The Express.
London, England, 1855-07-30 00:00:00

MADEMOISBLLE RACHEL.

Some thirty year, back the lounger. in the cafes
at Lyons were often awakened from their dreams over the
newspapers, or disturbed at their games at dominoes, by
the voice of a poor little girl who went from table to table
collecting a few sous from the charitable while her sister
sang and played on the guitar. This child, even then re
!linkable for the beauty of her voice and the intelligence of
her expression, was named Elisabeth Rachel Felix, and was
the daughter of a Jew pedlar. A few years afterwards she
was to be baud singing with her sister at the doors of the
odds in Paris. Still a few years later, and the same girl,
at the age of eighteen, was hailed as the un-
doubted queen of tragedy in France under the name of
Mademoiselle Rachel. The steps by which she mounted to
the eminence were simple enough. The beauty of her voice
I had attracted the attention of the celebrated Chiron, who
admitted her into his musical clue. After remaining in
this class about ten months it was seen that the depth,
beauty, and impressiveness of her voice, together with her
marvellous power of expression by the features, rendered,
her better adapted for tragedy or comedy than opera. She
was then removed to a class instituted for the instruction of
dramatic pupils, in which she went through a course of
severe study. After a trifling success obtained at some minor
theatres, ►er great merits were recognised by Vedel, the
manager of the Theatre Frarcsit. He engaged her at a
salary of 1601. for the first year, and she was announced to
appear in Camille in Corneille's play of Los Hyraces,
on the 12th of Jane, 1838. _

Let us we what were the chances of the success of this
young girl of eighteen, elevated to tte place of first trage-
dian in a theatre which prided itself upon adherirg to the
old traditions of the encient classical drama in France. In
the first place the classic drama had been consigned to the
shelves of libraries, to be perused by students only. With
Telma it bad died out for all pupae& of representation.
" Where," said Jules Janie, writing at the period of which
we are speaking, "are the supporters of the tragedy of Cor-
neille and Racine ? Where are the interpreter of Voltaire ?
Dead. Cilia& is dead. Nero is dead. Orosmanes is
dead. Dead is that Phedra. the offspring of the
imagination of Racine. And the tenants being dead,
the house which they inhabited was empty. The
Theatre Francais was the only place where in summer
you were sure of being cool, and et seeing nothing to agitate
your sympathies." So thought, on the 12th of June, 1838,
M. Jules Janin, the prince of critics, and Dr. Verson, the
brilliant editor of Conehtsitiontisis, the maker of reputations,
' "

penonal, theatrical, and political, the soul—if you believe
him—of every great movement, revolutionary, conservative,
social, or literary, that has happened is Paris Main
the years that bus pasted since he has interested
himself in the affairs of the nation. In that remarkable
book of the doctor's entitled, " Memoirs* d'an Bourgeois
do Pub'," he tells us that he went into the Theatre
Francais on the 12th of Jae "in search of shadow and
solitude." It appeared at first sight that he was likely to
dad it, for there were only five persons, himself included, in
the o►elustre. Jules Janie had come to the same nano-
lent abode for the same purpose very probably, for be wu
at the same time reposing on • sofa in the green-room.
Neither of the two alebrlties ever dreamed of troubling
themselves about the stage. Gradually, however, the
doctor's attention was drawn to the Camille. A remarkable
physiognomy awoke him from his dreams. " It
was full of expression," he tells us; " the fore-
head wee slightly projecting; the dark eyes, full
of lire, were nak deep in the orbits. The bead wee
supported by a body slim indeed, bat with a attain elegance
of pose, movement, and attitude. The voice was full of
character, sympathy, sad of remarkable compass, but above
all expressive." The doctor was in raptures, he rushed up
to the prince of addle, dragged him down stairs to the
boxes, insisted upea hie listening to the actress, and from
that moment the reputation of Rubel was made.
This is the doctor's I.oollllt. Oar private opinion is that
Dr. Veron and M. Jules Janin, however instrumental in
drawing attendee, at the moment, to the great merit of the
aurae, maids° more bus prevented her ashieviog her great
artistic triumphs, than they could have achieved such them-
selves. It is well known that Janin some time afterwards told
Rachel that s►e could never play Rezone. He repented,
he said, that he had made her reputation." " Nothing
repulsed to him," he declared, "bet to demolish it." Alas,
poor Junin ! " I told you se," he said to Rachel, the morn-
ing after her first appearaace in Ronne, when the public,
awed by the cUctaterial amnion of the critics, were afraid
tontines. the delight they really fat; "You are utterly bad,
and will ever remain utterly bad in Roma." Uafortanate
creator and dispenser of reputations. Ia the second reprmen-
tation Rachel met with • triumphant reception. The third
time she played in the character the doors of the theatre
were in danger of being stormed. The receipts at
the doors upon the fourth representation were
enormous. Unlucky critic ! He ought to have
been known by the name of Dame Partington Jean
after this. He could do no more spinet the tide of
popularity than that illustrious old l►dy could do against the
waves of the Atlantic. Janin however was not alone as a
false prophet. Before Rubel appeared en the boards of the
Theatre Francais, Provost, the gnat comedian, to wham she
had made application for an Introduction to the theatre, bad
coarsely old her to "go and sell bouquets on the bottle-
yards." One evening, after having obtained a great success,
she ran to Provost with ten or a dozen enormous bouquets,
with which Ow bad been greeted, crying out. " Will
you buy ?"
_ _

. -
The vagrant Jeerer of the streets of Lyose, ribose talent
• few years before had ontributed merely a few imiu to the
daily seceseitise of her parents, was now teaselled on the
tide at the worst when, " taken at the flood," it "leads
on to fortune." The widce tendered their adention in the
fora of eoam•lsies spasm• of style. They appeared to font
at the south wham they endeavoured to celebrate her great-
ness. High moiety Is Paris armed her with laurels, and
greeted he, entry tate their Woes as though she bad haw
a erequator returns fres some great vietoey. dad •
esequeroe she was. the had @moored a ten years' In.
dilemmas of the polite to dramas *kick in their slay,
are weeks of high art. She had eonqured • lap
Unitary Whale dosed to the maws and sympathise