The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-15 00:00:00

FRENC H THEATRICALS.

VAUDEVILLE.—Has any Jettatore hovered
.over
this theatre ? Misfortunes follow closely upon each
other failures and fiascos are all that is left to the
critic to chronicle. The "Nouveau Cid" is the last-
yet most signal of all the Vaudeville fiascos. The
condemnation, which was general and unmistake-
able, was assuredly well deserved, but it had some-
thing in it personal. Pipe-en-Bois hooted "Gaetana"
and " Henriette Mardchale" from the stage, as he
hissed the " Nouveau Cid " away. Now Gaetana
and Henriette had some good points, the "Nouveau
Cid " has none whatever. Yet all were hissed and
hooted away because the town entertained personal
prejudices against M. About, MM. Goncourt, and
M. Hugelman. It so happens that justice has run
with caprice, but we must protest against these
personalities. The fiercest of democrats might
write a good play, even should he have changed his
political opinions. With these the play-going public
have no right to interfere.

GYMNASE.—They have acquired an excellent habit
at the Gymnase of bringing out a batch of novelities
at once. The other night they produced " Les
Wagons des Dames," and " Les Sabots d'Aurore,"
and on Thursday they played two new pieces, both
well. entitled to the plaudits they received. "Un
Mariage h l'Enchere' will owe its success toßlaisot's
laughable impersonation of a " tender parient" who
is always prating about his disinterestedness and
paternal affection, whilst he is ready to sell his child
to the highest bidder. The young lady knows a
great deal too much. She is a sort of " Pucelle de
Belleville," one of those pleasant books which our
dear readers used to poke under the sofa cushion
when visitors were announced. But in these Benoi-
ton days we wonder at times where young ladies of
the best regulated families acquire all their surpris-
ing information upon subjects which were tabooed
by the stricter propriety of our youth. Anna (Mdlle.
Menty) enters into all her papa's enlightened views.
She gives up her cousin for a betterparti, whom she
abandons for a yet wealthier nephew of her notaire;
but the steamer which was to have brought this
Cmsar and his fortunes to Havre went down with
all hands, and thus the lady loses all her lovers, and
is forced to fall back upon her cousin at last.
Blaiset is about as good a sketch of a Parisian papa
as ever appeared upon the stage. No one should
miss going to see him. If the first piece reminded
us of Paul de Kock's tale the " Amour d'une In-
genue" bore a strong resemblance to Mrs. Inchbald's
" Simple Story." An uncle, who hovers between
30 and 40, is left guardian of his sister's child. The
uncle is very kind to his niece, but is yet kinder to
Mdlle. Olympe and other ladies who have played
in the Olympic games of the demi-monde. The niece
falls in love—with whom do you suppose of all
people in the world—" Oh! my prophetic soul, fly
uncle." When she discovers that he is bent upon
going out to shoot cocottes, or any other sport of
.
that kind, she sews up his coat sleeves, bides
white chokers, and torments him exceelingly. Thebi
teterrima causa of these wars is revealed
season ; she contrives to keep him
at homine duefor
uhnercleowninarpraiertsichuislarnamieceu.sement,
To our
On the fly-leaf
anrdasthtee amorous
uncle
something nasty in this
neP°estis a long list of ladies
of the old family bible figures along
of matrimony. It
who are placed withoult
interdiction, " A man may
begins with the
grandmother,"aw.fu. and concludes with the
not marry.. his
same injunction against a niece. Ninon de l'Enclos
is said to have incliulcd one of her grandsons amongst
her admirers, and Tom Moore has sung the loves of
a young gentleman who was detectedflagrante under
the same circumstances. For us these circumstances
would not be attenuantes, nor would they be any
more admissible in the other case. An Englishman
would no more think of making love to his grand-
mamma than to his sister's child. But these restric-
tions are not imposed in France. Uncles and nieces
are constantly buckled together, and make excellent
menages; therefore was the marriage of this Ingenue
rapturously received. Mlle. Barataude, the debu-
tante, is an Ingenue who might inveigle any one into
matrimony. She is a great acquisition to the Gym-
nase. She has the bluest of eyes, blue as those which
shone from under Athenes' brow upon the Greeks
before Troy ; and she has learned the art of turn-
ing them to the best account, as she darts glances
from them upon the poor inflammable wretches in
the dais as murderous as from a Zwiduadelgewehr.

THIRD EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, G o'CLocK.

GERMANY.

BERLIN, Sept. 14.—1 t is announced
,on goon
authority that negotiations have been opened with
the Elector of Hesse and the Duke of Nassau for
the formal cession of their rights of sovereignty, on
the terms of a restitution, at least partial, of their
personal property.