The native American., 1839-03-30
THE NATIVE AMERICAN
THE DRAMA AT PARIS.

son with those prliniHVe udys' - ~
troops Of the crusades did not move about me
land az those of the oden time were wont 'qui
cnnerea. ugcreatque pernucH fgci6us ora. lheir
att.mns At dramatic perfection were, at the best,
but gross and i'll directed. The rude spectators
of the middle ages were well sat.sh<u with ihe
wild and superstitous mummeries Of the mysteries
or sacred dramas, wherein the great passages of
the ScriHtures-in the life and death OF the Re-
decmer and the acts of the apostles, saints and
MARTYRS were roughly embodied and represented
on the bonrds. These mysteries were first intro
duced into Europe by the returning pilgrims from
Jerusalem; and among the earliest institutions of
the kind whereof history or tradition has kept
note is the celebrated one of the 'Conreres he
la Passion" founded at Paris at the epoch OF the
Crusaaes. The Enians soucl, who min
gled song and farce and apparently merlled the
cheerful name they had adopted, were their I'M
mediate successors. The representations ct these
two primitive companies were noted Tor extreme
license, rudeness, and indecent illusions and pos
lures, adapted the gross taste OF the times. AS
far back as 1870 the. Conlreres" were for al
moment threatened with serious opposition as
caterers to the popular passion for parade. by
several Italian companies, which obtained tenn
porary footing in Paris, and enjoyed brief career
of success. They were finally expelled by the
mystery actors. and the people returned with re-
newed interest 10 their old anlsements.
The French drama soon after this rude epoch
entered upon the road of Improvement, and during
the reign Of Henry ". had won respectable re-
putation, and boosted many meritorous authors
and performers 10 Cardinal Richelieu, whose
historical character is one Of no very enviable
kind, the stage is large debtor. Under his pa
tronage, Corneillc, Rotrou and Colletet, and many
others, composed, in great abundance tragedies,
tragic and heroic comedies, which were represent
ed in tie two theatres which the play-smtten
Prelate had caused to be erected in the Palais
Cardinal, now Palais ROYAL. About the year
1850, the great Molere formed company, and
was literally patronzed by the literary Louis
XIV. and his gallant court. The Hotel du Petit
Bourbon the scene Of his early triumph.
The theatre Francois of the Rue Richelieu is the
l'neal and worthy descendant of this dramatic as
ISOLATION, and t, the enierprlsing Cardinal IS 1t
indebted for its original foundation. During the
reigns Of Louis XIV. anu XVI. the humber Of
theatres at Paris was very much augmented, and
at the stirring epoch Of the first French Revolution
from the fragment of social confusion sprung
forth host of petty theatres, whose career was
brief, and which met their death at the hand OF
the all-superintending Napoleon. When the res
toration had reganed the ascendency, snached
from it by the resstless strength of revolution,
and the iron hand of the modern Alexander, it be.
came pleasure and study, with those then in
power, to encourage the popular love of dissipa-
ton, by an increase of the Sales de Spectacle,
and other places of public amusement. The plan
Of approprating certain sums annually from the
civil list, for the support of the theatres IN Paris
was adopted and has been perpetuated to the mo-
ment am writing. Since the Revolution of
1880, several new theatres have been built, and
the drama, according to al appearances, has SO
much interviewer itself with the habits and feel
ings of the people, that il has become necessary
item i'll Partisan life, positive comfort, an indis
pensable luxury.
There are now sixteen theatres and upwards,
great and small, within the precincts OF Paris it
self, besides several in the banlleus or suburbs,
and during the winter months particularly, all and
each OF these theatres crowded to overtiowng
from par,erre to paradis-lrom pit to gallery. with
alten,lve, Wei behaved and constant spectators.
The same can be said of no other city in the world,
than of the pleasure-loving population among
whom it is my good fortune 10 reside.
Whoever has examined either personally or
by books, the character of the French, must
cessarily have been struck with the peculiar and
universal passion for excitement and anusements,
which penetrates every class Of society, and per
vades every stage Of life. Poor and rich, infirm
and robust, OIL! and young, all join with apparent
ly the same degree of pleasure in the round Of
dissipation. Parisans particularly seem TO have
to the night, not as we at home, with anticipation
Of domestic joys and contentment, but with hopes
Of killing time at the close-packed theatres, or
well lit concert. So general indeed is this pas
sion here and elsewhere, that have been told that
there is not a town Of any note in France, which
does not possess its Sale de Spectacle and is not
periodically visited by strolling companies of ac
tors and musicians.
But to Paris, as to focus, does the theatrical
talent Of the land converge. Here, where dis
sipaton reigns in state, and curious strangers
throng from the four quarters of the globe, the
brains OF authors aud composers without mum
he:-..'a art and skill painters. and decorators
whose name is legion-lhe time and talents of
artists, and amateurs ceaselesslv and sue
cessfully employed for the qualification of that
appetite in Parlsians which grows with what it
feeds upon, ANA IS ever signing after variety and
change. That amid this world of activity and
talent, this rendezvous Of ambition and genius.
there should be found much nieriority and shall
low professions, is most naturally TO he expected.
But mingled with this mass Of mediocrily and
common place. are stars of the first magnitude
and splen1or, whose nanes and regulations are