The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-16 00:00:00

DRAMA.

FRENCH PLAYS.-BT. JAMES'S THEATRE.
Madamaeslle Rachel, dodge her priest visa, has
almost entirely thrown side Case( sad Rar.ine, and re-
sorted to the druse of the present day. A single perform-
see of nein, gad another of Pelyeseote, are all that we
have bed Ober tenser rserteint. Aad she has done well,
for she Ask that the Lunges plias as well u the Pan-
=hew hugest weary of IMpesierse pomp of French
tragedy. Her pretest messes, at this time, se
bees is her part of Admits. Lestavreur and her next
in the sweet of herobareeters, Lady Tartufe, which she
perdestod fer the ire. time lagt idght.
prdp Terheeses el/leis/1p brought out at the Theitre
Freakish dent three minathe egos and got into great vogue.
It is ties the pis et Mane Emile de Girard* the
spiritual:o and wamiplitheil wife of the celebrated editor
of the Plum. who has ins benelf to be a dramatist of
no oedirir TS, idea of the subject, as the name
indieatas, rasa =i tent Molise, but the characters belong
to talkies beleadie life of tlas present day. The prin-
cipal ilsZtytelldedase all Eitiese, is an adventurer, who,
UM her is Mk" has gist into society and
diked singssnielo hypocrisy sad pretension.
to greet Needly e(» She-has gained a footing
is the YOE of a deem old Marshal who is
infatuated with her se Organ is with Tartuffe. 'Her game
is to get the Si gentleman to marry, and, by her flatteries
and blandishments, she has nearly accomplished her pur-
pose. The Marshal has a niece, an innocent young girl, of
whom he very fond, and whom the ferule Tanta' con-
sequently Sebes to get out of the way. :he accordingly
spreads a scandalous story, injurious to the young lady 'a
reputation; and the distress produced by this calumny, and
its ultimate exposure, to the confusion and discomfiture of
its author, form the subject of the piece. The plot is well
constructed, and the incidents are of such a nature as to
produce many interesting scenes.
The character of the female Tartuffe is more complex
than that of the hypocrite of Moiler,. Something of the
tragic element enters into it, which renders it fit for Mdlle.
Rachel. Madame de Blass, though an adventurer and a
hypocrite, labours under remorse for a terrible passage in
her earlier life, and is passionately in love with the young
man to whom the Marshal's niece s betrothed—an addi•

tiocal incentive to hatred of the victim whom she attempts
to destroy. Hews Madame de Blessac's habitual dissimu-
lation is mingled with feelings not only real, but of almost
tragical intensity. Tbe wbeie character is one of Rachel's
most powerful pictures, and the more powerful from its
perfect quietness and entire freedom from exaggeration.
There is another character almost aa ably drawn as that
of the heroine. It is that of the Baron de Toarbieree, a
spendthrift, who, having got into Madame de Blossac's
debt, is so much in her power as to be obliged to connive
at her plots, till, having obtained the means of paying her
off, he assists in unmuking her. Regnier's acting of the
shrewd, worldly scamp, with some good feelings and no
principles, was so admirable, that he divided the applause
with Rachel. The young girl, Jeanne, was acted with
great simplicity and sweetness by Mille. Palmyre, sad the
ensemble of the performanoe was extremely satisfactory.
The play was received with the warmest applause by one
of the most crowded audiences of the season.