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HARVARD COLLEGE UBRARY 

TiiK oiin- OP 
FRANK E. CHASE 

Qt THB CLASS OF 1878 
BOUOHT FSOU HIS BBqURST BBCEIVKD 
INlMM-THeiNCOKEOFWHlCHMSTOBS 
DRVOTBD PKIUARILYTOTHE PL^KCKASE 
or BOOKS KELATINO TO TH& THEATRE. 
THE DRAMA. OR RElJlTKD SUBJECTS" 





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MEMOIRS OF MOHEL.^ 



'•.'•, ; \ 



, I 



BT 



MADAME DE 



■ I 



m TWO VOLUIIES. 



VOL. n. 



LOKDOK: 

HURST AND BLACK ETT, PUBLISHERS, 
SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN, 

18, ORSAT MASLBOBOUGH «TBXR. 

1858. 
Tb* il|kt (f HmuUUm ti 



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Harbntr (DoOtse Xiiratp 

FROM 

The JLlbraiy Of 

£'.ranl^..£ugana...Chaaa. 



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tu 3 7o^«/^»!io 




fCtOuA THE LlbAAHY OF 
FIANK eUQCIIC CHASC 
OeCLtaBLII d, 1920 ^ 






HARVARD 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 

AUG 14 1973 



m. BOI3I, FBDnXB, 



LOMDOlft 
OLOCCKtTBR 
BBOEirT's FAMK 



STEBBi; PARK ITRBBT, 



: i 



if 



f.\ 







CONTENTS. 



ThiM IfoBilM im lb* Soath of FruM— BmM ft lAttmtU 
Fmpaguditt— VUi to MmUm* LiJus*— A Pwblk 
CoareMton— A Hajd>nearwd Fktbar— Ratara ta Pui^- 
Sketch «f tfa* OgubMloB of iIm n^ltn Ft— ;■!■— 
TU PiiMtw Twiu kat Back oa tha Taapla— A TWi 
of Iba Fanl^— Aa DacouitwM PaUie . I 

CUAPTBB n. 

A BpeiM aiUd— PKweripiiM of "Ciua'— -La Kotaeaa 
da Laabia"— Tba Real. Adrienna Laeo«Trt«r — Faaaial 
Honor* to Tlwatrlcal Talent In FnuMa nod in Sogland la 
17S0— Tka Adrianaa Laeoamnr of UaMn. Seriba aad 
L^OVT*— A Ckamtarialk Latlar ... It 

CHAFTEB m. 



B«Mfltof UadaMobaUaGaorgca— Tba TheaplaBCarU lUO 
a>d ia IH*— PUAw wllhoM <trKM-An AndiMo*boU>d 
Iba Ag'a— A Tan* lo rait aU OarvameuU—liH U • 
Staga-Coaeb-A PremUad CoaTanio>~A Plaj witboat 
a Aadlance— Tba nHm Fnwfnii m 




OONTENTS. 
CHAFTBB IT. 



nc« M 'LjUm'—Cimft ct Voat UmiIu ipent >lHa«t 
blinlj Im Q*xm»mj—'Tk» Pmmm Aant— Motbn ud 



CHAFTEB T. 
lUI. 



■*• oTTkMtricalt in lUl— DetpoUe InflMOM of SUn lud 
il« Buefiil ReMll*— Dnmaiie Antlton HuiDliMtDnn to 
wdar— "Tmlerik''— C'v' ^ '"■ Montlia ud ft-half 
— Julj— Boceowr of Stint Paur aod tb* ChUdraa of 



CHAFTEB VI. 
ISfiS. 

" DiftD* "— " LantM do LlEDcrollei " — lorJutioD from th* 
' King of Pnuik— SsTcra lllnen— Hoinawpalhk Doctor 
— AppewMice U the New Fslacs of PoUdam — Prtai iit>> 
Utkm to the Empnu of RouU — The Cur Nicfaolu Bad 
H>d«moUell« lUebel— Relnni to ParU— ProlongttioD of 
Lib—" AfpsiM " — " BoHmcnds " . 1 OS 

CHAFTEB TH. 

1*69. 
"bd/ Tanoffo' — Short Saminer Eicunion— An Oblipai; 
HaBkgu--Eagag«niant in Rauia— PenniuioD of tbf 
Smperor, th« MlnUtor of Stat«, and th« ComMis Pran; aia 
oottDtanlgned bj U. Legonii — A Diplomatic Leiter— 
^e AntboraDd the Actreai— Prisndly CorrMpondanco — 
-Hedte" aikodfor; "Hedie" written; "H«dia"raad; 
"Hedie" nrited and corrcetad; "Medfa" approved, 
racelied, rebeaned : "Hedf«' pnt awaj for kn other daj 
— lladcBoiaeUe Bacbel in St. Fetenbarg — State of 
. TteUriMUi ia Bawia— A WUtj^Beply . IW 



CBAFTBB Vm. 

1«U. 
BMm AVM RitMi*— PradMM mrwmTUtiMkm—H. Lafovr*' 
LoM* Puka<»~A DacUntloB ^ Wu Mora tb* CMI 
Tribaaal — S»ft Wor di — M. Lwoavt AppMMi — TIm 
BpoiledPMuditaPBbUo— ABodwrQmBmlpMcb^Bp — 
Uid«MiMlle RmM U Ito CUuk AptHM* u (to CiMt 
efHir Cmm(— "PhMn"— "CMdU*"— A Smmw- W 

tbaPui IN 

CHAPTES DC. 

ISM. 

Tto Flral Bo^ Afflietioa— Death of SAt«M lUfac— TW 

Ilanu7— Tk« - PmidM'— Mim Smitton— HHkaMteO* 

Soatag— A Waralag— A Lmut Ana H. IngomT*— LttMw 

*• RactolandharS 

idlo|>l«7-lUd«i'' 
&MtoldoeHi-| phy'-lbJfa"— "BoiMiMii'-^Aaottor 

"" !« 

CHAPTKBX. 

lau. 

-lUlpoBen t> H7>UriH-A TonbbU* 



CHAPTER XL 

_r '•^ 

I D^utar* for Amwka— Pmuoo br Cardi aad AAeOoa Ibr 

tor Brettor — An lU-adTiaad Expaditioa — Tojraga aariMi 
tto AHaatiA—TTDphaMBI PndktiM-<-A Bad Aagaiy 
P —Oar PaM Kmn pona* a* ttoosgli Ufa— A Stiaalaal 

^ 10 L««nilB|c— SpoBlanaoaa 0«a«Todt7— •• I« Maiirt 

UiM" ia ito Ktw WotU-A SUfht CaU Pawia 

FUladalpUa s- Ut 

CHAPTBB Xn. 

1<6«. 

faMra t« V^w ToA-Jabi Jaala in ito tUU Afal»- 

FbUaddpUa-£* Qa-iraawf A to /Za— LUlto raallr 

Till riiailiilaa Tin IrMt Tiif i— ■!■ Mairiw 




IT 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER Xin. 
ISfiS. 
McBl4n— lIot«1 Rachet— HoBMhold Oo^ pat ap at Awtiea— 
Value Mt npoD Saiaititirf — Ingcniaw QMroow— A If^ 
thet*! Letter — DcBr-Bosfcht AbMOM— WuhlngUM'* 
QrandMO— A How Claim on the TUltn ft«m»li— B»- 
tnra ttoai Egjpl — SojoarD in Muntpallkf — Ba^tl'a Chil- 
itt 177 

CHAPTER XIV. 
1UT. 
CtmeMlment of Tllnew— BalUtini of Health It««d m the 8U(« 
— Uolt— Ni chalet'* HonkB)" Actor*— Dapulu* lot Ca««>l 
— Uelanchol; I'ilgrimi^— Cannca— TUIa, al Caanai — 
The Dream — Varintioniin Health aad Spiiiti— Parandolaa 
— fiiiterBiinb— RnphaelandthoCnMl — Lait Aniograph — 
Hebrew Fnjrsi^DMdi— foBgnl—vnu kpita Olu 9M 



/ 




' 



I 



MEMOIRS OF RACHEt. 



CHAPTER L 

184& 

nrM Moath* ta iIm BoaU of FranM— Ruhri a liewwi 
PrapafudiH—VUit U Xadane I.al>rK»— A PabUa 
ConfcMion— A Ilknl-Ilauwil yubcr— Raiar* W Fkrt»— 
Skcieli of Dm OguiMtion of lb* Tbutra FraB^ak— 
11m Prkilen Tnrai bcr Back on Um Tcnpto— A VWi 
of Um FMBltjr— Am UBcovftcoaa FsUie. 

Rachel spent three monthi thii year in the 
South of France, pursuing fortune indcffttigably 
And playing without cessation almost. She pei^ 
formed eighty times in ninety d«^ during the 
summer months, and in more than twenty diflfe* 
rent localities. 

A singular circumstance, and one little known, 
connected with this tour is that, before leaving 
Paris, the trugcdientu actually offered her sei^ 
vices to the Proviuonal GoTcmment to popularise 
the RcpubUe io the Departments by unging the 



2 . MBMOIRS OP RACHEL. 



> I 



^ Maneillaifle ** wherever she played I The offer 
waa accepted by Ledru RoUin, the Minister of 
the Interior, who caused the following circular to 
be addressed to all theatrical managers in the 
Provinces, recommending Mademoiselle Rachel to 
their kind offices, and enjoining them to render 
her all aid in the exercise of her ministry as a 
propagandist: 

^ Cabinet of the Minister de Tlnterieur, 
''Paris, April 24, 1848. 

''Citizen Manager, 

"Citizen Felix, having assembled a company 
with which he intends visiting various parts of 
France: 

" It is his intention to have the masterpieces of 
our stage performed, the citoyenne Rachel volun- 
teering to be their interpreter; the citoyenne 
Rachel has broken engagements to a large amount 
which she had abroad, in order to remain in 
France I 

" The devoUon she has shown to the Republic 
in Paris, by her admirable creation of the 
" Marseilliuse ** she intends displaying in the 
Departments. 

" The electricity (I) she has diffused here will 
doubtless produce also the most marvellous and 




HKMOIBS or RAOUBI. 3 

•aluUTf effects in our pr3Tincee. It U in the 
name of art, over which the Kepublio inteod* 
extending its powerful and fcrUliaing protection, 
that 1 request you will take into eoaudcratioo 
the aaerifioes she makes, and lend your assistance 
to ftcUitate the performances which dtiaen 
Raphael Felix intends of^ganixing in joor town. 
** SaUt et F^ttrmiti 
**Elias Reqhault, 
" Director, ad imttrimt of Tboatros and Libraries." 

M. L^n Li^ult, allured by the bright proe- 
pect held out in this circuhu', entered into an 
agreement with the Felixes, fiither, son, and 
daughter, by wluch it was stipulated they should 
receive, free of all expense, 4,400fr. from the 
general management of the Lyons theatres. 
This agreement was rescinded, and a second one 
made, by wliich the expenses occasioDed by each 
performanec were to be at the charge of the 
Felixes, they receiving the whole amount of die 
receipts nude, with the sole condition of p«ying 
l,000fr. per night to Mr. L^aulL 

The non-cxccuUon of this sgreement entuled a 
ferfMt of 6,000fr. unless its fulfilment wae* ren- 
dered impoeeible by war or soeee other pnblie 
calaoutT. 

b9 



Hw tn^Uimmt, tMkm UmAitg At «oM p3m 
nora Atwhun, «r ■etwtfaJ hj kmm otiMr,' 
Motin) Klt«nd bandad and W «o«nN^ awijfaf 
tba "KuwiHuN* to Teolew^ Mwrt|wirw>> ' 
Kmm, Ailk, Aim, MmmUm, As.. Ae. Thk 
pn^Mgiadlit espfdttioa «•• wBdwiiily nma^ -. 
nliffl to «Hible bar to pi/f wUboBt lapomiduag 
iwnd( tba 0,OOOfr. fixftit to wUoh tbe triboMl 
oandenmed hv at tlw anit of M. L^uU fbr 
hoTiDg negleetad to popvlariaa tbe B^obUo 
in L/oni aocording to tbe tanna of bar con- 
tracL 

It wma during tbii jcar's visit to Montpdlier 
that Baebcl oblainod pomusMon of tba outborities, 
and of thfl cq)Uve benelf, to visit Madmma 
La&rge, then imprisoned in the Miuaon Centrale 
of tbmt town. 

The unfortunate woman made a deep im- 
pression on her viutor. She could not but feel 
great interest in one who, innocent or guilty, bad 
acquired so terrible a eelebrit/, and was Buf- 
fering so oruel a doom. 

One thing porticalwly impressed Mademoiselle 
Bocbet ; she plainl/ saw on the prisonei's features 
tbe seal of tbe fatal disease of which she herself 
and her aiater were to die. Describing this inter- 
Tiew in a latter to a friend, she alluded verjr 




HBMoiBs or RACnSI. 

fMlingly to tho aytnptomiof eonaumptioo iba hul 
noticed in Madune htXwrge, njiogi 

" Ths poor woman — whether guilty or not, I 
must call her ao— the poor woman ia alowljr 
dying of that moat terrible of all diacaMi — um- 
•umption — ^ foela tho alccin of life** thread 
unwinding, and, to tho very kat, ahe will aoe, ahe 
will feel I It ia very dreadful I Better &r a 
bullet in the weak cheat, or a tile &llu)g ob the 
aehinfr head, aomp windy day," 

Did the writer then prcaage her own fate when 
■he expressed auch horror of another's 1 

Mademoi«elle Racliel aAerwarda told her 
friends tliat she had eonsultod ' several clair- 
voyants, and that to lier ioquiry whether Madame 
La&rge was guilty, tho answer bad always been 
in the negati%-c. This was probably noro aatia- 
faetofy to her than such evidenoo would have 
been to judgo or jury. 

Her tour waa marked by other ineidentaof a 
less gloomy nature. In this «amo town, II — -, 
the actor who pUyed tho port of ntramtiiet waa 
biiacd in tho faoioua narrative of the death of 
HippoIyU, He immediately advanced to the 
footlights, and, addreaung the publio with im- 
perturbable tatigjroid, said : 

" Ma foi, gentlemen ; you are quite right ; I 



6 MBMOIRfl OP RACHRL. 

Mud it shoekingljr; but never mind, 111 t>cgin it 
mil over again I * 

Phidref who waa waiting in the slips for the 
moment when she is to drink the poison (qu4 
Medea apporin dans Athenee), laughed heartily at 
this confession. 

At Draguignan, Fleuret, who played the part 
of TheseuSf worn out with his constant nightwork 
and day-travellingy fell fast asleep while listening 
to the above-mentioned narraUve of his son's 
horrible death. A very vigorous reminder bes^ 
towed upon his shins was required to rouse him 
in time to exclium : 

** O men filsy ich&r espoir que je mc suis ravL'' 

But while Rachel was away reaping her rich sum- 
mer harvests, the green-room intrigues and spirit of 
revolt, which the necessity of union had momen- 
tarily quolledy began to ferment anew, and on her 
return in September, she found her own empire 
undermined and her favorite, the Dictator, whom 
she had been so instrumental in creating, on the 
eve of being expelled. The dismissal of citizen 
Lockroy was imminent. 

It is difficult for those unacquainted with 
French customs to have any idea of the impor- 
tance attached by the public to all that concerns, 
the stage, of the absorbing interest taken by the 




MBHoiu or BAcnicu 7 

Foruuuu in thf) quarreU of Mtora, in the Tician- 
tude* of their thcARM, in tho groen-rooni in- 
trigues, llie high honor in which dnunAtio lite> 
rature i« held eontribatw grcatl; towanla exciting 
this interest. Aotora in Fruiee sre not left to 
their own reMarces m is the euo in other 
countries. Hie French Government grants eon* 
aiderable subsidies to the larger theatres, in order 
to enable them to add eetat to their perfermanoes, 
to afibrd to their artists the leisure neoessarj' to 
perfect th«r studios, to remunemte the talent 
employed. The influence of Oovcmment is not 
BO materially felt by the minor theatres, though 
its protection and encouragement is also extended 
to them. Among the houses to which the subody 
is granted, the chief are the Grand Opent and the 
Tbdllre Fraofus. The Grand Opera, one of the 
greatest attraotione the capital offers to foreignen, 
is, in port, a dependence of the Crown, and, since 
its creation by Louis XIV. all the succeeding Sor^ 
reigns hare felt a pride in sustaining it with telat. 
Aa to the Th^itre Frao9us, or, La Coni£die Fran- 
9ais, aa it is indifferently called,its actors are hwkwl 
upon aa the chosen and enlightened interpreters 
of that dramatio literatura which is one of the 
glcMries of France. The actors reap the benefit of 
the worship triboted to the guiiiis of ConiMU^ 



8 HSMOIR8 OP RACHEL. 



Moli&rej R^gnord, Voltaire and so many 
other master-minds. Hence the lively interest 
with which the public regards everything that 
concerns them. Their lawsuits are matters of 
public import, the most distinguished lawyers dis- 
pute the honor of figuring in them, and the pub- 
lic journals follow the cases as though the fate of 
the country was at stake* 

That the reader may the better understand the 
nature and the object of the dissensions between 
Mademoiselle Rachel and the Thditre Fran9aiSf 
dissensions which the law was called upon to settle 
at the close of this year, a slight sketch of the 
peculiar organi^tion of that theatre is indispen- 
sable. Without this commentary this portion of 
our work would prove to some persons unintelligi- 
ble. 

The actors of the Thc&tre Franfais constltutCy 
in iacty a commercial association. The talent of 
each member is the portion of capital he brings 
into it, and| according to the valuation put on. this 
intellectual property* each is entitled to what is 
called a half, a quarter, an eighth, three-quarters 
of a share, or a full share in the profits of the 
theatre, which are divided into twenty-four 
shares. When all the shares are taken the per^ 
sonnet of the theatre is not yet sufficiently nume- 




HX1IOIB8 or BAOmL. 9 

roua for iti rcquiremoaU ; to vupply tho deficiency 
the holdon of slurca, that U the eomidumi aoeii- 
lairet engnge what »rc called petuioitnaireg. The 
pttuiomuiiret arc acton with fixed aalaxic* paid by 
4ociAairei, Theao nlarica diinlniah the profita of 
the company and eoiutitute i»e of ita chargoa. 

The company ia governed by a oommittee of 
managomcnt, compoacd of six male member*. 
The company hoa aloo the privilege of bang the 
arbiter of literaiy merit ; aa it ii to a eomiU ia 
loelure, composed of mole and female member*, 
that oil playi preocntcd to the theatn are aubmil- 
ted, and thi* hut committee has a right to reftue, 
to recave, fiilly or cooditionoUy, at ita owb dis- 
cretion, any play. 

Thia conslitudonal charter, which had exiated 
for nuuy ycarv, wbb confirmed by a decree known 
as the " Decree of Moscow," from its having been 
ugned by Napoleon L in that city on the Ifftb 
October, 1815. By virtue of thisdecrcc, tbefree 
action of tliis company is only aubjoct to Um *vr- 
veitianet of the superintendent of the Court per- 
formance and to that of tho Imperial Coinmi*- 
sioner; its committees regulate the material, 
financial and artistic affiurs of the theatre with 
almost uncontrolled freedom. CrrUt, no organi* 
sati<Hi can be more liberal; none oould *eem 



10 MEMOIRS OF BACH^L. 

better calculated to atinralate the actors to do 
their utmost for the prosperity of their house, 
since whatsoever they do is for their own intcrestsi 
and the value of their shares is increased accord- 
ing to the benefits realised ; it places them more- 
over, in a position of honorable independencei and 
should have the effect of maintiuning peace and 
concord among them, as they are themselves the 
arbiters of all the little discussions, tlie rivalriesi 
bickerings and quarrels arising from wounded 
vanity and irritated self-love, inseparable to the 
profession. Unfortunately the facts have always 
been far from justifying this fair conclusion. At 
the time the decree of Moscow was published, 
bitter dissensions, envenomed rivalries, among 
others that which reigned between Mademoiselle 
Mars and Mademoiselle Levcrt, divided the com- 
pany. The decree was the quos ego! of him 
who was accustomed to see all things return, at 
his command, within the limits of order. 

After the fall of the Empire, the company 
went on, somewhat lamely to be sure, under the 
rather lax surveillance of Messieurs the Gentle- 
men of the Bed-chamber, who had been brought 
back by the Sestoration, taking refuge, ever and 
anon, against any real or fancied infringement of 
its privileges, under the shadow of the decree of 




KEMOin or RiCHEL. II 

Moscow M uodar tho Pslkdium of iu indcpoii- 
dence. but, like all otkor bodiM,«ft«r 1830, it 
bogan to oxpariaiioe the elfecte of tbe diMolviog 
■pint of the times. Matten came to euch a paw 
tliat in 1847, tho wretched maoagemoDt, the iQte*> 
tioe etrife, tbe bad etate of ite financial aflain, 
made tho ititcrpoaition of Gorenimont indiapen- 
rablo. Bj a deorco publUhed oo tho 39th of 
August, a ohiof was appcnntod to tbe disorganised 
Kcpublio. Tbe diieetor chosen was M. Bukut, a 
man of letters of some reputation, who inul given 
proof of his capacity for management in tho sue- 
ccssful oi;ganisation of tho * Rene dcs deux 
Mondcs," a monthly publication. Tbe nomin** 
tion of M. Buloz in the place of the committee 
of managemeat was a complete nrolution for the 
company ; tbe new director, was, by some of tbe 
members, received as an osurper, by others as a 
liberator. 

The continual cmnplainte of Mademoiselle 
Kachel, which always found &Tor with those in 
authority, her threats of reugnation, as far back 
as the year 1846, bad largely contributed to bring 
about the measures that bad finally caused the 
nominadon of M. Bulos. From tbe beginning 
she hod declared herself in &Tor of the dicta- 
torsliip, and from that time she had been 



12 MEMOIRS OP RACHBL. 

the aoul of the party that bad sustained it ever 
since its first creation. 

Mademoiselle Rachel had a whole share in the 
companjr and fortj-two thousand francs out of the 
subvention granted by the State. Consequently 
it was for her interest that the theatre should be 
ably managed, and made to give large profits. It 
was no less for her interests that it should keep 
on good terms with every Government. She * 
knew welly too, that an actress of more than or- 
dinary talent, a young and pretty woman, would 
have a far better chance of ruling a manager, 
however absolute he might be, than a committee 
of six men all actuated by different views, claims, 
and passions. 

These considerations led Mademoiselle Rachel 
to lend all her influence to the election of M. 
Lockroy, the Republican commissary who suc- 
ceeded M. Buloz, expelled in February. But 
revolutions are moving sands ; when the revolu- 
tionary fever had cooled off, and while Made- 
moiselle Rachel was away on leave, the inde- 
pendent pnrty raised its head in the committee. 
M. Lockroy was attacked, his provisional origin, 
his national performances, his ^^Marseillaise," 
were made as great reproaches of as the ministerial 
origin of M. Buloz had formerly been. M. Lockroy 




MEMOIBS or RACIIKU IS 

WM in hu turn Muutted bj hu vtrj eonilitn- 
entB, And when hu finn wWj, HadenMHMlle R*ehel 
returned, hU fidl wu deorcod,and it nctuolly took 
pUco in the banning of October. Uie dismiMal 
uigcred KIuleauMeUe Rachel exceedingly ; it 
wounded her vanity ukI injured her interetta. 
She resolred on the mott energctio meuure* 
mthcr than (mil again under the dcmocralio yolie 
of her peera, whom tho rcfiwed to loolc upon u 
her equals. She had re-ooramenced her theatrical 
duties on her return from ber summer tour, 
opening the season with "PhAdre," on the 5tb of 
September. The " Maraeitlaise " was called for 
but not given. The epiaodos of June had taken 
place, a reaction, of which Julca Janin had shown 
himself one of the moat ensrgctio and courageous 
organs, bad followed, and the change in public 
opinion was evident from the coldness with which 
the call was received by the majority of the 
audience. The stago-manager came forward and 
said Mademoiselle Bachel was troubled with a 
cold. 

On t|ie 12th of October Mademoiselle Bacbcl 
agun attempted a part uosuited to her age and 
style. She played ^;^]ppMM in "Brittanicus" and 

failed completely in it. 

. Mademoiselle Bachel bad hoped by her alaerity 




14 mMons or sacbxl. 

la ntoBmg her dnd* to M^teia VL hoAnj ht 
pomr; flnAag her widiM ffan^rdad ud har 
tSfy diwi i — d, dM fCMTtod to bir tb/naat thmla 
flf m^pUn^ Mid flsaUy did to. The wrfg— tioii 
WW duly notifttd to htr "daw ooBHrndaB," k « 
letter dated the 14th of Ostober. 6h« had twv 
eoBipIetcd the term of eew ri ee t ea jtn§ e p ». 
, dAed bgr the daeree of Uoteom, to aneUe Ik •»- . 
mfiteJn to radgn. The leat phnue of har letter 
eontdiia the leaaoaa ihe g^na ^ her detanni- 
Bktion. 

"It » with regr^" tvft this thorough octreae, 
" it is with the deepeat grief, aj dear comrsdea, 
that I find myaeir under tho necesBit^ of retiring 
/or ever from the ThfiUre Fnnfua, but my health, 
perhapi my dignity, are depending on thfttatep." 

The committee wu, or appeared to b^ aur- 
priaed. 

** What," excUimed ita members, on the receipt 
of this letter, *■ hUdemtuselle Bachel ill I why 
she woa nerer better in her life than she is thia 
year, and never perfenned her datiea ao well. 
She haa played onoe io March, thirteen dmes in 
April, thirteen times in May. If we count the 
number of timea she haa peribrmed during her 
eonye* we shall find she played twenty-seven timea 
in one month I She may require roat after such 



MEMOIRS OF EACnSL. 15 

fatiguing labors ; we are aware that she is in the 
habit of getting her physicians to prescribe 
periods of convalescence every time she retoms 
from her periodical excursions ; but this does not 
constitute an illness ; it would, on the oontrarjrj 
go to prove a most energetic nature.** 

The committee thcrcu^Kin endeavored to induce 
Mademoiselle Rachel to retract so ill-grounded a 
resolution. Her answer was not delayed, and in 
it something of the true motives that actuated her 
peeps out. 

** I am no longer able, when ihus annoyed and 
vezcdj to fulfil the duties of the art to which I 
have devoted my life.*' 

Here she no longer complains of health; 
wounded self-love is the grievance. 

All measures of conciliation appearing useless, 
the management had recourse to the law, and a 
suit was commenced on tlie 20th of November, 
before the civil tribunal of the Seine. A letter, 
however, from Mademoiselle Rachel to the com- 
mittee (no longer her 'f dear comrades**) stopped 
the proceedings for a Ume. It was couched in the 
following terms : 

*' Messieurs, 
^ The state of my health is such that the suit 



16 MEMOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

you haye commenced on the 20th of this month 
has in reality no object, and no immediate urgency. 
* * * * I am not able to act. The 
physicians attached to the theatre are welcome to 
ascertain the truth of this statement, and I am 
willing to receive their visit.'' 

Mademoiselle Rachel then proposes that the 
suit brought against her be allowed to rest for a 
while, and requests her comrades will remember 
that her devotion to the interests of the theatre 
has occasioned the ruin of licr health. She then 
goes on to say : 

'^ I have notified to you my resignation or my 
retirement. I am legally entitled to do so, and it 
is my firm intention to adhere to it. If it is re- 
quired that I should reiterate my decision within 
one year from the date of the 14 th of October, and 
if my doing so will put a stop to all difficulties, I 
am willing to do so." 

The offer to submit to the decision of the faculty 
and the delay of one year thus proposed stopped 

the suit. 

The 17th of December was appointed for the 
medical visit. It was at the residence of Made- 
moiselle Rachel) No. 10, rue de Rivoli, that this 
scenC) worthy the pen of the immortal author of 



i 




KBMOIBa OP BACHBL. 17 

" Le Mftlnde Inugiiuiro," took plaet. Tbe 
doctors, her ftdvcnorics, deputed to report her ia 
excellent health, found her on the defenuro, 
guuded by her own phyuciui, Doctor Denu^ 
equally detemuDed to mtitt ber out ill before tnd 
■gftinat kll mco. Tbia ohatDpion, ooutting none of 
the diagnostic uid pr(^o«ltcaI signs on which he 
could base his client's malady and establish it* 
nature asaerted that the bad been greatly indi»> 
posed for tbc last six wcolis, tliat she sufiorod 
from fits of pain in ber cheat, fever, want of sleep, 
. and progrcuivQ fiJling away. As the patient's 
appearance did not corroborato this " progrcanTe 
tliinning,** she met tliis objection by the acknow* 
lodgment that she had been " improving lately." 
The visitors finding no fever or other symptoms 
to warrant the assertion of illness, dowlcd that a 
fortnight's rest was all she required to enable her. 
to resume her duties. 

But there was another tribunal of far more im- 
portance, whose verdict the tragidienna had not 
thought of — another fitf sioro severe judge sum- 
moned her to give a reason for her inaction during 
four months. Tbe public in its turn instituted aa 
inquiry, and {fae result was not &vonibIe to her. 
We are seldom disposed to indulgence towards those 
who deprive as of our pleasures. Her conduct 
TOL. II. C 



18 MEMOIBfl or RACHBLi 

was sererely eenmiredi and set down as the ca- 
priciaus malice of an imperious woman. The 
Republican public, less patient and courteous than 
had been the monarchial one, manifested its 
opinions rather rudely. In the sort of vaudeville 
review of the year brought out on the stage at its 
close^ some complimentary stanzas to Made- 
moiselle Bachel having been introduced| were 
loudly hissed. 

Thus closed, for Mademoiselle Rachel, the year 
1848, commenced amid such applause. She 
might comfort herself with the thought that the 
noisy token of disapprobation that closed her 
short-lived popular career, offered a resemblance 
to the Republican ovations of former times ; the 
hiss that pursued the Roman generals amid their 
triumphs had been revived for her benefit. 



CHAPTER n. 

1S49. 

A Spoiled Chnd— PRMcripUoa of "Cina«"— "U UoiaMm 
da LmU*'— Tha Rs«I Adrienns LccoBTrear— FaMnl 
Ilooon lo Theatric^] Talcnl in France and in EnKtand la 
ITK)— Tha Adrienno I^coarrear of Ueain. Scriba a>d 
LafwiTt— A Cbaraciemtic Letiat. 

Tub motivm that kept MademDiscllfl Rachel 
fiwm the stage during tho lm>t three months of the 
year 1848 haTe been ^vcn. In accordance with 
-the deeinoa of the faculty she should haTC made 
her appearance on the Snd of January 1849; but 
■he contrived to suggest so many delays that tho 
long^«xpected erent did not take place until the 
13tb. The atUtude of the publio revealed a 
deeper displeasure than was usually nuutifested by 
its coldness on former occasions of re-appearanc«; 
it waa decidedly hoalile. It was a sullen brood- 
ing discontent that waa evidently wuting to MtM 
the first opportunity q{ hreakiog oot in open 
mannan. Hw aetivM could not "■"**^* tba 
c3 



20 MRM0IB8 OF RACHRL. 

feeling that actuated her audience ; but, as was 
always the case with her, the more di£Bcult the 
situation the more enei^ and courage she dis- 
played ; the greater the anger of the public the 
more winning and fiMcinating she became. She 
invariably acted the part of the spoiled child that 
is sure to conquer in the end| whatever degree of 
severity may be shown to it at first. The wish to 
reinstate herself in the favor of the public pro- 
duced an excitement of her nervous system that 
resembled depth of feeling and lent an indescri- 
bable charm to her acting. The tragedy was 
*' Andromaque," and never had the actress played 
with such rare perfection. The result was a free 
pardon, manifested by immense applause. The 
Prince President honored the performance with 
his presence. 

Among the signs of the times was the with- 
drawal of the play of '^ Cinna/ that had been 
announced for Mademoiselle Rachers rentree* If 
she had chosen this tragedy as an expiation of 
past rinsy this Parthian arrow shot at her Provi- 
sional friends of 1848 was in bad taste. The 
Grovemment of the Prince President showed 
more tact and judgement; the tragedy of 
''Cinna/ was prohibited and that of ^'Andro- 
maque ** substituted. 



MUtOm or MCHEI. 21 

It would indeed hare been tnipnident to ropcet 
before a ^forter*, bUU perfaapa Kgiuted by remune 
of the turitulent puaioDa so lately vented, Mtcli • 
line ae tlii*: 

" Le pire dee £taU eat TEtat populairel' 
Neither would it have been proper to offer to the 
aBti-Repnblieao party aucb altuaiona aa thoao : 
**Ua ta* dlMnuDefl perdus de dcttea ot d« 
crimes 
Que presaent de moa loia los ordrea Ugitimea 
Et qui diaeapenuit de lea plua eviter, 
Si tout n'est renveraA ne sauraicnt aubsiater." 
Thia waa not the first time lately that " Cinna" 
had been deemed too plain spoken. The follow- 
ing lines were, indeed, well calculated to aet the 
Tolcaoio beads of the pit in a blaxe : 
^Les honneura soat vendu»au plus ambitieux, 
Ces petits souvenuos qu'il fait pour une 

Voyaot d'uD temps ai court leur puissaoce 

born^ 
Des plua' heureux dcaaeiiu foot avorter le' 

fruit 
De peur de le la^Mor a celul qui lea suit.* 
The press, however, did not fail to comment 
upon the withdrawal of thia tragedy, and to take 
Bot« of and quoto the political allusions that oo> 




MMOBcfl ita jootoriptioD. Hw Bwituid-B^Ui- 
OM of all erilin sxafauawdt 
"To thii pin im wo modi liber^ ndnoed 

On tlw SSod flf Mudi MadomwMno BMbol 
^peued in * pnttf little ooamij, in cnm uti 
and in vflTM, bjr MonMnr Anowid Bnrthot. **Le 
MMnera de LettMo" ounot be eeid to luve any 
plot i it derirMdl ita ehun from tho light gmoe 
Mid bcuity of ita datula. It waa pubUahed m few 
daya before the brcRking out of the revoluttcm of 
February 1848— « nngukr time for the appear- 
ance of tbia sweet elegy od the death of a sparrow 
that died Dincteen hundred years before it was 
written 1 This smhmiuV of Rome's far-distant 
past, evoked amid the convuluons of a modem 
orins, was adopted by Mademoiselle Kaohel one 
year after its birth, when it was first put upon 
the stage. 

The scene is hud in Rome, about the time of 
the war between Cesar and Fompey. The poet, 
Cattdbu, is about to turn Benedict ; aurroundcd 
by many friends lie makes a libation to the gods 
of bis youth, whom he renounces to marry Sexla. 
While the gay party, under tho influence of the 
rich Falemian, extol the pleamres of ii-eedom and 
lament tho abdication of the poet, a message is 



HKUOIBB or EACnEU 23 

brought from tlio biidc-clcoU Sexla h^ lut 
night had evil drcuns ; planned, ahe hu butcoed 
to oonault the bugun, but sbo would have Ur 
more futb io the words of hor betrothed thui in 
their promiict. ^'ill he come to herl He uka 
but the time to go to the Latin Gate for the 
bridal gift that fau been ordered— dianioDda that 
are to atar that lovely brow — be will bo with bor 
forthwith. 

During the temporary abseoco of tho biido- 
groom, hia fair friend, the companion of hia gayer 
houra, the charming Laahia, ignorant of the loaa 
that threatens her. coten. The banqueten, 
daisied by the fair apparitiont endeavor, each in 
turn, to auoeoed to her recreant lover, and each ia 
in turn laughed at and diamiaacd. The narrative 
of the death of tlic aparrow gracefully iotroduoea 
the rceonciliation of the lovera. 

However foreign this pretty trifle might aeeai 
to Mademoiaelle !Rachel*a true atylo, her peraonlfi- 
eauon of the gentle Lethta waa very pleaung. 
The scene in which iAthia tries on the wedding 
ornaments of the future brido was played with a 
gnce, a fiuninino ouaception of this coquettish 
part that waa little expected from the repre- 
sentative of the auatere muae of tragedy. 

The " Moineau de Lesbie" waa fint played for 




24 KKHOIRfl OF RACHEU 

the benefit of Madcmoiaelle Anaifi on the boards 
of the Italian Opem-house. It was the last 
piece, aod midnight hod sounded when it was 
begun. Acted before an audience satiated with 
the preceiling entertainments, worn out with 
fatigue and half asleep, it had very nearly proved 
a failure. Brought out on the following Saturday 
in its proper sphere, the TbtS&tro Francis, it ob- 
tained a great success. 

In the early part of the eighteenth century a 
great change was introduced in the manner of 
reciting on the French stngo. The authors of 
this revolution were the cclebmtcd Enron and the 
no less celebrated Adrienne Lecouvreur. The 
father of the tatter was a butter who, not tinding 
his trade euflicicntly lucrative iu bis own little 
provincial town, came up to Paris with his family, 
in the hope of bettering bis circumstnnccs. Ho 
settled near the Th^tre Fran^ais, then situated 
in the Fnubourg St. Gcnnain. This proximity 
ajfordcd Adrienne opportunities for indulging bis 
taste for tbentricnla, and developed the inclination 
she had manifested from early childhood. She 
soon proved that " where there is a will there is a 
way; " for in 1705, when hardly fifteen years of 
■ge, she persuaded some young companions to 
join her in getting up no less a tragedy than 




HiMoiRS or lucnu. ii 

"Polyeocte," followed hj the comedy of *'La 
DeaiL" The rehcKrMlii, which to<^ |>lace Kt » 
grocer^ shop in the ruo Foroo, having eziated 
•ome ourioiitj in the neighboihood, wen booond 
h; the preMoee cf Mverml personi of distiootioa. 
Aatonishcd ftt the cxtnordinary btlent ahowa hj 
the hattei^B daughter, who played Pauline, the 
viutM« mentioned her with enthiuiMm to 
Uukme U Pr^ndoote LiyKy, Mid thst bdy built 
ft little theatre in the court-yud of hor own hotel, 
rue Ouanairc, for the Juvenile company. The 
■elect audience, though dispoacd to indulgence, 
found they had little need of any. The tuitutoml 
giri delighted ears that were ftocustomed to the 
beat acton of the day ; her intonation — correct, 
pure, and tme to nature — formed a §lriking 
eontroat with that of the porfonncra then in 
vogue, who dcoUinied, bawled or clwuntod, but 
never ipokt their parts. The playcra of the 
Comedie Fnuifaie, getting wind of the fiivor 
•hown to the band of youthful aniateun.and jeoloua 
of the privilcgoa cf their own houso, roprcMsntcd 
the case to d'Argcnton, ihe Lieutenant of Police, as 
an infringement of their right*. An exempt and hia 
man were dispatched to bring the delinquents 
before the dreaded man in authority. Adrienne 
and her ftee<Hnplic«s were terrified beyond 



26 MEJfOIBS or BACHSL. 

measure, but their protectress interposed between 
them and the lieutenant; a few words explained 
mil, and the order was revoked on condition the 
performances should be discontinued. But the 
courage of the little people was not cowed ; thej 
managed to get the Grand Prieur interested in 
their behalf, and under the protection of the walls 
of the Temple, were enabled to set at nought the 
prohibition of the police* What the authority of 
d*Argenson had fuled to accomplish, however, was 
effected by the spirit of discord. After two or 
three performances the self-constituted actors 
quarrelled as though they had been regularly- 
organised players in ordinary to his Majesty and 
the company was broken up. 

Mademoiselle Locouvreur did not, as is often 
the case with young artists, meet with any oppo- 
sition to her vocation in her own fiunily. Her 
father encouraged and culUvated her taste by his 
judicious advice, and the fame of her precocious 
talent soon procured her offers from provincial 
managers. She played for some years in Stras- 
buigy and the chief towns of Alsaco and Lorraine. 

Her success in the provinces facilitated her ad- 
mittance on the boards of the Theatre Fran^ais, 
tluit had once well nigh put an end to her thea- 
trical career, and she made her dUiU there in the 



MUOtM or RACHSU t7 

month of i/Uj of ibe jetr 1717, in tlie cbanuiter 
of Stetrt. Tbe wnution she cmted wu very 
great; the wm aocountcU one of tbe firat wtroMM 
of the age, and rivkUcd MutcmoUcUc Duclos, who, 
for twenty-four 7 eon, liad been tb« favorita of 
tlie public 

As BO artiaU, Adricnne Lecouvrcur left a 
luine for talent of the highest order — she waa no 
lets admired for her chaima of person. AU 
l^race in her nanncrs, her carriage was so nobis 
and dignified that it was said of her that she waa 
a queen among tho players. Simplicity and pro 
priety, correctness and elegance, characterised her 
style. Ilcr voice, though not of great compass, 
possessed an infinite variety of infiectiona and tha 
most moving tone*. Her features were fine and 
sufficiently marked to express strong passions, 
while hor eyes, full of fire, added the most 
eloquent commentary to what was uttered by her 
lips. Her figure, though slight, and not above 
the middle height, was well developed and seemed 
much taller on the boards. The good taste and 
richness of her dreas enhanced tho gifts of Nature, 
not the least of which was a gentle loving heart, 
a ready wit, and, what is far more valuable, tbe 
great art of making that wit a source of pleasure 
instead of pain to her firieods. 



«WW«i 



28 MEMOim OF RACHBL. 

No actress better understood than Modetnoisello 
Lecouvreur the art of listening. Her pantomime 
was so ezpressiye that ererything the actor who 
was addressing her said was depicted on her coun- 
tenance. Her quick comprehension taught her 
instantly the road to the heart; she gave power 
and meaning to weak and inmgnificant lines, and 
new beauties to fine ones. Consummate in the 
art of entering into the spirit of the part, she 
felt what she uttered, and communicated her sen- 
sations to her audience. No tragedienne ever 
drew more teorsi or inspired such terror. 

With so many titles to favor, it cannot be won- 
dered that this charming woman was dear to all 
who knew her. With the public she was all in 
all — ^pit and boxes agreed in idolising her. Nor 
did she, like modem favorites, take advantage of 
this passionate fondness to show herself exacting, 
capricious, or imperious. She proved herself 
worthy of an affection that did honour to both 
sides, by the most scrupulous punctuality in the 
discharge of her professional duties. It is re- 
corded of Adrienne Lecouvreur and of her no less 
&mous contemporary the actor Baron that, always 
ready to perform when required, they never had 
recourse to the hackneyed pretence of indispo- 
sition to obtain an exemption from duty* They 




MEMOIRS or UAcnKU 29 

left to the invention of tlieir succenor, tlic ttlented 
Ldcwn* the oonvcnictit fiwbion <^ g<»ng every 
year to reap golden harveaU in the proTinoe* or 
abroad while they were paid in the cnpital. 

Among the nutncrous admiren of MadcnuNsclle 
Lecouvreur the one who oblAiaed a Luting hold on 
her affoctione wa* the famotu Count Marshal de 
Saxe, the son of Augustus, King of Poland, and 
of the beautiful Countess of Kooigsmark, aa 
handsome as his mother and as brave as the God of 
War. When thia romantic knight was planning 
the conquest of hid Duchy of Courland, notwith- 
standing his high reputation and illustrious birth, 
he could find no one to join him in raising funds 
for his adventurous scheme ; liis own purse was 
quito inadequate to supply the demands of his 
courage. Ilis generous mistress realised by the 
sale of her diamonds the sura of 40,000 livres — 
equal then to three times that amount in the pre- 
sent day — and oompcllcd him to accept it. Al- 
though the czpodition was unsuccessful the heroof 
it was not thelcss the lion of the aristocratic circles of 
tlie capital, and the beauties of the Court employed 
all the magic of their seductions to draw him into 
thdr hnls. No less a lady than the Duchess of 
Bouillon is aud to have been at hut successful in 
making him forgot the allegiance be owed to the 



'Jr9f^»^m»m i « 



\»0tmtimdamt ^ tt Jk i ^i» m tmm i i , m ^ m^mi ^^tmmtm 



30 MEM0IB8 OF RACHEt^ 

fiur Adrienne. Stung with jealousj, the tctreaa 
seized the onlj means of rerenge in her power. 
One nighty when acting PtMre, instead of address- 
ing to her confidant the passage : 

^ Je sais mes perfidies, 
(EnonC) et ne suis point de ces femmes hardies. 
Qui goutant dans le crime une tranquille paiz, 
Ont su se fiure un front qui ne rougit jamaisy*^ 
she turned to the conspicuous box where her riyal 
sat in all the pomp of rank and apostrophised her 
with all the passionate scorn and indignation she 
knew so well how to throw into the lines. The 
publicy who understood the real drama, applauded 
vehemently^ and the enraged duchess vowed ven- 
geance. The death of Adrienne Lecouvreur, 
though arising from natural causes, followed this 
little scene within so short a time that the tongue 
of malice might have attempted to show a strange 
coincidence between them. But the nature of the 
illness that cut short the career of this celebrated 
actress was too well known to justify such conjec- 
tures, and it was left to the unscrupulous pens of 
dramatists and novelists thus wantonly to charge 
the memory of the high-bom and beautiful with 
so odious a crime. 

On the 23id of October, 1730, the English 
stage lost one of its brightest ornaments in the 




mMoiM OP ucmtL. 31 

penon of Mn. OMficld. The hodf, «(Wr Ujin;; 
HT«nl daji in the JeniMlcm chamber lA Wou 
Biuut«r, WM bwne In great pomp to the Abbey, 
whora it WM interred MitoDg En^uid's high-born 
wm) high-honored. The pftlt-beareri were Lorda 
Delawmre and Hirvcj, MessrB. DoringtOD, Hodgn 
um) C«7, and Captain Elliot. The funeral Mrvice 
wat performed l^ I>octor Barker. 

On the 1 7th of March of the aamo year Adrienne 
Lecoovrenr, the beloved of the French public, 
died, and was, perhapa, atill nioro regretted than 
her Engliah contemporary. Her illnces bavbg 
been too abort to permit of a reconciliation with 
the church, an iniolerant curate refuted to permit 
of her bang interred in consecrated ground, al- 
though she had left l.OOOfr. to the church of St. 
Sulpico. The body of the lovely and talented 
ercature, immortaltacd by the pen of Voltain^ waa 
carried in a hackncy-ooach, in the dead of the 
night, to the comer of the rue do Dourgogno, then 
a marsh, and there buried I 

Such a hero and such a heroine, surrounded in 
their different spheres with so bright a halo of lore, 
gloiy and &ffie, could not fail to tempt tho pens of 
dramatic authors. But the only suoceaaful attempt 
has been that of Messrs. Scribe and Lcgouvj. 
Xlw part oFAdrientu, waa offered to MadomoIseDe 



>»■* « •«>■■ 



32 MBlfOIRS OF RACHEL. 

Kachely bat, afraid pnerhapei of the transition firom 
tlie daring crimes and undisguised passions of the 
Greek and Roman personages to the clandestine 
midnight intrigues of the modem drama, of the 
change from the grand Alexandrines of the cbssio 
poets to the prose of every-day life, she refused to 
undertake it, though she had accepted it at first. 
M. Scribe then gave the part to Mademoiselle 
Bose Cheri, and it was not until six months after 
that the play having been read anew at the Thd&tre 
Fran9aisy Mademoiselle Bachel accepted it, and it 
was brought out on the 14th of April this year. 

Having given a slight biographical sketch of 
Adrienne Lccouvreur, it remains to be seen what 
romance has added to reality In the drama. 

The first act passes in the apartment of the 
Princess de Bouillon who is entertained while at 
her toilet with the gossip of tlie day brought to 
lecSe by a pelii abU. The rivalry between the 
two great actresscsy Mademoiselle Lecouvreur 
and Mademoiselle Duclos, the patronage of the 
latter by the Princess herself, much, as the abbe 
remarks, to the surprise of the world of fashion, 
to whom the intimacy of the Prince with Alade- 
moiselle Duclos, his gifts of diamonds, a petite 
maieon, &C., are well known — all these items are 
communicated to the high-bom lady, who replies 




MBHOIOa or RACHEL. 33 

tliftt dl thia u old tiowft, and that, to IwTe « b«ttor 
Iwld <m ber fiuth)e« spouic, the hw out-genormlled 
him, won over hu mUtreu to bcr own intcnata, 
mkI u DOW infiMrmfl^ of hla cloings before he him- 
•elf knows hii own intcniions. 

Other vUiton enter, Uio Princt aI«o. The oon- 
vcmtkm ia still of MatUmoUtU* Lteouvrtur, who 
M to come anil recite » few sconce *l » toiria of 
tlic Princesa ; the arrival of the Cbunt dt Saxt, 
his braver7, his exploits, bis failure in his expedi- 
tion, &c^ are also aubjecla of discussion when the 
liero himself enten, and is fiuallf Icfi alone with 
tbe hoetcas. 

In the dramai it is to the Princest that the 
Ctunt is Siithleaa. Hers were the chaine that 
bound him provioua to hia leaving Paris on hia 
last expedition, ilaitame de BouiUutt is now tor- 
mented by tboao vague and apporcntly groundlcea 
suspicions that warn a woman that she has a rivaL 
^Vhy must she be left to learn of a stronger his 
arrival T Indeed Ibis baa been, with the exception 
of one to the Secretary of Sutc — and — the Cardi- 
nal Minister, the very first visit he bos made. He 
only arrived last night. Ab I was it the Cardinal 
or tbe Stcrttary of SlaU who presented bim with 
that exquisite bouquet in bis button^iole ? Ob 
dear, he bad quite forgotten — a little fiower-girl 

VOL. II. It 






34 MKMOIRS OF RACHKU 

at the door of the hotel teazed him to buy it of 
her and * * *, ^And yoa kindly did eo to 
present it to me," intermpted the subtle lady, pee- 
aeasing herself of the flowers whieh the Count 
dares not refuse. 

The instinet of Madame d$ Bouillon has not 
deceived her. When he was last in Paris the 
noble adventurer had saved finom the insults of 
several gallants flushed with wine, the fiiir Adri* 
enno Lecoutreur^ on her way home from the 
theatre. Since then an intimacy had sprung up 
between the protegie and him whom she deems a 
poor officer of fortune, serving under the orders of 
the Count de Saxe. The first visit was to her. 

The Princess goes on to speak of the steps she 
has taken in his behalf to obtain the troops he 
wishes to levy — the obstacles she has met with in 
high quarters, the measures she is intending to 
pursue, &c., &c. The County however, cannot in 
honor permit of her serving him with her influence 
and credit at Court under the idea that he loves 
her. He cannot accept her devotion under false 
pretences ; he is on the point of undeceiving her, 
when the re-entrance of the Prince and il6Ae pre- 
vent the confession, and he is obliged to bid her 
adieu, leaving the flowers in her hands. * 

The second act passes in the green-room of the 



nilOlKS or SACHEU M 

Comedis Fnn^ut. The actore are chatting with 
lonla of the Court, until their tura cornea to go on 
the BtflgA. Adri4ima ia to pU; Jtoxane — her pro- 
fcMionRl rinif MademoistUe DmcIos, plays in the 
Mine tragedy ; bat it it not the wish to excel her 
only that animates ^dritnng. Maurice — she only 
knovre him by that rnune — Maurice is in a box to 
the right — for him she must appear to advantap) 
—for him she must win applause, must be admired I 

In the meanwhile Monsieur de Bouillon has 
doubts of the fidelity of his mistress; her maid 
has communicated to him a note, written by 
MaJfmoiteUe Duelci to the Vowit de Saxt, a[>- 
pointmg a meeting aficr the performaocc, in the 
petite maitOH the Prince's munificence has lately 
given her. Theennigcd /'nncvUicrcupooiovitat 
all the actors uid actresses to a supper that very 
night in the petite maiiott where he will surprise 
and shame his iiulhless mistress. Adrienne is 
invited and, knowing nothing of all these in- 
trigues, accepts, because she is told the Count de 
Haxe will be there^the Count whom she is 
aouous to Itnow that she may have an opportu- 
nity of soliciting of him the advancement of a 
poor lieutenant in bis service. 

The third act passes in the petite maisoH. The 
lady who meets the Count there is Madame de 




38 MEMona or k&chel. 

BnuBom b«nel^ who hu bomwed tlie boDM of 
Madtmaittttt Dmelea and oonunianoiwd her to. 
ank« thfl appcuDtmenL 

Here we h»n the {nond, the lugfa-bom PrtH' 
0M< JaBomUoii,6tm!eadtdhom%'SjagotPoiMaA, 
oloMly related to the royalty of Fnuoe, not onlj 
acting like a eonrtenn, hot like the rerieet i^ot t 
To armd ooropraniaing her roputatimi ebe admita 
into her ooofidenoo an actreaa known for the light- 
new of her conduct, the mistrea* of her own hus- 
band ; she makcB this woman her emisBary, her 
•ecrotory; ehe eotrusts her with a secret that 
involves her honor — she borrows of her, to carry 
on an intrigue, the petite maUon her own husband 
has furnished, and of which he has a key 1 Of 
all the contrivances imagined by dramatists — and 
they are prileged to invent absurdides— this is the 
moat improbable, the most monstrous I 

The conversation between the Prineeti and the 
Count is, at first, of the obstacles his enemies 
. throw in the way of his political and military 
schemes. The chief source of uiziety is an un- 
fortunate note fur 60,000 livres, to which is 
appended the signature of tlie improvident 
warrior. This note is in the hands of a Swedish 
nobleman, of whom the Ambassador of Bussia is 
endeavoring to purchase it, in order to imprisoi 




MBMOnt OP RACHEL. 37 

the CowUy umI thiu pat k itop to bit oonqoMt of 
Couriutd. The PrineMt hu power ud credit at 
Court, but abe luwnta tbat abe h«e not 60,000 
lirree to MMt bim with. The exphuuttioo tb»t 
wu to bare been nude in the morning 'u given 
now, but in the very moment when the engry 
kdy insiste on knowing who ii her rival, the 
voices of the Princt and hit mcrrf guette are 
heard in the garden. The Udj take* refuge in an 
adJMniog room, yet not to quickly but what tho 
husband catches a gUmpac of a womui'a drcM as 
he ' enters through one door and she goes out of 
another. Convinced that it is MaiiemmttlU 
Dudoi, and that he has it now in his power to 
mortifjr and expose her, he orders the doors of 
the house to be fastened, and forbids anyone being 
let out before daylight. The situation is critical, 
and the J*riiux$i is inevitably lost but for 
Adrienne, to whom, as she refused to come with 
him, the Priitc* had given a second key to let 
herself in after the performance was over. - 
Adriaine recognise* in the Cowni de Saxe the 
o£Bccr of fortune in whoee &vor she had come to 
solicit him. On his whispered atsurance tbat the 
lady in the next room, on whmn the party make 
such indiscreet comments, is not ifadanoi$*lU 
JDuclot nor anyone in whom he has anj intovst 




i 1 



UBUOIRS OF RACHEL. 

■aving that honor coinmnnda him to eee her 
out oftho liouEoand prevent her being rocogn 
by anyone, the goncroua actress takes the op 
tunity, f¥hcn the company are in another re 
to put out the lights aod release the priaone: 
meana of the garden-key. There is here an 
tcresting scene in the dark — the rivals, cspec' 
the Princeat, e->Ocuvor in vain to recognise < 
other. Madame tU Bouillon, in her precipi 
exit, drops a diamond bracelet given to her hy 
husband tUat very morning. 

In the fourth net the Princess, a prey to jea 
rage, for she has had from the Cotint himaelf 
confession that he loves another, whereas 
Adrienne liis conduct has only been open to 
picion, the Princess makes no display of r 
nnnimity ; she leaves her recreant lover to 
fate, which in the prosaic form of bailiffa, thi 
him into prison. Hero at least bo is eepor 
from her unknown rival, and has ample tim 
reflect on the advantages he bus disdained, 
the mcnnwbile she endeavors to discover 
that rival ie. She has but one clue to guide 
the voice. She studies attentively that ofe 
woman who can have had the slightest chanc 
pleasing the Count, to catch the sound she b 
that sight — but in vain until, at the toirit 



MEHOIBI OP KAtniKL. S9 

nouitced in tlw fint act, she recogniio it. Tbe 
aconc that follows wheD tho hoitOM, thrown off 
her guard bj the diocoTcry, betnya bciwlf to 
AirieHne in her attempt (o mortifj her beforo 
her gnCBta, U tho chief odo in the drama. Tbo 
Morn reciprocated by tbo actrcM, the bracelet of 
which aho tclla the atorf without nentiiming 
■uunca, but which the Pmet, not awaro of what 
hat poMCil, orating in, rooogniMW aa kU gift to Am 
vi/e, tlie pnaange from ** Plt&dni * apokcn b/ 
Adritnne, and oddreaacd to her rival whom aha 
•tamps with infamj, the entrance of the QiimI, 
wliom all think in prison, but who has been 
KCTctly liberated by Adriuutty his gratitude to 
llie Prinetu, who bo bclicvca has paid bis debts, 
all these eoupa dt thtdtrt constitute a scene of 
thrilling intcroat. The lago witli which the nTala, 
in inralently courteous pliraaes, tear eaeh other's 
heart-strings, and the despair of Adrumte, who^ 
not witha landing her momentary triumph, sees 
Mauri'-t attentive to the Princeii, and miitakef 
tlie gratitude he la ezprsaaing for [«otcatatioos of 
love, cloM thia act. 

In the fifih act, Mavriea having ascertuncd 
that it was to Adn&Htu that he has been in- 
debted for his liberty, that she has sold bar 
diamonds to leaeua bim whom she beliared 



— li 



1 1 



I 



40 



MEMOIRS OF BACHBL. 



faithless, Maurice, filled wUb love and 
hastens to otTcr her all he has in bia ; 
name and the prospective Duchy of Con 
ie too late, the jenlousy of the offoodc 
hoa outstripped his lore, AdrimM 
She had rcecivcd a casket Bont in hi 
name, containing the bouquet of the fin 
had been poisoned by the Prineet*. 1 
and death of the heroine fill the lost act. 

Aside ftom the numerous improbabilit 
drama, it cannot bo denied that tho i 
kept up unceasingly, that the situai 
exceedingly dramatic and the chonw 
drawn, That of Michonnet, the ol 
manager is most excellent' 

It has been srtid that this was the 
that Madcmoisello Rachel was called 
utter prose on the stage. There was ai 
more serious objection to the part, or 
cartes, the authors had not thought of, i 
it WHS Icfl to the genius of Mademoiseli 
to discover. In accordance with the fii 
her day, Adrienne's hair is jtowdered t^/i 
Greek brow crowned with powdered ) 
Camille'i Koman locks sprinkled with 
Melpomene in a wig I Tlic thing was 
thought of 1 heedless of the anachro 




mHom or eachbu 41 

bttd prcMDted, heedtcM of the unpkMut coo- 
tnut the bUck hair of AJriam* dukIo with tht 
powdered pnfCi utd eurli of th« other drmmmtit 
peraontt, destroying much of the illnuoD, Badiet 
bad her will. She ■ubtequaitly mm the abenr- 
dity of the thing and oonfbnned to the eurtoaw of 
that ago. 

Notwithstanding thia and other divadTantagea, 
and though ahe was far from equalling ia it 
the triumpha she achieved in her own claMO 
rrperloir*, KfadcmoiacUe Rnchcl*B performance 
of thia channing character waa very pleanng. 
Whatever maj be thought to the contrary it ia do 
eaiy taak for an actrcM to take upon ber the 
imitation of ber own |ioaition. To mimic onceelf 
ia almost impoauble. What ia unconaciouBly 
done with case becomes difRoult the moment it ia 
a part to be studied, and the aetreas runa the riak 
of setting it on atilta or lowering it to aometbing 
too ftmiliar and bordering on vulgarity. The 
real hiatory of Adrienm Leoouvrour has shown 
that she waa one of those privileged beings who 
unite the qualities that constitute the hapiuneas of 
private life with the brilliant ones that secure 
&me and honor in a publie on». Aa witnesses to 
her^chnimbg diapositiim we have her own letters, 
evidently written without study or d^gyj^^ 



4-i HIEMOIRS or HACIIEL. 

Sucti paasngee rb the following paint t\ 
better than the pena of biograplicn e< 
hope. 

"Mays 
"Yon know how dissipated life ia ia 1 
what are the duUes ioBeparable to my ji 
I spend my days doing nine-tenths of t 
that are displeasing to me, in making 
quaintances I cannot avoid so long as 1 1 
present position, and which prevent my ci 
the old, or employing my time to my ( 
otherwise at home. It is the fashion to < 
tap with me, because several duchesses I 
honored me. ^cse are persona whose 
and charms would amply satisfy me, h 
society I cannot enjoy as I would, be 
time belongs to the public, and I must { 
who would know mo or be set down ae im] 
For all I am so careful, my health, whicb 
eauses me to ofTcnd ; if I am obliged to 
fiul to attend an invitation to a party fr 
I have never seen, or who care to see n 
firom curiouty, or, if I may be permitted 
because I am the fashion : * Truly,' i 
' what airs she gives herself t ' Anoth 
'she acts thus because we are not tith 



1 



miroiM or KAomu 43 

lun MTunu, for one cannot bo Tery gvf uaong 
jieoplfl ona docs not knov; 'b this tba wooaui 
who hM to muoh wit,' renwiki ■ooie one of tbo 
compuijr. * Do joa not we ■bo ■oorna ne,' mji 
another, 'and tkat one ntut know Greek to 
pleeeebcrT She goei to Mndun LembertV I 
knoir not why I tell you tbeee triflee. I 
have nuuty other metten to aptak of; bat I 
Iwppen ftt thii moment to be troubled with • 
■leel of euch gompi, and un more then erer 
poeecMed with the wish to bo free, and hare no 
other study than to pleaae tboeo who feel real 
kindnew for mo and wbo Mtisfy my heart and 
mind. My Tanity finds no compenmtion in a 
crowd for the lack of real merit. I do not oare 
to shine ; I find ten times more pleasure in wying 
nothing and in bearing good things, in being in the 
gentle company of worthy, virtuous people, than I 
do in being made giddy with all theioMpid praisee 
prodigally and at random bestowed on me. It is 
not that I Uck gratitude or the wish to please; 
but to my mind the approbation of fools is only 
Rattering inasmuch aa it is general, and it becomes 
a burden when it moat be purohased by reiterated 
and especial sacrifices.* 

The abore is txtncted from n ooUeetioD of let- 




11 



1 



44 



MEUOIItS OF RACHEL. 



ten of ^fa(le^loiselIe Lecouvrear which was pu 
lished after her death. In order to uodertalte i 
character of this remarkable woman, on her on 
sta^e too, though at a dietanoe of a century, 
was requisite thnt her rcprcBentative should pooM 
no email eharo of the qualitici that adorned h 
prototype. Mademoiselle ItacHel had one gre 
qualification for the port— she could play ti 
gentlewoman with perfect case. Tbii was ind: 
ponsnblc to justify the remark of Michonnctt whi 
Adrienne \» iurrouDdcd by ladies of the highe 
quality : 

" She figures se well as the whole of them in 

In the BcencB with the Pnncut MademoiscI 
Bachel was in her element, and consequently tci 
much admired. 



if 



CHAPTER lU. 
ia4». 

BMB«t of HadwMbclle 0«4Tit*-TS« Thwpiu Cv la 1<U 
ud Id \Mt—nMn wHkMl i4nrM— Am AadiMMabablad 
the Am— A Tina la nil all 0«T«rata«au— Life 1> • 
BuKe-CaMb— A ProniMd CoBTmnoB— A PU7 wUkoM 
u AudMnce— Tba TWtln Frufkl* vvmw Mmd««oi*alto 
Rachel — HademlMlla RmM eurfiwirf M •!■( Ika 



In Juae of thia year the incident to which 
allusion WM mftdo in the lut chapter in oonne^ 
tion witli Ktadcmoiacllo Gcorget occurred. ThU 
oncc-pc(tcd itnd idoliacd Kctrea nude Mt appenl to 
old fricnde who were willing to honour the memo- 
rica of the paat and to the children c^ a Utter 
generation who might be curious to we onoe 
more what their fathera had applauded to the 
echo. To stimulate the indifforcnoe ofa pubUo too 
busy yet with political broila to care for thoatii- 
cols, MadcmcMsdIe Ocorffcs had eoltcited the aid 
of Madaine Viardot and Mademoiaelle Rachel, the 
present &voritea of the few who still had time and 




UEM0IR8 OP RACHUL. 

inclinntion for arts and artists. Modnme Vior 
had responded to the call with the good grace i 
willing zeal of an artist who UDderotands a 
Bympathiscs with griefs tlmt decent prido wo 
fain conceal from the world's cye> Modemout 
Itnchel WMnotBO readily induced to come forwi 
on thie orcnsioD offered to her of doing a pnu 
worthy action, but she finally consented to p 
form ErijAile in "Iphigcnio." The beneficu 
had, of course, undertaken Clytemnestra, \ 
mother who so rcFolutcly defends her child — i 
fends her even against the futlicr who consents 
her death, ngainat the priest who exacts it. 

The actress who had so much at stoke, who f 
herself, moreover, sustained and encouraged 
the interest with which an attentive audience f 
lowed her words, summoned all her energy, 1 
remaining courage and passion, her waveri 
powers for one last supcrhuioan effort; she p 
forth all her strength, and success was the rewai 
The traces that time and illncsa had worn on the 
(inely-chiacllcd features momentarily vanished, 
faint reflection of the halo of youth and beau 
that shone over them when the first Empire a) 
she were in their apogie of splendour returned 
illitinine her decline ; the sun of bygone days i 
gilded the noble ruins. The real monarch who 




HtVOlM OF UCBKL. 47 

power peemod to defy fertuno wu fRlIen long ago 
— Iiii imperuhAble niune wm embalmed in tlw 
fltMiuil pKga of Uutorj. Uto mook-queon hod 
outlived hor opulence, her fiuno, bcr wcNrsliippcn, 
to find heneir ooinpoUod in her mge to appeal to a 
public in whom no veatiga of enthiuiaam for art 
•eemed to aurvive. 

The announeerocnt of two auch namca — Made* 
moiacllc Gcorgca and MadonKwaclle Bachcl— in 
the tame pla/ would, in othdr time*, have drawn 
crowded liouaca. It barely sufficed to attract 
■ufliicicnt ^|icctatora to fill tlie talla of the Italian 
Opcm-IIouBC. A feuilUtomtt of the day re- 
marked very truly that the atago waa dead. ** Wo 
have made," eaid he, " ao much progroa within 
the last eighteen months, in good ■cdbc, in fine 
arta and in liberty, that notono of the fino art* in 
thia great nation hai bcon loA atkading. Poetry 
it dead, painting and aoulpturo have carried 
abroad the noble works that maintaiiicd them. 
Howling, clnmor lUid inault, have usurped the 
{4aco of eloquence. Not a book, not a poet, not 
a painting l^nothing in the past, nothing in tha 
future 1" 

Even titia uudicnco, got togvther with so much 
difficulty, could not but do justioe to the talent 
brought before them that night. Aa for lAade- 



48 



MEHOina OF RACBEL. 



moiseHe Rachel, she loet here an opportun 
doing ft kind and amiable thing. Had ah 
seated to her elder «leter one of the Dun 
bouquets, or placed on her head one o 
wreaths showeretl on the stagCi thundc 
applause would have followed the gracefu 
But no, the demons of envy and jealousy m 
to possess her ; angered hr the approl 
bestowed on Aladcmoisclle Georges, she Bu 
refused to play in the "Moineau dc Le 
announced on the bills for the second piece 
notwithstanding the injury she was doin| 
beneficiare, and the pain she caused the ] 
author, ohntinately persevered in her n 
Klademoiselle Rachel thought to punish 
public for having dared to applaud another 
hcrscir. Madame Viardot, however, h 
cheerfully come forward ti) offer her servic 
make up the deficiency caused by the tragedit 
ill-tcni[>crcd refusal, her delightful voice p 
an ample compensation. 

The months of June, July and August 
as usual, devoted to her profitable vac) 
While Mademoiselle Raelicl hardly deignc 
play twice a-week in Paris, where she had a 
salary, she was indefatigable iu her voce 
wliea tlie more she played the more she ea 




■BMOnn or bacheu 49 

It u utonubiDg wluu ma Binount of fstigue Um 
love of guD enftbl«d Uiit fraU constitution to bear. 
She roooiled bcfora no diatuwei bo labour. Aa 
long as onjtliing mu to be got ber aorree 
•eemcd itcelcd. Tbo itincrmrjr of one of thcea 
toura, M ruraUbed bj benelf in » letter to Ur. 
V^D Mid publiabod bj bim in the fburtb toIuim 
of bU " M^oirei d'uii Boargeoic de Puu," we 
find confirmed in every putteukr. Aa it dludee 
to the ecHgi of tbie ytmr we ml^oio iu It le 
dated May Setb, 1849. 



OrlMM. . 


t»ik,Sl*t 


H.r 


ToBti . . 


. lK.»>d 




FoitiBn . . 


. Ird, 4ih 


„ 


Niorl . . 


. Ctk 


„ 




. 6tl^8th 


^ 


Bocbefeft . 


. TO. tth 


„ 


SwnM . 


lOtKllth 


^ 


Cor.«. . 


nth, isih 


_ 


A.p>.ltaM . 


uth, iith, inh, iM 


„ 


rwiK>>«« ■ 


IMk, sou 


„ 




n*i,tati 


„ 




asA 


^ 


D.,o«^ . 


ictk, STth, tath. sM 


„ 


F.g . . 


IM, >ad 


Jil7 


Tvla . . 


9nl,4lk 




BirXra 


Ml 


„ 


Aaeli 


. 7lh,B(h 


„ 


Toalow . 


lOih, IIU, ISth, Uik 


„ 


NTbmu . 


l«th 




P«plg.« . 


ink, 18th, soih, aiM 


^ 


Cu«MM.M . 


. tttd,Hih 


^ 


C«l»n . . 


. BSih. arih 


1^ 


AwUUe. . 


. Mlk,KHk 


„ 



60 



MBMOIBS OF BACHBL. 



dermont 


.111, Snd Avg 


Moalint • 


• • SnI, 4th M 


NeTen • 


. 5th „ 


B<mrge«. 


. 6th M 


Bloia . 


• 8th. 9th „ 


LeMam 


• lOthy 11th „ 


LaTiil 


. 12th M 


Rennes • 


. 13th, Uth H 


8i.M«lo 


. 15th ,, 


Jtncy . 


. 17th, 10th, Sltt H 


Caen 


• 18th, 20th „ 


Onernse/ 


. 25th, 26th, 28th, 20th, Sltt „ 



To the above performances may be added those 
given in Bordeaux, Leboume, and other places not 
mentioned in Mademoiselle RacheFa letter, as she 
had not yet signed the agreement at the time it 
was written. Altogether they number eighty-five 
in ninety successive days. To form some idea of 
the fatiguing nature of this departmental tour it 
must be borne in mind that not one mile of it was 
travelled by rail. An old-fashioned, lumbering 
French stage coach, comprising the usual divisions 
of coupe intdricur, rotondcy ^ imperial^ cabriolet^ 
and bachc^ was the vehicle provided for the whole 
journey. In the coupij which was especially ap- 
propriated to the chieftainess, a bed was placed 
in order to facilitate as much repose as was com- 
patible with this life of perpetual motion ; at night 
spread out for a couchi in the day it was rolled up 
for a sofa. The princessesi maids of honor, and 




J 



MnCOin OP BACHBU 31 

dimfclt of ber fuite^ ooaiiiH«d the mI^im* umI 
disputed the corner Mat*. The emperon, kingv, 
tod lord* of high degree had the rotonde ; the 
imperial wis teaigned to the oonfidanta and other 
■mall {rjt who though not in T^rjr enriablo aeata 
ai far as n^puded sleep, had a fine view of the 
country from their elevated poiitioD. Under the 
bAckt were stowed away the trunks, boxes, 
packages, am] bundles, containing the wardrobe 
and stage paraphernalia ; RoxcM^t dagger, Clio- 
pilra's worm, Adrieiui^t fiUal boutjuet, and 
Judith'g eabre ; regal mantles and poisoned cnpa, 
crown jewels and bag wigs. 

Mademoiselle Rachel was not perhaps herself 
aware that she was taking art back to its primi- 
tive origin, and that her dramatic Jiligntet was 
neither more nor less than an imitation of the 
tragic car of Thcspis. With all due allowance for 
the difTcrcnce of times and the pn^ress of the 
present age, her caravan recalls that of which — 
Scamm gives so amusing a description in his 
" Roman Comique." 

In consequence of one of the little difTerences 
of opinion that sometimes disturi>cd the concord 
of the Felix family, Mademoiselle Rachel not 
always being inclined to place implicit reliance ia 
her brother's arithmetical conclusioai, in lien of 



52 HEMOIB8 OF RACHBL. 

Raphael, the usual nominal manageri a M« Prot 
filled that office on the present occanon. 

While the tragedienne herself endured without 
a murmur this continual locomotion no other 
member of the company was permitted to allege 
fatigue as an excuse for non-performance of dutj 
— even indisposition could not, unless very scverci 
be pleaded to obtain exemption. It was said— - 
we will not vouch for the truth of the report — 
that on this or some other occasion, one of the 
actorsi who had had leeches prescribed for some 
temporary ailing, was obliged to apply them in 
the coachy having been refused permission to stay 
behind, even for a day. 

At Bouiges, Mademoiselle Durey fell so se- 
verely ill while playing Aricie that Mademoiselle 
Rachel's own maid, Rose, was deputed to take 
the invalid back to Blois in the privileged coupi. 
Without an Aricie even Phhdre was incomplete ; 
at least such was the opinion of the spectators, 
who demanded their money's worth. To satisfy 
a provincial audience always behind hand with 
the Paris fiishions, yet who imagined they were 
closely imitating the follies of the capital in 
exactmg it as a compensation for the missing 
bride of Hippolyte^ Mademoiselle Rachel was 
obliged to perform tiie now obsolete ^Mar- 




53 

■eiUuM.'* TioM oompUMDoe oa compuUion was 
exceedingly diatuteful to Um politio, bat bo 
loDger politietl tngAHemns. Opiaioa had ooo- 
pletel; ehkoged oolor in Puia, and abe waa Dot 
inclined to bare it reported tbera tbat abe waa 
atill kee[Hiig ap la the Departmenta tbia haek- 
pcyed tragi-comio fiuve. 8ii» would fain bave 
imitated tbo wiadoro of a eartaia nrgatt-grinder. 
A ftmaAty, atniek by tbe man tban ordinary 
d'iMordance of tb« inatniment, whicb waa playing 
tbe moat ineomprebenaible, iirecogniaable jingla> 
in which, howerer, aome fiunt reminiaccoce of tbe 
" Mancillaiae " might now and then be diatin- 
guished, inquired of the pn^>rietor what ought be 
that tune. " Why, ur, look ye, between our- 
aelvcs, ita an old *un of the year 1848, and aeeing 
aa how it wa'nt the fiuhioa now-fr^ya, I juat 
took and shifted about tbe wirea a bit, and ao 
made up a new tune aa 'ull suit any govenunent.**- 

U. Hip. Ouicbard waa tbe next that gave wsy_ 
to Istigue, Rachel waa almoat tbe only one that 
reuited to the laat. 

KJeune prtm&rt wai aeat for to Paria, but abo 
only joined the company at LaraL 

At Bordeaux there waa great rcjoioing and aa- 
great aubaequent diaappointment among tbe 
membera of tbe eompany. lliey bad expeoted 



7 



M xmom of baghbu 

to nit emj other dajr during the engegement at 
the Omod Theetie; bat their impkeeble 
Kemem made emngeiiieiite to phijr on the ofr 
n^^rts at Libovme^ eight teagnee from Bordeaux. 
Hie houTi not aetuaUjr qpent on the boards were 
paaied in the ooaoL When not inclined to sleep 
the oeeupants of the eamTah amused themselves 
mlh eards^ or ohatting. 

It was during one of these nootnmal trips that 
MademmseUe Baohel, rdating how, when she had 
reoited scenes from ^ PolyeuctCi* at Madame 
Recamier^s, she had been complimented by an 
archbishop, who had remarked that one who pro* 
nounced with such fervor the celebrated passage : 
** Je sus t je Tois t je crois I ** could not but be a 
Christian at heart (see page 76) added ^ I most 
oertainlj will turn Christian before I die.* 
Whereupon M. Bousseli one of the actorsy in* 
quired: 

''For whose benefit, madami will this eztra- 
ordinarj performance be given t * 

This alluribn to her reacUness to adopt any part 
in life that was best suited to her interestSi was 
recmved by the time-serving tragidienne with the 
look which, accompanying the famous Sortez I of 
JRaxan€, always brings down so much applause* 
• * ** A« rests, Je bs mouimi pat Mst Itre chiitieiiiie.'*(tic) . • 




MBMOtM or BACHBL. 



M. Bonwd was never «Aer eog»gcd to soooot- 
pany MsdenuMKlle BmW od ber pronooMl ez- 



The eountiy towna, tliougb delighted with the 
honor of the celobnted tragidiauta^a riut, wen 
not alwnf • provided with ■uitsble buildings for 
the pcHomuutcee, and ludicroua incident* oo- 
currcd in coucqucDce. At Sointe^ for inatuwe, 
on the firit night, the Mton were droned, every- 
thing wu ready and the doon atood wide open, 
but not a spectator came. The dilapidated 
bnilding had been stayed and propped up with 
sundry ingenious contrivances, but the report of 
its unsoundness had got abroad, and no one dared 
to mn the risk of its tumbling down. On the 
next night, a safer bouse having been chosen, 
all fear was baniahcd. 

At the expiration of her ecngtf Mademoiselle 
lUchcl hod, in the month of September, quietly 
re-entered on her duties at the ThMtrc Franfais. 
She continued to fulfil them with the most scru- 
pulous punctuality until the beginning of October. 
Ilcsolvcd, for motives which will subsequently 
appear, to perust in the resignatimt she had sent 
in on the 14th of October of the preceding year, 
and renewed, in aeoordaoce with the Decree of 
Moscow, six months after the fint notification, «k 



56 HEMOIRS OF RACHBL. 

tlie 14th of April, 1849, ehe had Uken oaro to 
give her antngonista do hold upon her. In the 
meanwhile the aocHlairet, aware of the lou that 
rcfiigoation entailed upon the oompanjr, diligently 
sought to invalidate it, or at least to win public 
opinion on their aide and leave to Mademoiselle 
Rachel all the odium o( these ooutinual debates. 
In accordance with their plan of leaving no 
means of conciliation untried, on the 12th of Oo- 
tober, two days before the &tal day, the committee 
wrote to Mademoiselle Rachel to endeavor to per- 
suade her not to forsake a company of which she 
was the pride, and which had contributed so 
largely to her fame. To these exhortations were 
added legal arguments, the most powerful of which 
was drawn from the 62nd cliiJse of the Decree 
of Moscow. That clause provided that besides 
the DotiGcation and reiteration of tbo resignation,, 
the locietaire should at the time of tendering it 
make a declaration Bpccifying that ho or she never 
intended playing again in an/ theatre, whether 
French or Foreign, Ma dcmoiAclIe Rachel having 
omitted to make that declaration, her resignation 
could have no immediate result until it was 
renewed in due form. Consequently ehe was 
requested to play Adriemie Lecoucreur on the 
foUowiDg Tuesday and Saturday. 



UKMOOM (V KACBBL. S7 

The ladj*! tiuwer wms ihart sad aaoompro- 
mldag : her retigiuttk>n, ttfodend » jvu «go, 
renewed aix month* kfter, ww not r thing of ao 
little moment th«t ahe •hoold not have taken into 
eoondentioD all ita oonaequenoea sad the duties 
it inTolved. The ooouuittae, not deeming thia 
aniwer niflSoiently explicit, eauaed the name of 
MadenMnaelle Rachel to bo replaced on the pU/- 

i 1 bill*. 

I .1 Tlua act of authority called forth a letter pub- 

lithcd in thep^>ert, in which the (ro/^MNiMoam- 
pUin« that the committee aought to oompromiM 
her in the oycs of the public b/ the anaounoemcnt 
of her name in the part of Ailriemte, when they 
held her resignation which they knew to be valid. 
She al«o energetically repelled Iha charge of hav- 
ing demanded of her comrade* "their money or 
Ihor lives." Far from which, she asserted that ahe 
had declared to all eaadidatea for the management 
that she was willing to consent to a reduction of_ 
•alary to (aolitate any arrangement conducive to 
the interests of the Th6itre Fr«n9a)a. 

"If I retire," added she, "it isbeeauM I believe 
that actors who are th<ur own managers can with 
difficulty maintain the union so indisponMblo to 
thur own studies, to the advancement of art nod 
to the wclfiure of the theatre. I must have had 




58 HSUOIBS Of RACnBI. 

MHBO experience of thia to induce mo to renounce 
the life of RppUusc for which lam indebted to the 
Pftriuao public, and for which the happiest private 
lifo could afford no compensation" 

Thiia the Pythoncaa of the "IfnrBcillaiae" ac- 
knowledges that she also rccogniacd tho ncccMity 
of a king, or at least a dictator, and proclumed 
that: 

"Le pire des Etate est I'Etat populaire." 

The gauntlet atic had thrown down was soon 
raiacd. To her tetter dated the 14th an answer ap- 
peared on the lath. One of tho ablest partisans ot 
her antagoniuts conducted their side of this ncw»' 
paper controversy. After giving the reasons that 
have already been stated why her resignation was 
null, the committee congratulated itself somewhat 
ironically at learning that Madcmoi^iclle llachcl in- 
tended to consent to ft rcducUon of salary. 

"This,* said the dear comrades of Mademoiselle 
l^bel, "is an unexpected resolution that will not 
prove one of tho least benefits promised to our 
suge." 

But tho future manager was advised, instead ot 
taking advantage of the proposed reduction, to 
exact more regularity in the performance of duties. 

"For the public, thus boldly invoked," added 
the writer^ " will hardly believe that Mademoiselle 




mmoiBs or mAcmtL. SB 

lUcliet M uixioua at the preaeat day for tbo in- 
terefU of the theatre, linco ah* baa only been able to 
average there &tiy peifonnancea in nine montha* 
while, during the ninety-two days her coapi laaled, 
•he luia managed to perform eighty-five nighta I " 
To tlie rei»oach of want of eonconl the ooin> 
mittee oppoaed an energetio diacUimor. If there 
wasdifcord it waa urged tluU the apple waa held 
by MadcmoitcUe Rachel, for, " the public muat at 
lost be told tlio truth, Madcmoiaollc Itaclicl ia Iter 
»wn manager, aho nerer recwvea onlen, abe giToa 
the law. It ia aho who fixea the daya ah« 
chooMa to pUy and what parte alic will take ; 
■he atatea how many— and the number ia eonudcr* 
able — admittance*, boxca, alalia, Ao^she will have 
on nigliuwhcn the intcrcala of tbohouae demand 
that none be given. • • • MadamMaelle 
Itaclicl cannot have forgotten tlio many twtimo- 
moniola of regard which delicacy ftwbida our re- 
calling. Her name placed on the bill«, aa never^ 
wa» tliat of Talma, and aa was that of Made- 
indaclle Mara only towarda the cloao of a eorecr 
aa long aa it waa brilliant, toatifiod aufSciently of 
our deference to the rank we have given it a 



After tlii* public rupture no conciliation waa 
poaubl^ and the committee revired the auit at lav 



f J 



60 



KEMOIBS OF RACHEL. 



:l 



II 



y 



commenced the preceding year, but left dormant 
in accordance with Mademoiselle liachers desires. 
On the 31st of October the nullity of the resigna- 
tion, on the grounds already mcntionedi was again 
alleged) and a claim was, moreoveri put in for 
damages for infractions of duty on the 14th of 
October, 1848, and the 13th of January, 1849. 
M. Marie, tlie distinguished lawyer who had been 
Minister of Public Works under the Provisional 
Govemmcnti undertook the defence of the interests 
of the committee. The counsel for the tragedienne 
was the no less celebrated M. Dclangle. 

We shall not attempt to give the eloquent argu- 
ments of these two brilliant orators. We shall 
merely record such of the facts that came to light 
during the trial as may illustrate the motives that 
influenced Mademoiselle Rachel's conduct in a 
contest that did more honor to her head than to her 
principles of moral rectitude. 

Among other charges brought by M. Marie was 
tluit of seeking to undermine the company and to 
obtain even at that very* time, in high quarters, its 
reconstitution according to her own views. 

^Does Mademoiselle Rachel," he exclaimed, 
'* deem us ignorant of what is going on without 
these doors ? Are we not well aware that if there 
is not in a high quarter the integrity and firm« 




MXicom OP EACnsi. tl 

DCH wa find hen, the oompMij of the Thtttra 
Fno9»is will be norifioad ? Do we not know the 
new manager U alreadj aeleotod, and that, in oaaa 
of aucceai, MaodnMnaelle Baohel ia to ra-enter — 
not into the oompany, ihe doea not want aoeUtaint 
— but in tha new nuuiageoMnt, where ahe will b« 
all powerful, whore ahe will enjoy enoraioua nd* 
vantagca, uncoiucionablo privilegei, imlSmJi^^ 
oottgii and hundreda of thouiand fruwe without 
the trouble of earning them. It ia the knowledge 
of theae things that eauaea ui anxiety." 

The impatience of the public wu great to hear 
the counad for the defence But on the day 
appointed for M. Dolangle'a reply the intcreat had 
taken another channel An incident that oo 
curred on the very day after M. Marie'a eloquent 
argumentation had changed the whole courae of 
the affair, justifying in every pobt tua predictiona. 
On the 15th of November a decree of the Priuce 
President waa publiahed appointing M. Ara^ ~ 
Houssaye Commi»$airt AdmiHutnUntr of the 
Government at the ThMtre Fnutfaia. Thia wma 
a reform that cut deeper than any of thoae pre- 
viouaty attempted; it abotiahed at once all the 
pririlcgea conferred on the conunittoo by the 3Snd 
article of the Deoreo of Moaoow, priviltgei that 
gave them the entire management of the offiuraof 



62 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

the theatre. The committee vainly attempted to 
avoid this spoliation. They declared their readi- 
ness to receive M. Ars6no Iloussaye as Commis* 
sary of the Government, but they appealed 
against his nomination as administrator. The 
decree of Moscow was again invoked by M. Maire, 
who defended the iocieiaires. But M. Chaix- 
I^Est-Ange, the distinguished lawyer who pleaded 
for M. A. Iloussaye, grounded his arguments on 
the motives given in the new decree. Ho domon* 
Mtrated that the bad management of the company 
had made itneces^uiry tliat the Government should 
manngc the funds of the subsidy of which it waa 
responsible. He proved, moreover, that the decree 
attacked was an act of the administmtioni that 
the tribunal was incompetent to judge. This ali- 
gnment was admitted by the tribunal who, 
on these groundsy rejected the claims of the 
players. 

The solution of the last question took much 
from the interest of Mademoiselle RachePs de- 
fence, as well as from the issue of the suit in 
which she was personally engaged with the players. 
The committee was now a dethroned potentate, 
and whatever might be the decision of the judges, 
it was well known that Mademoiselle Rachel, who 
refused to submit to the iocieiaires, would accept . 



MKuoiBB or BACnnu 63 

the manAgcmcnt of M. HoiuMye, tour up ber »- 
•ignaUon Rnd re-ootor tha ThiSiUn Fnuifui. 
IIoircTcr, na ilio lioil hod ntber mtoto cWgc* 
brought Rgaiiut lior by it. Huie in tbo name of 
Ucr dear evmmdrM, iho folt obligod to rojid tbcm. 
On the 39tli of Novembor M. Dokngle undertook 
this difficult defence and certainly made up in 
■kill and brilliant oratory what be lacked ia good 

Tlio (tlcading of M. Ddanglo was of oourae 
directly the oppoaite of M. Mario's. According 
to bill), nil tlic trageJicHHe^t conduct bad bcon a 
continual acrica of proof* of devotion, seal, labor, 
diiitcrotcdncsa and abncgatitn. If abe had 
upokcn of resigning in 1946 it waa because she 
was ill, ■crionaly ill. Sbc might have been do* 
■irous in 1H47 of a change in the ouutagcmcnt 
of tbo comjuny without being at all hoatilo to it. 
That nuuugcment was financially so defective that 
the company would have inevitably been mined ~ 
bad not an energetic remedy boon applied to the 
evil. In 1848, during the revolution, Made- 
moiselle Rachel had given prooft of the most 
admirable devotion to the interests of the oom* 
mittee. Her seal knew no limits. M. Delangle 
presented this zeal under colors' that certainly 
astonished the pablio and probably his very client. 



5 



64 MB1IOIR8 OF RACHEL* 

^ Every day," 0aid the eloquent advocate, 
^ Mademoiselle Rachel| regardleaa of her ill health| 
was on the boards. Yes I every day she con- 
demned herself to the ^Miarseillaisel' YesI 
every evening she sang this ' Marseilliuse ' to the 
pit I Welly it could not be helped, and by that ' 
means the theatre and the treasury were filledi 
and the soeiekurei testified their gratitude to 
Mademoiselle Rachel in the most flattering letter. 
Since then their language has changed. She had 
a right to her congS and she took it. On her 
return to Paris she was deeply wounded by the 
dismissal of "SL Lockroy and resumed the project 

J of retreat which had suggested itself to her mind 

1 in 1846.* 

After discussing the different points in debate 
with regard to the damages claimed, he says: 
the total of the performances of Mademoiselle 
Rachely from the time of her debit to the present 
day, have produced to the Theatre Fran9ais the 
sum of 29478,4821s. <AV As to the demand 
of damages that was laid aside when the suit was 
dropped in 1848, the committee had admitted 
Mademoiselle BachePs plea of ill-health. The 
salary kept back had been paid, and even the 
arrears, and with the added courtesy of sending 
the amount to her house. 







MEMOIM or XACHBU M 

KotwitlutandSng a iharp utd witty reply from 
>f . Muic, the dccinoo of the tributud iru ia CMt- 
forinit/ witK M. DeUngle'* pUadlDgs, Uut im, tk« 
reaigiuuion wu pronouDOcd to be Icpl, mad that 
there WM no caw fi>r dunegai, the oommittea 
liAving uluiitteil the plot of iUnaM uid payed the 
uTcir*. 

Medcmoiacllo Rachel did not gain her euit 
at the bar of publio opinion, though ahe had been 
•0 «kccmAiI at tlte Tribunal Civil of the Smne. 
The Tiicta that had oouc to light in the coune of 
the suit revealed principle* which, though not 
reprehcnaible in tlie eye of the law, conveyed a 
very un&rouimblo imprenion of the tragidUnK§ 
a* an artiat and in her aooal relatione with her 
fclbw-f laycra. The old antateun, partiaana of 
the free conpaoy of the ThctUre Fraafai* 
contrasted her selfiah and a^roMive behaviour 
witli the amiable and conciliating temper of 
Talma, the constant and labonoua devotion of 
Madcmoiodlc Mara, even to the doie of her kmg 
and noble career. 

On leaving the Court House, Mademoiselle 
Rachel haatcned to confirm her allianoe with H. 
Arainc Ilouuaye : she did not, howerer, shew 
much •ubmisaion to the chief ahe oondesoended to 
acknowledge, fm ahe spent the remainder of the 

TOL. II. r 



1 

1 



66 



MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 



jear at home — ^probably with a view to prore her 
aaeertion that she needed rest — and did not make 
her re-i^ipearanoe until the beginning of the year 
18fia 




CHAPTER IV. 



Amwi*— •■ MkdenoiMlIa de B«Ue-I>k '— - ABple "— " H»- 
ntt ct Lydie'— Cm^J of Foot MoMb* tpeal dMOM 
Eatiralj 1b OvmMMj—Tka FsMMt Amat— HoUmt m4 
Ougbuf. 

So fiu- MademoUclIe lUchel hsd puscd over 
two-thirda of her dramatic career. Th« first firo 
years, from 1840 to ISiS, were apcnt in study, id 
laborious endearors to reach the place for which 
nature bad designed lier->4t times encoura^l 
and sustained, at others capriciously censured or 
judiciously rebuked by criticism. During the last 
period, from 1845 to 1850, we have seen her at 
the apoffia of her talent. In the third, which 
remains to be narrated, fortune, not fame, seems 
to be the only end pursued by the tragMienne ; 
the second being valued but as a means of in- 
creasing the fint. W« do not find her employing 
f3 



6 



9) 



^^\. MKMOIRS OF KACHEL. 

^cH^ ^^isure hour in learning new part8, acquiring 
^\^ Hies to glory, or writiDg able commenU on 
^\ .. ^ favorite character^ making it as Mrs. Siddons 
^t of Ladjf Macbeth, the study of her life — 
^ this, indeed, she had never been capable, 
'^^emoiselle Rachel courted fortune, not glory, 
ohe continued to appear in the tragedies of the 
ancient repertoire in which she vras already 
IcQown, but gave no revivals. She ventured into 
the domain of comedy, but the mantle of the in- 
imitable Mademoiselle Man had not fallen on her 
shoulders ; she gathered no laurels there. 

The few eiTorts she made in the romantic dramay 
though not all fiiilures, added little to her fame. 
In the creation of new characters she was hardly 
more felicitous; of the five, Lydie^ Valeria, 
Lady Tar tuff e^ liosetnonde, and the Czarine, the 
first was too insignificant to count in her r6le$ ; 
the second and fourth were complete failures ; the 
fifth is already forgotten ; the third, Lady Tar^ 
tuffe, alone won success. Yet these five charac- 
terS| three of which hardly survived their first apn 
pearance, were all the novelties brought forward 
by this favorite of the public in return for its 
constant homage and munificent liberality. 

It seems strange that, in this book-teeming age 
during the ttzCeen years that her career lasted, no 



HEMOIM OF EACmX. 99 

plftjr real)/ worthy of aach an actnm mw wriiteu. 
And if there bad been it ii doubtful if ihe would 
have ueepted it I With all her eztraordiaarj dn- - 
onatio talflot on the boardi, thii great tngidUmn^. 
wu wholly destitute of taete and judffmcot in dra- 
inatlc literature. Of thie the gave repeatod proof* 
in her adoption of Judith," " Catherine II." "Le' 
Vwus de la Montagne," and, as we shall now tee, 
in " Valeria," •* KosaaMode," and the " darine." 
We mention but those that were utter absurdidee 
— the remainder, with the exception of" Vlrginie," 
were but partially successful Lacking discern- 
ment in her adoptions, wo shall find Madcntoisclle 
Rachel obstinate and cafmeious io her rejections, 
taking up with passionate enthusiasm Monsieur 
St. Ybnr's atrodous " Roscmonde," and sustuaing 
a lawsuit rather than keep her word and play 
Monsieur Legouro's " Medee t " In this last in- 
consistency she gave the measure of her gratitudo .. 
and good faith, as well as of her taete and dis- 
crimination. , 

In the period of her career we are now entering 
Rachel suffen the first and most severe blow in 
her family affections, she loses Rebecca, her 
favorite nster. Constantly bent on satisfying h«r 
rulnig passion, rcgardlees of alienating the &vor 
of her best friends, unheeding the oninooi signs 



•«PHV 



70 MEMOIBS OF RACHEL. 

of an impending war, the hastenA to Russia. On 
Iier return she is careful not to miss adding the at- 
traction of her presence at the Th^tre Frangais 
to the many others that brought all the world to 
Paris during the Exhibition. Her final attempt 
to add new treasures to her store, was the voyage 
to America, where she was taken ill of the disease 
which threatened to preclude her ever re-appearing 
on the stage. We will continue to trace, as here- 
tofore, year by year, her steps through life. 

On the 25th of January, under the new ad- 
minbtration of M. Arscnc Houssaye, which she 
had so indefatigably and unscrupulously labored 
to establish, Mademoiselle Rachel condescended 
once more to favor the public with her presence. 
She appeared in the rdle of Mademoiselle de Belle^ 
Me. Her success in Adrienne Lecouvreur probably 
induced her to attempt this character, and in 
so doing, she added another to the list of her 
artistic mistakes. No two roles could be more 
different — no two situations more dissimilar. In 
Adrienne Lecouvreur the success of Mademoiselle 
Rachel was rather that of the woman than that of 
the actress. In that of Mademoiselle de BvUe-Isle 
it was neither one nor the other. Tempted by 
the hope of uniting in her own hands the fan of 
Mademoiselle Mars and the tragic sceptre, she 



HEMOIM or RAOHBL. 71 

Hiined ft ehinotcr totaHj uawiitod to her, and tbs 
icmU «•■, total fiulun. 

Thi* dnuna of Al«XMid«r Damu' hanng boeo 
idapted to the E^Iiah atigo, ia too well known to 
require any notice here. The chameter of the 
NdiM, timid, shrinking, trembling girl, ignoimotof 
the wilea of a diMolute Court, made a tool of bjr 
Madamt da SL Prit, eonaidered in the light of a 
now toj by the Dtdit d» BiektUwu, anxioua to 
•are hor frther and oompelled to aacrifiee her 
lovcr^ the puppet of othen and nerer once acting 
of her own will, mixed up in an intrigue her iono' 
ccoce prevent* her from perceiving or underataod- 
iiig, waa not the heroine for Mademoiadle Rachel ; 
iJie waa too &r removod from antique aimplieity, 
too foreign to her tragic powcra to do her any 
honor. The grand pagan figurea of which the 
Irajftdientu was the fitting repreaentative were the 
victims of Doatinjr, a power above the gods theni- 
■elves ; the artless child of modem civilisation ia~ 
the passive in«tniinent of a bad woman. Had 
Mademoiselle Rachel £uled in an entirely new 
creation abe might have had aome excuse for the 
attempt But she could not even plead ignorance 
or misconception — she was acting in a play that 
had been twelve years on the stage— she had on* 
dertaken a r6U created by an actress who had 




hnm tiB«qinU«d k her own line Mid who, mor»- 
OTor, poMened mi idTMitage Ae toob eta aloae 
oonftr; bergrMt qtuditiM won reawmbered aad 
eoatmtod with tfta .fiulU «td ■boctoomiagi ^ 
hv ■DceoMO H Ai r SuiEjagt, if fbo had M17, won 



'Ue putiMiit of the new Mhool who wen BMMt 
•ludoae toaee Mkdemo h eBe Beehd ite rapneente- 
'tivf^ oodHiBted bjr the little raeoeM of her' per* 
fcnnMioe of MadtmoU«IU d« B^t^ItU, prereiled 
(m her to mppeat in one of VietOT Hngo'i pUya. 
^le drama eiween wa* " Angeto," and the two 
heroinea were personated by A^eraoiaelle Bachot 
and her eiater Rebecca on the 18th of iSaj. The 
siaters had to contend with the recent souetmrt 
of the greatest comSdiemu of her age, MademcM- 
selle hfars, and the qaeen of the dnun% Madame 
Dorval, who had been brought together in the 
two antagcmistic characters of TUM and Oata- 
rima. . . 

The BtroDgtj-mariEed rdU of Titii, the violent 
passions that agitate her, love, rage, soom, all 
eanied to extremea, the powerful situations to 
wluoh the plot ^ves rise, were all admirabl; suited 
to ' Mademoiselle Rachel's style and powers, 
ETery one of the qualities she possessed in their 
Btmoot degree of peffeetion wer« called out here, 



MKXOTM OF lUORBL. 73 

kDil TlaU becuns her beet chaneter in drama, m 
PUdn WW h«r fioMt in tngoij. Sba ooroplatelj 
retrieved what A* had lost in publio opinion by 
itadmnaiflU dt BMa-hU, ^w deeeription giTen 
of her on thia ooeanon bj Tbeophile Gantier ia too 
Tivid, too gnphio to be omitted wbm the aim ia 
to point MadammaeUa Baohel in ao important a 
port. 

"One of MademoiaeUe Rachd'a great qualttice 
ia that aha givea ao plaatie a realiaation of the 
character she repreaenta. In Pkidrt ehe ia a 
Greek princew of the horoio agea, in Ti$ii cho 
peiaonates an Italian oourteaan of the 16th cen- 
tury. There oan be no miatake-^Kulpture and 
painting could do no more, lliis graphic embodi- 
ment of the idea exerciaea a dcepotio influence on 
the audience the instant ahe appeara. In tragedy 
she seema a figure detached from a bat reluf of 
Phidiaa; in drama a Titian or a Broniino de- 
accnded from it* frame. The illusion is complete. 
She ia a great ertittt aa well as a great actreea. 
Even her beauty is endowed with the most aston- 
ishing flexibility; at one time you have before 
you a sculptured hueless marble, at another a 
warm Venetian punting. She takes the ct^oring 
of the sphere in which ahe ia to more — under the 
the antique odonnadei a statue— under the rtiMis* 



74 MmoiBs or bachbl. 

tanee ceiling, the richly-tinted portruL Between 
the wene «n(t the «ctreM the harmonj is alwaj* 
perfect" 

The Mcting wu no less truthfully described 
than the external appeannce. The graceful in-' 
difference with wbidi she listens to the podetta'a 
laments, leading him ever away from the goal he 
seeks to reach, was extremely unaffected. An 
excellent piece of acting also was the scene where 
she nariatea how4ier mother, the poor, friendless 
woman who sang morlaque gon<;s on the public 
squares, was set free as she was being led to execu- 
tion on the charge of having uttered seditious 
stanzas against tlie serene Republic of Venice 
— «et free on the intercession of a lovely 
child, who begged of a senator, her father, 
that the hapless vagrant's life might be spared. 
Slie ran on with acarelcss haste ns though rcUting 
it on compulsion to one incapable of understand- 
ing her feelings, yet, beneatli the mpid, hurried 
utterance there was an almost painfully-intense 
depth of feeling. In the manner io which she 
answers evasively the suspicious iuterrogatioas of 
the tyrant, there was the ease of the thorough-bred 
lady and the skill of the finished actress. With 
true feminine impetuouty she runs back to tell 
ModrigQ — oh, nothing— only that "she loves himi" 



w 

IW Mat gimem, tW pkyM eaqMlry with wUek 
•h* flbtoH dw l»7, th« k«7 M wbieh dtpod 
MTcnl Bffci« fioa tW JMnte, «m u wKh ad- 
wnd bj tam» w it «■< uitJLMii bj «*hen ia 

whqw fnriw tlMp«fart>cti^Bf> lnt « i oi Mll i 
Uus VM KiD rral^ wd wk» tkoagkt, aet wkb^ 
oat m«», then wtn wwdi that mtct v«aU b« 
rpokcB agkm u ihe;' had bectt b^ her Gp*; tor 
iMtMM, the whiipend crj of *'pmanfmmm!^ 
One of the gnat nene^ !f one «■■ b« u^ed sot 
where all ara £ae, ia that of the itniggle between 
the two rcprcaeotativea of two great clawea of 
modcra aociety, when the Tutaoiu woman and the 
courtMaa an brought together, and the latter, 
baving at last the maateiT, teara her victim with 
the pitileai &iig« of a hTcna. Here, iraajr.and 
iiwult on one aide, terror on the other, arc carried 
lo their cxtremeat limita. The opprcmed one ia 
free— the worm haa turned, the dlainherited ridea 
oo the neck of the opprcaaorl All the loag-endured 
■hame, the coatumelj and Koni heaped upoa thoae 
I«riaha of humanitjr, the implacable fcrocitj long 
dormant in thoae trwnplcd bearta, ribrated in the 
voice of tlie actreas. The condemned Btrikea the 
executioner, the criminal acntencea the judge I 

None but Hugo, that great atar buried from hie 
high eatate bjr blind Tanily and tenaeleia ambition. 




76 Muiom or RAcncL. 

«oiild han givea bo ^endid, ao terrifio, to lablime 
a INottm of tho oourtMui timmpling to ovtli th« 
mUj hmoeent wih who hu robbed her of ber 
lover ] She tunu the knife in the wound. And 
when the omoifix e«tche« ber eyei^ when abe ibraee 
the long-eongbt truth from the trembUng Tiotini, 
hnw eonideteljr dUvmed and -powerieM etandi the 
tigrcMi M oroelljr trinmpbaat but • nMxnoit once, 
mie reugoatim with wlucb the untutored child of 
Ion aaorifioee her paraon and her life to her lorei'a 
hap]Hneat, to f^titude, is truly aublime. 

Mademcnselle Rachel waa charged with overdo- 
iiig her part, of reminding the apectator of Oreatcs 
pursued by the Furiea — of seeking to irritate 
JlMip{^owith a Tiolenee which if he knew anything 
of the heart of woman ahould have brought him 
to hia aenoes. She incites, provokea and hurries 
him to the eommiaaion of the deed. Mademoiselle 
Mara, on the contrary, k:d Rodol/o to strike her 
by the most provoking calmness. Mademoiselle 
Bachcl nutda it plain that she wished to be killed, 
and instantly. Mademoiselle Mars, even while 
acouaing henelf of the atrocious crime that is to 
rouse the lover to blind fury, trembled, hesitated, 
and, as ahe reaUy wished to die, was careful not to 
ezdte the auapidon that might thwart her fatal 




MnOIH or UCBEU 77 

It wu, however, Mwcelyjuit to itutituteftoom- 
pariKNt betweoD ttw aiiU of UadciDoweUe lUolwl 
uttl that of the DKMt coMummate MtraM that had 
ever trod thoM board*. HuleoMNMlle Umn at- 
tuned pcHcctioa ID ber art by long yoan (^ ex- 
perience and Goiutant practice^ She left nothing 
to chance, nothing to accident, but hj a diligent 
■tudy c^ the work in all iu bcaringa oontinually 
•ought the intention of the author. 

* Angelo" derived additional iotereat firom the 
&ct tlwt the two aistera played the two riral*. 
Rebecca lacked not tendcrnea* — her acting ro- 
vcalcd great depth of feeling — then waa, perhape, 
too unrcaerved, too free a dtapUy of it, to auit the 
part of the noble patrician danM who, even in the 
most trying momenta, io the moat paanonata 
ecencs, never give* way to her emotion with un- 
guarded, unreacrved freedom. 

On the 19th of June Madcmoiaelle Bachel .. 
created the part of tlie heroina of Mouaieur Pon- 
aard'a little one-act play, ** Horace et Lydie." Th« 
acceptation "Le Moineau do Leabie" bad met 
with probably induced the champiou of the claauo 
aohool to try hia hand at a aimilor bit of modemiaed 
antiquity. Tho theme of thia little piece ia the 
world-old-ever-new one 4^ a ktve^uaireL It ia 
charmingly written, it reada deligfatAiUy, but on 



tt.7:iHiii>ii» iii*_ 



78 IfEHOIRS OP RACHEL. 

the stage it is dull, flat, lifeless and insipid beyond 
measure. It is, perhaps, not to be regretted that 
it proved an utter fiulurei as its success would in- 
dubitably have brought before the public of the 
nineteenth century all the courtesans of ancient 
Greece and Rome in addition to the modem 
Lamias and Phrynes which the bad taste of the 
present generation tolerates on the stage. 

PatiluM— the chaste Pauline metamorphosed a 
second time into a Roman ^ Dameauz Camelias^ 
sustained neither the character nor the piece. 
The chief attraction of this attempt to pourtray 
such scenes of Roman private life as good taste 
would wish banished from the boards, was the style 
of costume which in one of the lady's attitudes re- 
vealed more of the leg than is usually exhibited 

This year the cotige of Mademoiselle Rachel 
lasted four months, during which she performed 
in London, in Hamburgh, in Berlin, in Dresden, 
in Potsdam. *^Le Moineau de Lesbie" and 
•* Polyeucte" were performed ** by command ** be- 
fore the Prussian Court, the Count de Chambord 
being also present. The Queen condescended to 
send for Mademoiselle Rachel, whom she compli* 
mented very highly. 

The King of Prussia never missed a per- 
fonnance, going sometimes alone to his lope. He 




m 



MBMOntt OP EACBKU 79 

•eenwd puliculirly to enjoj the «A«r^»eoea, 
koRbing u beutilj Kt the fun eontaiued in them 
u anj ion bottrjtoit da Pari* could have done. 

When the oompen^ of * theatre ia called to 
pUy before the Court, each member gete n "gnttifi- 
oetioD " of a hundred firanee. In preceding reigni 
the aetora oT the Thtttre Flan^aie were the onlj 
ones ever admitted to act at the Court i^ France. 
The picaent Empenr haa had the oompaniea of 
nearly all the tbeatrea called in anooeenon to play 

if at Court 

% The Germans testily their ai^>robation by 

frequent recalling o£ the actor*. In Vienna 
MademcHaellfl Baebel was recalled one night 
aerenteen timea, another nineteen, a third twenty- 
one I 

It waa during thU exonrsion through Gennany 
that Mademoiaetle Rachel gave another proof of the 
respect for fomily tiea we bare mentioned aa 
chaiaeterinng her io an eminent degree. 

Ad old woman, dresaed in the Sunday garb 
of the lower elaaaea, made enquiry at the hotel 
where the celebrated actreaa waa stopping, saying 
that ahe had been told her niece, A^emoiaelle 
Rachel Felix waa there, and ahe wiabed to see 
her. Shewaareforred toBoee,tbe waiting^aaid, 
who took her in to her inistreaa. Far from mani* 



80 MEMOIB8 OF BACHEL. 

ftsting the onnojanee of a parvenu at this claim 
of relationship put forth by one in such poor 
circumstances, the niece was extremely kind to 
her peasant aunt, made her stop and dine with 
her, and invited her to be with her while she 'was 
in town, and when she left settled upon her a sum 
which, in that country, was amply sufficient to 
make her comfortable for her life* 

Another instance of the respect exacted by the 
parents oven of this daughter, of whom, at the same 
time, they were the most obsequious flatterers, 
we will give in the words of the narrator, Made- 
moiselle Aveuel. 

** We were at this epoch in Berlin, and Made- 
moiselle Rachel, wishing to present some sauoenir 
of her gratitude to the Princess Charlotte of 
Prussia, concluded that the most appropriate 
thing, as well as the most likely to please the 
august lady who honored her with her patronage, 
was a very magnificent copy of Emile Augier*s 
'^ Diane,* a unique copy presented to Rachel by 
the author, and containing on the fly-leaf some 
complimentary stanzas to herself. A note was to 
accompany this envoij and to assist in inditing 
with due brevity and respect the important 
epistle I was called into council. While thus 
engagedi 'Mademoiselle Rachel requiring the 



milOtBS or SACHEL. 81 

•enrioM of a Mrrant,. requMted her nurtber to 
ring the bcU. The old Udj btom for that par* 
pOM, but not as quickly aa tho impatieat dangb- 
lor thought neeotwwy, and the latter reitentod 
imtber pemnptorily; 

" Maia lODiiei done, ma mira." 

Tho old ladj stopped short, and, alterbg her 
eouno towards the door, left the roon, saTtng, 
with the offended dignity of a duchess : 

" Sonnet rooa m&mt ma fille." 

Rachel made no reply, but when the note was 
despatched, hastened to her mother's room to 
apologise and entreat her fbrgireness of her impe- 
rioua behaviour. 

This was certainly a stiango family, ^VhenoTer 
anything occurred to interrupt the harmony 
between the sisters they would give way to the 
most furious and uncontrolled passion, which they 
vented in every bitter and fierce expression that 
came uppermost. The only ono who always 
preserved a certain dignity, even in her most 
sngry moods, was Rachel ; the most violent and 
iooonudeiate was Soiah. When any dispute 
between Rachel and the other members of the 
haaly ocoun, it is finally made up by the gift at 
some trinket — good temper and eonoord must bo 
r»-purohased by the richer one. 

TOL. n. o 



MEM OIB8 OF BACHXL. 



I 

I 

■ 



But in iUneas and miifortiuie» on any real 
oocanon of gr^f or needy no devotion oan be more 
complete than that shown by all the other mem- 
ben of the fiumly to the aflUcted one* 



I 










CHAPTER V. 
1861. 

SuuonVaiTleakialtCl— DMpMic lalMtiMof SUn isd 
lu naBahl K«mIu— DmMatle Anttwn MaamfMUrera to 
ordar— -Valeria'— CW^ oT Fif* UMlb> aad ft-fa«ir 
— lul;— Sw(««fM«r of Saiat Peter aad Um Ckildrw of 
Itnel— Rebccea. 

The year 18S1, to which tho coup tTetat th«t 
took pUce at ita cloae hiu ^ron such hittoncal 
importuicc, was not fiivorable to tho dnma. 
Society, sbxken to it« foundation* in 1848, bad 
liftd breathing time in 1849, and mora eipccially 
in 1850 ; but iu state at that epoch was one of 
transition nod could not be of long duralion. Hie 
Presidential Republic was but a temporary posat* 
billty that afforded a sort of truce to all parties, 
but all were alike impatient for ita cessation. 
Each, ambitious of pro-eminence and anticipating 
the Tictory, watched its antagonists, weighed its 
own strength, and awkitad the opportunity to offer 
battle and obtun the mastery. The wounds io- 



84 MEMOIRS OP RACHEL. 

flicted by the Revolution of 1848 were not yet 
healed ; the penury that had been its consequence 
had not yet ceased ; few could yet command that 
overplus which Is usually devoted to procuring 
amusements. Minds were too much pre-occupied 
with considerations of vital importance to afford 
room for literature or theatricals. Anxiety for 
the future and the uneasiness arising from the un- 
settled state of politics, absorbed every thought. 
The only theatres that possessed any attraction 
were those that gave plays cont(uning allusions 
and political satires. These, indeed, were crowded, 
* and the applause with which such plays were re- 
ceived was loud, tumultuous^ and prolonged. It 
was quite a relief to be able in public, and in 
common, to ridicule, hiss, and laugh at all tlio 
crazy ideas, all the paradoxical absurdities, all the 
dangerous systems, from the ruinous and sub- 
- 1 versive application of which so narrow an escape 

had been madz* 

Plays of this description, however, were not 
within the limits of the Th^tre Franfais : they 
belonged to the jurisdiction of the minor theatres, 
among which, for this class of performances, the 
Vaudeville took the lead. No other theatre 
made as good use of the sceptre of Momus or 
applied it so wittily and lustily on the crack- 



mxcmB or kachu. 85 

bruned pMt« of Um Amy. Among Um nuay 
[Hecc* of thu itjle Buggettod by Ute orenti, two 
were [wrtieuUrly ezoeUent of their kind: "La 
Propriatt o*Mt le Vol," ud * Lm Troii PartiM do 
k Foin MIS Idiea." Frivoknu u tbete worki 
in«7 be deemed, not to monti(» the powerful 
ia6ueiie« tbey had ob publio opinioa, would bean 
omiarion io the hittoiy of tlie groat oficOti that 
bare reeultod from petty cauM*. Thar light 
Mjringt and inqoaat epigrama arouaed the donoant 
good ecnto of the people Their wittj •arcaama 
gavo riw to aerioua rcflectionat and as each speo- 
tator retired to hia home, he felt gikrcd and 
ashamed that be vhould have been the dupe and 
the victim of ao many follica. 

In the meantime the Thuitre Franfaia, de- 
prircd of the reaource of chanting the "Mar- 
«cilLii«o" waa reduced to it« moatcipiecca, the 
bcautiei of which the public lud neither time nor 
inclination to appreciate. The receipts were by 
no means brilliaoL During this year there waa 
not one rerival from the rich old eloasie reperlary, 
and but one creation that might be ealled a 
two-fold one, but which was aa unfortunate as it 
was uogular. Like almoat all deformitiea, 
tliis monstrous oonoeptioa acarcely ontlired its 
birth. 



J} 



86 MEMOIBS OP RACHEL. 

Criticism, this year, took no notice whatever of 
Ifademoiselle Rachel^ save on the occasion of this 
strange innovation introduced to attract the notice 
of the public It succeeded in momentarily dis- 
pelling the lethargic indifference manifested to- 
wards her, but not exactly in the way she would 
have chosen. 

There is a rock that fortunate and successful 
ambition seldom avoids and which eventually 
proves its ruin — a rock on which celebrities of all 
kinds are too frequently wrecked — that rock is the 
exaggeration of their own personality by the ab- 
sorption of all surrounding objects. When talent 
of a superior order has become so blinded by vanity 
that it has the most utter contempt for its atmo- 
sphere and decrees an apotheosis to its own merits, 
it is infallibly a premonitory sign of a decline in 
public opinion; disinterested admiration retires; 
the new divinity disdains the Jiomage of simple, 
truthful faith ; the votaries attached by interest 
alone surround the altar and form a solitary group. 
If one of these satellites fall away the voluntary 
exile becomes a dangerous enemy — no bitterness 
can equal that of the apostate against his former 
creed. 

Thus did it happen in the world of art of which 
Mademoiselle Rachel was the centre and the 




I 



MRMOIM OP BACHSL. BT 

f|aocn. She Attempted with hor eotnndca, with 
the public, with the pr«M, to exert a cnuluiig 
dospotiwn— sho created annind her the most com- 
plete Mlitude. Towanl the cioae of her career 
ahe hud alienated a Dumber of the partitana ake 
bad hod among the member* of the prcaa and 
cotiMquontly a portion of the public. Sundry sf 
her acta during the laat few yean had been atamped 
mth tlut ezccaaive egoti«m that ha« it* aourcc in 
vainglorioua blindnew, producing aelfi*h forgetfiil- 
ncM or diarcgord of social ties and aocial dutiea. 

Tbcae errors of the licart had made numeroua 
enemies, of whose hoatility and power she waa not 
ignorant, as will bo shown hereafter in one of her 
own letters to M. Lcgouvi. 

It cannot be denied that her arbitnuy manner 
toHrards iho Thditre Fran^iB, her voyages to 
Ruasia aod to America — the iint when Franco 
was on the point of a rupture with that country ; 
the second undertaken at the time of the Ezpoai- 
tion Universelle, when France waa enjoying with 
legitimate pride the pleasure of diapUyiog her trea> 
eures of art and industry to the admiring eye* of 
foreign nation*— each time at epochs and under oir> 
cumslances that rendered them doubly distasteful 
to the public that had been her kind and constant 
patron throughout her career ; all these errors of 



86 MEMOIB3 or EACBBI. 

tact had thrown a shadow on her rcputatioa as 
an artitle and given a bad opinion of her heart. 

All the petty bates, the brooding impotent 
dnirea for revenge amassed in many hearts, 
smarting under soma injustice, some long-remem- 
bered insult, eagerly embraced the opportunity of 
revenge the arrival of Madame Kistori subse- 
quently oiTorded them, well knowing that every 
leaf added to ber rival's crown would be looked 
upon by the jealous Jewess as taken from bor 
own, that every token of approbation to tbo 
foreign star was a stab to that selfish cosmo- 
politan. 

But we anticipate on the yet unnarrated epoch 
of that total eclipse. Suffice it for the present 
that we have shovm the reason why such plays as 
" Vatcria" and "Kosemonde" came to be re- 
ceived by the once severe Comite de lecture of the 
most enlightened and most severe stage in the 
world. Under such a regime the couUgtei of the 
theatre neceasarily became a sort of little Bourte^ 
the /euiUeloni of criticism become bills of ex- 
change, dramatic authors manufacturers to 
order, and the labours of intellect manufactured 
goods. 

To this class of produce does "Valeria" belong. 
This drama in five acts and in verse, the joint 



MBHOIBS or KACREL. 89 

prodnetioo of Hcwiciin Aufput U«qii«t and 
JuIm Laeroix, wu ooiutnioted m a Ktrt of pedea- 
Ul on whioh the idol migtit b« exhibited oa hig^ 
in two cbBraeten — m a tngiditmt and a eotiia- 
triea — two yvtj opposite rlUt, and tbo last vecy 
inappropriate to the purpose the aatbon wiahed 
to earry out — the glwificatioo of MailommwUe 
lUcbel. The perfonnanoe, notwitbitanding tbo 
real talent and the endeavora of th« aetroM, wm a 
dead failure. She bad demanded the lioo'a ahare— 
•he had it in the non-«iceea». 

Tbia drama, historical onl/ in the name* of the 
pcraonagcs, and purclj of invention aa to the in- 
cidonta and plot, pertains with regard to the latter 
|x>int to that claaa of romaneea of whieb, under the 
paeudonynu of Alexander Dumaa, M. Moquet baa 
been one of the moat indefatigable and fertile 
produeera. 

The method moat frequently made uae <tf by 
these innovating historians is the ro-habilitation 
of their heroes in the very teeth of contradictory 
bialorica] &cts. Authoritative documcDts are 
sumuuuily aet aude, and their place is usurped by 
absurd fanciea, giatuitoua hypotheses, and ou^ 
rageoua inventions, entirety at variance with time- 
consecrated traditioa — Liry, Todtus, and 
Jnvewil are tbniat aside and peremptorily 



90 KEMOntS OF KICHSL. 

rilenoed by these modern re-moddlen of umaat 
dramalia pertonw. 

" Valeria " is, after all, but a vet7 long pu»- 
dox, fiill of an oSectatioo of omtUtion, tbo plot 
being that of a melodrama, halting oa hutorioal 
entcheB. The language ia Tersifiad piOM. 

A h»mittieht of Juveuol in hia afttir^ "TSt* 
nlnm mcaUta LysiciB" accueeB MauaUna of 
having, under a borrowed namoi ponunbiilated 
the streets of Home at night Did the poet adopt 
too lightly the malicious slanders of the cknniftu 
tcandaletue, or was it in the name of rigid, in- 
flexible truth that ho stigmatised the imperial 
courtesan 1 What has remained an unsolved 
qncs^on so many centuries might still be left a 
a doubt for future (Eenerations, but sorely there is 
no cause why tlio contnuy etippocition should bo 
warmly supported against the authority of the 
Latin poet and without the corroborative testi* 
mony of a single lino in the ancients 

The best proof that the authora wen somewhat 
dubious of the reception their wbito-waahed 
henrine would meet from the publio was that they 
dared not present her under her well-kuown 
name, the name that has descended to us as the 
synonyme of everything utterly and irretrievably 
vicious in woman, as the name of the proverbially 



M m O f or KA^BL tl 

inhiiiw CMtnre that wndepwTcd — wg the Je- 
pfmTcd,aofoiil inJeedtlbtf Jw adJeJa dukerMam 
to the throoe wbow KKt was doBCfBtcd bj the ii>- 
beeility of a Ckude, wkoee rtep* Mpported a Naici»- 
•0% a Pallaa, pmrpn u a of bvor, freedta who bad 
anted their Court pnototiM, act \j talent like 
Ilonec, bat bj TiUaiBoaa paaderag to viea and 
ihenad^eapioDageof tbe dkhbcbL Tbej dand 
Bot call ber M tt t mli t u , thej cboae her leaa- 
knowD appelladon of VmUnat and Dudcr tbia title 
•be has undergooe a complete tnaaSf^nimtioa ; 
thej made thia creature of tbeir own inTcntion, if 
not a Teatal, at leait, the friend of Eiia^ a 
prieatCH of Vesta on wbooe boaoin ber Inunaculate 
apirit take* flight. 

To facilitate this •taitling aaaortion, the autbora 
h«TO mode UM of a modern iDn!ntioD> VaUria, 
the EmprcM, haa a uitcr, Lyntea, who ia in ex- 
terior appcamoco exactly her counterpart, wbilo 
in morals she is diantctricalljr bor oppoute. This 
slater, forsaken in her iofancj, has become the 
most notorious courtesan in the Roman Empire; 
her beauty, her adventure^ are the oommon talk. 
Valeria, the imperial sister, chaste, noble-minded, 
generous and compassionate as sbo is &ir, is 
guided in all she doos by maternal ambition. 
She is unceanngly dcTiaing the means of finliog 



92 MEMOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

the intrigues of Agrippina^ her husband'^ niecei 
who seeks tp nuse her own son Domiiius — after- 
wards NfTo — to power at the expence of Bri^ 
ianicui, the son of Valeria. 

The rival mothers find their pretensions sup- 
ported bj the two freedmen. - Pallas intrigues 
for Agrippina; Narcissus watches over the safetj 
of the Empress, prevents her falling into the toils 
of her enemies, or rescues her when she has done 
so. Each has his own interests, ambition alone 
stimulates the zeal of Pallas, ambition and love 
that of Narcissus. Thus the latter, though seek- 
ing every means of securing the triumph of 
• Valeria, persecutes to the utmost of his power 
the only honest man in the play, Silitis, a young- 
old Roman, cut out on the pattern of Comeille's 
heroes, and a very secondary role, although meant 
to contrast with that of Claude. 

The Emperor himself divides with Mnester, a 
dancer, the favorite lover of Lysisca, the task of 
amusing the public. This Claude^ by the way, 
was a Frenchman, bom in Lyons, the first of his 
nation raised to the throne of the Cesars, and it is 
strange the authors should have chosen to bring 
in this weak, pedantic, drunken buffoon, loading 
him, moreover, with all the odium they could add 
to the character. C/auds*s hobby is to be always 



MBMOtBa or BACim. 93 

judging cavae*; b* jndgea Mnetler beoauM ha 
would not dance, Silitu becauM he baa in bia 
portieo busts of Bnitna and Caaiua, but for^ves 
him on yaUria't remark that they are worita of 
art which flven he, the Emperor, might bo willing 
to admire. SitimBf howerer, has committed n 
more unpardonable crime. A letter, interocpted 
bj NarciutUf ia bud before the Bmpervr; in this 
fatal epistle the atom young Romaa, writing to 
hia friend Cteima, has said that ** folly united to 
crime* occupied the imperial throne. SUiiu, 
condemned to the lions, kills the monster that was 
to devour him, and ia taken to bis own bouse 
merely wounded. It seems be had seen Ljftuca 
and mistaken her for the Emprett, and hence his 
cruel remark. Cecuia, hia friend, fiJla into the 
Hune error; andnll the t/ramafu />nr<oA(g, whether 
uointenUonally or maliciously, committing the 
same mistake from beginning to end of the five 
acts, the result is the most irretrievable confusion, 
the most intricate imirogUc oonceivablc, amid 
whksh the few interesting situations and fine 
passages are quite lost. 

The second act is unquestionably the Icaat ob- 
jectionable. The scene passes in the dwelling of 
the wounded Silitu, whose friends are preparing 
his flight. Vaieria, taking the opportunity of one 




of Cfawt/f oripm, ooam alom, and at night, to 
jutify bcnelf to th* wdj mm wbow eBteem tba 
deau wordi poMw ri n g . She owns her lore for 
him iriM •ludered withoat knowing her, «nd endi 
bj aeking the npport of lui rtiong wcta end m> 
flnenoe with the people, (at her eon, eontiniwllj 
tacpomi to.perieh by the nwncenTrM of the oppCH 
vte ftetfoB. It nerer sppeen dmAj wheUier 
the mUng peewn ii the metenul ambition of the 
BmprtM or the lore of VaUria for SiUiu. While 
Tutuooi end political tpeeohee are interelunged 
in the houM of Siliut, in the oppoaite dwelling 
Ljftuea ia entertaining her lorer, Afaater, in the 
•treet, Agrippina and her sfHes are on the watoh, 
. and ifanittut and bia spies are letting themselTes 
into the hooH of SUiui through a prirate door. 
Jjyiitea is arrested to bo used as a tool of Agrip- 
fiita, and yaUria is enabled, under the escort of 
Abmf«M» to retnm to Mount Palatin. 

He remainder of the drama is a series of im- 
piobalnlitiea. In the absence of the jEhfprfW, who 
is openly gtme to Bala under pretence of her 
son's health, bat in reality to prepare a rerolution, 
the coortesan, XysiVeo, and her lorer, HitMtar, are 
brought in to a nxun of the palace, where a splendid 
banquet awwts them, and thoy are repeatedly 
told to *'c(mnder themselves at home." At first 



95 

the vorUty p«ir an MUMirlwt flrightaned m wdl 
M aurprued, but finKlly, witb the m at an oe of 
MTBiml cnp« of the nohwinwMteinptin^y placed 
within their rcMh, tha biidt becoaw aocwtomed 
to thoir •plendMl cage. Iignsea eipoeialij geU to 
nneooo c rned, m menx, with tho tftniud help, 
th&t ihs indulges in « BaeehatuiUui Mtng of an 
oltn-uwereoatic tMte. Thit acene haa been got 
up for the cdificatiiKt of CiaiuU, who, drunh with 
Hippemoite, ia brought by Agrippma to witacaa 
the aeandaloaa debauchery of the auppoaitioua 
Empreti^ whom he imagiacd on the way to Data. 
In the efferreacence of hia horae-tipacy rage he 
aigoa a deed of divorce, which haa been drawn up 
in readioeaa, and the aentence of death followa. 
But at that moment the real FaUria, aurroundcd 
by her guarda, makea her appearance. The 
■ottiah Emp*nr doea not aee her, for he haa juat 
&llen aalecp on the couch ; the baffled cooapiim 
tora cannot get him away, but manage to stab the 
dancer and hurry off L^tiaea, who ia kept by them 
for aome future occanon, Paltat had {^vea 
ordera for the a— laaination of the Emprnt at 
Bata, but the wary NarcUttu had warned and 
made her haaten back. 

VaUria, triumphant, anrronnded by the 
Gmaruts CtrMon, PtoMtut and otbera, free by 




96 1ISM0IS8 OF RACHELi 

the act of divorce is secure, for she holds Claude 
prisoner, and has given orders that to her alone ho 
can be delivered. Valeria is going to reigns and 
with her innocence and virtue. She is about to 
marry SXliuSf when his friend Cecina arrives, and 
spoils everything. Cecina swears in the presence 
of the army and on the innocent head of her child 
that the imperial Valeria is a common courtesan. 
The rest may be easily guessed — the scandalised 
generals beat a hasty retreat Claude^ delivered 
by Pallas, and Lyeieea^ whom the guards mistake 
for the Empress, is reinstated on the throne, and 
sends a centurion to the forsaken Valeria with 
the order for her death. Meanwhile the assassi- 
nation and decapitation of Lysisca, accomplished 
by Agrippina and Pallas, render all ulterior 
justification impossible, and leave the memory of 
the Empress blackened throughout all ages. This 
last comforting news is told to Valeria by Nar* 
cissus, who finds out the existence of the sister 
and her death at the same time. The discovery 
is, however, very satisfactory to Silius, who 
promises to survive the Empress to publish the 
facts and clear her fame. It is not very likely 
that Agrippina, who comes in to enjoy her 
rivaPs death pangs, will let him perform this duty. 
The dying agony of Valeria is rendered ridieu- 




HSMOUn (V BACHEL. 97 

loua b^ tbe kbrard prapbcoy witb which ahe eonei 
berrivftl: 

* Ton fila MM NiJroa, too fiU tucn w mira I " 

The two pcM th»t worked on Oa* dmna mn 
ewU; distinguUhmble ; the dcaigncr, who drew up 
the plan, mad iho poet, who ■eattcrod bora and 
there MHiM fine veraea, that •parkk amid the nib- 
Imb with which it it filled. Aboro all ia diatinetly 
apparent the imperioua will of the actiCH, who ' 
exacted that all the intereat abould centre in ber 
IMrt, and that the other charactcra abould be re- 
duced to the moat inaignificaot proportions. In 
bcr eagcmcae to deprive everyone elao of any aharo 
of aucceaa, ahe aaaumed the rcsponubility i^ a 
failure the moat complete and irretrievable. 

The diflieulty of reprcacnting two characters in 
which phyaieal and moral attributea are ao extra- 
ordinarily aimilar and diaaimilar, waa enhanced by 
the obvioua attcmpta the actrcaa made to establiah 
a difference. She spoke the port of Valeria la a 
deep baaa, and that of Ly»i$ea in herabarpeat keya. 
The effect produced by these alternate cheat and 
head notes was flu- from agreeable. As for the 
aongi ahe had much better have left that out dto- 
gcther; singing was not ha forte, and of all 
songa this certainly waa in the worat taste. 

Tbia year MadeoKwaelle Bachel prolonged ber 

VOL. IL K 



96 HEMOISa OF RACHEL. 

ctmg4\o five months and o-half. She \ah Paris on 
the 3 let of May, and, after giving two perfor- 
mances in Boulogne, proceeded to London, where 
she had secured a very profitable engagement for 
two months. She received of Mr. Mitchell 
lOiOOOfr. for twentjr-five performances, free of all 
expense, even to that of her hotel bills. 

From England she returned to the Continent, 
and performed in the following towns : Antwerp, 
Brusaels, Liege, Xamur, Cologne, Berlin, Prague, 
Vienna, Peath, Gratz, Lintz, Trieste, Venice, 
Milan, Navarre, Turin, Genoa, Naples, Rome, 
Florence, and Livoume, retumiog via Marseilles 
to Paris. She had been extremely well received 
during this tour. Raphael, who was the mnnager 
of hia sister's company, had made a preliminary 
excursion and prepared the way for her. At 
Turin, the young King placed at her disposal, 
free of expense, the Tcatro Reipo, which is always 
closed during the summer. Mademoiselle Rachel 
had decidedly furthered her own interests when 
■he obtained a change in the administration that 
permitted of such excursions. 

It was reported that when Rachel was in Rome 
she had been desirous of receiving baptism from 
the hands of the Holy Father. She hod been i 
several times heard to announce her determination I 




I 



mHoiH or SAcaBL. 99 

to ftdoptCatholtciwn.but it u difficult to Mcertaia 
if ODO so aootutomed to pUj % pftit off M well m 
on the stago, wm otct rally nnccre. She nmj, 
howcror, hftro bocn w at the moment under the 
powerful influence of certain impretuona. Hen 
wai a TCTj exeitablo nature, and it waa difficult 
for all artitte poeieiring to n high a degree thA 
•cnM of the grand and the beautiful not to be 
decpljr atmek with the eoleninity, pomp, and 
splendor with which the Church celebratca ita 
mptcriet. 

We will not vouch for the truth of the report 
that liachd met, o» &y cAanee — it having been 
prcviouilj anangcd thui— 4)is Holineet in the 
gardciu of the Vatican, and, kneeling, avowed 
her firm resolro to be a Chrietian.* But we 
have the authority of an eyc-witncM of undoubted 
veracity for her behaviour on her rctom from her 
viait to St. PauFa and the Vatican. She eame 
into the room where her aister Rebecca and one 
other person were ntting, and for some time re- 
mained mute and absorbed in thought, walking up 
and down with knit brow and abrupt, agitated 

*IIoweT«r imprab4Ue lliu naf k|ipMr,{t ii not mora m 
than the tctt rcnnt ptetCBUItoa of ■ vdl-known Itneliu b*nk«r, 
bii wife ud d*Bgbl«r, to the Vlc*f«imBt «r CkriM, ud cac- 
ecMur ot St. Pciw. Tk« eoavanioa ot k Md vu mutij uf 
■on nine iliaa tha pnbaMo fc —o I ti of o nulwaj. 

as 



100 HBHOIBS or RACUKL. 

gestures. When sho spoks ftt last it was to utter 
(!JMula,tioD« of ulmiration wtd awe. To the 
queations uUrcsacd to her she returned ao direct 
answer, but exclainied in broken di^ointed 
phrases: 

" Yea, thu is the ti}ie faith I This is the God- 
inapired creed I None other could have accom- 
{dislied such works I Trul/ I ^ will be one of 
them yet ? " 

Rebecca heard this with intense indignation, 
and remonstnitccl with extreme wannth against the 
propo8C4l apostocy, repeating at intcrvala as though 
to clinch her arguments : 

" Oh, what would Sarah say I Oh, how I wish 
Sarah were here I " 

The temper of Sornh vna dreaded by all the 
fiunily, and had its weight even on Bachcl. 

The witness of this singular scene was as- 
tonished at the patience with which the elder 
sister endured the reproaches of the younger. 
The tragedienne vouchsafed no reply, but, throw- 
ing herself on the bed, remiuned there engrossed 
in her own reflections. 

The other members of the Felix family, though 
not practicers of its forms, are staunch adherents 
of their faith. Rebecca bod much of Rachel's 
serious, contemplative turn of mind. She never 



xmoraa of eachbu 



101 



eoald nndflntMid k jert on eertain rabjeots. Th« 
fenwle nemben of the eoin|MUi7 hiring gun* to 
▼itit the church of St. Jean de Latian, thoee who 
were CRtholics undertook the aeecnt of the stun 
in the unul tmnner. An *ncient dkOM of ▼ay 
■tout proportioni preeedod them, aiKt the mtpttX 
■ho prcfcntcd to tboM behind her, *m the crept 
■lowly up on her knees, ynt m> exceedingly ludi* 
crous that, after ■undry vain attompta to preaerre 
a becoming graTity, the young women found it 
impoaaible to ■upprcsa a titter. When thoy 
reached the top, Rebecca, who had aaccndcd 
the other way, and had vcen their untimely roerri* 
ment, •CTercly reproached them -..— 

" Were I a Christian," mid ahe, ** and pe^ 
forming an act I deemed tneritorioua in the Ngbt 
of mj Qod, I would die rather thao indulge ia 
■ocb pro&ne laughter I * 



• i* 



102 






CHAPTER VI. 
1852. 

^ Diane **— *' Louise de LigncroUet ** — Inviution from the 
King of PniMia — Severe Illness — Homreopathic Doctor 
— Appearance at the New Palace of Potsdam — Prescnta- 
tation to the Empress of Russia — ^llie Czar Nicholas and 
Mademoiselle liachel—Rctum to Paris — Prolongation of 
Life — •* Aspaise ** — ** Rosemende." 

' On the 23rd of February of this year Made* 
moieelle Rachel appeared in the part of Diane, 
in Emilie Augier^s drama. The greatest fault of 
this work is that its chief points are copied from 
Victor Hugo's ^ Marian Delorme/' with this 
difference^ that what are in the latter beauties are 
in the former defects. The age^that of Louis 
XIII. — the subject — the edict against duelling — 
several of the scenes and several of the personages 
present a striking resemblance. The charming 
Marian Delorme is spoiled by being metamor- 
phosed into a very uninteresting spinsteri and 



M ' 



HBHOIBS or BACHBL. 10) 

Didier, tlut ■plcndid figure of ranuaoo, into a 
luur-bnined boy-brotlwr. Thii crkloit imiteUoo 
M the DMH« ■urpriung, if it wu iotcntioul, as M. 
AugicT is a partiHui of tbe eluaio tchool, and 
couoquenti/ no admirer of the great innOTator. 

Uctwceu the talent of the two authoci and the 
refpcctive merita of their works, no oonpariaoo 
can be e«tabli«hod. Ereo wcra the drama of M. 
An^cr cut out in aa masterly a ityle a* that of 
Victor Ilago, it would yet lack the magnifioent 
poetry in which the latter has arrayed his story. 

Notwithstanding the imitation that spiKiara in 
the very firet act, the play of " Diane " opens well. 
The hennne and her brother are the dcaccndants 
of an ancient bouse, shorn of its former splendour 
and rcdnecd to so low an ebb that Diane, who is 
the cider, is compelled to rceort to all the expe- 
dicnu of proud [toverty to maintain her beloved 
and only brother in his rank and station. The 
youth, the last male of a long line of nobles, is 
tho object of the most affectionate and watchful 
solicitude on tho part of the fair young uotber- 
aister. It is midnight, and, late aa is the hour, 
Diane and Parm/yoH, a faithful old follower,—^ 
sort of Caleb Balderstone — are buuly engaged 
making a doublet for the heir. The good old 
uua gives a very pretty enumentioo of the 



104 

diTen trndot Mid cftlUngi he hM oxaraiwd in 
bdutf x^ths beloTod boy. 
. ^Qaademetienilin'ftAut&irelejeuiielMRniDel'' 
Tita illntrioiu pur n raddcnlj tlfcrtlcd hj the 
iiraption <tf foor jroung gklUntti McwieaiB 
d« Pwine, Jit JBoiatjf, tf« Afyy, and rf« Oma*, 
in pumut of m tur muden, MargturitU, wbo» 
oo ker my ftom midniglit dmHi ivu gtnng 
to the Hotel de R(4iu. A young giri of ra- 
•peotaUe puenUge treading the etreeU of Fam at 
that boor and alone, whea we hare it on the 
antbority of Botleau diat thirty years later the 
streets of the capital of the most dvilised country 
in the world were, at eight o'clock in the evening 
tktjsaupe giyrgei, shows bad chiHce of hours at all 
erents. The first act goes roundly to woi^ for 
io this scene we have the lady whose house has 
been so unceremoniously invaded, jailing in lore 
with one of the wretches whom she has just — and 
Tery pioperiy — ordered out, and the wretch, 2i. 
d» Pienne, at once rcoiprooates. M. Paul, the 
brother, who makes his mttrJe through tho batooiy, 
fidls in love with the emmt Jemoiu/le, who is no 
less suddenly impressed in his fitvor. The scene 
between old Ptarm^fon and young ds Pienn* ia 
full of energy. Tho aged servitor draws his 
•wwd to repel the insolent intruder, who, ia 



mMOIBS or BACHBb 105 

dflrinon, afleeU to [wny merely with hit cane. 
Diaiu itop* the uneqtMl cooibftt, and Ibe noUe- 
men, Bdiniring her divinity, revpoctfully apok^iM 
oad retire, hat in hand. The kindly ezpoatnla- 
tio» of the ueter with her too flighty brother 
■le Tery iweetly written, and, indeed, the whole 
at thie act ie lively and replete with intenwt. 

The wond aot contuns what ia intended fiir the 
main Mibjeot, the groundwork of the whole drama 
— a contpiration againvt the hero of the day, 
Cardinal dm RichtUaa. In "Marion Delonne," 
Victor Hugo hu alto cboeen thie grrat peraonage 
«• the Fata in whoae powerfiil graap the threads 
of all theee petty exiatenece are held ; ho alao 
nueed an altar to that great genius, but — end there 
is the greatest proof of his superiority — he left 
the idol behind the veil. In Hugo's play RicMeiieu 
never appears in person — ho is everywhere folt, ho 
is seen nowhere, he moves all the wires, the 
dramatU p«rtona are, by their own showing, but 
the puppets of his will. The othor had his ohoice 
of twogreatsymbols, Louit XIII. and RichtUeui 
he chose the King for the material inuge and the 
Cardinal (at the presiding genius, the WILL. 
" Et que dit de la oour le roil 

Le Cardinal n'est pas content da tout 1 

Le loi se porte bien sana donte ? 



106 MSMOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

• Non pas I le cardinal a la fievre ou la goutte/ 
The Cardinal is the main-spring, the soul of all 
things; the very omission of any visible presence 
imparts a mysterious awe to the most seemingly 
inngnificant things overshadowed by his influence. 

But M. Augier was of opinion that he could 
not have too many great personages figuring os- 
tennbly on his canvas, and boldly laid hands on 
both — the timid, wavering, passive, melancholy 
monarch, aiid his energetic, iron-willed, stem 
minister. The conspiracy itself is a sort of 
child's playi neither exciting nor interesting; 
there is no justifiable hatred, no well-grounded 
motive; those engaged in it play at conspiracy 
as they would at Uuuquenet^ merely as a pastime. 
Why, or how they mean to kill the Cardinal, they 
do not seem to know. None of the conspirators 
are at all thinking of their enterprise. The 
Duchess de Rohan^ who lends her house to their 
meetings, is solely thinking of iL de Pienne ; 
M. de Pienne of Diane ; M. de Fargy and M. de 
Boissy are little else than supernumeraries. As for 
Margueriiie^s fiither, the fourth plotter, he is a 
caricature with whom no man in his senses would 
risk his head. 

In this second act we are at the Duchess' hotel, 
where all the personagesi save the King, his 



I 



MBMoiw or BA<aBI. 107 

roioHt«r utd hu minuter'* minMUr, L(tfemat,m 
prcMDt. Tho DuchoM, wbo bM beeD wUcited bf 
her god-duighter, MargiuriUe, to uit«rfBra to pre- 
vent ber Dutrmge with U, dt Onuu, to wbom ber 
firther bu promued ber^ the DuehcM teUa 4t 
Cntai DO galUnt geatlenuui would wifh to oUmu 
« hu]y*a hftod agaiiut her wilL D« Cruat, piqued, 
repliM be bu no deure to murrj • eowMtM rf« 
MuiL Paml ■triket the intolent noblo mton Um 
face with \jm ^ve. H«re ui an endeot oopy of 
tbeMcoad act of *'Muion Delonne"— « provtK 
cation and a duel. Even tlic name of ifariut 
hcndf ia introduced in the oonvenation in rtrj 
much tho tame manner aa it ia in Victor Hugo's 
drama. 

The duel takes place between the acta, and 
Paul wounda or killa dt Cmat, who ia teen do 
more. Tho second act hw aomc excellent acenes, 
though XIadentoutV.e Diamr, in her anxious solic^ 
tude for her brother, abuwe rather more knowledge 
of the fwordHixcrcise tlian befits the character of 
a Tail and modest young gentlewoman in an age 
when women had not yet learned to glwy in the 
possession of manly accomplishments. There is 
Mmcthiitg very ridiculous and unseemly in this 
jargon of the fGnciag-ecbool issuing from the rosy 
lips of a true woman. 



UT d lW ■ ■ ■ II' ■ ' ■« 



108 MEMOIBS OF RACHEL. 

In the third act of '^ Diane,** as In the third 
act of ^ Marion Delorme,'* we have the presence 
of the Cardinal's right hand — ^the terrible M. de 
Lqfemas using his cunning to worm out the 
secret of young PauTs retreat — hunting the 
duellists in both dramas. M. de Pienne has con- 
cealed the brother of his secretly-beloved Diane 
in a recess of the wall in his own apartment ; the 
mster goes to see Paulj and in so doing com- 
promises his life and her own honor, ,for she is 
traced to de Pienne*$ hotel by the jealous Duchess 
and the blood-hound Ijaffemns, The Duchess 
attributes the presence of Diane to love for de 
Pienne — the astute chef de police draws the infe- 
rence that her brother is concealed there. Lnffe* 
mas threatens to destroy the hotel to the very 
foundations, and Diane^ to save her brother, he- 
roically declares she is de PienneU mistress. 

We will not cavil at the for^retfulncss of the 
author who makes Paul complain to de Pienne 
when they are alone, that he can hear nothing 
in his hiding-place, and then shoitly after brings 
him out of it because he has heard the discussion, 
and will not accept his sister's sacrifice of her 
good name. 

We have now reached the fourth act, in which 
the comparison between the two dramas is un«* 



HKMoiu or KACnSU IU9 

»v<mUblc Trhd bcgiooiag to end. la the one 
Mariom goes to Mlicit her lovei'a pudoa of tb« 
King — ID th« other DiaiM onve* her brotber'a «f 
the Cardinal Hiniater. 

Bj the way, when M. it Pittuu mj% to Dimm i 
** Thie !■ the King's clowt," why ehoutd Diam» 
question if it i> that of the Kingof Fiancef there 
it but one King there. 

In both drainaa the King !■ in black, the King 
ia aad, the King haa the aitleen. 

Dilute, from behind a curtain, witncsaca a acone 
between the King and the Cardinal. Struck with 
the grcatncas of aoul, the vast iutcllcct of tliia 
•de prop and pilUr of a kingdoto, she detenninoa 
to save him from tlio blow that threaten* him. 
The time appointed bjr the conspiratore i« when 
the Cardinal goes on a visit to Monsieur, the 
King's brother. DioMe abruptly exchums : 

" Go not to Monaicur*! I * 

'NVIien liicheiieu inquires wliat prompts her to 
warn him, and why she seeks to save tlio uau who 
is about to take the life of her young brother, she 
replies tltat "she devotes herself to the Sutel" 
The Cardinal insists on knowing the particulan, 
who t — how ? — when ? — where t — why ? Her 
brother's head ia to bo the fiurreit if she refiues to 
betray the names of the conspirators. In the end 



110 MEMOIM OF RACHBL. 

the Minister relents and grants the young man's 
pardon* without condition; but he is no less de- 
termined to find out what he wants to know some 
other way. 

In the fifth act Paul marries Margueritt$. The 
Duchess de JRoharij still jealous of Dtane^ breaks 
open a will made by de Pienne when in danger of 
losing his head, and finds out what Diane herself 
has hitherto ignored, his love for the latter. Every 
obstacle is destroyed, the lovers are going to be 
happy, when the terrible mar-joy, Laffemas^ comes 
in and sets all wrong again. Diane frightened 
by the black looks of the CardinaVs emissary, 
guesses his errand, and, to save ds Pienncj declares 
he is indifferent to her — she does not love him — 
she'll take her share of life's happiness in the love 
of her brother's children : 

" Je vais 6tre grand mire I " 
A lame and impotent conclusion. 

Sum total : Very little love-making — very little 
ambition — no powerful passions — a pale reflection 
of Victor Hugo's genius. 

Mademoiselle Rachel wore a costume designed 
by Meissonnier with the faithfulness and good 
taste that distinguishes that punter. But however 
elegant her dress it was not nearly as becoming 
to the actress as her antique draperies, or. even 




HBllOm OP KACHBL. Ill 

tbo 6ktmRi\ Mtd rich dreM of tbe Vonctian ooor- 
' teMn, TiM. Two or thrm of tkv pMMga of 
ibia rtU, m wj unauitod to her atylay were 
ipoken with her gnuwl taargj and pMaion, but 
there waa no room for her powen, ahe wm 
cramped and eridcntlx out of her aphere in tbta 
tame, unmeaning fVmmework. 

On the 6th of May Mademoiaelle Raobel made 
another unfruitful excuraioD in the domaina of 
Mademoiaelle Kfara. She appeared in the great 
comidientui't creation of " LouiM dc SigneroHca.* / 
Thia drama in five acta, the joint production of 
McMra. Pro«pcr Dimaux and Emcat LfOgouv^ 
waa firat brought out in 1838, and waa very auc- 
ccmAiI. The rcviral by Rachel thia year waa hardly 
noticed by the prcac, ao complete wai her failure. 

Her BURimcr amgi waa marked by one of the 
moat brilliant trium[^ of her career. She had 
been invited by the King of Pruaaia to viait hie 
Court, and, although aufTcring from a painful 
nervous affection that loft her no reet, ahe reaolved 
to achieve the journey. 

It required no Icaa thao the determined will of 
which Kachcl had given eo many proofa in conquer- ' 
ing latiguo on former occauona, to carry her through 
on this one. This illness was, with the exception 
of the one of which she died, tbe moat severe ahe 



112 1IB1I0IB8 OF lUCIIELl 

erer had. Deprived of sleep, of appetite, con- 
aumed hj a slow fever, troubled with fearful hal- 
lucinationsi that brought with them suicidal ideas, 
she arrived in Brussels completely exhausted. 
Yet, notwithstanding this prostration of mind and 
body, she pkyed with even more than her usual 
animation and firci sustained by a feverish and 
dangerous nervous excitement, which imparted a 
momentary power for which she paid dearly after 
the play was over. Great would have been the 
terror and admiration of the uninitiated spectator 
who, after witnessing one of the performances that 
electrified her audiences, could have seen her, the 
Circ6, but a moment before so powerful, so impe- 
rious, so fascinating, now so exhausted, so breath- 
less, so nearly lifelcssi carried off in the arms of her 
maids to the sleepless bed she was to leave but to 
be brought back to make the same efforts with a 
like result. 

In one of the too numerous letters she either 
dictated or wrote, Bachel herself mentions this 
state of over-excitement 

''The public, the footlights, father Comeille, 
and even my own costume, impart a fictitious 
strength which enables me to act my part ; that 
done I am again powerless, and often remain sunk 
in melancholy until the next performance.* . 




UUIOin OF BACBBb US 

It wM under auoh diahcMrteDuig cueunutanoM 
tlutt she gave fbor perfornuuioet in BniMeU. 
While therc^ • circunuUBM ooeuired which wm 
to reteue her btxa Uu« terrible etata of Mifoiag. 
The elder Count Lebm ^ke to her in Mieh 
high term* of » doctor who had effected an extra* 
ordinaij cure in the eaae of one of bu relativei) 
that Bach«l, though almost hopelcn of relief ooo- 
•cnted to k« him. M. Varicz waa a honMcopathic 
, i^yaiciao too, and the tragidi^imt bad, on a 
former occarton, experieitced great benefit from 
the prcacription of one of hia coH/rire: After a 
thorough examiDation oS tho case, tb« diactple of 
Haocmann undertook tlto cure^ if the invalid 
would proniiac tho ttrictest obtervaocc of hia in* 
junctions. Tho mode of communication being 
settled, ahc continued bcr journcjr. A friend who 
WHS with her hnd undertaken to write and forward 
to M. Vsrlcx daily and circumstantial bulletins of 
the symptoms and effect of tlie treatment to 
which site was subjected. The physician returned 
minute instructions and prescriptions. 

Tliis nngular treatment bt/ pott eventually 
effected a cure, though the progress towards it 
was slow. There was even at Aiz-La-Chapelle 
so severe a crisis, predicted, however, by the 
doctor, that her life waa thought in danger. 
VOL. II. I 



114 MEMOIRS OF BACHEU 

The intended journey to Berlin was counter- 
manded^ and the iragfdienne requested to' go to 
Potsdam. 

This change in her movements gave rise to the 
most absurd conjectures ; a political mystery was 
attached to that which had the most simple and 
natural explanation. The real cause was the 
shortness of the sojourn the Empress of Russia 
was to make in her brother^s dominionsi and the 
state of Her Majesty's health, which precluded 
her enduring the fatigue of public f6te$ and 
receptions. It had, therefore, been .decided that 
whatever amusement was procured for the illus- 
trious invalid should be enjoyed enfamille in the 
retirement of the royal residence. 

On the 8th of July Rachel gave her first 
performance in the new palace of Potsdam, ap- 
pearing, as usual, in Camille. 

On her arrival at the palace, whither she had 
been summoned early, the iragidienne found a 

sumptuous dinner awaiting her. With a view to 

« 

her honor, it had been arranged that the scenic 
queen should dine only with such of her atiachSs 
as she chose to invite, while the secondary 
personages, the small-fry of confidants, traitors, 
second-hand heroes, &c., &c., were fed at a sepa- 
rate table. But Uachel had the good taste to 



Hmoiw or XAcnsL. lid 

utj ibe oonM not tAwit of foeh dutinetioiu, 
Mldbg that on the ere of t gmt battle > good 
genenl ihould mcM with Ua aoUien. 

Aa the perfirnnuico was to take plaeo late in the 
evening, one of the roTal carringca waa placed at 
the iragidiemna^t difpoaal. and the Kinrj'a reader 
accompanied her on an ezcurnon round the 
Chateau of Sana Souol; in the oourae of the 
drive fho met the Crown Prince and Prince 
PrMcric of the Xcthcrlaadis who went profnan in 
their coinplimcntf. 

In the evcnin<; CamiBe, elate with hope and 
pride, played with all the enci^ of which ahe 
was capable, and waa greatly admired. She waa 
prcacntcd, \>y desire of Her Majcatjr, to the 
EmpnsM of Ruasia, who gracious]/ said : 

** I have often regretted, mademoiselle, the 
etiquette tluit forbids external tokena of approb** 
tion ; but, had it been otherwise, to-day we could 
not liavc applauded, so great was our emotion." 

The King of Prussia was equally courteous, and 
all present seemed greatly pleased. 

A few days after, the Emperor Nicholas arrived 
at Potsdam, where he was to remain but two 
days, the last of which, the 13th of July, waa the 
birth-day of the Empress. The weather belnf; 
too warm to permit of any enjoyment in $aloHt 



mit*pj 



116 MEMOIRS OF BAOHKU 

blftzbg with lights, it was arranged that the 
little yiS/ii should take place in the open air, and 
tliat the tragedienne should there give readings 
from her chief rSlee before the Imperial and 
Royal families and their suites. The scene 
chosen was the prettjr little Isle of Peacocks. 
She gave several scenes from ^ Virginie * and all 
the second act of '^Ph^drci* and scenes from 
"Adrienne Lecouvreur." Her august audience 
of crowned heads testified enthusiastic approba- 
tion. Tlic Emperor assured the tragedienne that 
she was greater than even her reputation) and 
ho{)cd she would give him the pleasure of seeing 
her next in hia own dominions. A hint of this 
invitation had already been dropped by the 
Empress, tt will be seen that the rendezvous 
was not forgotten on either side. 

The Czar^ when speaking of the tragidiennej 
was standing before her chair ; on her attempting 
to risCy he remarked that her exertions must have 
fatigued her, and desired her to remain seated. 
On her respectfully insisting, he took both her 
hands and gently held her down, saying : 

^ Remain, mademoiselle, I beg, unless you 
wish me to retire.** 

Such kindness and condescension from such 
quarters was sufficient to turn wiser and steadier 






^tnt 



mcMOiitt or RACHBU 117 

hnds tlum tW of tKe young artUte wkora talont 
h»d ennobtod. But in rcUting Ui« ev«Dta of tli'u 
proud d«y to llie member of tiio prcu by whom 
it WM intoodod tliey thould bo repeated to tlie 
public, Rachel nude a remark tliat wu altogctlier 
faUo. She wrote thnt " never hod one ponon 
been spoken to by m many Empcrora, King*, 
Princei and PrioceMea, aa she had been.* &Iade- 
moiacUe Bochc). eUte with very pardonable 
vanity, forgot that Talma, Madiunc Catalani and 
other utttfta of diatingulthcd merit had been treated 
with equal consideration by many crowned hcoda ; 
Talma wa« admit ted to the prcMncc of the grcatcat 
UAn that ever wore an imperial tiara, on a footing of 
fiuniliar intcrcourMj that tcatifivd the pcraonal 
eatcem in which he waa held, and which waa liif 
more flattering tliun a few pawing compliment*. 

On the 14th Kochel pcrfonucd in Potadam, 
" PliiJrc " .ind " Lc Muincati de Lcabic." After 
tlio pcrfominnco tlio King aent Iter by the Comto 
do Rcdern, hi* chamberlain, 20,000 (rt^ a very 
munificent present, cepecially aa the Luge Opcra- 
houae at Ucrlin had been gntntcd to her free of 
cxpcnce for wx nighia, and as she al»o had all the 
receipts. The Emperor of Russia sent, through 
his aid-de-camp. Count Orlofls, substantial tokens 
of hia approbatioD, in the ahape of two magaifi- 



^^^^^^^^^mmmmm 




^ -118 MB1COIB8 OF RACHBL. 

cent opab, surrounded with diamonds, which tho 
redpient immediately estimated at their pecuniary 
worth, at 10,000 frs. Other private persons fol- 
lowed the Royal example, and presents and dinners 
aaarked each day of her stay. 

From Potsdam she resumed her tour, passing 
through Frankfort, Wiesbaden, Metz, Colmarand 
Mancy, pkying everywhere, though unable to 
stand when off the stage, and travelling from place 
to place in a bed fitted up in the carriage. 

At Strasbourg she suffered another severe crisis, 
less alarming, however, than that which over- 
took her in Aix-la-Chapelle. The Princes of 
'Prussia and the Grand Duchess Stephanie of 
Baden, having invited her to come to them, she con^ 
quered indisposition and fatigue in order to reap the 
advantages compliance would bring. A flattering 
reception, a magnificent bracelet and 10,000fr. in 
gold rewarded the effort. Dr. Varlcz had advised 
she should go to St. Schlangenbad for the sake of 
the air there, and especially for the solitude and 
rest of which she was so much in need ; she at- 
tempted to follow this advice, but not fancying 
the place, returned to Brussels, where she actually 
remuned a whole fortnight without leaving the 
house* She was so much benefitted by thb/orced 
Molusion and the treatment she pursued that she 



HBMOnn or mAcnsL. 119 

WM oubled to return to PuU on tha 18ib of 
Augutt. She inunedUtely ropairod to her nib M 
Moatnwrcocy, «nd thera continued for aome time 
the wvere regimen preeciibod, one of the chief 
poinU of whieb wm the moet sbMlute repoee of 
mind end body. When the ph/aiciMi at bet per> 
mitted her to pby it wm only auoh perta u Etiuiit 
in " Cinno," Pmtut* in " Polyfiucto," — the mildcet 
doaee of the ComeUna phamueopeuu PAiJn 
and CamiiU were u ■trictJy forlndden u coffiM 
and ipicu. 

The rcauU of ihie treatment waa the en- 
tire diMppcarance of all the fatal aymptooM J 
a new Icaao of life Iiad been obtained and 
her phyMcian baa the conacioumota of having 
prolonged tbia indefatigable artiaU^t exiatence five 
yeara. 

In October ahe was reputed entirely cured, end 
prepared to undertake now crcationa. A r6U of 
" Aapaaic/' a tragedy in two acta by Samaon, waa 
atudicd by her, but never played ; " Rosemonde," 
which ahe undertook aoveral yean later, waa even 
talked of then. 



120 



■•i 



CHAPTER Vn. 
1858. 

"JjAcIj Tartoffe" — Short Summer Excaraion— An Obliging 
Manager — Engngeraent in Rumia — Permission of the 
Emperor, the Minister of Sute, and the Comedie Franpais 
eonntersigned bj M. LcgouT^ — A Diplomatic Letter — 
The Author and the Actress — Friendljr Correspondence — ' 
•^Med^" vkedfor; "Medio" written; •* Med^ ** read ; 
'* Med6e ** revised and corrected ; ** Med€e " approyed, 
receiycd, rehearsed ; '* Med€e ** put awn j for another day 
—Mademoiselle Rachel in St. Potersbnrg — Sute of 
Thea:ricals in Russia— A Wilt/ Replj. 

Mademoiselle Rachel appeared in the part 
of Madame de Girardin's *^ Lady Tartuffe *' on 
the 14 th of Februaryy 1853. This proved one of 
her best creations in comedy^ though she herself 
never fancied the rdle. 

The heroine is a Mademoiselle de BloeeaCy who» 
having reached the age of thirty without chang- 
ing her name, follows the fiishion of single ladies, 
who, in the summer of their existence, feel justi- 
fied in adopting the title of ''Madame.'* Ma- 



HEMOIM or BACHBI* 121 

(lame, who Inds » retired, respectable life, bu 
mett wbile on tmt charitable ezeurMoo, tbe 
DtiJk* d'EitijfHy, a Manhal of France and •>• 
ambanador, who, ftjcinated hj the Udj'a appa- 
rent virtues, lodges ber at once in bis bonae and 
heart, that is, he bc^ns hy the offer of an ^>art- 
ment b his hotel, and ends hy that of his band. 
In the ]>farabars hotel there are two other female 
inmate*, his nieoe, the widowed OaunUit dt 
CUirmomt and her daughter Jeanni; fifteen Tears 
old, verv pretty and endowed with a natMli, a 
simplicity perfectly extraordinary in the preacnt 
ago. Between the widow and the aspirant to the 
Marshal's hand, heart and titles, tlicre is from the 
Tcry beginning a feud, which, though at first 
eovcrt, subdued, and nianiJiMtcd only in asides and 
little akirmislics — a vort of war in the bush — 
guerilla cuoountera where the blows ara none the 
less deadly bccnuM the arm is oonccalcd^-onds in 
an open figUt, a pitehod-battlei in which, though 
the cause of virtue in apparently triumphant, It is, 
in fact, hard to tell who has the best of it, and the 
leaders on both sides are damaged. 

The old Marshal is a noble-hcartcd man, prone 
to place implicit belief in those who have his good 
opinion, pleased with what loolu innocent, good 
and affectionate, and with no other failing, even if 



122 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

that may be called one, than the inclination to 
relate incidents of his military and diplomatic 
career. The other personages are more or less 
useful accessories* There is a Baron dea Tour* 
KereMg a sbrt of factotum of Madame dt Blouac^ 
who saves her interests in the beginning because 
she has loaned him 20|000fr8i and who betrays 
her as soon as he has found one of her ene- 
mies willing to lend him that sum to repay her. 
This personi whose virtuci as he himself tells us, 
is a marketable commodity : 

•' O vertu, tu vaux de Por I " 
is certainly a far more odious creature than 
Madame de Bloaeac, besides which he is, in truth, 
quite a supernumerary in the playt being without 
importance, interest or avocation in it. He 
undertakes to advance her cause with the Marshal 
in the expectation that as Madame la Marechal 
she will possess sufficient interest to procure him 
the post of prefet or that of reeeceur ghiiral but 
thb busy person does nothing that she could not 
have accomplished without him, and in the mean- 
while taunts and insults her with impunity because 
he has a secret of hers which may ruin her repu'- 
tation. 

The lover of Jeanne^ young Henri^ is of himself 
rather an insignificant personage ; but ^ as it hap- 



MBMOimi or BACHKU ISS 

peM, be wu the intimate friend of » fbrmsr knw of 
MadamtdtBlouai^t. Yin yean ugafMademoiselU 
ItlouM, then on a risit to Mme English muwoB, 
R{^intcd a meeting im a pavilion with her tben 
lovor, who waa MippoMd bj tbe other memben of 
the family to have gone out hunting. Tbe pair 
waa euddenlj diaturbed by tbe return of a real 
huntbg party, and in danger of a diaooveiy ; the 
lover, to aave tbe Udy'a reputation, leapa from tbe 
window. Mid in doing eo ipriDge the trigger of hit 
gun ; ho iatovorcly wounded, but hia oold-hcartcd 
miatrcM, anxious to mto her good* name, heeda 
not hia groans, and leaves htm to die without aid. 
But a fortuitous circumstanoe reveals to one pei^ 
•on at least her presence in the pavilion, where 
she hod dropped her bouquet of heather. Since 
that &tal day she is yearly reminded of it by the 
tMtoi, on iu anniversary, of a bouquet of heather 
sent by an unlcnown hand. 

There is an excellent scene in the first act ; un> 
fortunately it is but too faithful a representation of 
that wiiicli is daily passing in society, where r^ 
putations are slain with the most inoffensive-look- 
ing weapons. Several memben of a charitable 
society are assembled in Madamt lU Blottae^t 
talon to discuss ways and means for tbe advaaco- 
ment of the interests of that society ; the praise 



124 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

of the hoflteasi her piety and charityi form the 
chief theme of conversatioii until the entrance of 
the Countess de Clairmoni and her daughter. 
The Countess says at once she is not brought 
there by lier own will, she comes deputed by her 
uncle to announce her daughter's marriagCi and 
iuTite Madame de B/ossac to join the family, who 
are that evening to celebrate the betrothals in the 
apartments of the Marshal. Here Madame de 
Blossac learns that the intended husband is Henri 
de Rennevellej the man whom for five years she 
has secretly falit passionately loved. The blow is 
terrible. She seeks to avert it by preventing the 
marriage, and resorts for that purpose to the usual 
feminine weapon, calumny. The scene is terribly 
true to the life. 

The poisoned arrow has sped to its destination. 
Monsieur de St. Yrieux, one of the persons 
present, is a friend of the Rennetille family ; .he 
thinks it a duty to warn them of the stain on 
Jeanne^s character, and the result may be antici- 
pated. This first act is very skilfully written; 
the dialogue is lively and witty, the characters 
are well drawn; the scene of the slander, so 
delicately insinuated, is particularly good. 

The second and third acts are taken up with 
the sad consequences of the evil reports on poor 



MBMOIBS or mACRU.. 1X7 

coungcoiM ADiid tka wnek of ber loog^eriilwd 
hopet, that it U hard to tell on which «<)« the 
notoTf liu — the Manhall't lail word*: 

"Poor wofnan, the/ are all against horl " 
elcariy evince that, otot him, at least, Afa^«iiw 
d9 Slouae will 1000 regain her empire. At for 
the main pwnt tought by the coiupiraton againat 
iiadamt dt Blo»»ac — the rehabilitation of Jtnm* 
in the opinion 1^ the public— we cannot aee but 
what it is aa brolTas ever. Jtaiut* herself oomee 
in all alono at the end of the plaj, exclaiming 
that she has been seeking her mother everywhere. 
Ilcr presence was needed for llio tableau fimaUy 
the joining of the level's hands and blessing 
asked by de$ TourLiiM ! — ^but it docssccm rather 
strange that she should leave her home unattended 
to sock her inotlicr in ffemria apartment. Hotel 
Wagram I 

It has been said, and with great truth, that a 
dramatic work is the greatest of all literary efforts. 
It is rare, indeed, that a pt&y is written that eonw 
bines every requisite. When the chief character 
is powerfully drawn, the other personages are 
weak and faulty. At tiroes everything is sacrificed 
to a few scenes, rendered effective by the most 
improbable absurdities; at others, brilliancy of 
style and superabundaoee of detail, like regal 



128 MEX0IR8 OP RACHEL. 

gamients thrown over a skeleton, merely serve to 
conceal the poverty of the idea, and the meagre- 
ness of the subject. For one or two successful and 
really good plays that now and then surprise the 
public, how innumerable are the failures. 

Madame de Girardin, when she attempted 
tragedy, 4nistook her vocation, as '^ Judith ** and 
<* Cl&>pfttre,'' amply testified. But in ^ Lady Tar- 
tuffe,'^and ^ La Joie Fait Peur," she proved herself 
possessed of all the elements required to excel as 

« 

a writer of comedy-— of the real French comedy, 
the honor of inventing which reverts to La 
Chauss^e. 

If comedy be, indeed, the representation of the 
incidents and habits of familiar life, MoIi6re him-, 
self overlooked a portion of its (lomnin. 

The poet calls human nature a ^\ pendulum be- 
tween a smile and a tear,** and this is the true view 
that comedy must take ; this was the view taken 
of it by La Chauss^c — to have enlarged or culti- 
vated the tract he opened is a glorious progress. 
At the present day wo may well wonder that he 
who first embodied this appreciation of life should 
have been sneered at. 

To the old detractors of La Chauss<ie Madame 
de Girardin opposed the triumphant reputation of 
her talent — an indisputable authority. She was 



HBHOIBt Of MCIUL. 1S9 

wdl ftWRre Uut mdUm ud tesn w«n tlw two 
polca of the human bout, at timet broo^ to- 
gether hj a. Ttoleot shock, Mtd in "La Jme Fait 
Peur" ahe ehuM the subject meet MuoeptiUe of 
being put upon the aUge. We often bear the 
phnue of " to Uugb until jou erf," and then ia 
oo wdder ipceiea of iaaanitj than that produoed 
l^ eztrcme grief, and which betray* itaelf b/ vio* 
lent file of lau^lcr. 'What was poculiariy kcr 
own, tliat which epeciaUy cwutitutod M adame de 
Gtrardin'a originality, waa the ■kilfiil manner in 
which she effected a traoution between thoee two 
extremes of feeling. She was well acquainted 
with the chords of the initrument, and succeeded 
in chtunning her readers or her audience without 
agitating them i^ith too violent an emotion or 
giving too great a shock to the nervous system. 

" Lady Tartufie " was not, perhaps, as pleasing 
or as correct a woric as " La Joie Fait Peur." 
The author was progressiog in a department of 
dramatic art in which she would have reached 
perfection had her life been spared, and ** Lady 
TortufTe" was younger by a year than her more 
successful [tlay. It bctokena too hurried aa ex^ 
cution, the plot is, perhaps, too intricate — there it 
much to be pruned— much that needed more deU- 
cate a finish —eorae of the speeches are too long, 

TOU II. X 



130 HEMOIRS OP RACHEL. 

and weary the audience, while the resulty which 
baa been ktboriouBly sought among a crowd of 
incidental proves unsatisfactory. Still, with all 
its fiiults, ** Lady Tartuffe ** is a type belonging to 
the authoress, and which, had she remodelled it 
would haye proved an exceUent comedy. 

The worst fault of this play was its title, a title 
phunly indicating the intention of the author, but 
one as mistaken as it was bold, for it is in no way 
justified by. the heroine. It is the flourish of 
trumpets announcing the entrance into the lists 
with Moliire of a new candidate — an attempt to 
compete where competition was sure to entail 
failure — to imitate where any imitation must prove 
a caricature. Bcaumarchais himself committed 
this mistake when he allowed the ** New TartuiTe '* 
to appear on the playbills, but even this daring 
genius disavowed his presumptuous pretensions 
and changed the title to that of the '^ Guilty 
Mother.** 

As for a femaU Tartuffe^ thank heaven no 
such being ever existed. Moli&re's demon is a 
complete fiend, without a single redeeming point, 
and such a one could never find a lodging in a 
female heart. In the << Lady Tartuffe " of 
Madame de Girardin there are flashes of repent- 
ance, there is love. In the '< Tartuffe ^ of Mo- 



MtVOm or BAOHEL. ISl 

liir« there could bo neither. Bcpentaaoe of 
itMlf mubea mw»j moch no, sod when ml low 
esifU for s worthy object it regeneratee the moet 
erring at^tan^^^MUm« tie Dia—me heraelf teD oa 
•o. Tarttifft never felt one tnoment'e repent- 
ftaee. Mid the poauon Elimirt hsd excited in 
him deeervee quite another auae than that of 
lore. 

MftdcmoiicUo Rachel made a conacientiona 
iitiidy of this rdt, and thougli. m we have eeveral 
timet had occaaion to roninrkf very inferior in 
coincfljr to what the waa in her own rtptrtairt, 
■lie jilaycd the clinrnctcr in the moat creditable 
manner, Tbia was the more nteritorioua, as ahe 
dialikcd the pnrt exceedingly. The ^Httn, the 
covert, aiihdc, aubducd style required to play 
the female hypocrite were the oppoutea of the 
grand, bold, daring passiona of tragedy, and could 
not be natural in Mademoiselle Itochcl. AVhat 
added greatly to the attraction waa that Saoaonf 
her professor, took the part of the old Marshal, 
and their pcricct undcratanding, long babit of 
studying together and knowledge of each other'a 
powers produced a result nearly amounting toper* 
fection. 

Still, though she played it well, and the play 
found favor with the public, the firat night had 
k8 



132 MEMOIRS OP RACHEL. 

well nigh proved fatal to it. The authoress, in* 
deed, was so greatly disappointed that she wished 
to leave the theatre without speaking to Made* 
moiselle Rachel| under pretenee of emotion. M. 
Regnier endeavored to persuade her to tlie eon* 
trarj, but for some little time his efforts were 
vain: * 

** Noi" exclaimed the vexed authoress, '' I can- 
not see her, she has played wretchedly I " 

Finally, she allowed herself to be conducted to 
the ariUie'a dressing-room, and a few cold words 
were exchanged : 

'^ You are not pleased,** said Rachel. 

^ N*importe, with you I am sure to succeed,'* 
replied Madame de Girardin. 

This year it was announced by Mademoiselle 
Rachel that she intended to devote the summer 
conge to repose, in order to be able with recniited 
strength and renewed energy to perform tlie duties 
of her autumnal and winter season. She intended 
this, it was said, as a refutiation of the charges 
that had been brought against her by the manage- 
ment at the time of the lawsuit with the Thdatre 
Franfais. 

It might be that she needed rest, for during the 
spring season, while she was acting Ixtdtf Tariuffe 
at the Th^tre Fnui9ai^ she was pkying on the off 



MEIIOISS or BAOnSL. 133 

nigliti io tha Dciwrtincnt*. Thiu, daring the 
wbole of )rKrcb, sIm tpent her tUyi in the nU> 
wiy*, «k1 oi^U acting in Amien»> Oil«MWt 
Toura, gmng even u fiir u KnntM, and jret por* 
forming twice a-wcek in Pam I She called thia 
rotting becauM abe vaa not pannaneotly away 
from the capital. She waa charmed hy M. Aneni 
HoUHaye'a compliance with her wiihea regarding 
thccc cxouraioM. 

" C'cat il gentil de )L HoutM/e de me latHcr 
&ire eelo, car il pourrait me le defendrc I " aba 
would exclaim, in I ho exuberance of her 
gratitude. 

Slic did not, indeed, prolong her Bummer eomgi 
ahroiid over six weeks, during which the played 
in London, Brussels, Angers, Li6ge, and Saumur. 
Contmry to her expectations she had no houses. 
Tliia waa probably owing to her having vintad 
these towns too often, and the pronneea cannot 
hear repeated drains liko capitals constantly re- 
cruited by foreign visitors. At all events Rachel, 
as wns bcr wont when she wished to hide her dis- 
appointment, feigned sudden illness and returned 
to Paris, though she was expected in La Haye. 
It was then she announced her intention to rcpos« 
during the remainder of the cong^. How far she 
was unccre in her resolve to recruit for the benefit 



'!;] 



134 MEMOIRS OP RACHEL. 

of the Thdatro Fran9ai8 wiU appear by the use 
•he made of her renewed strength. The summer 
waa spent in active negotiations to obtain a most 
lucrative engagement that had long been anxiously 
desired by Mademoiselle Rachel, and which was 
finally obtained at the expense of the Th^tre 
Fran9ais. 

It must be owned that though not over scrupu- 
lous on the means she used, the great tragedienne 
possessed a quality for which ariietea are not often 
distinguished — she was an excellent woman of 
business. She never lost sight of what to her 
was the main point. 

In the beginning of September it was rumoured 
that she was going to spend the winter in Russia. 
St. Petersbuig had not yet paid the tribute of gold 
and laurels she had obtained in almost every 
European capital ; Rachel reflected that she had 
no time to lose if she wished to levy her tax. 
The Eastern question was becoming so com- 
plicated that a war was inevitable, and hostilities 
were expected to break out in the spring. If she 
delayed, the roubles were lost to her. All the 
wires of dramatic diplomacy were set to work ; 
the Russian Court was willing to pass the winter 
as agreeably as possible previous to commencing 
.a campaign of which it entertained such brilliant 




MKUOUU or BACHKL. 



ulticlpatiou, knd on ongKgeatent for «x montlis 
w-M offered to MMleumtoUfl Rubel, who wm per* 
mittcd by the oounea; of tbe Freodi GoreniiBeiit 
to accept iu 

Th'u impoiUat n«iira wm oonunanicated i& tha 
AiUowing tamu to M. Ernest LicgouT^ one of tiie 
nuthonof "Adrienno Lccouvnur," by UuUmo 
de SftigocvUte, a friend of ilia Iragidiemnt, and bar 
•ccrelary whenever a difficult lu^liatioD wat to 
be carried tbrougb: 

i " October 5lh. 

" You have i>rubably learned, ftir, by the newa- 

' t p"!**^'^ ^^*^ incredible munificence of the engage- . 

' ntcnt proi»oacd to our Itacliel in the name of the 

Em[>crar of Rusua. Govenimeat has thought fit 
to permit the great nrlUte to earn in six months a 
fortune. Rachel will be back here on the 15th of 
May (1854); ehe will, on her arrival, be quit* 
perfect in " ^fcdea,''■ and the traf^dy will be acted 
imnicdintely. I acnd you herewith her letter 
properly dated. She comroluioncd me to for* 
ward it aa a proof of her good intcntiona. 

" I need not lay how devotedly I am yoaf% 

"L. J. DB SliOMETILU.* 



136 MBMOIB8 OP RACHEL. 

The aboTO letter was corroborated hy one from 
MAdemoiselle Rachel herself, written in the coax- 
ingi insinuating tone women command so readily 
when they wish to obtain anything. 

''Dear M. Legouye, 

^Brilliant offers have long been made to 
induce me to spend a winter in Russia. These I 
have repeatedly refusedi alleging my duties at the 
Thd&tre Fran^ais and the fear of disobliging my 
comrades. But the engagement now offered is 
really so extraordinarily advantageous that I have 
endeavored to obtain the very great favor of taking 
this winter the six months* cotiffc I was to have 
next summer. The Emperor^ the Minister of 
State and the Com6dIe Fran9ais have granted me 
leave to visit that northern nation. I set out with 
sufficient courage, and I assure you it is needed to 
brave the approaching season, which threatens to 
be severe. Do not, dear sir, increase my grief 
(which is great) by bearing me any ill will. I 
shall keep '^Medea.** I would greatly wish to 
find her on my return the spotless maiden she now 
is ; but whatever happens to her my love is such 
I will willingly receive her back from the arms 
she may have wandered into. 

^You have sometimes professed yourself my 



Mutons or kacrsl. 1ST 

firieod — here* now, it an «zocUeat oppartunitjr of 
{mmng younelf one. I ' hopo oo mj rctam to 
find jour fiicndthip unaltered. 

* Aa fiir OM, I am srar jour dcToted, 

*<R4CHEL. 

"Puu, October 4tl^ 1853." 

The reader who hu forgotten, or pcrfaapt heord 
of, the suit Rt law between II. Legourj uid Made> 
moUellc Rachel towarda the close of the year 18^ 
will perhaps question whj the proud JioxtMut, the 
fierce Hermiome, should write so coAxingly to M. 
Legoiivj, and why she, who had a pass signed hy 
the Emperor, tlie Minister of Sute, and the 
Commie Fran^aisc, deemed it requisite that it 
should be countersigned by that gentleman. A 
few wordi will explain her anxiety on this point, 
and throw some preliminary light on the sub- 
sequent quarrel. 

M. Lcgour^, the son of a poet, a poet himself 
of some reputation, and one of the authors of 
" Adrienne LccouTrcur," had become the friend 
of Mademoiselle Rachel under the following cir* 
cunutonces. Adrim»» was first offered to Made* 
moisclle Rachel, who, after learning and rcheaning 
the port, aaddeoly took it into her head that it 



138 KEMOIBS or BACHEL. 

was quite unauited to her. This caprice, for we 
have ahready seen that she had neither taste nor 
discernment in dramatic literaturci offended M« 
Scribe exceedingly, and he gave the charming 
rdU to Mademoiselle Sose Cheri. The spirit of 
rivahry did what no entreaties or the promptings 
of good sense could have obtained. Bachel 
was as eager to have the part when it was 
another's as she had been obstinate in returning it 
when it was hers. But M. Scribe was also a 
sovereign power in theatrical affairs, he was in his 
turn obdurate, and it was only through the kindly 
intervention of his co-author| M. Legouv^, that 
the covetted part went back to its original desti- 
nation. 

The success of the play having taught Made- 
moiselle Rachel how much she was indebted to 
him who had restored it to her, became the foun- 
dation of the warmest friendship between them. 
The actress, with that passionate enthusiasm of 
heart and head which is too often the sole guide 
of the sex, could neither see nor hear, save 
through her cher auteur. She would have wished 
to play no works but his, and until he could write 
new ones for her she took up his old ones. 

Mademoiselle Mars had some years before 
created with the fullest success the rdk of LouU^ 



% 



milOIM or BACBBL. 139 

da Ligtuniln. Weli»ir« teeo tint MidenwiMUe 
lUcbcl, who ought to bare been Uught wwdom hj 
bnner fkilurea, undertook oooe UMre to piore her 
right of aucoeMion to the light Mcptre m gnc»- 
fillip bekl hf the greM cowUdUtuu ; hot the 
Kttempt WM extremely unfortunete. Tb«t her 
good will WM not hwktng i« fully ehown bj the 
following lince, written on the fly-leef of % oopjr 
of "Taliiut's MenKHn" wnt to U. Lcgouri on 
the 6th of January, 185S. 

** I mean to apcnd mj nif^ta learning ' Louiae 
do LigneroUca,* with which I am exeeedlngly 
cliarmcd. See >I. Houegaye aa eoon as poeaible, 
that the worlc may be immediately rerired. You 
may rely on my seal, my devotion, and wmewbat, 
too, on my ability. I aend you a book, the 
peruaal of which will, I think, intereat you. You 
hare promised me a play for 1633 i I rely od 
having it, mind. 
i '■ " Rachil." 

MonMcur Lcgouvc was justified in considering 
so positive an invitation, made, as it were, in the 
presence of the shade of Talma, as a formal oom- 
mand, binding on both ndes. He set to work, 
chooMng " Medea " aa his subject. 

Tbe subject was not a new one, but neither 



\ 



140 MEMOIRS or RACHEL. 

had hifl predecessorsy who wrote expressly for 
l^Iademoiselle Rachel, selected Tery modem 
themes. The ^ Lucrice ** of M. Ponsard and the 
** Virginie'* of M. Latour de St. Ybars, the two 
tragedies of contemporaries in which she had 
been most happy, were both based on incidents 
borrowed from the early legends of the Roman 
Republic The character of Medea was, perhaps, 
more appropriate than either of the former to bring 
into bold relief the peculiar qualities and style of 
the actress^ She had, moreover, expressed a wish 
that the play should be short and that all the 
interest should be concentrated in her part. The 
tragedy was accordingly in three acts only, 
during Trhich the fierce Princew w« almo-t 
constantly on the stage. In these two points, 
at least, ]Mademoiselle Rachel's views were fully 
carried out. 

^ Med^ ^ was finished in April of that year 
(1852) and Mademoiselle Rachel, who had been 
forthwith apprised of the fact, promptly replied to 
the communication by the following grateful and 
friendly letter : 

*^M0V CUEB AUTEUB, 

'^I am exceedingly desirous of hearing your 
new work. I am yet rather ailing, not ha\dng 



MEMOIM or BACHBL. 141 

quite ncorcred firom «i indifpOMtioo I Mifiand 
from in Belgium kat month : bat bnTing bad th« 
oouragv to lubmit to tbe owtt ftbtolut* in wrtioa 
during ftU tlita moath. I am iDcUoed to Uiink tbere 
is atill life in me, nnd etpeoioUj itnngtli •nongti 
lo be indebted to you for new triumphe. I am 
Rt preeeot residing at Montmorencjrt wben^ 
ifjou plcaae, I wiU bear tbe plaj that ia to be 
our nest winter*e euooeet. Tbe 8th of Sep- 
tember would suit m« well ; tbe hour I lean to 
you, M I am alwaye »t home. I would with tbe 
part to be a brilliant one, but not fiitiguing, unce, 
unfortunately, I shall not fur some months be 
able to play my grand rtperloirt, that is, " Phi- 
dre," " Iloraocs," " Louiso de Lignorellee," 
" Marie Stuart," " Aadromaque," &&, Ao> 
That ^lews you I am not very strong yet. I 
am in hopes the reading of your play will aoe^ 
lerate my recorery. I shall owe you much ; 
rely on it then that I will be doubly gratefid. 
"RacuEU 
"Montmorency, August STth." 

The private reading alluded to in the aboTe let- 
ter was fuUowed by the official one before tbe 
comitt d»Uclurto{iiie theatre, and it was received 
coDditionally — that is, there were six white and 






142 MEMOIRS OF RACHEU 

•ix red balls. The explanation of this was that 
two acts were unanimously receiyed« and one on 
oondiUon of certidn alterations, to which the 
author consented. The third act having been re- 
mouldedi the play was submitted to an ordeal con* 
sidered by authors as almost equivalent to a public 
performance — it was read in the presence of an 
audience consisting of the elUe of literature and 
of society. . Among the men of the world, of letters^ 
and of that of fashion, assembled in Mademoiselle 
Rachel's scUon were Messrs. Charton, H. Martin, 
J. Janin, Briifault, RoUe, de Noailles, Berlioz, 
&c, by whom "Medde'* was received with great 
applause, the hostess herself manifesting the most 
enthusiastic admiration. 

This time the admission by the comiii de lecture 
of the theatre was unanimous and unconditional, 
and ]Mademoiselle Rachel was rehearsing her part 
diligently, when, in September of 1853, the voyage 
to Russia was resolved upon. 

It is evident that it was rather a delicate matter 
to propose to an author, who hod been labouring 
two years for her and at her request, the adjourn- 
ment of all his hopes at the moment they were 
about to be realised. Hence the coaxing tone of 
the letters of Mademoiselle Rachel and her secre* 
tary. Mademoiselle de Saigneville. 



mMOin or machbl. 14S 

M. LegouT^ bowtrer, did not justify the diwg« 
nude kgaiut uithon belonging to the genus 
irritable ; he eoosented with a good gnea to the 
prqiosed deUy, and, fiiee from a3l obstsalei, Mk- 
demoiseUo lUehel set out Tor Rossin in the nMoth 
i of Oetoberof this jenr. 

I A few words on the preeent state of theatricals 

• ■ in the capital of Rnsria will be a suffieient protest 
i against the assertions of those who deem it no 

( diflScult matter to can distinction in what they 

: imnginc to be a ritjr where dramatic art is still in 

its in fane/. 

St. Petersburg poevesacs four theatres and six 
theatrical companies, 
llie houses are : 

The Grand Th^tre, where the Italian Opera 
and ballets are given. 

The Russian theatre, or Thjfttre Alexandra, for 
J the performance of works in the national language 

— by a singular anomaly this house is the one that 
^ attracts the fewest spectators. 

• The French theatre or Th^tre Mkkaelski, 
exdusiTelj appropriated to French compa- 

\ nies. 

• The Thi^tre Cirque, so called from iu baring 
been originally built for the performances of the 

I Imperial Equestrian Cinnpan/. At present the 



i 



144 



MEMOIRS OF HACHEL. 



Itusaiati Opera Compnny and Germ&n Drama 
ConiiKiny perform there alternately. 

Tlic Gntnd Th^trc and tho Thiiatre Fran^ 
are the best patronised in St. Petersburg. T 
Court, tlie cilizGDs, and the numerous Frcoch i 
habitants arc supporters of these two houses. T 
German performances at the Tht^tre du Cirq 
attract only the Gcrnuin residents. As to t 
RuseioD flmmatic and operatic perfonnances, th 
ore Icfl entirely to the lower classes, who do i 
exhibit any very ardent patriotism in thi 
support. The Russians eccm to feel already tt 
to take their place worthily in the ranks of civilis 
nations, they must renounce in an artistic a: 
literary sense, the use of their language. 

The two Russian theatres are in their infant 
but not in euch infancy as was that of Weste 
theatricals wiicn they were compelled to strugj 
against barbarism, and to seek their models in t 
dust of ages and in the scattered fragments of & 
gotten antiquity. The pieces brought out iu thd 
tlicatres gave evidence of the contemporary educ 
;*-iion their authors have received and of the atm( 
phcre in which they have dwelt. There ismore th; 
one Russian dramatic work on a level with the pi 
sent century, and which, translated into Fren 
or English, would take its place among tho 



Zf_ 



w 



II' 

k HEMOISS or SACHBI. 145' 

;- ^ BKMt in xogao in Londoo or Puu. Tbo mom 

' 1 - OMJ be Mul of the uton. Thej u« not gronlj 
, -jt igiK»uit conpankma of ThcapU, fit 00)7 to per- 

'i i (ana in tilly ifaowa for tho amutetnent of ipee- 

' t«ton neitlicr wiser or moro refined thsn them- 

•elvea. Tbejr bar« been formed in Ute tcboob of 
their French, Gcrnuui And ItaHwt comr>dee^ and 
bare bcco early initiated in all the rule* of art, 
ia all the uyateriea of the profcHion. There are 
Kvcnil aiuuDg tkeu who can bear eompariaoo 
with tho moat oelebrated of tho mcmbera of tho 
French troop. 

Sucli was the dramatic world in which Mad^ 
moiscUe Itachcl made her api>carance in St. 
Petcrabui;^h. 

The rccrption of the traytditmnr in St. 
Pctenburgli wu not only moat gratifying to her 
vanity, but alto moat encounging as to her sueceas. 
Stmu^'o to say, however, no exjKricnce or long 
practice, no confidence in the ikvorable dispo- 
sition towards her of the audience could make her 
conquer the timidity with whicit she is seized when 
about to appear either in a new part or before a 
new public For some days before tho ordeal 
she was always in a state of great ner\-ous ex- 
citement, fidgetty, inilabla and fault-finding to 
thq Lut degree. This state of mind ij so inscpa- 
VUL. II. L. 



146 MEMOIRS OF RACnSL. 

rable to a dibitt that the event is as much dreaded 
by thoee about her as by herself ; poor Rose, her 
faithful maidi ia most especially delighted when 
the event is over and her mistress has again re- 
covered her usual placidity of temper. When 
she comes on the stage on these occasions her 
hands are icy cold, the drojM of perspiration 
cover her brow, her voice is husky, her limbs are 
so tremulous she can scarcely stand. This emo- 
tion — ^which, in one so skilled and practised to 
appear before the footlights is extraordinary, is 
reproducedi more or less violently, every time 
she plays in a character which the public has not 
seen her in, though she may have acted it 
vfith applause scores of times elsewhere. 

When, therefore, she appeared before the 

Court of St. Petcrsburgh, in *^ Ph&dre," she did 

( not justify her reputation on the first night. It 

was not encouragement that was lacking, and it 
was given, too, most liberally, at most unexpected 
moments. For instance, when Phidre utters the 
passage ending with these lines : 

** Detestable flatteurs pr6sent le plus funeste. 
Que puisse faire aux rois le colore celeste V* 
the signal for loud applause came from the 
imperial box, and was too enthusiastic and pro- 
longed for the intention to be mistaken. It was 



I 



// 



umMOiBS or BACOSU 147 

Cklled forth m mucli bj tbo aUunon Um Um* 
eoDUined u by tbo talent of the actrew wbo 
uttered them. 

In "LaAj Tnrtufib" the emotion of MmIo- 

luoUcUe Rachel wna audi that it waa tliou^t bjr 

thoM on tlio iiago and beliind the acencs abt 

' \ would aot be aUe to proceed with the part. In 

the accne of the fifth act, when Semri rereala 

' ^ bimaclf hy throwing the booquet of heather to 

t her whom he accutea of caunng hia fnend*a deadly 

{ it waa fortunate tliat the part reqtured a abow of 

emotion, which tiiia time was not feigned. It waa 

in vain the prDm;>tcr gave her the eue ; she hod 

completely lost her roemorj, and oould only 

whiipcr to him who played Jlemri .- 

" Ob, I cannot— cannot go on 1 * (" Je n'en 
pub plua.") 

The native of the paaaage giving her time to 
i recover, aho finally thodk off the feeling. 

iThfl French company remained at the M ikoclaki 
theatre fourteen wecka, during which time Rachel 
played every other day. The fiivorite phiy with 
the Russian public appeared to be " Adrienne 
I >' Lccouvrcur," and it waa accordingly giren 

j oflcncr than any other. 

The imperial approbation showed itself in a 
< j tangible form as well aa in empty CMDplimauta 

i 1 I. a 



148 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

and eranescent applause. The tragedienne was. 
presented by the Empress with a pelisse of the 
most costly furs in the world, and by the muni- 
ficent Nicholas with a diamond and ruby corsage 
ornament of great value. Raphael Felix had his 
share of the spoils in the shape of a magnificent 
ring. There was an idle report among the actors 
that a handsome sum had been sent to be distri- 
buted among the other members of the company, 
but Raphael undeceived them; the money had 
been sent as the price of the boxes taken by the 
Court. 

From St. Petersburgh Rachel went to Moscow, 
where she played six weeks. The company was 
to have played in Warsaw, but counterK>rders 
were given by the Government. 

The success of Mademoiselle Rachel was not alone 
due to her as an actress, she made innumerable 
conquests over the hearts of the young boyards, 
and the gallant officers, who joyously anticipated 
nothing less than a second invasion of France, 
appeared proud to wear the chains of her cele- 
brated daughter. Among the numerous unau- 
thenticated anecdotes that ciixulated vrith regard 
to her sayings and doings during her stay in the 
Czar^s domains, we venture to present the fol- 
lowing to our readers, by many of whom it may. 



I i 



MF.MOtM or BACHRI. 149 

. . ' Inrs Blrcitil/ been Men, m it hu appeared in 

} prinL Wo j^vc it, not on account of it* being 

: more worthy of Itclicf, but becaiuc, if true, it doea 

;- , credit to Rnchol — if not, she had ready wit enough 

to hare mndo the rc|)l/, though her patrwtiam 

I would never have vuf^citcd it. 

A dinner hnd been ofTcrcd to the French Mel* 
pomene, and the young military gucats wert 
■peaking of tlie powibility that the aword might 
be called to sever the Gentian knot that diplo- 
nuicy aectncd to despair of ever loosening. 

" We bIwII nut bid you ndicu, but aw rttoir, 
niBclcinoiftpUc," quoth one of the gay mhu of 
^laratothe IrttyidUnne; "we hope toon toapplaud 
you in the capital of Fiance, and to drink your 
health in iu excellent winc^' 

"Xay, meaaicurt," replied ihe, "Fiance will 
not be rich enough to aflbrd champagne to all her 
priaoaere." 



150 



CHAPTER Vra. 
1854. 

• 

Return from RtiMia— Pnidenee verfici Patriotism— M. Logour^ 
LoMi Patienoe— A Declaration of War before the CitU 
Tribunal— Soft Wordi— M. Le;;oaT6 Appeased— The 
Spoiled Pet and the Public— Another Quarrel patched up— 
Mademoiielle Bachel in the Clasaie Repertoire at the Close 
of Her Career-i*** PhMre "— ** Camille "—A Souvenir of 
the Past. 

It was said that the harvest l^Iademoiselle 
Rachel reaped in Russia amounted to 300|000fr8. 
for her own share, and that Raphael's modest 
gains, as manager of the company, gave a total 
of lOOyOOOfrs. A very handsome reward for 
making what, under the circumstances, might be 
considered a pleasure trip I 

But the hour had arrived when Russian hearts 
were to be left to break, or seek comfort else- 
where. As to that of the fortunate daughter of 
Israel, it found satisfactory compensation in the 
roubles she bore away ; she might say with truth : 

^ C'est autant de prisur Tennemi t ^ 



t 



H •' 



I 



i 

MBMOin or BAcmi. 151 

Polittod evoBtt mudieil on KpMC, and left do 
tinM to dclibcimt«; the war wu unnuncBt. It 
wu lud that thfl Cnr bad oae moment onter- 
tained the idoa of detaining Mademoiadla Baobel 
aa a TiUiag hMtesa, bat that ihe had rcTuaod to 
I . ; remain. la Fact then waa no longer any indooe- 

I \ nwnL If (ho ateyed afW the cloae of ber «&• 

I'l gagement ahe had to do w on her own aooount, 

I .■ and the ehancca were againat her in that eua. 

The m^ority of the fiuhionablo aiiatocrac/ haring 
a knowledge of the language could appredate hor 
octing, but many would be called away to join the 
army. Of the gentry, aoue went to tee her 
merely becauto it waa the laahion to do ao, and, 
tlie novelty once over, never cared to go again. 
It wai not in St. Pctcraburgh aa in Pari*, where the 
hourgeoUit arc among the staunch supportera of 
the atage and ercn the lower elaaa delight in thc*- 
tricala and contribute gladly their quota to 
support them. Tlte RuMian tradespeople oould 
find no chamu in Racine and Cnmeillo, and the 
inferior mnks were not to be counted at alL 

All tlieac considerationa aroused the dormant 
patriotism of the tragedienne, and she hurried 
b<Hiie when she could get nollung by staying any 
longer. £»hc was, perhaps, the last Frenchwoman 
that crossed the frontier. 



152 MRHOIRS OF RACHELS 

During her stay in the Czar^s dominions Made^ 
moiselle Rachel had continually heard her Russian 
friends boast of what they should, could, and 
would do. The invasion of 1814 and 1815 were 
to find their parallels in 1854. These vain 
^laggings probably had their effect on the pru- 
dent actress, and made her resolve to quit, for a 
time, a country that was likely to be impoverished^ 
if not ruined, by the invader — she might in the 
meanwhile seek in America another Eldorado. 
Time was money, and she could not lose hers. 

She did not even await her arrival in Paris to 
carry out her plnns, but began their execution 
before she lefl Russia. 

That the American excursion was planned at 
that time there is every reason to believe. Why 
else should Rachel have thought fit immediately 
on her arrival in France to repay the courtesy and 
kindness with which the Emperor, the Minister 
of State, and the Com6die Franfais had permitted 
her to visit that northern nation, by sending in 
her resignation T Why else should she have de- 
puted her mother to signify to M. Legouv^ that 
''decidedly she would not play Med^e,** the 
^fed^e which Mademoiselle de Saigneville had 
announced ** should bo played immediately on her 
return firom Russia,** and which Mademoiselle 



t 



.. 1 



II 



i? 



MBMOIM OF EACnXL. 113 

Raebd wm m ifnid alw would not find "tKa 
Muna pare nuiilcn,* though hor love wm raeh abe 
wu " willing to Uko her from the uvu abo night 
bare ■tra7«d into." 
We know not how the French Oovemment re- 
i T\ ceivetl the aanounceroent of the reuguitioa, but 

I -. the rercUliona of the Pebie de Justice bare 

ui pkecd before ue the rather ahup anawer retunted 

( I by M. LegouT^ to the intiniatioQ forwarded to 

; I bim of Madcmoiwlle RaebeTi reaolutiona with 

'i regard to " MedJe." 

"DfJiR LAnT,''wratcthcpoet,*'Ihave had the 
honor to sec nwdame, your mother ; ahe oonmuni- 
eatcd to nic llic contenta of your letter. I replied 
aa I reply to you now — that it ts impocaible you 
alutuld not play ' Mediie.' Of tbia I will eaaily eoD> 
vioce you on your return. I shall be delighted 
to have afforded you the opportunity of » new 
triumph, even a little against your will. 

I "Youps, very truly, 

"E. LBoomrs,'* 

This firm but courteous letter met Mademm- 
< relle Kachel in Warsaw on her way baok. Her 

reply, dated March Uth, was as follows: 




HEH01B8 OF BACHBL. 

"Mr DEAR M. Leooctb, 

" Yoon letter reached me on 1117 arrival ; 
Waraaw; I hasten to answer it, fori would m 
be the cause of delaying any longer the succe 
that awaiu 'Mcd^e' at the Th^tre Fnuifui 

" My rcsi^ation is most scrioiu ; coDsequenl! 
I have but six months to give to the Th^ti 
Francis. I wieh in that time to play all n: 
classic repertoire ; this I could not do if I unde 
took a new creation at present. I will tm 
confess that I ought not to create B new rOl« wh< 
I am on the eve of quitting the French Btag 
The conviction that the press would not euppq 
me, fear would paralyse my facultiea, and it w D' 
at the close of my career in the rue de Richelit 
that I would tike to risk seventeen yean 
success in Paris. 

" Pray believe, dear M. Legouv^ that I a 
truly grieved to find I mudt give up the pUyii 
of ' Med 6c.' 

" Very much your finend, 

«IUCBEL.' 

Ko sort of doubt could remain, and I 
Legouv^~the courteous, peace-seeking M. L 
gouv4 — was obliged to ecck the redress the la 
alone could give him. Mademoiselle Each 



MBHOm or BACnBU IM 

reacbedPuuootktS7thof&Uroh; oo Uw SOth 
•be wu Icgallj notified to pUj ilidh. This 
fint stqi baring boen taken no notice of, » petitioa 
to be allowed to Mimmon tbe rcbellioua aotTMi 
licndf, wu |>reMnted on tbe lat of April to tba 
Praidcnt of tbe Cinl Tribunid of tbe SeuM^ ud 
forthwith gntnted. 

MadcmoUcUe Racbel know well witb wbon 
eho bad to deal, and, oonrineed that tbew fieroa 
dcmooatratione uminatwd not from bin but fncn 
hi* lawyer, ebe wrote bus a lattor that would bare 
duonncd a otan of ttcrnor mould than the eon of 
the soft-hearted author of "D« AUrita dee 
Femntes.' 

" I am about to start for the Pyrcncee to meet 
my liatcr Itcboccaf who is then eztromcl/ ill, to 
to take one of mj children there, whose state of 
health alarms mo greatly, and to seek myself tbe 
rest which has been prescribed to me. I leave 
here on account of all ihcso very strong motives^ 
of which you are not ignonmt, but I eannot 
absent myself from Paris without coming to 
some dccitfioD on the subject of the lawswt you 
bavo commenced i^aiost mc, you whom I 
called, and whom I etiU call, my dear Monsieur 
Legouve. 



li 



156 UEHOIBS OF KACHEt. 

" I am only here, on my way through Paris, a 
prey to the most hnrrowingiinxiety, and I recdre,' 
one after the other, two horrid bite of stamped 
paper instead of the interview of ten minutes 
which, OS you wrote to me in Wareaw, was to set 
matters right between us, and which certainly 
would have done so had you consulted your' 
memory instead of the retailers of chicanery. 

"Must I imitate you? I ask myself this ques- 
tion between two half-packed trunks, but I hesi* 
tate but A eecond. Ho, I will cot play Medie 
under judicial compulsion, with the risk, if the 
guilty, the abominnble 'Medee,' does not meet 
with the eucccBS the author expects, of hearing 
myself accused by his friends as the cause. Peo- 
ple of the world and of the press will not &il to say 
that, if ' Mcdec' did not succeed it was the fault 
of Mademoiselle Rachel, who retahated by oppo- 
sing ill-will to compulsion, and revenged herself on 
the author by killing the piece. 

" Med^e may murder her children, she mayeyen 
poison her worthy father-in-law; I cannot do the 
same, even if I would. 

" The public must not be taken for on accomplice 
to avenge theatrical (juarrels .when one bears such 
a name as mine, and when one has for it the re* 
spect I have. 



Ml ■* 



!; 



H 



MBXOIM or UCHCL. 



"ConMqucntljr, mj imt M. Legou*i» I wilt 
•how in thit pettj wwr mora nudenuioa thut jrou, 
■llhougb tke apoeh wben I •lull irreToeaUjr eowe 
tobdoDgto thaTlwitraFrufutiiTerf ni^; al- 
tkougli I ou DOW gin but » very few porfitrniMieei, 
which, out of gmtitude^ must be from mj eluue 
reperloin, when eTCiytliiDg provea thmt I alwU 
not haTe timo iD cmc of poasibla fiuliire to Mok to 
Ktrieve it, I will not hare • Uwauit. You wilt 
luvo no pUy Umlt« under tlieoc eiroum- 
■UiDCCtT Well) I will do BO I 1 will even tar 

. • d«»vor to forget your ■ummonaci, your atampod 

paper, uiGuagcs and Aui§aiera' viait. I will foigct 

I. , *11 my gncfi, aod only remember the auceoaa for 

wliich we bare boeo reciproealty indebted to oaeh 

J other, and the friendabip you have been ao ready 

to break. 
it "At the expiration of ray eongi\ will under- 

take Mt'lce. You Itavo merit enough to afford 
I - .' to be modcat, but you arc certably too modcet 
I when you deem me indispenaable to your work. 

" Meanwhile, until Z can call mywif your d^ 
t . voted Medi*, I atill ugn myaelf, 

"Your entirely devoted, 

** JtACUBU 
Parii, April 9lh, 1854." 



las iiCHOins OF rachel. 

This time the motivca alleged by MademoSsel 
Kachel for her absence and for the delay ehe agd 
begged were but too well founded. The state i 
Rebecca's health woa moat alarming. M. Legoni 
is a poet, but above all he is a man hcreditaril 
devoted to the worship and companionship i 
woman. The most sensitive chords of his hea 
had been artfully touched — he was diearoied — tl 
suit was not prosecuted ; ho waited. 

The congS, however, at length expired, an 
Mademoiselle Rachel made her re-appearaoce i 
" PhcdrB," on the 30th of May. 

Never, perhaps, had the absence of that personi 
sympathy which had always been lacking betwee 
Mademoiselle Rachel and the parterre of tb 
Th^tre Fran^nis been manifested so plainly as o 
the evening of this rentrie. Many were the sin 
accumulated on that head. The remcmbcrance ( 
her conduct towards the committee of the theati 
and the legal debates to which it had given ris 
were Iresh in every mind. The Comcdie Franfu 
is a sort of holy ark with the Parisians. But tha 
which had added gall to the cup was her subse 
qucDt anti-patriotic fugue to Russia — a countr 
that had left such painful louventri in the capita) 
touvenira that had then not as yet been etfuced V 
the glorious exploits of the French army in tbi 



// 



» I— 






» • 



I 



f 



MBXOIU or BACHBL* 159 

Crimeft^a oountrjr that boMled of reMwing the 
daysof ihame and hamOiatioii of 1814 1 Oo the 
eve of a bloodj war» Rachel had hastened to con- 
tribute her talent to the entertainment of the 
enem J. The reception of the capriciouf, mommde^ 
grasping renegade, was in accordance with the 
thoughts that hUed everj mmd. It was silent, 
cold as the tomb ; erery brow was steni| tmarj 
eye serere. 
But the more implacable and resolute seemed 



I', i 

I ; • the audience in its indignation, the more deter- 

I ' "^ mined was the actress to conquer and bring it 

I t back, if not to love, at least, to passionate admi- 

' ration. And she succeeded, for, we have already 

said it| with her, will was power. 
Now that this, the greatest French trsgic 
{ ' actress that has appeared for many years, and 

who, perhaps, will have no worthy successor for 
several generations, is in all likelihood really ex- 
cluded for ever from that stage she so frequently 
threatened to forsake, a few words on the manner 
in which she performed at the close of her career 
the plays of her classic repertoire^ are due to 
her.* 

* Tho TttAtt will bttf in miwA that Um grtater portios of 
thb work WM wriltoa bofbrt the doaih of MadomoieclU 
lUcboL 



t 



160 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

When Mademoiselle Rachel first won the enthu- 
siastic admiration of the publici she was imme- 
diately called la grande tragedienne. Yet, at that 
timci she only gave promise of what she would be ; 
the signs were indeed extraordinary^ and she fully 
justified afterwards the expectations she had 
rused and the title she had obtiuncd. But it was 
not at once that, in eyery rdle, she deserved the 
extravagant encomiums lavished upon her first 
steps; there were some in which only transient 
rays pierced at intervals through the darkness. 
It was not until some years had elapsed that the 
radiant sun burst forth in all its splendor. 

The one in which her exceUence was most evi- 
dently progressive was **Phfcdre." It was not 
until her return from Russia, when her talent 
was in its maturity, that she fully realised this 
superhuman conception of the poet. 

It was remarked that she had brought back 
from her distant excursion the art she either had 
not before, or had never deemed necessary-— 
the art of pantomime. When, in France, Rachel 
had uttered in her deep, cleai, sonorous tones the 
poetry of Comeille and Racine, the poets were 
su£Bcient in themselves ; they were at home and 
loved and appreciated ; the public knew the text 
and needed no paraphrase. But the priestess had 



-^m 



161 

bone ker god* into u unknown ngioa, Mtab- 
lUbed Uieir alun in an n n eomo ei atod tampU^ 
nmid unbeli«Ting MUtooa ; die pTtbooeH epoke a 
fltnnge tongue ; the melodjr of tliOH eloquent 
oraclee fell into ecnled een, and the buman 
pAiuone to which ehe gire n voiea wen mute to 
tliOM de«f epcetaton. Something that af^iealed 
to the ejre wm wanting there, and the intelligent 
interpreter tupplied it. And when the broi^t 
back thw now &oulty, ctbo thoae who had nerer 
found it lacking exulted in the aogHJiition, and 
llie detractor!, who would formerly onljr »o- 
knowledgc ahc was a splendid reader dared no 
k>ngcr tbui qualify their praiw. 

The character pUycd waa now not in the voice 
and look only of the actrcse, but in ber whtde 
iKiing. The voice of the actor hai but a liatitod 
part to play in the event. When be ceaece to 
•{Muik the interest is transferred to the next 
speaker, and so on from one to the other of tbe 
dramatU pervmm. With Rachel tbe case stood 
wholly different. She concentrated the trap 
gcdy on herself. She embodied tbe event, 
began and developed it— forcaliodowcd the end. 
Sbe incarnated the character, the action, When 
she appeared as PiAdrt, bending under the weight 
of the diadem that burned that brow like a 

VOL. IL M 



162 MEMOIRS OF RAOIIBL. 

fiery circlei shrinking from the yeils that enrobed 
her, she was the type of euiferingi the living imnge 
of Destiny B victim ; her curse and her crime are 
present throughout the pkj. 

It was more especially in the death scene that 
Rachel typified with mute^ thrilling eloquencci the 
Greek victim. The agony, so calm, so proud, so 
dignified, is truly that of the God-descended 
queen, who disdains to betray the mortal pangs 
that rack her terrestial nature. Pantomime is 
not only almost impossible to describe, but is 
also one of the most difficult things to imi- 
tate. It might perhaps be very dangerous for 
anyone else to attempt the reproduction of 
gestures unless they conveyed as vividly the 
terrific idea. 

It was not till after fifteen years had elapsed 
that Rachel rose to Phhdre and presented that ex- 
traordinary combination of pagan passion and 
Christian remorsci where Euripides appears to 
have inspired Racine, and to which an Athenian 
audience of his day would have listened with as 
great delight and surprise as the enthusiastic 
Parisians of the nineteenth century. 

It need scarcely be added that the fascinating 
actress cemented anew her empire and was re- 
called with deafening applause. 



HBHoimB or MAonu. lU 

On the 6Ui of June, tb» oeI«bntwii of die Uk- 

nivcreary of Coraeille's Inrtbday, the iouigunlKM 

of which WM due to MademuMlle Raebel, took 

pUeo at the Th^tra Fnutfau. The tngedy wm 

** Lm Iloraec*." Between the Ktt the tragUumm* 

recited a poem in honor of Corneillc, "La Mum . 

Hittoriqiie," hj M. Theodore de BaiTille. Lu- ^ f 

gua];c haa bcco exhaiutcd to eonny an idea of f 

Rachcra Oamille. Xothing haa been left unaaid. 

'I Whaterer might be the rank aaaigned hj the 

author to hia pcrw>nagcs, the actrcaa took the 

i fir«t for hen. Voltaire conudcrcd the cod of the 

fourth act as an cpiiwlc; with MadcmcMSclle Rachel 

i it waa a accond pi»j, ao new, ao eloquent, ao afH 

} palling, that it cfTnccd nil remembrance of the fint, 

) and when rhc had finialicd all aeemed to end with 

t her, for the ])ublic tliouglit neither of the old &th«r 

nor of the youthful victor, nor of Saiint, nor of 

i Emt'U, atill lc« of Valhre, or of the aalvaUoo of 

Rome too cheaply purchased with the grief and 

desolation of a single house. 

In Comeille, the epiaode bc^ns with tlie moni^ 
loguG of CamilU. With >fAdcmoiselle Rachel^ 
, the play begins with the 6rBt scene of the fourth 

acL And when, too, Va&rt relatea the combat 
4 that eoda with her lovcr'a death, the mute, but 

i terrifically eloquent by-ptay of the actrcaa «u)- 

\ m9 



'^""V-' ^"^ ' ii*r'C»»»J -^-^ 



y 



164 HEMOIBS OF RACHEL. 

grossed all the attention of the public. No one 
thought of the old man who had lost his two brave 
eonsi but gained eternal honor by the third ; all 
the tragedy was in the brow, the sinldng form of 
CamiUe* 

That which constituted the superiority of 
Rachel, was the unique, the superlative grace that 
was in eyery motion, a grace that no violence of 
passion could annul, this grace mingling with the 
terror she so readily conveyed to every heart, 
acted like a magical charm that subdued and ra- 
vished all who saw her, yet was inexplicable to the 
very ones who acknowledged its influence. 

Sheriskedeverythingand seemed to risk nothing. 
She dared more than the author, she went beyond 
him in the reality, yet she had so completely the 
art of assimilating what she did to the tragedy 
itself, that she and it were identified. She dallied 
with the agonies of the flesh. She imitated to 
perfection the work of physical destruction, and 
yet the body, the obedient instrument of her will, 
which reproduced with such frightful truth the 
shivering, the convulsive throes of approaching 
death, transformed that horror into an ideal of 
grace* Everyone has witnessed the scene, there 
is nothing new, and yet the effect is as power- 
ful the last as the first time; there was a 



MBMAIW or EACHBL. IM 

•OTDcthiDg there that could neitW wcklua nor 

tilL 

With MRdeiDoiaella Bachel then «ru no c o unt i n g 
oftiine,oriinn,of Tcnes; the real tragedy wh in 
her heart, and the apecUtor followed iu Mtioa 
on her brow, in bor motiona ; aooording to her in> 
■piration ahe gate you at timea a whole acene in 
a line, in a word. Iter decpeat dejection, her 
■| wcakncan, were full of might — bowcTorcnuhed ahe 

! appeared by the blow, you felt inatinetively the 

would paH auddvnly from that proatratioD to th« 
! extreme of fury ; that the violence of the paanon 

would outatep all limit*, that amid thia wild rage, 
' this apparently ungoTcmable outbreak, there waa a 

strong will curbing and aubduing it all — there waa 
", inspiration guided by study, paaaiouate ardor 

-J reatnuncd by cool judgment 

* Thia part alwaya remained a &vorite one with 

the tragi'fiimne. Wherever ahe went she made 

her dibit in it on erery stage. It was in thia 

rHU that «he appeared on the most important day 
'■ of her life — that wliich decided her fate — that 

on which the doon of the temple were firat 
^ opened to admit ita future pricstcaa^that on 

which she was to set foot for the firat time 
j on the atage that waa to aee her ao trium- 

I phanb 



166 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

For the foUowbg account of the acene we have' 
the authority of Monsieur Janin :-— 

It was in the summer of 1838; some half a 
dozen persons had assembled in the darkened 
theatre^ glad to escape the blaze of the noon-day 
sun^ but anxious to get through the wearisome 
task before them — that of hearing, for the hun- 
dredth time, perhapsi the finest poetry in the. 
French language marred by the wretched delivery 
of a new claimant of the three debiU granted to 
those deemed worthy : the judges were to decide 
whether the public should be called to endure the 
ennui they had themselves tested. 

The appearance of the neophyte was not pre- 
possessing. Scanty mean appaiel, a pale face and 
meagre figurC| betokened a childhood spent amid 
the want* and privations attendant on poverty, 
and gave the idea that at that very moment the 
g^rl might be suffering from hunger. What 
could be hoped from such a source? Who 
would have ventured to prophecy that the shadow 
before them was the reality and the life— the re* 
surrection of art — that the gruff but weak voice 
was to say to the slumbering poets: arise and 
follow me I The assembled judges were there as 
a matter of form, to get through an indispensable 
task— not from any conviction of its use, for they 



i 

r 






t 



Ti 



f 



MBMOIU or BACIUU 167 



had ceaaed to baliera m the return of the tragic 
luiMC ■ioce the had fled, bearing in the folds of 
,] her ttinio her latt reprotentatiTOs: Talma and 

DuckcMoia. 

The girl came forward, but» oontimrj to all 
aspoctationty tho did not, with franUo geaturea, 
bawling Toicoi and time^oonaccratod emphariat 
} give tho : 

** Homo I Funique objct t do mon retienti- 

mcnt t ** 

\ with eyca that auddenly gleamed like liring 

; coali in their dark orbit« ; the uttered in a low, 

\ deep, firm tone, at though the spoke to heraelfy 

words that really doomed to destnietlon the proud 

1 city: 

2 *' Rome I'unique objet de mon rcssentimenU** 
I \ It was evident this was no mere transitory 

j anger, no burst of evanescent fury. Tliere was a 

^ depth of passion, of concentrated, eamcst» impla- 

: cable resentment, the more fearful that it was not 

violently dcmonstiutivo ; indeed there was hardly 

> 

a gesture ; but, as she proceeded in those terrifio 
anathemas, the impression on the hearers was 
that mode by tho approaching storm— at first low 
and distant, but coming nearer and nearer at 
j every fearful peal, and finally bursting over their 

heads, scattering ruin and destruction. Each of 



168 



2IEMOIB8 OV BACHSL. 



the astonished judges looked at his neighbored 
hceio read his thoughts. The wisest deemed 
the thing accidental^ a fireak of chance. None 
there saw the signs of a rcTolution. All agreed 
to {^ve the giil the solicited permission to play 
thrice on their stage. After which they went to 
dinner and thought no more about it 









I 



» 



1 



< 
1 



■i 

! 



i 



: 



169 



CHAPTER IX. 



^ 1854. 



^ TIm Tim Real AflictioB--De*Ui of RebcccA FtUx— n« 

' ) RoMrr— The •• Pardon "— Min SmilliMm— M«a«moiMlto 

'i 8oDUg~ A Waniing* A Letter from M. Lcgo«v4— Lcttan 

■> from MadcmotfcUe lUchel and her Sccreuuy— Madruoi* 

i telle lUrhclcoBdemned to pUj '*Medce "^lUdemcieeUo 

lUchcl doctn'i |»Uj •* Mod4« **— •• Roeomoodo "^Aaochor 

MiicakaUtkm. 



t Amid these continual triumphs, obtained^ as it 

I were, against the will of the Tcrj ones who con* 

I tributcd their meed of applause, a great grief, the 

I first real one that had ever been felt by the tra^ 

I gtditnne during the course of her feted and 

brilliant career, interrupted this happj life, this 
long summer's Jay. Iler favorite sister, Rebecca, 
died. 

Rebecca Felix, when in her fifteenth year, in 
1843, made her d^bui in Ckimhie. She continued 
some time to act in tragedy, but good sense, per- 
sonified in the person of her father, soon saw an 



170 MEM01B8 OF RACHEL. 

imminent danger in her following in the footsteps 
of a sbter who had already taken the first place ' 
in that branch of dramatic art The lesser light 
could not fail to be lost in the stronger rays of the 
greater luminary. Rebecca could at best be but ^ 
a fiunt copy of her sister. Her yocatioui was, 
therefore^ very judiciously altered, and she en- « 
tered the easier walks of the drama and of'^ 
comedy. Her last and best effort was in '^ Made- - 
moiselle de Belle-Isle.** But a lung complaint ; 
that had succeeded a typhus fever cut short a; 
career which^ if it did not promise to be as bril-"! 
liant as that of her sister,-gave hope of some dis- • 
tinction. 

Rebecca was — and deservedly so— the favorite 
sister of the tragidienne. We have seen, by her 
letter to M. Legouv^, that, on her return from 
Russia she had hastened to visit the dear sufferer ^ 
then in the Pyrenees, where she was waiting to • 
take the Eaux Bonnes. When her conge expired 
she was compelled to resume her duties at* the • 
Thi&tro Franffus. She con tinned, notwithstand- 
ing, her watchful care over her sister, and, while > 
acting twice a-week, managed to perform the ' 
journey to and fro thrice in as many weeks. 

An incident occurred during one of these flying 
trips which proves not only the excitable nature • 



MBHOIM or BAcau. 171 

of Boehd, but abo UmU tbe vitit to Um VMiaw 
liad BOkdo ft mon peimmacot imp K M iwi tbia wh 



lite diMue, ■oeording to the wont of that 
treacberoui nwlad/, bad appeared to take a £kTOr- 
■ble turn ; tlie alarming aymptoaM had nuHnea- 
tarily vanished, the patient waa Mddcnljr rtliercd. 
MadcmwacUe Rackeli who had been a ooutaat 
attendant for aome days, took tbe opportuut/ to 
go and we Sarah, who waa ooofioed b; eooie tem- 
pomy indupoaition to her owd lodgtoga. Several 
fricnda were aMcnblcd in tlw room, and, exhila- 
rated hy tlie good Dcwa abo had brouf;bt and the 
hopca all Uastcned to build on tbe change, Mado- 
moiacllc Rachel began to chat and laugfa quite 
merrily. In the midat of thia exuberant guctj 
bcr maid broke into tlie room in a state of great 
cxcitciucDt ; a fit hod conic on, the jiatlent waa 
in much danger, the phyaician deaired Matlemoi- 
acUc lUcliel's immcdlftto presence. Bisiog with 
the bound of a wouodcil tigress, the iragiditniu 
Bccmed to seek, bewildered, aomc cause for the 
blow thai fell thus unexpectedly. Her eye lighted 
OD a rosary blessed by the Pope and which ah« 
had worn round her ana as a bracelet cvor aioce 
her visit to Uome. Without, pcibaps, accounting 
to bcraelf for the belief, ahe bad attached tome 



172 MRMOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

taliamanie virtue to the beads. NoW| however) in 
the height of her rage and disappointment she 
tore them from her wrist, and dashing them to the 
ground^ exclaimed : 

<<0h! fatal gift I 'tis thoa hast entailed this 
carse upon me I * 

With these words she sprang out of the room, 
leaving every one in mute astonishment at her 
frantic action. 

On the 23rd of June, four msters and a mother 
brought back to the fathei^s house in Paris the 
body of the kmented lost one. On the day of 
the burial a scene took place of the most moving 
description^ and in which the different tempers of 
two of the survivors were brought to light very 
forcibly. 

There is a rite among the Jews denominated 
the Pardon. Before the body of a deceased child 
of Israel is carried out to be buried, the relatives, 
one after the other, go up to it, and calling out the 
name several times, invoke forgiveness for any ill 
examples or ill treatment they may have been 
guilty of towards the deceased when living, ending 
with the repetition three times of the word pardon I 
pardon I pardon I When it came to Sarah's turn, 
the consdousness of her manifold errors came over 
her with terrible force, and, jomed to the horror 



mMom or bacobl. 



173 



and grief of the momcot, to ovorpowoiod Uiai 
•CDMtiTOy exciublo, paMionata nature, thaty fidSng 
proetrate ou tlic groundi f he shrieked the name of 
the dead one in heart-rending toneti ealling with 
•obt and teara for foipreneie. 

There were two etrangera proienti two Chrie- 
tiane, the actor Laferrivrei and a ladj. When 
Sarah waa raited and taken out, the mother taid 
hurriedly to the Chrittiant : 

'* 1 1 it Rachert turn now ; for God*t take, go ; do 
not look at her, do not ttop."* 

" No,* added young Dinali, * dou*t ttay— doaH 
let Raclicl think you watch her.** The contciout- 
nett all tltc family hod of Rachert retenredy 
peculiar disiKwition, and the respect with which 
tlicy submitted to itt exactions, is surprising. 

The strangers of course withdrew, but not 
before they had caught a glimpee of Rachel, led 
by her father, approaching mute, with brow deeply 
pitbcred, while all the other members of the family 
stood aside seemingly dreading what was com- 
ing. 

Mademoiselle Rachel withdrew into Belgium 
after this loss. Her health required change of 
scene, and she chose Drussels that she might be 
uear the physician in whom she placed most 
liance. 



•."% 



mm^f 



ms 



■ At i 



V 



174 IIEMOIBS OF RACHEL. 

Miss Smithson, the English actress who hod 
made so favorable an impression in Francei died in 
the spring of this year. The French critics ex* 
hausted every expression of regret on this untimely 
loss. 

But in the autumn the news reached Europe of 
a death that was more deeply felt than either of 
the preceding ones, that of Henriette Sontag, 
Countess Rossi. Though the world-wide cele- 
brated cantatrxee had fulfilled the career — in re- 
gard to years— of a singer, though hers could not 
be called a premature loss like those of the two 
actresses carried off, the one in the full flush of 
youth, the other in the maturity of her talent, 
there were circumstances attending it that rendered 
it far more sad and gloomy than theirs. Tlib 
noble-hearted woman, venturing again on the 
scene of former triumphs at the risk of withering 
the laurels of past years and annihilating the very 
memory of her fame, seeking in a new world to 
recuperate the loss of fortune entailed on her 
children, and dying in that far-distant land away 
from those for whom she struggled so valiantly 
and whom she loved so dearly, left deep regrets in 
the hearts of all those who had known her. The 
amiability and kindness of her disposition, her 
conduct as a wife and as a mother, had won her as 



MBMOtBt or RACHBU 17ff 

moeh loT« and respeet u privato life at h» woal 
talenU had fame and admiiatioo in her pobBe 
career. From the Grand Dukei who does honor 
to her memorj with the erown of drer horde he 
depoeite on her eofBn, to the poor waiting-aaid 
who with tean contbuallj recaUa the eonetant 
goodnete of her mietreet, the lamenti her lorn oo- 

^ eaeioned were heard from the lipe of all who had 

j t been privileged to approach her. 






i 



This year, too, died one whoee lifo and end eon* 

trait sadly with the lait, and ehouU be a naefhl 

lesaon to the young and pretumptuoue, who deem 

'that headstrong will and ambition constitute power^ 

were they ever willing to take warning from such 

terrible examples. 

While MAdemoiscUe Rachel was throning at the 

i Theatre Fran9aisy in the full maturity of her 

; -powers, and receiving more applause and broad 

\ pieces than any of her predecessors had ever done, 

< one, who at the very commencement of her sue- 

[ cessful career, had attempted competition vrith 

I her, WAS expiring on board a miserable craft bound 

{ for tliat re/ugium peceatorum^ California. The 

i body, wrapped in an old sail, with a huge mass of 

I i coal as weight, and thrown into the deep with few 

regrets and fewer prayersi was all that remained 

• of the once gay, vain, handsome Helena Gaussin. 



> « 



176 



HBHOIBS OF RACHEL. 



Like m»ay other uDTortiiiiRtes who, in t 
outMtof life miitake high spirita, minds impatie 
of mtruDt, and eoofidcDt aeiT-eataem for the qua 
tics that ensure success, and imagine that brig 
eyes and fine forms will compensate the la<ik 
good sense, judgment and experience, Hele 
had added one more to the host of aspirants wL 
allured hy the marvellous good fortune of t 
young Jewess, deemed that they also were entitl 
to dispute the scenic palm. She bore a name th 
was in itself a title — but she justified it only in i 
worst acceptation, and imitated her ifuno 
iomonifme only in the foibles that obscured li 
■rtisUc fame — for of the great points that di 
tingnished the Mademoiselle Gaussin of 1731, h 
namesake of 1840 possessed not one. 

Those who saw her in her dibHU in clasuo ti 
gedy, at the Odioa, mistaking her «ctatt b 
dashing style, for inspiration, for the /eu tact 
admiring her splendid stature and r^al gai 
jiropheued a second Mademoiselle Geoi^es. SI 
certunly recalled her beauty, but not her talei 
She made no prt^press, though she had numeroi 
opportunities of adTanoement, had she possessi 
the requisite qaalides. Unfortunately, she oou 
not see where the fiiult really was ; of an ej 
lutable temper, eztrane m good or eril, and ui 






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f 

Muioiu or RAcnsL. 177 

\ governable in either emae, she threw the bUine of 

I her defeat on her whom the denominatod her 

' ^ rival, Rachel, and attempted revenge bj hiating 

lirr. TIii« impotent expreaeion of rage sealed her 

i fate ; after the scene of tumult and diaorder to 

which her unbridled rage had given riaei aha waa 

\ \ forcibly expelled, and the doora of the Thtttiw 

' j Fran^ais were for ever cloaed againat her. She 
i took refuge in the provincen, and reigned there 

I } with uncontrolled away for aome time. Her next 
appearance in the columns of the newapapera waa 
in a very diflfercnt chnructcr — to her name waa 
attAche<l the ignominioua epithet of thieC The 
Mcropr had stolen dinner-plate — ^1 ^Aa/ia had 
enveloped her diadem in the greasy napkina 
of a rcsfauruNle. When she came out of prison 
a man was found generous enough to give hia 
name to conceal her shame. But nothing could 
save her ; once again she was on the police-sheets 
for theft; once more that beautiful hair was cut 
and (the was6cnt to keep company with the lowest 
and must abandoned of her sex. 

Mistaken vanity liad crazed the weak braina, 
and the next time poor Helena was heard of waa 
in the rvfe of a prophetess* preaching a new 
gospeli receinng communications from the divinity. 
In 1848 she was apprehended on the barricades 

VOL. IT. N 



\« 



178 IIEMOIBS OF RACHSL. 

where^ with, waving banner and firantio words^ 
this Tisiphone was inciting the populace to deeds 
of blood. 

It waa then that some charitable persons, pitying 
the degradation and wretchedness of the poor 
outcast, obtained means for her to be sent to Cali- 
fornia, and it was on her way thither that, worn 
out by excesses of every description, alone and 
friendless, the unhappy creature died, having, in 
the course of an existence that lasted but thirty 
years, run the gauntlet of every sin and every 
shame. 

Notwithstanding the last-announced resignation. 
Mademoiselle Rachel re-appeared on the 18th of 
September in the rdle of Marie Sluariy playing 
with a perfection of entente de la scene that she 
had never before displayed in this, one of the 
greatest of Schiller's conceptions — one which 
the French translator could not wholly spoil. 

But while [Mademoiselle Rachel delighted the 
public, in whose good graces she now seemed com- 
pletely reinstated, she had either forgotten, or 
she did not choose to remember, that in the month 
of April she had written to M. Legouv^ : '' At the 
expiration of my conge I will undertake ' Med6e.' ** 
M. Legouv^ had not the same motives for short 
memory, and, seeing she took no notice of him or 



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MBMOIBI or BACRBL. 179 



hU production, thoagh aha had made her rmUnt^ 
in Maji ventured to recall it to her. She mgm 
•ought an excuse in her •iatcr^a illnetti her grief 
incapacitated her from atudying a new riU. Bat 
1 the aubterfuge waa of no availi the poet would be 

' put off no longGr, and returned the following 
I I anawcr, written in a apirit of inflexibility quit« 
i j foreign to hia nature, but alwaja within the linuta 
I of courtcaj be waa incapable of outatepping:—> 

! 

* ** D£AR Madame, 

" No one can ciympatliiae more deeply with the 

aorrowM of othcrv, than one who like myaelf haa 

I experienced similar ones, and I also know how 

much coumgc is required to undertake any kind 

of occu|>ation when the heart is full of anxiety. 

I But, alas ! the stem law of necessity governs ua 

all. We arc all com|>clled to puri^ue the exercise 

: of our profession amid anxieties of all kinds, and 

I may add tluit this necessity of labor is perhaps 

I i the only real alleviation of deep grief. 

I ** You have had within your own knowledge a 

r I very striking proof of this; four years ago one of 

\ your most honorable comrades, M. Kegnier, lost 

his daughter ; but he had promised M. Augier he 

would play in * Gabrielle,* and the success he 

obtained in that play was all the more gratifying 

n2 



S'*^ 



180 MF.MOIR3 OF nACIlKI.. 

from the conwiousocss tliat in Gulxluing a grii 
lutd McomplUhed a duty and obliged a friend. 

"lean well uodcntand, deormadame, thatii 
first momenta of grief the reecot sight of the 
patient occasions you should dread the crenti< 
a new rvU ! but I am also sure that on rcflec 
you will acknowledge that we hare no righ 
•aerifiee the interests of others to any private 
aidentious of our own, even the most Icgitiir 
and tliat you will seek support in an increased 
votion to the duUea incumbent upon you am 
the ioteresta which have been eonfided to yoi 

"This is, perhaps, a very serious letter, > 
madame, but I know to whom I write it. I : 
add that it is even in the name of your deard 
herself that I ask you to resume agiiin the re)i 
sals of * Med^o.' You know she liked the w 
and already foresaw you in it full of passion 
pathos. Give her then the greatest pleasure 
can owe you, the news of a new success obta 
by you. 

** I remain, &&, 

"Leoowvj 

This letter mada no impressbn on her to w! 
it was addressed. Seeing, however, that the ] 
tion was beoonuDg one of immediate diffici 



MEHOIM or KACURU 181 

•ho luul reocMirM ia the ordinuy uid QXtnordiiurjr 
diplonutio ncgotiationt. She conuniMHMMd the 
t (liacreet and •kiirnl agent who bad been the former 

I mcflium of communication to aignify her ultima- 

; turn to M. LegouT^, and with thia object addreawd 

i to MadcmoiMlle de SaigneTillc a letter, which the 

i latter waa to show to the author but not leave in 

j hU handa. 

1 MadcmolMlle de Saignevillc commenced on the 

\ 20th of September her negotiation aa follows : 

■; " It i« with the dcc[)Gst gnrf, dear )L Lcgouve, 

-^ that I (end you my friend's letter, (I beg you will 

return it lu »doii n^ yun have read it.) 
1 "I will not wek to jiiftify Kocltol's conduct 

towardu you, Vou tco that aho hcncif acknow* 
ledgea her fault, and that aho ii right in believ- 
ing that I pvc her a great proof of my attach* 
ment in consenting to communicate ao aad a 
resolution to you. But believe me, do not ituat, 
moke thii sacrifice to the future. She boa ob- 
tained another leave of absence, she will return 
at^aio next year, and, if you are generous enough 
to remain her friend, how powerful will bo your 
right to make her play in some other work I She 
has resolved neter to create another modern 
tragic part \ she saya the ancient clauic repertory 



182 2IEMOIR8 OF RACHEL, 

will rurnlsh her with more characters than ahe 
can create. (And here she may be right.) 

** Comci now, be noble and generous ; set to 
work, write for her an interesting drama, such as 
you know so well how to makcy and we shall all 
be happy. 

'< Saioneyillb.** 

The letter alluded to as accompanying the 
above ran as follows : 

''Dear LouidE, 

'' I COME to beg you will undertake a mission to 
M. Legouv6 ; I know well how disagreeable it 
will be to yoU| but you have so accustomed me 
to your kind offices I do not fear to rely on them 
in such a case of necessity. 

'*! positively cannot play Mcdee ; it is in 
vain that I have endeavored to undertake it ; I 
have gone so far as to learn all the first act, but I 
have such an antipathy to the part that it were 
vain for me to expect sympathy in a character 
that is almost odious^ and that is too well 
known to cause any sensation in the public, even 
in the most terrific passages. You see, dear 
fricndi what a task I am giving you. I dare not 



» ii 



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MKHOnn or RAcnsL. 183 

write to M. LcgouT^ fearing he •liould come to 
me iiunicUialdjr, khU indeed I un not aufficientlj 
R»lorcd to my imiuI bc«tth to look ftt uid Utten* 
GOoly to tlifl almoat d<^•erved reproaches which 
tlio Kutlinr of ' &f^>)M * lioft, pcrluiiw, a right to 
nuke, for I li*v« accepted tlio rSle, I liav« vna 
rclicaracd it twice at the theatre; but although I 
mnjr have liecn tenfold wrong, I cannot bind 
Dij-Klf to piny well a port unauitcd to my tngio 
power*. I cnnnot, tlicrcforc, go forwnnl and riak 
« failure when the moment when I sIiaH quit the 
•tagc it not far diatanL 
V " Go and wc, or write to M. Lcgouvj. What I 

i> exact of your love fur oic,fof ourvli/Wrnn;, islhat 

1 II. Lcgouvi will atill remain my friend, dcaitito the 

i vexation I cauac him and which I ao earnestly 

1 dc«irc to cancel aoroc day. 

1 "'Lea Iloracei' greatly fatigued me thii 

) evening. To-morrow I elmll go and hrcathe the 

; air of Montmorency ; for Ilcavcu's <iika use your 

I endeavors tlut M. Legouvo bo not too angry 

' with me. You know how very little suffices to 

'l slmlic my poor nerves and cause me gmt 

•ulTcrins. 



* Wlicn Madcmoitell* lUehil moi ifai* letter it i« probo- 
bla ihc had am h«r muU Mcrcurj u bond, •nil «M oUiga4 
to indite u wall a« wriia it baiMlf. 



184 MEMOIRS OF RACHEU 

^ I am your devoted friend ; prove to me on this 
occanon that I also can relj on you. 

" Rachel.* 

This desire, so coaxingly expressed, to be friends 
with the author, even the tender allusion to his 
play, ** our Adrienne,^ all was insufficient to fool 
him any longer; his patience was exhausted, and 
Mademoiselle Rachel was again sued to appear on 
the 19th of October. 

In the meanwhile she continued to play her 
classic rdleSf delighting the numerous spectators 
who, attracted by the Exposition Universelle from 
every part of Europe to Paris, took that opportu-* 
nity of hearing her. The poor young woman little 
foresaw that this was the last season but one she 
would be permitted to display her talent on the 
French stage on which, had she been less grasp- 
ing, less eager for rapid gains, she might have 
pursued a longer, more lasting, and more glorious 
career. 

In the meanwhile the day appointed for the 
trial arrived. On the 18th of October the haU 
of the Tribunal de Premi&re Instance was 
crowded. M. de Belleyme, a magistrate as well 
known for his strict principles of justice as for his 
love of arts, presided. The bom champion of the 



HKMOtRS OF BACHBL. 185 

viuliini of tlicir (MHion* and of MtUli of ererjr 
kind, M. OuU-d'Ert-Ansc w&s there ramdj to 
cOT«r Mndcmnucllc Riicliera mds with the fold* of 
1 h'u togn, while M. Mathicu, e elcnr and witty 

I joun^ Inwyvr, wm epiwinted to cipOM the grief* 

', auflcred by M. I«4^uvj. 

i Tlie tnik of llic latter waa not n difficult one, 

i fur ihe proofri were numcroui and clear, 

^ The orator thouglit proper to take up the 

i matter in ham), from the beginning of the friend- 

\ ahip that had existed between hii client and 

^ )[ndcmoi»cIlG RuclicL Having dwelt on the 

f iiiotivca tliat Imd given rite to that fricndvhip, and 

' ciilitlcd tlic author to M>me gmtitude on the part 

uf tlic ocircM, 1)C gave the origin of "McdL-e," 

written at Motlcinoiocllc Itochcl's rcf|ucat, entliu- 

■ioaticully nj)[ilaudcd by licr, and the competent 

arcKnpngua ai'i'ciiiblcd in her taJon to decide on lU 

merit*— ill contirmation of which, Icdcra were 

read nddrronpil in M. Lc^uvo by MrMticurs Henri, 

Martin and Ckirlton— tlic subac(]iicnt rccci>lion of 

tlic [>lay by the fomiie de lecture, of the theatre 

and iia rehcarml there, al«o corroborated hj 

Icttera from Mct«icura Iluitlnnd, Ui-gnicr, Mau- 

bant.and Uavcanc. M. Mathicu then related the 

fickle conduct of the actrcM, her levcral capricious 

' rcfueali, her want of good fuith, the condcMcauoD 



186 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

of M. Legouv^ <m the ere of her departure for 
Russia. 

** He was not aware,** es^claimed the eloquent 
advocate, ^ that this great ariisie, whose excur- 
non had cost the Th^tre Fran9ais more than 
200y000fr.y had another god besides her art. He 
was soon obliged to recognise that ; for her, the 
stage was but a means» that gold was her aim.** 

He then stigmatised her conduct towards 
France, to whom she was bound, who could have 
opposed her voyage to Russia, and jret who 
generously furthered it, receiving in return as a 
testimonial of the actress* gratitude the notifica- 
tion of her resignation on her return. M. 
Legouv^ shared the same fate ; he, too^ was re- 
warded for all the proofs of devoted friendship he 
had shown her by the notification that ^' decidedly 
she could not play Medier 

The orator concluded by saying that French 
literature was interested in the question. 

''It must not," said he, '^ be left to the mercy of 
Mademoiselle RacheFs caprices. It was not thus 
that Talma acted. Many authors have had cause 
to complain of Mademoiselle Rachcrs fantastic ver- 
satility. She also refused to play ' La Fille du Cid ' 
after accepting the part. ' Yirginie/ ^ Charlotte Cor- 
day/ 'FrMigonde and Brunchaut'were alike ao- 



HBMOIIM or BACnBU 187 

eciitcd, rqccted and leccptcd ag«n withoot maon. 

Madcmouellfl Rachel miut be compelled under 

•omc MTcrcpcnaltT to' keep her engageroenU. It 

t u mucb to eicilc aJmiretion, but eat«m ■• of mon 

j, value ; and nothing can make uneoda for want of 

*■ integrity, not even glory I " 

' Thccaac of MadcnoiMlle Rachel waaa difficult 

I one to defend, and with all his akill M. Chaiz- 

^ d'Eat'Antie could not prove that she had not ao- 

; licited &I. Lcgouv^'i tragedy, that aba had not 

pcrMnolly a[>[iroved and applauded it, that abehad 

cauKil it to be rehearsed, had not taken her part 

and distributed the others, and that, after numci^ 

oiu and long delays, she had not, under fallacioua 

prctenccf, refused tlic work. 

The only part of his pica in wbicl> he could re- 
tort will) some show of success his sdversary's 
arguments was when he eadcnvored to answer the 
reproach thnt Kacliel had but one idol — gold, 
lie insisted tliat the reproach was equally ap|>lio- 
ablc to the other side. 

" Mademoiselle Kachcl," said he, " is accused of 
loving gold bcjond all things, beyond her art, be- 
yond her glory. Gold is her god ! Yet we notice 
that M. LcgouTc has not fur gold the contempt 
he would lead us to infer he had. lie begins by 
claiming 40,000rr. damagea. It would Ul fa 






HBHOIRS 07 RACHEL. 




him to affect indifference for pccuniiuy interecl 
No, no; gold for liim is no chimera." 

M. Legouv^, however, imnicdiatelj poralyn 
the effect of this argument, ad iominem, bj d 
cinring that he hnd fixed tlie amount for the sal 
of form only ; that he renounced it attogctht 
and left the penalty entirely to Uie discretion 
the tribunal. 

The court decided against Mademoiselle Bachi 
who WH8 to reeume and continue "on the da; 
designated by the management of the Tbd&t 
Franpiis" the rehearsals of "Medde," and act tl 
part designated for her by the author, or 
default thereof to pay to M. Legouvi damages 
the amount of 200fr. for every day she delay< 
doing 80, and that during two months, aft 
which a further decinion would be taken. 

This decision would seem, at first sight, very sati 
factory to M. Legouvi5 ; it was, however, followed I 
no result: the management of the Th&tre Fnui^a 
to whom was Icflthe right of appointing the da; 
of rehearsal, having failed to do so. It was n 
until some time after that M. Legouvi was 
obtain a more adequate compensation for the injui 
he hod sustained. 

As for Itlademoiselle Itachel, she was on tl 
eve of finding in her very ingratitude ita (eve 




UEUOIM OP BACBU. 



and dcoervcd puoulimcnt. If she bad dladainod 
tlie clinroi* of " Mcd£e " U wu not on account of 
tlie little failings and middccdd of the enchantroM, 
but bccauw ahc liod been ollurod by a dame of 
like gentle temper, one Raiemonda — not the fair 
Rooamond of Kngliah bolloda and tradition, 
whom bcnuty woa fatal to borscif atone — but • 
Lombnrd queen whom M. Latour do Su Yhan 
arouied from her peaceful slumbers in the old 
nooks of Gothic atoiy to bnog before the Pori- 
•ioiiB, under the patronage of Mademoiselle 
Rachel. 

It appears that Mademoiselle Rachel bad 
knocked at more than one door to obtain the 
"short tragcdjr containing one very brilliant 
jnrt" which she hod sohcitcd of M. Lcgouvd. 
" McUcc," with her three acts, and her suite, was 
nol what she wished; "Koscmonde," with her 
one act and three personages, pleased her bett«r. 
" Mcd<^ " was a rvU of the ancient rtptrtoirtf 
minus the superioritjr of the great masters. 
" Roacmondc" was the fnmtic, dishevelled off* 
spring of jroung literature that was to stood 
forward with eclat in the gallerj of antiques that 
constituted Mademoiselle Rachel's dromatio 
luggage. 

It now became plain tlkat while the trojf^dunnt 



"* j 'tfji^iua a ■*■ ^1 i m 



190 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

was alleging her health, her resignatioiii her ex- 
cursionfli her domestic affiictions to avoid playing 
MedUf declaring solemnlj she never intended ere* 
aUng another rdUj that fear would paralyse her 
powers, that the press would not sust^n her, that 
she would not risk compromising seventeen years 
of success by a failure, she was at that very time 
busy studying Rasemonde. She was learning it in 
secret with the passionate enthusiasm she had 
shown for Louise de Lignerolles. She flattered 
herself with the hope of crowning her Parisian 
career with a brilliant triumph, and deemed she* 
could carry to America a play, short and easy to 
get up, that would afford an opportunity for the 
display of all her powers and the entire interest of 
which would centre in herself. 

The decision of the court that sentenced Made- 
moiselle Rachel to play ^^Med^e" was pro- 
nounced on the 2ist of October. On the 27th of 
November Mademoiselle Rachel, encouraged by 
the complaisant complicity of the manager, ap- 
peared for the first time in ^* Rosemonde.* 

What motive could have actuated the iragidir 
enne to adopt so strange a course it is difficult to 
imagine. It could scarcely be that the remembrance 
of her success in "Virginie* was proof against 
that of her failure in the absurd '^ Y ieux de la 



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MBUOIRS or lUCRBL. 191 



Montogne.** At any rote, whAterer hopes autlior 
I } and actrcM had raised on tho pitMcnt prcpostcroua 

I \ creation were doomed to disappcnntnient. Made- 

) moiscUe Rachel had hoped that horror carried to 

i tho utmost limits would cause a great sensaUon— 
i the eflcct was the opposite to that expected, the 
! spectators were rather inclined to laughter^the 
great iragidienne was simply ridiculous I 

^ Roscmon<lcy" withal, possessed one merit, and 
that a Tcry great one in the present case— there 
was but one act of it. Vet it was a tragedy^ and 
the author by virtue of that title had a right to 
inflict five acts on the public* Notwithstanding 
what some modern author says, that it is ^ so easy 
not to ninko tragedies in five acts,** some credit ia 
due to M. Latour St. Ybars for his forbearance. 
He supprcMcd the first four and served up the last 
only, crowding into that one all the horrors he'waa 
at liberty to have spread over five acts. 

The theme chosen is one of the ferocious inci- 
denta thut abound in the early history of every 
nation. The author cannot be accused of having 
altered or disguised historical truth ; on the con« 
trary, he has veiled none of its hideous nakedness, 
he has softened none of the revolting particu- 
lars. 

M. Latour evidently meant to draw forth all the 



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192 IIEMOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

chief characteristics of Mademoiselle Rachel. 
His attempt was not altogether ill-founded. Set* 
ting aside the impossibility of reconciling with the 
laws of modem taste the ghoulish incidents he 
allowed to stand, there were dramatic points wUch 
a great poet would have made very effective. But, 
unfortunatolj, in *^ Kosemonde '* we have the most 
intensely tragical occurrences developed in the 
most trivial, weak, nerveless language. The feio- 
(Uty of the idea is completely lost in the tameness 
of the expression ; that which in the magnificent, 
passionatCy all-powerful poetry of Victor Hugo 
would have sent a tlirill of terror through every 
heart, in the milk-and-water style of M. Latour 
caused ennui or derision. 

According to the chronicler, after reigning three 
years and a-half in Italy, Alboin was assassi- 
nated' by his wife in 373. The cause of the crime 
was the following: 

The King having become excited with wine 
during a banquet, ordered tliat a bowl, made of hec 
father^s skull, should be presented to the Queen, 
bidding her joyously drink vnth her father (uteum 
paire suo lalanier bibereLj 
. ^ The thing,** adds the old narrator, Paul Diacre, 
<^ may appear impossible, but I speak the truth in 
Jesus Christ ; I have seen the bowL" 







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MBMOnt or BACHSb 19S 

The unfertunato Hojemonde being infiuvied 
afterwarde what bloody trophy had touohed her 
lips, vowed rovenge. Haring eeduced the di|fe 
annour-bearcTy Ilelmichii^ and PeredeuSy one of 
the bravest champione among the Lombards^ eh« 
caused the King to be assassinated, 

M. LatouFi suppressing such details of tho e^ 
ductioos employed by the Queen as were too die* 
gustiog for the stage, and which may be found at 
length in ** Gibbon*s << Decline and Fall of tU 
Itoman Empire/ gives the story in all its barba- 
ric horrors. 

AlAoif^ King of the Lombardsi having van* 
quiflhed and killed Ounimund, King of the 
Gcpidas, cliooscs among tlic captives 2tai4momd4f 
the daughter of his late foe, for his queen. At a 
banquet given to celebrate his victory, the bar- . 
barian, maddened with the fumes of debauch, 
compels liosemonde to driuk from the skull of her 
father. Among tlie earls of Albain is one who, 
having been sent some time previous to the war 
on an embassy to her father's Court, had seen and 
fallen in love with Itosemonde. Absent on another 



i 

i expedition at the time of the defeat of 

f he returns to find the daughter has been selected 

^ by the victor. Earl Duiier is consequently the 

.| fittest instrument for her vengeance. To arm his 

% VOL. II. O 



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!_-.'■ ••i- .■'•.. . \ ^-^«S« 



194 MEMOIRS OF RACHEU 

band against his King she promises her own and 
the crown as his reward. When the deed is per* 
petrated Jtosemonde fulfils part of her promise. 
She recommends Didier to the people as the sno* 
cesser of Alboin^ and phices the orown on his 
head. As for herself^ she £es on her father^s 
grave of the poison she has taken. One or two 
other deaths of minor importance fill, up this 
framework of murder, profanity, treason, and 
vengeance. 

This tragical story has been dramatised more 
than once already by French poets. We find it 
put on the stage as far back as the year 1609 by 
Claude Billard, Prior of Canterbury, the 'same 
who the following year caused the '^ Death of 
Henry IV.'* to be played before Marie de Mcdicis 
in mourning. A year or two before, Nicholas 
d'Argentan wrote his *^ Alboin ou la Vengeance 
Trahie." In 1649, Balthazar Baro again put 
'^ Rosemondc * upon the stage. In more modem 
times Alfieri also chose this heroine, though not 
at the same period of her life. Indeed, he laid 
aside the facts altogether, and substituted incidents 
of his own invention. 

The choice of the locality itself, though his- 
torically faithful, jars with all our preconceived 
ideas. True, all Italy was at the time devastated 



—^^Sktjk^^ 



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MBMOIRS OF KACIIBLi 195 

by the barbaric hordes of tbe North ; yet one 
would not with to find the eccne which the 
loTca of Romeo and Juliette have invested with 
) I such tender and melancholy assodationsi the fiur 

I city sought with delight by the antiquaiy and an- 

} ticipated so grnccrully by the poet : 

! \ ^ Are these the distant turrets of Verona ? 

And sluill I sup where Juliet at the masque 

Saw her lov*d Montague and now sleeps by 

him T ** 

selected as tlie clwrnel-housei the shambles in 

which wild beasts enact their butcheries. M. 

Lntour does not say with Dante : 

'^ Vieni a voder Montecchi o Cappellctti.* 
IIo bids U0 look on a far difTcrent scene ; here we 
have neither the rose nor the nightingnlci wo 
have an orgic in which besotted barbarians, drunk 
with the fumes of blood and wine, and despairing 
captives, the living 8|K>iIs of the most ferocious 
war, are mingled ; the former are howling the 
burthen of their song of battle, with accompani* 
ment of cymbals, horns, and clashing shields. 
The song of the bard is in keeping with the deeds 
he celebrates. 

Some dramatists are induced to choose their 
epoch and nation on account of the picturesque 

beauty of the costume of that time and people. 

o2 



^ ■ Mua 



196 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

If we conralt the historian we will hardly be iiH 
dined to accuse ^L Latour of haidng been guided 
by any such puerile considerations. 

*'The dress of the ancient Lombards consisted 
of loose linen garments ; their legs and feet were 
clothed in long hose and open sandals; and even 
in the tranquility of peace a sword was constantly 
girt to their side ; thdr heads were shaven bchind» 
but their hair before hung over their eyes and 
mouth, and a long beard represented the name md 
character of the nation.'* 

For further particulars we have the testimony 
of Cunimundy the Prince of the Gopidao : 

^The Lombardsi" said the rude barbarian, ^^ re- 
semble in figure and smoU the mares of our 
Samaritan plains.** 

** Add another resemblance," replied an auda- 
cious Lombard, ** you have felt how strongly they 
kick. Visit the plains of Asfeld, and seek for the 
bones of thy brother; they are mingled with those 
of the vilest animals.** 

The above interchange of compliments preceded 
the war and atrocities wliich are the groundwork 
of the tragedy. 

Whether the actress was terrified at the respon- 
sibility she had assumed, or that, accustomed to 
the sublime beautiesof theclassio repertoire, she felt 



1 



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UKMOIOS OP JUCUBLi 197 



'i 



i 



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I 



herself uninvpircd bjr tliia niocIernUed tuwue of hor- 
run, and, loiing confidence in iU succcm at the verj 
moment of trial| lo^t confidence in her own powers, 
or whctlier the attitude of the public disheartened 
hcr» from whatever cauae it might be, this chanio- 
] ter« so obstinate!/ adopted in despite of all tMte, 

'; reason and judgment, was ill sustained by her. It 

I lingered a very few nights and was then dropped 

for ever. 

With its manifold faults the play possessed pointa 
1 well suited to l^IadcmoiscUe Rachel. It is said 

f' that Ilacine borrowed from the '' llosemonde " of 

". Dathazar Bare the charncter of //cnnioite^-Madc- 

moisellc Rachers best part The scene of the 
Greek Princc;«8 inntifnitinj; Orcsla to the murder 
of PijrrhuB certainly presents a striking analogy 
with that in which Iti}nemonfle endeavors to per- 
suade Knnujiu9 to slay Alboin ; the arguments 
used by Ilrrmione and the answers of the hesitat- 
ing, reluctant Oreslcs, though clothed in the fiir 
superior poetry of Racinc,are the same, in realityjas 
those of Baro*8 heroine and hero ; then again^ there 
is so great a resemblance, in fact, between some 
of the situations of ^L Latour*s play and those of 
^' Andromaque *' that it is somewhat strange Ma- 
demoiselle Rachel did not feel sustained by the 
resemblance. There are others, too, where her 



•.# 



198 MCM0IB8 OF RACHBL. 

tragic expreasion and atUtudes had excellent op- 
portanities of display ; for instance, in the scene 
where the tyrant, mortally wouuded| drags him- 
self on the' stage and is met by Hosenumds enter- 
ing with a lamp to ascertain if the deed has been 
well done. The King, on retiringi had found 
Egildcj one of R^semonde^i women, dressed in the 
regal robes, dead on his conch. He has not mis- 
taken her for the queen he had chosen, and, bdng 
set upon by his murderer, has had no time to dis- 
cover his error, hence his first exclamation, when 
the real Rosemonde meets him, a la Lady Macbeth^ 
with her lamp : 

*' Cette femme, quelle est cette femme?'' 

RoBemonde. 

^ La haine 
La yengeance, tai^dive, il est vraie, mais 
certaine.** 

Alboin. 
«AhI" 

Rosemonde. 
''Regardc-moi bien.* 

Albain. 
^ Fantome, que veux-tu ? ^ 

ItMemonde. 
** Je veux te voir mourir k mes pieds 
abattu.*" 



\ 

f 

i 



f 



1 



IfBMOIM or RACHEL. 199 

AI6om {tcmb$ pri$ d$ sa courofmi). 
'^ Ilotcmonde I . . • elle est morte." 

JRo$emonde. 

^ £Ue est encore riTante 
Pour jouir de ta mort et de ton ^pou- 
yante.* 

Alboin. 

y ^ Mes armcs I dieux d'enfer I ** &c^ Ac. 

•^ Itosemonds makes a long speech to the djring 

\ King, the pith of which &L Latour found in Uie 

five magnificent lines o( Poly nice to EUoeUSf ia 
Bacine*s ** Les Fr6rcs Enncmis : ** 
^ Et tu mcurs, lui dit il, et nioi jc vais regner 
I ICcgardc dans mcs mains Tcmpire et la victoire 

Va rougir auz enfcrs de Tcxc^ de ma gloire ; 
Et pour mourir encore avcc plus de regret, 
Traitrc, songe en mourant quo tu meurs mon 

soujcL* 
We cannot say that Rosemonde^s harangue is 
j ^sweetness long drawn out,** but the idea so con- 

ciscly and powerfully expressed by Racine has 
been so expanded, dilutcdi spun out in M. Latour*s 
prosy stylcy that all the original horror is lost. 
The coldness with which the public received 
i this feast of Atreus reacted on Mademoiselle 

Rachel. Her delivery was so precipitate, hacked 
and indistinct, that it was often necessary to wait 



I 

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/•« 



200 XEMOIBS OF RACHBL. 

the reply to know the meaning of what she had 
eatd. It wae true that she was never quite mis- 
tress of herself on first nights ; but aside from the 
emotion incidental to the fear of failure, there 
could not be in this # Queen of the French stage, 
whose mil was omnipotent, the anxiety of the 
young and timid debulante, whose untried powers 
have feW| if any, chances of pleasing. She had 
chosen the play, she had brought it out, she was 
bound to exert herself to the utmost for its sup* 
port 

£ither the vexation of failure, or some, other 
unknown cause, acted on her nerves to such an ex- 
tent that after the fall of the curtain she was 
seized with a fit of hysterics that was so violent 
and lasted so long it was feared her reason was in 
danger; she tore her veil, dashed from her the 
crown and threw down, with looks of frantic hor- 
ror, her poniard. 

An explanation of this singular scene was 
sought in the supposition that it was the remem- 
brance of the death of her sister Rebecca that 
had awakened a paroxysm of delirious grief. But 
it is difficult to find any analogy between this 
recent family bereavement and the tragedy of 
^Bosemonde.**' 
. The result of this last miscalculation was that 



1 



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■4 



i 

•J 

I 

i 



MEMOIRS or RACnSL. 201 

Madcmoiscllo Rnchcl, vexed and Mhamed, retired 
under the usual pretence of ill health. 

Mademoiselle Rachel had introduced thc'ecle* 
bnition of the anniversary of Comeille; it oc- 
curred at last to the management that there was 
another great man to whom they were equally 
indebted. And the annivcrMuy of whose birth was 
equally entitled to dramatic honors. On the 2 1st 
of Decemberi the ThcAtro Fran^ais inaugurated 
the celebration of Racine's birthday; the tragi* 
(iifiuitf condescending for that day to forgot she 
was ill, and act *^ Phcdrc." 
i Since the unfortunate exit of ^ Rosemondoi** 

I this was the first time Mademoiselle Rachel had 

i appeared on the stage. She retired into her tent 

j and did not come forth again until the latter part 

I of January of the following year. 



#4 



9mm^ 



^ 



ii 



CHAPTER X. 
1855. 

L* Ctarins ' — HetpomcDa in Hfitertw— A Formidal 
Rival— Adeli'ide Rittori, ths Siddoiu of Ilulj— " Fra 
cews da Rimini "—" L> .Fia da Tolonsi '— " Hal 



DusiNO her temporary atuence from the atoj 
Modemoiaelle Bachet was studying a ncrr rOle 
a drama in five acts, by M. Scribe, " La Czarine 
which was brought out in January of this jts 
Am the student of histoiy will not think of eo 
suiting M. Scribe's pUys as works of reference, 
is unDccessnry to quarrel witli that authoi 
peculiar mode of treating historical events ai 
personages; in truth he has merely borrowi 
high-sounding names, the inddenta and characte 
mm entirely of his own invention. 

Among the subjects that apparently pteasi 
him best was th« eetebrated Catherine, wife 
Peter the Great. Findbg her veiy successful 



i 



1 

i 



IfEMOIRS or RACHBI* 20S 

tlio ^ Etoilc du Nord,** ho tried her without the 

INU'tition and at a mora advanced period of her 

existence, substituting Mademoiselle Rachel for 

I the musical charms of which he now divested her. 



I 



: * 



{ The hero is no longer Peter, the shi 

enamoured of the fair young gipseji and ooaH 
mitting no worse crime than that of an extra 
glass to drown the sorrow her absence oecaMona, 
At the present stage of his existencCi Peter is 
advanced in his imperial career; he has learned 
his various trades and is now giving his subjccta 
the Wncfit of his experience. He has alrcadj 
founded St. Petersburg, conquered Sweden, 
fouglit with Turkey, butchered his son Alexis, 
drowned in torrents of blood the conspiracy of 
the Strclitz^and carried to some extent his system 

) of civilitiationy ciTcctcd according to the principles 

of barbarism. Czar Peter is more at leisure now, 
and turns his mind entirely to his own littlo 
domestic nflfuirs, wliich ho regulates according to 
his usual expeditious system. To keep his hand 
in, this imperial executioner amuses himself with 
putting to death the admirers of his beloved 

) Czarinc. In fact, there is much more of the 

Ogre of fairy talcs, and much less of the Czar in 

i^ til is Peier than there was even in the historical 

onei and he is much better suited for the tyrant of 



44 



204 H£H0I]I8 OF RACHEL. 

the melo-dramas in fkror on the Boulevardd- tlian 
for the hero of a play at the Th^tre Frtm^aiB, 
whose more refined and eritical audience tolerated 
with difficulty this brutal Provost Marshal. 

The Czarine has not one great qualityi one 
marked characteristic, one attractive point to 
raise her above the common level; the author 
could not have written a more insignificanti point- 
lessi colorless role for Mademoiselle Rachel. There 
is not from beginning to end a fine possagCi an en- 
clitic speech. 

The other characters are a set of Russians such 
as were presented as specimens of the nation at 
the Theatre du Cirqui during the Crimean war. 
There is an Admiral Vilderbeck, a sort of Dutch- 
Russian, always tipsy, always ridiculous, who is 
the unconscious marplot in the play; Jakinsky^ 
an automaton spy of the Czat^i — ^he acts, but 
leaves the talking to others ; Men9chikoffj the un- 
fortunate Menschikoffw ill-treated by La Harpe, 
expiates, by the gratuitous charge of poisoning 
Peter the Greatj now brought against him by M. 
Scribe, the hatred which the people of France 
bore the Memchikoff of 1855; Olga, his daugh- 
ter, a simple, candid little girl who can, when 
required, show a very heroic spirit, but whose 
combustible heart catches fire like a little keg. of 




MBUOIBS OF UCnXL. SOS 

powilcr «t thfi approocli of the apark Sapielia f 
Sapitha, ft young Pole, cut on tho pntMni of tli« 
Lftuxuna, a courtier fresh frocn the Voraullca of iIm 
(£il de Ikcuf. 

With thcBo §tercotypod peraooagcs, reprodiw«d 
again and sgaio in their proper aphcra at tha 
Porto St. Martin, any dnuaatiet of M. ScriWa 
•cliool waa sure to proceed on exactly the laoM 
plan OS the master, and to produce a play ui tbe 
nunc monolououa, lukcwann and •upcrbcial style 
at tho mnjority of those thii fertile and akiiful 
playwright lia« made tho public applaud so r^ 
puatcdiy. 

Count Sapieha, juBt arrived from the Court 
of Franco, is the lion of the Mmi-barbarie 
Court wliicli Oar Peter ia civilising with his 
cane and pruning with the axe ; the Indica of tha 
Court invite h!in to more rendczroa* than he haa 
time or inclination to attend to, fur he aspires to no 
lcs4 llian an imperial heart and disdains the con- 
quest of any of lower station. Peter, who ia a« 
jealous OS a tiger, has lately chopped off the head 
of MaiHt de la Croix, tho last admirer of bis wife, 
and is looking out very sharply to catch the next. 
Tho fato of Im predecessor only ntakes the new 
pretender more boastful and daring; be openly 
avows his hopes to VUderbt'Ji, a very &ithful 



MG1I01B8 OF SAOHBL. 223 

time Wallulc and bia company alternated with the 
Italian company at the Italian Opera-house. A 
Gcnnao family just arriTed in Paris, and anzious 
to«e« tlio far-famed Madame ^stori, sent their 
vaUt-de-plare to procuro a box at the theatre 
where she performed. On the following. night 
they were all installed at an early hour, and won- 
dering at the little enthusiasm the half-empty 
house manifested. However, they listened at- 
tentively, neither understanding a word nor yet 
clearly making out the pantomime, but getting 
xipt notwithstanding, n very lively admiration for 

the young and pretty Miss whom they took 

for Sladame Ristori. The next day they were 
congratulating themsclTcs before some friends on 
their good fortune of the previous evening in see- 
ing the charming Italian tragedienne ia " Maria 
Stuarda" when, to their amazement, tbcy were 

i'jformed they had seen Miss in Degdemona, 

More than one French critic might have found 
himself making a simibr mistalco. Not so M. 
Fiorentino, who, a Neapolitan by birth, is, in wit 
and talent, a Frenchman. This writer is one of 
the few foreigners who have acquired the French 
language in such perfection that to them it is as 
their own, and who lutvo borrowed even the cha- 
racter of the nation that baa adopted them. Since 



tn HBHOnt OF BACHBL. 

them, but unong the nuuten of tb* pruning 
knire wboM judteiout uid doqoeat uttclM M 
grefttlj oontributed to her •xaltstioa then is <m» 
m woald (eal it s reproach to hare omitted ha4 
we not raeerrcd hU name ibr m speewl mentiaa 
when that of hU giftodoouatiTwonwa ■booM find 
ita pUee in theoe p>gM. Of all the dramatio 
oritiee of the Pariaiaa joonuli, M. FfontitiDO» 
who u alike maitor of French and Italian, ia the 
moat capable of oorreetlj judging the taloat of tba 
two trai/idiennei and of establishing a paralld 
between them. 

There arc, doubtless, in dramatie art, beauties 
that VMf be recognised and appreciated by apeo- 
tatora who understand the language but imper- 
fectly. But to. examine the subject in all its 
bearings and pronounce on ita merits on oD pmnt^ 
the conscientious critic must be perfectly familiar 
with the language, he must need no preliminafy 
study to feel all its charm and power, to be a 
nice judge of elegance and purity of pronounci*- 
tion, of correctness and truthfulness of intotia- 
tion. He who does not possess this gift can only 
apeak of the mimic talent of the actor. On all 
other points his opinion is subject to discussion, 
for his erron may be infinite. 

An auaNng instanoe of this occoired at tha 




HEMOIBB OP BACHEL. 221 

She is fruit in the artistic aeiiae of the word, for 
she takes from nature tho aiost enei^etic expres- 
sion of its passions and always subordioatca it to 
the laws of beauty with tlie exquisite tact that is 
innate in her. Werosheto bn'.otne more classical 
she might lose somewhat of her grace, trhilo on 
tho other hand, a mora familiar, a more natural 
style would impiur her dimity. No ckp-tr&p, no 
eccentricity is mingled with her acting. She has 
invented no system of her own, consequently can 
have no imitntora. Content with studying the 
hiiinnn heart, she gives tho rein to her own instinc- 
tive sense of what should be. This is tho whole 
secret of the success of those poets and painters 
who have reached the highest summit of art. To 
those who would approach the superiority to which 
Madame AdcJInide Kistori has risen, we would 
say: 

" Search your heart ; if it be pure, honest, truly 
pious, you may succeed, for those qualities ore 
more necessary to on artist who would be loved 
and admired than is generally supposed." 

In reviewing the different phases of Mademoi* 
9cUe Rachel's career, we have had occasion to ap- 
preciate the merit of the various critics who have 
made hei the subject of thm feuiUelont. We do 
not la_' clum to having given a complete list of 



1 

\ 






2S0 IfEMOIRS or RACSBL. 

of paanoiM that ditfiguret poor himuui naturo ui 
thcM tplendid tjpeti and whichy firom the da/ of 
thmr ereation, hare boon portiayod with tbo 
furiotii rant of a maniaoi would, by her, be brought 
into bold relief with new and striking effect. The 
mianon of the tragio poet is to ezcitet in the 
highest degree, emotions of tenor and pitjy and 
nerer can this aim be sosuccessfiilly accomplished 
as when the actress unites the nobkst gifts of the 
heart to a splendid and cultiTated intelligenoe. 

It b SMd, with what truth we know not, though 
we feci no inclination to doubt it, that Madame 
Ristori is in the habit of seeking in mental prayer, 
before going on the stage, the strength and nerre 
she exhibits in her different characters, and that 
she placed implicit reliance on tlie religious inspi- 
ration thus sought. This is a view of the Toca- 
tion of dramatic artists never before taken, and 
one which, should the example find imitator^ 
might lead to great results. It would certainly 
tend to dignify and elevate in an extraordinary do* 
gree the drama and its interpreters, and silence all 
the objections hitherto brought against them. 

Those who have seen this charming actress in 
private life extol her modesty and simplicity. Her 
style on the stage partakes of her character— it is 
simple and unpretending in its very grandeur. 




HEUOIBS OP RACnBU 319 

all nature ; the scene where, preparing for death^ 
•he bide U laat adieu to her liandmaidena with auch 
melting, yet lubducd, affection, lo queonljr still in 
her condescension, yet so gentle, so womanly in 
her love and care for these, her faithful ones; and, 
at the close, the heart-rending, ecsUtic , pause 
during which the bittemoss of death contenJa 
with and is 6nally absorbed in the heavenly hope 
that transports her beyond the terrible present, is 
a sublime inspiration springing from a deep re- 
ligious feeling, from a soul filled with love of the 
beauUfuI ideal. 

Id " Medea," bo difficult a part to bring before 
a modem public, the actress had to conquer the 
some obstacles as in that of " Myrrha." \Vhila 
she made her audience shudder, she had the power 
of ennobling characters and passions tlio most 
appalling, of exciting sympathy for heroines 
scarcely to be tolerated on the stage, without, 
however, losing any of the terrific energy which 
is one of her chief characteristics. 

In the French classic drama Madame Bistori 
would be equally successful ; her interpretations 
of the feelings of an Hermione, a CamiUe, an 
Emilia would, wo think, differ widely &om that 
which has hitherto been given. The bitter sar- 
casm, the despairing anathenuu, all the wild array 



4 

/ 



4 

/ 



/ 



> 



S18 MBMOIM <Nr SACHBI. 



mimlMMi in dIatb *!«•* an. dmBatinllT. bdn 
medioorityy we omj hare tome idea of whet ih 
oould eocompliih had alie been the mterpvelw < 
a CorneiUe, a Racinei or a Shakeepeare. 

Tbe part of JUaria Shtarda has more irarie^ 
'more ttriking dramatic •itqatione ; benee it ei 
/ dtee mora eDthoaiatm Uum tboee we liaTe mei 
tioncd. Tbe woman in ber grealneee and be 
wcaknett ie bore more apparent, particnkriy ii 
tbe magnificent icene wbere, baring etrnggle 
with adnmrnbly-expresecd eSbrU agmnstber riai^ 
wrath, the aarcasmt of EUmohtik finallj render i 
irrepressible) and it breaks oat in a torrent c 
annihilating disdain and crushing contempt tba 
overwhelms her rival; the rapturous, almos 
childish joy, with which she then coogratulatfl 
herself on having purcliascd without besitano] 
and at the price of almost certain death, tb 
bitter pleasure of revenge, is one of tbe moi 
superb pieces of acting ever witnessed on an 
stage. 

To analyse the various inspirations that actual 
the actress in this character, we should have I 
quote the whole of it The sudden gesture whe 
Maria speaks of the hidden dangers that surroun 
ber ; the passionate joy of the prisoner who one 
mors sees the fiice of Heaven, the trees, tbe Urd 




MEMOIBS or RACHRI. 217 

Kistori; but with that taleat the charm th»t 
entttnntcB from the purity of tho woman, imd 
which blends with and raises the genius of tlie 
arlitte to ao sublime ft hei^t is a combinntion 
rarely — we dare not say never — met with. Our 
toutenirt of Madame Ristori would lead us to 
look on any other Franceaea as less chasto, less 
idealised. 

These remarks will apply to Madame Ristori's 
style of acdng in otl her characters, but more 
especially to the part we have just mentioned,- 
and to that of " La Pia de Tolomei." The play 
of "Silvio Pcllico" is more properly an elegy in 
three acts than a tragedy. A succession of ex- 
quisite shades of feeling alone redeems his work 
from on otherwise insupportable monotony : it is 
rather a charming poem, of which the actress is 
the soul, than a play. M. Carlos Marcnco, when 
he wrote his drama of " La Pio," drew his inspi- 
ration from PcUico's tragedy ; the tatter is superior 
with regard to style, but, in both, interest and vigor 
are lacking ; the plot is weak, the characters are 
tame. The patriotic sentiment that animates the 
fine passages of Ftance»ca, which every Italian 
knows by heart, makes the play tolerated on the 
stage, and an actress like Madame Ristori renders 
the " Pia *" endurable. If, then, she causes such a 



\ 



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S16 VKMOIM OF BACHBL. 

terrible eflfeet of heedlong, mioiirbed pMsoB, widi 
en energy and force that etrike terror into oveiy 
heart ; but if that of the aotreee has no tender 
fibres, her voice none of the moving dioidi^ the 
melting accents that indicate a pure and genenm 
nature, the will awaken no ejmpathy in the 
spcctatort— the J may admire, thej cannot hnre her. 
The most charming of Madame Rielorili char 
mctert was undoubtedly that of JFhnwesea di 
Himinif and, among performers fiuned for their 
talent, she alone could give us the image of the 
veiled tenderness, the struggle between duty and 
passion, the truth and purity of Dante*s beaatifiil 
creation ; she alone could embody the spirit of the 
fair FrancfBca. On what stage could we find 
another profile so full of nuyestic giace, the 
chaste confusion of those eyes ovenurchod by so 
noble a brow, and that radiant smile called up by 
the evanescent joys of love. And, above all, 
where else could we find that voice, anon vibrating 
soft, and girlishly gentle, then again quivering 
with the agony of grief, that voice we all recognise 
as that of PaoloU love T Its sound reaches the 
inmost soul of the listener, conveying far more 
meanmg than the poetry it utters. Another 
actress might, perhaps, reproduce this type of 
JWuicsseo with as much talent as Madame 



USM0IB8 OF BACnEL. 215 

dreamy reverie and ardent paifllon. ThU char 
racteristici 90 specially her own, U portrayed on 
her countenance, the aspiA'ation towards the ideal 
is in every feature ; the purity of the brow, the 
oval contour of the face, the somewhat severe 
lines of the Roman nose, the nameless grace of 
those of the mouth, indicate the noblest feelingS| 
a heartfelt sense of the beautiful, and the love of 
whatsoever is virtuous and good* 

Another cause for her succesS| which was 
wholly independent of the profession, was the 
high opinion held of her character as a wife and a 
mother. The spectator was, unconsciously per- 
liaps, under the influence of this superiority. Ere 
she opened her lips the natural dignity of her 
manner predisposed in her favor, rendering every 
heart sympathetic; when she spoke the hearers 
were under the charm of a voice of unparalleled 
sweetness, revealing candour and goodness un- 
bounded — a voice that came fraught with every 
noble and generous feeling, directly from the 
heart that is their spring. The features and 
gestures may be schooled by strength of will and 
of intellect, to represent a great tragic part, even 
by a mind of perverted principles. Consummate 
talent and long stage-experience may give the 
power of expressmg every bitteri strange, and 



lit MEIIOIU or BAORBL. 

Ihe diUferenoa u tmiHj Msootutod for. 

To Ital^ beloag bold and vivid feelingi ■b- 
thuiiam that came* all befon it — tba pawinwH 
•dniration of perfectioa of fiwin, brilliaBC^ at 
ooloriii^ (rf* tha muiio which in that privilagad 
Uad Kcma the «cbo of the hTna of joj wA 
wUch tha Craatioa gneta iti Creator. 

To Franoe belonga tha aevere aBalyiatioD of 
tha boautiea of Nature^ the noro iatimata nalia^ 
tioo of the dreaming, doltoate touehea of Ai^ a 
more itudicd appradation of tha uadefiaed aad 
■hadowjr aubtletica of tliougbt. 

In Madame Riatori her oountr]rmen admired 
the deep paauone and energy that gave auch 
atartltng reality to each part abe rcprownted. 

In Franco thoaa were equally admired, vrbib 
tbe profound knowledge of human oaturo dia> 
played in ovcry glaacc, every goature, every in* 
tonation of her flexible and musical voice wore 
better appreciated i and tbe soft, vague melan- 
choly, which at timca veils and apiritualisea tha 
look of tbU aotreai, recalling viaiona of Oaaian'a 
daughters of tbe mist or of tlie gcnth) Uodino of 
qur German neighbors, woa far better uodoiatood 
by the French than by the Italians. 

The groat originality of iladamo RistorPa atyla 
eunsisU ebiefly in the union, ao imrvly net with, of 



MEMOIBS OF RACHEL. :<IS 

that there she was not duly appreciated. Though 
instances of the possessors of genius and talent 
meeting only with indifference from their feUaw-* 
citizens are numerous, and though the voice of thei 
prophet seldom finds an echo at home, the ap»' 
plause of an Italian public has constantly followed 
the career of her whose admirable enunciation 
added new beauties to their harmonious language. 

But it could not be expected that in towns 
where the theatre-going public remains always 
unchanged, enthusiasm can be kept up constantly 
by three or four dramatic works, brought before 
it by the same actress, however excellent she 
may be in her art, as in largo capitals where the 
floating population is so numerous. 

Thus, though long years had established the 
reputation of ^ladame Ristori in her native land, 
it was eclipsed by the more brilliant one a few 
weeks procured her in France. The perfect 
classic outline of this great talent had been 
hitherto fully admitted, but it remained for a 
Parisian audience— an audience of consummate 
critics, too long accustomed to tecellence to 
tolerate mediocrity— to discern its mystic and 
ethereal characteristics. Hence the triumph of 
the great arlitte was in France as complete as it 
was xapidly achieved. 



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but now tlnTo arose a new star on t 
horlz >n, wlili'li tliroateno*!, if ni>t 
at li'ust to rival licr. On the 21t 
Miidaroe Ristori appeared at the Ita 
house in the part of Franeeica < 
Never, perhaps, had a French actr 
univcrsallj admired in Paris as was tl 
actin;; in a foreign idiom. Never cc 
she, even in her own land, where 
eoume better understood, been the ob 
extravagant encomiums. The critics 
her perfection, the public countersign 
cinion. The success of the Italian £ 
certainly without precedent if we cc 
not over one-fourth part of her audi< 
stood what was siK>ken otherwise thai 
interpreted bj the roarvelfous .eloqui 
countenance, attitude and gestures of t 
Her great effects were entirelj due tc 



«%^ AKa ^AA^tl 



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ma«vaM 



#%f fki 



MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 211 

lltdevy, M. Alocquart, and Scribe, were among 
the guests. The invitations had been issued in 
all probability when it was expected that the 
play and the actress would meet with the most 
brilliant success. The play had been eyidently 
a failure — the actress had, as was usual witl| her 
on first nightSy been far below her own standard. 
These di8apiK>intments had thrown a cloud over 
the doctor's entertainment which Rachel, feeling 
that it was partly owing to her, would willingly 
have dispelled. To get up a fictitious excitement 
she, who was excessively abstemious, drank two 
glasses of champagne. It produced no effect be^ 
yond a headache. As soon as the dinner was ovef 
she withdrew into another room and gave way to 
a fit of tears ; after which she slipped away home. 

M. Scribe, who was extremely uneasy, remarked 
to M6rrim6e that he would not wonder if she 
never played the part again. 

The ^' CzarinCi'* was, however, played for a few 
nights, and then dropped for ever. 

Tiiis wretched production was the last of 
Mademoiselle Rachel's creations. Nothing re- 
mained of it but two portraits of her in the coa^ 
tume of the Czarine, a blue dress embroidered 
with gold and a mantle of ermine, fine paintings 

by M. GcfTroy. 

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and lie roiintorinan<l!« the exccuti< 
Cathnin'^ lio now l>ciiovrs there wa« 
her s'nli' for Sjpirha\ he ailds that he 
convinced Sapieha has none for kcTi 1 
intercepted the Count's lost adieu to 
wifci a letter full of ezprcasionB of 
tendemcM, in which he tMures her si 
mifltress of his heart, &c^ &c* Caik 
oould look on calmlj when her loTer i 
his he.idy when she finds she has lost 
is overwhelmed with rage* Careless 
qucncesy she vents her jealousj openl; 
incensed Czar re-orders the execution, 
the sentence can {lass his lips hb woi 
short by his own death. Memchiioff^ 
save his daughter, Olga^ has hastened 
tion of his plans ; the Czar is poisonc 
This sudden death puts other thi 
QuherineU mind. She sends the Cou; 
bassador to Warsaw, with his bride : 



MEMOIRS OF BACHBL. 209 

think themselves alone, a few words, which, oyer- 
heard by Olga^ reveal that she has been only used 
as a cloak to shield her mistress. Feeling this 
the more deeply that she herself loves her husband, 
the poor little wife has still the magnanimity io 
endeavor to persuade the Czar that she is really 
loved by the Count. Her generosity is of no avail. 
Peier is conscious that he is betrayed, he is deter- 
mined on revenge. He exiles Olga to Siberia and 
orders the execution of Sapiehcu The Czarino 
uses her influence to save her &voritc~-she pre- 
vails on her former lover, the Turkish Ambassador) 
to convey her present one out of the kingdom in 
his own carriage. But on the road Sapieha learns 
the fate of Olga ; her noble devotion, her love for 
him, her beauty and especially her youth have 
changed the current of his love ; he is no longer 
fascinated by the more mature charms of Catherine; 
he now adores his wife, and to share her lot, wherever 
it may be cast, he escapes from the Ambassador's 
carriage, rushes back to St. Petersburg, is taken 
and brought out on a scaffold under the windows 
of the palace to be decapitated. The Czar, by a 
refinement of cruelty, compels the Czarine to 
view the scene, that he may catch on her counte* 
nance the signs of grief that will be in his eyes the 
proof of her guilt. But the Czarine views the 

TOL II. p 



^4 



i 



208 MEMOIBB or R&CmEL. 

been in lore with pretty ifi— Oigo all thetia^ 
•od to luire resll; nude with her tlic rmJitam 
tb»t hu w grntljr trouUed the Cnr mad ocm 
uoDcd hU spouae to be eoeueed fnlacljr. Uni 
natural concluBion bera would lure added tb 
" Cxarina ** to the long liat of oomcdicv furaiilud 
by M. Scribe, per oontract, to the Gynmaae. I^ 
may be that tbia was originally the cak. and dn 
it had remained in tbia atate in M. Scribe's dnwtf 
until the time of the Cruncan expedition, whau 
the a«]uel woa tacked on. The dnuiia ia all in te 
laat three acta, in wbidi are, alao, all tlie allunoi^ 
to Constantinople and to tlie Turka, the bated fbti 
ot Peter tke Great; the Turiuab AmbaMvdortfl 
the Court of Kuasia ia the man who once, thaab, 
to Catheriitti interposition, permitted the Ciar W 
caeape when he might have driven him into ibe: 
Pnith. One might auppoee theao iucidcnta would! 
infiucnce the action of the drama; thej baveij 
however, nothing to do with it. "Wliile AfMUcAt- 
koff and bis maeter are having a little fiuniliar' 
diacussion on political maltera, a common-[^acej 
remark of Peter in Olga, who ia present, with re-| 
gardtoher husband, draws forth aa answer wbid^ 
arouaea all hia lately-appcaaed ausjnmona. SapiJim 
baa not spent hia wedding-night with hia bridi 
The Ctarine and the Count exchange^ when tb^i 



MBUOIRS OF BACHBL. S07 

enough, but here the embroglio begins. Vilder- 
beckf going home late, in rather a confused state of 
mind, wanders into the gardens of the palace, 
finds a door open, enters a pavilion and catches a 
glimpse of a lady in white, who screams and puts 
out the light. At this moment a powerful grasp 
is hud on his shoulders and he is tumbled down 
stairs and out of doors very unceremoniously. 
The next morning he finds himself at his own 
door, half frozen and quite unconscious bow he got 
there. In the scuffle a chambcrbin's key has 
been dropped ; this key, picked up by Jahtnak^, 
like Bluebeard's, gets every one into a scrape ; it 
is shown to the Czar, whose suspicions it arouses. 
Vilderbtekf being quesUoned, relates his nocturnal 
adventure — it was too dark to recognise his assail-, 
hmt or the lady, and he was too tipsy to remcm- 
' bcr the locality of the scene. However, the key 
is proved to be the Count's, and he is summoned 
before the imperial inquisitor.— What was he doing 
there? — He wns there for — Olgal Very well, he 
roust immediately repair damages by marrying 
Olga, who, on her side, knowing nothing of the 
adventure, joyfully consents to obey orders and 
take the husband provided for her. 

The play might have been brought to a close 
here, the fascinating Coimt turning out to have 



I 







I 



SOfi IIKMOIBS OP SACBBI. 

friend, but too much given to iadiscretioiu lAei 
in his cups. Catherme knows of this love, 
eneoura^ca it m ma agreeable diveruon to the aam 
and repulsion tho brutality of her apouM ioipim', ' 
abe ia not ft bit mof« di«crcc( than lier Iwvcrt tui 
unheaitatingly ilevelopc* hcridcuontbewibjeettl 
Mattehikoff', who hod hlmaclf been tho happjpa^ 
MHor of her heart in former (Uys, but, like agMd 
courtier, hoc] yielded it up to his nuater. Um 
«cAii»^(]oe« not object to the Cnrine** new Co? 
on moral grounils, but only as entailing Uaogtn* 
results. Peter, who is abMnI, has set him to wildi 
Catherine, but, having no great confidence in l>ii 
nunistcr, has appointed Jakiniki/, another spy, 10 
look aAer the 6rsU MeitBchikoff repays tbc 
Czarinc's frankncse by the information tliat haviif 
been, on some slight ocouion, caned by his impt- 
rial master before all the Court, he, the favorite, 
intends to take an early opportunity of p*ying 
bock the little favor. 

Id (he nieanwliile the Czarine promotes CmmI 
Sapieha to the post of Chamberlain, aod Olga— 
who, following the fashion, has &Uen in love with 
the daabing, Frenchified Pole, is unconsciously he( 
rival— to that of mud-of-honor, and admits her, 
by a special lavor, to lodge in a pavilion occnped 
by herself. So &r nutten have gone on BinootU; 



224 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

tlie days of the learned Abb6 Galignani and 
Baron de Grimm we know of none who^ not a 
Frenchman bom, has been so thorough!/ French 
in his language* 

M. Fiorentino did not attain his present high 
position in the ranks of the French press without 
some trouble. He has had to struggle agsunst 
jealousies, to conquer antipathies, to confound 
calumnies ; but he has at last succeeded in taking 
his place. He openly edits the dramatic y^tii//^ 
t<m of the '^ Constitutionnel," and, under the 
name of '^ de Rouyicre,** the musical /etftV/tf^on of 
the ^'Moniteur.* Monsieur Fiorentino is especi- 
. ally noted for the correctness of his taste^ for a 
style full of vivacity, piquancy, rich coloring, 
clearness and elegance; the romantic neologism 
which might be excusable in an Italian, never 
throws a blemish over his productions. 

No one has written a more fidthful and more 
highly-finished portrait of Madame Ristori, yet he 
has not been in any degree influenced by his na- 
tionality! and has done as complete justice to the 
cosmopolitan Rachel. 

If we have entered on a somewhat minute 
description of the rival that sprung up so unex- 
pectedly before the eyes of the autocrat of the 
Tli^&tre Fran^aisi the effect her advent had on 



{ 



MBUOIB8 or RACnXL. SS5 

• 

the capricious Rachel must excuse the apparent 
digression. From the Toluntary retreat no 
prayers, no entreaties, no sense of equitj could 
induce the imperious ioeUtaire to leave» the re- 
ception shown to Madame Uistori suddenlj drew 
her. The echo of the applause so enthusiasticallj 
bestowed on the Italian Muse grated harshlj on 
the ears of the French Melpom&ne ; ever/ word 
of praise addressed to anoUier was a theft to her 
disadvantage. She was aroaxed that the publiCy 
in lieu of mourning her dci)arturey thought her 
loss worthily comi>cn8atcd ; she was vexed to tlie 
soul when she found her caprices, her 8ulks, her 
imperious will, totally unheeded, her smile or her 
frown no longer regulating tlie temperature witlun 
the walls of the temple. For the first time she 
trembled, for there was real danger — this was no 
competitor she could scorn or frown down. Right 
willing was she to descend from her throne and 
seek in distant lands tlie substantial gifts of Pluto, 
but she did not choose the vacant scat should be 
filled in the meanwhile. With swelling heart and 
lowering brow she went to see this fair-haired 
stronger who had crossed the Alps, bringing two 
crowns already firom her own land, that of comedy 
and that of tragedy — a union of honors Rachel 
herself had failed to achieve. 

VOL. II. Q 



226 



MEUOTRS OF RAOnEL. 



It was on the 5tb of June, Rachel| who had 
been vainlj solicited to lend on the next eyening 
her co-operation to the annual celebration of 
Comeille's birthday, had gone to the Thd&tre 
Italien to see ** Myrrha." At the moment that 
the daughter of Pasiphm was receiving an ovation * 
such aS| perhaps, Camille herself had never been 
the object of, the latter came suddenly to the 
conclusion that she would grant what she had so 
obstinately refused ; she, then and there, in her 
box, at nine o'clock in the evening, dispatched a 
note to M. Ars6ne Houssaye, desiring her name 
should be put on the bills in the morning for the 
performance of Camille. 

Duing the tragedy she had steadfastly gazed at 
Mj/rrhof with mute, concentrated attention, but 
without giving the slightest token of approval. 
As an excuse for this discourteous conduct, a 
critic suggested that she was probably applauding 
internally. As a proof that her emotion was none 
the less powerful for being undemonstrative, he 
added that it had rendered her so ill that she was 
compelled to leave before the end of the play I 
Madame Ristori, complaining to M. Legouv^ of 
the incivility of her sister arliitef in leaving in 
the middle of the play : 

^Madame," replied the poet, ''the jealousy of 



I 




4 



MRXOiss or bachh. SS9 

niming to mmnI a b«w Mum, doMrreil eondign 
puDubment, uid nothing leu than Uu> proknged 
•bMitca WH judged Bufficientlj WTfln. 

On the 30th of Julj the tragidimit* Bppaarod 
in "Lea Horacee" at St. JaiDci^a tbeatra. The 
perfonnuice waa honored with the [weaeoee of the 
Duke and Duchcaa of Aunude and the Duke and 
Ducheaa of Xemoun, who appUaded itrj wmnaljr. 
The illustrious exiles were ainonfc the hut of tbur 
eountrrmen who saw her on an European ataf^ 
The Duke of Aumale remarked to Hr. Mitchell, 
who aaw him to his carriage, that ** the beaoUful 
language ol'Comcillct the Unguage of his native 
land, had been to him like a refreshing dew after- 
a burning summer's day." 

On the 1st of August "Phudre" was given ; 
on the 3nl, " Adricnno Lecouvrcur ; ** on the 4th* 
** Andromaquo ; " on the 6th, " Lady Tartuflfe ; " 
on the 6th, " Adrienne Lecouvreur." AAer this 
series of performances Mademoiselle Raebel con* 
sented to speak the dream in ** Athalie," at an 
entertainment, given on the 9th, at the Theatre 
Rojral, Dnirr Lane, for the benefit of the French 
Benevolent Society. 






230 



CHAPTER XI. 
1855. 

DepArtvre for America— Pauion for Cardi and Affection for 
her Brother— An Ill-ntWifed Expedition — ^Vojrage'ecroM 
the Atlantie — ^UnpleeMnt Prediction — A Sad Angvrj 
—Our Past Enron pnnne ue through Life— A Stimulant 
to Learning — Spontaneoui Qenoroiitj — '^La Maneil- 
laite " in the New World— A Slight Cold— Boeton- 
Philadelphia. 

In London the resolution of the tragedienne 
had well nigh failed her completely. Her recep- 
tion by the English audiencci with whom she was 
always a great faToritCi had this time been ex- 
ceedingly brilliant* She knew how generous and 
how capable of appreciating her was the public 
she was forsaking, she had strong doubts of the 
one she was going to see. The millions that had 
appeared so sure in the distancci as the time for 
gathering them approached, seemed yery proble- 
matical, and now most unwilling was she to un- 
dertake the distant expedition. 



MKMOIBS or SUHKk S31 

Wo luTO now retched one of the most unpoi^ 
tant cvcnU in tlie career of iladeimwael le Baob*! j 
iU dir« reaulu hang Uke a fui)eral>paU orar the 
remaiDder of her life, which it ■bortowJ and 
finolljr ended. 

Thia ilUplanDod expedition, the subject of the 
moit abaurd and ezagf^rated repoita, was alto- 
gether a financial apeculation, in which art waa 
even more than luuallj a acoondarf oonndon^ 
tion. Bocliol hcraclf waa but an iostnuaeat to 
adranee the intcrciu of othcra. Her whole 
family )u>d conspired to bring about thia grand 
finait, which was intended to make every member 
of it rich : tlie merit of its conception was doa to 
the fertile imagination of Rapliad. Inexperienced, 
luir-bmincd, full of chimerical illusions, the 
young Israelite imagined that the pockets of the 
citizens of the United States, mines richer and 
nioro inexhaustible than tlioso of Peru, sdoly 
awaited the advent of his sister to yield up their 
rcaily-eoined treasures. Even old Felix, who 
bad hitherto manifested the most consummate 
skill and prudence in the management of hia 
daughter's interests, was inoculated with thia 
insane spirit of adventure, excusable in a man of 
thirty, but strange indeed in one of his age and 
experience. The contagious vertigo resembled 



232 MRMOIR8 OF RACHEL. 

the &tal one of old which wms the precunor of, 
the ruin of the nation. In the present case it \yn» 
the hitherto fortunate Rachel who was doomed to 
paj the penalty of the family error. 

From the day the fiucinating vision of the 
American placer took possession of their bewitched 
imagination, there was no peace for Rachel. 
Continually pointing to the golden mirage the 
demon of covetousness spread before them, they 
assailed her with constant solicitations. Raphael, 
Sarah, Dinah, Leah, incessantly dinned into her 
ears the l,700,000fr8. realised by Jenny Lind in 
thirty-eight nights. An estimate was made of 
the expenses and profits of the expedition ; the 
latter were not to amount to less than 2y554y600fr. 
Of this sum Rachel was to receive l9200yOOOfr. 
free of all expenses; her three sisters ITO^OOOfr. 
each. As to Raphael, he was to have all he could 
make after paying expenses. 

The least reflectioui the least experience of 
men and things would have shown the weak 
points of this plan of campaign, and dispelled all 
iUusions. But these children of Israel were so 
completely carried away, American dollars shone 
so brightly before their dazzled eyes, they could 
not perceive how little connection existed be- 
tween the easy gains made in a foreign land by a 



MBMOIU or BACBBL. S33 

ringer or « danoor Mid thow mide bj « tragio 



&(uile, pantoinime mnd dancing an unirevMlly . 
undcntood and appreciated; the; are at honia 
whttrerer they go. A fine linger, a gracefill 
dancer exert the aama fiweination on the andienea 
whatever may be their nation. To undentand 
them, no interpretation, no proliroinary atudiea are 
re«iuircd ; their aim ia the gratification of the eye 
and ear only. 

It a far otherwise with the tragic actren, who, 
even in tho country whoao Innguago she spcaka, 
con only expect constant patronage from a certain 
chus, tlio tUta of society, for tasto and education 
ore needed to appreciate her art— elie ofibrs no 
entertainment that can please the masses long; 
with Uie crowd curiosity is the chief inducement, 
and that satiafiod, the novelty once gone, the ma- 
jority seek elsewhere amusements better adapted 
to their intelligence und associations. 

Had Ka[>hact read with discernment the news- 
paper articles which within the lost tea years had 
most powerfully contributed to exalt and glorify his 
sister, ho would have seen the organs of the presa 
constantly complaining of the indifference shown 
by the French public for the masterpieces of their 
own language. Had he known anything of the 



234 JUHOIBS or RACHEL. 

hutoiy of great dnunatio artista ha would bav* 
remembered that Talma, the great Talma himself 
sever, even when in the apogie of hii &mei at- 
tuned to the ram of the reoeipta of the houaea 
brought bj Madame Catalani and M adame Mali- 
bran. He would have learned that the art of the 
tragedian ia a liberal art and not a money-making 
one, exercising ita influence on the diteuiA not on 
the crowd. He may poeaiblj hare been led to 
form his conclusions by the enthunasm always 
manifested for bis nster in England. He did not 
consider tliat she found there a numerous and 
tughly-educated ariBtocracy, that the gentry, in 
fact all the upper claseea, are well acquiunted with 
the French language and ^miliar with its great 
authors, that the distance between the two 
countries permitted of a constant interchange of 
ideas that rendered the appreciation of French 
diamatio literature and its intcrpreten easy. 

He did not pause to reflect that in America, 
though education is far more widely disseminated, 
it is also more superficial ; that this busy nation, 
while it astonishes the rest of the world by the 
gigantic adnncea it makes in all the mechanical 
arts, by its wonderful inTentions in navigation, in 
agriculture, has had no time as yet to perfect itself 
io the arts that are lea* practically uieful'^^o 



MBMOiBS or RAcnxu tSS 

leiture to eultiTate the taste for tlunge thst to old 
Europe are neoeeiariet and to young America 
•upcrfluitiet. 

Had Raphael been guilty of two literarjr idoM 
hU wild anticipationa of tucceaa would hare beem 
•omowhat tamed by the difference between tho 
French clastic drama and the English or Shakeo* 
perian, which is also that of the United Statca. 
That ^ladame Ristori should charm CTcn thooo 
among the Parisians who were ignorant of her 
language is easily accounted for — the sulgects of 
the tragedies she played were, for the most part, 
familiar to the French public — they were treated 

• 

and developed in the same manner as tlieir own 
tragedies ; they, thercforci asked no more than the 
Italian actress could give themi and that tliey did 
not understand they knew intuitively. 

It could not be thus in regard to Rachel in 
America ; its citizens were accustomed to dramas 
in which the tragic and the comic clemcntSi the 
sublime and the grotesque, the language of royalty 
and that of the lower classes are all combined and 
mingled. They do not, even in their own Ian- 
guage, like to have that narrated and described that 
might be put into action before their own eyes^ 
It was not probable that those accustomed to such 
scenic performances would be entertained by 



236 MEM0IB8 OP RACHEL. 

French tragedies, trajicedies of Greek and Latin 
origini without any varioty of scene or style^ where 
the knguage, always sublime, nerer unbends, 
where the dramaiis peranuB nerer even change 
their buskins* 

The above considerations are, eerle$^ not far- 
fetchedi and would hare presented themsclres to 
any thinking mind, and, had he reflected| would 
hare dispelled some of the vapors that spread so 
thick a haxe over the brain of Raphael Felix. 

A last, and certainly not the least, important 
consideration, was one quite overlooked by the 
ambitious manager : he forgot, or did not choose to 
remember, that between him, the improvident 
and inexperienced youth, ignoring the language, 
the customs, and manners, the men and things, of 
the country he was going to put to contribution, 
and Bamum, the famous showman who exhibited 
Jenny Lind, and whose extraordinary tact, great 
experience, and well-combined measures in the 
way of pufis, trumpet-pealed announcements, Ac., 
&C., had so largely influenced her success, there 
was an immeasurable distance. 

From the moment this great project was con- 
ceived to that which witnessed its execution, 
nothing else was thought of, nothing else was 
cared for. We will not pause to speak of all the 



MEMOIRS or BACHKL. 237 

• 

atteropta nuule by friends and admireis to dissuade 
tlio tragMienne from this suicidal design. It was 
whispered that indueemcnts of considerable pecu- 
niary Talue were tried in Tain« Among theae Ints 
of prirate gOMip, it was said that in aceordance 
with a wiah expreaaed by the iragedimm^ to poe- 
tess a set of daspc to complete the superb panir§ 
of jewels she wore with the costume of Adriemme 
f^ecoHcreur the sum of 100|000frs. was offered on 
condition she would remain in France. Thia» 
though a paltry consideration when opposed to the 
IK>tcDt one of the expected l^OOyOOOfrs^ was still 
too important to be slighted. The condition was 
accepted, the sum was sent — part of it was used 
for the purchase of the clasps, the remainder pru- 
dently addc<I to the moss, and the tragidienne re- 
mained — the handsome bribe purchased a respite 
of fix months. 

It must be owned, however, that it was long 
before Rachel herself viewed tlie proposed emi- 
gration in the fair colors in which it was pictured 
by those who hod an interest in her going. Such 
was her irresolution, that, to the very last moment, 
Raphael trembled lest she should give it up alto- 
gether. However, it was said that he had wisely pro- 
vided against such an emergency and insured him- 
self in more ways than one against any eventual 









238 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

backsliding. Under color of losses at the Bourse he 
borrowed a sum to defray the expences of a pre- 
liminary voyage to America,- undertaken to make 
the arrangements for her reception there. Be 
afterwards obtained a second instalment for some 
other preparatory requisitCi then again, another to 
advance the month's pay to the actors engaged, 
for the passage expences, &c., &c. When he had 
thusborrowed to the amount of 80 or 100,000fr8. he 
felt more secure for his own share of compensation. 

On the 11th of August all doubt was at an end, 
Rachel embarked in the Pacific. The counte- 
nance of the tragedienne wore a heavy cloud; 
mute and thoughtful, she seemed to leave the 
shores of Europe with marked reluctance. It 
might be that the natural grief of parting with 
friends had thus saddened her; some of the mem- 
bers of the company suggested that she might be 
reflecting on M. Dumas* pleasant prediction that, 
''should Mademoiselle Rachel succumb to climate, 
fiitigue or disease, like Mademoiselle Sontag, her 
brother Raphael would make the best of the mis- 
fortune by having her embalmed and exhibiting 
the body of Rachel to the Americans since he 
could not exhibit her alive.'' 

Her very first day on board was marked by an 
incident that might well have inspired sad pre-- 



MEMOIBS OF RXaiEL. SSV 

icntiniCDtA. One of the pMScngerii who was fiur 
gone in a cont umptioni died thnt aftcrnooo. Tho 
body was put into a coffin and placed in one of 
the boaU. For the first few days the presence of 
death cast a gloom on the passengers ; for some 
time when walking on tho deck they either aroided 
the side where the body hung in the little boat, 
or the laugh was hushed, the voice bwercd to a 
whisper, the quick pace slackened as they passed 
by. But the impression of awe that produced 
this respect was soon cflfnced, and the merry chat, 
the light song and cheerful laugh were hoard, as 
uncontrolled and free as though that sad roomento 
of what was, is and Mill be, to the end of time it- 
self, was no longer there. The mute eloquence of 
those lips doomed to eternal silence was soon un- 
heeded by the thoughtless crowd, and the poor 
aunt of the youth was the only one whose counte- 
nance retained any trace of sadness. 

During the psissage Captain Nye presented to 
his celebrated passenger a superb mahogany boX| 
filled with American perfumery, the gift of a 
citizen of New York, who wished to remain t/icoy- 
nito. The gallantry of her unknown admirer did 
not, however, render the tragidienne more clieer- 
ful, and she finally chose to remain altogether in 
her cabin. 



240 MEMOIRS OF BACIIEL. 

The day before the arriTol of the Pacific she 
coDdeacendcdy howcTcry to make her appearance 
at the public table. This was the day of what is 
called the Captain's dinner, when champagne i^ 
supplied gratis, and toasts, speeches, and con* 
gratulations are made and exchanged* After the 
usual toasts to the Captiun and to the ladies, 
some one propo^ the health of Mademoiselle 
l{acliel. So far there was nothing unusual or out 
of the way in the proceedings, but they did not 
end here. It occurred to some busy gentleman 
tliat the members of the French company would 
hail with delight an opportunity of singing the 
** Marseillaise " — proLably he thought they were 
in the habit of singing it night and morning as 
some other people are supposed to say their 
prayers, and with like hopes of a happy result. 
His expectations were rather disappointed, for the 
astonishment of those thus unexpectedly called 
upon was great indeed. The honor was unani- 
mously declined, for the very good reason that 
not one knew by heart the French national 
hymn. 

No one seemed inclined to make a display of 
his musical powers, until a gentleman from New 
Orleans, haying devoted himself, Curtius-like, for 
the good of all, volunteered, on condition the 



I 




MKMOIBS OF RACHBU Ml 

burthen of the eong should be tnkon up by all 
present. The reputation of the Freneh oompanj 
for patriotism was thus saved. As for the bur- 
then it was taken up« and in such guise» that, 
whaterer credit the singers deserved for good will, 
it was evident there was nothing to boast of in 
Uie way of harmony. It was plainly apparent 
they were nearing a land of liberty, for every man 
sent forth his voice in the most independent 
manneri perfectly free from all trammels of 
time or mcasurci and utterly careless of his 
neighbor's i>erformance. At any rate the result 
was one that had not always been the case with 
the belligerent hymn — it ended not in tears 
and bloody but in hearty and prolonged merri- 
ment. 

The close of the voyage was marked by the 
usual act of conventional generosity which 
cudtom has made a law for all artists of European 
celebrity, and which to neglect would be to 
peril the expected success. Mademoiselle Rachel 
remitted to tlio Captain two thousand francs to 
be distributed among the crew of the Pacific, 
and eight hundred francs for the Sailor's Orphan 
Asylum. Thinking this a favorable opportunity, 
one of the lady passengers requested the generous 
ariUu would give a few scenes firom Comcille 

VOL. If. R 



242 MEM0IB8 OP BACHSL. 

or Racine for the gratification of all the passen* 
gert. Rather surpriaed at a call for which her 
experience of English society had not prepared 
her, the tragidtenne^ returned a Terj positive 
refusal. 

At seven o'clock on the following morning |^; 

Rachel and her companions landed on the 
shores of the Eldorado, on which so many 
hopes were founded. They were received by 
Mr. Gustavc Naquet, the agent of Raphael) who 
seemed rather annoyed than pleased that the. 
Pacific should have got in so early. The cause 
was soon explained : preparations had been made 
to receive Hermione with all due honors ; a 
steamboat was to have brought out her guards-— 
the Lafayette company of militia, consisting of 
French citizens of New York — ^with a band of 
music playing French tunes, to meet the steamer 
and greet its celebrated passenger. A number of 
ladies and gentlemen had been invited to join the 
party. Great, therefore, was the disappointment 
when the Pacific, expected at ten o'clock, chbso 
to anticipate the time by three hours and spoil 
this little nautical y3?/«. 

The tragidtenMi however, seemed rather 
rejoiced at having escaped the threatened ovation, 
and congratulated herself on being permitted to 



MEMOIIIS or BACBBL. 243 

diicmbark quietly without the annoyanee of a 
gaping crowd caoorting her to herhoteL But aho 
wna not to be let off «o easily ; no tooncr had tho 
kid her hend on the pillow, tired, weary, and glad 
to think she wua once more on Utrafirmn^ when 
the perierering Lafayette Guards congregated 
under her windows and commenced their sere- 
nade. 

The Tictim was doomed — there was no help fur 
it but to resign herself with as good a grace as 
mi^l^ht be to the infliction. She dressed herself 
and made her appearance on the balcony. Con- 
tent with this submiMion, her tormentors finally 
permitted her to seek the rest she so greatly 
needed. 

The St. Nicholas, with all iu New World 
splendor, was not the place to suit one accustomed 
to the quiet comfort and retirement of an European 
hotel. The very next day found Knchel installed 
with her younger sisters, Lcoliand Dinah, in a pri- 
vate boarding-house in Clinton Place. Raphael 
and the father went to other lodgings, and Sarah 
chose to rettidc by herself in another quarter of 
the town. This division of the family gave rise 
to numerous conjectures as to the motives that 
led to it, OS though some very potent one were 
needed for such a measure. The remainder of 

r2 



244 UeUOIBS OF RACHEL. 

the companj took lodgings wherever it eaited 
their means and convenience. 

Preparations were now acUvely made for the 
great attack on the pockets of the American 
citizens, and the manager was soon exceedingly 
busy carrying out the operations of the siege at 
his office in Wall Street. A wonderful effect of 
the desire to make money nnanifestcd itself in the 
quickacss with which Bnphael mode himself 
sufficiently master of the language of the country 
for all ordinary purpo^s. On his arrival he could "^ 

say but a few sentences ; in a few days he could 
not only understand all that wns said, but make 
others understand him — lohen ha chose. We say 
when he chose, for it did not always suit Raphael's 
purpose to be too clear. When Americans who 
spoke French well attempted to prove their pro- 
ficiency in that language when applying for seats, 
or for any other purpose connected with the 
theatre, the prudent niana^r preferred replying 
in broken English, because, as he used to tell the 
actors, he could not be made responsible for any- 
thing he might be understood to promise — he was 
liable to make mistakes in a foreign tongue and to 
any one thing when he meant another. Itus he 
found means to evade keeping such engagements 
as turned out to be against his interests. 



s 




MBMOiM or EACnU. t4& 

On tht Srd of Sflptcnbar tiM trmgUimmt 
m»dfl her fint appMimaee oa tba bovda of tht 
Metropoliua Theatre. Tb* pky that preoedad 
tlte tragedf was ** I«m Dtmu da rilomiM,* wlud^ 
mneli ai it waa liked ia EuropCi aeaieely p l e ai ad 
the nuyority of the audiene^ wlto^ aot imdo^ 
standing French, and haring oona utprMdj to 
aee Rachel, thought tho two aota of the eooMdjr 
iatenninable. The;r had, howerer, to aodon 
with what patienoe they poaaBwed, the Ant act of 
**Lea Horaoea," before their eurioaitj eould bo 
ntiaficd. At length it was Camili^a tarn 10 
come on, and >he waa greeted with three or four 
rounds of applauae. To one who waa aeeustoowd 
to create an extraonlinaiy Mnsation wherever aha 
went, and who had been recalled twentj-two 
linMa in Vienna, the reception given her b/ tlM 
Now-Yorken aeemed but lukewann. She wa% 
however, warmly applauded and recalled at the 
end — not of the tni^rcdy, for it waa not all acted 
— but of the rdU, The ap|)lauM uf the European 
claque being wholly unknown in the United 
States, the iinut^/Sdt expressiooa of approbatioo 
the real public there give is for more valnablc^ 
thongh, peihapa, leM violent and prolonged than 
that of the hired Komona stationed under the 
lustre of a Fariaiaa ;!watre> 



246 HEHOIBS OF RACHEL. 

Tills fint perfurmanco produced 26,334fr., n 
auin exceeding an^ one ever made in a single 
ni^ht hy any actor in Europe. But it vtaa &r 
below the brilliant expectations tliat had been 
founded on the succces obtained by Jenny ; as 
long OS the singer's gains were the point of com- 
parison, that wliich would have been thought a 
very handsome reward dwindlcdinto insignificance. 
The Lind's first performance hod brought nearly 
lOCOOOfr. 

Notwithstanding Raphael's disappointment, he 
could not improve the situation of affiiira; no 
after performance even attained as high a sum as 
this first one, and though it will be seen that every 
one yielded a much larger sum tlian he could have 
hoped to realise during a siniilur tour in any 
European country, it was nothing to those who 
had counted oa fifty or sixty thousand fnincs 
every night. 

On the 4th "PhMre" was given, and another 
comedy; on the 6th, "Adrienne Lccouvreur." 
This drama was in America much prefcired to any 
of the classic tragedies, and this was also the cose 
in Europe wherever French was not the language 
of the country. For those not perfectly familiar 
with the literature of France the long speeches in 
the tragedies of Comeille and Kacino must have 



MKIIOIBS OF BACnSL. 247 

• 

been ezeeedingly tireaome. Bcaidcsi thcro is no- 
thing in theae to please the eye ; the etenud re* 
petition of the eaine eostumee— a few jarda of 
flannel — and of the same decoration. The Greek 
pahice with its two old red arni*-chMra — must in- 
vest tlie whole thing in the eyes of foreigners with 
the most unendurable monotony; add to these 
drawbacks, the being obliged to follow the author 
in an execrable translation tluit has neither rhjme 
nor reason, that wakes the most egregious non* 
sense of the most eloquent passages, and in which 
the sublime is grotesque, the pathetic ludicrous, . 
then let the public connist of people who have been 
too bu9y moncy-mnking all their lives to have had 
time to study the deuii-god i>aM»ions of the Greek 
aiul Roman heroes, to have Icumed to appreciate 
the simple grandeur^ the sculptural purity, the 
archaic severity of art, and what wonder that it 
should prefer the brilliant, high-colored melodrama 
" Adricnne Lecouvreur," with its change of deco- 
ration at each act, its rich costumes. 2^Iademoi* 
sellc Kachcl and her sister Sarah might have fol- 
lowed the precedent set by Mademoiselle Georges, 
and had it announced on the bills that they 
'' played with all their diamonds,^ so daulingly 
were they adorned in '' Adricnne.** 
The pure lines, the still, statuesque beauty that 



848 inMOIRS OF RACHEI. 

no grief, however violent, muBt alter, the etera 
dignity that would diadun to exhibit ita agon; in 
exaggerated contortions, the eternal serenity and 
heroic grace of the tragic muae eould have no 
ehamx compared with thoM of the drama, her 
bastard aiater, whose unbridled ptusions, nervous 
excitability and convulaive grief are more in 
accordance with the blati taste of the day 
and delight those who have no time to analyse 
their sensations and dietinguish truth from fiction. 
During Mademoiselle Bochel'a stay in New 
Toric the yellow fever was raging in Norfolk and 
Portsmouth with extraordinary violence. _ Public 
subscriptions wore everywhere raised to remedy in 
some measure the misery and destitution that its 
ravages occouoned. H. Gustave Naquct havbg 
represented to the tragMiennt that it was custo- 
mary for the stars who levied large taxes on the 
land to show themselves munificent tu such cases 
as the presenti and that the mite she was to con> 
tribute must not be under a thousand dollars, she 
reluctantly consented to make this donation to the 
families of the victims. The capital thus employed 
not bringing in the immediate interests she had 
expected, for the Americans were too much ac- 
customed to such acts to give them the importance 
she attached to her spontaneous gift} it was soon 



MRMOnU OP KACHBL. S49 

rr^tted, uid sho reproached her adfiaer quite 
lutterlj, M^ing : 

" Well, what good have my 5,000fr. dona nwT 
Jut moncj thrown aw»y." 

Id the meanwhile the flTer>buij Lafajrette 
Goarda took it into their wue hcada that Hademoi- 
•elle Rachel should sing them the " Maneillaiac" 
Thej hod no parUcular reaaon to give for tha 
wiah ; because she had aung it for the gratifica- 
tion of the Pariaian populace of 1848 it did not 
follow ttiat tlie cieizena of Sew York akould tak« 
any particuUr delight in it The difference of 
time, place, people, opportunity were conuden- 
tions totally overlooked by these exacting gentle 
men. Pcrlinps they imagined the demand proved 
their nationality. 

WhutCTcr their motives, they would give the 
trayidUnna no rest until she had consented to 
their whim. It must be owned that they had 
some little trouble in obtaining what they asked. 
Mademoiselle R&chcl refusing at first on very 
good grounds. As an apology for her reluctance 
she sent the following letter, alleging inability, 
to her exacting countrymen. The letter was re* 
published in France as « justification, inasmuch 
as it proved she had complied only afW much 
beutation; but it scarcely accomplished thede> 



250 MEMOIRS OP RACHSIi. 

sired object, Jules Janin inristiBg she should have 
said she ^ would not " instead of ^ she could noti" 
she should have declined point-blank in lieu of 
pleadbg want of voice. 

''Dear C!ouktrtmeK| 

^It is seven years since I have sung the 
'IklarseiUaise;' at the time I did sing it I had 
voice^ and my health was still young. Now I am 
often exhausted after the play ; I should, th^ure* 
fore, really fear to injure the interests of others 
should I increase my fatigues. 

^ You may believe in the deep regret I feel in 
not daring to promise what you desire of me, 

^^ ft 

when I tell you I loved to sing the 'Marseil- 
laise ' as I love to act my finest part in Corneille. 
** Believe me, dear countrymen, &c., &c 

''Rachel. 
"New York, September 8th, 1855.* 

But the Guards were not to be thus discou- 
raged, and, finally, on the 28th of September, 
having, after the evening's performance, repaired, 
to her residence and given her a serenade with ac- 
companiment of vociferations for the ''Marseillaise/' 
they obtained a solemn promise firom Baphael that 
the " Marseillaise** would very shortly constitute 



MSMOIBS or BACnEU 26 1 

a pftrt of the eycning^i entcruinmcnt offered bjr 
AlMlcaiowelle Itechel to the theatre-gobg pablie. 
At for linging it on a baloony for the gratificatioo 
of a non-paying street audienee, the irap&lktmg 
could never have been made to undentand that 
sucli a tiling was expected of her. 

The announcement of this extra peribrmanoe 
was, however, very injurioue to the reoeipta of the 
intervening once — people waited for the aong-nighu 

It came at Uat ; on the 8th of October the biUe 
announced the longed-for ^ MareeiUaiee.** 

But in the interval that luid elapsed between 
the promise and its realisation, a terrible blow had 
been struck at the foundation of the delicate con- 
stitution that required so much care and received 
so little. There was either a tendency from 
birth to pulmonary diseases or the seeds had 
been sown in early youtli, when poverty entailed 
insufficient clothing and frequent exposure to the 
inclement weather. Rachel, when at the Con* 
i>crvatoire, Imd suffered from a complaint of the 
larynx that frequently ends in consumption. 
. Nowy however^ the misciiief, long dormant, was 
suddenly developed by negligence. A grand 
religious festival having occurred among the 
Hebrews of New York during her sojourn there, 
Uachel was invited. Ignorant of the treacherous 



m^jm 



252 



MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 



nature of the climate and its sudden yicissitudeS, 
she had dressed herself in accordance with the 
mildness of the day. On her return home, how- 
ever, there was a complete change, a sharp East 
wind prevailed, and the consequence was she 
caught a violent cold. From that moment her 
doom was sealed, for subsequent carelessness 
rooted the evil 

In the evening she went to a sair^ at the house 
of M. de Tropbriand, the talented editor of the 
** Courier dos Etats-Unis,* to whom the French 
were indebted for very excellent articles on their 
performances. This second imprudence aggra- 
vated the mischief done in the morning. 

On the night, then, that the '^ MarseilUise ** 
was to be given, Rachel was ill-disposed to sing, 
but the audience had assembled chiefly for the 
purpose of hearing it, and she had no choice ; as 
long as they saw she could act they took it for 
granted she could sirg. 

The effect of the '' Marseillaise'' in New York 
was nothing compared to that produced in 1848, 
and it could not be otherwise. In Paris the 

a 

house was filled with an excited multitude, who 
heard and saw through the medium of their own 
feelings, and whom it required little exertion to 
raise to a pitch of enthusiasm that reacted more 



MEUOIBS or KACRBL. 353 

or le» on ihe actrSM : there w>u no tueh Btimo- 
luit in Amcricft, where the hjmn of ** Rouget 
do riile " could awake no domuot putions kod, 
in fact, could have in ittelf no tnore real interest 
Tor the audience than on; other wng. Madcoioi* 
•elle lUchct had never had oojr voice for iinging. 
and ■till Icn> car; she could keep neither time 
nor tunc ; the orchc»tra of the Theatre Fran9kU 
wa« aware of theso doficiencea of ta grande traft- 
dienme, whom nature had never designed for a 
canlatrice, and when she chose to step out of her 
•plicrc it took care to supply them; she did not 
ving to the muaic, the muaic followed her nitiopteia, 
diNcmblcd, covered the defective poiats^ and not 
unfrequcntl/ anticiiwtvd aud prevented too die- 
cordont ones. She and tho orchestra were old 
acquaintances, and had practised the thing 
together of^cn. But here she was in the pre- 
sence of musicians who thought she knew how to 
■ing, and therefore played according to rule, 
leaving her often at a distance, or finding her start 
on before ; they pcrfonned a tune while she 
chaunlcd a sort of recitation without much of 
any. Add to this diwuivantage that of a want of 
inclinatioD, a cold on her cheat, a cold audience, 
and the effect could scarcely be very exhila- 
rating. 



■« "~ ^ 1 V 



254 IIBHOIBS OF RACHEL. 

The spectators gave her credit for her compli«> 
ance if not for her skill, by applauding very 
courteously. The esteem «n which they really 
held the performance was made apparent by the 
difference of the receipts when it was given the 
second time. On the first night it brought 
2 1 ,299frs. When it was repeated, some days afteri 
there was a decrease of over one- fourth in the' 
receipts, which only amounted to 15y267fTS. 

The benefit of Mademoiselle Rachel proved at- 
tractive, and consequently remunerative, though 
she gave one of her worst plays, *' Jeanne d'Arc.** 
She again performed the ^Marseillaise,'* and 
Madame Lagrange sung the grand ur firom- ** I 
Puritani." The result was 22, 1 28frs. 

Though much troubled with her cough, such 
was RacheVs impatience to finish her engagement 
in America, that she played four nights in suo* 
cession. She had private reasons— jmra^^ inas* 
much as they did not concern the public at 
large, but not secret, for she did not hesitate to 
speak very openly on the subject — for her eager- 
ness to return to France. 

From New York the French Company went to 
Boston— not the best climate to cure coughs—*- 
and on the 23rd gave ''Les Horaces.** Made* 
moiselle Rachel continued to perform in succes- 



lfKM0IR8 or BACH£U t55 



•ion OQ the 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th. The 
ccM obtained in Boeton wm fiir more brillianty 
coniidcring the numericml diffcrenee in the popu- 
lation than in New Yorlc 

At this juncture there waa a little reactioQ» 
cauied by an attempt to obtain higher prices 
for ceruin tcata than those mentioned on the 
bilU, and the rather cavalier way in which the 
prca«9 to omnipotent in the United Statee, waa 
treated by Raphael Felix. Whether the fault 
was really in the manager, or whether, as he 
as!iortc<l, it was attributable to outride specuUtorSi 
with which he had nothin;; to do, the conse* 
qucnocs fell on him, for though Mademoiselle 
Uachcl np|»carcd in two pieces on the same night 
— "Polycuctc ** and *• Lc Moincau dc Lcsbie**— 
they brought only fome 4,000rr. Satisfactory 
explanations having been given and the evils 
complained of remedied, the breach was healed, 
and the public restored iu favor to the French 
company. 

By a curious coincidence, while Mademoiselle 
Ilachel was giving the " Adricnne Lecouvrcur of 
Messrs. Scribe and Lcgouvc to the Bostonians, 
Miss Eliza Logan wos playing on a{)Ocryphal 
Adrienne in a play translated, or rather 
*^ Anglicised with voriationsi** from the French 



256 



XBMOIBS OF RACHEL. 



drama, and entitled ''The Youth of Marshal 
Saxc.*' 

On the 2nd of November the tragedy of 
** Virginie," and, ** by requesti" the " Marseillaise,'* 
was given for the benefit of Mademoiselle Rachel, 
on which occasion many of the students of Cam- 
bridge wishing to obtain a better view of the 
tragedienne^ came on the stage as supernumeraries. 
All the French in Boston, the majority of whom 
were workmen, were in the house that evening ; 
of course the success of the ^ MarseillaisCi'' wHs 
very great, that portion of the audience having 
some affinity with the public Mademoiselle Rachel 
had chaunted it to in 1848. This was her last 
night in Boston. • 



I 
t 



S57 



CHAPTER Xn. 

1856. 

Rctom to Kcw York— Jolet Jmub m Um FMd 

PhilaiclphUi— Itf GwuMareacai A is Fi m Li ltU FamII/ 
Jaw— ChTlwto a - T hs huH Peffocm— ct — M i ari et 

While the tragedienne waa electrifying all the 
French pretenders to ultra-RepublicanUm in the 
American cities, the news of this revival of by- 
gone mummeries had reached Paris and rekindled 
the wrath of her quondam admirer Jules Janin, 
who, in a very eloquent article, fulminated his 
anathema, not on the originators of the sin, but 
on those who were most innocent of it. He cen* 
9urcd with more severity and spirit than strict 
justice the American nation as having asked for a 
revolutionary French hymn never perhaps thought 
of by them, and which was to the Frenchmen 
who did request it solely a reminiscence of their 
own land. His article, making all allowance for 
the ezaggeradons into which his anger hurried 

VOL. II. S 



■fti ■*>■ W ■ M 



-/ 



258 MEMOntS OP RACHEL. 

him, was ably written, and annoyed Mademobelle 
Bachel the more aa, although full of pmisea of her, 
it spoke of her expedition as a complete fidlure. 

On the 6th of Noyerober the French company 
again commenced its performances in New York. 
The first was ^ Adrienne Lecouvreur,** followed, 
on the 8th, by ^ Lady Tartuffe," but the disad- 
yantages of the house were such that the receipts 
were not oyer half the usual sums. The next 
performances were giyen at Niblo*s little theatre, 
and proyed more lucratiye. 

On the 17th Iklademoiselle Rachel bade farewell 
to the Now Yorkers in '^Ph^dre'* and ^Le 
Mobeau de Lesbie." An ode, written for the 
occasion by M. de Trobriand, Rachel k PAmerique, 
was recited by the tragedienne and receiyed with 
hearty applause by the audience. 

From New York the company proceeded to 
Philadelphia, where, in an eyil hour, Mademoiselle 
Raohel made her appearance at the Walnut Street 
Theatre, in '<Les Horaces,* on the 19th. The 
house had not been warmed I This piece of un- 
pardonable neglect on the part of somebody was 
fatal to Mademoiselle Rachel, whose cough had 
continued firom the day she caught cold in the 
synagogue. It was a cold November eyening, and 
the atmosphere of the house, damp and raw, was 



MBMOIBS or BACHSL. t59 

wome thao that of the open street. MeJcmoieeBe 
Rachcri hacking cough waa painful to hear, and 
»ho looked wretchedly pale as the aat» wrapped 
up in her ahawli waiting in the alipa her tnm to 
come on. The result of this was, that she waa 
unable to rise tlie next day, and remained ill 
during all the time she was in that town. 

This was the commencement of SaphaeTs dis- 
comfiture. So far, if the reality had not equalled 
hill wild expectations, it had consisted of such 
solid, substantial profits as would hare satisfied 
any reasonable hopes. From New York his sister 
had already sent to Fmnce 300,000fnL of her 
gains — including her London receipts — and he 
himself GOyOOOfra. The few drawbacks that had 
occurred had proceeded fmm his own mismanage- 
menu In his eagerness to make money rapidly, 
ho had curtailed the privileges of the press, in- 
fringed the laws and customs of the country he 
was in, quarrelled with his agent, and, on the 
whole, proved himself but an indifferent show- 
man. Besides these outside troubles there were 
little domestic jars, inevitable in a family where 
the tempers were so varioiui and sonie of them so 
violent, and where the several members had be- 
come accustomed to a perfectly independent and 
uncontrolled life. 

S2 



^ iiBiiiir ■ 1^1 



260 lIBMOISfl OF RACHEL. 

It was moro eapeciallj between Raphael and 
Sarah that diaaensions were wont to arisei but 
although a furious quarrel would at times spring 
up from the most insignificant causes, it seldom 
lasted. On one occasion some little misunder- 
standing having occurred during a rehearsal, there 
was a terrible falling out between them, the 
brother entrenching himself behind his authority 
as manager, and the sister setting it at nought in 
the most defiant manner. Sarah knew no bounds 
when in a passion, and her language was then more 
apt to savor of her earlier career than was quite 
befitting her present position, nor were the ears 
of her adversaries always safe from substantial 
buffets as well as angry words. After a very 
violent interchange of epithets, neither fraternal 
nor complimentary, during which the manager 
maintiuned himself at a respectful distance from 
his refiractory actress, she declared she would tear 
up her engagement, to which the reply was that 
nothing could give him greater pleasure. Ao- 
cordingly the document was sent back in a dozen 
pieces. No one seemed to think the country was 
in danger, or that the interest of the French com- 
pany vrould be severely damaged by the loss of 
the retiring member. * Raphael was exultant, and 
Rachel in a state of great hope that Sarah would 




MBMOIM or BMUb Ml 

fblU Imt thrart and tolM benoir bMk to Eonpa I at 
tbe MOM tiiM ■he wu in gnat psrpbxitjr, ht At 
dH«d not «7 ihc wuhea her oO; iMt Suik ihaold 
aUy to Mfita hor, nor emU iha Mstan to toll 
hcrtoiUylotibaihoaldaUowhaMlfteba ad- 
vitod. When Sftnh, tberaTMP^ cum in hot hart* 
to naka bar oomplainta, abe took a aiddU eona^ 
oondoiod with bar griofi^ wtii it waa too h aj 
there wai no Uviag with Raphael eoPGlaft^f 
withi 

"At any iste, dear, joa ihall not go pen ri tewj 
m let you here eix tboiuand franci to kelp jron 
to rotunif &e^ &&' 

Meuwhile "huij TArtuBe" ww to be pev>- 
fonned the next ni*;ht, and of oouree Sarah, wb» 
played the Counteaa, wai out of the qneetion. 
Raphael, too, id tbe bcatof tbeqoarrel would uot 
ehange tbe aonouBcemcot, counting on Mademoi- 
■dle Durey, a vciy intelligent actroai, who had 
played the port otien, in tbe moat able maDiier, 
when with Itochcl on other toura. MadenoieeUe 
Durey replied afao waa ready to play tbe part, bat 
that, her lalaiy not permitting her to own to ez- 
penaire a wardrobe as MademmicUe Sank, ahe 
had ao dreaa befitting the occauon. Anxioua to 
prove to the dcUnquent how well be could get 
.along witboot ber, Raphael offered, if tbe dreaa 



262 MEMOIRS or BAOHBL. 

could be got ready in time he would pajr for it*. 
Modemoieelle Durey, in a 'great fright lest the 
loving relatiyea should get reconciled before she 
had secured this munificent gift, posted to Stew- 
art'si selected a splendid moire antique, exacted a 
solemn vow of the dressmaker to bring it at the 
appointed hour, and awaited in great trepidation 
the result. 

^ My forebodings proved true,** quoth Made* 
moiselle Durey, ^ they did make it up, and Sarah 
played the Countess, but the dress was in time ; 
it had been cut and fitted for me, so Raphael had 
to pay the 500fra. it had cost. I was still fearful 
to the last that it would be taken from me and 
altered for Leah or Dinah, they being shorter 
than !.•• 

Rachel, though often the cause of strife, seldom 
allowed herself to quarrel. She invariably pre- 
served the quiet dignity we have so frequently 
had occasion to mention. She dreaded anything 
like a scene. She had brought with her from 
Europe a second waiting-maid, a great, awkward, 
raw-boned virago, called Eleonore, who had been 
a cook all her life, and was entirely ignorant of the 
duties of the elevated station Mademoiselle Rachel, 
for private reasons, had promoted her to. Be- 
tween this useless supernumerary and the faithful 



aUItoMllMn«nt«dgmt jvlao^. Bm Mt 
thai wUU lU had all tka ai^iniMM and om af 
bar aiabaa' waidraba and toOat. tUi intidapw. 
who did aotU^, wai bai^ pattad aod iMda 
nuok of. Tba atriA giaw to violant that Ifada- 
naiaalla Baehd wai oUigad to aapanta tka ibali 
aad Mod Uoaa to Uva at tba hotal wbva ikamnm- 
htn af tba oompany rwided t than iba oontiaMd 
bar duty of attaadiiig to bar eoitMii^ ko-, bat 
Klaooon wmainad attaebad to bar owa panaa. 
Tbi> piaoa of iiuuatka waa dietalad bf tba ftalwg 
tbatranderadberioimpatieBt to return loEun^w. 
The womui to whom aha gave the preTarenea over 
tbe Btuehed oreatura that had beon with bar from 
the b^DDing of her career, <nu tba aarraat of ft 
friend ehe had left behind, aad for whom aba 
openly profeaMd an aflTcction ahe had oaTcr fth 
fur anyone before. Slw had taken of her own aoeord 
thia coarae cook-maid into her aerriea at a aalary 
of IfOfn. nonthly, ia order to bare a witncaa of 
her truth and constaacy, and there waa no kind* 
ooaa ahe did not laviah on this woman to ■aouro 
her &vorable report. 

Poor Koao cried from morning to night, and ox- 
eit«t the aympathy of th« two younger liitara, Laah 
and Dinah. The latter, one day, ezpreaaing bar- 
•elf rather hardUy wUh regard to BachelV tmt< 



>*iL^ — ■ 



./ 



264 MEMOIB8 OF RACHBL; 

ment of Roaei Sarah, who was presenti took the 
matter up so hotly on the opposite side that Dinah 
could not play for a day or two after in conse- 
quence of the impression her sister's ailments 
had made on her face* 

All these little bickerings, however, though fre* 
quent, did not interfere with the general prosperity 
of the French company. Everyone but the 
Felixes was satisfied with the prospect of con- 
tinued success. In a letter from one of the mem**' 
bers to a friend in Paris, we find the following 
under date of October 20th. 
• ** We are playing every day. I am obliged to 
own I fear we shall «ee you again too soon ; the 
success of our grande tragidtenne is such I really 
think she will make her i,200,400firs. before the 
nine months are elapsed.'' 

In another, dated the 14th of November, the 
same correspondent remarks : 

^They say in Paris we make no money. We 
do not realise 30,000fnL a*night, but Mademoiselle 
Rachel has already remitted to France 300,000frs. 
including the last receipts of the London perform- 
ances* She has come to the United States very 
reluctantly, for, as she says herself, she loves for 
the first time, and she has only resigned herself to 
tho sacrifice she makes in leaving France for the 



ttf 

idb ^iitrfmmlf. Let m bofw thk fcalhqt wiH 
prapoodanta oTor tlw fini, aad thatwaiUtMt 
•M Fnnea agiin bofcn nut JuatJ' 

Tlie atata of Raehd'a health pnebdiq; Imt 
frooiix^wriiigbefegathaPhihidalphiaiiaaadtha 
phTneiaiia hanng adnaad an imniediatn ranMlfil 
to amnner eUmate, tha eompaa/ gnva fimr p«- 

I '' fcnnancaa without her. Engliah phiya wera per* 

fomwd on the wow •▼eningi bj tha EogUih eon- 
foj, but tha plan met iritb ao littk bver that tha 

f* raonpta did not amount to a thouand fiaaea 

a-night. The houu had boon n»tcd for ten per* 
fbmunccsi, and had to bo pud in anj oaae. The 
Mine thing occurred «nth n^ard to all the theatrea 

I ;. that bad boon engaged before-hand, and the 

amount thus ipent did not aTerage leae than 
ZOflOOfn. for the citiea of the Uoitod Statea and 
SOfiOOfn. for the Havana theatre. 

It waa during KfodcmoiMlle RachcTa foioed eo> 
duaion in Philadelphia that the rcp(Ht of herdeath, 
with the inoit oireunutantial aocount of her laat 
momenta, went the round* of the American papera^ 
and finalljr travelled to Europe, where it waa ro- 
publiihed in all ita moat minute detoila. When the 
aubject of thia wretched joke heard of it ah* waa 
more amusod than rezed. 
It waa finallj deotdod that the company abouU 



^UMrikH««M> 



266 X&MOIB8 OF RAOHBL. 

go at 0DC6 to Charleston. Much was hoped from 
the climate there, but Rachel herself would have 
willingly returned immediately to France. With 
her this was now the ruling passioui and it was 
more than once feared she would start by the 
next steamer, and leaye her brother to settle his 
affiiirs as he chose. 

On the 27th| Mademoiselle Rachel, her &ther| 
and her sister Sarah, anticipating by a few hours 
the departure of the other members of the com- 
pany, left Philadelphia. The invalid travelled by 
shorter stages, so that although she had preceded 
her companions, she arrived after them. The first 
performance, consistingi as usual when she did not 
playi of comedies, was given without her on the 
10th of Decemberi and was not very numerously 
attended. It was everywhere the same, the 
attraction was Rachel; they wished to see the 
idol Europe had so long worshipped, not a 
French play they could not understand. As for 
Raphael, convinced that the health of his sister 
would now be completely restored, he took this 
opportunity to go on to Havana and make 
the necessary arrangements for her reception 
there. 

There was in Charleston a French doctor, 
whose skill was highly spoken of ; he was sent for 



! g -I ^J l '-' _ .L ' ■ ' '. ■ "•1 \ •■•J ' / - ' .rafl^^r i^scarsag i , ■ ■■ ^ 



m 

by KidciBoiitlh RmM, ud Id* calr adnot «u 
tWt ilw dKNild DMiataia bcrMlf m * ftBta of 
absoluu npoos for hz iDOBtlw, Thii vw tha 
oolj thing >h« Deeded, but it wm a timt ftm mm 
eooditicp at healtb. Tlua, btnrerer, tka patient 
rqeeted m ui aU«r impoeubilitjr. Uar eoogfa 
ooatmned varjr tnwbleMaM, but bar atjwvtb moA 
genenl boalUt beiag Bligfatly unprored Jm wh 
bent DO pvformiag, uul bcr nnippeanutoe wh 
■ooounced to l&k« pUco od the 17Ui iiMtaat is 
tbo part «f ^otiMW LaemuMmt. 

Tbia doctor waa probablj tbe fint peraoo wbo 
really a>w tbe danger in whiob tbe trajfeJiwHt* 
Hood even tbea. Her tlloeaa waa qtoken of ai 
■n aScctioa of tbe larfox, but tbe luojia wen 
attacked already, and tbe utmoat care and pn^ 
dance waa re<iuired, but wben abe bad reaotved 
on anything it waa not easy to diaauado her from 
it. Play aba would, and play abe did — for the 
but time in America tbe lulls said — for tbe last 
time on earth I cud implacable Destiny. 

>[. Chery, who played in tbe drama tha part 
ot JlKkimxtt, the noble old stage-manager, waa 
greatly shocked by tbe change be saw in the oooe- 
brilliant Adriaut^. A niece of bla bad died of 
the &tal disease, the symptoms of which bo 
dearly reooguaed in BaobeL Tbe bat aoeoo of 



268 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

the play containa passages but too allusiye to 
the doom she has since so cruelly realised. 

''Ah| quelles souffirances • . • • ce n'est 
plus ma tStCt c'est ma poitrine qui est brulante 

j'ai ]k comme un brazier • • 

comme un feu d^vorant qui me consume — 

^Ahl le mal redouble. .... Vous qui 
m'aimez tant, saurez moi, secourez moi • • • 
je ne yeux pas mourir I ... 4 pr^ent je ne 
veux pas mourir — 

'* Mon. Dieu I exaucez moi I • • Mon. Dieu t 
laissez moi vivre . • quelque jours encore 

• . • Je suis si jeune et la vie s'ouvrait pour 
moi si belle t 

^ La vie I • • la vie I • • Vains efforts 1 
vaine pri&re I • • mes jours sont 
comptesi— je sens les forces et I'existence qui 
m'6chappent I 

" O triomphes du thd&tre I mon coeur ne battra 
plus de vos ardentes Amotions I • • Et vous, 
longues 6tudes d'un art que j'aimais tant, rien 
ne restera de vous i^rte moi • • Bien ne nous 
survit k nous autres • • rien que le souvenir.^ 

Hearing her utter with all the eloquence of 
truth these heart-rending phrases, in which the 
dying actress clings so despairingly to the life 
ebbmg away so rapidlyi these passionate regrets 



I 



ff 

t 



I 



I 

i 

■! 



t 



\ 



MEMOIRII OP RACHSL. S69 



of the triumphs of a career cut short so earl j, 
M. Chcry was dceplj impressed with the imim- 
nonce of the [Knl. He could not direst himself 
of the terrible thought that the death she 
was imitating was really in her, mocking the 
mocker I 

" We have seen liachel act for the last time,'* 
said hcy to a friend. 

Wiicn Raphael went to Havana on the 4thf he 
wished to take Maurice with him. Maurice was 
a fine young man with whom he had become 

i scquaintcd on board the Paci6cy when he made 
his |)ro{>amtor}' trip to America. Pleased with 

^ thirt youth's manners and addrc98| Raphael had 
l>rou;;ht him back to France, and he now filled the 

! p(>j«t of ticket-taker and interpreter in the com- 

i pany. An indisposition, which afterwards proved 

to be the »malI-pox, prevented his accompanying 

•| the manager to Havana. On tlie ninth day the 

; poor follow died. 

Kveryone regretted Maurice, he was so obliging 
and kind ; as for Mademoiselle Rachel she liked 
liini very much, and had promised to establish him 
in some sort of business before the end of the 
conge. His death was therefore carefully con- 
cealed from her, lest it should cause too great an 

i impression in her weak state, and on leaving 



i 



*•**» ■i'^*fca 



270 IIEMOIBS OF RACHEL. 

Charleston she wrote to him who was post all 
earthly joys and sorrows. • 

The letter concluded with these words: 

^ AdieUi my dear Maurice ; I am firmly con* 
rinced we shall soon meet again.** 

The incident is related by Mademoiselle Durey 
in the correspondence already referred to. 

^ Her father. Mademoiselle Briard, and I, hod 
dined with her that erenin^i^i and she read us the 
letter she was writing to comfort poor Maurice 
whom we have to leave behind us, she said ; the 
last lines of it sent a chill to our hearts. We 
could not help thinking they were prophetic of 
the writer's own approaching death** 

The news of Raphael's progress in Havana 
being of the most exhilarating nature, the com* 
pany embarked on the 19th instant for that city. 
The HavaneroSi too enthusiastic Mrith regard to 
the line arts, not to be electrified at the idea of 
possessing in their own town the grande tragi' 
diennef had subscribed en masse. There' could not 
be a doubt that the greatest success would attend 
her if she performed; unfi>rtunately the lost point 
was very uncertain. It was hoped, however, that 
when Ahe hod recovered firom the fiitigues of the 
voyage, s)ie would improve. 

Every physician that was called in agreed in 



MBMOIBS OP KACBKU S7l 

■aying that rest wm inditpenaable. If elimata 
could bo of anj arail she cortainlj htd the 
benefit of the inildo«t winter qiuurten in the 
world, yet she did not ■eem to get better, and the 
J period or her announced appcaranco waa indefi- 

nitclj aiyoumcd. 

This state of things was extremely annoying to 
the hapIcM manager, who saw before him a 
wretched prospect — the idea of having to refund 
all the bright dubloons and fair dollars that had 
passed into his i>osscMion was cruel indeed. 

As for the Ilavancros, their impatience soon 
mndc ihcm irritable, an<l they declared their utter 
diitbcHcf in the sUcgcd cause of delay. That 
liachcl could not play for them when they knew 
f^hc had plnycd a few days previous in Charleston 
— the thing was absurd, and all the blame was laid 
to cnpricc. By way of revenge, one of the 
leading pnpcrd '*La PrcuNi,** commenced the 
publication of M. Mirecourt's biography of Rachel, 
transliitcd into Spanish, to the infinite vexation of 
the traj^dirnne. 

Nor were the Ilavaneros alone to deem them- 
selves fooled. Unfortunately Rachel had so much 
accustomed all who knew her to feigned indispo- 
ritions during the course of her theatrical career, 
whenever it suited her convenience, that now the 



..•Jp.M>--. -■ . 



272 1IBM0IB8 OP RACHEL. 

members of the compan j could not be brought to 
believe her as ill as she^ reallj was. Her own 
&mily long doubted the serious nature of her 
illness. Knowing how interested her relatives 
were in her health for their own sakes, she had 
sometimes, in France, frightened her mother hj 
complaining of just the kind of symptoms she 
knew to be those of consumption. Even when 
subsequently she was sent to reside in Egypt, few 
in France believed her ilL She paid the penalty 
of former deceptions. 

The first performance was to have been given 
on the 25th December; it was postponed to the 
6th January, her physician having peremptorily 
required the delay. The tragedienne herself was 
exceedingly disappointed ; while the public mur- 
mured and her companions accused her, she was 
suffering acutely in mind and body. She removed 
to a house belonging to M. Marty, the manager of 
the Havana theatre, and secluding herself entirely 
refused to see even her relatives, on whom she 
laid the blame of having brought her from France 
on this injudicious expedition. She declared that 
all the company should leave for Europe, and that 
she would remain behind, keeping only Made- 
moiselles Briard and Durey, and her fiuthfiil old 
Ilose. It was hef intention, as soon as she got 



Ij 



i 



I I 



• t 

I 
f 



MEMOIRS OP BACHBIm S7S 



better, to perform detached loenet in whioh aha 
meant the two actrcMes should aacift her. She 
would Imve none of her rclatlvea remain with her; 
they must all go back to France. 

TkU misanthropic fit lasted ten days, during 
which the two bdiea mentioned were alone ad- 
mitted to see her. At last alie allowed heraelf to 
be persuaded that her wiaest courM would be to 
return to PariS| where ahe could have ererj re* 
aource of medical art ; it waa agreed that every^ 
^ one, excepting Rachel| waa to aail for New York 
on the 8th of January, and thence for Europe, on 
i the 10 th. 

' Wlicn this decision was announced great was 

i the dieappuintment of the actors, and with good 
I rca5ony for, from the day the notice was given, all 
*^ salaries ceased. Mademoiselles Dui-ey and Briard, 
.f acting upon the idea Mademoiselle Rachel's pro* 
i I>o5al had suggested, resolved to renuiin and try 
' their fortunes there since they were so &r from 

■ 

? 1 home. Having mentioned this to Rachel, she 
highly approved of their plan, and promised her 
support. 

" Go to New York," said she, *• I will pay your 

expenses thither ; my brother must give you the 

) amount of your figure back to Europe; that sum 

will enable you to liv6 until you can carry out 

VOL II. T 



I i 



S74 



MEMOIRS OF RACHBL. 



jour plan. You will haye letters of credit and re- 
commendation from me to use in case of fiulure. 
Write me all particulars, you will always find 
me ready to assist you; you are the only disin- 
terested friends I haye met with in my life.* 
She cautioned them not to mention to their com- 
panions her good intentions. 

When the two adycnturous ladies went to 
Raphael for their passage-money there was quite 
a commotion among the other members of the 
company. 

'' What were they going to do in America T * 

^ Going to act, of course.** 

The example was contagious, all would stay ; 
the next day half had repented — then again, only 
four would remain— on the eve of sailing there 
were but the two proposers of the scheme and 
the hiur-dresser still firm in the resolvci and on 
the 8th, when the yessel left, the two ladies only 
embarkedi steadfastly reiusting all efforts made to 
dissuade them. 

The real motiye for the apparent fickleness of 
the other actors was the opposition their pLm met 
with from RaphaeL When the Havaneros found 
they were not to hear Rachel, they expressed a 
wish to see at legst the other members of the 
company^ and the latter, nothing loth, as they 



a»^mfmmnmt 



^i«wa 



*l^^ 



I ■ ^ I - ' -g J.!_ " 



OV ■A5?"»>- 



fe', 






s 



I 



giviog a wmm of pwteiMuwas widMvl Om 
openoioa of the irmt d H m m^ Tkm siaafVi 
ntendod retoniiiig the fcUowiaf jmat at As iMtti 
of a eompanj, ftariag that the aofilty woold bo 
ovariftlMpnieBi tQlioaM look d fce t» r a ftw iJ ta 
pormil of it. 

At fint thoro vat a alioag toadoMj to fOM^ 
aaoo; thaj would reuMa and ghro a oariea of 
pioect b threo aota» loqinriBg tovoa p ct fc r m o ia at 
most Tbofar-offyellowiofcratlatt ooaqaoia^ 
aad thoj tliought thoj had botlor aot Ion tfMir 
|Mango>rooncj. 

Rachel had at fint announecd hor rotolotion 
to remain. On the eye of the daj her oomndoa 
were to leave the had changed her nundi and waa 
going alio. The next day the had again altered 
it, and would renuun. The Oyde finally aailod 
without her. 

The ladiet already mentioDed were not the 
only ones who remained in America. Sarah 
Felix left in the Isabel for Charleston, on the 
morning the Clyde sailed for New Yoric ; she did 
not return to Europe for some time. 

Rachel had taken it into her head she would 
return to Europe in the same Teseel that brought 
her out, the ill-fiUed Pbeifio that was then 

T S 



M 



' III 



Hi! 



276 UEUOIRS OF RACHEL. 

pcctc<l ia New York, but which was never h( 
of. It yna not until tb« 28th of January, li 
that the ratnmed to France. 
Thus ended thii disaatroua trip— dlsaatroui 
11 it understood, with regard to its reiulta on 

%| health of the tragedienne, but not, all things i 

jijl sidered, m a pecuniarr view. The iact that 

fortf-two pcrfonnancce pven by MadcraoL 
Bacbel produced a sum total of €84,033fr.- 
share alone amounting to 298,0O0fr. — sufficic 
provea that the dtizena of the United Stotes 
thnr tribute to dramatio art with more liben 
than anj other nadon, and that thej were 
W from deaerriog the yiolent diatribe fiilmiu 

j'Jl against them hj M. Jules Jaain in his ftuill 

entitled "Baohel and Tragedy in the Uii 
States." 
Howerer, the beat aniwer the Ameiicans 
|];l:|{ make ia to be found m the still more vin 

reproaches the same critic bad addressed tc 
own countrymen on the aolgeot of elaauo art 
former oooauon, when a fit of spleen or <^ 
had soured his temper. 



m 



271 



I 






I. 



CHAPTER XIIL 

1656. 

MralAB— Hotel Ruhcl— HoMehold Oodi p«t «p «t AactiM— 

Va1u6 mi vpoa Soamtrv— Iii^aioM CiCTOaM A ICo* 

1 thcr*i Letter— I>ear-Ilo«fht Abeeace^ WaekiBgloali 

GrandPM— A Vew CUim oa tbe TbIAtrt IWn^i*— Ra- 

tqrn fron E^pt — Sttjomrn in Muaipellier — Rachel's Ckil* 

j drcB. 



i 



» 



1 



I . , We have now before us the mekncholj taak of 

I 2 narrating the last two jears of a life hitherto §o 
\ t agitated, so brilliant and bo busj, but which 
now drawing to its close in obscuritj and 
two years, during which alternations of hope aad 
I ' fear incidental to the deceptive nature of her 

J disease, and the anxieties of a mother who anti- 
\ cipatcs the day when her children will be left to 
i the care and protection of comparative strangers^ 
I had succeeded to the intoxicating triumphs that 
{ .. had hitherto marked her days. 

From the day she set foot on the continent 
liachel had but one thought, one deairci one aim 



• 



r-i-irrnari: . ■.: j... 



278 MS1IOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

-^life I Her time was spent in Tain struggles to 



dislodge the enemj that had gained possession of 
the yerj stronghold of yitalitj, in disputing every 
breath to the heavy hand that was oppressing the 
weak chest; one day lulled into security by some 
fiivorable symptom, the next feeling herself 
within the shadow of the tomb, yet, in truth| 
nearing with hourly-increased rapidity the &tal 
goal. For twenty-two months, and until within a 
few days — ^we might say hours— of her death, she 
continued to hope against every probability. 

And yet the recollection of the &te of Rebecca, 
whose illness she had studied in all its pbasesy 
might well have discouraged her from the first 
moment she perceived in herself the same fiital 
symptoms. 

She spent the spring of this year, 1856, at a 
friend's residence in Meulan, but, on the approach 
of Autumn, in pursuance of the advice of the 
physiciansi she resolved to pass the winter on the 
NUe. 

It was reported on tins occasion that the tragi' 
diennef disgusted with the enthusiasm manifested 
for Madame Ristori, never intended returning to 
France. The announcement that her town resi- 
dence was for sale, which was published shortly after 
her departurci seemed to confirm this resolution of 









! li . TH!£< JL ■*'■ '-^ ' 



MKMOIBS OP RACHKU S79 

pcrpcliiol exile. A fem words on thie hotd, of 
which Mich manrcU were related maj not be ami« 
here. On the Minouncement of the sale the 
French periodicaU were teiied with a auddea 
frcnxy of admiration, grief| enthusiasm, and dct* 
pair. All that could be said on the immense leas 
Paris was about to sustain in the person of the 
owner, and on the immense value of the dwelling 
and its contents, was exhausted. Tlioae who thus 
took on themselves the riU of auctioneers, to pnff 
and cry up the floods and chattels of the irogi^ 
dienne^ seemed to wish to show the world how 
low their venal adulation could stoop. But the 
result was only partially attained. All Paris 
h.i8tcncd to satisfy the curio/ity excited by the 
I>ompous descriptions of the improvised Robinsea, 
and all Paris was disappointed. The domestic 
curiosity-shop was pronounced to be such a col- 
lection as might be found equalled by the contents 
of almost any well-appointed private dwelling; 
and the temple itself a tasteless, common-plaoe 
affair, more remarkable for defects than beauties. 

The Hotel Rachel, situated on the street to 
which the 4checin Trudon gave his not ver}' eupho- 
nious name, cannot boast of the prospect its win* 
dows command. On one side they overlook a 
large boarding-school, on the other the garden of 




* -.- »•**•- -». ■^ i_ 



280 XBMOIBS OF RACHBL. 

M. Mir^ The present buUding was erected at 
Mademoiselle RacheFs desire by Charles Duvali 
the architect who has since constructed the cele- 
brated Grande Cafe Parisien. The defects already 
referred to were inevitable where so serious a dif* 
culty as that of want of space existed ; he was de- 
sired to place an elegant and comfortable mansion 
on a surface of little oyer 200 yards* The phins 
had been approved of by Mademoiselle Rachel on 
the eve of one of her congA,BXki the price having 
been fixed at eO^OOOir., she left him to execute 
them. Her tour that year proving very productive^ 
she wrote to the friend to whom she had left the 
charge of overlooking progress, and authorised any 
additional expense the architect might deem ne- 
cessary; the consequence was the 60j000ir« 
swelled into 2009000ir., a price no one would 
think of giving for the residence. 

The house that had originally stood on this site 
was of much more simple aspect; Mademoiselle 
Rachel had occupied it when she removed from 
No. 10| rue de Rivoli| celebrated as having been 
the residence of Mademoiselle Mars before she 
occupied her own hotel, rue Sarochefoucault* 
The predilection of Mademoiselle Rachel for this 
■pot arose firom her son, Alexander, having been 
bom there, and though it had only been intended 



MKUOIM or KACBBL. 281 

for % tcmporuy remdesM, she choae to renuuD 
there t^init the kdvice of her frieode, who rag- 
geatcd tliG Chuaps^Elji^ m fur pr«renbla. 

Tbc prcflcnt building consist* in « grouDd-flo(w, 
ui tnirttolf A&nt'6ooT, Kod Mtics, and the whol* 
presents a sin^Ur confusion of sit the diffcrmt 
styles in luchitecture. The ground-floor or rtM 
dt ehauttn, is dirided into a restibulc, ■ portei's 
lodge, and a little parior, where admirers not ad- 
oiiltcd to see the dirinitj of the temple inscnbod 
their names. The architect was so cramped for 
room that he put the stables in the cellar. Up • 
GotUic-archcd stairrnse, a« durlc ss a pocket, and so 
narrow thcro is no room for a moderate-sized 
criaolinc, the benighted visitor gropes his waj to 

} the fiitretol, and here the suite of rooms coo^ 

j mcnces. 

An in»igni6cant anto-cliamber leads into a 

I dining-room, ornamented and furnished in very 
<]uc«tiflnnblc ta^te. The intention wat that the 
I Etruscan should linve prerailed, but it was never 
^ carried out. The heterogeneous articles it con- 
1 tained were tcvcrally meant to denote archaism 

1 and erudition, but seemed nthcr astonished at 
being brought together. A wunfcot of the mid- 
dle ages looked down upon a modem carpet; 
Groco-Roman paintbgs and Renaissance iahmU, 




lar-. «!rtr. 



282 HfiHOIRS OF RACHEL. 



Etruscan vases and Parisian ciystalsi were uncere- 
moniously associated* The whole was lighted up 
by an odd-looking lamp, of no particular age, style 
or beauty. The room itself was a sort of narrow 
passage, with so low a ceiling that a man of ordi- 
nary height was inclined to stoop as he entered. 

On the other side of the ante-chamber a door led 
into a small salon hung in chintz. Among other 
things it contained a glass-doorcd piece of furniture 
filled with knick-knackS| in which lai^ sums had 
been invested ; every rarity had been collected in 
this toy-receptacle ; Lilliputian statuettesy diminu* 
tive Chinese monsters and costly fancies of all 
sorts were there. Yet, with exception of a small 
marble bust of the First Consul, chiselled by 
Canova, there was not an arUde in the room that 
indicated a taste for the truly beautiful 

The library adjoinmg the fo/on, is— as might be 
expected — the smallest room in the house. The 
oak-panelS| wainscot) SXf are finely carved| but 
the books, splendidly bound| and each in its place, 
looking as if it had never been read, gave the room 
a cold aspect. 

On the first-floor are the reception-rooms and 
bed-chambers. 

Two muses— Melpomene and Thalia, exiled in 
the ante-chamber, seemed to protest against the 



' 



4' 



ungnitefuliieM of the nuitveit ivfao fbifot dMl 
without them olio soror wooU havo laid m mIm. 
801M exeuM fiMT her ught have been fiwidi m the 
Utile Mtiiiio beentj of theee leppeeentetbei of 
tragedy and eomedj. 
The Louis XIV. mIm was gocgeone and ooellj 
aiiJ that was all that oould be eaid in its piaiaeb 
The curtains were of embioidered eashmeve. Hie 
diairs and sofiu» riehlj carred and pit, wen 
eovered with crimson silk damaslr. Each pieoo 
borstoanred in a shield^ the iniUal B; though 
there were anumberof peoes, the set sold for only 
2|l00rr.— not over half iu value. The pannda 
and wainscot were highly gilded. The dock and 
six candclabny though masterpcces of Deniire's, 
only brought 4,500fir. Nothing in this room, so 
magnificently furnished, spoke of the inner life of 
the woman — nothing bore the impress of the 
mrti$i4; the upholsterer had worked busily and 
laTishly, and the furniture was such as might haye 
been ordered by any rich stockbroker. Nothing 
wore the stamp of an exceptional and pririleged 
being* There was not a bronxe, not a marblcynot 
a picture of any Talue. 

Between the salon and the bed-rooms was the 
so^alled Chmese boodmr, a closet some ux feet 
square^ and so daric that until the eye became 



JfclMi^lfcl M ■ t fc'-J^. ~ ■ _ _? 



284* HBMOIR8 OF BACHBL. 

fiimiliarised with itif gloom, it ooold discern no* 
thing. The scant light admitted through the ceil^ 
ing was lessened by stained glass that was not at 
all Chinese. The ornaments of this dark closet 
were four or fiye Chinese figures and a Pekin 
lantern. Among these grotesque mandarins was 
' placed — ^how appropriately the reader may imagine 
—a portnut of Rebecca, a lock of her hair in a 
black frame, and a fine marble bust of Christ) 
around the throat of which was wound the rosary 
that has already been mentioned. 

The best bed-chamber was also magnificently 
gilded. The furniture was Louis XV« and of 
rosewood, with* medallions of Sevres. The superb 
bed, in marjtieterie, adorned with gilt bronze 
ornaments, the owner had slept in but seldom. 
It was sold for lOOOfr. 

In one of the rooms hung the portraits of old 
Madame Felix and her husband, looking as though 
they were making an estimate of what the box of 
toys would bring. 

As this is not an auctiooner's catalogue we shall 
omit the rooms held of less importance— one of 
the latter, however, would have been well worth 
a chapter to itself could the history of its contents 
be fiuthfuUy recorded* This was Rose's room. . 

In the restibule of the Thtttre Francais there 




Kt 



it tlwtjt • boct of Um rrigung pomr. W^m • 
TCvcdutioD brin^ tbonfc » abugo, tki dcduoaad 
a^jMtj H burned op into tbi attie, aad iCi plae* 
it fiUad ^ Um imig* of Ibi B«w tdoL Tba oU 
biMb on sot ^ ipotod of or doMrojod, tbcj «n 
Bmljr kopt out of dght tbew k do knomag 
wbkt M17 boppoB and m oho of • nrtoimtioa it 
nigbt be eeoaomicol aai bandy to bnvo lb* old 
laaogo of oU nodj. 

It woe pnboUy witb tbie ouBipU bofora hm 
aje^udin ooooiduoe witb tbo ombo priae^le^ 
that tbe busU aad portraite of indmato friendly 
after bavuig had their day ia the moet coupieuoua 
and honorable placo in the trmgcdiemH^a dcgaat 
noDM, allerwaide eeoended to the ntaid'a dornu- 
toiy. SoM bad, at UMt, qoite a gallery of wbiob 
tbe hiitoiy night hoTO afforded ue a ^anoe into 
the hidden reocMea of the feminine heart 

The hotel waa to hare been aold (m the Uth of 
KoTenber, 1856, but, at the eleventh hour, M. 
Emilo da Girardin, to whom Baehel had delegated 
her powcra, countermanded it. The numeniua 
pvBk had not bad the auccew expected, and aa the 
little excitement manifeated by the publio made 
it probable no Terj liberal ofiiwi would be mada^ 
tbe ■peculatitm waa given up forthe tine. A aalo 
of a portion of tbe funuture took pkc« in Jul/, 



286 MEMOIB8 OP RACHEU 

1857, ftt veiy low prices. The remainder of the 
furniture was remored to the apartment Made- 
moiselle Rachel had taken. Place Royale. 

Among the articles sold for much less than 
their real value were some fine paintings. An 
authentic Boucher (La TaiUtteJ went for 200fr. 
^ L*£cu de France,** an original of Eugeni Isabey, 
brought but 660fr. The '< Trial of Maiy Stuart,* 
a fine composition by Achille Deveria vras given 
for 705fr. Two real Diaz, presented by M. 
Ars^e Houssaye to the ^o^^iVim^, were actually 
allowed to go for 360fr. Two fine ' paintings 
representing '^ Music and Comedy/* by Natlier, 
only brought 606fr. 

A ^'Virgin and Child** in water-colors, after 
Van Dyck, by Madame 0*Connel, that had cost 
M. le Comte Leopold LehoA 800fr., sold for only 
350fr. ; ** he Triomphe de Mademoiselle Duclos,* 
by Rigaud, 150fr. only. 

Among the works of art was an exquisite 
portrait of Adrienne Lecouvreur, in Beauvais 
tapestry, a most excellent imitation of a fine 
painting, and which had been a great favorite 
with the iragAiienn4 -^yet she allowed of its being 
sold for 160fr. Certainly the possessor of mil- 
lions could know nothing of that peremptory 
need that brings under the hammer the most 






MKMOIW or BACBfil. 287 

Tmlued Aiticlcsi yet these fine pictmci^ mil p r eee n ts 
firom thoee who were or hid been inend% wtrm 
allowed to go for prices infinitely below their 
Tmlue, as though the owner Ibond henelf rednoed 
to the utmost penury. 

When the hotel of the rue Tnidon was built^ 
some ten yean ago^ the next thing was to famish 
it suitably. /lermiane said to her friends : 

^ Contribute something to the adorning of my 
little hotel— a trifle, a sonrsiitr.** 

Every one hastened to prore his taste or his 
liberality; one sent a china Tase, another a 
iiaiueUt^ another a painting, &c^ &c 

Had these friends chosen they might haTO 
bou;;ht back their valued and yaluable $oucenir$ 
at public auction. These various oontributiona 
were estimated at 300,000fr. 

When the hotel was first announced for sale, 
•evenil hundreds of persons daily visited it Thoee 
who manifested the greatest curiosity to see the 
inmost recesses of the muse*s private dwellin;i; 
were foreignersy who were not aware that tickets to 
view were to be had on application to M. Lemon* 
nyer, the notary. Some ingenious speculator hav- 
ing procured a number of these tickets, repaired to 
the hotels most frequented by strangers, and 
oflfered them at prices, varying according to the 



288 MSMOIBS OP BAOHEL. 

dupe, from 2fr. to 20tr^ at the same time toIod* 
teering Iii» services as eieerone. An American 
was firmly convinced he had seen the portnuts of 
Talma and Mademoiselle Marsi punted by David 
— the likeness of Father and Mother Felix having 
been dubbed with these illustrious names by his 
guide. Another enthusiastic gentleman offered 
an additional louis to be allowed a sight of the 
historical guitar. 

Mademoiselle Bachel had left France on her 
way to Egypt on the 2nd of October. The fol- 
lowing letter to her son, dated from Cairo, the 
18th of the same month, is interesting, not only 
firom the maternal feeling that dictated it, but 
also from the paruculars it contains. 

^ Dear little oke, 

'^ My health seems improving, for I have already 
acquired some strength, and my appetite is to- 
lerably good. I am settled as comfortably here 
as it is possible to be in Egypt. There are in 
Cairo two hotels, and I am in the best. The bed- 
room, which has a southern aspect, is as large as 
one of your school doriairSf with a ceiling proper* 
Uonally high, so that, although it is very warm 
here, there is no lack of air. The table is very 
good. The cook, who is a Frenchwoman, in con- 



Muioiia or sACBSi- t89 

udcntioo of our beiog oouDtiTwomeii, geU up 
little eztn-Dice diihes for lu. I hsra klrcadjr 
token liMTt waIIu in tlie town uhI in the snTirooa ; 
it U B yerj rich, curioiu, uhI intereating couotrjr. 
I hope you will aoma day Tiait it nnd thnt God 
will itennit me to bo your drcwrotu/ that ii^ your 
failliful guide. 

" Mora than ever do I coDgimtoUt* myedf oT 
being a gr-r-r-nudt trageditHmt, £veryono wo 
meet !■ ready to oblige, to aerve, and to procure 
ua aniuacmcnta ; ever ainoe I left Maracillea I 
have everywhere met with the moat uuiomal 
lio«|iitaliiy, 

" Your aunt' ia very well : altc laughs, ahe aings, 
ehc would dance to make me auiilc, and that ia 
not nlwnya caay, for I am often tliinking that I 
am far from my dear little onca. It ia true that I 
find aomc comfort in the thought tliat I am a 
voluntary exile for a few monifaa in t>rder that I 
may return to my children atrong and healthy, to 
leave tlicm no more. 

"I have juat mode an effort to write you ao 
long a letter, for writing fatiguea and agitatoa me 
— two thinga strictly prohibited by the [^ysicians. 
I can, therefore, write to no one elae by tbi« 
nm\. 

• M«<lcMoiMlU Ssnb. 
VOI^ IT. U 



u'^AiSaBHhiMaTLuf 'r ' ;-.-r.^t, 



290 MB1I0IB8 OF RACHEL. 

''I hope you will prove your gratitude by 
writing me a long letter. Tell me all your 
thoughts, and all the news, if you know of any, for 
we can get no papers here. 

" I shall write to my dear parents by the next 
boat There was an earthquake in Alexandria 
while we were there. There was no harm done, 
but it made a great impression upon me. It is a 
sublime horror. In Cairo there were several 
accidents. I must now bid you good bye, enclos- 
ing a thousand kisses." 

This letter is charming, from its simplicity; it 
was evidently written by the mother herself 
and bears no resemblance to those written for 
her by her too numerous secretaries. 

We have also in the above epistle a very 
amiable and doubtless correct picture of Sarah's 
endeavors to cheer her invalid sister. Malicious 
tell-tales have asserted that this enient4 earcUaU 
did not last long, and that the absence of this 
kind, laughing, singing sister, soon became the 
most ardent wish of the tragedienne* Apropoi 
of this, the following little anecdote went the 
rounds. We give it as we find it in one of the 
periodicals of that day, without at all warranting 
its authenticity : 

^Sad news from our great /to^miiim— she 



•Wipppwffiw^^ 



MBMOIM ot nuflnk 



waSm ft«n two rnk— fanmolutis and h«r rirtw 
Sunk Dsn^ th« immdMM nnvml of tU 
gnattf mil mi^ ■BoUotaU bar Bonffitioa ud 
■Afd bw » bsUM> dwDM far fiito* nfitf froM 



ftuah woaU go to Fkrii is order to wakm aoao 
pusfaaiM tbsra. Hor notivi «m muimttaoit 

*"1*U aar« fomke tliM,* mi tho nplj of tlw 
dnoCMl ^rmnt— * ubImi I got IO,|OOOA>. to oo»> 
livrt BW ondv tbo ofiiotioD tk* ■^■ntioa will 



*■ Buhd thoaght tho griof mi^t bo a 
witb IcM — SanJi wu infl«zibl«. 

" ' HKTOi't I fomkea Amcrii t — refiuod o ■ploa- 
lUd ongftgement I Wu I not to ban manied a 
Touth, bandaonte, wealthy, of noUo birth* a do* 
KCDdant of WaabingtOD, who wai to ban aoted 
the OupiM$ at the Odeon I All tbeaa haro I 
■lighted for thy aake— care S0,000fr. wero bat 
poor con^>eiiMtion for the ■erifico of aooh ad- 
vantageal' * 

" ' You're killiog me,* cried poor Aachd, * take 
I5,000rr.' 

"'3O,00Ofr. or deaf«ra-ath/ stemly ropliea 
Sarah. The reault ia Dot jet known," 

Sarah's temper waa too irritable to qualify her 
for a compaoioa to ao inTatid, and aba waa not 
US 



Bi-»--"-T- .;• n-mm- 



292 HSMOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

periiaps able to keep that curb upon it long which 
immediate danger had rendered necessary. Symp- 
toms of returning health in one sister brought 
• symptoms of returning violence in the other. 

Numerous were the anecdotes for which the 
well-known peculiarities of Rachel's elder sister 
afforded some foundation. It is not likely that 
the punreyors of the daily press were very scru- 
pulous as to the veracity of the sayings and. 
doings they recorded of Mademoiselle Sarah. 
They probably often made their readers merry at 
her expense with stories entirely of their own in- 
vention. Her short sojourn in America after the 
departure of the other members of the company 
furnished matter for innumerable absurd reports, 
among which that of the approaching nuptials 
with the descendant of IVdshington was not the 
least laughable, being, moreover, firmly believed 
by many envious of the bride's good luck. 

Though apparently exclusively pre-occupicd 
with the care of her health she could not quite 
forget that of her pecuniary interests. She re- 
membered that as a societaire of the Thd&tre 
Franfais she was entitled to her full salary during 
her illness just as much as when in active service, 
and she wrote to prefer her claim. The demand 
was preposterousi and had it been put forward by 



MRyoiM or RAcnicL. S93 

anyone eke would hare been laughed at. Bat . 
the oonimittee was aocuftomed to the exactiona 
of thii despotic quecDi and kneff, moreorer, 
that their own deliberation wae a mere matter of 
formi she pkced no dependanee on the iame if 
left to their dcci«on ; ahe had more fitith in her 
influence in higher quartan than with the eook* - 
radea whom the grant of her claim would dee- 
poil of their earnings to defiraj her expenses 
while idle. 
The salary of a 9om(iair^ amounted to 12,000fr. 

Tcarlv. Maflemoisclle Rachel received 42|000fr. 
for nine months, during which, indeed, she seldom 
avcmgcd over three of actual service — and this 
large sum was allotted her in consideration of the 
eupcrioritjr of her talent and of its favorable in* 
fluence on the receipts of the house. This in- 
fluence, however, could not be alleged to be 
exercised during her sojourn in her congi on the 
Nile. 

The plea of past services was also subject to 
discussion. She had undoubtedly done good 
service to the cause of art, but that she had, as 
she asserted, made the fortune of the theatre, was 
contradicted by the unanswerable eloquence of 
figures. The ten performances given by her in 
one month produced some 40,000fr. — but on the 



294 HEM0IB8 OF RACHEL. 

.Other handi she entailed numberless expenses and 
disadvantages on the theatre, the exclusive atten- 
tion of the public being wholly engrossed by the 
great arHsie, reacted wofully on the nights she did 
not play ; everything that was not connected with 
her was looked upon with little iavor, a natural 
result of this was tlie discouragement of every 
other representative of tragic art; the confusion 
and dissensions her despotism occasioned in the 
management, her capricious etitries and sorties ; 
her brother, her sisters, forced on the committee ; 
her lawsuits, her free boxes and seats, her dressing- 
room, her costumes, were heavy charges to be de- 
ducted from the benefits,, and somewhat counter- 
balanced the receipts her presence brought into 
the treasury. 

Mademoiselle Rachel returned to Franco at the 
end of May, 1857. 

On board the steamer that was bringing her from 
Egypt there was a missionary bishop, Monseig- 
neur Ouillamum, with whom she frequently con^ 
versed Bachel had at all times the roost fasci- 
nating, winning mannerS| and now, to a man of 
that sacred character, the shadow of death within 
which he saw her stand, must have invested her 
with a deeper interest. 

%7hen the boat stopped at Mafta, the prelate 



MBMOiBS or SACnSL. 295 

took the opportunity to ny niMt in the chureh of 
Su John, in behalf of her who was on the brink 
of eternity. The object of his •c4icitude having 
known of hie pioua intention, re|)aired to tbo 
ehorch and heard him officiate. 

In his conTenaliona the |MreUto anxioualy ez- 
borted her to alter her oounc, and, instead of re- 
entering FraneCi to proceed to llonie and be bap- 
tiled by the Holy Father. To thia ehe objeeted» 
on the ecore of not being prepared to become a 
conrert : ^ beaideai** said she, after a few momenta* 
hesitation, ** people would say I was playing a 
|)art, and that it was done for cflfecty^I cannot*** 

She s|>cnt a |Mirt of the summer in the environs 
of Montpcllicr. While tlicrc it is probable that 
her thoughts recurred more than once to the poor 
recluse whom she hod visited in the prison of that 
city ten years before, and whose impending fate 
she had then so eloquently lamented* She, too, 
the once gay and brilliant favorite of fortune 
whom the sad, proud captive had probably then 
gazed upon with envy as well as admiration, was 
herself dying of that dreadful disease that hod in* 
spired her with such horror and commiseration, 
and to which she would have deemed sudden 
death by a " ball in the chest or a tile on the 
head some windy day far preferable I ** She, too^ 



S96 HSHOina OP HACHEI. 

was hastening to that unlcnown land whither the 
weoiy, worn, and vexed iplrit of her she had so 
pitied, and the joung, buoyant, and light-hearted 
sister she had so loved, had preceded her. 

Her son Alexander being on the point of going 
with his tutor to Geneva, where he was to finish 
his studies, Rachel hnetencd back to Paris on the 
night of the 23rd of June. Such was her anxiety 
to embrace her child that, weak and ill as she was, 
she would not consent to atop on the way, but 
came directly through. 

Of Bachel's two boys, the eldest, Alexandre, 
who has been acknowledged by his fether, a well- 
known diplomate, was a very handsome child 
when quite young. But, as he grew up, this 
very beauty, derived irom his close resemblance 
to his mother, became less suitable to his sex. 
The features and figure are so delicate, small, and 
feminine, that they Uck character, and will give 
an insignificant appearance to the man. 

Gabriel, the youngest child, was, when a baby, 
as plain as his brother was handsome, and for 
some little while considered an unwelcome ad- 
dition to the femily. Some one asking Rachel 
what she thought the second son would be ; 

" His brother's conchman," was the reply. 
' ' Tliis apparently onfeeling remark woa probably 



MBMOnS OP RACRBU 207 

made imther because she would not loao the oppor- 
tunity of anying what ahe eonaidered a amart thing, 
than becauae ahe thought it, aa ahe afVerwarda 
prored heraelf a kind nioUier to both her children. 

Siie had allowed the elder child to be the god- 
father of the jounger, and thia added link between 
the boja haa giren to the affection of Alexandre a 
character of paternal aolicitude that manifeata 
itaelf in the moat charming and graceful manner 
on every occaaion where hia little brother aeema to 
require hia aatfiatance or protection. He eonaidera 
himself his brother^s guardian. Unfortunately 
the elder has inherited his mother^s delicacy of 
constitution as well as her features. 

Gabriel, who nt first was clumsy in shape and 
wlioAe heavy features promised no beauty^ is be- 
coming a very good-looking boy ; years are de- 
veloping a fine athletic form, handsome limbs and 
an intelligent countcnimce. 

The children werci on account of the frequent ab- 
sence of the mother, under the exclusive care and 
surveillance of their gmndmother, until the elder 
was taken charge of by his father. Both were pUced 
at the bestschoolsy and no expense was spared in their 
education. But in other respects tlie greatest eco* 
nomy was observed; inall thatooncerncd theirdreaa, 
parsimony was carried to the utmost limits* 



298 HBUOIBS OF VACBXL,- 

Every article, hj mending, patching deuiiag, 
tuning Rod dying wu made to lost to the fiirthest 
▼ei;ge of rcBpeotalHlity. In a letter written to bis 
mother, who waa then in America, the elder lad 
Mudi 

" For all I keep telling grondmamma over and 
over again that you are to bring home 1^0U,000fir. 
abe wm't give me a new suit of obthee, and I 
baTe to wear the aame ihabby one." 

It appears that the mother gran ted the wiah, for 
•ome little whUe afW> and nt the time her coM 
fiwtened upon her, ahe jestingly alluded to the 
above passage in one of her own letters to the 
child: 

" You see, dear, how imprudent it was in me to 
go to the expence of 2£0fr, for your new suiL I 
have been taken ill, and now good bye to the 
l,20O,0O0fr.I" 

The elder lad was old enough to understand . 
the dangerous nature of his mother's illness, and 
manifested the most anxious solicitude to have cor* 
rect infomuttion on the subject of her health. 

Fearing the truth might be kept &om him hy 

his grandmother and aunts — he was probably 

aware of their system of negation on that subject — 

he would write to the &ithful Rose, adjuring her 

' to tell him exactly how bis dear mamma was. 




mMoiu or R&cnii. SM 

The loTO of ehango that had «etukt«d kcr 
throughout her life caumU hor to ohooee a new 
midence in Pftria when ahc returned firon Egjrpt^ 
ftltbough her hotel, rue Tnidon, and it* oontenta 
were yet unaold. Her new «parttnentB, "So. 9, 
Fbee RoyeJ, were moch more ipMiou than tboM 
of her own hotel, and the lialF-jcetinf^jt half-endl/ 
remarked that * there would be plenty of room 
for thoM who choM to attend her funeraL Hw 
nwumful prevision wa« not justified bj the event, 
for.witli the exception ortlicivdacceandpublicedi- 
ficeSi no building in Paris would have been spacious 
enough for the crowd that followed her renaios to 
their lost rostiog- place. 

The hotel in the Place Itojral had once pertained 
to the ancient family of Xicola^ and had been la> 
boljitcd by eminent magistrates and venenble 
chaaccllorv, one of whom was the Presideot 
Nicolai, the tutor of Voltaire. This had also been 
the last residence in Paris of the poet Victor 
Hugo. 




««dl 



300 



CHAPTER XIV. 
1857. 

ConeeAlmcnt of lUneM— Bulletins of Health Read on the Stage 
— Moll — Nicholet's Monkey- Acton — Departure for Cannet 
— Mclaneholj Pilgrimago— Cannes — Villa at Cannet— 
The Dream — Variations in Health and Spirits — Farandoles 
—Sister Sarah*— Raphael and the Cross— Last Autograph— 
Hebrew Prajer — Death — ^Funeral — Tente aprH Dins. 

Thb state of the tragidiennifM health prohibit- 
ing her remaining in Paris during the winter^ 
Cannet was the residence selected by her medical 
advisers. 

A singular circumstance connected with the 
illness of Kachel was the doubt so long entertained 
b/ the public as to its dangerous nature. This 
proceeded not onl/ from a long experience of her 
propensity to feign illness, but also from the care 
with which her relatives concealed the real state 
of her health. When her indispositions were 
for her own convenience those around her pro- 
claimed them; when there was real cause for 



MBM01B8 or RACHKL. 301 

mUrm thcj were no lose anzioua to conceal it. 
Rachers influence wmt bdispcntaUe to her name- 
roui banger»-on ; to long um the livedi there was a 
prt9iig€ attached to all belonging to her, and that 
pr€$iif€ was increaied or le«eened bm the danger 
of losing her became more or Ices imminent 

A witty j^Mma/tf^^i referring to the position of 
Rachel in her own familj and to the degree of 
dramatic talent poeecMcd bj tome of the other 
members of it, said he was reminded of a diUi* 
tanii kaUiue of the Opera, who, during the over- 
ture of ^ Robert le Diable,** beat the time very 
AMidiioutly. His neighbor in the next stall, see- 
ing thi« philharmonic enthusiasm, and dooming 
that he might possibly have the honor of touching 
the elbow of Meyerbeer himself, at last ventured 
to say : 

'' You are a musician, sir T ** 

^ Not exactly, but I have a brother who owns 
a musical snuff box I * 

In the Felix family, added the narrator. Made- 
moiselle Rachel was the owner of the musical 
snufT box, and its name was La Tragidie. 

Rachel herself did not scruple to jest on the 
manner in which she was erpioitie for the general 
benefit of her kith and kin, and most willingly 
permitted of it. Some one remonstrating with 




I* 

5 



MBMOIB8 OF BACHEL. 



her on the oocasion of her American trip, the 
laughingly replied : 

^ Raphael is the wandering Jew, and I am his 
five sons.** 

Madame Felix, accompanied by a young rela* 
tivCi was met on the Boulevards within a day .or 
two of her daughter's death, by a person who 
enquired how the tragedienne was. The young 
relative was thoughtlessly replying that the last 
news was very bad and that little hope remained| 
.'l| ' when the elder lady, hastily interrupting her, said 

it was quite a mistake ; Rachel was much better I 
' During the last centuryi when any favorite of 
the theatre-going public was ill, it was customary 
for one of his or her comrades to give the bulletin 
of the absent one's health to the audience every 
evening. On such occasions the spectators fre- 
quently testified an interest highly flattering to its 
object Sometimes, however, these tokens of sym- 
pathy were so exaggerated that they excited the 
ridicule of less passionate admirers. Thus, 
when Moli the celebrated comedian, was kept 
firom the stage by a severe and protracted illness, 
the report of his physician, which was read nightly, 
drew firom the audience, and more especially from 
the feminine portion of it, the most absurd de- 
monstrations of feeling. 



!i 



MBXOIBfl OF BACHBL. 803 



That there is but a step from the tuUime to 
the ridieuloua is most frequently exemplified in 
France, where criticMm is erer on the alert and 
humour ala-ajs in aearch of a auIgeeU Naoolet, 
tlie manager of the little house now known aa the 
Thdltre <le la Gaitc, parodied the ecenee of a11/ 
enthusiasm that took place at the Thtttre Fran- 
fais bj giving nightly bulletins of the health of 
one of his best actorS| a fiiTonte monkey then 
ill. 

The public of the present day carry to such an 
extreme the love of fun and the propensity to 
criticism that it was quite as well, perhaps, that 
no attempt was made to revive the old custom on 
the occasion of the trngiditnne^B illucss. 

The 15th of September was the day fixed for 
her departure. There arc in our lives solemn and 
decisive moments, when the veil that conceals 
futurity is drawn a^idc and our souls are per* 
mittcd a glance into the arcana of fi&te. We are 
filled with vngue instincts, with secret aspirations 
which we cannot account for then, but of which the 
mystery is solved by subsequent events. At 
times, for an absence wo design shall be but tem- 
porary only, wo dwell on the farewell as though 
we were conscious the parting was to be eternal ; 
It others we are tormented by an irresistible 



304 MEMOIRS OF RACHEL. 

longing to revisit places towards which some 
superhuman power impels us. Rachel was under 
the influence of some such occult and inexplic- 
able inspiration during the night that preceded 
her departure for the South of France. Her 
sleep was of short duration, and although nothing 
required she should rise early, tormented by an 
anxious wish to see once more a spot associated 
with the most memorable events of her life, she 
was dressed long before the dawning of the tardy 
autumnal day. To those who remonstrated on 
her early rising she peremptorily replied she had a 
pilgrimage to perform before she left Paris, and 
that her family could meet, and take leave of her 
at the station. 

From her residence in the Place Royale, which 
she was never to re-enter alive, she drove, passing 
by the Gymnase, to the Th6&tre Franfais, and 
ordering the carriage to stop before it, remained 
long gazing at the house that had been the scene 
of her first deb^ and of fifteen of the most brilli- 
ant years of her career. God only knows what 
her reflections were, as mute and absorbed in 
thought, she contemplated the doors which she 
had entered poor, timid and unknowui to leave 
rich, proud and celebrated. When first she had 
crossed yon threshold she possessed none .of 



UEUOIRS OF RACHEL. 




Voitimtf* IprtB, but she •was full of hope, of llTo 1 
NoWi A» Wfta rich in oil the world prizefi,' but her 
cnp of life was nearly empty, uul, for her hopes, 
tiMf wore fitint indeed I 

A fiiflod nt \ast roused her from the meditations 
IB wUeh) n^ardlcss of the hour, ehe was indulg- 
ing Mid hurried her olf. She leaned her head out 
dF Att window as long as the building remained 
m«gfat Wbra ilienwjlMd tlw station ifae^oka 
bnt litdc^ bidding, with n nd aaule onlj, lAat 
proved to manj of the fiiotda mwemMed ther^ n 
Ustedieu, She wsa carried in a chair fixwa the 
station to the railway carriage^ for she was no 
loDgcr able to walk. 

Cannes, a small town of the Department du 
Ver, is, or rather should be, the Nice of France. 
If England owned a spot so prodigally endowed 
with all the advantages Nature can bestow, a 
beautifiil town would long ago have been boUt on 
those smiling margins. 

Cannes, situated in a reeeea of one of the most 
charming bays of the Irfeditenaneao, and abeltered 
by the surrounding highlands, is a sort of natural 
conservatory where reigns a perpetual spring and 
where the most delicate valetudinariani find, 
during the severest winters, a sky ever clear and 
Btild, a balmy atmosphere and the perpetual ema> 

VOL. IL X 



^\-- 



*1 

4 



306 MEMOIB8 OF RACHEL. 

nations of flowered-covered fields. Flowers are 
cultivated in that district as grain and fodder are 
elsewberci and fields of violets, of roses, of helio- 
tropesy instead of wheat, oats and clover, supply a 
I I large proportion of the perfumery used in both 

I hemispheres. The Isles of St. Margueritte, which 

it might not be impossible to unite to each other 
b/ moans of a dyke, close the entrance to the Bay 
of Cannes, and protect it against storms. The 
railway of Toulon to Nice, which touches at 
Cannes, and makes it easy of xiccess, will, in all 
probability, ^ve to this privileged town the de- 
^ I velopment to which it is in so many respects en- 

titled. 



I 






'J ■ 

(III I At the present day, however, Cannes of itself 



i; 



I 

! 



offers but few comforts and attractions to strangers. 
Those who visit it are drawn thither by the pretty 
villas built in the adjoining valleys, or on the 
charming heights that surround it, by foreign 
residents. Lord Brougham has for many years 
owned a delightful residence here, and the picture 
esque and splendid chateau of Lord Lowndes- 
borough is worthy of note. 

It is only in a villa that anything like comfort 
can be obtiuned by an invalid, but it is very diffi-* 
cult to procure one, as the owners have built them 
for their use, and usually reside in them with 



mMOIW or EACBBL. 



307 






1 

( 
I 



their fiunilm. It it Mldom that one am bo 
rented. 

The retreat that sheltered Raehd*t last dajs 
was not in Canneis ' but in Cannet, a little Tillajipe 
in the environs, of rerj difficult access. The road 
to it is from Cannes, and so extremely steep and 
rugged that at one point it is altogether impmcti* 
cable to carriages and horses. The risitor to the 
rilla of %L Sardou, where Rachel receiTed so 
generous a hospitalityi is obliged to walk, or be 
carried » through the rsTines and Tallejs which 
forbid its approach ; and, when he has reached the 
goal, ho finds difficulties of anotlicr nature are yet 
to be surmounted before he can enter it. 

The house, spacious, beautifully situated in an 
orange-grove and well guarded from the wind, is 
singularly constructed. The main building has no 
staircase, consequently the door affords an entrance 
to the ground-floor only. To reach the upper- 
etory one muAt enter the IcfV-hand turret, ascend 
the stairs to the second-floor, cross a bridge con- 
necting with another turret, descend one pair of 
stairs in that turret, and cross another bridge, 
which finally leads into the upper-stories of the 
house itself. 

The owner of this pretty villa, M. Sardou, for- 
merly of the Grand Opera, placed it at Mademoi* 



^ A 



308 MEH0IB8 OF BACHEL. 

selle Rachers disposal^ positively refusing any rc« 
muneration, while M. Mario Ncehardi the author 
of *' La Fiammina,'' by whom it was then inhabi- 
tatedj as courteously gave it up to her. No more 
favorable situation could possibly have been 
chosen, and the interior of the house was fitted up 
in a style that bore witness to the ownec's taste 
for the fine arts. 

M. Sardou had been the intimate friend of the 
sculptor David (of Anglers) and many of that 
artist's works ornamented the rooms. In the best 
chamber-— a spacious one with high snow-white 
walls, adorned with friezes and sculptures in the 
antique style — the bedstead was also white, and 
seemed carved of stone. At the foot of the bed 
was a statue of the Grecian Polhymmia, wearing 
on its marble features an expression of intense 
sadness ; attired in long sweeping robes that had 
a funeral aspect, she leaned on a pedestal that re- 
sembled a tomb-stone. This figure, which gave 
the beholder the idea of a mourner sorrowing over 
a grave, made so painful an impression that it was 
immediately removed* 

But as in the life of every great public cha- 
racter there must always be some remarkable pre- 
diction or wonderful dream shadowing forth the 
coming event previous to some great crisis, the 



' < 



MRMOIRS OP BACmU 309 

following u nid to hare occasioned the horror 
with which the £nt siglitof her dormitory at Cannet 
filled tlie mind of the trag^tiiemne. 

After the performance on the 8th of July, 1852, 
before an audience of kings and princes, who had 
ftdmired and complimented her to her heart*a 
content, she had retired to bed in a Mate of 
feverish excitement. 

That night she had a fearful dream. 

A gianfs hand, burning like fire, heavy as lead, 
covered her chest, crushing it despite all her 
cflTortd to rid hcrecif of the dreadful weight. She 
dream* d that awaking with the excruciating pain, 
»hc found herself in a room that was not the one 
she had retired to, in a bed that was not the one 
•ho hod fallen asleep in ; the room wai spacious, 
its tall walls were white, and near the bed was a 
prie-dicu of white marble, over which hung a 
marble figure. 

A voice that seemed to belong to the in- 
viable body under whose visible hands she 
was writhing, uttered several times these 

words: 
*' Thou shalt die here under my hand I— thou 

shalt die here under my hand I " 

The aspect of the chamber at the Villa Sardou 

was certainly sufficient to convey a melancholy 



■ m 



310 HEH0IB8 OF RACHEL. 

impreasion to one so ill| and no dream was needed 
to account for it 

Her health continued for some time to fluc- 
tuate capriciously, but during these alternations 
she daily waxed weaker. One day she would 
declare herself much betteri the next she would be 
in a state of complete prostraUon. These physical 
variations necessarily reacted on the nenresi and 
her humor varied accordingly. 

In the beginning, and while she could still find 
eneigy for any kind of employment| she would 
beguile time doing such work as required 
no particular attention or nicetyi and con- 
stantly desired Rose to give her ''more towels 
to hem.** 

When she felt able she received a few friends, 
and, when forbidden to speak, listened to their 
chat, or played at cards, always her favorite pas- 
time. 

One day, when she was in the enjoyment of one 
of those occasional moments of '^ feeling quite 
well agMn,* with which treacherous consumption 
deludes the victims it has irretrievably condemned 
— gleams of sunshine that render the succeeding 
gloom more terrible— she manifested a desire to 
go down into the garden* She was immediately 
carried there^ and the peasants of the neighbor* 



UEU0IR3 OF BACnCL. 



311 



liocxl Imving assembled, danced for her amtuement 
their provcnzol dances, called Ferandolc& But 
poor Rftclicl was sustained but' by a momcDtarj' 
and feverish excitement, her spirits fell aa rapidly 
na they had risen ; she could not bear even tbcse 
innocent amusements long ; a spnsm came on that 
put an end to the improvised ^f«, and the acton 
stole off like the performers in a comic opera* 
scene, nilh hushed tread and finger on Up, aston- 
ished, frightened, and saddened. 

During her sojourn at Cannet, Rachel was at- 
tended by M. Maure, former representative in 
both assembiiea of the Republic, and a nephew of 
the eloquent conventionalist, Isnard. The Medical 
talent of M. Maure was thought much of in all 
Provence, but when the danger increased her own 
phyufuan was aent (or from Paris ; human skill waaj 
however, powerioas, the disease was too deeplj 
rooted. 

Her denre to live was intense ; the nearer she 
approached to death the more despairingly she 
clung to the life that was escaping her. Her 
docility to her phyatdana was implicit; ahe 
followed to the letter every preacription, 
obeyed every hint, asking but to Uve, to 
live, to lire I 

Her aafieriogs were esbteme and ahe must hare 



312 



UEHOIRS OF RACHEL. 



often thought of her sister Rebecca's exclamation 
under similar circumstances : 

'^ Oh, 6od| must one suflfer thus to die ! " 
The tragedienne endured patiently, sustained by 
the hope that she would survive all pain, and she 
had every consolation that friendship could bring, 
every comfort that wealth could purchase. Her 
sister Sarah never left her for a moment, and, as we 
have already said, although the creature of im- 
pulse and ungovernable in her fits of passion, 
whenever there was imminent danger she was ex- 
tremely kind and attentive. Sarah was the only 
member of her father's family present when the 
last sad hour came. 

The tie between Rachel and Sarah was closer 
than that which bound them to the other sisters. 
Between these two there was less distance of 
time, they had known poverty and want together, 
they had grown up in evil days, of which Leah, 
and more especially DInah| had little remembrance. 
There were, perhaps, other and far more 
serious motives on Rachel's side for the prefer- 
ence shown for Sarah, in whose friendship 
she had trusted on occasions of difficulty and 
danger. 

Rebecca had at one time been the favorite 
sister of the tragedienne, but when she died there 



MSHOIBS or ■JtaiEI. 313 

WM too {treat a diapuit/ of ago to permit oC 
either of the other giria taking her plaoe. 

Raphael, being the only brother, was satuiallj 
a fiivoritc, but Rachel ctpociallj wat alwaja di^ 
potcd to treat him with unbounilcd indulgCDev. 
An anecdote, related bj herMlf, proves that in 
early citililliood she exercised no small degree of 
influence orer him. 

Little Rachel had seen, among the paltry gew 
gaws, gilt chun«, pinchbeck ring*, neeklacci^ Ac., 
ctpoaed for sale, in open cases, by a neighbor, 
a trinket she covettcd exceedingly — the article 
that had so much attfactcd the notice of the child 
uf I«mcl was, strange to taj, a ctomI Without, 
pcrliajw, any rcrj definite idea of the difference 
between mrum and tuuin, but actuated by the im- 
pulse that has led many bctter-cchoolcd and highcr- 
bom children, she conimissioncd her little brother 
to dtcnl thid cross. The proprietor of the dese- 
crated STnibol, having found out who was the 
thief) carried his complaiot to the parents, who 
were very indignant. The charge being clearly 
made ouc, condign punishment was administered 
to the culprit. Though very severely beaten, the 
boy maintained a Spartan silence with n^rd 
to his accomplice, never attempting to plead 
the extenuating circumstances of having operated 




314 11BMOIB8 OP R1.CBBI.: 

for another. Aa for Bachel, she used to say she 
aeTer would forget her feelings wbeo she saw her 
little brother hauled about by the hair and whipped 
for dung her bidding. Fright, however, loft no 
room for magnanimity, and she did not confess her 
participation in the sin ; but she learned a lesson 
that was of no small Talue— she was taught the 
consequences of stealing, and what another child 
acquires with years, she did in an hour. She was 
wont to remark that, when very young, the pro- 
pensity to steal was strong in her, but that this 
incident had cfibctUAlly cured her. 

She had a great passion for gambling, and, 
when surrounded by her fiimily and intimate 
friends, was always getting up some game, even 
if it was but the child's play of bto. She was 
not very scrupuloua in her play, cheaUng wlien- 
ever she got a chance, perfectly delighted when 
she won a few francs, and quite out of temper if 
she lost insignificant sums. Yet, after mani- 
foaUng the utmost vexation and ill humour because 
she had lost a few francs, if Raphael came in with 
some plausible reason for wanting a couple of 
thousand, she would give them without hesita- 
tion. 

During her last illoess her children were with 
ber; the eldest aocompanied by his tutor, and the 




miioiBi or KACHBi. 316 

youngest hiviog been Mst from hit coll^ of St. 
Bube, at ber requot^ to etaj with ber. 

Her mother wm not witb ber wben abe died, 
though the hod rcnuuncd with her aome time pre> 
vioua to the last momenta. Bacbel, actuated bj 
the eapriciona impuUe which MOMtiinca led ber to 
do the DKMt unexplainaUa tlungt, uuiated peremp- 
torily, a few day* before ber death, that Madame 
Felix abould reluro to Paris and attend to •oiae 
buaineaa for her. She aeemed, iodeod, to wiab 
all her relatirct awaj, with the exception of 
Saiah. 

Hot were tlioec who had been friend* and ad- 
miren of tlic gny and brilliant trag^mn» forget- 
ful of her when, wasted by diaeaM and swldeoed 
by the prospect of a[>proacbiag diuolution, abo 
could no longer minister to their amusement or 
gratify Uieir vanity. Prince Xapoleon, wben at 
kUrsciUca, made an excursion to Cannet and 
visited the poor invalid, who was deeply moved 
hy this proof of his Imperial Highness' land re* • 
membrancc. She couM no longer ait up, but the 
wi«h to appear to advantage atill ruled the heart 
whoae beats were numbered. To receive the visit 
with which she was to be honored she bad caused 
herself to be drcsaed in an elegant quilted wbit« 
silk pngwtir; a profusion of rich lace concealed tha 



r. 



316 UBHOIBS OF BACHEL. 

emaciated neck and wrists, and a pretty morning 
cap shaded the pale checks. 

Another kind heart, whose sympathy she had 
less reason to expecti M. Legouv^t the poet, with 
whom she had had the lawsuit in 1853| hastened 
from Paris expressly to offer her this last proof 
of friendship. The breach| hpropos of ^Meddci* 
had recently been made up. A short time before 
her death Rachel had dictated a charming letter 
to the poet| in answer to which ho had gone to 
sec her. He arrived within four days of the one 
that proved her last, and wh^ no one could be 
admitted. ^ 

After having clung so despairingly to life, as 
the term approached she would at times speak 
of it calmly, though in reality her hopes were 
never quite ".xtinguished. A week before her death 
she admitted a stranger of distinction to see her, 
and seemed gratified with the sympathy he ex- 
pressed. To the never-failing request for her au* 
tograph, she replied : 

'' Ah| you do well to ask for it now, it will soon 
betookteP 

She then wrote on a sheet of paper : 

^In a week from now I shall begin to be food 
for worms, and for writers of biographies/' 
^RACHaL.** 



• l 



S17 



• • 



Th« Tittlor» ahoeked at to 
pAlioo, wiihod to deeliM tht ratQf{n^ bat Am 
pwliid it towardi lum^ MJiBgt 

«Tdn it, takt it, it will, ftAmp^ U tht ImI 
tking I ahall erw write.** 

On tht SSod of I>eeeBiber» tht did writt^ 
tliough with great diffimltj, t letter to t macj 
diftingui«lied peiMiMige» tad dated it Jaaoeij let 
1858, aeeountiag Ibr her eo doiiig^ ia theet 
words: 

"> I poet-date thk letter • • • • I foal 
IS though the dolhg eo will laake me live till 

And she did outlive her date, though but for 
three days. 

From a letter writtea to M. Sardou, the pro- 
prietor of the house in which she died| by a friend 
who was then present, we borrow .the following 
interesting account of her last moments. 

^ I had felt the approach of the fatal event on 
Fridaji January 1, when we exchanged the com- 
pliments of the New Year ; Rachel embraced us 
wltli MO much feeling it was evident that in her own 
mind she anticipated the eternal adieux* Doctor 
Ueigonier had, however, assured me we might yet 
expect life would be prolonged a few days. 

On Saturday nothing particular oooarred. 



318 UEMOiaS OF RACHEL. 

Bachel remained, as U8ual| plunged in a sort of 
stupor, the eiTect of excessive debility, and from 
which she was now, at intervalS| roused by fits of 
excessive pain, after which she would again fall 
asleep. Toward midnight she awoke quite calm, 
as though out of a long sleep, and chatted fami- 
liarly with those around her bed. She desired to 
write to her father, but had not strength to finish. 
The letter she was dictating contained her last 
requests, but violent spasms of pain compelled her 
to cease for the time. She remained in a state of 
complete prostration, and with infinite trouble was 
made to swallow a little sustenance from time to 
time. 

At eleven o'clock Sunday morning the expecto- 
ration had become so difficult that it was feared 
she would choke ; an unexpected effort having . 
relieved her, calm succeeded to this crisis. Rachel 
then expressed a wish to finish the letter to her 
father ; she dictated to the end, read it all over, 
and then exclaimed : 

^My poor Rebecca, my dear sister, I am 
going to see thee I I am indeed happy I * 

She then added a few words to the letter, 
ngned it, and appeared to {all asleep. This state 
lasted several hours. 

Sarah had, up to this moment, hesitated to call 



M&MOIII8 OF RACHEL. 



3i9 



iaidigioa>asdistancc;tlie words Uttered by Rachel 
1 her, and she dci<pntc)icd a telegraphic 
I to the ConaUtory of Nice, which iinnifr- 
SmUij Mttt ten persona, men and women. They 
Mncivad tomrds eight o'clock, but they wero not 
iaimdaoed for some tiaic in the chamber, lest tlio 
Mglrtof Uun ehould cause Hachcl too great a shock. 
At tflo oUcick there was uoolhcr fit like that of 
dw mntniBg, which alarmed all the house. This 
th* doetan eoid would be the lust ; aad the mcm- 
ban of tha Consistory wore BUiumoncd. Ttro 
womea and an old man approached the bed and 
began to aing in Hebrew a paalm, b^inaing : 

■■ AMcnd to Ood, dughtor «f ImtL' 

Kachel turned her hca calmly towards the 
ungers. 

" BchoM, Iiord, lb« kgoaj ofTbj hmndnuid ; pi^ bar nf- 
feringi; •boiWa ber ptUBi, mj God, aad let tboM iba «odaiw 
redeem hciwul 

" In the nuae of Tli; \vn, Cod of Itrael. dslircr bar wml 
■he ai|>im to retora to Tbe^ break the boodi tb«t biad bar M 
dut and rafler ber to anaar befoia Tb7 {loij." 

The ooantenance pi Baohel seemed illumined 
by celestial light ; the singers continued : 

"Tbe Lord raigoetb, ibe Lord bat migacd, ibe Lcrd wlQ 
rdga aToijwben aad lor ararmon I 
"BloMeJ. a ^ M jwlww aad br srar, ba lb« aasM of Hia |^ 




320 UEltOIBS OF RACHEL. 

■ Th« Etarnn] Ona U God I (unn timttj. 

" Liilcn, ImeL the F.lcrnNl, our Ood, ibe Etemal i« one. 

"Go, then, whilber ibe Lori c*tlethThm. Oo, ftnd tnaj 
IIU marc; ■niit thee. Maj the EtenuU, our God, be vitb 
The*; mar Hi* immortal angeli gaida thee to bearen; and 
ma; the rigbteou rejoice when the Lord roMivelh tbee in 
Ilia boMM I ' 

"Oud of OUT father*, rcTirelnThjmere; tbufonl that goeth 
ta Thu ] Bnite tt to Iboiie of the holj |»triareh% untd the 
ciamal Joji of ih« heavonl; Faradue 1 Amea.' 

liachet preeaed Sarah's hand, sad expired with 
a emile upon her lips. 
And the ungen said : 
•■ Blewed ba th« Jadg« of Tnrth I" 

All present were moved hj the tokens of 
Iieavenljr gntco Rachel had manifested. It cannot 
be doubted that Itoohcl died with the hope of 
another life. 

Until now I h»d doubted this faith of hers, 
wliich) perhaps, wns not -definite and tiv<t from 
doubt until the hut solcroo moment. However, 
I must confess that I had already heard her utter 
words of religious hope on the occasion of a solemn 
act of her life, which took place on the 15th of last 
December. 

But, though she was, to all outward appearance 
dead, life was not in reality extinct for some time 
after the fatal news had been telegraphed to Iter 
relatives in Paris. The syncope that preceded 



MXM0IB8 OF SACHXL. 



321 



i* 



death bore eo much reeembknoe to it that eren 
the ph jeiciana were doeeived bj it. The one who 
WM to embalm the body fimcacd he ^eoerned a 
slight beating of the arterj of the neck. A mir- 
ror held to the lips showed no sign of breath, bot 
there was an almost imperoepdble motion of the 
heartj which did not cease for some hoars. 

Rachel had died without a sigh. Ofallhern- 
laUvcs Sarah, who had not left her noce her do* 
parture from Paris, was the onlj one present at 
tlic last scene* Rose, the faithful maid, who had 
attended her for twenty years, and decked her for 
many a triumph, smoothed the pillow under the 
death-pale cheek. The doctor, the Rabbi of Nice, 
and ten members of the Consistory were the other 
persons present So calm and beautiful were the 
festurcs after death that a photograph was taken 
of tbcm. 

The body was embalmed and taken to Paris for in- 
tcnncnt When the bier passed through Marseilles 
the Rabbi and Consistory of that city came to the 
station and said prayers over the body, after 
which the coffin was raised by the members and 
carried to the railway carriage* 

Though every token of respect was paid thus 
publicly to the remains of this celebrated woman, 
though they were brought to Paris, with all the 

VOL. II. r 



822 UBlfOiaS OF RACHEL. 

earoi the pomp of woe, that monej could procurci 
a delay, occasioned, as already related, by the 
fiust that death did not really take place at the 
time it was supposed, gave rise to the most absurd 
reports. The story ran that to avoid expense the 
body had been put into a common deal packing- 
case, and sent to the railway to be forwarded to 
•Paris as merchandise, that in accordance with this 
•denomination it had been stowed away in the 
luggage van, but on the arrival of the tnun at the 
Lyons station, to the amazement of all, the case 
was missing I Who could have had any induce- 
ment to commit so sacrilegious a thed ? None 
but a lover, of coursCi consequently it must have 

been M • He had been her first love. After 

a rupture that had lasted years, during which 
each had sought consolation elsewhere, the 
breach had been healed, the friendly intercourse 
.resumedi the tie cemented anew. Rachel had no 
sooner undertaken the transatlantic excursion 
that had proved so fatal than she longed 
to return to Europe. To the addresses of new 
admirers she replied by shewing the portrait of 

M * On her arrival in France, she had, 

with her sister Sarah, been on a visit at his 
country residence, and when her health sent her 
to Egypt, she had been followed thither by her 



mifOIBS or RACHEL. S23 

fiiithfiil frieod. M wis largely bterMted in 

the LjroDS nilwmj, end could eeeilj poeteee 
himeelf of the eeee that contained all that re- 
mained of her he had loTed* The object of the 
theft was to bter the precious remains in his own 
groundsi and erect there a monument orer which 
he might mourn unseen bj profime cjes. 

The arriral of Sarahi accompanjiog the re- 
mains, at last sQenccd the indefatigable news- 
mongers, and the funeral obsequies were per- 
formed according to the Jewish ritcS| in the Is- 
raelite dirision of the cemetery of Pore La Chaise. 
The hearse was preceded by the Grand Rabbi of 
the Jc\^nsh Consistory of Paris, and followed by 
the father, brother, and youngest boy, as chief 
mourners. The ribbons were held by MM. 
Alex. Dumas (the elder) Auguste Maquet, 
Chairman of the Society of Dnunatic Authors, 
M. GcfTroy, societaire of the Thdltre Franfais, 
and Baron Taylor. 

Notwithstanding the inclemency of the wea- 
ther the crowd was immense. Perhaps no dra- 
matic artist was ever followed to the grave by so 
numerous a ccrthgi of distinguished writers. 
Among these illustrious were MM. Scribe, 
Alphonse de Vigny, St. Beuve, Emilie Augier, 
Legouv^ Viennet, and other members of the 

t2 



324 1IKHOIR8 OP RACHEL. 

Academy ; MM. Camillc Doucet from tho 
Ministire d*Etat; M. Emile de Girardin; 
MM. Ilalevyi Alex. Dumosi Auguste Barbicr. 
Fiorentino, &fario Nehaud| Ara6ne HouAcayei 
LouU de Satisbonne, Latour de St. Ybars, 
Michel Lcvy^ and the managers of the Parisian 
theatres. The majority of the artisies of the 
Grand Operai Th<^tre Franfais, Opera Comique, 
&c.» &c.| were also there. 

Funeral omtions were spoken by MM. Jules 
Janin, Auguste l^Iaquet, and Bataille. 
' The public testimony the Rabbi's words af- 
forded that the tragedienne had died in the faith 
of the people was probably introduced in his 
discourse on account of the reports circulated that 
in her heart at least, she was a Catholic, in cor- 
roboration of which it was asserted that during 
her last illness she had constantly worn on her 
bosom an image of the Virgin, and that so long 
as she had strength to read anything, her favo- 
rite book had been the '^ Imitation.'' How far 
this was true it is difficult to say, as Sarah was 
too staunch a Jewess not to conceal from every 
eye any such manifestations of apostacy if they 
had existed. Rachel herselfi even, at the last 
hour, gave no positive indication of a preference 
for any particular ereed, not even of the one she 



^m 



MBHOIBS or lUt'llEL. 3tS 

WM bora in, uul of whidi ihe lud Dover been » 
•iriot obKTTcr. 

Uut wbtla Ml nunjr mm, ranking high in tb« 
difl«rent brenclm of literuluro uid nrt, liad luu- 
tcnoil to icMify, by tlicir procncc, iho lou Mi*- 
taincil bjr the cltufio ilmnui, llio altwnce of oiu) 
wbcisc jiUcc BO oihvr cnitU fill wiw noticed with ' 
MirpriM. M. Saa«on, tlw prorisaor wbow IcMon* 
duriog ta auuty ycnn bad mi bu^ly contributed 
to tho ■uccou of Madcmoiwilc lUdicl, uid who 
wu expected, M tlic rcprcKCiitativc of ilia 
Couwiijo Fnutfou, lu luiTO proauuuccd bcr funnrst 
onttioot WM not OTen prMont *t tlio barU. Tba 
n»Moa 9000 becwue pabUo. On tho pravMNW 
Sftturdaj, U. Emfn*, tho tnftuger of the Comidie 
Fnofut, kkd rooeiTod ft lottor fram U. Folix, 
MB^ tho purport of wbieh waa that ho hoped aocoo 
one would spoftk, in tbo nuno of tho oompuij^ at 
tho intorment of hit dai^tor^ of^tointod to t>k« 
pUco on tho following Mondajr, but at the 
nine timo peremptoriljr r^jooting U. Suuoa h the - 
ontor. 

The letter having boon oommuDicatod to tho 
a9ciiiair«$, thia expresuon of hoatilitj towards a 
oomrade who waa lored and eatoemed hj all* wa^ 
TOTf properi/ rcoentod, and it waa reoolTod that 
BO OM ahould take the place of bin whom merit 



* 1. 

• j 

* I 



t: 



326 



MEMOIRS OP RACHEL. 



and priority of standing in the company entitled 
to represent it 

Thus it was fi&ted that dissensions and petty 
quarrels should accompany her career even 
beyond the grave. 



|i 



\ 






I 

1 




APPENDIX. 



It mighl kara been tnppOMd diftt lb* curtain bmd 
dropptd over Um doting moim, wid Oui tha lut Fnach 
m^MftoMi lutd beon UA lo rest in tha tomb baUowad 
bf Um memory of goniui. Not to. Sovnljr tbrM 
monihi had elH[)9ed tineo aha was kid in her grava 
when her name, placarded all o*cr Paris, odco mora 
called the public, when tho curtain waa ooco more 
raited. Tliit time the after-picce acted waa udder 
than vij trage«)7 in which aba had, living, borne a 
part : it wa* enlided " Venta Aprea Dccci de Mada- 
moiaelU Raclicl." The onljr articlea it bad baan thought 
naccaaaiy to apecif; in thaaa noticea wera tha dimm 
and^Mc tn'iwf. 

The traijalunne had been, througliout her career, the 
■ta^ and chief support of her father's family. She had 
been eiptoitet for their benefit as much as for her own, 
to the last grnsp, nnd now that she was dead it occumd 
to the children of Israel that something more might be 
made out of her remaina. The ipoib were to be di< 
vided, and, aa it it not the custom in these dcgenarala 
dajt to cast lota for the raiment of the dead, ban waa 
put up at auction. 
Great ingeauitj was exerted in order to make tha 



ii APPENDIX. 

most of the prestige attached to eyerything that had 
belonged to Rachel. Eveiy article was classed and a 
number of catalogues were distributed all over the 
eountiy. The sale was pompouslj announced, and 
priyate and public exhibition-dajrs appointed with all 
the ceremonial otsergenii de vUU to guard the treasures 
and eheranes to explain them. 

The show was a sad one. The things that had be- 
come identified with the mistress whom thej had con- 
tributed to adorn and beautify, that with her had had 
their home sacred and inviolate, were now but so manjr 
goods and chattels, inventoried, catalogued, numbered, 
readj to come under the hammer, thence to be scat- 
tered abroad in eveiy direction. 

In one room, on tables, were displayed the ornaments 
and properties pertaining to each character; the 
damaskeened corslet, the casque and gauntlets of Joan 
of Arc; the gem-hilted poinard otBaxane; the Egyp- 
tian diadem of CUopdtri; and the cameos of Phidrt; 
the tiaras and sceptres of the royal dames the tragSdi' 
enne had evoked from their lethargic sleep, and that 
now had died with her who had personified them so 
welL Against the walls were arranged the theatrical 
costumes. On a near inspection it was evident that 
the dresses were made of the most costly materials ; 
but, as they hung Uiere, lank, limp and shapeless, empty 
of the lithe form that had given such classic grace to 
their folds, such queenly dignity to their sweeping 
trains, the rich vestures gave the place the appearance 
of a costumier's show-room. 

Had they voices what disdosuret those embroidered 



APmoix. 



III 



bodioMi ihoM jew«Ued erownt mighl mak% of Um pM- 
•ioiuite working* of tho heart thej had eovored, tho 
brmin ihcj had ondrdod 1 IitUo» boweror, did tho 
earelcM crowd troubU itaoir with Mch ooiyeeturM aa 
itpawod akMig« commontiiig od all it aaw and on all it 
had heard, on the probable ralue of the gew-gawa and 
on the errors of her who had worn them. 

In another room were arranged the plate and real 
jewels, the latter in show cases much after the manner 
in which those of some crowned heads wers seen at the 
two great Exhibitions in London and Paris, and reallj 
almost as worth j admiration. The imperial and rojal 
gifts, each recording some triumph of which it had been 
the brilliant reword, were placed conspicuously. 

The libniy, though not extensive, was raluaUle, inas- 
much as manj of the books, having been presented bv 
the autliore, Hugo, Lamartine, Ponsord, Emile Auper 
and others of the most admired modem poets, contained 
their autographs, and, in some cases, complimentar)r 
yenes addressed to the tragediemms. Among the works 
of the theatrical repertory were tragedies with altera- 
tions, additions and remarks in the handwriting of 
Talma, to whom ihcj had belonged ; others had been 
similarlj annotated bj the late owner. 

Among the smaller articles of menoffe was a cup of 
Sevres porcelain, which was doubljr valuable from 
having also pertained to two theatrical celebrities, its 
first owner was Mademoiselle Clairon. The paintings 
and richest portion of the furniture had been disposed 
of at the sale of the effecu in the Hotel Triidon, some 
time before Mademoiselle Bachel*s death. 



IT APPXMDIX. 

So far there was nothing verj objectionable in the 
exhibition. It was probablj necessary that the plate, 
jewels and other articles should be sold in order to 
make a division of the property in accordance with the 
will of the deceased. But it really seemed unneces- 
sary as well as grossly indelicate to make a public ex* 
hibition and sale 'of the personal linen of the tragedi- 
enne; if the family could not make some arrangement 
among themselves with regard to such articles, they 
might at least have been more privately disposed of. The 
whole stock — and it was a larger one than many ready- 
made linen warehouses contain — together with the 
dresses, shawls and laces, was set down in a separate 
catalogue, and displayed in the bed-chamber. The 
|)etticoats ofAdrienne Lecouvreur and the hose of Marie 
Stuart were to be knocked down to the highest bidder, 
as well as the peplum of Camille and mantle of 
Fhidre. 

Here, too, was to be seen the only creature whose 
countenance indicated a consciousness of the desecra- 
tion going on. By the bed, on which was spread a 
small fortune in laces, sat a woman past the middle 
age, whose thin figure was clothed in mourning, and 
around whose wrinkled features the border of a black 
cap, unrelieved by a bit of white, was just visible. 
This was Rose, in whose care for twenty years the 
wardrobe of Mademoiselle Rachel had always re- 
mained—she still sat there, fiuthfnl to her trust to the 
last, the poor old waiting-maid who had seen the com- 
mencement and the dose of the troffkUenn^s career, 
who bad decked her so often with that finery, and who. 




with tb« MUM Uvabling kwda, bad attired bar in Imt 
iMtdreM. 

What b«r fMlingt wan naedcd no telling. Ib tba 
4c«{> UnM ftroawl th« oomprcaMd lips, griof wid aogar 
w«ra minglad, and tJba look in ih* dark «jrw tkat 
gUivd at «Mch Rtnuigvr wbo appcuacbed to axaniiiM 
iba lacM OD iba bed, wat ooa of hatred and dafianec. 
Thougfa th« flgnra waa notioiiloH, iboiigfa tba liaad 
MTor turned, tba look followod you, jan eoald not 
get rid of it, it reachsd whatsr«r good feeling U/ 
uodemealb tbe (hick coating of aetftthacM with whieli 
experience of the world had cavered jour heart, you 
frit iliorouRhlf aaharoed of the idle curiositjr that had 
bruugUt jou there to overhaul (hoeo aad relic*, and, 
unheeding the admonition of ihoCerbcruiin the ehape 
of B tergeaiU lU vilU, bawling out at eliort intanrale : 

" PaNH, Mesaieun \ pasaea, lieedames,*' jrou haa- 
tened to make jrour escape. 

The aame e<re to efTect lliat bad preeided over the 
arrangement of the different articles had organiaed tbe 
aalca. In lieu of the crowd of lordidlj-clotlted, dirty- 
fuced, book-noied, long-bearded, cunniog-ejed dealera 
in eccond-hand gooda, buttling, jo«( ling, elbowing, and 
crufliing the toct of any luckiest wight whoee ile«ant 
uppc-anuice proclaimed him not one of them, tlie re- 
■pectuble-looking biddora who filled tbe rowaof Telret- 
covered benches, looked ai though ibey bad met thore 
to hear morning concerta. The auctioneer biouelf 
•poke in subdued tooo* a* though he were murmuring 
prayers to which the aiiantive audienw gara tha ra- 
■ponaee. 



Tb« bujen wera, as wa have olread j uid, of the 
b«Uer classei at lb«M aalei, with the exception, how- 
OTer, of the two ixja on which the costumes were 
sold, when numeroos costumiers and manhanda a la 
lo&ettt came in search of bargains. Thus manjr a gvf 
masquerader will unconsciouBlj polk and quadrille and 
walu in a fancj garb made of the robes in which 
Camille has uttered her fierce anathemas, or Phidrt 
lamented her fatal love. 

Among other attempts made to give additional in- 
terest to some of tlie articles sold, the old story of the 
guitar was revived by some of the papers in behalf of 
an instrument of the kind that was coming under the 
hammer. But'tliis was beyond even the boldness of 
on auctioneer. When it came to be the turn of the 
guitar, he said that it " had been - erroneously an- 
nounced that this was the instrumont with which 
Mademoiselle Rachel when a child had sung in the 
cajh. Still this guitar was valuable inasmuch as it 
had been ten years in the tragidiaiiuft possession, and 
was occHNonollj used by her en wiu>mm- of her first 
calling." How iJttJo the bidders credited even this 
nore modest statement, was evident in the price the 
guitar broaght— lOfr.^-aa it was quite new and clean 
it was moch leas than its market value. 



a. BonM, Fantxa, etocoasna sraaar, aioaai's pjiax> 



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** A work which corrects til errors of former worka. It It the prodncilon of a herald, 
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BISTORT AKD BIOGRAPHT. 3 



UESIOIBS OF THE COUBT OF THE BE6ENCT. 

From Orioiwal Familt DoeoMiiin. By tbt DUKB OF BUCKING- 
HAM AND ClIANDOS, ILG. t f^ls. Sm, with Poitniu. 30«. bowuL 



( 



•* H«rt W9 twtt aMT* 9—ilf v«1«mm m tW BiirlUli C»«rt 1 v«laMM IWU sf arv 
»iff an* ^Iriatv*, iiwfilatw, mkI amMs. TlM P«k« sT Bac MaftuuB trwreU swr slat fwmn 
•f Rnglith IHtMry. Bal «b«i y«M» iImw ««r«. fNai ISII to l«M ! Wkat ev«BCa at b«M« 
^ ftbcMd Ikry kor« u tlM ffrrmi fc» WM I— frooi Um ■cmiloii mt tW BrfmC to r«v«r t« 
at4Mlli«r 0««rg«III.— bMlndlMf lli«Mlaf PtfTcwaii cb« IsvmIm of »— ■!». aad tk« 
wt !■ •patiii Ik* tellkt of BiU«mMc«aB4 N«f«4liM| th« IrvoT aioM«W| tlMf«Cf««t«r 
|l«p«lM» I tli# c*a^— tt mt npmkm 1 Ik* tr rf d ir of Nftpil w | tW rrtum Craa Bite 1 tk« 
C«afrvM of VWiiaai tb« llttmlrT4 l>«yt 1 tte erMralag c«r««f« of U'oloriooi tte tsiW to 
It Htkna 1 tlio rttmrm of tbo ■■■rfcaot » CW tulio n oi of Kiiropo 1 Cbo poWlc ■foo<ola ot 
iw KmImIi C«ort I Ik* popvlor dkarooltol. oo4 llio i HM cri oC Pmrt oo I Oo aioaf porto 
if Ult tiory ibo 4oc«iiioiiU paMlohM kf Iho iHik* of Bocklof koai caol Mvjoto of l%ht, 
fkoflM op nark Mcrvi kitucy. OM Morin ora ooointi — ■ ifoMo of 
fePMfkloiil. In akort, nooy oov oo4 pitaaoat 



"lavalaalilo. aa tkaaiag tkt Ihm llfkc la wkirk Maay of tka •iWrtaf awala of tko 
■•laary art to ka vWw«4. Tka lavat* af Caart foaaip trUI alao totf aoC a lllllo for ikoir 
fMlcailaa and aaiaacaMot.**— litflfroqjr OooWlf . 

'* Th««« Talamva cavrr a roaipl«l« apack, tka pcHad af tka lU g facy a parlad of larfo 
•n4 ttirrinf Knf ii«h kUiatr. Ta ihv l>«k« mt MarklafhaK, wka thaa. oat of kla faatlif 
•ffhirrt, pUrrt alihia oar rvack auihratic and •irrriilaflf ailautaplctarvaaf tha|rovrraora 
tl CB(liinrf. wt owr gralrful a«:hBo«rieiifrnirata. Ilia papcra aboood la frrak llfkta on old 
iaplr«. ami la artr litutiraiktna anii anerdeira. Tke iatrlnalc vaiur of tka lattcta laaakoa'cvd 
hj ih« Jiidif tima •rlitnf of tka aipUnatofT caaimaat tkal acvompoalaa tkf, wkkk la pat 
/ lagttbrr witk aiack rart and kooaaty.**— f^aatiNrr. 

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LAST FOUR POPES; 

AM) OP ROME IN THEIR TIMES. Bj Hit Eninence CARDINAL 
WlbEMAN. 1 large toI. 8ro. wiih Portrtitt, 21 1. bouad. 

"Tbrrt la no dynaaty of Baropaaa aonrvifna akoat wkkk wa BogUak aatartala ao 
■ark vacu' curiotlty. mr hart ao III tie Infaraiatioa, a« abaat tkr aacctaaara to tka PapaJoai. 
r«HinaJ M'larmait la juai tha aathar to aiaat tkia cariaalty. Hla kook !• tka Uvaly racor^ 
of whic k« haa bimaatf aarn, and wkat nona bat kioiaclf, parkapa, kaa kad 00 food oa 
»Pporlunity of thornu|ihly Mtimailng. Ilia paaltloa In Ika Papal Collrita at Rooia would 
t*cr$9»rilf brinf kim Into contact nlib iba arcana af Papal rak) and tka tkaraaghly 
Cr.rlivb coiitiiiuiion of bit atlnd la apactally adapiad for tha raprta^ntatlon of tkaaa thloga 
to Kn|r:uh rradrra. Thrra la a raaaipinir, ali-tcilttiff aiyk abaat tka book whkk k oartoto 
U nalrc li popular with Kuf llah raadrra.**— ^oAa BmU. 

**A ptcturviquf book an Rome and lla acclralaaiical aoaaraifna, by aa akqaaat Roaiaa 
CAibCillc. Cardinal Wltcman haa brra irratrd a ar«clal iubjact wItk aa aiuck fcnaraliiy nod 
r*aUliir. thai hi* reroilffthina will ririlr mm lll-ftalinf la thoaa vkaara aiaatcaoackntloasly 
•ppoM-d to every Idra of hunan InfaJiiblllty raprraaatad In Papal domlnattaa."— J/4«n«w«B. . 

I "Thia volnma la ikr lauat prodacUon af Cardinal fTiaaaaao't aloquaat aad (hdla pan. 

i •ni thouik It anay net iult cvary aoa. Uara caa ba aa daabt tkat It will dallgkl all ikoaa 

I abo ahall peraaa It."— Q^af r rrr. 

i** In Ika dracripilun m( Iba acanaa, tha caraaianlaa, tka acckalaotkal aacWty, tka aiaaaara 
•ad bablta mt Saraniatal Rome, tbia work la aarflrallad. It la fall of aaacdotaa, Wa caaUl 
til coluiaoa with amaalDg citracta.**— CAramc/a. 
/ "In tkIa rolttoia Cardinal Wkaasaa aaana parpoaaly to avoid aataafUaf klaaolf la 
' dtipntad artlclaa af faitk, and dwaik ratkar apoa tka paraaaal. klatafkal. Illarary aa4 
I vtiatk afaw af hk aobjact. He ralataa kk asparfaacaaof Rotooaad kar rakn la a pkaaaal 
I faolal atyk.'**L<iar«rp Ooaaffa. 



4 HURST AND BLACKSTT's NEW PUBLICATIONS. 

MEMOIRS OF THE COUBT AND CABINETS OF 

GEORGB TUB THIRD, Fbom Oaioinal Family Dogumbnts. B7 
tlie DUKB OF BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS, K.O.. &e. Tbi 
Third and Foubtm Tolvmbb, compritiBg the period from 1800 to 1810, 
tod completing Ihit. important work. Sfo., with Portraits. 80a. bound. 



V»9U Tan TiMM^— ^TbrM veluMt Motltl. In the naln, of letters writtM ^ tbt tvt 
kMthera, Lord OrravUle, And Mr. T. OrraTlllt, to Chelr ckkr brother, the Morqvlt ef 
Bocklaf hon^ for hte InfemMtioo m to the potUical drettnttoncet of the time. In the tve 
former irolomeo o great omoant of cnrlooe fooelp, oad of Tolooble loformotloa, vtt 
cootaloed reloUre to the fermfttlon of the CoollUon Mlotatrr. the Klng'e tllaeM la ITM, 
rad the eorif period of the wor with revolntlonory Fnuice. Volumce I tad 4 take op the 
tale where volaoieo 1 ood 2 had left It 1 and herein we ind a conneetcd narrative of tht 
many atlrrlof hietorkal ereoU whieh occnmd between 1800, when Lord OrcBTlUo and 
Tdleyraod were In correapondenco reepectinf Booaparte'a propooala for peace, nntll the 
retnm of tht Clnf'a malady In 1810 and the debatea In ParllanMnt relatlto to the legcncy. 
The preoent collection la more talnable than the laat, Inaamnch aa Lord GrenrlUe, harlaf 
attolned higher dignity and eipcrlence, la a more dIspaaalooaU obaenrer of pamlog efcalt. 
Whoever wonid deaire to read the raanlng comoMnU of ao eminent and well Informed a 
man aa Lord Ormrllle npon a decade ao Intereatlng aa that of 1800—10, wonld do wall It 
cootnlt three volnmea. Lord OrrnrlUe waa certainly among the moat fhr-aighted men ef 
hla time I and to him, ftam the irtt, belonga the credit of appreciating truly Napjilcaa 
Bonapatce'a poaltlon and dealgne. He did ao even to' a higher degree than Pitt 1 and It la 
moat remarkable how far hla predlctlona have been Terlficd by the event, even whm 
tnbmltted to the aharp teat of thejndgment of poatertty. The principal pdnu on whkl 
light la thrown by the present correspondence are, the aegodatlons before and after the 
Treaty of Amiena nntll the time of Ito mptnre— the tme character of Addlugton'a Admlate* 
tmtlon, and the rtlatioas betweea 'The Doctor' aad Pitt— the formation of the Pitt sai 
aidmonth Cabinet, when the Klng'e prtjodlces agaloat Charles Fox were fonnd to be lasB^ 
aMonUMe— the Orenrille and P*i abort Administration— the Dnke of Portland's Cafatad^ 
the eapcdltlon to Pertngal, with lu climax at Qatm— the Dnke of Tork'a scandal with If it. 
Clarke— Sir John Moore'a retreat, with the eariler Spanish campaigns of Mr Arthnr Wil. 
Usley. and, fnally, the dlsastroas Walcheren afklr. There la much mrlona matter lalsr. 
posed In the ahape of jrr/c<s npon the altnatlon of affaire written ftam time to time by Ud 
Ormrille hlaMclf 1 aad perhapo aUU more cvrlona reporu made to the Marqola of BncMaf* 
ham by a certain , whoae name remalna a mysUry, hot who seems to have bsrs 

tolerably well ac^nalnted with the arwa itm/terU at the beginning of the centnry. Then 
la mnch In theee folnmea whkh well deeenrea peraaal. Thorslaaportloaof thelrconleoli 
which poaeeseea neariy aa high a dalm apon oar laataat aad earsfta aaasids r a t laa aa Ihi 
Iflnatea of tht Soboatopol Commlttot.'* 

TEE LIVES OF PHILIP HOWABD, EABL OF I 

ARUNDBL, AND OF ANNS DACRBS, HIS WIPB. Bdited from tin I 
Original 1188. By tho DUKl OF NORFOLK, B.lf. 1 voL antitM 

"Tht a^Ut tdlttr of thaatMofriphlaa la wtU warraattd la tht traat which hit prsftsi 
eapfoaaes, thai thty wlU ht read with tateraaC They throw valnablo Ngbt oa tht secU 
habiu aad tht pmaleat awMapof iht U ls abe t ha a age. ThtDaktof NofMk,by9t^ 
Mahlagthaat carioaa MograpUta^hai aal talydaathoaoariohU oaceetort,hnthasnr| 
pMed maltflaU of hitioskti iaii imn lit im whlcfc ha iwmii ihathaakaaC thAUMmd^ 



HUTOKT AMD KOOUFHT. 6 

ELIZABETH DE TALOIS, atJEEH OF SPAIN, ASD 

TItl COURT or PinUP ll. Pna ■» ■■■■■ ■ fb fc W iJ Mwec* la 
a* ArcUm tt PrMM. luij, m4 tfii*. ij HIU lUMM. t ««lk 
poat Its. «iU tM Portniu hj llurm. tU 



■t>ktM»w«iMI>* n i>i mH nftli*li M i> n «fc* am. 

THE LIFE OF MASGUEBITE D'AKGOULEME. 

QUSEN of KAVARRR, SISTER al FRANCIS [. Fram auDcraut orisinBl 

■ourcu, inclMilini US. Docamcati ia the B>blw(b6i]D« Impcriile, ud th» 

Arrhivn du Kajiunie dc Fnncc, ud Ihc PriitU C^rmpoadcace of Qtm* 

ttirpicrite with Tnncit 1. tit. Sj MISS FRBBR. S<comI Bditioa, 

KcTlud, ] voU. pwt Bto., «iih ■■• Poctniu, eifr»«d bj Hkatb, lit, 

'Tlilatii t«TMMplrt> uddtxrlr-vrllUa lllkcT A* lllMUtoM •taWT (f PiHcta U 

»d II nif b* ulil (f kTT Lh>t Lhf nrted ud kalffntlai (tam ■( FiTKk tllM«T (Cw ■■ 

(kra> atn Btnhr rt mmtli ■■»< aUdT Iku llH nnvr •( ikii fnM rrtac***- *ka nw- 

rlHil ■• |>Mn( u lalan« •••T lk> pallUca u4 BUHn •( Ik* •(• (f aUck (h* via 

IU<I MnMinl. Tkt p*WI.JHiI >iU v»Mnf)ll 4*»»au 




EEiniY in. KING OF FBAKCE: HIS COUKT AKD 

TIUBS. P'om numcroni an|Mbli*bed Kmrcn, lneladiii| US. Dora«cati 
Id tha Bihlwtlwque Inp^naW, aid th* AtcUtm of FnaM ud Iul7> Br 
r - tU:tt raSKR. (!■ ib« pnaa.) 



HURST AND BLACKETT's NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



LOBD GE0B6E BENTINCE: A POLITICAL BIO 

GRAPUY. B/Um RIGHT HON. B. DISRAEU, M.P. Fifth and cbetpi 
BditiOB, Revised. Pott 8to. lOt. 6d. bound. 

** This MofTApby cannot fall to attract the deep attention ot the public. We are boat 
to aaf, that as a politk^l Uographj we have rarelt. If ever, sset with a book more desterojii 
handled, or more replete with Interest. The blstorv of the famotts session of 184R.i 
written by Disraeli In thai brilliant and pointed style of which he Is so consumniste a nuMU 
Is deeply Interestinf . Ho has traced this memorable strafgle with a vlTscity and pew 
wnsfnidied as yet In any namtlro of PnrUaoMntary proceedings***— lMnellrweod*s Jfof . 

LOIUD FALUEBSTOITS OHNIONS AlO) POLICY; I^ 

MlNISTBE, DlPLOMATItT, AND STATBSMAIf, doring mON thu FOTtf TCll 

«f Public Life. 1 fol. 8?o with Portrait, 7s. 6d« bonnd. 

"This work onght to hsee a place In etery political library. It giTss n complete tic 
'of the sentlmcnu and opinions by which the poUcy of Locd Phlmtnton hat been dictated i 



EASTERN HOSPITAIiS AND ENGLISH NUESES; 

The Namtire of Twelve Months' Experience in the Hotpitalt of Koolali 
and Scntari. Bj A LADY VOLUNTEER. Third and Cheaper EdiUoa, 
1 ToLvpoet 8to. with lUuttratbna, 6t. bound. 

* A production which, not only In the sn)i!)ect.raatter» but In Its treatment. Is Ailed will ! 
the purest and best erldeoces of womanly tenderness. Wbst the nnrsrs did for our tick 
and wounded soldiers— how they rolnlBtered to thdr wanta and assuaged ihrlr sufferings-^ 
how thst composite body of hired sttendants, sisters, nuns, and lady rolunteers, worln4 
together for a common object— how their duties were apportiotied--«nd how. In health « 
UIacss, their time passed away— sre all faithfully and minutely detailed In these toIubm. 
*Bastem Hoeplials and English Nurses' will* no donbta command a good clrculatlos.* 
—iVbellfflMi. 

"The story of the noble deeds done by Miss Nightingale and her deroted slsterhssd 
will neeer be more effectively told than la the boantlAU Mrratlve contained In thiM 
TelMMt.*'-^IMii BmU. 



JOURNAL OF ADYENTUBE3 WITH THE BBITISE 

ARMY, from the Commencement of the War to the Fall of SebaatopoL 
Br GEORGE CAVENDISH TAYLOR* Ute 95th Regiment. 2 v. 21i. 

*" The erldence these volumes contain Is exceedingly Talnabte. The real state of thlsfi 
• here exhibited.**— Je4» Bull, 

** There wss scarcely an occurrence of any Importance that Mr. Tkylor was not an eys* 
witness of. Balaklsva, Inkermaiin, Kertch» the operations In the Sea of Asof, Anapa, tl« 
storming of the If alakoff and the Redan, and the taking possession of Sebestopol— «sch 

It Is detailed In that concise but clear* prof^looal atyle which we have not aset wlU 
"^'^UmUtd 8enie§ Onrefle. 



TURKEY: ITS HISTORY AND PROGRESS; FROU 

THE JOURNALS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF SIR JAMES PORTBB, 
VUieen Yean Amhauador at Constantinople, contioned to the Pietent Time, 
with a Memoir of Sin Jambs Ponnn, hj hia Grandion, SIR GEORGS 
LARPENT Baet. t Tola. 8fo^ with lUuatrationa. 16s. hound. 
"This highly totetesting wwk glees a Ihller and more IMb*IIke pictnra of the prescsij 



1^ Ji' 



lUf J-MU 



mmk 



BI8T0EY AND BIOORAPBT. 



THE COUNTESS OF BONNEVAL: HEB LIFE AHD 

LSTTBRS. Bj LilDT QBOKGIANA rULLBRTON. S vvb. poU 8t». 
ait.bowML 



:iiu 



UEMOntS OF BERANGER. WBITTEN BT 

SBLF. Bitoutv CorTAiovr BDinoit. Sccoftd BdUta, villi 
▲ddiUoMl AMcdoUtaiiaNotot, hUhmto ■■pvbliited. Sta with PoitraU. 



■ TM» !■ tbt CspTrtflU T Wtl all— of B^f i^ t i* i lltfmp h f , It ay p wf tea 
i,M4to««nliy«fallpryM M M kMtM piMt of vMft. fatbUi cwf f M> 
Ito PMt tftepteyt ttU tkt Mti^M filttf ^^4 tu nMi mtm, tW ■ rami > i >H < liat i iUy, 
teMpwttMt frwB M« cteTMWr. H* Mia, wlik •■ a^aiilM itaiyUcltr, Um MMy aClilt cwlf 
ftara. NIa Hl^ W taya. la tba AOiaal riaiiwtafy •« Ua aaafi, llMt««M« W «fH«a M. 
TW ckara af iba aa r ra tH ra It ■Uagtlbtf fflmk. It tedadaa a aatlaty ot ^kammma, mmm fttat 
p rt alai, lavcklaff t laat l y a« Um pafaaaal MMary aC vlOck tkay Uttm a part, akarvtf aaytafa* 
mi^ aa tfca ial4 af acUaa Id lifc aKta a , awy >>< Ub w of c— U wpar ari aib md itm j md^ itn m iu 
afaa mcb aM tMafa. Ttefa la a Ml appiaila to tka MasMlr. rirk to ktlOTi hliWvW 
aapaMlalMd, aai la lalbnaalloa wMcH ■■■piitu tha atory ot lliatat*! Mb. Tkt 
AaaM W rtad by aU.**— Jt««aite«r. 

* TbU aaiaMafraphy ptaaaau la m not aaly aa aiailnibli p at tiaH aftfco gnu i 
paat of rVaaaa, Wt aa aiiiaaMly ctoar pictaia af iba m u mtmn oi bla tIaM. Wm tba 
aantat af biMary, alwaya m latawaattac aod tall af t— tmctlaa §m a MlfblM ptctrnt af 
tba paat, aad Many pWaaaat tMa llfbu ibraara apaa tba prlactpal lacMaau af tba p ari ai 
tbit valaaic will ba IWaad ai valaabla ai It la tetarvatlaf .**— Bla«*waa^ JfOfaaiaa. 

THE LIFE OF MARIE DE MEDICIS, QUEEN OF 

PRANCE, CowaoRT or IIbhrt IV., and Rbgekt uwdbr Lotrip XIII. 
Dy MISS PARDOE. Author of " Uiua XIV, and the Couit of FAaoe, ia 
the I7tU Century," he Second Ediuon. 3 tola. 8ro. Portrait!. 

MEMOIRS OF THE BARONESS FOBEREIRCH, 

iLLUaTAATIYB OF TBI SsCRET lliaTOUT OF THB CoUATt OF PmAKCC, 

RuaaiA, AND Gkrmakt. Writtex by HERSELF, and Edited hj Her 
GrmodMo, the COUNT DB MONTDRISON. 3 voU. poat Sto. l&a. 



** Tb« DarofiM* 4*0b«rlilrrh baiag tba latlaMta ttUm4 af tba Kaiprcaa af l l ae ala. vita af 
Paal I., aad tba caaidealial cooipaaloa •( Iba Durbaaa of Baarboa, bar ferilitica fwr 
abuloinf informftUoa r»«p*ctlnf tb« nNwl privata affairs of tb« prtarlpal Coartt at Karopa, 
foadcr brr llcB»oir« aniirallctl m a book •{ laUratUag aoccdaCra of tba royal, aobl* aa4 
otbcr cakbraiad iMdlridual* vbo tovrtthcd on Iba cootlaaot dartaf tbo latlar part of tba 
Uat caatury. Tb* rolaaiat foroi a raiuabU adUitloa to tba piwaaal blalacy of aa Uaportaai 
paftad. Tbay daacrra gaaaral pop«larity.**~i>ai(|r A'« 



PAINTING AND CELEBRATED PAINTERS, AN- 

CIBNT and MODERN ; including HUtorical and Critical Notkea of tbo 

ScUooU of ItaJy, Spain, IVaoce, GennanT, and the Netheilanda. Edited hj 

LADYJERVIS. 2 Tolt. poat 8fO. 12s. bound. 

** Tbla book U dealfoad to fiv* to tba raaaral paMk a papalar koovlcdga •( tba Rltlory 
•( PalaUaf and tba cbaractara of Palalara. vilb rapadal rtftmca ta tba aioat proslaaal 
aaoof tboM of ibcir vorki vbkb ara ta ba ataa la Sagllab ffallarlaa. It U pkaaaaUy wrHlaa 
vilb tba lalaaUoa at aarrlaff a aaafOl parpooa. Il aaccwda la Itadaalfa, aad vUl ba af raai 
aaa to tba aialUtada af plctaia aaara. Aa a plaaa af agraaaMa laadteg ala% It la 



8 BURST AND BLACKBTT's NBW PUBLICATIONS. 



THE BOOK OF OBDEBS OF KNIGHTHOOD, . 

DECORATIONS OF HONOUR OP ALL NATIONS i COMPB 
AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OP EACH ORDER, MILITART, V 
AND CIVIL I with Lists of the Knights and Companions of each 
Order. BMBBLUtHED wira Pitb Hvmprbd Pao-^imile Coi 

IlXVeTBATIOMt or THB llftlOlfIA OF TBI VAllIOUt OrPSRA. 

. bj SIR BERNARD BURKE, Ulster King of Anns. 1 toL rojra 
biadsomeiy hound, with gilt edges, prioe A2. 2s. 

THE OLD COURT SUBTJIIB; OR, MEMOBIAD 

KENSINGTON! Rboal, Critical, and AirncDonoAL. By 1 
HUNT. Second Edition. 2 vols, post 8fo. 21s. eleganUj bonnd. 

* A dtHfht/lal book, of which th« charm heglot at tba the arat line on the 6rit ] 
Ml 9t qvaiat aikl plaatant mcoiorfM la the phnuc that la Ita title—* The Old Court i 
▼cf7 fall* tao^ hath af qualat asd plcaaaat mamoriea la tha Una that dealf natca the 
It ia tha aaait of tha anoat chctrAil of chraolclcra, tha beat af reaMBsbnuicera of too<! 
the Moat poUahcd aMi aatarulnlof of adocalcd goaalpa. ' Tha Old Coart Soburb * li 
that will be welcome to all readara, and moat welcoma to thoao who have a love for I 
ktada of icadbif .*•— Cffmiliicr. 

"A more agtecable aikl aotartaliilaf book has not beon pvbUahad alBeaBoawcU p 
his femlaliceMaa of Johoaoo.**— iMeerecr. 



BEVEIATIONS OF PRISON LIFE; WITH AN 

QVIRT INTO PRISOK DiSCIFLIIfn AKD SbOONDAKT PuIHSBMXKT 

GEORGE LAVAL CHESTERTON, 25 Yean GoTcrnor of the H< 

Correction at Cold-Bath Fields. Third Edition, Rerised. 1 vol. IC 

** Mr Cheatcftoo haa had a rare experleace of human tnllly* Re baa lived i 
Moa, the forfcr, the t^rtiig, the tafabond, the murderer i baa looked Into the 
aepalchrraof the heart, withont flndlnit reaaon to despair of mankind. In hla Im 
worat of men hare atlll aome of the anfel left. 8nch a teetlmony from each a quaru 
•f aofelty aa It la af Intereat. A* a cnrlone bit of buouui bletory these Toluroea are : 
aMo. They are very real, very alroplei dramatic withont exafrgeratlon, pbUotophIc 
being dnll. la dealinf with a aabjcct eo pecallar aa priaoa life, Mr. Cheatcrton waa 
■Mklng hla treatOMBt peraaoal and IncldeoUl. General deacrlpllona, however a 
lalervat only a few | b«t atorlea ef crime, aaecdotca of crlayaala, may attract all n 
MiJIAnueiim. 

**Thla Intereatinf book Is fbll of each lUuatratlons as tha narrative ef atrlkti 
albrda, and la Indeed as well calculated to entertain mere readera for amnaemec 
laatnKtaad aaaletlhaae arho are atndyinf the great qneatSooa of aodal reform.*'— i^ 

**Tht very Inteteating work J«at pabllahed by Oapt. Chastartaai, entitled ' Bev 
•f Priaaa LMb.**— ^■•rfcHEir Jlevicie. 

AUT0BI06BAFH7 OF ELIZABETH DAVIS^ A 

LACLAVA NURSE. Edited hj JANE WILLIAMS. 2 vols, pos 
with PortraiU, 21s. 

**IathlatnMatoryefaWelahwomaa*sllfe,wefeBcy, aowaadthca, thatwearo 
ictfoa by Defee. Thecooraeof aventa la ao aataral, yet ao lamianal and amvtlng, th 
hook, la the qaatait brevity of Ita manner, ia ao anHka the m^lorlty of atorlea and Mof 
••«-a.daya pnbUabad, that M to In the traeet and beet aanaeof the word a new bool 
hook llhs half the bookathat have been written befefa It, and half thoaa we are yet ^ 
Saieai. We think wt mast have said a>ore tha a s— agh la asad a giiat auay of ear 

IStUS) 



BItrOET AMD UOOftAnr. 



S£COLI£CTXONS OF WEST END UFE; WITH 

SKSTCllESOr tOCim 1H PA&IS. IKDIA.fte. B; MAJOt CUAMBU, 
Uta l}tk LMMcn. t Mk.«itkFBttnktrOwr|« IT. tit. 

•ir« tut ki H^H ChMknS INrir akMikn ■ mtm f MBiriM u 
lai III iMlatw U IktM tat *" l^Mr p h IUm. Ml, iM patMoT i*| 
SMBHOMtt* IV. «M k* >ni aU MMMMa uri iB I IIl.'t-H— ^ 

THE JOUBNAIA AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 

QBNEUL SIR HAKtT CALTBtT, Bah., O.OB. •a4 OXXH^ A». 

JVTAIT'QWIBKAL OT TKS MUM «■>»«■ ILB.R. TM* DvKm tT ToKE. 

. MBprUM t^ CMp«i(M la Fkadtn ud BaUnd U I7M>M| mUk u 
~ AppcmdU eoaUbOai Ilia PUm far lb* DrfcM* if Dm CwMiy h «••• W 
UnAm. Xdil>db7HbSoa.llllUUYVnXBT. B*M^ iMLny*! 
•i«H wilk lar|« atpa, Hk ban^ 

1 Owk CMKM M« hi (CMmM. Mr Hmt 
iTiwTSii, n*fe«ktotM«NHat*dlpMt« 

RECOIXECnOKS OF UY MHJTART UFE. BT 

COLONEL LANDMANN. Ut« af Um Co>n or BaTu Eitamwa, 
Aolhor •( " Adnntura ud Rccollcctioa*." 1 ml*. pa«t 8i«. 12*. bovad. 



COLONEL LANDMANN^S ADTENTUEES AND Re- 
collections. 2 Tok. pott Bra. 12*. boond. 

- A*«( ikf uwnMfi U IkM Hrk will hi fH>4 ■«>»• (f KInf OMTf* IIL, Ik* D^m 



ADVENTURES OF THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS. 

Scc«KD SiHii*. Df WILLIAU CRATTAN, Em., UU LuonxAMT 
CoHDikuaHT Bahorb*. 2 nit. lit. bound. 
■■ Is (hU Hnad atrtn ■( (ht .dmiBrt* ar lkl> Aboh nilaHM. llH aUWr n<n4a 

(br am (•ntaiio* w ihr [lUJul MKk (p la itw smpailM •( Paito. 



NARRATIVE OF A RESIDENCE AT NEPAUL. BY 

CAPTAIN THOMAS SUITII, Uu AuiiTAiir Peuncu^JUMsnrr *r 
liarACU t toIl pMt Bra. lit. boaad. 



10 HURST AND BLACKBTl'S NBW PUBUCATIONS. 



PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF A SOLDIER; OB, 

MILITARY SERVICE IN THE BAST AND WEST. By LIEUT^^OL. 
SIR JAMES E. ALEXANDER, K.CJi.S., &e. 2 volt, pott Sfo. with 
lUiisirations, 21t. bound. 

""TbiMt YtlamM art dttply IntOTMtlag and Ml of Ttloabl* iBftmoatloo.**— Jlf«H«iif«f^ 

** Out gffMt Bcrit of tht * PuMtfftt' to rtadablctifta. Anoibcr fcatnrc *of lh« work li 
Mpcvlffocc. Th« aathar hat mrttd In India, South Africa, Canada, aad iht Crimea i an^ 
harlnf gt?ca m good doal of atttnUon to ■Hilary BMUtara, hto oplnloo to worth atttntiha.**— 



SET EXILE. BT ALEXANDER HERZEN. 2 t. 2U. 

" From thtae admirable memoire the reader may derlre a clear Idea of Rustlan politlol 
•odet?. Af r. Henen*e narrative, ably and nnalTectedly written, and andoobtedly authentic, li 
Indeed anpcrloe In Interest to nine-tenthe of the eatotlng works on Ruaala.**»ilMeMnrai. 

"The author of theev memoiri !• one of the most dletlngutohed writers of hie nation. 
A politician aad hUtorian, he acnrcely reached manhood before the Emperor NIcholM 
feared and peraccuted him as an enemy. He waa twice arrested, twice exiled. In this 
Xnsllsh ecfslon of his memoirs, he presents a highly chsractcrtstic view of Rnsslsa 
oAclal aodrty. Interspersed with sketches of rural life, episodes of picturesque adrenturei, 
nnd fragments of serknu speculation. We gain from thto narrative of persecution and exile 
a better idea of the governing system In Russia, than from any prerlona work. It to rtoh la 
aad aathaatic detail.**— n« Loader. 



THE MOSLEM AND THE CHBISHAN; OR, ADVEN- 

TURES IN THE EAST. By SADYK PASHA. Remcd with origiiul 
Notes, by COLONEL LACII SZYRMA. 3 toU. Ut. 

** Sadyk Pasha, the author of this work. Is a Pole of noble birth. Be to now commandfe 
of the Turktoh Coesacks, a eorps organised by himself. Tho volumes on the Moslem sad 
the Christian, partly fact and partly Action, written by him, and translated by Colonel 
•syrma, dtoptov very well the literary spirit of the soldier. They are Atll of the adventures 
aad easotloas that belong to love and wari they treat of the preeent time, they Introduce 

ly existing people, and havo tho DanuMan principalities for sceno of action. Hero ait 
of popularity whtoh the book falriy clalaw.**— Aniauner. 



HOME LIFE IN RUSSIA. REVISED BT COL. LACH 

SZYRMA, Editor of **RBTBLATiuNt or Siberia.'* 2?oU. poitSTO. 12t. 

"This work rItcs a very Interesting and graphic account of the manners and customs of 
the Russian peopto. The moet Interesting and amusing parts of the work will be found to be 
thoeo interior scenes In tho houses of the wealthy and middle classes of Russia upon whick 
wo have but scanty Inlbrmatlon, alihough they are some of tho most striking and truthAd 
indlcntlons of the progress and dvtUsaUonof a country. As snch worscomaNad them to the 
atudy of our roaders.**--Q6s ers< i' , 

REVELATIONS OF SIBEBIA. BT A BANISHED 

LADY. Third and cbetper Editioa. 2 Tolt. poit 8fo. 16t. 

** A thoronghly good book. It caanol be read by too many peopto.'*»Ho««c*old ITerdi. 

* The authoress of these rolnmes was a lady of quality, who, hsTlng Incurred the 
dtopleosaro of the Russian Government for a political oflence, was sxltod to Siberia. The 
mace of her exito was Bereioe, the moot northern part of this northern penal settlement i aad 
In it she speat about two yeara, not nnproAUbly.ns tho reader will dnd by her Interesttog 
work, containing a Uvely and graphte picture of tho country, tho people, their manners sad 
CMloms, Ac Tho book givee a most Important aad valuable Insight Into tho econovy ef 
-^ M has been hitherto the terra Incognlu of Rasalaa deopotlsas.**— ita^ .Vewe. 

« Unco the pnbllcatioa of iho Ikmona tomaaco the • Exllea of Siberia,* we haeo hid 
^Ifc,^ dsiaton I— damore-tfncthtthwithtptmBtwwk. 



•> w 



HUTOmT AMD BIOGUraT. 



KEM0IB8 AUB OOSBiSFONDENCS OF MAJOR 

GENEEAL til V. NOTT, G£.B^ Commambw or na A>mt o» 
(UvBikMAm. Ann Bwav at t«b Coon m Lacutow. I rate. •«*. 
«Uk rartnit. Ifl*. bo«ad. 




MTT.TTARY LIFE IN iXGEKIA. B7 TBECOTTNT P. 

DB CASnUANB. t tsU. pwt It*. lb. hmmL 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN ENGUSH SOLDIER DC 

TUE UMTUD STATES' ARMY. tniU.pMtgTO. 12*. bMad. 

CANADA AS IT WAS, IS, AND MAY BE- BY THE 

UteLIEUTENANT>COIX)SELSlltR.DONNVCASTLB. Witbu Ac««ut 
<tf Renni TnuiniDoi. by SIR J. S. ALEXANDER, K.LJ., Ac I toIl, 
poll 810. wilh napt, Ac^ It*. 

ATLANTIC AND TKANSATLANTIC SKETCHES- BY 

CAPTAIN UACklNNON,K.N. flT«U.po*t8T» 12*. beiud. 

HISTORY OF CORFU ; AND OF THE REPUBLIC 

or THE IONIAN ISLANDS. Br LIEUT. H. J. W. JBRV15. Rojd 
Artillery. I raL po«t Mm. I>*. 

SCOTTISH HEROES IN THE DAYS OF WALLACE 

A.\'0 DRUCE. Uf ihe Rit. A. LOW. A.M. 3 toIi. poit 8>«. lU 



•Wi (npUc ■«! •i.ibnUc unuin M tkMr pllut cirMU."— Mcn^ ft(<. 

A PRACTICAL GUIDE IN OBTAINING PROBATES, 

ADUINISTRATIONS, Ac. in Iltr M^olf't Court of Pratwtei witk 
Dumcroui PnccdenU. Dj EDVaRD WBATEtERLY. of Doctor's C«n> 
moat. DediMtcd, b; pcmiiiton, to Um Right Hoo. Sir CKauwsiA 
C&uiwiLL, Jodp of ib« N«w Court of FrobAlo. Steesd Hd Cbc^cr 
Edition. 12*. 

• Wob. It! MOIW 




Is HURST AND BLaCKBTT's NSW PXmtlCATlOKS. 



MEMORIALS OF BAGH£L» Two Volumci, Pott 8to. 

with Portrait. (Just Rttdj.) 

ABT AND NATUBE, AT HOME AND ABROAD. B7 

0. W. THORNBURY. Esq. 2 vols, pott 8fo. 21s. boand. 

**Thla to iIm bMt book Mr. Tharmfmfj hoi wHttea. Bdof on ortitt, bt wHtto oboot 
«rt| •• o Londootr, witb qakk oyva ond o cultlTOUd tosttf ho wriltt of Loodoof ■• a* 
•rtitt wbo hM Iravellod bo tolU aoocdoCct and dwvlla oa accnta of bla poat life abroad. All 
tbto bo dooo In a liraak. fooainc w^f,**^K*mmimer, 

**Tbla to a book boloniHnf to tho tribo of wblcb OooflTroy Crayon to patrlarrb. Vr. 
Tbombury** drawing may bo loaa accnrato tbaa ermwwm drawinf . bat It la ricbor In colour, 
•ad wider and moro roraatlto In tbo cboko of anl^ccta. Aa a wbolt^ Mr. Tbombnry'o 
votaBMfl aro Uvoly. pletortol, and Tarloaa.*'— JIAffunim. 

** Wo bovo not not with ao orlnloal a work for many a day as tbcao two Tolnmoa by Mr. 
Tbombory. Tbey baro tbo l^fodom and firotbnoia of fcnlna. Acnto oboerratlon to corn- 
Ward wItb groat rcorarch i yot tbo atylo toao daablng. thai tho loot thing wo think of to tbo 
oartoty and tbo ostont of knowlodgo whfch tbooo akcleboa orlnco. Mr. Thombury'a TOlnmoa 
caatain aiattcr to ploaao all tattoo. Ho to graro and gay, ptetoroaqno aad roloct l TO | aad la 
•B laada and oa all anfedocto bo to vtoacloaa aad •■aaing.'*— Tito i*r«M. 



CLASSIC AND mSTOBIC FOBTRAITS. B7 JAMES 

BRUCB. 2Tols.post8TO. 12s. bowid. 

This work comprises Biographies of the following CUuic tad Historic Vft* 
•onages : — Sappho, JEsop, Pythagoras, Aspasia, Milto, Agesilaus, Socrates, Plato* 
Alcibiades, Helen of Troy, Aleiander the Great, DeoMtrius Poliorcetes, Sdpio 
Africaaas, Sylla, Cleopatra, Jalins Cesar, Augustus, Tiherius, Germanicust 
Caligula, Lollia Panlina, Ccsonia, Boadioea,Agrippina,Poppca,Otho,ConiDodost 
Caracalla, Heliogabalus, ZenoMa, Julian the Apostate, Eodocia, Theodora« 
Cbarleroagne, Ahclard and Heloise, Eliaabeth of Hungary, Dante, Robert Bmee, 
Ignex de Castro, Agnes Sorrel, Jane Shore, Locresia Borgia, Anne Bullen, Diana 
of Poitien, Catherine de Medids, Queen Elisabeth, Mary Queen of SooU, 
Cervantes, Sir Kenelm Digby, John Sohieski, Anne of Austria, Ninon del'EndoSf 
mie. de Montpentier, the Duchess of Orleans, Madame de Maintenon, Catherine 
•f Russia, and Madame de StaeL 

** Wo Bnd In tbcoo piqvani tolamoo tbo Ubrral aatpoarlnp of a rlpo acbolarahip, tbt 
Itoof wfdo and farioaa laadlag, givta la a atyto aad oMaaor at oaco ploaoaat Md pltta» 



FOREST UFE IN CETLON. BT W. KNIGHTON, KLA., 

Second Edition, 2 toIs* post Sfo. 21a. 

** A oory ctoror and aaiaalng book, by oao wbo baa llvod as a plantor aad Joaraallal saay 
y tar a la Coyloa. Tbo work to flltod with Inioraatlnf aeconnu of tbo aporta, rrooaitoa, pia* 
dactloao, aconory, aad tradlttona of tbo tolaad. Tba aportlaf adfoalarta aia aorratad la a 
owy aplHtod Maaaor.**— Maatford. 



TBOnCAL SKETCHES ; 0B» BEMINISCENCES OF 

AN INDUN JOURNALIST. BT W. KNIGHTON, M JL 2 vola. 12t. 

** Wboa Mr. Salgblaa'a ptoaaaal valaaios aa Otyloa wort pabltobod, wt finoly gsvt bto 
paWlcatloa tbo pratoo wbick It appoara to bavo woU doaorrod, ainco aaocbor odltloa baa batn. 
callcdfor. AoMafal tbo wrHofaor tboday,wokaawof aaao wbo aro aMroHrlldtoaaln bittlaa off 
wUb aa aaiaa la g aaoaraay, tba rb ar ao t ara bo baa awt with, aad bto dooorlpthro powora aft tiat» 
•aio. Tako bto Skoicbooaa aad apoa wbofa yon vU^efarypaft looms wttblaaliaaftlMi^ 



TOTAOn AMD TIMBU. 



II 



...flU 




;m:kh:4 



ORIENTAL AHD WESIEBV 

MoirMUAv TBB KtBttSn l llf T M i Cl— ■ Ti 

; Asia. 4j THOMAS WITLAM ATKDItOlI. la 
fojil 8iP^ Priot MMm 9b»\ 
of M DlHtntiQMt toeM 



▲ HAfr 





la im»plilc« l ll mni » 



•• A Wtk ar ifMvIa vMdiNi < 

Its 

• gfMt CMMi !• 

bcltertd »• EurppMB hm» b««« bcfcv*. Be kaa 
alM t^ BOM bcfttttital Mpccu Um old world 

•BdpcBdU H* bM doM bMk vtU. M— y a tffldo wlU >0 <te t »■ »W< 
eooTtrtcd tte ortlat Into aa oatlMr. Mr. AUrtatoa to a 
•ccoiBplUlMd,alovcrof ad^otanands^ortoftfttrf ktad. H« 
gcolofy, aad boCaay to laipart • adcatlAc latcmt I* kto 
poMtMlof a kctn mom of homoor. Im teUo mosf ■ '•cf olorf • 
loTtr orodTOQtore, whcUMr hf food or itid» «1U tad oaylo Mm 
hi* lattroottag lrof«to.»*»l>fltff Nt 




*« Aa oalBatcd aad Intelllfcat Mrrotivi^oppftcUUy tarfdriag tW 
trcrtl. Mr. Atklnooa** okvicbco wtr* nodo by cspnoo pcralMioa of Iho 
Boaalo. Fcrhopt ao XoflUh artist waa cror bof 
blatory, or prortded with ibe tal l iia a aad aaiatot of a foaatal poaoporti 
Atklaaoa availed bloMelf of tbo prlrlUfc. Oar ostracu wtU ba«« 
orlfflaallty aad Tarlety of Mr. Atklntoa** o b o tn a U oai aad advoaCateo daviaf 
wandorlafa of aoarly forty tboaaaod aiUcs. Mr. 
haa ccrtaloly broafbt booM witb bin tbo fbnaa, 

Moat cxtraordloary dlvcralty of ffroopa aad occaco. Aa a i p art a Maa Mr. 
a pUaltvdo of czcitcmret. Bto aarrallro to wtU atortd witb 
Btoaacoatof tbo BMoaka to a cbaptcr of tbo wMal vhrld rooMaooof 
attraetlvo tbaa bto ralattoao of waadertega aoaaa tbo l>oa<ft of OaMi 




Mir, aad ba 
ofa 



yatltto 




•"Wo pKdlct tbal Mr. Atklaaoo*o 'Slboria' will rcry 
Cbrtottaaa Prcocat or New Year'a Old, aa It poeai m a, la aa 
pio c lo aa aad aalUble qoalltlea for tbat parpooob— aaawly« a ii ftil aaiib otogaaoa, 
aadaovolty. It to a work of great ralae, aot awly o« accoaat of Ito ap lea did 
bat for tbe aoioaat It coatalaa of aatbealto aad bigbly latemtlag iatillltian 
regieaa wbidi. la aU prababUlly, bad aorer, prevloao ta Mr. AU I aioa *i 
rialled by aa Earopeaa. Mr. Atkiaoba*o advoatano are toM la a a^aly aCylo. 
aad latcrtatlBf iaforaiatloa tbo book caatalat, gatberad at a 
arraaged, aad altogetbor tbo work to oao tbal tbo aatbor.aittot auy vtll bt 
Witb wbteb tboot wba otady il caaaoiAdI ta bt dcUgblid.'^«-JMa Jan. 



!• laddlf 
~<aad 



14 HURST AND BLACKBTT's NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



CHOW-CHOW; BEING SELECTIONS FROM A JOITB« 

NAL KEPT IN INDIA, Ac Bj the VISCOUNTESS FALKLAND. 
New end Rented Editioii» 2 Tob. Sto., with IUaitnitioiif» SOt. hound. 

**Laif Fftlkl«Ml*f work maj be rtmd witb IntcrMt and pl«M«rt^ aad ih« reader will liee 
Ami the peraael luetmctcd m well ee eaoaed.**— JMciMniin, 

** Few WTllert on India eqjoycd the adfaatafca poesceeed bf I«*dy Falkland, who, aa 
wllb to tbe Goremor of Bonbav, had aoceta to evciy aource of tnfonnalioii, and nence her 
Jovroal hae a reality abottt It wblvh, coupled with tbe acute obeerratloo and good drecrip* 
ttf« powera of tbe aatboreaa^ rendera It as pleaaaat reading aa we conld deelre.**— ^reet. 



"An estreoMly pleaaaat bookt aa Atll of Informatloa as to tbe maanera and cnatoma 
•C the Kast* aa It to of aoiaalng and Inatnictlve natter of entertainment. Lady Falkland la 
• Meet dellghtfU eonpaoloo. She leads the reader along, listening to her descriptions 
wutk he b s c eas s e ae CMilUar with India as If ha bad been dweUlag there ler years.*'— iferald. 



SP0BTIN6 ADVENTUBES IN THE NEW WORLD; 

OR, DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MOOSE HUNTING IN THE PINB 
FORESTS OF ACADIA. Bj CAMPBELL HARDT, Rotal Artillkry; 
S foil, post 8fo. with illoitntions, 2 It. hound. 

* A spirited record of sporting adventures, Tcry entertaining and well worthy the atten- 
Mae of all sportsmen who desire some fresher Aeld than Europe can afford then. The 
tUmUM of Noea tkotla abound In asooee, cariboo, bears, wolrea, partridge, snipe and wild 
#»ek, while the rivers ars teeming with salmon and other flsh, so that Lieutenant Hardy's 
Import waa of tbe beat kind, and In the details which he has giveu ns there to much to 
iBlsrost and amnsa. He to a thorough sportsman, patient, akilAu, and active, and relates 
Us adiMitwes with the gvsto of e man who enjoys the life."— Tike Prest. 

• 

TRAVELS IN EUROPEAN TXTREE7. B7 EDMUND 

SPENCER, Esq. Author of **TnTelt in Circastie," etc. Second end 
Cheaper Edition, in 2 Tolt. 8to.9 with lUustnitiont, and a Taloahle Map 
of Biuopean Turkey. I8t. 



ARCnC mSCELLANIE! 



LATE POLAR SEARCH. Bj tbr OFFICERS and SEAMEN of m 
EXPEDITION. Dbdioatxd bt panMisaiOK to thb Loads of thb 
• AoM i&ALTT. Second EditioD. 1 toL» with lUostrationi. 6t. 

ATZLGBIMAGE into DAUFHINE ; WITH A VISIT 

TO TBS MOKASTBRT OF THB GrANDB ChARTRBVSB, AND AkBCDOTB^ 

iMCXDBirrs, AMD Srstchbs from Twbntt Dbfartmbnts or Franos. 
By the REV. G. M. MUSGRAVE, AM. 2 volt, with lUuitrations. 2U. 

** It wsvld be dlAevlt to Bnd a nore acreeable and Inetructlve travellinf eompaatoo 
the antbor of these volnnieo. He has snfllclent antiquarian, adentlftc, and artlatic 



iBMwIedfS to BBske hlsi so enlightened obsenrer and reporter, aad a qoichtteaa of diseeffB> 
«sat whldi dstscts the SMsUcat point of lalcrsst.'*— Ole^ 

THE HOLY PLAGES: A NARRATIVE OF TWO 

TEARS' RESIDENCE IN JERUSALEM AND PALESTINE. By 

HANMBR L. DUPUIS. With Notbs on tbb Disfbrsbd Cakaavitb 

.. . Tmuis, bj JOSEPH DXTPUIS, late British Yioe-Consil ia TripoU and 

TttBlk Sto&k with DlBstntioUy Sis. bowkL . . 4 




LAKE mAKIi OB SXEXAKAHOBB AXD IXOi 

•MMUW MnuM hnt Twtai* Vammmpm v na W«m W 



nyd t*^ wbk UiV Mi ip«ii«i af M DM 

Mat Mtaa wflMMlM*M««Miwl 



«WMkMtt*M 









4M*Hr.ila«WMMjMUM|arfaaikWi 1 I ""i iW Ji iii ii ■iihl~ 



L TW II I mil idlMlBW »< 



TEE OXONIAK IN NOSWAT ; OB, NOTES OF 

Eicouiom IV TMAT Coamr. By tka Bn. F. UITULR, MM^ 
rell»w of UmoU CoUcg*. Oiferd. Mair ud OMsptr UMa*. mint 
1 ToL pat Bto., irith Uap ud nHittoil IIlwInUoM, Ite. U. bMu4. 
•■■Th« OualHlaNHvar* ■• HfiiMa vUh la m m i, knttuala la ■■■■MiQljla 

Ml. Mrtc«umu]mipiMrtw»Mii|ihfc— ■M»»r«mriM*»u«fc»ui»«ah^iM 

>■ *-MH* pfactlHd kr Tvl«H p u flia, wttl mI.imi lili Halt fcrtW Mnaatirf Hta. 



"Mr. MW fK rt taM li ■* Ml if hita Hd ■ i iri| MM 
la lalHlarM .Mk iBcr aaM«a(«a. •ax «f Uaw an hlfblr « 
Mam IkH lUii U la a Mir **>mM* aart. caatab^ a Itad a(W 



M«ll«MM<Mi 



16 BURST AND BLACKETT'S KBW PUBLICATIONS. 






BUSSIA AFTER TEE WAR: TEE NARRATIVE OF 

A Visit to tbat Covntat in 1856. By 8BUNA BUNBURY. 2 Tolt. 
potl8YO. 21i. 

*■ Wt cMigv^BtnUU IflM Bunlmrf vpen baHiiff writttn a Tcry rateruialog book— ent 
thtl kM Um ntrit of bolBf rcod*bl« fHmi tho bcglnBlaf to the •ail. Tb« oothor mw oil 
Ikot oho coold, oad koa dcoci1b«d wilh much vivacity all the saw Btr book !• Aall of 
plaaaaat pktafta. eommoBdag with St. Petcrabarf aad Ita Itoos* and cBdlng wlih Ibt" 
Mvaaatloa. It will lad nunoroM readera.*'— IMilf JVmm. > 

''Mlaa Baabofy^ vlfaelont aketvhct aro aot oaly piqaaat with meaalog aa ta tbe ttata ^ 
•f aadotf la R«Mla« bat bare all tba cbarai aod nrMbaaaa of Irat loipmaloat on aa actlva^ 
tkongbttalt and obatnrlng mlad. W« can cordially rccomBond the work, aa prcwoting a * 
««y ontcrtalniag aad varied panorama of tbo rontt takon by tbla Intelligent lady, and, ' 
■ a i aei i i , aa eoaveylag tbe mott recent Information witb regard to tbe present 91010 and ' 
MBdltiaa of tbe man Important parte of tbe Csar'e vaet terrltorlea.**— Jfomlff^ ^ofl. 

A SUMMER IN NORTHERN EUROPE; INCLUIV 

nro SBiTcaxs in Swxdbk, Norway, Fiklakd, ths Aland Islands^ 
OomiAiiD, etc. By 8BLINA BUNBURY. 8Tolt.poit8TO., 21t. 

"All readera af tbe worfca of lady.lravellerB will be glad to know tbat tbey are fkvoared 
•frfn by Mlaa Bunbary wItb an aecoant af l.er experience In Nortbem Europe, Inclndlog ^ 
Bodi of tbe aeal of tbe late war— Finland, for example, and tbe Aland lalce. Hie book ' 
la • vary w a leami caatrlbatiaa to tbe reading of tbe eeaeca.**— JEeaailner. 



HARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD, 

Comprising A Wintbr Pamaob across thb Andss to Cbili, with a 
Visit to tub Gold Rioions or CALiroRifiA and Australia, trb South 
8ba Islands* Jata, &e. By F. OERSTAECKBR. 8 toU. dli.6d. 

** Startlag Aram BreoMn for Callfomla, the autbor of tble Narratlva proceeded to Rlo^ 
Mli tbenee to Boeooa Ayreei wbere be excbaaged ibe wild seae for tbe yet wilder Parapaa, 
aad made ble way oa boneback to Valparaito acroee tbe Cordllteraa-Hi winter passage AiU of 
diflcalty aad daagcr^ From Valparaiso be Bailed to California, aad viilted San PraacUco 
BiiieiBiate, and tbe mining dletrlcte generally. Tbenee be steered ble coarse to tbe South 
Sea Islinda, mllng at Hoaololn, Tahiti, and other gems of tbe sea la tbat qoarter, and from . 
ta Sydney, mareblug tbrongb tbe llarray Valley, and inspecting the Adelaide district, 
Aastralla be dashed oaward to Java, riding through tbe Interior, and uking a general 
' of Batavia, with a glaace at Japan and the Japanese. An active. Intelligent, observant 
tbe oocea be made of bis adventures are Aall of variety and Interest. His descrlpUone of 
placea aad peraane are lively, aad bis rsmarke on natural prodncUons aad tbe phenomena of 
earth, eea» aad aky aia alarays eeaeible^ aad made with a view to practical results. ThosA 
pattloBa af tbe Narrative which refer to Callftomla aad Aostralla are repleu with vivid 
■hatcbse 1 aad ladeed tbe whole work aboaads with livlag aad plctaiaaque deecrlptlona of 



AUSTRALIA AS IT IS: ITS SETTLEMENTS, FABHS, 

AND GOLD FIELDS. Bf F. LANCELOT, Minkralooical Svr^ 

TBTOB IN TBB AVSTRAUAN COLONIBS, ScCOnd EditlOD. 2 VOls. 12s. 



A LADTS VISIT TO TEE GOLD DIGGINGS OF 

AUSTRALIA. By MRS. CLACY. 1 ¥oL 6s. boond. 
•Iho BMet pithy aad eatartalalaffafaU the baaka thai haea bean wilttaa on the gold 



UGHIS AND SHADOWS OF AUSTSAUAK LEFR* 

By MBS. CLACT. S vob. pott 8m ISh boaml 



TOTAOU AMD TUTXU. 



A PERSONAL NABBATIVE OF THE SIS0OVER7 

OF THI NOtTH.WEST PASSAGE wttfc M— iw M l» d d wW «l TiwJ 
■ad Advaian duiK ■M^r K*t-T«Ht' CMUaaMi S«Tica !■ Ibt Antk 
BmIom white ia Se>fA of tha Bipcditiea ndar Sir Jafca fnmkXm. Bf 
ALEX. ARUSTBONO, U.D-. ft.N^ tou SaiiMa •*< NMnliM W HJfX 
• U*arti|>tar.' I td. WUh Uap ud PhU, I«*. 




TEE WANDERER IS ARABIA. B7 0. T. LOWTH, 

laa. S toIl p«M Sto. «rilh lUaiT ' — ■ ■ 




EIGHTEEM TEARS ON THE GOLD COAST OF 

AFRICA; iHCLOsiifO ah Accodht or thi Katiti Tbibw. *•>» Txsik 
iKT»coDu( wrTH Eii«irB*H>. BrnR0DIECRUlCK3I)ANK,UBMBa> 
orTHaLaai»tATiv«CauHCiuC*rcCojkaTCA«TLB. S*»lt.pMtSTO. Sli, 
"ThU U M* af ikt ami laMnMlM nfta UU ffH tM <■»■■>••* hB^. Ik 

THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. B7 ELIOT WAB- 

DURTON. Tbirteenlh Edilioa. 1 nl^ with IS lUaitratioBi, 6i. bonad. 



TRAVELS IN PERSIA, GEORGIA, AND EOOIU 

DISTAN', WITH SmcHu o> thr Co««*aM and nta Cauomvl Bj 
Da. MORITZ WAGNER. 3 n>U., pott S>«. 




18 BURST AND BLACKnT*S MKW PUBLICATIONS. 



VOLE AZID nXSRTTLE OF THE ENGLISH IN 

AUBBICA. Br thttADtborefSAU SLICK." 2 toU. putSTo. 81i. 

"WacMnlntkliinfk tabtbrfHlhiBiitnliublaudlnipvttnt J*d(« aiUborWa 

kaaanrvrtlm.' Wkli« inMlif with iBUmt, Bonl uJ UitoHai, to tte ftntnl mdii, 

KafMlIf (NM](iiu*>i>kUoHFkUKlitadr'>r*I>*P^IM>«udMUtuBu. ttirUlternuid 

MM la B Matt at u^t spH ihi KUul ari|la, I^mMI—, ul pnfrm ri' »• npiiUU ■( 



sun SLICED NATURE AlTD EUSUN NATUBE. 

S nU. pMt Bfo. 34i. boaod. 

■■ HiK* •» Bkk*i tnt mrk k* ku vritte* hUiIdi m rmli, »er> ■>' fnslMir 
taBMaw H (hi*. Knrr I'm af llulJi Haia my « Mkni liuUacIlTflTi ulJrlallr, 
Jaaaaaly.srwlullr. Adnlntlaaat ■»'• ailara taluti, ul ligtbUr Ulili droll jubi. 
•MMuUr alunuw, M wlik aakaltlaf arldllf m ptnui Ihna lul toIbhi tl hi*. TbtT 

*■ ' ilaf a UU, a akitch, a 



BASE SLICE'S WISE SAWS AND MODERN 

INSTANCES I QB, Wbat ■■ Said, D», ok ImBKno. Second EdiUon. 
t nil. PMt Svo. 21». 
'WatfaMt tar Upndkllkallkfaa daOfhtAilnlaiiM* will baikaaiaal papalar, u 
tafMi 4mM, Uwt on lU k*M. af aU loigt Halllnnaav adiBlnbla nrki. Tha • Wlaa 



MEatbtaaikar. Wtharr 



aHptoVMldka aa lataaUeato aslkar md mi**. II li aw af Uh plaaaaatoat bi 



*Tkt kuwv.ar ■amaikli lalaahUHllbl*. Ha !■ mr asd amrwkan a nlnma 
iWlw I aiinai |fMt bl* irixvwhi (Bd «H ud wtadaa kaai apaa kit UDfoa. Tka pnatst 
b alUfilkM a aaat adltrlaf pndBrtloB, niurkaMa allka (ar lu laer kaMMr, 11a aawd 
tkllaiii|h|. Iba rtlldtr at lu UlaauaUana, aad Uii dallcKj a( Iti uUra. Wt praalit o«r 
awdanapari baat (naa tbt ptrual at Ikat ' Wlaa Ban udkfgdan lartaacti.- whlA 
•Mtala • vwtd a( pnetkal xiadaM, ud a MMiNT (T Ik* rtdMal Ita."— VanHiV ratf. 

TEE AlIERICANS AT HGISE; OB, BYEWATS 

BACKWOODS, AND PRAIRIES. Ediud bj tlM Author of "SAU 
SUCK." 3 tolk po«t Sn. 91*. 6d. 

•• ta ita pktHaaqH daUaaaUaa tt ■kinct*i.,aHl Ik* MkitaM pnHaltai* af aatlaaa] 
ftMBfaa,Mwril*«*f Iki pn*Mtdar*1Ml> Jadf* aiUbanaa.' 'TkaAiMrtcaMatBan** 



TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOTTB. EDITED BY 

. l)MABtlMrrf«SAUSUCK.* Snb. portSTo. Sl*.6d. 

>ir* UB hH daM man Ikaa tk* ftartat Jadt* Hallbarua, tkmi^ lb* aWBlk (T 
*»lil«Ha>la ■••»,■ t* luka Ow aid r*nal •aaairy raeagalM aad appncMa ktr qaaw 
»iaml rnfaar. Hla pnaart aellaaUaa af eaada alartaa vd lM|kakl» tnlu I* 1 



IIUMT AMD BUCKBTT'S KBV POBUCJLTIOKI. 19 



THE RIDES AND REVERIES OF ]IIIR.£SOF SSOTE. 

Br UARTIN P. TLTPER. I to), pott in. lOi. 6d. boowL 



.., ,._i.llMly« __ .. 

•I fklMapkr-'"— J(*m*c f>^. 

larlloa if lk> talrmud ulhw «( ' PnMTbUI rfcriilfty.' 



A WOMAN'S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN. BY 

Ibc Author of "Joiiif iUur&i, Ccrtluiam.'' 1 roL 10«.Ed. 



PEN AND PENCIL PICTURES. BY THOMAS 

11001). SrrnnilCJilion.llcviicil. wilh AdOilioBi. 1 tbL villi naiacrau 

IlluiimiDna.br llie Autbor, lOi, Cd. beund. 

" Ttm <ri,l km •nil IKIm k«k ■iin»o»<l *llli>ul kl.Inf 1 >l>k U wilcWBt It. Br U* 

rxirv ■■.<! kl( pr-u, ThunH K—l Ik* •kskiI dlitlndlT ■»><»«• hlmiiLr 1> b* bt* 

hllitr'i tun. Mil ■■■•» kH ■ na» krri »a (lura Inwt Iki sW hnwbWit lnUKktnU 

■tilib fell irkJlr aH rothtd. Mm* ar kla IkouikLi kambdniifuiilr »»- Bm U* 



IT witu, Hd |Lid4« lb* btarW «f ll 



THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF MARY RUSSELL 

MITl'OUI). Author of" Our Vuligt," " Athcrtoo," &e. Srali. port Bra. 






SONGS OF THE CAV ALTERS AND ROUNDHEADS. 

JACo:uTt: niLLAns, .Vc. Cr c. w. tiiornuury. i vol. xu 

uuDicruui IlJuitritiobi l.jr H. S. Makki. lOi. Cd. dciintl; bouDd. 

"llr rKarnkiirThi*pnda»d>»l<iaM>/MM* k' k^*'* ■•t^r •• nok vltt 
Uvui.rl OF Anauk-t L>Tt."— CAn^rlt. 

"Tbsn wk* lof* |i|[ii», lift, Md M*t*a*Uwaf>IUh*nia4 rtMttofkCTk-— 



so BUUT AMD BIACEBTT'S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



FASOLT BOIUAKCE; OB, DOMESTIC AKNALS OF 

THE AKISTOCRACY. BT SIR BERNARD BURKX, Uuna Em o» 
Amiu. S ToU. pott 8*0. tl*. 
Anoaf llMBur MberiBiemllngUgeBdt ud romantic funllj hlitoriet com* 
ytbadta IkcM mlnna, will be foand tb« followiDgi — Tba wonderful nuntivl 
o(H»<«Slclla,Ladf Newbotoii|li,whoclilmedon »ach rtrong eridenee to b« 
'*MMeM«rtIicHoDMaf Orlcani, aiid dlipuled the Identllr a( Louii Philippt— • 
' na ((biy ot lb* bnnble marrime of tbo Maotiful Countni of Stnthmore, and 
. AaanAMBpaadfauof beronljr child — Tba Lcudenof Faihion, from Gramonl 
to iranar— The riM «f the celebrated Baroo Ward, now Prime liliniatar M 
Farm* — n* curlout claim to the Baridon of Crawford — The Strang Viciitlladei 
wtcai Gnat Fkmiliei, replete wilb the moat ronanlie delalli — The itorj of the 
XMpatrielu of Ctoaebani (the aftceiton of the French EnpreH), and the n^ 
■arkabia Iraditios iwocia ted with Ibero— The Legend of the Lambiona— Tb* 
" le of Ibc faraoa* predieiioM a* to the Earta of Uar-> 
1] andWjBfard |hMt atoriei, Ac 




THE BOSTAKCE OF TEE FOBITM; OE, NAURA- 

TIVBS, 3CBNES, AND AXBCDOTES FROM COURTS OF JUSTICE. 

SECOND SERIBS. BY PETBR BURKE, Eaa., of the loner TempU, 

Banri«er-at-Law. S Tola. po*t B*o. 21i. 

PRINCIPAL CONTENTS I— Lord CrJcbton'a Rerenge-The Great Donglai 

Coia- Lord ud Lad; Kino^rd— Marie Dclorme and Her Huihaad— Tho 

SpMlnl Treaanre— Unrden in Inna of Court— Hattbieaon (la Forgei^-Triala 

thkt crtabUahed tba Illcgalitj of SiaTcr;— Tho Lorar Highwajmu— Tha 

Aflcoaing Spirit— The Altonej-aeneral of the Reifn of Terror — Eccentric 

'Oeaaneaeea la the Law— AdTeatareua of Pretended Rank— Tba Courier of 

■ L^oaa Caaaral SarraiiB'a Bigtm;— The Slitree Uurder — Cuaot Boearmf aad 

Ui wife— Pnftttor Webttcr, Ac 

^ oTtahiHrwHkwhlcklka IrH Hrtn af Ibli pabUcMtan na itf*»f*d, bu (adaMd 
ar.BHk*u«IMaUinMWchn,<rlilcll kt hu4M«wtihffnl]*0(m«l. TkdBcianU 
clafik*MCHa«Hn*r*uuu - ' - - >- - 

aHiina«»>l«b»aw»J«fcritWHTfaHttlm. I 
a» U >«aaid !■ hw, ar - "^ - 

■aalaaUf fcaff ■>■*/' K—i^ii. 

)roV£LB AKD NOVELISTS, FSXW ELIZASETH TO 

- - TUnO&lA. Br J. a JEAPPBBSON, £•«. ■ t v«la. wilb lUnadatioBa, 



JOBK g*TTP4Tj OBRTLBXAK HXV • AS. 

■nii b a Hft •••« M« k Mir WMMMt MHl. It It iMhpMMtaMtti Ml 



g^ frt — —M il . liMMM«ilMM>i(>taakMia*MnMr 

pMfeM. Ufcaf*lfcHli» wWiJ ■IlllUlllllillifcll JCSP 

-•Jika iidlfci' lif «ftta — Ml Miiti iMllill il^irf) 

IMMM li MlWiH. ».*MMM.lii«til% M lhltM< — lll ■ I I 

HQTEIHG VEW, BY TBX ATTTHOB OF "JOB] 

'_. HAUFAX, OUTLHUK.' tuli. iu 






W «ww.M. aai ■■ n i»» i m Mw. wW* alt Ital ImmI m^"^ 
i.'aiMii,ifc.Wiail il liiMia jifcii ■iiTTri* niUfc ^^ 
IWwal w —I ■a*l>i n ■■i rtm laiioli^aM >ai— fcJMM <tf at jwjfc ■ 



gyjsasx'Si 



ASELE. BY JUIIA XAVAlTAaH, ABTEOB 0] 

•■ KATHALIK," «e.. S rah. 

iiBltaA 




BT THE AUTHOR OF UAROARFT UAITUND. 



LILLIZSLXAT. 

' Bn»naC«<ie»M»« •■■■■<■ 



Ckoptr C4iUMi, 1 laL ■>. 
•"l*. (MdUlH •»••« if ■■■■« 
k( ■ Lift •/ M ra. Il»*in4 MalllHr 



to. oEtrb'i.. RiSSr M mE 



■ipKlir fcr tat pkUmqot, urf k«r I* 



OXPHAVS. 



^VkT^ihwcT' 



«f niMii'ii 

ttti^tm la U 



frrm n y iriJn nt 



KJlBBTXUZX. 
ASAX eXABXI, 



W0BK8 OF ncnOH. 



TEE OniT CHILD. 

BrUsrScsn. It, 

■hdrScstfiantldrtilnri hll tt 

■U^, ItrsUr dltlliinil>btd in tb( MMM 

A LOVEK'S aUASBEL. 
>ftk(ArtbH'*("C*VM)f QiomuT.lT. 

- Om •« Omi /»eli»tlBf UtM «hlck 






wat adaHr-Ur hiUImJ ttm 



!|4hu m ptel m tMiw and if. 
Tb* ckancitn in dlaUiKt Md 
iRd."— JVw«tar Clmld*, 



A WILL Am A VAT. 

■r *kt Bmi. RiifiiT Cnii, Aiibir i 
" Hioa *■• Low," *f. I TvU. 



■TWn l> ■ iml dml Ihal 



KORALS OF UAYPAHL 



■•■ ud iilnt Id Um Iwcf— til, On. 

Uaiwif k kMwlcdgt of aHltlr. Mlk c*^ 
■idcnbW tlmncH la «(plcUBf Ik"— 

COTTBT SECKETS. 

BT Vu. TaoHioH. Inla. 
■A IkaelaaUBf tUrj^-Mlm BmO. 

THE SaUIBE OF 
BEECSVOOD, 

IMkalad ta a* Dak* (T Baaaiart. I lalft 

A VOIUITS SIOBT. 

BTlla(.«.C. Ball. iTaU. 
•"AWDmst-iSMrT'lilBlfiMtlat. II 
lawd viilln.UHl (Blu n>ial to laj »t 
.Kn-a-CUaUlnrr " 



SCKftSCT" 



THE TWO BBOTHEBS.' 

Bt ttt AaUar ■( "Taa Diaciiun ai 
Lira," Jh.1 Talk 



St Uaa. Oou. * reU. 

VIOLET BANS, 
DABK AKB FAIS. 

Bt Ika AnUwr >f ■■ Baca ma ■•■(.>• ■ v.^' 
■•ThaaBilMrar'BacklDibaB-huiiir-' 
paM*d UaiKlf In • Itelr and FUr.' Tba ' 
charactan at* dlillarllT draa«. TbauaW' 
It (iBpl* and iplriwiUr told. Tka dl*. . 
lafuttinMn. naMral, hill ar (kataMir. i 
la akert, 'DarkiuMl Fatr* ulna Ua flat* 

IIIitE* cron af Ikfhl lIlRmlniT, naca." 
ral, brUlliai, ud eoBUaaaaalT IMtnaU 
iBf.'-OM*. 

A LIFE'S LESSONS. 

By Hi*. Ooaa. ) islt. 

■"A UVi L«Kaa> la tald Id Uta. 

Cera'i bnl aiflr. Sba ihawm mi. 

(nc*, and Icanlnf iknuRb ih« pa(«a 

wtlb kfT Bmal UUtUj.-^VIIf ffnn. . 

CUTHBEET ST. ELICE, MJ. j 

Oa.PAHBAGBSINTUELirEOB , 

A POLITIC! AH. troll. 
"AbsaktalMrHd, aad diHiMlf M* 
•I • lb* aaf all ■ af tha i*.f.~~l'nm. 

FASHIONABLE LIFE; ' 

Ob. PARIS AND LONDON. ,_\ 
Bt Uai. TaoLLopR. ■*. 
"The book hM anaai lU mnlltUil 
laraluabla mt af btla| uanufblr laaA- 

OEBTEnBE; '■ 

Ob, PAUILT FRIDB. 

By Hai. Taauafa. 1 toU. 

" na psUlnllaB af Ihl* *arli will add 

'tra. Tnllopa'a blfli rapauitw ta > 



BAKIEN; 

Oa. THE UERCHAHT PBIMCB. 

"Taa Gaai 

la." Naw awl 1 . __ 
1 nl. ••. Uaal BaadfJ 

8ETX0UB 
AHB HIS FRIENDS. 

Bt Ibt Aatkar W "Taa Shut Itw 



wMij. 1.1JJJLJ !Mil EP 



wosu or ncnoK. 



SACEKL OSAT. 




THX SOU OF ASHUSST. 

Bf Aatkw af Xhiua Wiisbam. ■••I*. 

XDOAK BARDOH. 

•t V- Xviaanv, M.A. I nk 

'Tk* •larr ■• ■■> tnn nT ovnkr if Ik 
■'^ 1,,^ J,. __..,- — ^- 



NhUaOKHtM 

BOSAORET. 



o 



THI TOUKO WirK.ANOTHt OLD 
I.WVE. 



ASTHUR BRAKDOK. 






*ni't-Ult la n«B« m ttfiiltllj (mL"— 



XABOAKET 
AFP HER BBTPF Sl''*"* ■ 

»f Ik* AMkw If ■■ Waunl ItcnnM." 



4 >i rt <ial. wktekta mt 



ISX TOVSO LOBSl 

•f Ik* ABikw at - Taa DiaamM 
Lipa.-Aa. 1 lala. 



TEX HOUSX Of ELKQEE; 



TRITR TO S ATXTRR. ** 
i>*t>.ii>. 

■TlwrwJwIIIWMMtMfcraMan ■ 
kki If i^TBMiTfH^ 11 aa ifTttaM* irrt^ 

a«>» ibai >n npWU *<A *t|BBr aS 

TlT»etlr."-Sam. 

XAROnRRITS'S LE0AC7. 

■r Ha*. T. r. Swv4. iTala. 
tal>rtMl*f Ixxik Uiu IkU. TM alaff •• . 

THE SORROWS 07 

•A naarkiblTCMd awH."— Cuatiii'. 

OUR OWN STORY. 

** A «vr% 0r aA4w«*U*nakle (**' 
Marr !• fUl of \munM."-afm* 

XB. ARL£. 

-Mr. irl.'l.aw«Vef.wiTM-fc . 
ardar. asl w> an aawlot II aa U(k( 
tritau *b*a n i« tkai. la ■iflt imt 

•f Hn. OhJwU.'— A^ JalL 

THE NEXT DOOK 
HEIOHBOURS. 

BTHB«.«**c«raHa. Aaikaraf-TaM- 



THB ARMY AND THB NAVY. 



OOLBjDBFS XTNUED SEBVICE MAGAZINE, ANB 

NAVAL AND MILITARY JOURNAL. Pabliibed on the fint of ercry 
aonthv price St. 6d» 

Tbis popolir periodical, which hat now been eiUblisbed a quarter of a ctnUuff 
cmbraeet nibjecta of aach extensiTe Tariety and powerful interest at must render 
II scareely leu acceptable to readera in general than to the nembers of those pro* 
lieasSoDs for whose use it is more particularly intended. Independently of a suo* 
cessioB of Original Papers on innumerable interesting subjects, Personal Naiw 
ratWea, Historical Incidents, Correspondence, ete., each number coroprisee 
Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Officers of all branches of senrice, Reviews of 
New Publications, either immediately relating to the Army or Navy, or inTolmg 
•objects of utility or interest to the members of either, full Reports of Tiiali 
by Courts Martial, Distribution of the Army and Navy, General Orders, Circulars, 
Promotions, Appointments, Births, Marriages, Obituary, etc., with all the Na?al 
■ad Military latelligenee of the month* 

• 

OPINIONS or THB PKsaa. 

"TUs Is cooHMwdly on* of tlit ablest sad ssost sttrsctl?* ptriodlcals of wblcb lbs 
Bdllob prtM am boost, prtMotlof • wldo Itld of tBlertoloaicat to tbt gtacrol at wtVL as 
ffoftoolooal raoder* Tbo ouggcoUooo for tbo boncflt of Ibo two icnrlcto art dtotiofolaked 
by vlgoor of oeooo, ocoto mod iwocUcol o b a si yo U oa, on ordent lovo of dlfcipUnt , tempored by 
• blfb ooMO of josUct, booottr,aBd atondorfogaid Ibr tbo wtUbro oad coasfort of ouraoldloro 



** At tbo boftd of tbooo pcriodlcolo wblcb ftinibb weAd sad Tolooblo lofonDOtloa to 
tMr p^ ca l lsr riiiits of rtodcrs, •• wtU oo omvicniOBt to tbt gtocrol body of tbt pabUr» 
bo plAotd tbo ' Uolltd 8«nrlco Magoslno, oad NotoI oad M UHary JoohmL' It ooaibtro 
Its coatribotora olmott oil tbooo talbuit tpirito wbo bovo dooo no 1cm bonoor 
to tboir comtry by tbdr iwordo tboa by tbcir ptno, ood obonodo witb tbo ssost lotcmtlaf 
ilSHMiltni oo BOfal oad alllury offolrs, ood tUrrlaf nortothrto of dctds of ooos la oil 
portoof tbo world. E?ory Inibmotloo of toIoo sad lotcrtot to botb tbo StrrlMV Is colled 
wItb tbo greotott dUlfcoco flrooi ortfy ovalUblo tonreo, oad tbt corto i poodtact of Toriooo 
^UCtofoltbod oCrtn wblcb oorldi lit pofto la a feotnrt of srcot attroctloo. Ir abort, tbo 
* Ualltd StfTico Mafoslot' can bo rtcoomcodtd to trory rtodcr wbo potataattibat attacb* 
SBoat to bio cooatry wblcb oboiald SMbo blai look wItb tbodotptatlattrtot oo Ra aoval oad 
asBllory tooooictfl.**— Sim. 

*" Tbio troly oatloool poffiodkallo always Adl of tbo BMOt valoablo Bsattorftr pffotealoBal 
aMk*— Jf omter JTcrold. 

** To aMUtary oad aaval smo, aad to tbat claaa of reodtia wbo borer oo ttt sklrta of tbt 
aod toko a world of polaa to lafom tbtaMtlvta of oil tbo ffohifo o», tbo modto oad 
tbo asoroflitota aod adTtotorra coaotcttd wItb eblpa aad bamMCS, tbia ptrlodlral 
la tadloptotoblo. It la a rrptrtory of ficu ood ctHldioit oarfoUfta of p#t tiptrltoot, aod 
tbot art to good oa If tbty wort trot lablta ood rttorot otw l«Ttatl9oo aod otw 
boarlof opoo tbo omy aad aoTp— corrtapoodtoct crowded wSb lotelUfro c o ■ aad 
oMttera tbat lie la dooo aeifbboorbood wItb ibe pia f iaslaos, aa d c oatrlbato 
I or loso 10 tbo stock of gaoarol aaolbl I 



'BUB8T AMD BLACKETT. PUBLI8HEBS, 

• UCCI880R8 TO HBNRT COLSUXN, 

II9 •ASAt MABI»BOmO«OS STmiBf* 



•r^ 



If 



I ! 



ii 

• ■ 

r. 



I 



K 



11 



I 






I 



044 616 Ms Mf 



THE BORROWER WILL BE CHARGED 
AN OVERDUE FEE IF THIS BOOK IS 
NOT RETURNED TO THE LIBRARY ON 
OR BEFORE THE LAST DATE STAMPED 
BELOW. NON-RECEIPT OF OVERDUE 
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