 ,mercy1 mercy6 ,to me6 to me6 help6 fire6 fire6 fire6 ,i am being murdered6 ,treason6 ,fire6 fire6 ,to me6 ,i die6 ,i am dead6 7,he falls47 ,,bilora4 ,fire6 ,ay--into the fire of hell shalt thou go4 ,return me my wife now4 ,did ,i not tell you to let her be8 ,but he is dead1 he does not move a limb4 ,ah6 you have laughed your fill1 eh8 ,didn't ,i warn you1 eh8 ,this ends the piece4 ,this dialogue1 whose energy and colour is lost in translation1 is1 as will be seen1 a tragedy1 but a real tragedy2 just so might it have been in reality upon some ,venetian traghetto1 one of those flights of steps so often drenched with blood1 to be washed a moment later by the waters of the canal as they bore away the body4 ,the original is most arresting4 ,it contains no fiction1 no ideal4 ,each character thinks and speaks as in actual life4 ,but how extraordinary the humour and how rude the fibre of a public that could laugh at these scenes of despair and murder that were seasoned by the most frightful jests6 ,bilora's monologue is remarkable for its truth to life in an epoch in which dramatic convention was surcharged with emphasis3 we behold an assassin who premeditates and does not premeditate2 one who desired and did not desire4 ,he wanted to beat and to insult his man2 if the man died1 so much the worse4 ,the peasant is neither brave nor evil2 he is not proud and he has not the honour of the gentleman2 he loves his criminal wife1 he regrets her1 he desires her1 he will have her1 he will beat her and he will love her again4 ,that is the child of nature4 ,one can understand how much an actor of intelligence might extract from such a situation1 fraught with laughter1 tears and terror4 ,the dialogue we have just indicated seems a sort of revenge taken by the fancy of ,ruzzante upon that which follows1 in which he plays the part of a poltroon1 or rather of the soldier captain4 ,,monologue ,,of ,,ruzzante ,,returning ,,from ,,the ,,wars ,behold me at last arrived in ,venice4 ,i was as impatient to get here as the lean mare is impatient to see the grass sprouting in springtime4 ,at last ,i am going to see my ,gnua 7,genoveffa76 ,to hell with camps and wars and soldiers6 ,i shall no longer be disturbed by rolling of drums and braying of trumpets which set me trembling4 ,i shall no longer hear the cry 8,to arms60 ,i shall no longer be afraid6 ,when the cry 8,to arms0 rang out1 it was as if ,i had a press upon my stomach4 ,and then the musket-shots6 ,i tremble no longer2 ,i am brave now2 ,i shall be able to sleep and dream as much as ,i like4 ,i shall eat when ,i like1 what ,i like1 and too much if ,i like4 ,i shall digest4 ,i shall go as ,i please4 ,saint ,mark6 ,saint ,mark6 ,i am at last in safety4 ,i travelled swiftly2 ,i have done more than sixty miles a day4 ,i came hither in three days from ,cremona6 ,it is not as far as people say4 ,they will tell you that from ,cremona to ,brescia it is forty miles2 it is but a stride4 ,from ,brescia to ,peschiera they say it is thirty4 ,from ,peschiera here1 what can the distance be8 ,i came in a day although it is true that ,i walked all night4 ,faith6 my legs are aching1 although ,i am not tired4 ,the fact is that fear drove me and hope sustained me1 and my shoes bore the burden4 ,i want to look at them4 ,may the scorpion eat me6 ,now here is one with no sole left4 ,that must have been in the war4 ,if ,i had had the enemy behind me ,i could not have walked faster4 ,i look like a thief in these clothes1 which ,i stole from a peasant4 ,but the clothes do not matter4 ,i am in safety4444 ,then ,i took a boat at ,fusine4 ,if ,i had been killed in the war and ,i were no more than a ghost ,i should not be here now4 ,ah1 but no6 ghosts don't eat4 ,i am myself4 ,i am alive4 ,i must go and look for ,gnua and my gossip ,menato1 who has also come to live in ,venice4 ,but here he comes4 ,heh6 gossip1 it is ,i1 ,ruzzante6 ,,menato4 ,is it you1 gossip8 ,i should never have known you4 ,you are so changed6 ,but be welcome4 ,do you come from the wars8 ,have you been sick or in prison8 ,but what an evil countenance1 gossip6 ,you have the air of a brigand4 ,forgive me1 but ,i have seen more than a hundred men who were hanged1 and never one with so evil a countenance as yours4 ,,ruzzante4 ,that is the effect of misery and war1 of bad drinking1 bad eating1 hunger and thirst4 ,had you but been where ,i have been6 ,,menato4 ,you talk like a book1 my friend4 ,have you then learnt to speak ,florentine8 ,,ruzzante4 ,he who travels the world must make haste to learn4 ,i speak ,french too1 but were ,i to address you in that language of a certainty you would not understand me4 ,i learnt all through fear in a day1 and ,i glory in it4 ,hereupon follow several untranslatable pleasantries upon alleged ,florentine and ,french words1 with explanations in the ,paduan dialect and interpretations by ,ruzzante4 ,menato then turns to the subject of the rags worn by ,ruzzante4 ,ruzzante tells him that he conquered them1 sword in hand1 from a peasant whom he had wounded4 8,a plague on these good-for-nothing peasants10 he says4 ,,menato4 ,but1 gossip1 now that you are a soldier1 you no longer believe yourself a rustic1 eh8 ,are you become such a roarer that you would eat iron8 ,,ruzzante4 ,had you been where ,i have been1 you would also have learned to eat not only iron1 but weapons and baggage as well1 for having no money by which to live ,i sold all that ,i possessed at an inn4 ,,menato4 ,is that all that you have brought from your assaults upon the enemy8 ,,ruzzante4 ,i never sought to do the enemy any ill4 ,why should ,i have done so8 ,the enemy never did me any harm4 ,i made war upon cows and mares1 and sometimes ,i took prisoners4 ,,menato4 ,you look so much like a bad soldier that no one who sees you will believe that you have ever been to war4 ,i had looked to see you return crippled in a leg or an arm1 or with your face scarred or an eye missing4 ,,ruzzante4 ,valour does not lie in wounds and cripplings4 ,do you imagine that four men could make me afraid8 ,had you but been where ,i have been you would take another tone4 ,you would have done things which you have never done4 ,it is not necessary to limp or to be short of an arm to go through one of those battles in which one can do nothing against so many4 ,in those affairs no one knows anybody1 gossip4 ,you hear everyone crying3 8,kill6 kill60--,harquebus shots here1 and partisan strokes there4 ,you see your comrade drop dead1 and then it is your turn2 and if you attempt to run away the enemy charges you1 and a shot out of somewhere breaks your spine4 ,i tell you that courage is necessary to attempt to escape or to go into hiding4 ,and do you suppose that anyone wastes his time trying to hide8 ,now look at me who am speaking to you4 ,i pretended to be dead and all the cavalry rode over me4 ,if the mountain of ,vesuvius had been rolled over my body it could not have been worse4 ,i am telling you the truth4 ,it is necessary to have courage to come back alive4 ,once as ,i was running away a cavalier and his horse that were also running away1 trod on my heel and stripped my shoe of its sole as you can see4 ,menato inquires whether all his campaigns have brought him any money4 ,to this ,ruzzante replies with his sacramental phrase3 8,if you had been where ,i have been you would not have brought back more than ,i have40 ,but the aim of his journey is his well-beloved ,gnua1 who1 according to ,menato1 has forgotten him1 and is at this moment established in ,venice with the familiar of a cardinal4 ,to this ,ruzzante announces that it is a little thing for him to kill a man1 and that he will kill this one even if he should be four men4 ,,ruzzante4 ,but here is ,gnua1 gossip4 ,here she comes1 faith6 ,now we shall see whether she will caress me4 ,hola6 tell me1 then1 pretty one1 don't you see me8 ,it is ,i4 ,,gnua4 ,ruzzante6 ,is it thou8 ,alive8 ,but in what rags1 and what a piteous countenance6 ,you have profited nothing then8 ,,ruzzante4 ,i have profited enough for you since ,i bring you my carcass safe and sound as you can see4 ,,gnua4 ,as for your carcass ,i can do very well without it4 ,i had imagined you would have brought me some fine robe4 ,i must go4 ,i am expected4 ,let me go4 ,,ruzzante4 ,to the devil with the love ,i bore you6 ,no sooner have you seen me than you want to go again4 ,i1 who have returned from the wars on purpose to see you4 ,,gnua4 ,you have seen me enough4 ,to tell you the truth ,i don't want you to be a cause of trouble1 for there is someone who is entertaining me very comfortably1 and who knows nothing of our past adventure4 ,ruzzante informs her that he is as capable of entertaining her as this other one2 but ,gnua has no wish to die of hunger with him4 8,after four months of business in the wars10 she says1 8you might at least have brought some money back4 ,but ,i don't believe you were ever at the war4 ,you have the face of a liar1 and you probably spent your time in some apothecary's shop4 ,i should prefer you if you had returned short of an arm or a leg1 and perhaps blind or with your nose slit1 anxious to earn money for me as you promised4 ,he swore to me10 she says to ,menato1 8to die or to return rich1 and you see in what condition he returns2 that is proof enough of how little he thought about me40 ,,ruzzante4 ,i tell you that ,i was unfortunate4 ,,gnua4 ,that is very possible1 but ,i who have not been1 and who do not want to be1 unfortunate1 am not going to be wretched with you4 ,go6 ,look after your own affairs1 and ,i'll look after mine4 ,i am going back to my man4 ,,ruzzante4 ,to the devil with your man6 ,i know no man of yours other than myself4 ,,gnua4 ,let me go1 wretch1 rascal1 liar1 good-for-nothing6 ,,ruzzante4 ,come with me1 ,i tell you4 ,do not make me angry4 ,i have changed1 and you shall no longer lead me by the nose as you used to do4 ,,menato4 ,listen1 my good girl1 come with me6 ,he is capable of killing you4 ,,gnua4 ,he8 ,don't mind him4 ,he is equal to killing nothing but a flea1 the boaster6 ,the ,bravo 7it is thus that ,gnua's lover is named7 enters1 falls upon ,ruzzante and beats him until he falls4 ,the ,bravo carries off ,gnua4 ,when he has gone ,ruzzante raises his head and addresses ,menato3 ,,ruzzante4 ,have they gone1 gossip8 ,make quite sure6 ,,menato4 ,be at ease1 gossip2 they have gone1 there is none here4 ,,ruzzante4 ,but the others1 have they gone too8 ,,menato4 ,what others8 ,i saw only one4 ,,ruzzante4 ,you are blind6 ,there were more than a hundred of them4 ,,menato4 ,oh no1 by the scorpion6 ,,ruzzante4 ,oh yes1 by the scorpion6 ,do you pretend to know better than ,i8 ,they were a hundred against one4 ,if ,i hadn't pretended to be dead so quickly they would have made me so in reality6 ,,menato4 ,you told me that you were so brave that in battle you knew neither friends nor relatives4 ,,ruzzante4 ,certainly6 ,but what do you expect of one man against all the world4 ,you should have come to my aid4 ,do you think that ,i am a ,roland8 ,,menato4 ,i assure you1 gossip1 that there was only one man1 but ,i imagined that you allowed yourself to be ill-treated so as to rise up and fall upon him when he should have thought you dead4 ,i expected you to prevent him from carrying off ,gnua4 ,do you understand1 gossip8 ,,ruzzante4 ,i don't1 gossip2 ,i didn't even think of it4 ,i flung myself down1 ,i pretended to be dead as ,i used to do in battle so as to save my life4 ,it is the safest way when so many enemies fall upon you4 ,,menato4 ,gossip1 on my faith1 ,i tell you that that man was alone4 ,why didn't you defend yourself with your lance8 ,,ruzzante4 ,one against a hundred8 ,there is nothing to do but run on those occasions4 ,,menato4 ,gossip1 there was only one1 ,i tell you6 ,,ruzzante4 ,very well then1 if there was only one it is some treason or some enchantment of ,gnua4 ,what do you think8 ,do you think she is a sorceress8 ,in the old days she led me to suppose that she was the most beautiful girl in the world2 yet that is not true4 ,there are many more beautiful than she4 ,now she contrives that one single man shall seem a hundred to me2 therefore--may the scorpion eat her6--,i will get her burnt for a witch4 ,you are very sure that there was only one8 ,you see what a valiant man ,i must be to have been able to bear so many blows6 ,,menato4 ,by the scorpion1 there were blows enough to kill a donkey6 ,i could not see the sky1 they rained so fast4 ,are you not hurt8 ,i don't understand how you happen to be still alive6 ,,ruzzante4 ,habit1 gossip4 ,i am accustomed to it4 ,i feel nothing4 ,i have but one regret1 and that is not to have known that there was only one4 ,i should have performed the most beautiful drowning that was ever seen4 ,i should have taken him and her and flung them together into the canal4 ,ah1 scorpion6 ,that would have been droll1 and we should have laughed a little6 ,i don't say that ,i should have beaten him6 ,the love of ,gnua is not worth so much trouble4 ,but ,i should have flung him into the water4 ,do you understand1 gossip8 ,and of a certainty there would have been matter for laughter4 ,oh6 oh6 oh6 oh6 ,we will conclude our quotations with an admirable letter of ,ruzzante's to his friend and comrade in the theatre1 ,marco ,alvarotto 7,menego-,menato74 ,being in possession of no details touching the life of a man so supremely remarkable and interesting1 and bearing in mind that if our aim here is to present the history of the types of the ,commedia1 it is also our aim1 as far as possible1 to present the history of forgotten talent and vanished glories1 we think that we should reveal the aspirations and1 as it were1 the very soul of ,ruzzante summed up in this letter4 ,we behold in him a man young and handsome1 melancholy like all great buffoons1 suffering1 probably1 from weariness of spirit rather than from a dissolute life1 for the chastity of his compositions is remarkable in an epoch in which libertinism presides in every dramatic and literary effort4 ,consider the subject of ,la ,mandragora and that of ,la ,calandra1 and that this is the age of ,aretino and so many other illustrious debauchees4 ,from time to time ,ruzzante manifests the cynicism and rude expression of his age1 but this cynicism on the lips of peasants shocks far less than when it is found on those of fine gentlemen4 ,the basis of his subjects is a moral lesson1 sometimes tragic1 sometimes moving4 ,the eternal becco comedia in ,ruzzante's work is as often terrible as ridiculous1 and when the author presents to us a pure girl like ,nina1 in ,la ,piovana1 she is truly adorable4 ,further he conceals under the flowers of allegory a fine and delicate spiritualism as we may see4 8,to ,messer ,marco ,alvarotto 8,marco1 my dear master1 ,i rejoice with you in the pleasures you experienced at the hunt1 and believing that on your side you would wish to participate in a joy which ,i have lately experienced1 ,i am about to relate it to you4 8,you will know that1 finding this world the most beautiful country in the world1 ,i took one day the firm resolve to remain in it for ever1 or at least to be one of the last to quit it4 ,knowing full well1 however1 that it is no more the privilege of honest men than of any others to enjoy an existence which shall be more than an existence1 ,i have indulged myself at length upon this subject in my little books#i2 these assure me that it is possible to live very long and even eternally1 but that first it would be necessary for me to find a certain lady whom some call ,modesty and others ,wisdom1 who has it in her power to bestow as long a life as one may ask of her2 for some great personages long since dead are still living in their works4 ,to this ,i answered3 #8,oh1 my brothers1 my little books1 you are trifling with me2 this lady is like that herb which has the virtue of rendering invisible whoever wears it1 but which is nowhere to be found4' ,nevertheless ,i did not insist1 knowing my books to be truthful and akin to honest men1 who would not tell a falsehood for a thousand ducats4 ,thereupon ,i firmly resolved to seek this lady1 and even though she were more hideous than ,envy so truly to pay her my court as to persuade her promptly to come with me4 ,but after having ransacked all my world of writing matter1 after having sought and after having voyaged in my mind farther than the ships of ,spain1 without even finding a track of her footsteps1 ,i fell one day into despair1 like the gambler who is unlucky at the first throw4 ,i cursed all writings1 and in a passion ,i went to seek repose in the country4 8,i was left alone by the hunt on one of our little hills called ,este1 awaiting the return of my dogs from behind another hill where they were chasing a hare4 ,they were already so far that ,i could no longer hear their voices4 ,it seemed to me that all things fell silent about me1 and1 whether as a result of this silence1 or whether from weariness of mind1 sleep entered gently and unperceived into my eyes1 and he was no sooner within than1 as it were1 he set a chain upon the door and drove me out of myself4 ,i desire to be1 and ,i ought to be1 grateful to him all my life1 however long it may be1 for the sweet and pleasant dream which caused me to see and hear things so lovely that it will be lovely to repeat them and even more lovely to believe them4 ,thus closed and double-locked as ,i have said1 ,i beheld first of all our good and brave old ,polo as he was in other days1 so clearly that ,i did not have the courage to ask him whether he was living or dead4 ,he was dressed in a festal robe1 and seemed to be coming from the barber's1 with a countenance which announced rather that he had dined well than that he had fasted4 ,i cannot think how he came by his knowledge of my desire to live for ever 7,i believe the soul to be a thing divine71 but1 after wishing me a good day and a happy year1 after having rubbed his nose on the right and left1 after having twice drawn breath1 he began to speak3 #8,ruzzante1 you have wearied yourself more over your books than ever ,i wearied my arms upon animals1 and you will never be able to find the woman you seek unless ,i assist you and point her out to you4 ,it is your mania for calling things by names which do not belong to them that leads you into error4 ,you think her name is as you say4 ,you seem to me much in the same case as that fellow who read ,balotta upon a book on which was written ,checarello4 ,but come with me and ,i will lead you to her court1 where you shall find many good companions to move you to laughter1 even as you move others to it with your comelies or comegies 7con le to comielie1 comiegie71 ,i know not what you call them4'0 ,it would take up too much space to translate here the entire discourse of the old peasant ,polo to ,ruzzante4 ,he informs him1 in short1 that she whom he calls ,wisdom is named ,gaiety1 and that he will be so happy upon beholding her1 so joyous and so gay1 that he will find by her that future existence which he seeks4 8,no longer will he suffer his dreadful pangs2 no longer will he know pain2 he will be able to breathe with all his lungs4 ,an hour1 a minute of this well-understood existence is better than a thousand years of a life which is unperceived40 ,the peasant describes in his rustic fashion the happiness of existence4 ,for him1 to sing1 to dance1 to drink as much as he thirsts1 to have apples1 well-cooked beetroots and good chestnuts1 to saunter and do nothing but look on1 is not that the way of happiness1 of gaiety and of joy rather than for a man to dribble his brains into books8 ,they go along talking thus in quest of ,gaiety1 and their way runs through a fresh and smiling countryside1 to which ,polo draws ,ruzzante's attention3 8,have you ever seen a more lovely country1 so surrounded with flowering hills and shaded woods1 turning a quicker green from the last rains1 these little streams bubbling over stones and losing themselves among herbs and flowers8 ,do you hear that little bird singing his song1 hairo1 hairo1 hairo80 ,across this earthly paradise1 before the eyes of ,ruzzante1 is unfolded a whole world of allegorical figures1 which come and go2 these ,polo explains to him after his own fashion3 8#8,look your fill2 we are in the land of ,gaiety4 ,consider first this woman1 here at my side4 ,this is ,prudence1 ,gaiety's principal cook4 ,then come ,contentment and ,pleasure1 riding on horseback1 in a carriage or in a boat4 ,look at this one rolling along the ground with his mouth so widely open that one may deem him on the point of bursting2 this is ,laughter4 ,look at that woman1 beautifully attired and bejewelled2 she is ,fate4 ,at her side is her brother ,dance1 who has removed his shoes that he may leap the better4 ,behold1 he is dancing6 ,these two ladies who come hand in hand are ,mirth and ,joy4 ,the latter seems unable to contain herself1 so constantly does she desire to sing1 to dance1 to gambol or play the lute4 ,further off is ,kindness1 embracing ,friendship4 ,here are ,peace and ,charity4 ,look quickly that you may behold the ,passing ,hour which never more returns4 ,there is one who goes before her whose name is ,cock4 ,he is the first to hear her4 ,he advances1 greeting her with song4 ,look at that one who is separated from the company1 dressed in black4 ,she is ,corruption2 it is she who spoils existence as the beasts destroy the plants4 ,and there is ,sadness with folded hands1 her head upon her knees3 to behold her glassy eye you might conceive her dead4 ,take no heed of this little fellow with a bow and a quiver at his hip2 he is the worst of all2 you could never believe how profoundly he is malicious4 ,there is no existence so beautiful but that he will thrust himself in to ruin it with his wiles and his malice4 ,his name is ,love1 but he is not the good ,love1 the child of ,god and of ,liberty4 ,i cannot think who were the parents of this evil child1 but ,i suspect that they were ,malice and ,misfortune4 ,come on1 run as if the plague pursued you4 ,do you not see8 ,jealousy is beside him with her scarlet raiment full of holes1 to enable evil designs readily to enter in4 ,pain1 drawing her lamentations1 runs before ,arson1 which rolls upon the ground like a rabid dog4 ,there is ,caprice which never knows peace1 which is never well where it is1 which ever desires to be where it is not1 which desires to be and not to be1 and also desires to be another and yet not to be that other4 ,do not look because by dint of looking at all these we shall lose sight of ,gaiety4 ,why do you stare at ,love8 ,let him be4' 8,whilst he was speaking thus it seemed to me that ,i heard music4 ,not that of songs and instruments1 but a something more harmonious1 like a concert4 ,it seemed to me that all this made up so beautiful a thing that it would be impossible to relate it in a thousand years1 even with a thousand tongues4 ,i wanted to look attentively so as to miss nothing1 such was the pleasure ,i gathered from this spectacle4 ,but my eyes seemed hindered ,i know not by what heaviness4 ,making yet another effort to open them the dream took flight1 and ,i found myself restored to reality4 8,at the same moment ,i beheld my dogs returning1 driving the hare before them4 ,they were so tired that one of them came to lie down before me and to let me take the palpitating hare from his jaws4 8,i remembered my dream1 and ,i bethought me that the music which ,i had heard greatly resembled the voices of my dogs4 ,it seemed to me also that the cause of all those lovely things which ,i had seen coming and going in my dream were my dogs pursuing the hare1 which1 by passing again and again before me1 caused me in the end to open my eyes4 8,there you have my divertissement2 laugh over it with some good companion4 ,i kiss your hands and commend myself to you and to our friends1 to whom ,i augur happiness and an existence as eternal as that which ,i was seeking4 8,,ruzzante4 8,from ,padua1 on the feast of the ,epiphany1 #aece40 ,it would be wrong for the commedia sostenuta to claim ,ruzzante2 he belongs to our subject every whit as much as ,gozzi and ,goldoni1 those ungrateful successors of his who never mention his name1 and who very possibly never read his works4 ,in accordance with the ancient ,italian custom1 ,beolco wrote his comedies after he had played them with his gay and clever comrades2 he performed them at least partly in impromptu4 ,moreover in some of his pieces many scenes are no more than indicated in a few words1 to be played and improvised by the actors2 for instance3 8,the ,bravo enters and falls upon ,ruzzante1 etc4 8,they now sing1 and when they have done1 ,nale enters1 and drawing his sword1 advances upon ,menego saying3 #8,draw1 traitor6' ,menego1 frightened does not draw but runs hither and thither receiving many blows40 ,elsewhere3 8,hereupon the priest makes a few signs and noises are heard which terrify ,menego and ,duozzo1 whom the priest reassures1 etc40 ,some of the works of ,ruzzante were preserved in the family of his protector ,cornelio2 others were published1 some in their original text1 some translated into ,italian4 ,five of his comedies printed severally for the first time in #aeea1 and some of them reprinted more than once1 were1 in #aefc1 collected into an octavo volume in ,venice by ,giovanni ,bonadio4 ,these were ,la ,piovana1 ,l',anconitana1 ,la ,moschetta1 ,la ,vaccaria and ,la ,fiorina4 ,an edition of the complete works of ,ruzzante was issued in #aehd in duodecimo by ,giorgio ,greco at ,vicenza4 ,it bore the title3 ,tutte l'opere del famosissimo ,ruzzante di nuovo e con somma diligenza rivedute et corrette1 et aggiuntovi un sonetto et una canzone dello stesso autore4 ,al molto magnifico signor ,vespasiano ,zopiano gentil'huomo ,vicentino4 ,ristampate l'anno del ,signore #aehd4 ,another edition appeared in ,vicenza in #aeih1 and a third and last edition1 which is the best known1 was published in #afag in ,venice by ,domenico ,amadio3 8,the works of the celebrated ,signor ,angelo ,beolco1 a nobleman of ,padua1 surnamed ,ruzzante1 are10 says the publisher in a preface to the readers1 8so beloved and appreciated by all the world for their sentiment1 wit1 delicacy and erudition1 that they are sought after by everyone as a most learned and interesting collection4 ,having regard1 then1 to this general desire1 ,i have reprinted them with care1 and ,i deliver them to the public revised1 corrected1 and conforming entirely with the originals on the score of purity of style and primitive simplicity4 ,in delighting you with this book1 ,i trust that the nobility of your soul will take into consideration my labour and my good intention1 which are always at the services of the pleasure and the well-being of all40 ,this last edition includes the following works of the very celebrated ,ruzzante3 with the apologetic titles of the editor3 ,la ,piovana1 8or the history of the purse40 ,l',anconitana1 8a comedy which treats of love and which cannot fail to give pleasure40 ,la ,rhodiana1 8a surprising and very laughable comedy1 full of very piquant sayings in various languages1 by the very celebrated ,ruzzante40 ,this last comedy is attributed to ,andrea ,calmo1 a ,venetian actor and author1 a contemporary of ,ruzzante's4 ,there is reason to believe that it was written by ,ruzzante after having been played from a scenario supplied by ,calmo4 ,that at least is what appears to be proven by the following fragment of the prologue3 8444 ,it is the custom in ,carnival time to amuse you with divertissements and performances of this style1 but we should have been unable to have done it this year without the assistance of one of our companions1 who1 although unable to leave his own troupe1 suggested to us and brought us the work which you are going to see performed this evening4 ,we have been compelled1 then1 to have recourse to his good memory which has given us this work1 a work which will undoubtedly please you if you will not make too much noise40 ,la ,vaccaria1 8a comedy no less witty than amusing40 ,la ,fiorina1 8a comedy no less piquant than delectable40 ,la ,moschetta1 8a comedy no less amusing than agreeable40 ,three discourses by ,ruzzante1 8written and recited in rustic language4 ,works full of wit and sallies1 and marvellously amusing40 ,two dialogues 8in rustic language1 moral1 witty and agreeable40 ,a dialogue 8very facetious and very droll1 played at the hunt in #aebh40 ,the characters in the plays of ,ruzzante are3 ,in the rles of fathers and of ridiculous and battered husbands1 ,messer ,andronico1 ,messer ,cornelio 7old men of ,venice71 ,demetrio ,placido1 ,diomede1 ,ser ,thomao1 ,pittaro1 ,sivello1 ,pasquale1 ,tura and ,maregale2 the lovers are ,tancredo1 ,theodoro1 ,gismonde1 ,flavio1 ,roberto1 ,federico1 and ,polidoro 7a ridiculous lover72 the leading ladies are ,ginevra1 ,isotta1 ,fiorinetta1 and ,beatrice2 his peasant girls are ,gnua1 ,fiore1 ,bettia1 ,nina1 ,ghetta and ,dina2 his soubrettes are ,besa1 ,gita1 ,betta and ,maddalena2 in the rles of mother he has ,theodosia1 ,ruspina1 ,resca1 ,sofronia1 ,felicita1 ,celega and ,prudentia 7ruffiana71 and ,doralice 7a courtesan72 his rustic types are ,ruzzante1 ,menego-,menato1 ,duozzo1 ,marchioro1 ,bilora1 ,bedon1 ,truffa1 ,vezzo1 ,loron1 ,forbino1 and ,siton2 his intriguing lackeys are ,tonin the ,bergamese1 ,nale1 ,slavero1 ,garbuio1 ,daldura1 ,garbinello1 ,zane1 ,bertevello1 ,campeggio1 ,naso and ,corrado 7the ,german74 ,in addition to these his comedies include a notary and ,piolo1 a singer4 ,,end ,,of ,,volume ,,one ,,the ,,riverside ,,press ,,limited1 ,,edinburgh ,,footnotes #a ,about #afj1jjj of our present money4 #b ,i4e4 players in the ,thtres de la ,foire--that is to say1 players who set up their theatres at public fairs4 #c ,see the dialogue between ,clindor and ,matamore1 etc41 etc41 in ,p4 ,corneille's ,l',illusion ,comique4 #d ,mondor's diction in these performances in ,paris was an extraordinary mixture of ,french1 ,italian and ,spanish1 which it is only possible to appreciate by a glimpse at the original3 8,,rodomont4 ,cavallires1 mousquetadres1 bombardas1 canones1 morions1 corseletes6 ,aqui1 veillaco6444 ,son il ,capitanio ,rodomont1 la bravura1 la valore de todo el mondo2 la mia spada s'est rendue triomphante del toto universo4 8,,tabarin4 ,il est vray1 par ma foy2 il n'y a personne qui joue mieux de l'espe deux jambes que luy4 8,,rodomont4 ,que fasto en sta casa1 ,tabarin8 ,que fasto veillaco8 ,io te quero ablar4444 ,aqui1 veillacon8 ,aqui1 poerco8 ,io te quero matar1 eres moerto60 #e ,courtesans did not allow their hair to grow1 so that they might dress in male attire when the fancy took them4 ,but those who were faithful to their lovers retained long hair as a sign of the propriety of their conduct4 #f 8,the white uniform of the gardes-franaises10 says ,m4 douard ,fournier1 8is somewhat reminiscent of the costume of the nave comedian2 hence they are everywhere called ,pierrots4 ,the street urchin did not stop at that3 whenever he beheld a soldier in white uniform he imitated the cry of the sparrow1 which is also called a pierrot1 and cried out #8,piou-piou'2 hence this sobriquet1 which is still given to our infantry soldiers40 #g 8,il ,,teatro delle favole rappresentative1 overo la ricreatione comica1 boscareccia e tragica2 divisa in cinquanta giornate4 ,composte da ,flaminio ,scala1 detto ,flavio1 comico del sereniss4 sig4 duca di ,mantoua4 ,in ,venetia #affa40 #h ,gennari1 in his ,saggio storico sulle accademie1 page #ba1 calls him 8the new ,roscius of his day1 an admirable man1 a prodigious actor and the author of very clever comedies40 #i ,the manuscripts were not printed until several years after his death4